September 8 Edmonton Headlines
Good Thursday morning to you, Edmonton.
It’s nice to see that taking the LRT is such a good option that you can’t get a parking spot at Century Park station. More transit please!
An Old Strathcona parking lot looks to lose just over half of its parking spots. Tie that into some transit tweaks, including bus lanes on 99 Street, and I think you’d be just fine.
Is Edmonton forgetting its fallen soldiers? Or is this weekend, the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the U.S. just taking people to other events?
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Guys, I keep telling you, if we’re going to talk about important issues our government department is working on you send the e-mails to JordanFan789@hotmail.com.
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In the “Does not bode well for the future of the oilsands” category; Nobel Peace Prize winners are lining up in protest of the Keystone XL pipeline which would take oil from Alberta to the Texas coast.
If you want more, and stable, funding for education in Alberta, the opposition Liberals and NDP have ways for you to voice that opinion.
Meanwhile…in the crowded classrooms…more students enrolled in Edmonton schools, which means both the Public and Catholic boards can hire a few extra teachers…
Alberta is going to offer more surgeries to obese people to combat the many health problems associated with being so overweight. Also, some more food and exercise education in schools.
A judge in Calgary says the war on drugs is one that cannot be won, so our best hope is to keep casualties to a minimum.
While smoking is down across the country, more Albertans are taking up the habit, especially teens.
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(And FC Edmonton is headed to the playoffs in their first year.)
September 6 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton, and welcome back to the work week.
How do you commute to work? Is speed your choice? Cost? Convenience? (There’s also a video.)
Here are some updates on Edmonton’s transportation network.
All this commuting stuff comes with the end of the Journal’s summer series on the suburbs. Living on the Edge looked at everything from commuting, to density, shopping, churches, who’s moving to the ‘burbs, and what’s working well out there.
If you followed the series at all, or are about to dive into it, there’s a survey you can fill out. I’d suggest filling out the survey if you appreciate long-form, in-depth reporting like Living on the Edge.
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Wow. Could it really be?
Could the old Esso (Imperial Oil) lot at the corner of Whyte Avenue and 105 Street finally be moving toward sale? After more than a decade is the contaminated land finally going to be ready for new development? It’s a miracle!
And it’s a good reason why the City of Edmonton needs more and tougher rules for contaminated lots, or “brownfields,” and owners who would let properties sit vacant for more than a couple of years. (This one has sat empty and dirty for 13 years.)
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Edmonton Police are going to start using black and white cruisers.
Alberta festivals, including a couple of Edmonton big ones, are getting some federal funding.
News on new beers after the jump. (more…)
End of August Events
Yes, Edmonton, summer is winding down. But, don’t worry, there’s still plenty of great stuff going on to lift your spirits. (And pretty good weather recently too.)
On the festival circuit this weekend, there’s DEDfest, In/stall/ed, East Meets West, and Open Sky.
DEDfest is Edmonton’s annual horror film fest. In/stall/ed is is a unique performance and visual art display, happening in the McCauley neighbourhoods in parking spaces. Yeah, public art baby! Latitude 53 is running this, and there will be 17 performances and installations on Saturday. East Meets West continues up in Little Italy and the McCauley neighbourhood, and there’s Mercury Opera performing Madame Butterfly in Giovanni Caboto Park. The Open Sky Music Festival is packing Hawrelak Park with bands and bands and musicians and more musicians.
If you’re into walking, the Highlands neighbourhood is kicking off their walking map this weekend. These maps are great ways to get to know an Edmonton neighbourhood.
I haven’t heard a whole lot about MEAET but it sounds like a cool idea. A bunch of people get together, have some food, enjoy themselves, then vote on who to give some money to for a project.
You can also Show What You Grow, at Fort Edmonton Park.
In music, there’s the earlier mentioned Open Sky Music Festival, with plenty of bands and artists down in Hawrelak Park…Wunderbar’s got Fire Next Time tonight and The Joe and Doug Hoyer triumphantly returning to Edmonton (after a national tour) on Saturday night. Also on Saturday, Hale Hale, Southroot, and Zero Something play the Starlite Room. Back to Friday night, Warped Tourers Inner City Elegance are at Expressionz Cafe. Now back to Saturday (surely I should have done this in chronological order) there’s live music at Ricky’s in Mill Woods (with Consilience and Tyson Skakun).
Oh, and if you walk by CKUA on Jasper Avenue tonight and it seems like something cool is going on it’s because they’re celebrating their amazing record library and have a live performance from 100 Mile House.
Down in the river valley, the Edmonton Capitals host the Calgary Vipers through the weekend.
And over at Clarke Stadium (beside Commonwealth) the Edmonton Huskies are home to Saskatoon Hilltops in Prairie Football.
Fringey Weekend
Not sure if you’ve heard anything about this Fringe festival we’ve got going on in Edmonton, but that comes to it’s spectacular conclusion this weekend.
We’ve been posting videos, mostly trailers, of some plays.
Oh, and while Fringeopolis will finish up this weekend, there are popular plays being held over.
The Fringe, however, is not Edmonton’s only festival this weekend.
We’ve got the Labatt Blues Festival down in Hawrelak Park…the Dragonboat Festival over in Louise McKinney Park…and East Meets West in Chinatown/Little Italy, with East Meets West: Tropicana Afrika on Sunday…
The Blues Festival has plenty of great artists, but that’s not the only live music worth checking out.
The Edmonton Show VI is on tonight at Avenue Theatre, with Scenic Route to Alaska among the arts and entertainment…there’s a Degrassi Junior High dance party at the Pawn Shop, with DJs Caitlin and Spike…Matt Landry and the Dryland Band are among the bands playing at Brixx tonight…My Sister Ocean headlines a show at Brixx on Saturday…Ricky’s in Mill Woods is starting up a series of Saturday night music nights (with a little help from our old friend Consilience) with Kaleb Kaiser, Mack Behm, and Nelson Lemay kicking things off…The Edmonton Show VI is back on Sautrday night (still at Avenue Theatre) with a killer lineup of Sugarglider, Mitchmatic, and A.O.K….and Chris Isaak is at the Tentue on Sunday night…
Movies on the Square is back in Churchill Square, with Rio and Hop on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. There’s a 1920s picnic at Tiptop Park on Saturday. And you can Yelp your way through East Whyte with a passport to deals and discounts.
In sports…the Edmonton Eskimos are home to the B.C. Lions tonight…the Edmonton Capitals are home to the Chico Outlaws all weekend…the 82nd running of the Canadian Derby is Saturday at Northlands Park…and FC Edmonton is home to the Atlanta Silverbacks on Sunday…
Fringe Events
Alright, so there’s no getting around the big event happening right now in Edmonton. The 30th Edmonton International Fringe Festival; Fringeopolis is on this weekend and until August 21. Almost all of the 180 plays will be happening in the Old Strathcona neighbourhood, but watch for venues in other parts of the city, like the Edmonton Public Library, downtown, and 118 Avenue.
We’re posting videos for Fringe plays, so keep your eyes on our “From the Web” category.
Now, that is not the only thing happening in Edmonton. A couple of smaller festival/street party items this weekend:
- Art in the Alley – art, music, an outdoor movie, and more, all happening in the Alley of Light. That’s the backlane that runs from Beaver Hills House Park, past the Sobeys, across 104 Street, over to the U of A’s downtown campus.
- Eastwoodfest – Back for another summer, this celebrates all things Eastwood (118 Avenue, betweem 85 and 87 Street)
- There’s a tea party at the U of A’s environmental students group naturalized site, which was top community garden in the Front Yards in Bloom contest.
In sports…the Edmonton Capitals are back home, hosting the Yuma Scorpions this weekend…FC Edmonton is home to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers…the Oil City Derby Girls’ rookies are taking on the Yukon Roller Girls…northwest of Edmonton, the St. Albert Heavenly Rollers take on the Cold Lake Lakeland Lady Killers (such a good name), on the 76th anniversary of roller derby…this weekend is also the kick off to the Prairie Football Conference season, with the Edmonton Wildcats home to the Calgary Colts, at Clarke Park (beside Commonwealth Stadium)…
In Friday music…it actually kicks serious butt…The Edmonton Show is back for a VIth run (that would be 6th), with Ann Vriend and Liam Trimble leading the way…Whiskeyface kicks off their tour at Brixx with The Sorels…Michael Rault and Sans AIDS are at The ARTery…Romi Mayes is releasing a CD tonight at the Haven Social Club…Carrie Day is at The Carrot (don’t forget about The Carrot!)…All Time Low is at the Edmonton Events Centre…
Saturday…The AwesomeHots get the day going with a Hair of the Dog afternoon show at the Black Dog…Paperplanes and Dragonboats release an EP, with The Paronomasiac, at The ARTery…
You'll be screaming with excitement over The Room.
All weekend…the Edmonton Rock Music Festival, a collaboration of The Rock and Roll Society of Edmonton and K-97, takes over Hawrelak Park. There will be plenty of, uh, rock.
You can always catch a movie in the cool confines of a theatre. And The Room is at Metro Cinema tonight at 11:20pm. If you haven’t seen The Room yet, YOU NEED TO SEE The Room. (Metro Cinema is now in the Garneau Theatre.)
You can hug your way to donated peanut butter, at West Edmonton Mall.
Oh, and if you’re using the LRT this weekend, remember that the train will not stop at Coliseum station because of work on the station platform.
Rainy July Weekend
This guy is always ready to party.
I know it’s raining. A lot. But, there’s some sun in the weekend forecast, and not everything that’s happening is outdoors, so we can still have fun this weekend. Come on, it’ll be fun!
We’ve got plenty of festivals on. Rain or shine, they’ll be going all weekend (well, most of them, so watch for venue changes and cancellations if the rain never stops).
Our annual summer exhibition, Capital Ex, begins today. So, get your cotton candy on.
A Taste of Edmonton is in Churchill Square. (As it always coincides with Capital Ex, which is a one-stop LRT ride away). Get your eat on from lots of Edmonton restaurants. Or take your food home and deep fry it. Anything goes!
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival winds down for another summer, in Hawrelak Park. Of course, there’s the Edmonton Indy and Race Week Edmonton events (most of the events are downtown, the race is at the City Centre Airport).
On Sunday, Fork Fest begins part 2 of its summer run. Time to get your local eat on.
In arts…Year of the Rabbit wraps up this weekend. It’s a combination of visual arts and a play, at the Catalyst Theatre. Wicked is also playing in Edmonton. There’s burlesque at The ARTery tomorrow night, with the River City Review. This is also the weekend for Edmonton: The Musical.
Pretty solid music weekend, so you can stay dry. The New Music West conference and festival is in Edmonton, and will have plenty of shows around the city. The Frolics, The Burning Sands, and Hook ‘Em Revue are at Wunderbar…Kenny Shields and Streetheart are at the Century Casino…Warning to Avoid, GBM, and rhodes play at New City Legion…Manraygun is at The Empress…
The Taste of Edmonton and Race Week Edmonton festivals also have their share of music.
And there’s the Sasquatch Sweet Sixteen Festival, at Rangeton, Alberta. Bring the rubber boots!
The Campus Community Garden is planning a second shot at an open house. They are certainly hoping for a sunny Saturday.
In sports…the Edmonton Capitals are home to the Chico Outlaws this weekend…and the Edmonton Prospects are home to Medicine Hat, at John Fry Park…there’s also the Kokanee Edmonton Canada Cup in Kinsmen Park, so expect a muddy good time on mountain bikes!
If you’re into local government and transit, you could also check out the Downtown LRT connector workshop happening Sunday afternoon.
Canada Day Events (and the rest of the weekend too)
Ah, the Canada Day long weekend in Edmonton. If you’re anything like me you started off by sleeping in, then dug into your traditional July 1 breakfast of back bacon+maple syrup poutine. Delicious.
And now that you’re energized by meat, fries, and gravy-syrup you need to get out and celebrate this fine country we call home.
Edmonton does Canada Day pretty damn well. You can catch the Silly Summer Parade on Whyte Avenue at lunch, then head just about anywhere for more red and white festivities; City Hall, the Alberta Legislature, Mill Woods (which has a huge party), attractions like Fort Edmonton Park (where they call it Dominion Day), the Muttart Conservatory, and Valley Zoo, and the Edmonton Garrison.
Don’t forget about fireworks! The big show is downtown in the river valley. Mill Woods also fills the sky with spectacular-ness.
The World’s Longest Flag Football Game also begins today, at noon. You can help them out, play, volunteer, cheer, and donate to the Stollery.
Speaking of sports…the Edmonton Capitals have the Maui Na Koa Ikaika in town.
Don’t think the festivals stop for a holiday. The Works Art and Design Festival continues at Churchill Square and around downtown. The musical lineup at Churchill Square continues to be amazing.
Speaking of amazing music…we’ve got this thing called the Edmonton International Jazz Festival. Yeah, that’s gonna have a great lineup too. (And is a good time to check out jazz if you’re not a regular at the Yardbird Suite.)
A new festival just began this weekend too. (New as in it just started, it’s not new to Edmonton.) The Freewill Shakespeare Festival is on in the Hawrelak Park Amphitheater. This summer you can see Othello and Twelfth Night.
Great show Saturday night at Wunderbar, with Shotgun Jimmie, Liam Trimble, and The Mitts. There’s also a big Slave Lake fire fundraising show this weekend up in Widewater (which is on Lesser Slave Lake).
Also this weekend, Edmonton is hosting the 2011 Canadian Ismaili Games. Neat.
Festival Saturday (and the rest of the weekend too)
Summer officially arrives in Edmonton next week, which probably explains why this weekend is so jammed with festivals.
Friday and Saturday there’s the Utopia Music Festival, which kicks off summer in Hawrelak Park.
On Saturday we’ve got Bikeology (in Beaver Hills House Park), and the whole month of June is actually Bike Month, Park(ed) is back on the streets, taking up parking spaces (on 102 Avenue), Rock The Square (at Churchill Square), Africa Connect (at the Edmonton Expo Centre), and the Hope Street Festival (105 Avenue and 100 Street). 107 Avenue also has Safe Streets and a Night Market on Saturday (afternoon and evening).
Improvaganza 2011 is just getting warmed up (and will even have social media improv on Monday). Opera Nuova’s Vocal Arts Festival and the Edmonton Pride Festival are both continuing too.
For you, young and engaged folks, tonight is Pecha Kucha 10: Designing Downtown (which you can watch through the Edmonton Journal’s livestream), and Next Gen’s back at it on Sunday with the DIYalogue. We’re happy to be one of the groups chatting about cultural start-ups and entrepreneurship.
On a more serious note, there’s a picnic in Giovanni Caboto Park to remember murder victim Nina Courtepatte, and others lost to violence.
Watch It!’s got a BOOMBUS on Whyte Avenue today (4-8pm) and it’ll be downtown, on Jasper Avenue, Saturday morning. Keep your eyes open for this rolling watch and street party.
Over at La Cite Francophone you can catch a production of Little Shop of Horrors.
In music…Radio for Help plays the Pawn Shop tonight…Joe Nolan has a CD release at the Haven Social Club…Sidney York plays Brixx Saturday night, with Kaley Bird…The Collective West and Jeff Morris are at The ARTery…Wunderbar’s got a Weird Canada and Scion show…And Zero Cool’s at DV8 with Down the Hatch…
You can always catch a movie, which is likely to be a summer blockbuster right now.
Farmer’s markets abound on the weekend, downtown, in Old Strathcona, St. Albert, and in Callingwood.
The Edmonton Capitals are hosting the Chico Outlaws down at Telus Field.
The Summer Party Begins
We are one week away from actual, proper summer, but the fun is in full swing this weekend. There is so much fun that I am going to break it down into sections.
Festivals
Edmonton’s Pride Festival kicks off with the Pride Awards, and parties tonight, and the parade through downtown Edmonton tomorrow. The Pride Parade ends up at Churchill Square for the rest of the afternoon.
Festivals for the old – Creative Age – and young – NextFest – continue this weekend. NextFest’s got, among so many things, a great show at the Avenue Theatre tonight.
Opera Nuova’s Vocal Arts Festival continues until Jun 26. Talking ’bout singin’.
Saturday and Sunday, there are 4 plays in the Sprouts 2011 New Play Festival for Kids, from Concrete Theatre, at the Stanley A. Milner Library.
Bike Month continues, uh, all month, with a bike repair-a-thon this weekend.
Saturday on 104 Street is more than the farmers’ market, with the Al Fresco block party. Take that, cars!
Music
Tonight…Sharks, Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, The Fight, and Owls By Nature are all at the Pawn Shop.
Saturday night, Gurf Morlix plays the Haven Social Club in a tribute to Blaze Foley.
Did I mention NextFest’s great lineup?
Arts
It’s a Handmade Mafia weekend!
DEDfest’s got a screening of Dead Alive at Metro Cinema this evening.
Sports
The Edmonton Energy are playing basketball, the Edmonton Capitals are out on Telus Field, and FC Edmonton is kicking around Foote Field.
Miscellaneous
Movies are always a good time. We are in for a sci-fi summer.
Saturday is river valley day! This is the 14th year celebrating the Edmonton region’s glorious river valley and its parks. Edmonton’s event is at Rundle Park. There are pancakes.
There’s a Pre-TEDx party tonight at Suede Lounge, with the (sold out) event happening tomorrow. (You can watch a live webcast of the event tomorrow at the TEDx Edmonton site.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is throwing its gates wide open to everyone on Saturday. This is as much about Edmonton’s history and land use (with 2 new cemetery plans in the works) as it is morbid curiousity.
You can take your car to an Edmonton CARSTAR location Saturday and have it washed for a good cause, as part of the national “Soaps It Up” fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.
Let The Festivals Begin
This is when summer really gets going, Edmonton, when there are festivals – plural – to talk about.
In festivals…Dreamspeakers continues through Saturday night…the International Children’s Festival is on in St. Albert…on Sunday, the Highlands neighbourhood has a street festival…Opera Nuova presents the Vocal Arts Festival…NextFest runs through next week…
Community league members will be out all weekend trying to earn their neighbourhood some much-needed money in the Edmonton Community Challenge.
On the political side…Saturday is the Slut Walk and Sunday is a rally against public money going to a new downtown arena.
In music…this weekend, Heart of the City fills Giovanni Caboto Park with music, music, music. Musicians and bands that live in the “heart of the city” will be playing this annual festival. 2011′s got another great lineup. NextFest also has plenty of young, up and coming, and new musicians playing all around the city.
There are a few Slave Lake fire benefit shows…at the Rendevous Pub…at the City Centre Church…and at The ARTery (with Tanner Gordon among those on the bill)…
Friday…The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s got Late Night 1900s (with conductor Bill Eddins). Always a good time. Winnipeg’s The Details play the Haven Social Club with Michou…the Wild Rose Orchestra is at Wunderbar, with Zero Cool…
Saturday…Feast or Famine is at Wunderbar with The Old Sins, and the Weekend Kids (and more!…The Details are still at the Haven Social Club, but with Fish & Bird, and Kaley Bird…100 Mile House is at The Empress…No Witness has a CD release at the Starlite Room, with Shelbi and Soundscape…Ol’ Smashy (formerly the F.D. Jones Soap Co.) is at Filthy McNasty’s…and the ESO’s got Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony…
On Sunday…Supertramp is at Rexall Place. SUPERTRAMP!
In sports…the Edmonton Energy play a couple more games against the Oregon Waves…and the Edmonton Capitals are home to the Calgary Vipers. Saturday night’s baseball game is followed by movies at Telus Field. And Saturday is the “Fresh Meat Frolic,” with the Oil City Derby Girls, at the Grindhouse (14420 – 112 Street).
And on Saturday…it’s Bugs and Brunch – a fundraiser for YESS, hosted by Expressionz Cafe and the Vintage VW Association.
Tuesday Night is a Busy Night
If you’re not already lined up to see the big U2 concert at Commonwealth, there are options for your Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Two of Edmonton’s sports teams are home tonight. The Edmonton Capitals play their home-opener at Telus Field, hosting the Calgary Vipers.
And FC Edmonton is home (at Foote Field) to play FC Tampa.
Comedian Shaun Majumder is at the Winspear Centre tonight. But I mostly wanted to mention that because I already miss Detroit 1-8-7. :(
And the International Children’s Festival, in St. Albert, picks up again in the morning.
Fast, Football, Festivals, Free, and Fantastic
Longboarders are going to have to be brave to tackle the race through our river valley. Yikes!
As for our headline…when the alliteration shoe fits…
This weekend sees the end of another year of fringing. But, fret not, the 29th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival lives on in our hearts.
Oh, and in these holdover plays.
Hope this smoke clears out because there are a few outdoor movies this weekend. Finding Nemo (another F!) is playing tonight at the Valley Zoo. (Oops! It was last night. Thanks for the heads up, Mike.)
Movies on the Square is back too, with Diary of a Wimpy Kid tonight, and Fantastic Mr. Fox Saturday night. Stony Plain has an outdoor movie too.
It’s Free Cookie Friday at Luzarra. Get over to Whyte Avenue and buy a coffee so you can get a cookie. That caffeine and sugar will only help you start the weekend better.
The tune-ups are done and the Prairie Football Conference is into the real stuff this weekend. The second-best team in the country, the Edmonton Wildcats, begin their season home to the Regina Thunder. Sunday at Clarke Park (beside Commonwealth Stadium).
The winless Edmonton Huskies also begin the regular season this weekend. They’ll take anything they can get after going 0-8 last season. They host the Calgary Colts Saturday night at Clarke.
This is actually quite a decent level of football if you can’t bear to watch the Eskimos embarrass themselves anymore. Tickets are also reasonably priced.
Another non-Eskimos option is the Edmonton Capitals. Tonight’s game is also chock full of diabetes info, courtesy of the Canadian Diabetes Association. (The Capitals are ALSO showing a movie outside, after their Saturday game. It’s The Rookie.)
DEDfest is back to scare the crap out of you, and generally make you squirm.
DEDfest may get you thinking about Hallowe’en, which may get you thinking about fall, which may get you thinking about farmers harvesting their crops, which leads me to mention the Corn Maze is open.
Let’s dip into the ShareEdmonton calendar for some fun.
Clearer air would also help the participants in the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival, happening at Louise McKinney Park.
As mentioned earlier this week, Saturday is the Canadian Derby at Northlands. It’ll be all fancy hats, fast horses and…bikini girls…
Hawrelak Park’s got the blues. Dun, dun, dun da, dun…The Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival…Dun, dun, dun da, dun…
Don’t forget you can always seek shelter from the smoke in a nice, cool movie theatre. Gregg can tell you what’s likely worth your money.
And on Monday, we’ll be celebrating our first year alongside another one-year-old, The Unknown Studio. Come on out to Wunderbar, throw us a toonie, enjoy some fine beer, and hear life-affirming passages from celebrity autobiographies. Party pants not required.
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While messing up the Finding Nemo showtime I also forgot to mention The ARTery’s kick-ass weekend. The Get Down is playing Friday night (there’s still time, it’s still good) and Saturday is an artists’ garage sale/pancake breakfast/bbq/block party. Told you it was kick-ass.
Take yourself out to the ballgame
Just because the Edmonton Capitals had to find a new manager doesn’t mean they don’t still deserve our support.
The whole team isn’t prone to homophobic outbursts, and they’re doing pretty well in this year’s Golden Baseball League sesason. So head down to Telus Field and let the players know you still like what they do.
You can also tell the team, and management, that you’re looking for more diversity training. Perhaps come up with some kind of rallying chant for that.
And speaking of the Edmonton Capitals, you can bring your dog to the game this Sunday, to support the Edmonton Humane Society. Yes you can bring your actual dog, this isn’t some odd reference to hot dogs.
Great night for a ballgame, let’s play two
While there may be a chance of rain through the evening, sometimes you’ve just got to roll the dice.
If tonight is a night to venture out, regardless of rain probability, then maybe you should really throw it in Mother Nature’s face and sit out at the ballpark.
You’ve got two options this evening.
It’s Wiener Wednesday at Telus Field for tonight’s game between the Edmonton Capitals and Calgary Vipers.
The Capitals also have a new mascot, Captain Capital.
(You know what they don’t have? A “home” button on their website.)
It’s also the last game of the season for the Edmonton Prospects. They’ll be playing Okotoks at 7:05, at John Fry Park.
Fans are all going to be getting something for attending the last game. Hotdogs and concessions are also on sale.
What to do, what to do…
After what felt like an exceptionally busy weekend, seven days ago, this weekend appears a little tamer.
There's going to be so much art here.
But there’s still plenty of good stuff around. And don’t you even think this signals a slowdown. The Capital Ex, Indy, Heritage Days, Taste of Edmonton, Fringe run is going to test your festival abilities.
As Sally brought to our attention earlier today, ArtWalk takes over Whyte Avenue this weekend. And a little rain isn’t going to stop the art.
Rain also hasn’t stopped the Street Performers Festival, wrapping up this weekend.
Angela reminded us that FAVA is partying today.
In music…Lily Fawn and her Lullaby band are at at The ARTery.
SOS Fest participants Wool on Wolves are playing Brixx, Saturday night. Jazz is at Wunderbar. It’ll be like you didn’t even miss them last weekend.
Blue Oyster Cult‘s at the Century Casino, Saturday night. Peter Frampton is tenting it up at River Cree.
The Pawn Shop is holding an undiscovered singing competition. Don’t forget about the Party Tent. (How could you though?) And Edmonton has a new blues bar. Rusty Reed’s opens with Big Dave McLean.
Gregg will probably be seeing Inception this weekend. It’s one of this month’s more anticipated films.
In sports…the Capitals play ball. (That means fireworks Friday night.)
I hope you like to party
Edmonton, get your party pants on because you’re going to need them this weekend.
We’ve got the Pride Parade Saturday, which helps kicks off Pride Week, and that is followed by an all-day party. Saturday also just so happens to be the second Al Fresco Block Party on 104 Street, with a used book sale too. That’s two parties on the same day!
And, I see, the Pride fun start tonight with a dance-a-thon.
There’s lots of good stuff for Bike Month. The Bikeology team is joining the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters for a 24-hour bike repair-a-thon. Bring in your bike, donate your old bikes, but make sure you run it through me so I can get Strathcona Centre points in the big Edmonton Community Challenge. Let me know if you have a bike in need of a tune-up or a new home. That runs Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday there’s the Critical Lass ride around the southside of Edmonton. It ends with cupcakes. As all good bike rides should.
There’s still Nextfest to be had. As noted, this is your chance to see Edmonton’s next generation of artistic talent. For the kids, Sprouts is over at the Stanley A. Milner library this weekend.
Music? You want music? You got a great weekend of music ahead.
The Born Ruffians are playing tonight, ZZ Top and Wide Mouth Mason play the Jubilee, The Misfits rock the Starlite, An Horse and Hot Panda will blow apart Brixx tonight, The City Streets return home to Edmonton for a show Saturday, there’s a big 30th anniversary gala over at the University of Alberta’s Timms Centre and The Joe is having a crazy, big rap-fest Saturday night, with lots of artists, at The ARTery.
Saturday sees track and field athletes competing for cash money (and world rankings) at the 2010 Edmonton International Track Classic, over at Foote Field. Which is at the South Campus LRT stop.
And the National Portrait Gallery begins its run at Latitude 53. It’s not the “real” national gallery, since the federal government didn’t end up putting that anywhere.
The Edmonton Capitals play. Baseball. At Telus Field. You should go sometime.
Oh, and there’s this little soccer tournament going on. I think it’s called the World Cup?
You could also see a movie. I think this is the 80s weekend, with The Karate Kid and A-Team reborn!
And thanks for ShareEdmonton for reminding me about the Creative Age Festival (as Angela talked about earlier this week) and the ESO’s Landmarks Masters series, with Marc-Andre Hamelin playing Shostakovich.
Now get out there and party!
Great day for a ballgame
I may end up mentioning the Edmonton Capitals again, but why not check out one of Edmonton’s other sports teams?
That’s other than the Oilers and Eskimos.
The Capitals play minor league ball at Telus Field, and currently sit third in the Golden Baseball League’s North Division. The league even has two other Canadian teams, Calgary and Victoria, you can cheer against.
Tuesday just so happens to be $2 slushie day. They’ve actually got plenty of event and theme nights where stuff’s cheap or you get free parking or Bryan Hall roasts you a pig at a luau. Regular features include the slushies, car pool parking on Monday, movies on Saturdays, fireworks Fridays and autographs after the Sunday games.
It’s also super-cheap (compared to the aforementioned Oilers and Eskimos), Telus Field is a nice park, and baseball is one of heck of a game if you give it a chance.
Or maybe you actually are a baseball fan but you fear the scorn of Oilers and Eskimos fans. It’s OK. Come to the ballgame, embrace your true baseball self.
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Tonight also sees the second ALEx. At first it was just beers to poke fun at TEDx, but we might actually be hearing from people at regular ALEx invervals. Does that make it ironic?
Angela’s got lots of ideas for you too.
Homerun Headlines
It was indeed a great day for a ball game.
I was happy to have been one of the three-to-four thousand people to take in the home opener of your Edmonton Capitals last night, at Telus Field.
It did get a little chilly by the end of the game, but it ended with edge of your seat stuff so it doesn’t matter.
Edmonton actually kind of, sort of, does like baseball.
Telus Field is a nice ballpark to take in a game of minor league baseball. And the neat thing about a league like the Golden Baseball League (of which the Capitals find themself in the North division) is that you never know when you’ll spot a former major leaguer. Like Caps starting pitcher Lou Pote.
Now, old Lou may lost a little since his days with the World Series champion Anaheim Angels (2002) but he started the game strong enough. He did give up three runs in the fourth to give Maui the lead. But the bullpen finished out the game with a “W.”
Homeruns are always a great part of seeing basbeball live. And the Capitals didn’t disappoint in their first appearance in Edmonton this season. Matt Rogelstad blasted a two-run shot to close the gap to 3-2 in that same fourth inning.
Maui put up another run in the fifth and things quietly coasted, with Edmonton catching up with a run in the sixth (another dinger! from Matt Collaro), then tying it in the seventh.
The sun had gone down, the park lights were shining brightly, that chill was in the air, but the Capitals started putting players on the bases in the bottom of the ninth.
Even with two-outs, you get excited about the potential for an end of the game victory.
Third baseman Cliff Brumbaugh didn’t let us down. The crowd’s energy picked up and Brumbaugh smacked the ball far enough to get him to first and Steve Brown to come sliding into home. The ball had also made its way home but Brown was just a little faster. The crowd cheered, the Capitals players ran onto the field and the first game of the 2010 home season was a win!
Now, if they can keep winning and make this 4-10 start to the season a distant memory… They’ve got more chances this week against Maui, and the Capitals continue their homestand through the first half of June.
And I’d be a poor friend to you if I didn’t mention that Thursday night’s game against Maui is Bryan Hall Luau night. If you wear a Hawaiian shirt you have a chance at winning tickets to see Edmonton take on Maui in Hawaii. Or Bryan Hall roasts you a pig, or something.
While we’re talking sports (of the non-Eskimos, non-Oilers nature) FC Edmonton announced some of the teams it will be taking on in its exhibition season. That’s right, we’ve got a soccer team too.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Election of Alberta school boards challenged (Perhaps they won’t be run by elected trustees in the near future.)
Province’s controls on teen access to tobacco ‘second class’
Edmonton housing market ‘relaxed’ (Look, it’s just put its feet up for a while. It can’t work all of the time, get off it’s back.)
Sticking with places to live: Affordable housing for whom? and Gas leak forces out families
Downtown library needs a new jacket
Sense of pride, stricter enforcement behind city initiative to clean up yards
Alberta maintains triple-A rating (This is about borrowing power of the provincial government, not baseball.)
PBS fans protest as Shaw cable pulls Detroit off analogue
Massive new Hole’s garden complex not for green thumbs only
from the Edmonton Sun:
Bar fined for fire-code infractions
from 630CHED/iNews880:
Expressions of hunger at City Hall
Rally supports Gaza Freedom Flotilla
from CBC Edmonton:
Armed sheriffs guard Alberta upgrader hearing (Because you know who the most dangerous people are? People who are engaged in regulatory debates.)
Alberta gets keys to 18 new schools
Police officer suspended for 2005 fight
Victory in Leduc, Alta. elevator saga (If you run a building, make sure the elevators work.)
from CTV Edmonton:
Province looks to reduce the use of plastic bags
Cyclists, skateboarders ticketed in sidewalk campaign (The sidewalks on Whyte and Jasper Avenues are for feet only. Meanwhile…police are also trying to encourage us to be safer on our feet.)
Locals believe they have a plan to clean up the oil spill
from Global Edmonton:
Grey Cup tickets (Both of these items are hot tickets.)
Think of the Children
Today sees the beginning of the 2010 International Children’s Festival in St. Albert.
Splash 'n' Boots will be performing.
If you’re not familiar with the Children’s Festival you probably don’t have kids, haven’t lived here long, or ignore everything St. Albert. But you know what? It’s a pretty big deal.
The festival starts today and runs through the week, wrapping up Saturday.
Since children aren’t always known to have the best attention you know there will be lots of fun stuff happening. There are plays, amazing feats, and, of course, children’s performers. And you’ll see stuff from across Canada and around the world. There are also lots of games, arts and crafts and interactive activities to keep little minds busy.
Check the schedule and know that your kids will have plenty to take in this week. Most of the action happens during the day but Friday night does see some events. Oh, and it should go without saying but, everything is happening in that little city to our northwest, St. Albert.
Also, happening tonight, for those of you without children, or at least who can get a babysitter, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has a special guest. International organ sensation Cameron Carpenter is making his Canadian debut with the ESO.
And the Edmonton Capitals have their home opener over at Telus Field.
June already?
You know what? Let’s keep it simple today.
It's time to celebrate the bicycle!
The sun is shining, there’s baseball at the park tonight, and it’s bike month in the city of Edmonton.
‘Nuff said.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Foster mom charged in murder (Meanwhile, the child’s biological mother is dealing with the loss…)
Stanley A. Milner Library in desperate need of makeover (The Journal’s been taking a look at the library this week.)
Teachers brace for ‘parental rights’ law (Remember Bill 44?)
Edmonton-based soldiers return home from Afghanistan
Land with a view has mystery, little value (So that’s what’s up with that little corner on the edge of the river valley.)
Politics still has rooms for acts of kindness
From the Calgary Herald: Hard-hit ranchers to get $144M in aid
from the Edmonton Sun:
Province kicks in $2.3M to keep kids out of cuffs (Schools as community hubs? Don’t tell the Edmonton Public School Board.)
400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas prevented: Province
from Metro Edmonton:
Passport to yoga all over the city
from The Canadian Press:
Oilsands plant protest (Total is asking for a new refinery.)
from 630CHED/iNews880:
More turning to food bank to eat
Bike months begins today (Are you a biker? Will you start? How about checking out all the bike-themed events in June?!)
from CBC Edmonton:
Long-term care ‘inadequate’: Alberta NDP (Oh, those New Democrats are always whining about adequate health care.)
Truckers to get rebates for green upgrades
Van Morrison to play Edmonton Folk Fest Fundraiser
Calgary MP advises soldiers to ‘pull trigger’ (Do you think it’s actually Anders’ signature? If so; duh!)
from CTV Edmonton:
Guarantee of arena district essential: expert (Yeah, maybe get it on paper or something before a parking lot is replaced by an arena in a parking lot.)
Mulroney-Schreiber financial dealings ‘inappropriate’
Also, this is pretty cool news about Eskimos games.
Telus Revenge: Best Served with mustard and relish
By: Colin MacIntyre
Show of hands; how many of you hate Telus?
3…17…63…576….6,192….1,093,833….464,837,272,828….. hmmm…I guess ALL of you hate Telus.
No, there isn’t much love for Canada’s favourite western-based telecommunication company. Oh sure, they have cute commercials starring baby ducks, monkeys and hippopotamuses, often set to catchy music. Unfortunately, that seems be where people’s enjoyment with Telus comes to a sudden, screeching, car rolling into the ditch, kind of halt.
I’ll confess, I haven’t been a Telus customer since waaaay back in the days when I owned one o’ them landline telephones (remember those?), so I don’t have much experience to draw upon. However every person I’ve talked to that is a Telus customer has a story to tell; nay, stories to tell.
From receiving bills for services not even used, to waiting two months for services to be installed, to that ohhhh so expensive fine print, which is fine, but also written upside down, backwards and in Ferengi. That’s just from people I’ve talked too! A quick Internet search reveals pages and pages of angry people. Heck, the Internet Search Page even asked me if I wanted to specify or narrow my search from ‘Telus Complaints’ to ‘Telus Complaints 2010′ or ‘Telus Complaints last 24 freakin hours’. I even found a blog where people can submit their own horror stories.
Unfortunately, if you are one of this misbegotten customers, there isn’t much you can do when Telus decides to play with you like cat plays with a blind mouse. Sure you move to a different telecommunications company, but seeing as how there ain’t that much to choose from in Canada, switching Tel-co’s is a bit like being stood in front of a row of half a dozen Ninjas, and being told you get to pick which one gets to kick you in the forehead. Writing letters and angry phone calls to customer service will only take you so far, and even the most hardened whiner will come to realize that their bleating is falling on deaf ears. It would seem that when it comes to having a lousy Telus experience, there is no way of extracting any measure of justice.
Until Today. (more…)
Find something to do, already
Long weekend? Yes, please!
Long weekend!
Woooooooooo!
A note: The Great Divide Waterfall won’t be running this long weekend. We’ll get through this together. It’s unknown when it will be running again.
Alright, the big one this weekend is the Servus Heritage Festival. 34 years running and full of culture and tasty food, it’s all at Hawrelak Park. Here’s some transportation info.
Music-wise you’ve got The City Streets playing a “moving” show tonight at the Pawn Shop, and Blink 182 is tonight. The Moody Blues play Sunday, at the Winspear.
I’m going to try and rein in my excitement, but I do need to tell you about a show at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. It’s because Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks stars…Peter Scolari! Let me repeat. Peter. Scolari. You’re welcome.
Latitude 53 has “Draw,” a marathon of, well, drawing.
The Edmonton Capitals are home this weekend, and for $5 a throw you can help them fight breast cancer and try to set a World Record for pitches thrown.
We told you a little while ago about The Laugh Shop opening a new location on Whyte Avenue. It happens Saturday night.
Don’t forget about farmers’ markets, improv, live music in pretty much every bar, new movies in theatre…and so on.
This is me, pretending I know things about sports.
What the hell is going on over at the Rush? These guys must really mean business for the 2010 season, because I’ve never seen so much lacrosse excitement in my life – and I’ll have you know, I’m a bit of a lacrosse aficionado (…that means I don’t know anything about it, right?)! Lately it seems they’re ALWAYS hiring somebody, or trading somebody, or announcing something. This time it’s a trade; say bye bye to Dan Teat, ladies. He’s going to Philadelphia, home of cheesesteaks, the Fresh Prince of Bel-air, and lacrosse (apparently), in exchange for Derek Malawsky, formerly of the Portland Lumberjax.
And while we’re talking sports, since, let’s be honest, it doesn’t happen that often – the Capitals’ website is reminding anyone with
tickets to tomorrow’s game vs. the Tucson Toros that the start time has changed, because of a travel schedule conflict with the visiting team. The stadium will still be open at 2 p.m., but the game won’t actually start until 5 p.m. It should be a good time; I just got a facebook invite informing me that there’s also a breast cancer fundraiser going on, where the Caps try to set the world record for most pitches thrown before a game. Well, you just got an extra three hours to set the record in, boys. Make Momma proud!
Seals Hand Caps Back-to-Back Losses
Yikes. Tough weekend for the Edmonton Capitals. My brother Paul was there on Saturday night to take advantage of the team’s Saturday Night Movies promotion (it was “The Sandlot” this week, which I haven’t seen in forever. FORRR-EVVVVV-ERRRR).
In case you didn’t know about this, after certain Saturday night games, the Caps let spectators down on the field to watch a baseball themed movie on a giant screen. The next one is on August 1, when they’ll be showing “Mr. Destiny”. And before you judge, remember there are a finite number of baseball themed movies. I’m telling you about this late into the season, after they’ve already shown “Field of Dreams,” “A League of Their Own,” and “The Natural.” Let’s just be glad that, as of yet, “Mr.Baseball” hasn’t made the list. (more…)
