That CAN DO attitude

Saddledome Calgary. Adobestock Photo

We are not a CAN’Tada province.

During the Calgary Stampede I had an opportunity to chat with a representative from the firm funding our class action lawsuit against Google and Facebook. Omni Bridgeway is a third party litigation funder headquartered in Australia with a Canadian office in Toronto. She made the trip to Calgary for the festivities and to catch up on our case.

What struck me most about the visit was not the legal talk, although we are both deeply invested in the lawsuit that aims to restore fairness for local journalism. It was the bigger conversation we had about Alberta, the newspaper industry, politics and life in general.

She told me how much she loves coming to Alberta and how much she enjoys the Calgary Stampede. But more than that, she talked about the vibrancy of Calgary, describing it as full of young, driven people. She said something I have not stopped thinking about since. “I love Alberta,” she said, “because it has a CAN DO mentality.”

If there is a problem, Albertans ask, “How do we fix it?”

If there is a crisis, Albertans say, “Let us tackle it head on.”

If there is a risk, Albertans take it and make it work.

That phrase, CAN DO, hit me hard. Because she is right.

Alberta is not without its challenges. Whether it is the fight for fair media compensation, economic shifts or political storms, we have had our share of hurdles. But we do not dwell in despair. We get to work.