Calgary's rainy summer getting mixed reaction from businesses, agriculture sector
It's been a wet summer so far in Calgary and the surrounding areas, with lots of rain and cooler temperatures.
Those two things are putting a damper on business for places like Calgary restaurant Porch, which relies on its patio to bring in patrons during the summer.
“It is unfortunate," Porch bartender Yianni Kounougeris said. "We have been a little bit slower now because of this."
The patio isn’t the restaurant’s only outdoor feature. It also has a roof over half of its dining space and part of the bar that can fully open, giving customers a chance to soak in the summer weather.
"It really does provide that great patio atmosphere … almost to provide you with an escape, as if you were on vacation, like in Mexico or Hawaii," Kounougeris said.
However, that patio stays closed when it rains.
"Hopefully later in July, come Stampede, we’ll have nicer weather have somewhat of a summer," Kounougeris said.
Yianni Kounougeris is a bartender at Calgary restaurant Porch. Over at Inglewood Golf and Curling Club, the wet weather is keeping people from hitting the links.
"We are down in rounds about 18 per cent compared to last year at this time," said Jason Stanier, general manager of Inglewood Golf and Curling Club.
"In comparison for example, we’ve had about six complete rain out days this year, while at this time last year we didn’t have any.
"It was a drought last year, we needed some rain, it’s good we got a little bit of rain, now we’re ready for summer to kick in.”
The rain is being received a lot differently by the province’s agriculture sector after last year’s extreme heat and droughts.
"It relieves some of the pressure and concern for moisture but we still need more moisture as we go forward for the rest of the year," said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture.
"You think you got it figured out, and the next year it throws a curve at you, and you might as well start from zero again."
Jacobson expects crops will turn out better this year because of the extra moisture.
Quazi Hassan, professor in the Department of Geomatics and Environmental Engineering at the University of Calgary, says Calgary and Lethbridge have seen 30 per cent of the typical rainfall expected for July already in the first three days of the month.
"That might be attributed to global climate change, land use changes and also the way we set up various things and are doing our business across the world," he said.
Hassan said the added moisture will help lower the risk of grass fires and other types of fire in the area.
Rain is still in the forecast for this week and over the weekend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.