I Heart Edmonton

124th Street By Emil Tiedemann Filming of MGM’s iconic The Wizard of Oz began on a lot 2,800 kms away in Culver City, California on October 13, 1938. On that very same Thursday, Edmonton began it’s own cinematic legacy, as the doors of The Roxy Theatre opened up for the first time on the corner of 124 Street & 107 Avenue.  At the time, the Roxy was considered one of the most luxurious movie theatres around, built by I.F. Shacker of Hanna with spring seating, air conditioning, and plenty of legroom! Designed by Edmonton architect William G. Blakey , the Roxy would eventually screen The Wizard of Oz (1939), but the very first feature lit up on the theatre’s marquee was Deanna Durbin ’s Mad About Music , which started at 6:00 that evening.  Eventually, in 1988, the Roxy became a live performance venue, and by 1989 was the home of the Theatre Network and their Nextfest . It remained one of Edmonton’s most beloved venues for local artists up until January 13, 20...

Imagine an Edmonton where tramways take you across the North Saskatchewan, a giant Ferris wheel defines a new Whyte Avenue, and where homelessness is a thing of the past. With the right visionaries behind the helm, these things and much more could be a reality someday! By Emil Tiedemann I T'S been more than four years since the last time I saw my cousin, Amy. She had just turned 30 then, so we and about a half dozen of her friends spent the whole weekend drinking far too many hazy shots of tequila and Jagermeister at an endless thread of Vancouver nightclubs. But now she was on my turf, and those nights of overindulging in overpriced Cuevo and Bacardi were behind us. Well, sort of. It wasn't even noon yet when I picked Amy up from the Edmonton International Airport . She had barely changed at all from when I shared a carpet with her during one of our drunken swoons back in B.C. "Neither have you," she lied. Amy was "starving," and even though o...

Musicians, thespians, painters, playwrights, dancers, and filmmakers converge for one of our city's most underrated festivals BY EMIL TIEDEMANN What: Multi-format arts festival When: Thursday, June 3-Sunday, June 13, 2010 Where: The Roxy (10708-124 St.) et al 4 00 artists. 11 days. 9 venues. 1 huge party! Now in its 15th year, Edmonton's bountiful Nextfest gets bigger and bigger with every new, anticipated season. From June 3rd to the 13th the celebration will hit up various venues, (mostly) scattered down 124th Street , showcasing (mostly) local music, film, live theatre, dance, readings, and visual art. The Roxy Theatre will be the headquarters, of sorts, for this annual extravaganza that doesn't--but should--garner the attention we lend to the Fringe in Old Strathcona . If you're a Fringer, Nextfest should be right up your alley! Varying events will be hosted at nearby Conrad's Sugar Bowl (10724-124 St.), as well as downtown's theARTery (9535-Jasper A...

Local and international artists share the spotlight within this subtle gallery that aligns 124th Street BY EMIL TIEDEMANN W ITH the brand new Art Gallery of Alberta now open to the enthused public, Edmonton's arts community has leaped forward in a big way. It means that our humble city will be taken seriously when it comes to opportunities to stage global exhibits and that outsider art enthusiasts won't disregard Edmonton as a potential tourist destination. The AGA has at least raised awareness of the arts community in Edmonton, which explains why I found myself strolling down 124th Street last week with my winter coat and my Canon. The strip is well-known among locals as a hub of galleries that showcase mostly local or provincial artists of various mediums. Stretching from the tail end of Jasper Avenue and down to about 111th Ave. is the " Gallery Walk ," a cluster of modest galleries that share 124th with seasoned eateries, upscale boutiques and the 72-year-old R...

124th Street discreetly hosts a buzzing community of restaurants, specialty shops, galleries, and this cyber cafè with a few secrets of its own BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Two years before Edmonton was proclaimed an official city, its current West End was just starting to take shape, after Scotland-born farmer Malcolm Groat (yes, that Groat) sold his 900 acres to real estate promoters in 1903. Surrounding areas such as Glenora and Groat Estates congregated to what was known then as Edward Street, as the region's central shopping hub. Today, this bustling community is simply recognized as 124th Street , and it remains that cultural core a century later. It was only recently that I truly got to appreciate the potpourri of 124th Street, a small section of a large town that could easily be Whyte Ave. 's baby brother, who is usually left on the sidelines as Mommy & Daddy focus all their attention on his older and more popular sibling. In terms of patronage, 124th has a long way to go be...