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an innocent N otBYSTANDER
with Mark & Marty By Les Brost
C
losing a school is a lot
like breaking up a longtime love affair: It’s hard to do. School closure is a process that fills everyone involved with a sense of failure and loss, and the pain doesn’t go away quickly. Some inner-city Edmonton communities are losing their schools, and residents and the Edmonton Public School Board are feeling the pain. Residents know that the loss of these schools diminishes the intrinsic social value of their community and the market value of their homes. For board members, closing schools is the exact opposite of what they want to be doing—growing public education. Yet, school closures are also the inevitable result of changing demographics, past and current urban planning policies, school board policies, and community disengagement from public education. Most folks without kids in the school don’t give a hoot until the padlock looms. Then the community isolation from the school ends, but it’s much too late. The school board presents the public with the provincial and local policies, and the low enrollment numbers and future projections justifying the closures. The board grits its teeth and closes the school. Are school closures the inevitable manifestations of our evolving society and shrinking government budgets? What can we do to strengthen the viability of community schools and public education? Schools are vitally important to every one of us, both socially and economically. There are three provincial and school board actions that can—and should—be taken to strengthen local schools in terms of community support and financial sustainability.
Schools built, maintained and staffed by public money should respond to local needs. They are not the exclusive property of trustees, school administrators, teachers, students or parents. School facilities should be accessible for, and supportive of, community initiatives pertaining to adult education and family assistance. Entire communities need to be involved in the design and program planning of new schools and retrofits of existing schools. Secondly, school transportation as currently configured in Alberta consumes many millions of dollars. The existing overlap in busing and routing due to the dual systems operated over the same landscape at the same time by the public and Catholic systems drives a significant portion of this cost. A provincial school transportation authority that would coordinate, design and operate school bus services would eliminate expensive duplication. This change would require policy recognition that school buses are nonsectarian, just like the rest of public transportation in Alberta. It would also require co-ordination of school bus school schedules within school systems, which would answer the fervent prayers of Alberta parents over decades. Thirdly, we need a public discussion on the allocation of the most important asset in public education: time. The amount of time a child spends in the education process is the most valuable commodity in public education. The endless pressures on our schools to teach more and the ever-increasing costs involved in public education make every inschool minute a priceless asset. Then why in the name of sanity are so many
school buses disgorging homewardbound students in mid-day? In many cases, it allows for the professional development of teachers. Surely, we can find more efficient ways to deliver “professional development” than by a process that wastes transportation, maintenance dollars and instructional time. On early dismissal days, some rural Alberta students spend more time on their school bus than they do in their classroom. Will these kinds of changes save every school from closure? There will always be school closures that are painful for communities, trustees and the students forced to relocate. That’s just an unpleasant fact. What is unacceptable is the continuation of the status quo. What will change the status quo? Change will happen when ratepayers demand that their trustees and provincial politicians take actions that protect community schools and public education. Until then, we will continue to pump millions of dollars into outdated or misguided policies and programs. Public education is important to our youth, our communities, our economy and our society… yet we only pay attention when it fails. The closure of those Edmonton schools is a painful reminder that, when it comes to public education issues, ignorance is not bliss. √ Les Brost is the head of Southern Star Communications, a member of the University Senate, and one of Edmontonians Transformers. He is a keen observer of the world around us. lbrost@edmontonians.com
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reetings and salutations...
Just returned from Nova Scotia where my mother’s 70th birthday party was held. A fine time was had by all, thank you. As I write this month’s column, snow is falling. Great to be back in AB—nothing says ‘welcome home’ like a late May snow fall. Hope the white stuff is good for the farmers. I’m sure my lilacs will love the moisture. New Tractor… Dropped by The Norwood Studio the other day. Saw Jason Kodie, who was working away on a new Captain Tractor record. Album producer James Murdoch says the album will be in the Captain Tractor tradition, James Murdock still fun but polished musically. James also said it will be very organic sounding, with a roots feel. Jason invited me over to work on a track that should be a dandy hockey song. Expect a fall release. Speaking of tractors… The 7th Annual Springtime in Alberta concert was held last month out on Uwe Wojdak’s farm. He calls his place Hayloft Acres and the bands that played this year included Marv Machura and Celtic Fusion Illusion. It was a spectacular day. It was also a historic day because it was the unveiling of the new concert bowl. Over the past eight years, Uwe and
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friends dug out the side of a hill on his land to complete a natural bowl. In the centre, he built a beautiful stage made of thick timbers and massive poles. He calls the stage the Prairie Rose. Keep your eyes open for more shows in the coming months. Music pick of the month… Sad, sad news that U2 postponed its Edmonton concert. Lots to see in Edmonton in June, from Jazz Fest to Bon Jovi. But I have to say, considering my age, Boz Scaggs at the Jubilee Auditorium on June 22nd—the day after Summer Solstice—should be well worth the trip. Killer band, for sure. Gentlemen, start your belt sanders… A first was had. Trent Worthington and Roland Majeau invited me to play in the world premiere of the Power Tool Concerto at the Winspear. I played nail gun and chain saw. Other instruments in the concerto included a circular saw, hammers, a router, and various pneumatic tools and a chain saw. That was the special percussion section. Also featured were the Davis concert organ, a male chorus and Martin’s Cello the most original handmade electric cello I’ve ever seen. Trent conducted and Martin Kloppers played his cello, which he designed and constructed. No one was hurt… all safety measures were in place… and the chain saw/Davis concert organ duet was a first. Music, more music… The 3rd Annual Evening of Wine & Words was held May 27th in the Empire Ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. The event is very special: It raises money for the Centre for Family Literacy in Edmonton and features a silent auction, plenty o’ wine, and an intimate performance from two great Canadian artists. This year, the show featured Jim Cuddy and Kathleen Edwards. Both were Dennis Hopper auctioned off to sit at
tables to enjoy supper or dessert with guests. That item alone brought in more than $12,000. The event is kept small and intimate. The vibe in the room is elegant, relaxed and soulful. Tickets are limited, so keep an eye out for next year’s event. Ahhh, Nova Scotia… Can’t come back from a trip home without gushing a bit. As I mentioned, it was my mom’s 70th birthday. She came in from Portugal Cove, NL for the occasion, and I
Seasie Shanty’s seafood and lobster chowder
surprised her at the airport. Forgot I was sporting a beard at the time and my mom looked right through me. Once she figured it out, she was very excited to see me. Made our way around the province and especially enjoyed a South Shore run—Peggy’s Cove, Hubbards, Chester, Chester Basin, Mahone Bay, Blue Rocks, Lunenburg, LaHave River Cable Ferry, Vogler’s Cove, Liverpool, and East Sable River—down the ol’ Number 3. If you’re reading this and have never been to Nova Scotia, may I recommend for one of many possible adventures, grabbing a car and heading down the south shore. If for no other reason Kathleen than to get the Edwards best bowl of seafood chowder you may ever, ever eat in your life, offered at the Seafood Shanty in Chester Basin. Ahhh, yeah… R.I.P… Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper… √
Gary Coleman Mark Scholz, owner of MES Communications Inc. offers a variety of services including production, creative and entertainment. For more information or to suggest a story idea, email mscholz@edmontonians.com
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kay. It’s time for me to
weigh in on the Edmonton “entertainment complex” issue. To be clear: I’m on the very positive side of the “I-really-want-one-of-these” debate, but not at any cost… and certainly not under the cloudy skies of transparency that I see right now. Like most others in our city, I’m a tad confused on the Katz Group approach, so far, to building this great new complex. So let’s review. We want to develop an area that includes great shopping, several top-notch retail outlets, hotel(s), movie theaters, restaurants and bars. It has to have lots of parking spots… with everything centred around a hockey rink. Correct? Bingo. What’s the concern? Oh, wait…We already have one. It’s called West Edmonton Mall. Sure, they’d have to charge for parking at WEM and add a few seats to the arena to make it work (I jest!), and they’d have to hope that people forget that the Mall is the reason our downtown core got decimated a generation ago. But seriously, with no disrespect to the great job that Jim Taylor and the Downtown Business Association have done over the past several years, there is no doubt that the downtown needs to be further revitalized and that an on-going plan of improvement should be unveiled for the former City of Champions. But, I’m terribly concerned about the way this whole thing has been brought forward to the citizens of our city to date. First off, the timing is horrible. We have an election coming this fall and our mayor and several councilors have to protect the non-sporting fans’ interests (rightfully so). Candidates probably don’t want to wear the referee’s uniform on the arena issue by making it the main point of interest in a city that is going through massive growing pains and has several other must-need concerns to deal with before we build this new edifice. But the biggest baffling point to me is that the man whose vision we are asking to embrace has not been seen anywhere in public except on YouTube. To this point, only Katz Group or Edmonton Oilers’ officials have presented drawings and concepts publicly. Other than the zoning meeting, the big players—Katz… City of Edmonton… Northlands—have not been in the same room at the same time getting the concerns of each in a face-to-face progressive discussion. Rich people are a different sort from you and me. But, one thing I know is that they got rich off the money from the same people who are asking the relevant questions: Who is going to pay for this? And what’s the benefit in my backyard? Next, I think we need a few more major corporate names to publicly state that they have indeed bought in: names like The Westin, Marriott, Best Buy, Sears, Canadian Tire and others… or, better stated, the companies that will be making considerable profits off people who are attending the games and supporting businesses in this new complex.
Next, I think the people of Edmonton would like to see a little more respect for Northlands, which is seemingly being left out in the cold to this point. Northlands’ economic impact on our city has been huge. It has operated very successfully in the entertainment field in Edmonton for more than a century. It has the expertise, the contacts and the depth to handle that side of the equation while the hockey team focuses on getting out of the bottom of the league during the three-year timeframe needed to build the arena complex. This should be a partnership, not a competition between buildings. On another point, Edmonton Oilers President Patrick LaForge had promised me an explanation on the Oilers Community Foundation story about the exceedingly high expense rate it operates under in order to help build City High downtown. Unfortunately, deadlines didn’t align and I didn’t receive the document. I know the foundation’s intention is good; and the project very worthwhile, but running a highly expensive lottery up against the United Way; Caritas Foundation and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation simply doesn’t make sense. Time to rethink that, and focus on what you do best while the fundraisers focus on what they do best. Finally, this is no time for smoke and mirrors. I like the renderings of the downtown that I saw at the Art Gallery of Alberta on the Katz Group demo day. And I’m pleased at the hiring of highly respected media guy Steve Hogle as VP of communications and public affairs for sports and entertainment, as that signifies new blood in the organization. But please, Mr. Katz get off the Internet and get your brass in front of the media and the people of Edmonton so that we can get the big questions answered by the guy who ultimately has the final say. Book Rexall Place. Put the media in the front rows; then fill the rest of the seats with concerned citizens. Open the mic up, answer the tough questions—all of them—and get us on-side of the proposal. Bring Kevin Lowe, too—he’s the link from the very successful past to the ‘whoknows-what’ future of this hockey team. Put all the positives on the table. It’s time! Or, quite simply, I think you’ll be risking a plebiscite and, from past history, that probably won’t play in your favour. Edmonton needs to know: Who pays for what? Who benefits from this? When will the Northlands scenario be announced? When will we win the Stanley Cup? Are we going to pay controversial seat ownership fees? Edmonton is long known as a city that doesn’t think big—sorry guys, had to say it—and this is a very, very big deal with great benefits for Edmonton. Not being totally visible and transparent is not the way to go. Being a little “Trump-ish” wouldn’t hurt a bit at this time. √ Marty Forbes is the recently retired VP and general manager of The Bear, EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. Contact marty@edmontonians.com
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CELEBRATING
Poll
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STATION W
YEARS
With Linda Banister
FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN
JUNE 2010
Vol. XXI
e wanted to find out about the great neighbourhoods that together make Edmonton the City it is. For this Poll Station we decided to ask Edmontonians to tell us what was special about the neighbourhoods they were living in.
No. 6
SHARON MacLEAN Telephone: 780.482.7000 Fax: 780.488.9317 e-mail: info@edmontonians.com edmontonians.com
SIZZLING 20 UNDER THIRTY Krista Boultan kristavoulton@shaw.ca 780.242.0411
INSIDE NOT AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER School Closures/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 VOX POP Mark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 POLL STATION Neighbourhoods/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 SIZZLING IN EDMONTON Grimm of LUX/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CIVIC BUZZ $10-million Chairs/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 IMAGINE EDMONTON River of dreams/Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9 COVER STORY Play Ball!/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11 MEDIA MINUTE Court TV/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 SOCIAL MEDIA Top 10 Answers/Holmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 VISIONARIES Briefs/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 LIVELY LIFESTYLES MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 BARB DETERS Editor
editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Les Brost Marty Forbes Dean Holmes Bruce Hogle David Norwood Erin Rayner Mark Scholz Nizar J. Somji FEATURE WRITERS Cheryl Croucher Barb Deters Zac Hogle Ted Powell PHOTOGRAPHERS Terry Bourque Bruce Clarke Cheryl Croucher Andy Devlin Trisha Johnson Tracy Kolenchuk
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?
DO NEIGHBOURS HELP EACH OTHER?
Percent
Publisher and Advertising Director
We then asked respondents to rate their level of agreement with a series of statements about their neighbourhood. Sixty-one percent agreed that the people in their neighbourhood were willing to help each other, while 28 percent provided a neutral response, and eight percent disagreed. When asked if there were someone in their neighbourhood they could count on in an emergency, three-quarters (74 percent) agreed, while 13 percent provided a neutral response, and 12 percent disagreed. More than half (57 percent) reported that they would not move out of their neighbourhood even if they had the opportunity, while 15 percent neither agreed nor disagreed, and one-quarter (26 percent) disagreed.
29% 22%
23%
25%
2% Have been living in their current neighbourhood for less than 1 year
Have been living in their current neighbourhood 1-5 years
Have been living in their current neighbourhood 6-10 years
Have been living Have been living in their current in their current neighbourhood neighbourhood for 11-20 years more than 20 years
To begin the survey, we asked respondents how long they had lived in their current neighbourhood. Two percent had been living in their neighbourhood for less than one year, while 22 percent reported one to five years, 29 percent said six to 10 years, 23 percent indicated 11 to 20 years, and approximately one quarter mentioned having lived in their neighbourhood for more than 20 years. The average length of time respondents had been living in their current neighbourhood was 15 years.
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD? WHY? OR WHY NOT? Next, we asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with the neighbourhood they are currently living in. The vast majority—83 percent—were satisfied with their neighbourhood, followed by 13 percent who were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and four percent who were dissatisfied with their neighbourhood. Respondents who were dissatisfied with their current neighbourhoods commented that it has a high crime rate, that it lacks parks and playgrounds, that it isn’t welcoming, that it is poorly maintained, or that it is in a rough part of town. Respondents who were satisfied with the neighbourhood they currently live in most frequently provided the reason that their neighbours are friendly (31 percent), that their neighbourhood is quiet or peaceful (23 percent), that it is in a good location or close to amenities (22 percent), and that it is in a safe area (15 percent).
DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS BY NAME? Respondents were then asked to indicate how many of their neighbours they knew by name. Six percent admitted they knew none, while 18 percent knew one to three, 31 percent knew four to six, 22 percent knew seven to 10, and 22 percent knew 11 or more of their neighbours by name. When asked whether they would like to know more people in their neighbourhood by name, approximately half of respondents (46 percent) agreed, followed by one-third (35 percent) that neither agreed nor disagreed, and 19 percent that disagreed.
WHAT IS BEST ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD? Next, respondents were given the opportunity to comment on what they felt was the best thing about their neighbourhood. Slightly less than one-third (30 percent) mentioned their location and convenience to amenities, while one-quarter commented on the friendly neighbours and atmosphere; 18 percent reported that the neighbourhood is quiet, 11 percent that it is safe, and 10 percent that it has nice parks, trails or is close to the river valley. Respondents were then asked what they would change if there were one thing they could change about their neighbourhood. While 21 percent indicated there was nothing they would change, 11 percent would like to improve safety, 10 percent would like to improve summer road maintenance, five percent would like their neighbours to keep their properties cleaner, four percent would like fewer businesses or stores in their area, and four percent commented that their sidewalks need repairs. Lastly, we asked respondents if there was anything unique about their neighbourhood they would like other people to know about. Sixty percent reported there was not, however, five percent wanted people to know their neighbourhood has great community spirit and that they help each other out; four percent each mentioned mature trees and great landscaping, being close to the river valley for walking or biking, and having parks close by. √ Monthly Poll Station Online Question Visit www.edmontonians.com to register your opinion Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail lbanister@edmontonians.com. Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner of Banister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider of market research and program evaluation services. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.
GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc.
THIS MONTH’S COVER
Daryl Katz Photo courtesy of Katz Group Telus Field photo by Andy Devlin Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at 1703-9835-113 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 1N4. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department 1703-9835-113 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 1N4 Email: info@edmontonians.com
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www.sizzlinginedmonton.com With Erin Rayner
Family Grimm …and Strong, too
I
finally caught up with new mom and Lux Beauty Boutique owner Jennifer Grimm to find out what was new in the beauty business. What I discovered was a woman with so much in her proverbial make up kit that it was a colour wheel of personal and professional smudge pots. Jennifer and I last spoke in the fall of 2007 when I wrote about the “Block to Shop” collaborative approach to marketing that the retailers on 124th Street had developed. What piqued my curiosity was that I had noticed a number of changes along the popular street. First, Caprice consignment left the area for the west end. I’d seen the Lux Beauty Boutique sign move from its small boutique to a shared space at clothing store Ginger, a few doors away. Then, sadly, I watched Ginger and 3Xs a Lady close their doors. I was relieved to learn that Lux had moved around the corner, into a new, larger space on High Street. What I found out was that the business changes I’d seen from the outside were just the foundation of an incredibly challenging period of time. A year-and-a-half ago, Jennifer, 34, and her husband Mike found out they were expecting their first child. After a difficult pregnancy, she gave birth to daughter Avery, in September 2009.
Jennifer and Avery
“I am the first to admit I was completely naive about what it was to have a baby,” laments Jennifer. “I don’t know anything about children… and all my friends decided to get pregnant at the same time. I really enjoy being productive and I thought, ‘Yeah, you have a kid… it’s a lot of work. I’ve had a business for 10 years—I’m used to a lot of work’”. Needless to say, it has been a more amazing and challenging time than she imagined. It was just before her baby was born that the boutique found itself without a home. So, while Jennifer reeled from the first few weeks of motherhood, friends and family pitched in and moved the merchandise into temporary shared space with friend and neighbour Kristi Sainchuk at Ginger. With the space issue addressed, Jennifer began focusing on adjusting to being a mom and a business owner. “I love my business… I love working on it and being productive. A great day for me is having a (long) list and checking everything off. Suddenly (after the baby was born), if I got one thing on that list check-marked, I was 10 steps ahead and it was a big celebration,” she admits. But, when it came to managing a baby and a business, the priorities that had been so
Photos by Trisha Johnson
clear and organized for the past 10 years were in turmoil. Although I don’t have kids, I’ve often wondered how entrepreneurs without children can continue to be entrepreneurs after their babies are born. As business owners, these women don’t have the same maternity leave experience… mostly because business owners aren’t entitled
...even good things can be overwhelming when they happen all at once. to the same a maternity leave— financially or mentally—as their employees. I can only imagine how it would feel to step away from a business that, for years, has been the culmination of goals and dreams—and might even be considered “the first baby”—to care for a real, live, needs-to-eat-every-twohours baby. I don’t know how businessowning mothers manage it. I asked Jennifer about how she coped with what must have been a major shift in mentality. “Sometimes, I feel this huge amount of guilt because I’m thinking ‘Oh please, baby, hurry up and go to sleep’ so that I can go work on this thing or send this person that e-mail. Then while I am working, I’m thinking ‘Why am I working on this thing when I want to be with my baby?’. That went
on for a little bit of time, and then I decided, this is not happening. That’s when I realized: It was all a mental game. I realized that when I was wishing for something to hurry up and be over, that’s when everything else went downhill. Living in the moment saved me.” I admire her for learning that lesson. I often forget the importance of living in the moment more than I remember it, much less live it. In terms of the beauty industry in Edmonton, it too has gone through a number of changes in the last few years: Large international chains have moved into the market and other small specialty retailers have seen the potential. With understandable disruption in her personal life, not to mention recent economic shifts, I wondered if the health of her business also faced uncertainty. “First of all, I think any competition makes you a better contender and maybe, when people visit other shopping environments, they don’t take the boutique experience for granted anymore.” She went on to describe how changes in the market players also brought out positive comments from concerned customers who wanted to make sure their local source for unique, specialty beauty products wasn’t going to disappear. It was obvious that as strong and spirited as Jennifer is, she isn’t able to do everything—to be a mother, business owner, real estate investor, renovator and wife. I wanted to know—from one stubborn, independent, big idea woman to another—how it felt to ask for and receive so much help and support from friends, family, employees and the community. Jennifer was at a loss for words. Little Avery tapped her tiny, pudgy baby hands on the table at Starbucks. Almost on cue, her husband Mike Strong walked in to drop off Avery’s diaper bag. I posed my question again to the Strong/Grimm family. Jennifer and Mike agreed that, while all that is happening in their lives is good, even good things can be overwhelming when they happen all at once. Learning to ask for help was a challenge, but once they asked and allowed those around them to help, their worlds were slightly less full of to-dos and more full of moments to live in and savour. √ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc. Contact erayner@edmontonians.com
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ivic Buzz with David Norwood
Excellence attracts excellence
E
dmonton is often regarded
Dr. D. Graham Pearson, CERC in Each chair comes with an extraordinary Arctic Resources, is one of the world’s $10 million grant over seven years, and as a “blue-collar” town, and leading scientists in diamond studies and there is no doubt that the region many chairs have received additional understanding the formation of diamondfunding from provincial and fund-raising has a substantial manufacturing forming roots sources. According to the University and industrial base (and not just energy n so beneath of Alberta website, 41 Canadian ar related). The perceived lack of head offices Pe am ah Gr Dr. D. continents. He universities initially applied to also contributes to that image, and while is at the there is nothing wrong with being labelled a establish CERC at their institutions. In forefront of early 2009, the government narrowed blue-collar city, it isn’t altogether true. An developing the list to 40 proposals from 17 area often overlooked when painting a new universities, five of which were from generalized picture of Edmonton is its techniques for the U of A. The final announcement significant post-secondary educationalwas almost astounding: four of the 19 research clout. Dr. Patrik Ro Chairs were awarded to the University University of Alberta President Indira rsman of Alberta, twice as many as the next Samarasekera has made no secret of the geochemical universities. (For the record, the ambitious vision of that institution: “We analysis. Universities of Laval, Waterloo and aspire to be one of the top 20 universities in Before his the world by the year 2020. This goal is bold Toronto received two Chairs each; the arrival at the U Universities of Prince Edward Island, and ambitious and we are continuously of A, Dr. Dalhousie, Ottawa, McMaster, working to secure Pearson was Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British the resources to a Indira Samaraseker professor of Columbia, Western Ontario and provide the best geochemistry Sherbrooke received one each.) education for our at Durham In reporting the awarding of the students, to University, Chairs, The Globe and Mail noted support worldUnited Kingdom. that the recruitment of these top class research and Assuming the CERC in Diabetes is Dr. researchers ti Canada is “setting creative activity Patrik Rorsman, who was professor of off alarm bells over a and its diabetic medicine at the Oxford Centre for potential brain drain in dissemination....” other countries.” The 19 Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism Despite at the University of Oxford. He will join individuals recruited budgetary setbacks, the Alberta Diabetes Institute, where the come from the United the U of A is world-renowned Edmonton protocol was States, the United moving closer and developed. He is a world leader in Kingdom, Germany, closer to achieving experimental diabetes research. Dr. Rorsman France and Brazil. that aspiration. The recent Dr. Michael has made significant breakthroughs in The scientists coming announcement that it has been Houghton mapping out the biology and function of to the U of A include Dr. awarded four of 19 Canada pancreatic islets—research that has led to a Michael Houghton, a Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) world-renowned virologist greater understanding of how insulin is is literally unprecedented. In 2008, the produced and who was part of the team that discovered federal government created a program to secreted. and cloned the Hepatitis C virus. As the establish well-funded prestigious research Dr. Thomas CERC in Virology, he will join the chairs in universities across Canada. The Thundat, CERC program’s purpose was to attract the world’s prestigious, recently formed Li Ka Shing in Oil Sands Institute of Virology, established in April “most accomplished” researchers in a Molecular with a $28 million gift from the Li Ka variety of fields the government deemed Engineering, will Shing (Canada) Foundation and a $52.2 high priority: environmental sciences and lead a team million investment by the Government of technologies, natural resources and energy, developing new Alberta. Previously, Dr. Houghton was health and related life sciences and detection and chief scientific officer at Epiphany technologies, and information and Dr. Thomas Thundat extraction Biosciences in California. communication technologies.
technologies to improve the overall efficiency of how Canada’s oilsands are processed. He was a research professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a visiting professor at the University of Burgundy, France. He also served as corporate fellow and leader of the Nanoscale Science & Devices Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee. Dr. Thundat has more than 30 patents to his name. The fact that four researchers with such outstanding resumés were attracted to the University of Alberta—bringing other research associates, post-doctoral fellows, and students with them—says volumes about the quality and excellence of the research and teaching being undertaken here, and about the external recognition of that quality and excellence. And the U of A has many more prestigious, world-renowned scholars working in many disciplines. As the news of these appointments gets around, more and more potential and existing researchers and students will look at it with serious interest. Excellence attracts excellence. Already ranking in the top 100 universities in the world according to the Financial Times, the U of A is making its mark nationally and internationally. We should celebrate the achievements and aspirations of the University of Alberta, along with the contributions of other postsecondary schools in Edmonton, including Grant MacEwan University, NAIT, Concordia University College, King’s University College, Norquest College, Athabasca University and others. They contribute significantly to our economy, our culture, our role in society, and our overall fabric. As much as any other sector, they help define what Edmonton is, and it is something to be proud of. √ David Norwood is a freelance writer and editor. dnorwood@edmontonians.com
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IMAGINE
I n n o v a t i v e i d e a s f o r u r b a n p l a n n i n g, d e s i g n a n d a r c h i t e c t u r e.
Edmonton
Photo of first train across the High Level Bridge, probably taken in June 1913 by Ernest Brown. The top deck had three tracks: the centre for the train, and the outside ones for electric streetcars. ~ Provincial Archives
River of dreams By Ted Powell
W
hy some early childhood memories stay lodged in our brains is not quite certain. ‘Trauma’ is one possibility—I suspect it at least accounts for my recollection of the final streetcar ride across the High Level Bridge in the late summer of 1951. My paternal grandmother, doting figure that she was, had purchased tickets on that “last ride across the bridge” for two: me and her. I don’t remember any of the preamble, of course… nor do I remember exiting the vehicle after the memorable event. I do remember her cooing “Oh look, Teddy (she always called me Teddy), look at the river way down there.” I did look. And, although the streetcar was obviously settled on the tracks crossing the upper deck of the bridge, there was no evidence of the supporting structure from my vantage point. I could see only river and river valley way, way down below. I was well ensconced in my fourth year of life and this memory hangs on to the present day—high on the traumameter. I think I may be one of a few who has crossed the High Level in most of its potential modes of travel. I have walked across the pedestrian way. I have driven it when it was two-way and when it was one-way southbound. I have ridden as a passenger on a city bus. I have had the traumatic streetcar ride. (Today’s version down the centre of the bridge doesn’t hold a candle to the thrill afforded when the streetcar tracks were on the outer edges of the bridge deck). I crossed the span as a passenger on a CPR train pulled by a steam locomotive. Okay, I haven’t crossed by team and buggy and there might be one or two alive who have had that experience. And, more recent kindreds may have skateboarded, roller bladed, or roller skated across the bridge. Some foolhardies may have bicycled from end to end. The point is, though, that I know this bridge well. The High Level Bridge is a treasure. It is an Edmonton icon. It belongs here as much as the Eiffel Tower does in Paris. But that doesn’t excuse its shortcomings. It was designed and built by the railroad as a means of extending a rail line from Strathcona to Edmonton in the days when those two communities existed as separate entities. As a conveyance for general vehicular traffic, it is at best an afterthought—a constriction and a bifurcation of purpose. Edmonton deserves better. That’s why I presented my visions last month for a new passage adjacent to the historical one. I proposed that we repurpose the present traffic deck of the High Level to
some other enthralling use… perhaps a centre for handcrafted arts, or exotic boutiques for the tourist trade, or upscale river view eateries—some or all of these. I want a new adjacent span to be so much more: a “living bridge” with residential, working and entertainment space on its decks. It could have retail, and hospitality, and education functions. It could make 109th Street whole again connecting the soul of Old Strathcona and Garneau with that of downtown Edmonton making both north and south sides of the river valley stronger in the process. It could be a visual wonder clad in planting levels and waterfalls, enhancing the natural beauty of the river valley with some pseudo-natural embellishment. This month, I wanted to explore the possibility of creating a high-speed, all-electric, year-round River Taxi system. I have identified 16 potential dock-sites along the banks of the North Saskatchewan, between Devon and Fort Saskatchewan. The river-tine vehicles could seat 70 people in armchair-like comfort, whisking them along at speeds up to 180 km/ph—on unobstructed, open water. We can examine the potential route-stops and how they might be structured. We can determine how this system might interface with LRT and the Edmonton Transit System in general and how its presence might add to the enhancement of the river valley parks network. What a great project for consideration by the River Valley Alliance. I also want to look at the period streetcar reincarnation that currently is a fair-weather experience connecting Grandin to Old Strathcona. What technology exists to make this venerable conveyance a day-in, day-out, regularly scheduled occurrence? Does the possibility exist, borrowing a little CPR right-of-way, to extend the line through the Mill Creek Ravine to the Muttart Conservatory, thereby connecting Grandin LRT station to the newly proposed LRT station at the glass pyramids? By development of this line, Old Strathcona would then be connected, deservedly, to the rest of Edmonton by an enviable, thematic, public transit extension of Light Rail. And, we can elucidate the means by which the Strathcona-to-Grandin portion of the same ‘track’ could see double use as a high-speed maglev (magnetic levitation) conveyance connecting downtown Edmonton to the International Airport. The implementation of this model would help showcase the benefits of similar connections between Edmonton and Calgary, including Red Deer at the half-way point, Edmonton and the Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and even Edmonton and Jasper National Park. Edmonton would fortify its status as a “gateway city”!
Continued on page 8
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Edmonton IMAGINE
Continued from page 7
Walterdale Bridge
Then there is the “other” downtown bridge—the Walterdale Bridge, more colloquially called the 5th Street Bridge. Is this another “living bridge” possibility? The makings are certainly there. From a vehicular traffic standpoint, a smoother downtown connection via Gateway Boulevard coming into the city and 104th Street heading south is achievable. But this bridge needs to multi-task. It needs to also bind together the proposed new river-side Legislature Grounds park, the repurposing of EPCOR’s decommissioned Rossdale power plant, the Kinsmen Sports Complex and the resurgent residential reclamations of Rossdale and Riverdale.
The existing structure could be repurposed as a pedestrian connection between Walterdale and Rossdale. The bridge structure features three repetitive modules that could house three riverview restaurants, one per module. Sections of glass floor overlaid on the open-cell steel grid deck would enable eatery patrons to look down and see the river
rushing by beneath their feet. Redeveloping the High Level and the Walterdale bridges makes the Walterdale road—that oft-icy wintertime descent to the river valley—redundant. We can look at how the erasing of the road opens up the potential for more park area in the downtown… a landscaped arboretum that could serve as a covering for an extended Kinsmen complex. Imagine a terraced and stepped building that adds to the cachet of Kinsmen: new facilities for indoor games like billiards, curling, and various racquet sports. The roof of the terraced structure would be completely landscaped with flora specimens of northern boreal and alpine forests, interspersed with bogs, ponds, rivulets and waterfalls. Where better, I ask, to bury a new NHL-scaled arena into the hillside—roof planted over, naturally. Highlight an expansive and creative entry feature and then hide the rest of the building under a forest of—yes—trees. Now, on to Old Strathcona. The rejuvenation and historical resuscitation of this enclave of early 20th Century memories was a pet project of mine in the 1970s. Today, it needs nurturing as much as it ever has. It has fallen prey to tortuously high rents that threaten the unique ‘mom and pop’ character that was so instrumental in its revival—those entrepreneurships occluded by the influx of bland national and international chains. Old Strathcona, for all its charm, needs a road map to its future. The aforementioned permanent emplacement of the periodstyle streetcar would help. Indeed, this could provide the spark for a melange of Scona area period conveyances that might include horse-drawn buggy rides, maybe London-style Hansom cabs, and a linear line along Whyte Avenue with spurs into commercial side streets featuring rebuilt tram cars. Purposeful occasions—weddings, graduation ceremonies,
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1. Wing-in-Ground (WIG) effect all-weather, all-electric hovercraft concept vehicle employed as a 70-passenger river taxi along the North Saskatchewan River. The craft would be capable of cruising at 85 knots up to two metres above the river surface over water, snow and ice. 2. Interior view of River Taxi Cabin 3. Close-up view into the cabin of the River Taxi; the lower “wing” of the bi-plane assemblage would double as a walkway accessing the passenger cabin.
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birthdays, anniversaries—might be celebrated by an ostentatious parade in re-built, period, touring automobiles by the celebrants. The means to permanently etch Old Strathcona into the Edmonton experience is limited only by imagination. What of downtown Edmonton? It has a nicely formed Civic Centre and MacEwan University and the University of Alberta have both done their parts to enhance street life. But downtown retail has never quite recovered from the blow afforded by the rash of mall openings… before and after the birth of West Edmonton Mall. There is almost the infrastructure in place for several retail/entertainment enclaves. The Warehouse District—most notably 104th Street north of Jasper Avenue—is begging for recognition as a pedestrian way. The success of the outdoor farmers’ market attests to viability of a permanent change. The implementation of a few special features would assure its coronation as a novel promenade and innovative shopping, eating, drinking and escapading destination. But there is still a need for balance on the other side of the Civic Centre: the Boyle Street district. By creating a vibrant area here, Jasper Avenue could become the connecting spine that threads disparate areas of the downtown together. Boyle Street is the hub of multicultural fingers. It supports a seemingly ever-nascent Chinese and Asian community. It abuts an historic Italian community. It just seems to experience some trouble putting a ‘there’ there. Farmers markets were tried and failed… and there has been lots of speculation over the years about locating a ‘this’ or a ‘that’ to rejuvenate the area. One of the problems is that its close proximity to downtown causes realty speculation to keep land prices unnaturally high, automatically discouraging smaller-scaled uses.
Edmonton has a number of other street- and avenuebased communities that ache for redevelopment— redevelopment that enhances their existing character, propagates uniqueness, and underscores vitality. The biggest problem in most of these communities stems from an effective way to deal with passenger cars, both through traffic and parking availability. Alberta Avenue—the community in which I grew up, attending both Delton and Eastwood schools—is one such area. As long as I can remember, it has been an immigrant-friendly neighborhood that holds a great deal of cultural diversity. What keys exist to unlocking the doors of potentiality for these kinds of communities? And, then, there are the grand scheme events. Edmonton has hosted the Commonwealth Games, Universiade and the World Athletic Championships—the latter two made possible by the legacy of venues developed for the first. The city is now vying for the 2017 World’s Fair. The current thrust is to develop a main site for such an event on the University Farm, an area that would reuse most of the infrastructure for a second UofA campus to ease the
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3 burden as the main campus faces a dearth of developable land. A secondary site would take in the repurposed Rossdale power plant adjacent to the Walterdale Bridge. One idea related to the fair involves the creation of an
Ted Powell is an architect and a futurist. He lives with his wife Laura in Arroyo Grande (Big Ditch), California. He has studied technology as it applies to the construction industry and his company, Design to the Nines, represents a number of nascent high-tech ventures. Ted has lived in many cities across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, but his roots, nonetheless, remain firmly attached to Edmonton — a city that is dear to his heart. He follows with intense interest all new and proposed developments for the city and boldly adds his own ideas into the mix. aerial tram that would connect the main site to both Fort Edmonton Park and the Valley Zoo. What possibilities exist for this conveyance? How could the secondary site tie into a new 105th Street Bridge? Is there justification for building a City Centre iconic structure at this node? If so, what functions might it have and how might it connect to other aspects of the city? All questions worth exploring. People like to be entertained… some passively, some actively. All ages like to laugh, express wonderment, be challenged, and find cause for living life to the fullest. Edmonton is a city bursting with potentiality. It is a winter city: something that needs to be explored more, opened up for grander possibilities, nurtured into our consciousness. It is also a spring, summer and fall city. Each turning of the seasons should open up new horizons, new explorations, new directions. Imagine Edmonton is meant to stimulate that awareness, to open discussion threads, to engage imaginations, and to ultimately effect plans to enhance the city—its sustainability… its entertainment quality… its aspects of interest… in short, its livability. The future is very exciting. √
4. Rendered Riverside view of fabric-covered 9,000-seat amphitheatre proposed for the Parkland Promontory west of Edmonton across the river from the town of Devon. The Photo-Voltaic Solar-Cell fabric roof would enable acoustic music concerts year round. A two-tier Funicular (shown extreme lower left in rendering) would ferry passengers from the valley rim to the valley floor. Patrons could take the River Taxi from Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton to the venue.
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Mayor Stephen Mandell throws the first pitch of the 2009 home-opener
Photos by Andy Devlin/Edmonton Capitals Baseball Club First Base Coach Gerlach: pre-game meeting
up for Home Young fans line- inee Run Hooky mat
By Zac Hogle
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zhe long, winter months are finally coming to an end, though some days you have to wonder. The snow has melted into the grass—again— and splashes of colourful blooms are springing up around the city. Most of us have packed away the shovels and chippers, and the only hockey equipment out now is for summer leagues. All this points to one inevitable conclusion: It’s baseball season. Once again, we can hear the crack of the bats at Telus Field. A story broke in late May that some people were musing about bringing the Pacific Coast League back to Edmonton. While a nice thought, it was quickly put to rest, especially by PCL President Branch Rickey who reminded us that the Trappers left Edmonton because of the difficulties encountered when running a league on both sides of the border. In short, the PCL won’t be returning to Edmonton, or anywhere north of the 49th, anytime soon. Instead, we’ll have to be content to remain in the Golden Baseball League which, oddly, doesn’t seem phased by three-country, cross-border travel. The 10-team professional, independent minor league includes a south division comprised of the Na Koa Ikaika Maui (Hawaii), Tucscon Toros (Arizona), Yuma Scorpions (Arizona), Orange County Flyers (California), and the Tijuana Cimarrones (Mexico). In the north division, the teams are the Calgary Vipers, Edmonton Capitals, Victoria Seals, St. George Roadrunners (Utah), and Chico Outlaws (Mexico). But that story did get us thinking about baseball again. And that’s a good thing because it seems like such a long time ago that the Cracker Cats came into Telus Field, replacing the
beloved Trappers, and promptly alienated fans and employees alike. It marked an era in Edmonton’s baseball history that would be better left forgotten. Infighting with the local junior club, the Prospects, led to the ballpark sitting unused except for Cats’ games. Baseball became irrelevant in the city. It wasn’t the performance of the team. I can still remember driving by Telus Field while a billboard sat outside begging fans to attend games because the team
was in first place. But still nobody went—fans were turned off by the team’s name and the management’s attitude. Marketing stunts didn’t work either; even legendary Canadian baseballer Stubby Clapp’s appeal couldn’t put bums in the bleachers. For a city with such a rich, century-long baseball history, the Cracker Cats could not—would not— become part of the fabric of the city. It was only last year that the park seemed to sparkle to life again. In the off-season of 2008, Daryl Katz stepped up to the plate, so to speak, and purchased the justifiably maligned Cracker Cats and promptly set to market the team the way it should be. Players from the team, like starting pitcher Lou Pote from Sherwood Park, made the rounds in the community, personally promoting the club and the season. This is what had been missing from the Cats: There was no face to that franchise—only a slightly awkward cat mascot. But, with Katz and Oilers’ President Patrick LaForge at the helm, the cat mascot and
atmosphere to Telus Field. It was great to see Mayor Stephen Mandel on the pitcher’s mound. You knew attending games would be fun again… no longer would you sit among diehard baseball fans—not to be confused with Cats fans—in a near empty stadium. Now, we were all united as Capitals fans. There was entertainment for kids and adults alike throughout the park. It was a good day to be a baseball fan in Edmonton. One of the best experiences for most of the people who remember the Trappers had to be the magic of just stepping back through Telus Field’s gates again. Many people never bothered with Cracker Cats games, and this would be the first time in years they had been to a game in the city. I can tell you that there are few better experiences than sitting in stands on a sunny summer day and enjoying a game. Hotdogs just taste better here. Even for those who aren’t baseball fans, the park offers a serene view of the river valley, in a family-friendly atmosphere. For those who are looking to bring families to the game, the Capitals are an affordable option—season tickets start at under $10 a seat. In the true spirit of the origin of baseball, this game is accessible to anyone who cares to come. That’s part of the magic First baseman of baseball; you can just come. You Jose Morban don’t need to be a number crunching statistician or diehard fan to enjoy a day at the park. If you just need a Former major leaguer relaxed evening out, why not spend it and World Series Champ at the ballpark? The game isn’t the only draw. Why Lou Pote was the ’09 not take in one of the other activities? Most Valuable Pitcher During the week the Capitals run their $2 Tuesdays, Wiener Wednesdays and moniker went the way of the Dodo bird… 4 for $44 promotions. The 4 for $44 promotion gets you and the club was reborn as the Edmonton four tickets, four hot dogs and four pops at the game. But Capitals. even those promotions give way to the big sellers on the Last season’s opening game brought a carnival weekends. Friday nights are Safeway Fireworks Fridays, EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2010
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Edmonton Capitals and fans stand for the national anthem
Field Manager Brent Bowers signals base runners
nning Razzle fu ns fa with the
Note: Photos taken during 2009 Playoffs against the Calgary Vipers unless other wise stated.
Singer Johnny Reid Salutes the crowd at the Big & Rich conc ert where the organization puts on a dazzling display at the end of the game. If you happen to miss the fireworks night, there’s always Saturday Night Movies in the park. After the game, fans pour out of the stands and onto the field to take in a movie—usually baseball-oriented— on a massive inflatable screen. Fans are also invited to bring down something to sit on. I personally have seen at least one fullsize sofa brought in. This is the life that had been missing from Telus Field for so long. Baseball is not just about baseball in Edmonton. It’s about community, and the Capitals have picked up where the Trappers had left off. Telus Field is not only a sports facility, as it was under the Cracker Cats rule. It is a viable venue for music and festivals. Last year’s concerts included Bryan Adams, as well as the country music block-buster, featuring Big & Rich and other popular artists, which raised $55,000 for the Donna Moore Trust Fund. Thankfully, Telus Field is an active part of the community again, something that was sorely missed. But, now that summers are back the way they should be at Telus Field, the Katz Sports Group has not stopped there. There are plans afoot, albeit in the early stages, to place an
outdoor hockey rink on the infield for the winter months. This rink may end up having an artificial ice surface, making it a viable option for skating clubs and hockey teams regardless of the weather. It looks like, while the Capitals have picked up the ball where the Trappers dropped it, they are now running further with it than we’ve ever seen before. Telus Field open and active year-round is something that we should all hope to see. With that said, maybe we should focus on what’s directly ahead of us first: four months of baseball, hopefully most of it in the sun. Our prayers to the baseball gods were answered for the hometown opener on June 1st when the sun came out. Had it been held just three days earlier, the Caps and the Na Koa Ikaika Maui would have been playing ball in a blizzard. Now that would have been a shocker for the Hawaiians… but locals would have considered it an unexpected tribute to Hockey Hall of Famer Rod Phillips, retiring voice of the Oilers, who threw this year’s ceremonial first pitch. I’ll see you at the park! Close to 4,000 fans—including owner Daryl Katz—were treated to a close one: The Caps beat the Maui “Warriors” 5 - 4. √
MORE THAN A
Century
of baseball in the River Valley DIAMOND PARK - 1908 • 4500-seat stadium • Home to the Edmonton Eskimos baseball team RENFREW PARK - 1935 • 6500-seat stadium • Home to numerous teams • Renamed John Ducey Park TELUS FIELD - 1995 • 10,000 seat capacity, including ground level luxury boxes • Home to the Trappers of the PCL, The Cracker Cats of the GBL, and now the Edmonton Capitals of the GBL, owned by the Edmonton Oilers/Katz Sports Group since 2009 Season.
Zac Hogle is a producer/editor in Edmonton. You can follow him at twitter.com/cactushogle
Fan favourite Jose Lima celebrates a strike out. The 37-year old pitcher passed away during the off-season. A moment of silence in his memory preceded the 2010 home-opener.
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M
edia Minute with Bruce Hogle with Dean Holmes
Allowing live coverage of court proceedings
requires vision and courage
I
was in Hawaii earlier this year
and saw live TV coverage of 23-year old Matthew Higa being convicted of throwing 23-month old toddler Cyrus Belt to his death from a Honolulu freeway overpass into the path of oncoming traffic. Hawaii allows live coverage of court cases—something that Alberta and Canadian courts do not… much to my chagrin. I know all of the arguments about why we shouldn’t allow cameras into Canadian courts because many are identical to the ones I heard in 1973. That’s when I approached then Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed about allowing live coverage of the Alberta Legislature by CFRN TV (now CTV Edmonton), the station I was associated with at the time as manager of news, public affairs and sports. Because live TV coverage of any government proceedings (federal, provincial or civic) was unheard of at that time, either in Canada or within the Commonwealth, there was considerable skepticism and criticism from all MLAs. They claimed CFRN TV live coverage would attempt to make MLAs look bad, showing them dozing or using obscene gestures. Critics also felt live TV coverage would hamper strong debates and result in ridicule for MLAs if they stumbled over words, didn’t have an answer or stuttered when addressing the Speaker. We overcame all those objections and, after a successful three-month trial period, Premier Lougheed agreed in 1973 to allow CFRN TV to set an historical precedent with live coverage of the Alberta Legislature. It took MPs—being much more dubious— another five years before they allowed live TV coverage of the House of Commons. Live television coverage of government proceedings is now accepted the world over, though some dictators still control what will and will not be seen by their people. Is it now time for Alberta courts to once again examine controlled live television coverage to promote transparency and enable society to better understand how the judicial system operates? TV cameras document proceedings in upper courts such as the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. And British Columbia’s Supreme Court judges decided in 2001 to allow cameras into courts if it was approved by all parties involved in a trial. That decision was the result of an experiment in 2000 which broadcast limited portions of the trial of nine Koreans accused of smuggling Chinese migrants into Canada. In 2007, Manitoba’s then Chief Provincial Court Judge Ray Wyant was going to open up courtrooms for live broadcasts of judicial decisions. Why? Because Judge Wyant believed that broadcasting judicial decisions was the key to addressing what he called a “crisis in confidence in the justice system.”
If Judge Wyant had his way, a live audio feed would have been provided in a dangerous driving case involving exWinnipeg cop Derek Harvey-Zink. Cameras were not going to be present but the judge was considering them for future decisions. Unfortunately, other members of the Manitoba provincial court system opposed such a move, and expressed serious concerns with the judge’s decision and the impact on the courts. Well, let me in turn, express “serious concerns” about those Manitoba provincial court judges who, by their decision, denied the public a golden opportunity to hear and see how the court system works. I assume they feel Manitobans can better learn how the court system works by watching Law and Order or Judge Judy. The national meeting of the Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) meets in Edmonton this month. As a former president of this group, I appreciate its ongoing presentations to lobby judicial officials to open the courts to live coverage on radio, television and the Internet. I’d like to see the RTNDA address this issue once again by working with the Alberta government to have an in-depth study of this vital issue, researched and written by recently retired Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Allan Wachowich. After 36 years on the bench, Chief Justice Wachowich is a man held in the highest of esteem by his colleagues here and across Canada. As well, members of the media who know him hold him in similar respect and honour. He fully understands both sides of this important and vital issue. It was 1973 when visionary and courageous Alberta Premier Lougheed allowed live television coverage of the Alberta Legislature—a decision which has impacted this global village of ours. I would hope, before the end of 2010, that Premier Ed Stelmach would deem it important enough to have Allan Wachowich examine and make recommendations pertaining to live media coverage of Alberta court proceedings. I believe that the retired Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice would be more than willing to take on this assignment. Now the Alberta government must have the courage and vision to ask him… knowing the precedent that could be set for both the Alberta and Canadian judicial systems, as well as the people of this great province and land. √ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and retired head of the Alberta Press Council. Contact bhogle@edmontonians.com
TOP 10 WAYS to drive people to your event using Social Media
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here are a few questions
I am asked many times: How do we do this? I hear things like: “I can’t get anyone to register for my event”… or “I can’t seem to get people interested in our events”. I get it and, hopefully, this will help you to generate buzz, awareness and registrations for your events.
FIRST PHASE: PRE-EVENT PLAN Influencers typically talk about a few subjects passionately. They have built a very tight community that wants to hear about the topics they speak on. People listen to these influencers as experts, and what they say is taken as credible most of the time, because they have built themselves up as trusted sources.
1. Finding the Influencers Find the influencers who talk about your keywords, products or services as well as competitors. If you don’t know your keywords, enter your brand or competitors’ names into Google’s Keyword Tool. Or check on Listorious: Type in the keyword and see who comes up as a prominent person who discusses this topic. 2. Connecting with the Influencers Look at the communities where influencers most likely have conversations, such as LinkedIn Groups, Twitter and Facebook Like Pages. Connect with them in these communities. 3. Motivating the Influencers Once the influencer has some idea of who you are, consider sending the influencer a trial or a product with no expectation of getting anything in return. 4. Building Buzz and Interest Take advantage of the content that you, your company, or the speakers have written to generate buzz and allow the audience to understand more as they decide whether they should spend their money with your event or someone else’s.
NEXT PHASE: DURING THE EVENT During the event, there are great ways to drive traffic to your site, Hashtags and build awareness.
5. Kodak moments Setup photo slots with some of the speakers. Many attendees are too shy to just go up and ask, so create the
environment that makes it easy for them. Post pictures to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and PhotoBucket.
6. Flip Camera Crazy I will assume you have prepared some questions for the speakers and attendees prior to the event, so you are ready when the time comes. Videos are a great way to drive content that your audience likes. Interview the speakers for some insights about the event, what they like and their excitement about the event. 7. Tweet and be Tweeted Send the attendees a guide prior to the event that shares the Hashtags you will be using, the place where you will post updates, and a place where they can share their comments or opinions about the event.
THIRD PHASE: POST EVENT In order to maximize the entire budget that you spent to have the event, you want to get the most bang for your buck. Keep the buzz going by engaging the audience to share their ideas with people who wanted to attend but couldn’t.
8. E-mails—yeah, they still work Be sure to send follow up e-mails to all attendees with a wrap-up collection of presentations. Have the speakers send emails with post-event follow up homework, if appropriate, to keep the learning experience alive. 9. Survey Says… Encourage the attendees to take part in feedback surveys wherever possible, in case you missed anyone with the flip camera. 10. Measure and Refine If you actually did all the recommended steps, you should have an incredible amount of information to use for your next event. Listen to the audience’s feedback. Create an ROI to show the boss, that includes metrics like reTweets by influencers… unsolicited mentions of the brand or event… and re-posts by influencers, speakers or attendees x their RSS subscribers or traffic. √ Keynote speaker, radio show guest and webcast host Dean Holmes is a thought leader who has contemplated new media with business luminaries. His focus is on helping companies develop online as well as offline marketing strategies for business growth. Contact Dean at dean@deanholmes.me Visit www.deanholmes.me
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By Cheryl Croucher Dr. Rick Schneider
LAST STAND for woodland
CARIBOU
T
he future for woodland caribou in Alberta is grim. Indeed, according to Dr. Rick Schneider, a research associate with the Integrated Landscape Management Program at the University of Alberta, extirpation from this province is just around the corner. Schneider told researchers and industry partners at the annual general meeting of the ILM group, “If things don’t change, we know that almost all the herds in the province will be down to less than 10 animals within three decades. There’s a couple of exceptions, but by and large, we’re looking at the effective loss of most herds in 30, 40 years.” ILM research over the last few years indicates the direct cause of this loss is increased predation by wolves. But wolves and caribou have been on the landscape together for millenia. So what has tipped the balance? According to Schneider, “The leading hypothesis is that it is our human change of the landscape that has led to these increases in wolf density and increased encounters with caribou. In particular, the increased number of roads and seismic lines and cutblocks that produce more forage possibilities, more access points for deer to get into systems where caribou really had it all to themselves in the past. And, now with these other prey species, we’ve got wolf densities going up and caribou end up taking the brunt of the problem.” He says saving woodland caribou in Alberta depends on three factors. These include curtailing industrial activity, reclaiming seismic lines and roads, and culling wolves. But the costs are high. So he has developed a computer model that weighs societal values and economic trade-offs which can be used as a decision-making tool Schneider has also developed what he calls a “triage approach” to help people decide which herds to save. As he explains, “There are some that are doing not so bad, some that are almost on the edge of extinction right now. So ranking herds on a variety of factors, beyond just where their trends are and how big their populations are, there are a number of other factors to take into account. And then there are costs. Some are very expensive—the ones that sit right atop the oil sands are literally tens of billions of dollars of opportunity costs lost there—whereas other entire ranges really have not much oil or gas value at all, and could be protected for next to no cost to the Crown. So by weighing all these factors, you can provide a ranking of the herds. Which one would be the first herd you’d pick if you could only do one? Without following triage approach, Schneider believes we’ll lose all our caribou herds. √ www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/stan_boutin/ilm2/
Dr. Jacques Magnan
Health research fund gets new name & new CEO
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he Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research was established 30 years ago. A hefty endowment fund from the provincial government attracted top notch scientists who helped build Alberta’s capacity in health research. One of those people who came to Alberta from eastern Canada was Dr. Jacques Magnan. In 1994, the researcher in pharmacology joined AHFMR to look after the administration of scientific awards. Now Magnan takes up his appointment as CEO of the new organization that replaces AHFMR. It’s called Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. He explains, “The mandate has been defined slightly differently. The roles have been targeted a little bit more toward the innovation side of things. So we need to assess properly how the programs and activities of AHFMR are contributing to those roles… and whether there needs to be some changes. What it does, is it does free up some of the resources that the Foundation has at its disposal and it does provide us with an opportunity then to reinvest those resources into more direct research support.” Magnan says the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions will uphold AHFMR’s commitment to the Polaris prize until it runs out in 2018, as well as current support for investigators over the next six or seven years. √ www.albertainnovates.ca
On the JUNE
Dr. Gary Albach
Delivering prosperity
is goal of business-savvy
scientist
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he new president and CEO of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures brings with him a strong background in both science and business. Trained as a physicist, Dr. Gary Albach ran a successful spin-off company focused on semiconductors and advanced materials. Now Albach will have a staff of 700 at Technology Futures. This new corporation amalgamates the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity, iCORE and nanoAlberta. He says, “Our job is to deliver prosperity in the province through the commercialization of Alberta technologies. That means supporting businesses in the province through the variety of tools that we have from funding through product development in our facilities.” Albach sees Alberta’s technology strategy focused on three pillars: energy and environment, health, and bio solutions. “Now, in addition to those, there are platform technologies that are evolving, evolving quickly in the province. And the first of those are nanotechnology, information and communication technologies, ICT, and genomics.” √ www.albertainnovates.ca Cheryl Croucher hosts Innovation Anthology which is broadcast on CKUA Radio at 7:58 am and 4:58 pm Tuesdays and Thursday. Or download the podcasts at www.innovationanthologyy.com
HORIZON
June 1 ABCtech Society Machine Learning Forum with Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer Off-loading Intelligence: When Machines Decide Telus Centre, University of Alberta 4:30 to 8:30 pm Registration at info@ABCtech.ca
June 16 BioAlberta and McCarthyTetrault Going Global: Key Considerations in Cross Border Licenses and Collaborations ARC Building:250 Karl Clark Road 11:45 am to 1:30 pm RSVP by June 10 www.bioalberta.com
June to September Telus World of Science Sultans of Science Inventions That Transformed the World www.telusworldofscience.com/edmonton November 25 and 26 InnoWest 2010 - Calgary www.thecis.ca
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MENU
Magic with Chef John Berry
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here’s something about cooking outdoors. Food always seems to taste better. Most campers/RVers today use portable BBQs like the one my colleague Linda has. Her portable Coleman grill is so versatile and easy to use, it’s a must for beginners or pros who don’t want a lot of fuss and muss. But nothing beats going back to the days of our forefathers, when everything was cooked over an open fire. You just can’t duplicate the flavour—that slight taste of smoke as you slow grill over a bed of coals. Besides, it’s not outdoor cooking unless you get a face and lung full of smoke. I thought I’d share some of the basics of cooking over an open fire, so you can give it a try this summer. Some of the techniques also apply for grilling on a charcoal barbecue. Bob Chapman, the GM of Wholesale Sports, says that it’s unfortunate the good old days of cooking over an open fire may have gone the way of the little red caboose. He estimates that 10 percent or less of today’s campers actually cook over a bed of hot coals in a fire pit. It’s a dying art.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED Outfitting your campfire kitchen can be a simple task. There are a number of stores that outfit campers and hikers in Edmonton. Wholesale Sports, on St. Albert Trail just off the Yellowhead Trail, has one of most extensive cooking sections I’ve ever seen. For basic cooking utensils, you’ll want a cast iron frying pan, Dutch oven and sauce pan, as well as a coffee pot, a few wooden and slotted spoons, and spatulas. The modern campfire kitchen includes a grill basket to cook meat, fish or vegetables over the coals. You can buy a sandwich maker, or kebob skewers that are three feet long, enabling you to safely hold them over the open fire as you cook. There’s even a popcorn maker and—are you ready?—a special grill to make pizza over an open fire. You’ll find the Dutch oven perhaps one of your favourite and most versatile tools. Make sure you get one with a tight fitting lid and three small feet on the bottom. This pot can be used on a tripod or grill, or you can bury it in coals and place a few coals on the lid. This is where it gets its name—the heat on top and bottom act like an oven. It’s incredible for roasts, stews, casseroles and soups. I’ve even seen cakes and breads done in them. It’s your best all round tool. Back in the early days of cooking over an open fire, a wooden tripod was used with grills suspended at various heights over the fire. Now, tripods are made of
metal and can easily be adjusted for height. On average, they run around $27 and are easy to use and transport. They make cooking and keeping food warm a snap—your stove top/warmer all in one. Don’t forget to bring along some heavy duty oven mitts; the professional type is best. Or make yourself a sturdy hook device to lift your Dutch oven off the coals. Be careful and keep in mind, it is cast iron and red hot! I’ve seen many a stew and pot roast end up in the coals because someone tried to lift the Dutch oven off with a tea towel.
NOW, GET STARTED When campfire cooking, we have to think safety first. Where possible, you should dig a fire pit… at least a foot deep and two to three feet round. Save the dirt to one side to fill in the pit when you’re done. Ideally, surround the pit with rocks to contain the fire and provide a base for a grate. Campfire cooking is not hard once you get your timing and heat control down. The key is your heat. Light your fire 20 to 30 minutes before you need your coals. Hardwoods like oak, cedar or wild Alberta willow are best.
Cherry, apple or plum give off a nice flavourful smoke. If you attempt to cook over open flame, any grease dripping off the food will cause the flames to flair up and burn your food. So make sure you have a good bed of coals. I like to heap them toward the center so you can move your cooked food to the edges of your grate to keep warm. A few things to remember: Have a shovel for moving the coals as you need to adjust your heat, to overturn your coals as you pour water over them to extinguish your fire, and to fill in the hole when you’re done. A pail of water should be kept next to your wood pile in case your campfire gets out of hand. And, as any outdoorsman/woman knows: Make sure your campfire is out—cold to the touch. And check for fire bans in the parks or wilderness areas you plan to visit. Happy cooking!
GRILLED PERCH FILLETS 1 perch fillet per person—2 if they are small 1/4 cup of butter 1 tsp. Fresh dill-diced fine 1/4 purple onion diced fine 2 cloves of diced garlic Wedge of lemon per person Salt & pepper to taste Vegetable spray or Pam • Make sure your coals are arranged properly with the hottest in the centre and fewer and fewer coals to the outside to ensure a medium and low heat. • Take a baking rack or small grill and spray well with oil. • Lay fish on top of small grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. • In a sauce pan, combine butter, dill, onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. • Set to side of grill over fire pit. (Low or no heat) • Place rack containing fish on top of your regular grill over fire over medium heat. Baste constantly with dill sauce. Fish should be cooked 3-4 minutes per side if thin. Thicker pieces should grill 5-6 minutes per side. • Serve with a wedge of lemon with rice, and vegetables like grilled corn on the cob. Yum. • Serves four. √ Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com Go to Edmontonians.com and visit the Lively Lifestyles Blog.
Slimming Secret! Lose 4 to 20 inches in an hour! A hot new detoxifying body wrap!
That’s a Wrap! Call Linda Perras at Suddenly Slimmer Day Spa
780.459.3444
Why it works? The wrap detoxifies the body. The body can get overloaded with toxins because it cannot keep up with the filtration process. The more toxins in the body, the more lymphatic fluid increases to protect cells. You force out toxins. Once the toxins are gone, the lymphatic fluid decreases and you lose inches. It is not water loss—rather, an exchange of minerals for toxins.
www.suddenlyslimmerdayspa.com EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2010
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lifestyles LIVELY
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. ~ anonymous
with Linda Bodo
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Dramatic lighting is the root of all good decor. Whittle up a chandelier, pendant or table lamp by dressing up a lamp kit with branches or driftwood.
It can be modified to almost any degree; coaxed into a magnificent manor or a leaf so thin we can wrap a package in it. Organic and renewable, this substance harvested from the stems of trees boasts an impressive portfolio of accomplishments… including the ability to generate fuel to take the chill off a blustery winter’s day or toast a S’more to perfection. I have been known to drool over a mid-century chair coaxed from a single piece of teak or weep at the sight of a monumental grain elevator gracing our prairie landscape. But, I also appreciate the diverse properties of wood in the raw—that hard fibrous lignified substance veneered in bark, logs, branches or twigs. Although these leftovers often meet their fate in a pile of firewood or in a chipper, they can be morphed into objects d’art for the home and garden with a little imagination. Here are a few favourite raw wood projects from my books, columns and to-do folders. I use a pair of sharp pruners to cut smaller branches and a jig or table saw for larger units. When working with natural timber, be sure to dry it for several days to prevent finished pieces from warping or shrinking after completion. Alternately, soak branches or twigs in water overnight to keep timber pliable for shaping if you will be adding decorative elements to your finished project. Use exterior wood glue for adhesion if the finished product will be subjected to the elements; otherwise highstrength hot glue is perfect for wood-on-wood bonding. Finally, seal surfaces with beeswax or furniture wax to add a subtle sheen and offer protection. So, before you put another log on the fire, consider the possibilities. √
Spruce up existing furniture or accessories with twigs or branch discs. Awesome for a cabin or lakeside retreat.
If your thumb happens to be evergreen, youʼll love assembling these crude tables from sticks and stems.
You donʼt have to sap your pocketbook to create these groovy garden gadgets. Thin branches or willow reeds can be transformed into obelisks for climbing vines or veggies… or al fresco privacy screens.
Stop barking up the wrong tree. Organic furniture does not have to cost a branch and a trunk. Fashion these stylinʼ stools from leftover logs or branches. Cheap and chic.
Leaf traditional hardware behind and construct natural hangers, hooks and rods from unprocessed materials harvested from your own backyard.
Yew will love these candle holders, simple to make and easy on the pocketbook. Linda Bodo is the author of Enjoy Life Outside and The Art of Upcycle. Go to www.absolutebodo.com for upcoming appearances and project demonstrations, and to make bookings, view other DIY projects, or order her books. Contact: lbodo@edmontonians.com Comments? Check out the Lively Lifestyles blog.
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