On the north side of the Bow River, the inner-city communities of Bridgeland and Renfrew are attracting young, vibrant buyers in droves thanks to their funky vibe and smorgasbord of cool restaurants, coffee shops and eclectic boutiques. Here you can find local clothing designs, loads of vinyl and good local eats. Many of the venues pair up unlikely offerings, making the vibe even quirkier. Enjoy an old-fashioned shave while sipping on a vodka martini at barbershop/cocktail lounge Cannibale, or grab one of the best coffees in town at Lukes Drug Mart.

First settled in the 1880s, when Calgary itself was little more than a fort on the banks of the Bow River, the community of Bridgeland is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods.

First settled in the 1880s, when Calgary itself was little more than a fort on the banks of the Bow River, the community of Bridgeland is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods.

Five years later, memories of the 2013 flood are still vivid, but Calgary is working hard to make the next one less memorable.

"When I got involved five years ago, I thought the City would be further along than they are now, but we have to appreciate that a ton of work has been done around flood mitigation," said Tony Morris, co-president of the Calgary River Communities Action Group. The grassroots organization advocates for upstream mitigation to protect thousands of homeowners across Calgary.

A crash course in Calgary bridges

Most Calgarians probably don't stop to think about the city's bridges every time they cross over them by car, by bike or on foot. However, many of these important structures have interesting backstories or architectural designs that make them special.

Flood forces zoo officials into quick action; now better prepared

When flood waters started to creep up the banks of St. George's Island last summer, Calgary Zoo officials didn't have an arc to save the animals.

Yet two by two, they still managed to load and relocate 160 animals within just hours of being notified the 100-Year Flood was on its way.

"It was probably about 11 (p.m.) that the Emergency Operations Centre called ... saying they wanted everyone off the island," said Lindsey Galloway, director of marketing, communications and sales with the Calgary Zoo, adding they were told to leave St. George's by 2 a.m.