March - Ramsay Community Association in Calgary

PEOPLE IN RAMSAY
Beth Carter
Ramsay is a diverse and historical inner-city
neighbourhood, which is arts-friendly, family-based,
and active. We are a village surrounded by green space
in the midst of the city. In this monthly column, we will meet
one person who helps to define our wonderful community.
Fred Holliss — Poet
He’s a prolific performance poet, a world traveller, a talented
graphic designer, and a highly valued community volunteer.
He’s also hard to miss around the neighbourhood in his wonderful
purple 1966 Plymouth Valiant Signet convertible.
Fred Holliss was born here in Calgary, in Rideau, but was
raised around the world. His father was in the oil business and
his family moved 19 times in 22 years, living in 7 countries
on 5 continents. As Fred says, Now it’s almost a novelty to stay
in one place! But Calgary remained home, and after a stint in
Sunnyside, Fred found Ramsay in 2000 and made it his home.
He likes living in the inner city, in an older neighbourhood
that has a unique combination of young and old, rich and
poor, with local schools and businesses scattered throughout.
It’s great that some people have lived here their entire lives. It’s
much more dynamic and interesting – cool people live here, with
lots of wacky ideas. Ramsay has a great community feeling where
you actually know your neighbours.
Fred has had a diverse career to say the least. He originally did
a Geology degree at the University of Edinburgh and worked
in the oil industry for over a decade. Even though the money
was seductive, Fred and the oil industry finally agreed to part
ways after the stress got to be too much. He realized that he
enjoyed the publishing end of the business, so trained himself
as a graphic designer. Along the way and in between, he
has produced beer advertisements, formed a punk rock band,
repaired motorcycles, hosted a CJSW radio show, trouble-shot
computer networks, administrated arts organizations, designed
washroom ads, dee-jayed in night clubs, and much more! And
did I mention he volunteers to design our newsletter each
month?
In the early 1990s, Fred started writing poetry to help mend a
broken heart. He was surprised when the poetry clicked, long
after he was over the girlfriend. Since then he has published
five volumes of poetry and is a founding Board
member of the Single Onion Poetry Society. They
put together ten performances per year – check out
their website at www.singleonion.com. Now that
he’s over his heartache, Fred’s poetry is leaning more
towards witty commentary and social issues, and he
can take inspiration from whatever is around him
– even Ramsay.
Bark Dog Bark
Bark dog bark
Bark bark dog bark
Bark dog bark
Bark bark doggy-dog
Bark
Don’t let the silence fool you
The bad thing is out there
Whatever the hell it is
You better scare it off
Bark dog bark
Master will come home sooner
Bark dog bark
Bad thing will depart sooner
Bark dog bark
The neighbours haven’t shot you
Yet.
Ramsay News page 15