At this point in my life it seems almost nonsensical to frame a blog under the rubric of the “Transplanted Calgarian” as I have been living and attending school in the city of Edmonton for the last four years. So, I began to wonder, at what point does my affiliation with the city of Calgary cease to impress my interpretations and interactions with the city of Edmonton? As a child I certainly never imagined myself moving to a place which harbours the rivalled Oilers franchise, led alone developing a strong affiliation with the city—its school, people, landmarks and natural environment. But I have.
It seems as though a great deal of the rivalry between these two cities is, at least in my opinion, based on inherent social insecurities that stem from the historic quest to “claim” the province of Alberta. From Boosterism to sporting franchises, Calgary and Edmonton have always been pitted against one another in an attempt to claim the sole possession of Alberta—I am reminded of the Calgary Flame's choice to sew Alberta’s flag to their jerseys, which almost screams, “WE are Alberta, and WE are her true conquerors.” Of course, this manipulation of the flag is not inconsistent with humanities quest to define the boarders and boundaries around the things we hold dear. With that said, my experiences with both cities have drastically changed since I moved to Edmonton (though admittedly I am still not an Oilers fan) as I now hold both places very closely to my heart.
So, in answer to my question posited above, I suppose my affiliation with “the heart of the new West” will never cease to impress my interactions with “the city of champions”; that said, my newfound rapport with Edmonton will equally affect my interpretations of the place I used to absolutely consider home—Calgary.
I find it fascinating that you avoid identifying either city as home, even though both are places you've lived.
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