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the holy shopping center

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Time was, I was underemployed and adrift. I was in my early thirties, and wandering the country looking for work. I found some, in Calgary. So I wound up staying with my father and step-mum for about two months.

During that time, I'd frequently find myself walking back from a distant bus depot - a walk that took me through a huge shopping complex. This being Calgary, there were no sidewalks, and it was an irritating journey. I'd grouchily compare the shopping complex, in size, to the Vatican.

(This came up when our cycling advocacy group was talking about the two brothers that were both struck by drivers in different intersections in Edmonton three years ago and then this week, respectively.)

It turns out that that size comparison was accurate.

These two screen shots below are at the same resolution. Notice the yellow, mold-like shopping area versus the outline of the Vatican.