Unconventional Panel: Is Calgary NIMBYism a class issue?

A public consultation meeting that turned sour has sparked a conversation in Calgary about what divides us.

"If you're driving a Mercedes Benz and you can afford a Mercedes Benz, you're not going to take public transit to goddamn downtown Calgary or Mount Royal College," oneopponent of theproposed BRT line toldacity transportationspokesperson on Feb. 24 in Woodbine.

• 'Angry-engaged' citizens present a new challenge for Calgary, but not a unique one

Soon after,Mayor Nenshicancelledthe rest of the public engagement sessions for the SW transitwayciting incidents of physical assault, threats of violence and a death threat.

And so this week's question for ourUnconventional Panel isCalgaryNIMBYisma class issue,fuelledby rich people keeping poor people out of their neighbourhoods?

"I don't think this is a divide between rich and poor, north or south, smart and not smart, worldly or non-worldly," saidpanelistShelleyYoungbluttold the CalgaryEyeopeneron Wednesday morning.

"I actually think it's about the process. I think the process with which we engage our citizens is horribly flawed."

Thegeneral director ofWordfest says instead of "public consultations and pretty poster boards" the city should consider arbitration.

• MORECALGARY NEWS |Calgary to build 1st community food centre west of Winnipeg
• MORE CALGARYNEWS |Roxborooutdoor ice rink stays open thanks torinkmasterwho is still learning to skate

Small-town mentality

"There was a time when people would get their passport once in their life and take their trip to Mexico and Hawaii and that was their worldly experience," said Calgary engineer, RavinMoorthy.

And he says those people are still kicking around.

"You know, a lot of Calgarians haven't lived elsewhere,they haven't really been to big cities or spent a lot of time there so these transit things[which]in aToronto, in a Vancouver, would be a slam dunk tend to cause problems here," said Moorthy.

Calgary Eyeopener8:24Unconventional Panel on class divisions within Calgary

Is Calgary a city divided along class lines? Our Unconventional Panel joins us with their thoughts.

AnilaLeeYuen,CEO of the Centre of Newcomers, "fullydisagrees" with Moorthy saying that's the Calgary of the past.

"I think that was absolutely true in the 1980s even up to the 90s and early 2000s.But I really do feel that we've become much more globalized," she said.

"I thinkpeople's views have been able to change. You can look at the elections and how we've been electing people to show that we are having a changing viewpoint."