or decades Catherine Ford was one of Calgary’s best-known journalists. Working at the Calgary Herald, Ford was a force to be reckoned with when it came to her national column on politics and social issues. Sometimes acerbic, always funny, she later wrote a book called Against the Grain: An Irreverent view of Alberta. Ford was sometimes referred to as “Alberta’s Wild Rose” — thorns and all — and she had a gift for pissing off the powers that be, like Ralph Klein. Yet she was, and is still, involved in charity fundraising and writes on issues as diverse as city parks and politics. She also still works as a policy pundit.