WOMAN: Hello, is this where I can book a dogsled ride?

MAN: It is! Are you looking to ride as a passenger, or would you like to drive your own?

WOMAN: I can drive my own dogsled? But . . . I don’t know how . . .

MAN: Our dogs are very well trained. I’ll tell you everything you need to know.

WOMAN: Okay, sign me up! For the drive, not the ride, that is.

MAN: And would you like the hour-long trip or the overnight trip?

WOMAN: The hour-long trip please.

MAN: That’ll be $75 then. Will you be paying by credit card?

WOMAN: Yes. Just give me a second to find it. It always gets lost at the bottom of my purse. Ahh, here it is.

MAN: Thanks . . . Now we just need you to read and sign this waiver. Hm . . . I’m afraid your credit card has been declined.

WOMAN: Oh. I’m sorry—I forgot I put several souvenirs on it last night. Here, try this card instead.

WOMAN: Wow! The dogs are big! Are they friendly?

MAN: Absolutely . . . they’re real people-pleasers! Ok, now, step onto the sled, yes, like that, and hold on to the handles. Good. Now bend your knees a little bit, and move from side to side, that’s right. That’s what the ride will be like.

WOMAN: How do I tell the dogs where to go?

MAN: You won’t need to. They’re trained to run on the track around the lake. WOMAN: Around the lake? What if they run onto the lake? I don’t want to fall through the ice!

MAN: Don’t worry . . . even if the dogs did run onto the lake, its frozen solid.

WOMAN: I don’t know . . . even if ice looks frozen there can still be thin patches.

MAN: Well, yes . . . But on this lake, heavy trucks regularly drive over even the thinnest areas . . . so I’m pretty sure it is safe enough for you and few dogs

WOMAN: Okay . . .

MAN: But if you’re ever nervous and want to stop or slow down, just step with both feet onto the brake.

WOMAN: Wow! That was amazing! But someone on a snowmobile followed me around the whole time—it was loud!

MAN: That was me! We do that for the drive-your-own rides. Just in case.

WOMAN: Oh . . . I guess I should say thank you then, but, well, the noise.

MAN: Yes, the noise really does carry. If you come back again, maybe you would prefer the dogsled ride. Without the snowmobile, it’s a lot more peaceful.

WOMAN: Yes, l’ll definitely consider that. Do you by any chance have a special rate for groups? My daughter’s eighth birthday is coming up . . . she and her friends would love this.

MAN: Of course! Come inside and we can discuss the prices.

WOMAN: Hello, may I please speak to Manaz?

MAN: Manaz isn’t home at the moment. Can I take a message?

WOMAN: I’m calling from The Gazette. Manaz was a subscriber last year, and we’re now offering a special promotion for our former customers.

MAN: Oh, I see. Well, Manaz will be home later this afternoon . . .

WOMAN: It is a very good deal we are offering. Perhaps you would also be interested. Can I tell you a little bit more about it?

MAN: Well, I’m a little bit, um . . . busy . . . but -

WOMAN: It will only take a few minutes!

MAN: Sure. I guess so

. WOMAN: Wonderful! What we’re offering is daily delivery of The Gazette for the price of the weekend papers only. What that means is you’ll get seven days of delivery, for the price of just two days! So today, for a limited time only, it’s a weekly cost of only $3.75. That’s a 50% discount off our normal price of $7.50.

MAN: That does sound like a good deal . . . and I do enjoy reading the free Gazette articles available online. It might be nice to have access to the whole newspaper though . . . instead of just one article from each section. But, I’m always wary of promotions that are for a limited time only. When will the price go up? And can I cancel when it does?

WOMAN: I understand your concerns. The price will go up after three months, but you can cancel at any time. You’ve really got nothing to lose by trying it out.

MAN: Hmm . . . You’ve almost convinced me, but I’d like to talk to Manaz first and we’ll decide together. Can you call us back later this week?

WOMAN: Absolutely. I will call later this week. And who should I ask for when I call?

MAN: You can ask for either me or Manaz. WOMAN: I don’t know your name. MAN: Oh, of course, yeah. My name is Amir. WOMAN: Thank you, Amir. I will be in touch later this week.

MAN: Cheryl, do you have a minute? You might not have heard, but the university has decided to rent out its classrooms to the public when not in use by a course. We’re hoping to raise funds for some much-needed renovations. Diane will continue to book the rooms for our courses, but I’d like you to handle queries from the community.

WOMAN: Sure. What’s involved? I’m not too familiar with the booking software. I’ve only used it once.

MAN: No worries. First, open the booking form, see? Just ask for their information and fill it in. The person’s name, address, phone number, etc.

WOMAN: That’s easy enough. Will they already know which room they want to book?

MAN: No, you’ll have to help them figure that out. Just open up the rooms list, here. It lists all the rooms, indicating size, location, and so on.

WOMAN: I think I’ll print that list and go check out the rooms around campus. It’ll give me a better idea of what to recommend.

MAN: Good idea. For example, if they’re going to give a lecture, they’ll want one of the auditoriums. If they’re holding a workshop, one of the classrooms. And, of course, some classrooms have tables and chairs that can be moved, others have desks bolted into the floor . . .

WOMAN: So, let’s say someone is holding a First Aid Certification course, they’d probably want a medium sized classroom and to be able to move the tables and chairs. I think I got it. When I walk around later, I’ll also make note of which rooms are near washrooms, which ones near a main entrance. You never know what people will want.

MAN: Excellent. Now the price list is here.

WOMAN: Do they send the payment to us?

MAN: No, once the booking form is complete, send a copy to them, and a copy to Michael, in Finance. He’ll send them an invoice . . . and follow-up if they don’t pay on time.

WOMAN: Okay, anything else? If what they want isn’t available, shall I suggest they contact the Community Center?

MAN: No. Tell them you’ll get back to them, then call Diane. She may be able to reschedule the class using the requested room. We really need the revenue, so I’d like to pursue that option first. WOMAN: Okay, no problem!

Street magician Carson Witt has been arrested and charged with stealing from his audiences. The 26-year-old performer has been traveling around Canada for the last four months, amazing people with his sleight of hand. One of his best-known tricks is to ask an audience member for a twenty-dollar bill, rip it into shreds, then pull the same bill unharmed out of an orange. Witt was performing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival when he got caught. Twelve-year-old Patricia Wu had the insight to take a picture of the serial number of her twenty-dollar bill with her dad’s cell phone before she handed it over to Witt. When he returned it to Patricia, she announced it wasn’t the same tracking number. She’d been doing a school project on counterfeit bills and noted that the new $20 bill didn’t have raised ink on the large number of the bill like it should have. She told her father, who alerted security. Witt was found with a stack of fake twenties in his possession. Although this does not happen regularly, police warn festival goers to be careful with their money.

Good morning, and welcome to Monday’s edition of the Daily Buzz. This is Nadia Cooper reporting. Calgary city council is currently negotiating a controversial proposal in relation to the demolition of Henley Car Factory, an abandoned factory located at the east edge of town. Developer George Nelson, of Nelson Development Company, feels that the area has significant economic potential and has put forward a proposal to develop several apartment buildings and retail shops on the newly cleared land. Accordingly, he has requested that the area be rezoned for residential and retail space.

However, not all members of the community are happy with this request. Eleanor Wentworth, a high school teacher and mother of two, has spearheaded a campaign against further development in the area, stating that community, rather than economic interests should take precedence. She argues that the area is primarily composed of families with children who need a safe place to play and that, as it is, there is already insufficient green space. Furthermore, she emphasizes that they live in a tight-knit community and fears that a more densely populated neighbourhood could put this at risk, since living in a highly populated area often makes it less likely that one will know their neighbours. As such, Wentworth and her supporters would, instead, like to see the old car factory replaced by a large park.

Nelson has countered such criticisms by stating that his proposal does, in fact, leave adequate room for green space. Included in the proposal, is the cleaning up of Stanley creek, a nearby creek which has long been clogged with garbage. The rehabilitated creek would then be turned into a nature walkway for residents. Additionally, Nelson points out that the development of high-density apartment buildings actually helps preserve green space by preventing urban sprawl. Furthermore, with regards to retail operations, he plans for no more than four or five small, family-owned shops. This, he insists, would actually help to build community by maintaining a localized economy.

City Council member Emma Orr wonders if there is the potential for compromise within the opposing camps. She believes the factory area is large enough to hold both a medium-sized park as well as several apartment buildings or shops. Since the creek runs in a fairly straight line along the north side of the factory, she suggests that the park be built alongside the creek. This would maintain adequate green space for both a walking trail as well as a play area for children and youth. The rest of the land could then be rezoned for residential and retail purposes. She is currently discussing her proposal with both parties.