As it evolved over the decades and gained momentum, the Plus 15 set about destroying all forms of life on the surface of its home planet. Like the plot of yet another science fiction movie, it’s as if the cinematic Plus 15 had become suddenly self aware, blinked rapidly in the low winter sun, and recognized the threat to its existence which lay just a few feet away. It then proceeded to rain death from above, not dramatically, but by slowly pinching off the forms of sustenance its perceived enemy required. The Plus 15 monster would not even have to finish off the wetwork itself. As life down there began to wither, it became progressively less desirable and eventually unbearable. That vicious cycle precipitated an even more hasty exodus for those who could afford a means of escape. In the final scene of the movie, in an ironic made-in-Hollywood twist, the Plus 15 realizes too late that it too depends on resources drawn from below. By hastening its demise, the Plus 15 also realizes — too late, of course — that it has succeeded only in destroying itself.

I would go see that movie.

At least I would if didn’t feel I was living some highly muted, metaphorical version of it every day. Any entrepreneur who wants to spend a dime on a new restaurant or a new store or a new dental practice or a new optometrist has to weigh two options: one is the certainty of customer traffic enabled by easy, shirt sleeved, lunchtime clientele. The other is the utter crapshoot of believing you’re so good at what you do that clientele will brave the icy wind standing at a red light waiting to cross the road to your establishment. Sadly, the response to that dilemma is all too often the safe, indoor choice. Another storefront closes, or a new one never opens, and another little slice of the streetscape dies. Almost entire city blocks in Calgary now lay moribund awaiting some bolt of lightening which will shock them back to life. The addition of bike lanes, however well-intentioned and well used as they are, have only accelerated the trend for the time being. When I see tourists walking through one of these dead zones, I’m ashamed to admit, I feel only embarrassment and a powerful urge to tell them how to get to Banff.

A pocket of brave, rebel resistance to the Plus 15 empire — or maybe just hubris in the face of an unapologetic bully — is the Eau Claire Public Market on the north side of the downtown core. It lies adjacent to Calgary’s beautiful and beloved Prince’s Island Park and the pristine, trout-laden Bow River. Partially as a result of simple geography, but maybe as an arrogant conscious choice, the airy public market did not originally connect to the Plus 15 system and remains a tantalizing few hundred metre dash from the closest entrance at the nearby Sheraton hotel. A recent visit to the Market leaves the impression of a truly great idea on life support and ready for a final, long shot attempt with the defibrillator. An odd assortment of retailers soldier on, the movie theatres offer reduced rates on shows late in their run, and the food court is dotted with customers grabbing a quick bite before they escape home. It’s the zombie apocalypse without the zombies.

The Eau Claire Public Market was packed in the early days. My wife and I visited every weekend and grew accustomed to the delightful, fresh-baked, smoky smell from the bagel place and attracted to the tony, well-healed, independent stores. They had made what seemed to be a sure bet in the new Calgary downtown landscape. But as the novelty wore off, one tony store was replaced by another slightly less tony one and then again by something one notch below that. Then, eventually, they closed altogether. Recently, we visited there but it was simply because the movie we wanted to see was not playing anywhere else. We were left with the overwhelming impression that the Market is simply marking time until its unavoidable date with the wrecking ball.

While it’s tempting to ask “what could possibly have gone wrong?” there really is no need, because everybody already knows. The snazzy new website for the redevelopment of the market area — in amongst the promise of 2.1 million square feet and a 1000 new condos — puts “+15 Connections” at the top off the list of desirable, proposed features. It further claims “the +15 system creates convenience and is integral to the success of a mixed-use development.”