Month: August 2018

It was only a decade ago when if you were lost in the city, you were nearly helpless. Nowadays, you can just pop open an app from your phone and simply be on your way. So we decided to put together a list of apps that would make your life in Calgary much better.

MyParking

Parking in the city can be an insufferable experience. Fortunately, there’s MyParking for Calgary. With this app you can save time and money by paying for parking in-app for any spots on-street or in any Calgary Parking Authority facility. Running out of time? You can add money to your account without having to jog back to your spot.

Calgary Transit

Calgary has great transit, with its C-Train and the bus system. But planning your trip around the transit schedule is always a hassle. Which is why there’s the Calgary Transit app. It gives you instant access to all nearby route options, departure times, and more. You can even track your bus on the map, view schedules, and do all the things that could make sure you won’t be late for that meeting.

Calgary 311

Want to help out your fellow citizens of Calgary? Whether it’s a fallen tree branch, a traffic sign that seems off, a pothole, or ice on the roads, you can be a good Samaritan and do something about it by reporting it through the Calgary 311 app.

Uber

If you know the Uber-less misery that Vancouver is going through right now, then you know having Uber in your city is a privilege like no other. Calgary happens to be one of the few Canadian cities with Uber active and legal.

Doctr

Yes, we’re mentioning our own app on an article on our own blog. But hey, we worked with the government of Quebec to bring emergency room occupancy rates to people, and it helped hundreds of thousands of users have better access to hospital ERs. Now, we’ve expanded our coverage to multiple provinces outside of Quebec, including Calgary. Never get stuck in the ER for hours on end. Get live ER occupancy rate data with Doctr. Also, last time we checked, our app is better than the Alberta Health Services App.

+15

Calgary has a unique walkway system called the +15. It is an elevated walkway system that connects various buildings together across the city, named +15 for the fact that it’s raised at 15 feet above the ground. The total distance covered by the system is at 16 km! Very handy when it’s too cold to be outside, which can be most times when the infamous Calgary winter hits. This app helps you to easily navigate the +15 system, with GPS capability.

Calgary Garbage Day

Never miss garbage day in Calgary. This handy app gives you recycling and garbage schedules for the city of Calgary so you can get all your waste out of your bins on time. It also gives you collection notifications so that you’re reminded in case you forget what day it is.

City of Calgary Pets

This app is a must for the pet owners. This is an app from the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. It connects people to Animal Service Centres where lost cats and dogs and pets running at large are now safely waiting to be reunited with their owners or to be adopted into forever homes. The app also shows Calgary’s off-leash areas and 24-hour emergency vet clinics.

Calgary Police Service

The city of Calgary cares about your safety. So here’s an app to get you more connected to the city’s police. The Calgary Police Service app allows you to report a crime, submit an anonymous tip, see the nearest police stations, know the type of crimes in your neighborhood via the crime map, and much more.

Apps are meant to make your life better right? They’re supposed to be your trusty helpers in your pocket that do their jobs when you need them for something, like finding your way around, or hailing a Taxi. Though, it’s so easy for your phone to be cluttered with needless apps. So we thought we’d find out what the essentials are. Here are 7 essential apps to make your life in Vancouver better.

Waze

Driving around the city can be confusing, even in Vancouver where the road system is very nicely done. When you’re trying to get to that sushi place that you once read on a blog, or trying to find how to get to the Orpheum, this is a very handy app. This community based GPS navigation app is the best when it come to going through the streets without getting lost.

Doctr

Everyone gets into an emergency, but you may end up coming to a hospital emergency room that is full of people waiting. Which is why it may be handy if you can view how filled up an ER is beforehand. We’re not trying to toot our own horn, but that’s where Doctr comes in handy. Doctr shows live wait times in ERs in Vancouver and across Canada.

Tap Map

Walking around the city can be a thirsty affair. Luckily for you, there’s Tap Map. Tap Map shows you all the places where you could refill your water bottle. Vancouver is known for its very clean tap water, so ditch buying that new bottle of water and fill up on the go easier with Tap Map.

WifiMapper

We’ve all had the moment where we are just itching for wifi. But when you’re on the go, that can be tricky. Public wifi sucks, and a lot of establishments don’t give you wifi unless you buy something. So that’s why WifiMapper is so handy. Not only does it show all the wifi hotspots around you, it also crowdsources wifi passwords, meaning you can skip the awkward question of asking a café employee what the wifi code is when you have no intention of buying anything.

Zoro

There may be no Uber in Vancouver, and taxis are the absolute worst, but at least there is Zoro. This app will give you an estimated fare for where you’re going to, as well as let you track the cab. It also gives you the plate number for the taxi so you can easily tell when it arrives to pick you up.

Street Food Vancouver

You dig street food? Got the munchies on the go? Vanouver’s known for its wide variety of street food vendors. See them all with this app and go hunting for some great food to go. The app gives you an up-to-date schedule and location of Vancouver’s best food trucks and street carts.

iParks

The great outdoors are a staple when it comes to exploring all that Vancouver has to offer. With iParks, you have a great guide to Greater Vancouver’s regional parks, all accessible from within your hands. Plan your day trip out into nature with this app.