I Heart Edmonton

El Cortez & Other Bitchin' Bars By Emil Tiedemann There’s a bright red neon sign on one of the rustic brick walls of Old Strathcona’s El Cortez Tequila Bar & Kitchen that reads, “Find what you love and let it kill you.” It’s a quote from the late German-born, L.A.-based poet Charles Bukowski , who Time magazine once called “the laureate of American lowlife.”  His words of drudgery and toil have influenced countless writers and artists since, including El Cortez co-owner Melanie Swerdan , whom may not take those words literally, but certainly retains the sort of passion Bukowski was alluding to. That passion is evident on every wall, in every corner, and within every aspect of El Cortez, perhaps the most unique bar in all of Edmonton, and certainly the city’s only one that specializes in tequila.  Just outside the El Cortez Bar just off of Whyte Avenue and along Gateway Boulevard. “I remember this place, I remember partying here when it was Wooly Bully’s,...

Our Neighbours By Emil Tiedemann We couldn’t have asked for better next-door neighbours than the likes of St. Albert , Sherwood Park (Strathcona County), Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Leduc, Nisku, Devon, and Beaumont!  These nearby communities that surround our city limits offer that small-town mentality on those days when you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of a large metro like Edmonton. The Capital Region, as it is often referred to, is really just one large community at heart, each offering their own special personalities and attributes.    Downtown St. Albert. St. Albert, for example, is one of Canada’s “best-kept secrets,” according to MoneySense magazine, which consistently ranks the small city of about 64,000 as one of the best places to live in the whole country, even reaching #1 on the list as recent as 2014.  That says a lot about the people who live in St. Albert, practically and almost literally a hop, sk...

The Concerts By Emil Tiedemann I was just 12 years old when I went to my very first concert. My buddy Peter and I were both “Straight Up” in love with Paula Abdul , and knew we had to see her as soon as we found out that she was coming to Edmonton to perform at what was then known as the Coliseum (with opening act Color Me Badd ).  We stood on the floor of the arena, barely able to see over the heads of the people in front of us, and sang along to every song in her repertoire. I know now how lame this sounds, but we were kids and love makes you do silly things! Paula Abdul, who happened to be my first-ever concert! Although it was years before I would ever go to another concert, they would eventually become part of what I did. It didn’t necessarily have to be at the arena or stadium either, because Edmonton seems to always be a tour stop for all the biggest names in the music industry, from AC/DC to Jay-Z , and anybody and everybody in between.  In fact, you m...

Edmonton Valley Zoo By Emil Tiedemann I struggled with No.59 on this list, I have to admit. Not that I necessarily have anything against the Valley Zoo - an institution here in Edmonton since 1959 - but I’ve been wary of the whole zoo industry in general for years.  However, the Valley Zoo in particular was a part of my childhood, and a part of growing up for countless locals for decades now. It’s a place where parents can take their young children for the day to teach them about other species from around the world and from throughout our own homeland.  Lucy the Elephant (photo by Jerry Cordeiro ). I remember taking field trips in elementary school to the Valley Zoo and being fascinated with the various types of reptiles, birds, wild cats, and of course, Lucy the Elephant , who has become somewhat of the poster child for those who are against elephants in Canadian zoos. Even American game show host Bob Barker has visited the Zoo to speak out against Lucy’s north...

Winter Activities By Emil Tiedemann Let’s face it, we’re a winter city, plain and simple. Sure, we’ve got distinctive and glorious springs and summers and autumns, but winter just seems to last the longest, and it can get pretty nasty at times.  But, that’s okay, because Edmontonians - unlike many other Canadians - have learned to embrace and even appreciate our snowy season. The Ice Castle in Hawrelak Park. Every city in Canada deals with winter conditions, there’s just no way around it (unless global warming kicks in sooner than we anticipate), so you might as well use it to your advantage, right?!  Edmonton is surrounded by some of the best places in the world for skiers and snowboarders (Banff, Jasper), but you don’t even have to leave town to get in on the slopes, because there are several options right at our doorsteps!  Between the months of November and March, locals are able to take to the hills of the Edmonton Ski Club , the Snow Valley Ski Club...

The Cinema By Emil Tiedemann Every time I drive down 111th Avenue, past the former A1 Trading pawn shop, I think about David Woolfson . He was a Jewish immigrant who ran the pawn shop on the corner of 94th Street, and he was the focus of Rosie Dransfeld ’s Broke. documentary.  Shot entirely at A1 Trading, the movie was a raw look at the real desperation of many of his shop’s inner city clients, focusing on an Aboriginal regular named Chris Hoard . The pair sparked up an unusual kinship, giving way to moments only real life could script.    The screening of 'Broke.' at the then Global Visions Film Festival. Broke. kicked off the 2009 Global Visions Film Festival (now called Northwestfest ), Canada’s longest-running non-fiction film and art fest, screening mostly documentary features and shorts since 1983, when it was known as the Third World Film Festival. This wasn’t my first film fest in Edmonton though, nor would it be my last.  Shortly before Glob...

Whitemud Equine Learning Centre By Emil Tiedemann I remember when I first drove down Fox Drive and noticed horses galloping along this long white and green rail fence just meters away from the street. Am I seeing this right?! Were there actually horses right in the middle of the city, home in the river valley, speeding across a meadow just off the North Saskatchewan and the Trans Canada Trail?  I think I smiled the whole rest of my drive home, in awe. How had I not heard of his place?! I turned to Google to make sure I hadn’t imagined the whole thing.  The Whitemud Equine Learning Centre Association is a public pastoral horse farm “open to anyone with an interest in horses,” and in fact offers equine sports and activities for thousands of all-ages Edmontonians every year.  Run mostly by volunteers, the Centre dedicates itself to improving the quality of living for locals through their world-class centre for equine learning, research, and therapy. And it’s b...

Yardbird Suite By Emil Tiedemann Considered “the bedrock of jazz venues in Canada,” the legendary Yardbird Suite , along Tommy Banks Way in Old Strathcona (since 1984), is the country’s oldest jazz club. Run entirely by dedicated volunteers, the Yardbird has a legacy of jazz music stemming all the way back to March 23, 1957, when a group of local musicians opened the original club on Whyte Avenue and 104th.    The neon sign outside of the famed Yardbird Suite, on Gateway Blvd. Ken Chaney , Neil Gunn , Terry Hawkeye , Garry Nelson , Ron Repka , and Ray & Zen Magus knew they had something special here when they founded the Yardbird in a town not exactly known for its jazz scene. They named the venue after Charlie Parker ’s 1946 bebop standard “Yardbird Suite,” which itself derives from Parker’s own nickname “Bird.”  Although the great Parker never played the Yardbird (he died two years before it opened), plenty of jazz greats have taken to the stage at one...

The What/ "In celebration of Frank & Oak 's fifth anniversary, the Montreal-based brand is bringing its community together in local Canadian markets. We wanted to invite you to the brand's upcoming Edmonton fête. Please join us next week in a perfect prelude to the long weekend, where we'll toast to this innovative and always-fashionable Canadian brand." This casual get-together will include drinks, gifts, and the ultimate Canadian comfort food, poutine! The When/   Tuesday, July 18 (6 - 11PM) The Where/   The Black Dog Freehouse (10425 Whyte Avenue) The How Much/   Free! 

Support Local By Emil Tiedemann For years, large chain restaurants and fast food brands have used Edmonton as a test market before they dispersed across the country, popping up on every corner and forcing local ma & pa shops to close their doors for good. Consumers are under the impression that chain stores, eateries, and shops offer lower prices and better guarantees on their products or services, but these are often misconceptions.  There are plenty of perks when it comes to shopping at the smaller, independent businesses rather than corporate entities, such as inventory assortment, community support, or most importantly, the ever-elusive customer care.    Edmonton's Yuri Gerchikov (left) and Leo Shifrin of Good Luck Socks, which started in 2013. That’s not to say that all local shops are kind and community-oriented, or that all big box stores lack a good customer experience. But, for the most part, it’s the smaller markets where you buy your eggs and m...

K-Days By Emil Tiedemann What was it when you were growing up that got you excited like that kid - my nephew - in the photo below? Was it opening presents on Christmas morning? Could it have been your birthday or Halloween, maybe? Perhaps it was standing in line for the latest iPhone! For me, it was Klondike Days .  K-Days 2017 will take place July 21 - 30 @ Northlands! It was the thundering carnival rides, the endless carts of colourful sodas and sugary treats, the shooting and tossing games at every turn, with prizes that always seemed easier to win than they actually were!  What more could a kid ask for, right?! And although the name has changed - a couple of times, actually - the excitement has not gone away. Kids, teens, adults, whole families look forward to those ten days at the end of July when K-Days takes over Northlands , and has been - for the most part - since 1879.  Who doesn't love "those little donuts"?! Back then, on October 13, ...

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village By Emil Tiedemann From 1892  to 1930, many Ukrainian Canadians settled in central Alberta, and generations of those early settlers’ families have remained here more than a century later.  Some of the costumed historical interpreters at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, just outside of Edmonton. It’s those early years that are brought back to life at the award-winning Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village , a giant living museum that uses costumed historical interpreters to recreate early pioneer settlements on a site not far out of city limits (near Elk Island Park on the Yellowhead Highway).  This open-air attraction opened in 1974, technically as part of nearby Lamont County , on the shores of Goose Lake. It remains a popular destination for families and young students.  The Village's Luzan Grocery. There are dozens of restored historical structures at the Village, including Kiew Hall, Kolody Sawmi...

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra By Emil Tiedemann Although the Edmonton Orchestra Society had existed with more than a dozen players as early as 1913, it wasn’t until November 15, 1920 that the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra officially premiered at the Pantages Theatre on Jasper Avenue, A. Weaver Winston at the helm.  Just 12 years later, in 1932, the orchestra suspended operations, and Edmonton went without its ESO for two full decades. Finally, on Halloween of 1952, the sounds of the symphony were restored in Edmonton, as the ESO registered as a not-for-profit organization and returned to the stage for the first time in 20 years, on November 30, 1952, under the conduction of Edmonton-born Lee Hepner .  It took another two decades before the ESO fully transitioned into a professional orchestra, in 1971, and the following year they teamed up with English rockers Procol Harum for a live album recorded at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium , the ESO’s home for 40 years (1957...