The Oil City's Reckoning - Can Calgary Forge a Future Beyond Fossil Fuels in the Climate Crisis?

Calgary built its identity on oil. Now climate change is forcing a reckoning—and the city's response will reveal whether prosperity can survive the end of fossil fuels.

The 2013 flood wasn't just a natural disaster. It was a wake-up call that transformed climate change from an abstract threat to water in the basement, businesses destroyed, and lives upended. Yet Calgary's deepest challenge isn't the next flood or wildfire season—it's the fundamental question of what happens to a city when its economic foundation becomes untenable.

This analysis cuts through the boosterism and the doom-scrolling to examine Calgary's predicament with sociological precision. You'll discover:

• The "Calgary Model"—how decades of market-centred governance created both prosperity and profound vulnerability
• Why technocratic fixes aren't enough—and who actually benefits when "resilience" becomes the buzzword
• The just transition dilemma—what happens to workers and communities when we talk about phasing out oil without a plan for the humans involved
• The governance question nobody wants to ask: Who actually gets to design Calgary's future—and whose voices remain excluded?

Whether you live in Calgary, study urban transitions, or simply want to understand how resource-dependent cities can navigate the climate crisis, this article offers a framework for seeing beyond the headlines.

The Oil City's future isn't written yet. But understanding the forces shaping it is the first step toward influencing where it goes.