Trade and barter in Calgary

Calgary garages hold a remarkable amount of unused equipment. Camping trailers' worth of gear, tools bought for one renovation, hockey bags that got outgrown, ski equipment from a season that didn't happen. Trading is the fastest way to convert that into something you'll actually use this year.

Because the city is spread out from Beltline and Kensington to Cranston and Tuscany, most people agree on a mid-point — a Co-op or mall parking lot in daylight, or a C-Train station along the Red Line. Sorting out where to meet before you commit saves everyone a cross-city drive.

The seasonal pattern is sharp here: mountain gear and roof boxes in the shoulder seasons, snow blowers and block heaters when the first cold snap arrives, patio furniture and bikes the moment a chinook shows up.