Helping Slave Lake
(Photo: CTV Edmonton)
Hi Edmonton.
As news of the devastating fire in Slave Lake, Alberta continues to come in, you might be wondering what you can do, sitting here in non-burning Edmonton, to help folks in this northwestern Alberta town. There are a few things you can do. And they are really simple, but could mean a lot to someone who has lost everything. (You also don’t have to feel any pressure to donate, we just want to let you know there are a few options out there in case you’re sitting like us, staring at the terrifying images of fire and burned-out buildings, feeling a lousy combination of terror, sympathy, and powerlessness.)
Just a quick note to anyone who hasn’t seen much on the story: Slave Lake, Alberta is a natural resources town (primarily lumber and forestry products) a couple of hours northwest of Edmonton. Dry, windy conditions have contributed to wildfires in Alberta, and the town was preparing for this as it became surrounded by fires. This weekend, the fires moved into the town, and everyone was ordered to get out last night.
The Red Cross (still helping Japan after its earthquake and tsunami) has its Alberta branch working on relief in Slave Lake. You can always donate to the Red Cross at its website.
#YEGHelps is also organizing collections here in Edmonton. You can donate household items and clothes. There are plenty of donation sites in Edmonton, and around the Capital Region.
You can let us know if there are any other donation drives or ways to help in the comments.
Your Lucky Weekend
Welcome to another weekend, Edmonton. Don’t let today being Friday the 13th throw off your vibe.
This weekend just so happens to be a Make It! Edmonton weekend. The craft and design show is back at the Alberta Aviation Hangar, with all kinds of great handmade goods. You can also help out the Canadian Kidney Foundation while you shop, by bidding on the silent auction – which will include items from the Make It! designers.
Tickets are $5 at the door, but we can get some of you in for free. Would you like that? Let us know if you want to go to Make It! this weekend.
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On Saturday, at the Russ Barns Arena, E-Ville Roller Derby wraps up the season with the Gage Cup between the Slice Girls and Berzerkhers. Sticking with roller derby…the Oil City Derby Girls become the “Knicker Kickers” to take on the Red Deer Belladonnas (who become the Whale Tails) in an Underwear Affair on wheels.
In music…you’ve got Rammstein at Rexall Place tonight. I expect it to be roofless by tomorrow. The Bridle Party and Van Funk & The Lebarons are playing an early show at Brixx tonight. Captain Tractor has a CD release at the Roxy Theatre (they play in Permanent Records tomorrow at 5pm). Over at New City Legion it’ll be Black Mastiff with Field & Stream and Morals. Men Without Hats are at the Century Casino. Buddy Guy is at the Polish Hall. Tomorrow’s Hair of the Dog is a good one; with Caity Fisher (you may remember her from our most recent episode of television). Saturday night The Empress has Howlin’ Dan, with John Woroschuck. And on Sunday Jimmy Rankin is at the Haven Social Club.
Capital City Burlesque “Unleash the Geek” this weekend, at the Starlite Room.
Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? (It had to be since it’s the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibians 2011 Spring Show & Sale.)
Biodiversity Week (it’s a thing) kicks off in Edmonton at City Hall. Earth Alive will be a family-friendly event, and you could learn how to increase the wildlife population in your backyard.
The third annual #yegHelp event is Saturday night at Lux. Proceeds of the event will go to La Salle women’s shelter.
If you’re into helping, you might have already known that the sixth Homeless Connect Edmonton is this Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre. Homeless Connect is an interesting event, it provides all kinds of services to Edmonton’s homeless community; everything from mental health assessments and immunizations to haircuts and laundry.
For you fans of reading, this is a good weekend. The Edmonton Public Library’s Books to Eat fundraiser is Saturday night, while Audrey’s hosts An Afternoon with the Authors Sunday.
Sunday afternoon, The Pure Speculation Festival is holding Mini Spec!: a fundraiser for the big deal (which happens later this year).
Still on Sunday, there will be an Open House at ENTS. That’s the Edmonton New Technology Society; a cool little collective workspace in Oliver. E-mail them to get in on it and check out their space.
You can always see a movie, now that blockbuster season has begun (does it feel like it’s starting earlier to anyone else?). Oh, and get rid of your old couch at the City’s Big Bin Events.
What to do, what to do
Yes indeed, we’ve made it through another week.
Martin Kerr was out at the Beverley Farmers' Market. Maybe you'll see him at the first Downtown market of the summer, this Saturday.
So, let’s find you something fun to do.
Not to brag, but I bet, maybe even as you’re reading this, I’m having the most weekend fun of all. The dentist is yanking one of my wisdom teeth out.
Have fun with your non-pain pill related events, suckers.
If you’re an Edmonton politics fan you may already know the Alberta Liberal Party is holding their convention and AGM this weekend.
The Tallest Man on Earth is playing a sold out show at Brixx. He’s not actually that tall.
Everybody’s favourite band (to say) is playing the Avenue Theatre tonight. It’s Fucked Up.
More local, Saturday will see the first Joe Bird Award. It’s a bit of a celebration over at the Empress Ale House.
#YegHelp is this Saturday night. That’s a big fundraiser for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. There’s a fashion show too. Plus, I’ll link to most anything with a #Yeg in it.
Almost a #Yeg, the public teachers are hosting a tweetup tonight.
Maybe this will be the weekend you finally check out lawn bowling. Maybe.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the E-Ville Roller Derby girls are having a championship this weekend. Have you seen roller derby in E-town yet?
Of course, the summer blockbuster movies just keep on coming!
There’s a 2010 Alberta Comedy Spectacular being recorded for the CBC in St. Albert.
Ooh, and the Found Footage Festival is on tonight!
Meanwhile…over at Share Edmonton…
The Edmonton Energy return to the basketball floor!
There will be plenty of running and walking this weekend with the Community Action Dash and Enerflex MS Walk.
Don’t forget, the ESO is always a good choice. This weekend, they’ve got a wonderful soprano in, to sing Schubert.
And, I don’t normally look beyond the weekend, but I fear I’ll forget to mention A Night of Highwire Films, which is happening Wednesday. There!
What the bleep is going on?
I’ll tell you what’s going on!
Right after I tell you what I’ll be up to this weekend.
I’ll be at MediaCamp Edmonton tomorrow. It should be a good time.
Being a “camp” it’s going to be one of those un-conference thingys. That’s where the participants (me and 200 of my friends) pitch OUR ideas. There are no set sessions, no planned speakers. We will dictate what the day is about.
So, if the day is terrible it’s our own fault.
It’s about collaboration, basically. The room will be full of traditional media (newspaper, radio and TV folks, my old peeps), new media (bloggers, podcasters, online journalists, my new peeps) public and media relations (the corporate, organizational, and government “spin-doctors” and storytellers) and developers (people who know what the heck is actually inside our computers and how to use that to create new software, new forms of storytelling, new things).
It’s a free event, so if you fall into any of those categories you can come on down to the Shaw Conference Centre tomorrow.
By working together, for at least one day, we should be able to figure out some new ways to tell stories, new ways to use the Internet, mobile technologies, emerging tech, new software, and each other, to build better communities. My definition of a better community, here, is one that knows more about itself, more about what’s going on and how it all works
I’m also hoping to talk my way into some of that sweet Journal moola The Unknown Studio guys are always flashing around town.
You can follow our shenanigans through the Twitter hashtag #yegmediacamp. You should also be able to search”yegmediacamp” after Saturday, to find blog posts, photos and videos of what we talked about.
The Edmonton Journal will also be streaming the opening panel, live at 10am.
But, enough about me. Let’s talk about what you could get up to this weekend. (Unless you’re also going to MediaCamp. Then, you should come over and say “Hi.”)
Tanner Gordon is playing, and releasing a CD, tonight at NAIT’s Shaw Theatre.
You could always see a movie.
The Edmonton Symphony for kids has “Mozart, Boy Genius.”
The City of Edmonton has a couple of events. The Muttart Conservatory is holding its annual bedding plant sale. That should get you in the spring mood. And the Valley Zoo is celebrating mothers.
By the way, it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday.
The Edmonton Rush continue their first-ever playoff run. They’re in Washington for the National Lacrosse League Western Final. Follow the action at the Rush or NLL website.
Now, this feels a little light. Let’s see if ShareEdmonton can’t help us out.
Ah yes, before the big event next week you can help #YegHelp with a few bucks tonight. CityTV’s Ryan Jespersen (ask him about fantasy hockey) and his wife, Capital FM’s Kari Skelton will be doing the guest bartender thing over at Lux. Drop some money into the tip jar to help Royal Le Page’s Shelter Foundation. I went last year, but tonight I’ll be hanging with newsy and PR friends.
There’s the Women + Health Conference at the Radisson south.
The Twitter crowd will be singing Saturday night. Singing!
Sunday sees an important, and kind of cool, event at the Shaw. It’s Homeless Connect 4. This is when homeless people can get connected (see what I did there?) to services available. Plus, they can get a haircut and really simple stuff we would take for granted.
See ya!
