I Heart Edmonton

Host. Humanitarian. Husband... Breakfast Television 's Ryan Jespersen ( that's three e's ) wears many hats, and recently let 'I Heart' take a peek underneath them... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN W HAT I'm about to tell you may shock you. It might anger you. It may even make you want to grab your computer screen and toss it across the room into your pile of I Heart Edmonton memorabilia! Ryan Jespersen , charitable & personable co-host of Citytv 's Breakfast Television , is a Calgarian !! That's right, born and raised in our southern rival, yet living among us! But before you start your online petitions, you should know something else about Mr. Jespersen. He's come to love Edmonton just as much as we do. In fact, you might even call Jespersen, 33, an ambassador of our city, taking every opportunity available to promote and/or celebrate all the fascinating locals and the countless things to see 'n' do in Edmonton. "I try to reflect what people wa...

"Where people and horses meet in the heart of the city" BY EMIL TIEDEMANN T HAT is the slogan for the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre on Fox Drive ( 13204-Fox Drive , to be exact), a place that somehow seems right at home in the middle of the city. Located within Edmonton's pituresque river valley, this non-profit organization (WELCA) offers "unique education and recreation at a beautiful pasteral horse farm in the heart of the city." And has been for close to a century! Although WELCA was established in 1999, the farm has been around since the 1920s, when Ontario-born Dr. Frederick Anson Keillor purchased the land and invited locals to his farm for hiking, bird watching, picnics, swimming, and of course, horse riding. During those early years Dr. Keillor, who served in WWI, also opened a ski club, four canoe clubs, and the Granite Curling Club , all in the vicinity, while moonlighting as a city coroner and manager at the South Edmonton Vet hospital. He late...

'I Heart' delves into what this proposed arena district could mean for our city, and why so many are against it BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I DON'T have to tell you that one of the most talked-about topics in Edmonton over the last six months has been the proposal of a new downtown arena complex that promises to "revitalize" the area. It goes without saying. Every new development in the arena debate makes headline news, as reporters scramble to get the next big lead or, God forbid, a sound bite from the man responsible for the whole ordeal, Daryl Katz (pictured below left). The billionaire businessman behind the Rexall drug store chain remained tight-lipped about the details of the arena situation only until earlier this week, when his company The Katz Group took the next step* forward in greenlighting Edmonton's most profound project to date. Edmontonians have been particularly vocal about this proposal, as every Tom, Dick & Mary extend their two cents ...

Some of the latest happenings in Edmonton... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN W ITH the new downtown arena on everyone's minds, the Shaw Conference Centre quietly announced that it's looking to expand right down to the North Saskatchewan. The bold venture would double the current size of the 27-year-old Jasper Avenue staple, and may include a sloping boulevard of escalators and incline elevators, a riverside boardwalk, new food & beverage vendors, and even a dock that could possibly service river taxis. Last year alone the Shaw hosted 78 conventions that brought in $90 million, but also had to turn down 18 others because it couldn't meet the space requirements. S PEAKING of the Shaw Conference Centre , it'll be dedicating more than 40,000 square feet of space to host Edmonton's International Beerfest on Friday, April 23 (4-10PM) and Saturday, April 24 (3-10PM). Bands like Sallys Krackers and Red Ram will be performing as patrons can taste any of more than 300 beers from ar...

I KNOW, I know, it's been two weeks (April 4) since John Mayer and opening act Michael Franti & Spearhead spoiled us in concert at Rexall Place , so why am I revisiting the Easter Sunday show now? I'm glad you asked! It was only the other day that my good friend Misty reminded me to check out Franti's official website , where the California-born singer-songwriter likes to upload footage from his concerts. The video clip below was shot backstage at Rexall that night, in which Franti briefly reminisced about the year he spent living in Edmonton, back in the '80s. In fact, joining him backstage was his grade 9 basketball coach, while his Nigerian drummer Manas Itene tries to spell out "Edmonton" and "Oilers" for the camera. He fails miserably. Anyways, feel free to check out the clip for yourself, and then maybe head to his MySpace page to see the kinda talent Edmonton can and does harbour.

Cadence Weapon, The Joe amongst the praised wordsmiths who'll light up this year's POfest BY EMIL TIEDEMANN O UR city is entering its festival season and there's no shortage of things to do during the spring and summer months. We hear a lot about the Fringe , Street Performers , A Taste of Edmonton , and the world-class Folk Fest , but we have to keep our ears to the ground when it comes to one of the dozens of neglected events that share this season. One of those lesser known affairs is the fifth annual Edmonton Poetry Festival (EPF), which kicks off tomorrow (Monday, April 19), right in the middle of National Poetry Month . This year's theme is " Found in Translation ." Every year the EPF (est. 2006) sets out to celebrate and promote the capital region's eclectic and ever-growing poetry scene. There will be dozens of local and national poets who will take part in the 7-day fest, including Ian Ferrier , Joe Gurba (a.k.a. "The Joe"), Lorri Niel...

If I was stranded on a deserted island, what 10 essential albums would I want to keep me company? BY EMIL TIEDEMANN A COMMON question I tend to ask my friends, co-workers, or stand-offish strangers in the streets, is " What was the last CD you bought ?" Almost every time I'll get the same response, as they claim that it's been so long since they've actually bought one that they can't even remember. Some admit they don't buy CDs anymore, but rather legally, but mostly illegally, download their music for either their iPods or to burn a CD. That's the current state of the music industry. Who am I to judge, though? I download, too, but I also still like to go to the music stores, whether it be a Blackbyrd or an HMV , and have the actual music in my hands. I have 718 CDs (that's right, I counted!) and I don't plan on stopping there, because there's a simple little charm to having the real thing in your possession, instead of a digital co...