Alyssa Quirico.
Writer, photographer, multimedia journalist and social media strategist.
Articles.
Cover Story, FFWD Weekly (September 2013 pride edition)
Connecting on the Inside
Outlink Centre’s Gender Amenders group writes letters of support to trans prisoners
On a hot summer day while many Calgarians are perched on a patio with a cold brew in hand, Brett Aberle, 26, and Sidney Cunningham, 23, search through shelves of the library at the Outlink Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. The pair flips through the pages, analyzing reading material to send to a new pen pal across the border.
“We could photocopy some,” says Cunningham, still unsure of what their friend may like to see. “You could send her some queer erotica,” suggests friend Danny Desrosiers...
Urban Living, FFWD Weekly
Close to home
North American Quality Purveyors brings homegrown ethical, functional men’s fashion
Walking up to North American Quality Purveyors, you would think you were walking into a packed house party.
Through the white picket fence in the front yard, you’re greeted by the store’s mascot, an enormous wooden moose looking over guests sipping beer on outdoor couches lit up by strings of hanging lights. Inside, sounds from DJ Carl Cassidy are...
Voices/Opinion, the Calgary Journal (received the most hits online in month of publication)
Standing up for pit bulls
Understanding the gentle giant
Angel's silver collar jingles against her pink dog tag as she kicks up snow. She runs toward the two white and brown shih tzus who have just entered with their owner into the off-leash area down the street from our Beddington house in N.W. Calgary.
Angel approaches the dogs less than half her size excitedly, wagging her tail back and forth and panting with excitement at the middle-aged woman's feet. She desperately wants to be pet by this new person...
News/Q&A, the Calgary Journal (part of Inside Secondary Suites Investigation)
Politics of secondary suites: ‘unfair, immoral, unethical,’ Mayor Nenshi says
Despite a punishing 1.3 per cent vacancy rate in Calgary, the mayor hasn't convinced City Council to get on board with secondary suites
The City of Calgary defines a secondary suite as "a self-contained living space consisting of a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen located within or on the same property as a single family home." They're often referred to as basement suites or mother-in-law suites.
Secondary suites can act as supplemented income for homeowners to help pay a mortgage or can provide a living space for a family member, for example. But according to the Calgary Homeless Foundation, those who rent secondary suites do so because they're affordable...
News, the Calgary Journal (part of three-part investigation on alternative housing)
'Unsound fears' around zoning stunt multi-family housing
Public engagement needed to sustain Calgary's liveability
Proponents of alternative housing argue that as Calgary grows, urban development must also evolve. They say members of the community should be able to afford to stay for the long haul instead of being pushed out by rising prices and a lack of housing availability at any stage of life...
City Hall, the Calgary Journal
Alderman questions use of e-books in new central library
Board members say transition necessary
Calgary's new central public library will offer both physical books and digital resources.
On Feb. 19 the Priorities and Finance Committee met with board members of the Calgary Public Library, or CPL, and a representative of the City of Calgary to discuss the construction progress of the new library in the East Village that will begin in 2014...
Special section story, FFWD Weekly (also published in special edition glossy insert Shop Local Guide November 2013)
More than just retail therapy
Independent clothing store owners strive to offer a personalized shopping experience
For many Calgarians, window shopping usually takes place inside a heated mall filled with chain stores, so opening a small, neighbourhood clothing store can be a risky business. But independent store owners say the challenges are greatly outweighed by the relationships they have with their customers, many of whom they know by name...
Profile, the Calgary Journal
Food truck owner dishes on his “demanding mistress”
Braizen founder realizes potential for mobile catering after late-career change
At 44 years old, Steve Glavicich says he's exactly where he's meant to be.
And that means driving around Calgary in a gourmet mobile kitchen covered in bright yellow flames on hot red rims.
As owner and operator of Braizen Food Truck: Chef-Driven Cuisine, Glavicich says while he is the poorest he's ever been in his adult life, he is by far the happiest...
Service piece, FFWD Weekly (student survival guide edition)
House party drink list
How to get sloshed on a student budget
Going into my sixth year of university, I’ve been to — and thrown — a house party or two.
You’re going back to school and want to have one last bash before exams and deadlines catch up to you and your social life. But instead of blowing all your hard-earned summer savings on patio hopping, how about opting to stay in for a night of drinking?
Even if you’re only drinking specials, in Calgary you’ll likely pay at least $4 for beer and maybe $3 for a highball — if you’re lucky. Considering the average student’s alcohol tolerance, that’s at least $30 to get a good buzz on. Then you can either stumble home on transit (if you’re heading home before midnight, which is unlikely) and hope you don’t miss your stop, or pay cab fare, costing you anywhere from $10 to $50, all after waiting on hold...
Urban Living, FFWD Weekly (design edition)
Rain gardens provide cleaner water through design
Construction resumes in Bridgeland-Riverside after floods
Pale yellows, dark oranges and deep purples enrich a residential greenspace in the northeast community of Winston Heights-Mountview, but what many visitors to the neighbourhood may not realize is that these plants serve a more important function than just eye-catching landscape...
