*** 20th Anniversary: 2004 to 2024 ***

Calgary FFWD proclaimed local entertainment

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Never heard of Calgary FFWD?  Then you weren't here at the right time.

In which case there's a good chance that you're sitting there right now, reading this and scratching your head. Am I pulling your leg? Am I taking you for a ride? Or better yet, was there even something called the Calgary Fast Forward, and if so, what was it?

Amazingly enough, or maybe not, that was my first reaction on hearing someone talking to me about their Fast Forward Magazine. And even though this writer had been to Calgary many times over the past few years, I'm sorry to say that this is the first time ever that anyone asked me what I thought about the FFWD.

Needless to say I just stared at them with a blank look on my face, hopefully without my mouth gaping wide like a fish. And even if it was I couldn't do anything about that now anyway.

The whole point of this though, is that in its time, FFWD was one of the top news and entertainment weekly Calgary magazines. Now you might think, that explains the whole "FFWD" thing.  However, I was starting to feel ancient and kind of out of it round about this time, not having even heard of FFWD way back then.

What was in Calgary FFWD for me?

Naturally the first thing that I did was to rush over to the nearest newsstand to purchase a copy of the Calgary FFWD. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found that purchasing the magazine was unnecessary, as FFWD wass available free of charge, often found at nightclubs.

And I was told that a similar publication, See magazine, had been available in the Edmonton area.

So, anyway, I pick up this paper and head back to my hotel where I spend the next few hours holed up first in the hotel coffee shop and then in my room, riveted by the whole magazine.

I sure loved the Straight Dope articles. And the Life in Hell comic strip.

The range of topics covered by FFWD was amazing, and some of the articles I read in that one issue alone were some of the best that I've come across in a long time. The upshot of it was that I must, going forward, have a copy of this greatest of Calgary magazines everytime I'm there.  Too bad I outlasted it.

And when I couldn't get my weekly fix of the Calgary FFWD – as you can see, I'm just as addicted as any Calgarian – I would go on the internet and get my dose. If you wanted to check it out the website is http://www.FFWDweekly.com/Intro/index.html.  Alas, it disappeared with the newspaper in March 2015.

Another one of its best features, one that I looked forward to, was the Best-of-Calgary readers' poll. It's an interesting insight into how Calgarians view their own city and what they think of the best, or the worst, of Calgary and what Calgary has to offer.

I have also referred to and found interesting opportunities in the musician ads a number of times over those years.

I, for one, couldn't believe that I had been to Calgary so many times without having once before heard of FFWD. I could only regret the time lost, and compensate for it by getting my hands on as many copies as I had available.

And don't worry if you haven't even been to Calgary yet, by the time you finish reading through the whatever replaced the Calgary FFWD (currently the Metro) you'll be raring to go! For sure.

Go back from Calgary FFWD to the Lifestyle Public Relations webpage now.

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