Talisman Centre: September 2013

By Jordan Wevers

Jordan Wevers works as a Fitness Consultant at Talisman Centre. With a passion for writing and journalism, here’s the second of an article series for members, Sport Partners, customers, and employees to enjoy. Stay tuned for more from Jordan.

When snow falls intermittently, people are indifferent. When it falls in excessive succession, the skier rejoices. When rain falls intermittently, people are indifferent. When it falls in abundance, the farmer rejoices. But from this day forth, Calgarians will hold their breath.

It is insensitive to say only Calgary faced consequences and devastation. Many communities throughout Alberta were hit hard by the June Flood of 2013. The province as a whole, reeling from $5 billion dollars in losses and counting, had never before witnessed a natural disaster on such a scale.

Precipitation is a fickle and peculiar thing – it has the power to paradoxically giveth and taketh away. Often in times of extraordinary happenings, images and recollections people store in their mind remain much more vivid and have a lasting affect more than your typical day at the office. That is why memoirs about the Holocaust or communism falling in the USSR become grand examples in literature that allows readers to gain a perspective or a different attitude they may never have experienced otherwise. A natural disaster typically fails in comparison to the events above, at least from a historical context. And there have been far more devastating natural disasters (Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005 to name a few) in my lifetime that would make the Flood of 2013 appear to be the lesser of many evils. Writing from experience is rarely a suggestive approach to take so long as the author reflects on real facts, emotions and memories that took place in an influential way. In part, that is the approach I have chosen to share.

I recall before going to bed the evening of Thursday, June 20th, hearing mutterings on the local news and engaging in small talk with people about the 2008 flood in Calgary. I was not a resident at that time, but most people seemed to be relatively unaffected, and the necessary precautions taken at the time did minimize and keep a large portion of the damage at bay. All was well in the late evening hours of that particular Thursday. But the early morning hours of Friday, June 21st were a stark contrast. I awoke to a panic and knocking at the bedroom door at 6 am to see from the balcony that Macleod Trail South was transformed into a river. A few moments later, the power went out in the entire high rise building. My companion and I packed a few things in a bag, and then walked 14 flights of stairs in darkness down to the condominium lobby. I threw her on my back, and waded through thigh high water for a block heading west. There was debris everywhere in the streets, sirens sounding and people camped out on the roofs of their cars. Others were hesitant to leave their havens in apartments above all the distress and peril in plain sight below.

After about two blocks, the water subsided and there were only puddles in some places. We stopped by my building, and there was furniture propping the lobby doors open. It felt quite eerie, almost apocalyptic. The power was out there as well, but this time it was up 19 flights in darkness to grab a bag of clothes and some rations for myself – and then back down in the darkness. We were grateful to spend Friday night at my roommate’s parents’ house. After that, a friend took us in for the next nine days. Her place was on the fourteenth floor of a building just off 14th Street. Her balcony faced east. I recall the evenings gazing out into the summer night, the downtown skyline of one of Canada’s economic hubs now black, silent and still. In all, I was displaced for about two weeks. Five of those days were spent living in my apartment with no hot water or elevator. It is incredible how much an able bodied individual takes an elevator for granted. Carrying even a few bags of groceries up 19 flights of stairs in the darkness is not a simple task. Currently, my building still only has 1 of 2 elevators operational, and full access to the parkade has not yet been granted. Minor inconveniences, really. Through all of this, I consider myself to be one of the more fortunate flood victims.

Carrie Schuett has been employed at Talisman Centre for the better part of 10 years. She is one of many people in the Mission neighbourhood not so fortunate on that fateful day the rivers swelled. She lived in a ground level condo, where the water reached only inches below her ceiling. Able to get some sentimental and important items removed before the mandatory evacuation, she now lives in Okotoks with her parents. The earliest potential date she can move home is December, and that’s being optimistic. She used to walk to work every day, and as a result does not own a car. Fulfilling her duties at work is now a challenge, because her commute, once a 500 metre walk, is now a conflicted rush hour drive from beyond the city limits, some 40 kilometres away. Through it all, Carrie has remained her usual positive and cheerful self at work. Of course the lack of contractors, building materials and dealing with insurance companies is annoying. But these are the smaller things. Carrie chooses to focus on the bigger picture, which are the innumerable selfless acts that took place once the waters of the Elbow receded.

“I have been in awe of the generosity of my family, friends, co-workers and strangers. The flood happened on a Thursday and I could not return to my building until Monday. By the time I arrived on Monday afternoon, hundreds of volunteers had already visited my neighborhood. They had gone into my condo and removed absolutely everything and placed it on the sidewalk for the dump. They did all the dirty work. The next day the fire department came and removed all the appliances. And the following 3 days more volunteers arrived to demolish our units, tearing out the walls, flooring, etc. I was so thankful because at the time I am not sure I would have physically and emotionally been able to handle that kind of work.”

Despite temporarily losing a home, multiple possessions and peace of mind, the flood inspired and motivated Carrie to pursue a project she has had on the backburner for a while. It is called The Seva Movement. Seva being the Sanskrit word for selfless service, the movement aims to organize people for the purpose of paying it forward and contributing in an altruistic way within your community. Carrie is a shining example of perseverance, compassion and humanity. She shows us all that even through the bleakest of days, when the wreckage clears, life can become familiar again.

From an organizational standpoint, Talisman Centre has endured a lot, though it may not appear so. Many of its members seem to think the flood reached parts of the weight room and Dryland areas, resulting in an accumulation of rust. This is not the case. The rust was there because the days that followed the flood were hot and humid, and there was no working ventilation system in the building due to power outages. As every Talisman Centre user is aware, a large majority of the centre is sheltered by, for lack of a better word, a tent. Anyone that camps knows what it is like on a hot summer’s day when the sun beats down upon your tent. It becomes a sweat-filled, stagnant and intolerable ball of heat. The same can be said for the conditions within Talisman Centre during the cleanup and recovery efforts.

There was no over land flooding at Talisman Centre. Muddy water and sludge in the basement reached 4 feet high in some places due to the drainage system failing because of overwhelming amounts of runoff. This region is where the “lifeblood” of the centre can be found, CEO Jeff Booke commented. Consequentially, nearly all seventy plus Aquatic staff were laid off, and there has been a prolonged timeline to re-open all pools. Jeff goes on to offer more, saying “as we continue to uncover things, estimated damages are in the $6 to $10 million dollar range. The current focus is a two-pronged approach. One, we want to expand partial occupancy. And two, we are strategizing how to deal with massive repair and replacements without further interrupting membership processes and enjoyment of the facility.”

Both Jeff and Doug Robson, Talisman Centre’s Facility Operation Manager, put in 14 hour days beginning the weekend after the flood in order to keep generators fueled so water could be pumped out of the basement. Doug insists the biggest challenge for him was “trying to keep some-what of a blend or balance between my personal life and the recovery effort at Talisman Centre.” Both gentlemen know at times everything seemed surreal and the damage was overwhelming, almost hopeless.

On a positive note the flood sped up the process for future planned replacement of various mechanical equipment sooner than scheduled. Some of the equipment was original with the thirty year old structure. The new changes will ensure better air quality, water flow, water clarity, water chemistry and will extend the lifespan of the overall facility considerably.

With everyone’s patience and continued support and enthusiasm for this great facility, there is no reason to think Talisman Centre cannot return to the world class standard it set before the flooding. “The city and insurance companies have been very supportive,” says Booke. “Now that we have full facility access, there are anywhere between 40 and 50 contractors and workers assigned daily to the project of restoring Talisman Centre to its original if not improved state, so the public can once again come here to train, compete and play.”

Experts state it was a once in a century flood. If they are wrong, Robson assures members that necessary measures are being taken to greatly decrease the impact of another flood. “We are looking into ways to remove water at a faster rate from the basement through mechanical and automation means. Where possible, we are raising equipment or parts that would be suspended above any future flood line.”

Rome did not fall in a day. Parts of Calgary and its landmark facility did. That is the power that Mother Nature possesses. In most any historical instance, humans have proven themselves to be relentless, resilient and resourceful when it comes to picking up the pieces and moving on. It may take weeks or months, but Calgary will return to the status of a being the beloved Western Canadian metropolis it has always been – one that straddles the feet of the majestic Rockies, drives the national petroleum industry and hosts the greatest outdoor show on earth. And though the rains seemed to not cease for much of June, according to Statistics Canada, Calgary as a city sees the fourth highest amount of annual sunshine (2405 hours) in the country, behind only Swift Current, Estevan and Medicine Hat. Sunshine gives people reason to smile, and if you live in Calgary and frequent Talisman Centre, you have all the more reason to smile.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

DOYYC Free Historical Tours

Friday, September 20, 2013

Seniors' Day

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Back in Action Week 1 WINNER

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Erlton Flood Party

Friday, September 13, 2013

Competition Pool Update

One Elevator Up and Running

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Additional ETS Individual Training Sessions

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Monsoon June in the Stampede City

Meet Olympic Bronze Medalist Richard Weingberger!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

FREE Open House – September 28th

Fall Price List

Friday, September 6, 2013

Fall Aquatic Programs

CBC News - September 5, 2013

CEO Jeff Booke's interview with CBC Calgary on #yycflood repairs:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Calgary/ID/2404434081/

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Child Care Fall Hours

Tour of Alberta - Finish Line Festival

Back in Action!