There is a lot going on these days down on the lands known as the East Village, that 49 acre parcel between Fort Calgary and the downtown core, and the Bow River on the north and 9 avenue SE on the south.

But first, a little history.

As the CPR pushed the main line west in 1882-83, it was generally acknowledged that the new townsite to be known as Calgary would be east of Fort Calgary, where the wonderful community of Inglewood now exists.

Land speculators, being land speculators, immediately began snapping up all that land which they believed they could then flip to the CPR for some handsome profits.

However, the CPR, being the CPR, (the closest thing to a local monarchy we have ever had), didn’t intend to be taken to the cleaners by Calgary’s first generation of land developers.

After having safely secured the lands to the west of Fort Calgary, particularly the strip along where the Palliser Hotel now stands, the railroad publicly announced that the townsite would be situated there, and the Inglewood boom went bust, as did many of the land speculators.

So, what would be some of the things to spring up around the new train station and townsite?

Hotels – including the now-legendary St. Louis Hotel.

In the picture accompanying this column is a picture that tells a story about the St. Louis Hotel – one moment in time.

I haven’t been in government for a while, but I sure know a bad few weeks when I see it.

And the question a lot of provincial Tories are asking themselves is:  WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN EDMONTON???

All of Alberta’s main media outlets this week have been dominated by issue after issue that calls into question the general direction of the government.

Consider Wednesday’s Calgary Herald for example:

Rod Love, former long-time Chief of Staff to Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, will be the co-host of a new weekly national radio show on CBC Radio One, beginning Monday, January 23rd.

The show, entitled “Type A”, will be a weekly one-hour opinion-based show that examines aspects of Canada’s current economic malaise, and ways to recovery, through the perspective of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and their critics.

“I know this will come as a shock to my many conservative friends who have joined me in fighting the CBC for three decades,” acknowledged Love, referring to legendary battles between Ralph Klein and the Mother Corp over the years.

“During those years, the CBC believed we were dangerous, knuckle-dragging conservative cro-magnons, while we believed the CBC was a left-wing hotbed for dangerous socialst propaganda,” said Love.

Both parties have agreed to a non-disclosure agreement on what they really think now.