Meet 3 of the most compelling Calgarians of 2019

This city is full of movers and shakers. We don’t move and shake much, but we love to admire those who do! Meet the most compelling Calgarians of 2019, as named by the Calgary Herald! Go ahead, say hello. These Calgarians have been recognized for “making a difference in their community or their mark on a grader stage.” These are locals doing really cool things that might have flown under the radar over the last year. Well, not anymore.

AMEER KESHAVJEE, VOLUNTEER

Ameer was awarded Canada’s highest honour for volunteer service in October, after helping thousands of children. What does he do? He spends his time creating plans of action that highlight how to apply for post-secondary education and which scholarships a student could apply for. He’s in the business of helping kids access higher education, which is admirable in the least. He told the Herald, “We are all our brothers’ keeper. I want everyone’s children to have the opportunity to prepare themselves in a knowledge-based society.”

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CARISA HENDRIX, MAGICIAN

We’re here eating a third granola bar, and Carisa is eating fire. This Calgary-born magician has set a Guiness World Record for fire-eating, performed on Penn and Teller’s TV show, and co-hosts a feminist podcast on magic. She left home at 16 after watching David Copperfield perform, and now teaches youth how to do magic. She calls magic “so powerful.”

GRAHAM MACKENZIE, FOUNDER OF THE MAJOR MUSIC PROJECT

Graham went grassroots to found an organization that connects people to music. After seeing how so many Calgarian kiddos never left their neighbourhood to experience culture and art, he decided to do something about it. His project stages events in all quadrants of the city where people can get in touch with creating music. As he put it to the Herald, “The general philosophy is there’s inherent value in someone’s pursuit of art. The system is set up that you have to prove your value and then someone will help you. We’re saying you don’t have to prove your value. It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you have a desire and want to do it, we should help them.”

Feeling inspired? Us too. If you’re compelled to read about the rest of the most compelling Calgarians of the last year, click right here.