David Paker scholarship in journalism and media

David Parker wrote a twice-weekly business column – Around Town - for the Calgary Herald for over 25 years. He did so with a consistently positive outlook. In boom times he enthusiastically cheered on new ventures and in downturns he sought out encouraging bright spots. In every case his reporting was timely and well researched. As a result, he had a dedicated following of readers who looked to Around Town to keep them informed about business developments in Calgary.

In his final column, published in Feb 2026, David announced his retirement and reminisced about individuals, organizations, and projects he’d written about over the years. He noted that he felt “greatly privileged to have stood with Calgary dreamers and see their ideas fulfilled”.

Through their contributions to the David Parker Scholarship in Journalism and Media those dreamers recognize David’s unfailing support of the city of Calgary, the real estate/development community, and the Calgary business community at large.