Avenue July/August 2021

26 YEARS OF CITY | LIFE | STYLE | CALGARY

JULY | AUGUST 2021 | $4.95 AVENUECALGARY.COM

INSIDE SCOOP

Exploring Calgary’s ice cream culture

10 ways to make the most of our favourite season

ALPINE CABINS

Great getaways in the mountains

avenuecalgary.com

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CO N TE N T S 6

EDITOR’S NOTE

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WORK OF ART

Ju ly/Aug us t 2 0 2 1

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28 44 JULY | AUGUST 2021 | $4.95 AVENUECALGARY.COM

J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

INSIDE SCOOP

D E P A R TM E N TS

Exploring Calgary’s ice cream culture

S U M M E R C H A L L E N G E I I C E C R E A M I M O U N TA I N C A B I N S

10 ways to make the most of our favourite season

ALPINE CABINS

Great getaways in the mountains PM# 40030911

ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SYCH Model Nyawieka, The Nobles Mgmt Hair and Makeup Chimdie Ufondu T-shirt, $65, from The Livery Shop Sunglasses, $25, from Luna Blue Ice Cream from Made By Marcus

F E AT U R ES

11 DETOURS

36 MOUNTAINS

Jarett Sitter, the artist whose work is currently featured on a series of banners on bridges leading into downtown, wants to put a spring in your step this summer. Plus, the undeniable popularity of private dog parks, and a look at the Whip, Heritage Park’s historic carnival ride, at 100 years old.

An alpine cabin is the perfect style of accommodation for socially distanced times.

Check out these five options for a mountain cabin getaway without leaving Alberta.

44 DECOR If you like what artist and designer Maya Gohill did with the interior of Calcutta Cricket Club restaurant, just wait until you see what she did with a vintage RV.

17 THE ULTIMATE SUMMER CHALLENGE

28 CALGARY’S ICE CREAM CULTURE

Ten fun things to do over the next two months to make the most of the summer, plus ways you can take things to the next level!

With artisan producers offering up bold new flavours and working with a greater variety of ingredients and global influences, there’s an exciting new world of ice cream to discover in Calgary these days.

By Shelley Arnusch, Tyler Hellard, Travis Klemp, Nathan Kunz and Michaela Ream

26 DRINKING IN PARKS: A MANIFESTO Why the right to enjoy a beer or glass of wine in an outdoor space shouldn’t just be the domain of those lucky enough to have a private backyard.

By Marcello Di Cintio

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By Tsering Asha

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y C R I S T I A N F O W L I E

26 YEARS OF CITY | LIFE | STYLE | CALGARY

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SUMMER CHALLENGES

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ast year at this time we were entering what we thought would be a summer unlike any other. Although I find it increasingly difficult to trust my memories of the past year, I remember facing the summer with a sense of relief: the playgrounds had reopened, restrictions had relaxed enough to allow for backyard barbecues and get-togethers, people were out strolling the streets and cycling the pathways. We seemed to slowly be getting “back to normal.”

How long ago that seems.

This year I find myself facing the similar situation — another pandemic summer — with very different feelings. Certainly, no sense of relief. But it’s not quite fear either. Mostly I just feel tired.

To be clear, I have very little to complain about.

I am in a position of enormous privilege and have the added advantage of knowing it and having the space to reflect on it and be grateful for it. My family is doing fine and the magazine continues to evolve and adapt to the challenges of the current

Käthe Lemon Editor-in-Chief klemon@redpointmedia.ca

Contemplating #VanLife, or just interested in recreational vehicles? Take a look at what artist Maya Gohill did with hers and see just how cool a vacation home on wheels can be. economic and social climate. Despite the many restrictions, the Avenue team and I get to keep exploring the city in words and pictures. And yet.

What I’m feeling has been described as “languishing” — that space between thriving and actual depression. Less clinically, I think of it as being in a funk.

So, then, how to get out of the pandemic funk?

We propose a Summer Challenge! Ten things to get out there and try, one for each of the 10 weeks of summer. There are no rules and there’s no competition for this challenge, just some cool ideas for breaking out of the malaise — or, if you have a more optimistic outlook, to make summer even more awesome. Some of these challenges are very ofthe-moment, like the challenge to get your outdoor home office set up. Others are classic summer skills (cook over an open flame) and experiences (see Moraine Lake at sunset).

My favourite summer challenge, and the one I intend to focus the most on, is “do nothing.” The irony of this time when we’ve had so few options of what we can do, is that for many of us, there is so much that seems to need to get done. If you have children at home, who are now actually always at home, there is an endless amount of picking up and cleaning up and cooking and dishes to be done.

The to-do list is never-ending.

I have forgotten how to do nothing. When it’s time to unwind I’m usually actively relaxing — doing yoga or engaging in some “productive” way of slowing down. This summer I plan to practice just lying in the hammock staring at the clouds. I’m hoping to move from languishing to lounging.

Whether you’re looking to start your own sports league or try the city’s best ice cream and gelato, I hope you find a challenge that suits your summer perfectly, as well.

Sign up for our free newsletters to stay up-to-date on everything happening this summer in Calgary.

Your destination for safety-conscious LIVE summer event listings in Calgary!

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avenue July | August 21

PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SYCH

EDITOR’S NOTE

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avenue July | August 21

DETOURS JARETT SITTER AT THE MACDONALD BRIDGE, ONE OF SIX BRIDGES DISPLAYING BANNERS WITH HIS ARTWORK.

J A RETT S I T TER’ S B A NN ER Y EAR MEET THE ARTIST WHOSE WORK IS ALL OVER THE BRIDGES LEADING INTO DOWNTOWN

E PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SYCH

ach year, the Centre City Banner Program selects a local artist to create imagery for banners on six bridges leading into Calgary’s core and on the pergola at Olympic Plaza. The most recent artist selected to do the banners is illustrator and animator Jarett Sitter, who created a series depicting animals in their natural environments playing different musical instruments: a squirrel plays the drums, a rabbit plays the piano, a frog plays the trumpet.

Sitter’s quirky and whimsical style reflects nostalgic influences that have shaped his art since childhood. Old cartoons, skateboard art and musical elements blend together in his works.

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D O G PA R K OF DREAMS

“I have lots of little details that people can discover as they come back to a piece,” he says. “When you look at it a bit more, there are those moments that allow you to find new things.”

The banners initially focused on Alberta wildlife and its native environments.

But as the pandemic started changing things, Sitter began adding in themes closer to home and things he missed from pre-pandemic life — namely, music.

Although he isn’t a musician himself, Sitter has long used his art to connect with that world. He has created album covers, worked on music videos and designed band merchandise.

Sitter has also worked for local music festivals including the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Sled Island. “To [still] be able to participate in that world is a lot of fun and can be very 12

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rewarding,” he says.

Outside of music-related projects, Sitter works with a range of editorial and advertising clients. A few of his local clients include Calgary Roller Derby, CIFF, Glenbow and Wild Rose Brewery. Lately, he has kept busy working on book illustrations, more band merchandise and illustrations for magazines including The Believer and The Virginia Quarterly Review.

With all the changes brought about by the pandemic, Sitter is doing what he can to convey positivity through his art. “I try to keep the media that I consume light so I [can] make stuff pretty and more cheerful,” he says. Now, with the banners, he can spread that positivity even further. “I’m hoping people will really enjoy them and feel happy on their commute or walk,” he says.

—Michaela Ream

Private dog parks take best in show when it comes to physically distanced activities for dog owners and their pooches.

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n recent years, a growing staff. Some parks have tunnels, ramps number of private off-leash dog and jumps. All four parks have been parks have appeared in the booked solid since pandemic closures fields and farmlands outside of and physical distancing requirements Calgary. In fact, there is one such offerhave been in effect. ing outside each quadrant of the city.

Safety and enjoyment are the two Wendy Brooks, owner of Country primary reasons for the surge in popuClub Pet Resort, east of the city on larity of private parks, Brooks says, highway 22X, says more because dogs generally pet owners are looking thrive in familiar places DOGS THRIVE for safe places where with familiar faces, as opIN FAMILIAR PLACES WITH their dogs can run wild. posed to situations where FAMILIAR FACES, “Customers were anything can happen. A AS OPPOSED requesting a place to public off-leash park can TO SITUATIONS come out and run their be intimidating, or even WHERE ANYTHING pets where there are unsafe for a smaller pet, CAN HAPPEN. no other pets around,” she says. says Brooks. “A lot of But the appeal isn’t times, their individual pets are maybe strictly about safety. Brooks says her anti-social.” parks are used for celebrations, too — Three years ago, Brooks began rentfor example, dog birthday parties in ing out four parks on Country Club’s the summertime. Country Club offers 20 acres, adding to the boarding, options for people to book individually, grooming and other care services for or in small or large groups, depending dogs (and cats) the resort has offered on their needs. for more than 65 years. Each park has Next year, Brooks plans to add an three-to-five acres of walking trails, agility park and a water park to the forested areas, picnic tables and park resort, branching out into themes and benches, enclosed within five- to sixactivities to appeal to different types of foot-tall fences and maintained daily by dogs and their humans. —Tsering Asha

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DETOURS

THE WHIP, SEEN HERE IN A PHOTO FROM GLENBOW ARCHIVES, WAS A MAINSTAY OF CARNIVAL MIDWAYS THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY.

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THE WHIP

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Heritage Park’s beloved historic carnival ride at 100 years old.

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efore bumper cars, spinning strawberries or the Tilt-A-Whirl, there was the Whip. Consisting of bucket-shaped cars flinging around an oval platform in a signature “whipping” motion, the Whip paved the way for countless carnival rides. That history has been preserved through the still-operational Whip at Heritage Park, which turns 100 this year.

For the past 14 years of the Whip’s life, the park’s mechanical maintenance supervisor Howie Smith, has helped keep the ride alive and whipping.

“It’s always rewarding when you get these rides going,” Smith says.

“Seeing the kids smile away, and screeching and hollering — it’s pretty cool.”

Here are four things you should know about the ride as the Whip turns 100.

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& Co., the Whip spent its early years travelling Canada and the U.S. with Conklin & Garrett All Canadian Shows. In 1984, the ride was donated to Heritage Park by Jim Conklin — son of Conklin & Garrett co-founder J.W. Conklin. Though it is now stationary, it is believed to be the last-known portable Whip in existence.

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It’s the last known portable Whip in the world. Built in 1921 by W.F. Mangels

It’s a precursor to rides like the Tilt-AWhirl and TeaCup Ride. While the Whip

may not be the midway mainstay it once was, its influence is undeniable. Patented in 1914 by William Mangels (whose company also manufactured Heritage Park’s model), the ride is considered the first “thrilling ride,” and was often found as one of three rides at carnivals alongside a Ferris wheel and a merry-go-round.

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Several original parts are still operational.

Two of the eight Whip cars at Heritage Park have retained their original front panels and, along with a large ring gear at the ride’s centre that facilitates movement, there are also several original metal components at the ride’s ends (where the whipping motion happens) and two original stub shafts. While not original, the floral paint job also has historic roots: it’s based on a 1923 photograph taken at the Johnny J. Jones Carnival in Edmonton.

4

Whatever can’t be fixed or replaced is made-to-order. In addition to daily

and seasonal safety checks and repairs, the Whip is thoroughly inspected every five years by Heritage Park’s mechanical team, after which parts no longer up to snuff are retired. Any parts that can’t be fixed or replaced are rebuilt by Bison Machining Limited in Longview, where millwright Jean-Louis Frank fashions parts from scratch for the Whip and other Heritage Park attractions.

—Nathan Kunz

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B Y S H E L L E Y A R N U S C H , T Y L E R H E L L A R D , T R AV I S K L E M P , N AT H A N K U N Z A N D M I C H A E L A R E A M I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y C R I S T I A N F O W L I E

THE ULTIMATE

SUMMER CHALLENGE

1 0 T H I N G S T O T RY T H AT W I L L M A K E Y O U R S U M M E R E V E N M O R E AW E S O M E . avenuecalgary.com

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AVIV FRIED GRILLING EGGPLANT AND MORE OVER OPEN FLAMES.

CHALLENGE NO.1

or most of us, knowledge of cooking over an open fire starts and ends with hotdogs on a stick. But this summer, it’s time to go beyond tube steak.

Seasoned campfire cooks such as Aviv Fried, owner and head baker at Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, will tell you that a campfire is just a heat source, and if you can manage that heat source, then the sky’s the limit on what you can cook on it.

Fried prefers a free-form campfire over the cylindrical iron firepits with attached grill bars that you see in provincial and national parks, mainly for the flexibility of being able to place a grill at the optimum distance from the heat. If rules forbid fires outside the provided pits, he recommends putting rocks in the bottom to raise the fire closer to the grill. “You want to be nice and close to the heat source — but not too close!” he warns.

When cooking meat, it’s important to let the fire burn for a while first so you get a nice steady

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heat that doesn’t diminish, he says. One common mistake people make is building a huge fire, and then right away trying to cook in the flames, resulting in meat that is charred on the outside and raw in the middle.

Fried pairs his proteins with fire-roasted vegetables, and is especially fond of eggplant, though he notes it’s important to pierce it in multiple spots prior to placing it on the fire, or it will “blow up like a balloon and explode.” He scrapes away the charred skin, mashes the roasted eggplant with sliced garlic, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, and slathers it on pieces of grilled bread. (Fried is understandably particular to Sidewalk Citizen sourdough, though any hearty loaf will do).

A well-equipped camp kitchen will set you up for success: from knives to cutting boards, Fried is a proponent of using the same calibre of kitchen tools in the outdoors as he uses at home. Other requisite tools include large metal tongs and heavy-duty

work gloves, which provide better protection and more dexterity than an oven mitt.

Even if you come prepared, it might take a bit of practice before your open-fire efforts produce edible results. Fried’s best tip for first-timers? “Bring a stove also, so you don’t go hungry.”

Level Up: Bake Over an Open Fire

Anyone can roast a piece of meat over an open fire, but if you really want to impress your friends and family, how about baking a batch of cinnamon rolls over an open fire? Handmade in Sweden, the Svante Fredén Reflector Oven is a portable campfire cooking device that opens into a 16-inch-by-11.5-inch oven unit, big enough to hold a nine-inch pan. Made from lightweight aluminum, it weighs under two pounds, so it’s easily transportable. —S.A.

PHOTOGRPHY BY JARED SYCH

F

Cook Over an Open Fire

CHALLENGE NO.2 Set Up an Outdoor Home Office

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ith summer in full swing, setting up an outdoor office is a great way to get that vitamin D while getting stuff done.

As with indoor home offices, you’ll need a few key pieces for your outdoor office.

We’ve all made the mistake of working in a position that is not conducive to good posture, so make sure you have a good chair and consider acquiring a foldable, mobile desk if your patio tabletop isn’t an ideal height. And while July and August rays might be good for getting a tan, they aren’t great when beating down on your computer, so invest in an adequate umbrella or shade feature to keep your technology cool.

Level Up: Create a Vertical Garden Video-Conferencing Backdrop

A vertical garden (basically a container garden stacked on shelves or hung from a ladder-like structure) isn’t just a nice focal point for your backyard or balcony — it’s also an ideal backdrop for video meetings. “You have to be sure you’re picking the right size of plants and understanding what amount of sunlight they are getting,” says Laura Stegeman, a horticulturist and owner/operator of Gardens by Laura. “If it is a more shaded spot you could go with fuchsia, begonias or impatiens. If it is a sunnier spot, something like pansies, dahlias and geranium work great.” —T.K.

SPENCER CORBETT AT THE SOURCE SNOWBOARDS AND SKATEBOARDS.

CHALLENGE NO.3

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Get a Skateboard

ith an Olympic debut on the horizon, skateboarding is about to go mainstream like never before, which means that a lot more of the population will be getting on board, so to speak. If you’re one of the many who are feeling the push to learn (or relearn) to skateboard as an adult, you’ll first need to get yourself set up.

Spencer Corbett from The Source Snowboards and Skateboards location in the Beltline recommends keeping it simple. “I would start someone off with an 8.25-inch deck so there is more surface area, some softer wheels that are a bit bigger — like 53 to 56 millimetres — so you don’t feel every crack you roll over, and some Independent-brand trucks,” Corbett says.

Level Up: Ride a Skateboard Park

The Compound, an indoor skateboarding facility in Ramsay, offers beginners’ camps for all ages (COVID-19 dependent). However, Corbett says there is a lot to be learned by simply observing experienced skaters in action. “It’s great to get out to a park and watch what other skaters do and learn park etiquette, which is huge,” he says. “Calgary has had parks pop up all over in the last few years. Two of the best are Huntington or Southwood, which are booming with great talent, but also great for people just starting out because they have a lot of low-impact obstacles to practice on.” —T.K.

avenuecalgary.com

19

I

f you know your Heritage Minutes, you’ll remember that a long time ago an old man nailed some peach baskets to a wall and some guys threw a ball at them. From these humble beginnings we eventually got the NBA, the Toronto Raptors and several amusing courtside Drake moments, which I’m sure is, more or less, what James Naismith imagined when he was ruining that old man’s baskets. But you don’t need to have a wildly ambitious vision to start your own successful sports league: being only kinda-sorta motivated will do, even if that motivation comes from a desire to stem the “quarantine 15” (going on 30). Also, any excuse to see people who don’t live in your house is a welcome one (and because you are the founder, commissioner and organizer of this new sports league, you get to choose who those people are).

Here are some tips to take your first step toward the Hall Of Fame you will undoubtedly someday build: Loosen your definition of “sports.” With actual sporting facilities in limbo, you need something you can play on any available patch of grass or slab of pavement. Look to the games played by children and old people for inspiration and then adapt to meet your current needs: stickball in

1

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avenue July | August 21

CHALLENGE NO.4

Start a League of Your Own parking lots, bocce in the alleys and dodgeball in playgrounds are all viable options.

2

Also loosen your definition of “league.” If you organize some friends to play a game more than once, you are officially a league.

3

No athletes allowed. All those people who played real sports competitively into their 20s are too competitive and will suck the joy out of any activity. If you don’t believe me, watch a game of Ultimate and bear witness to just how seriously a grown man can take playing Frisbee.

4

Rules-schmules. You need some, obviously, but keep them to a minimum and make them as objective as possible, because the last thing you want in the middle of the game is a drawn-out debate on the existential nature of a foul.

5

Having a drink after the game is okay, but being able to drink during the game is better, if not the entire point of playing.

6

Avoid anything that involves any amount of sustained running because running is terrible. If you make your friends run, they will not only drop out of your league, they will stop being your friends and then you’ll be left to play with yourself. —T.H. Level Up: Make Your Own League Merch

It’s not hard to get a custom T-shirt made these days, but if you want to create league merch that players actually like wearing, ditch the ill-fitting fast fashion for a more thoughtful alternative. Calgary-based brand Local Laundry works exclusively with 100-per cent Canadian-made products that feel great, look great and can be customized down to the tags.

Local Laundry can also create a charitable-giving component to custom garment orders, so that each time a friend buys one of your league hats or tees it could end up, for example, helping under-privileged kids play sports. —S.A.

Make summer histori With 127 acres of outdoor sp spac space, acee, HHeritage erit er itag agee Pa Park rk iiss a great place to m make your own historic oric memories. Set sail on the S.S. Moyie, explore the exciting exci new additions at Prospect Ridge or cool off with a soda float at Harvey’s Confectionery.

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CH A LLEN GE N O . 5 See Moraine Lake at Sunset

CHALLENGE NO.6

Level Up: See Moraine at Sunrise

This one is for serious night owls only: head out on the highway just after midnight and settle in at Moraine Lake in time for nautical twilight, the first sign of sunrise, which in the month of July happens between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m.

Stay for the big reveal, then find a nice spot to nap in the morning sun. —S.A.

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on’t be one of those people staring wistfully at a fun-loving crew floating down the Bow on a sunny day.

Make this the summer that you get out there, too. To float the Bow, you’ll need a decent-sized raft that you’ve pumped up in advance to ensure there are no holes, life jackets for everyone in the raft, paddles (ideally three so that if you lose one you still have two to manoeuvre the raft), an emergency whistle and provisions.

Plan your trip by first thinking about where you want to end up — popular landing spots include the Prince’s Island lagoon and the beach near the parking lot at St. Patrick’s Island — then backtrack to determine a launch spot based on how long you want to be on the river. The West Baker Park boat ramp provides easy river access and an extended ride. To shorten the journey, put in at Shouldice Park or Edworthy Park instead.

A few other tips for happier rafting: check the weather report before you go to avoid being on the water during one of those charming hailstorms we get around these parts. Keep your phone in a Ziploc bag. Wear an old pair of sneakers that you don’t care about getting wet so that if you need to jump out and pull the raft to shore you’ll have sure footing on the river rocks. And keep your eyes on what’s up ahead so that you can safely pilot your raft past bridge structures and around shallow sections.

If this is all way too much, book a trip with one of the local rafting tour companies like Lazy Day Raft Rentals, Calgary River Experience or The Paddle Station, and let someone else handle the logistics, leaving you to handle the fun.

Level Up: Run the Harvie Passage Rapids

Rafting the Bow used to mean never, ever going further than the zoo on account of the weir that once forded the river where it rounds the bend near the intersection of Memorial Drive and Deerfoot Trail. Infamously known as the “drowning machine,” the weir created a churn of water that was a death trap for paddlers. Construction to remove the weir began in 2009, and it has since been replaced with a series of man-made channels that double as a water park for kayakers and other paddling enthusiasts — recreational rafters included.

If you want to finish your journey down the Bow by running the Harvie Passage rapids, keep right and follow the shoreline for the easier Class 2 passage (rather than the more difficult Class 3 passage to the left). Then hold on tight and enjoy a real-life version of the Niagara Falls log ride at the Stampede.

—S.A.

PHOTOGRPHY BY NEIL ZELLER, NICK FITZARDINGE

W

hile we don’t get that many summer days at this latitude, the days we do get are extralong — so long that you can actually plan an after-work excursion to the mountains to catch the sunset.

Evening mountain excursions to tourist hot spots like Moraine Lake in Banff National Park mean fewer people blocking your view while you take in one of the world’s most stunning scenes.

Go Rafting On the Bow

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2018 BUMP MURAL NASARIMBA

BY MIKHAIL MILLER AND RACHEL ZIRIADA AT 1022 17 AVE. S.W.

CHALLENGE NO.7

Go See Some Murals

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algary has seen an explosion of vibrant murals over the past several years. Local Black-led advocacy organization Pink Flamingo partnered with artist Jae Sterling to produce The Guide & Protector in Chinatown last year and will again be involved in mural production this summer. Across the river in the inner-city community of Sunnyside, DIY efforts have turned alleyways into garage-door galleries (you can link to an art-crawl map on Instagram @sunnyside_garage_art) and Springboard Performance has turned shipping containers into an art park at containR. No recent art initiative, however, has impacted Calgary on quite the same scale as the Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP). Since 2017, this project has transformed more than 50 innercity walls into massive pieces of art, celebrating them each August with the BUMP Festival. Self-guided tour routes of old and new murals are available on the BUMP website, with this year’s additions set to go up between Aug. 1 and 28. BUMP executive director Julia Schreiber recommends making multiple mural-viewing trips over the course of the month in order to fully appreciate the process.

Level up: Paint Your Own Mural

Homeowners can create their own murals on their garages or sides of homes at their own discretion — all the City asks is that you keep it PG. For the less artistically inclined, consider bringing in a BUMP artist or commissioning another local muralist to bring your vision to life.

—N.K.

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avenue July | August 21

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CHALLENGE NO.8 Picnic with Pizzazz

T

here are 47 reservable picnic sites across Calgary. While trying out some new locations, why not try out some new twists on your picnic meal? Chef Dominique Moussu from Cassis Bistro recommends replacing simple sandwiches with black-olive tapenade spread across fresh baguette slices. He also suggests creating a charcuterie board, adding olives, cornichons and mustard for a beautiful picnic spread.

Instead of regular old grocery-store hummus and chips, chef Rogelio Herrera from Alloy recommends a spread of Latin-inspired dips such as mango salsa, fresh guacamole and prawn ceviche with yuca chips. Cut watermelon is another summer picnic classic, but Herrera suggests salted spicy watermelon for a yummy new experience.

PHOTOGRPAHY BY JARED SYCH, TOURISM LETHBRIDGE

Level up: Picnic Blankets with Pizzazz

A perfect picnic needs a suitable seating surface. Picnic blankets with a waterproof coating, such as the Outbound model from Canadian Tire, keep you dry if you’re picnicking on damp ground and are heavier so they won’t flip up on breezy days. Or, for something colourful and fun, check out the line of picnic blankets from Calgary-based retailer Heartprint Threads. Since Heartprint donates a blanket to charity for every blanket sold, you’ll be picnicking with purpose. —M.R.

CHALLENGE NO.9

Take a Road Trip to a Japanese Garden

W

ith restrictions on international travel, a road trip to a cultural attraction can help scratch the itch of wanting to experience another country. Approximately two-and-a-half hours south of Calgary in Lethbridge you’ll find the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. The garden design reflects and celebrates both Japanese and Canadian culture, fusing native Albertan landscapes with Japanese elements and symbols, including a tea house, bell tower, gates and bridges that were handcrafted in Kyoto and then shipped to the garden site. Throughout the year, the garden hosts traditional tea ceremonies, exhibits from local artists and seasonal festivals. Of course, operations have been affected by

COVID-19 restrictions, so make sure to research opening hours and visitor regulations at nikkayuko.com prior to setting out.

Level up: DIY Japanese Garden

If you enjoy the calming effects of spending time in a Japanese garden, why not create one at home? Nikka Yuko’s complimentary audio tours provide detailed information about the art of Japanese gardening and its principles of simplicity, balance and grace.

Use what you’ve learned to create a tranquil space in your own yard, where you can retreat to practice meditation or yoga. —M.R.

CHALLENGE NO. 10 Do Nothing Level Up: Like, really nothing. Beyond sitting in a lawn chair with some kind of refreshing drink in your hand, with no plans and nothing to do. It’s been a tough year, but we know you have it in you. — S.A.

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B Y M A R C E L L O D I C I N T I O I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y P E T E R YA N

O O U U TT

II N N

IT’S FINALLY TIME TO ALLOW DRINKING IN OUR PUBLIC PARKS.

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ow, more than a year into the pandemic, is the time to start drinking in public. Or rather, the time to start allowing drinking in public.

Two years ago, before a proposed pilot project to allow liquor consumption at municipal picnic sites, the City’s department of Parks & Pathways conducted an online survey on the subject. More than 15,000 respondents generated 2,151 pages of comments. Only a small majority of respondents favoured changing the law. The City scrapped, or at least postponed the pilot program, ostensibly to more fully understand the deluge of commentary.

At the very least, they should’ve passed a law permitting the poor staffers tasked with reading and compiling all those responses to drink wher-

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ever and whenever they want.

But now it seems the pandemic has granted us new opportunity to change the laws against public drinking — this past spring council voted 12 to 2 in favour of a new drinking-at-picnic-sites pilot project. From June to the beginning of September, Calgarians will be able to drink alcohol at approximately 30 approved picnic tables throughout the city, for up to two hours at a time, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

It’s a good start.

The laws in Calgary around public drinking are problematic for a myriad of reasons. First, they don’t actually effectively dissuade most people from drinking in public. Instead, they force citizens to conceal their drinking, as if consuming a legal substance in public is shameful.

The same adult drinking the same amount of

TT

the same beverage in a public space, rather than in a private space, either indoors or out, is somehow a problem. Simply put, this defies logic.

Curtis Mah wasn’t harming anyone in July 2020, when bylaw officials ticketed him for drinking a beer near the Elbow River on one of the hottest days of the summer. Notably, it was a time when health authorities were advising Calgarians to social distance and many people were leery of bars and indoor dining rooms.

The $120 ticket hardly dissuaded Mah. Later that same week, Mah and a buddy bought what he describes as “discrete cups off the Internet” to conceal their beer. They also found a spot on the Bow River where they could better see approaching bylaw officers. “It was 35 degrees out. You can’t go anywhere. And we have these beautiful rivers,” Mah said.

T H H EE

O O PP EE N N “It seems the pandemic has granted us new opportunity to change the laws against public drinking.”

Intentionally or not, the current regulations discriminate between Calgarians with their own private outdoor space, and those without. The civilized pleasure of enjoying a glass of wine with a picnic, or a cold beer with your barbecue, is the sole privilege of the deck-and-yard crowd. Such a policy reflects our conceit that home ownership is a form of virtue. But public parks should be considered our shared backyards — and we should be allowed to use them as such.

The current law against public drinking brands outdoor drinkers like Mah (and myself) criminals the moment our lips touch the beer can or the wine flows into the glass, whether for our first sip or our 40th, even though the simple act of drinking harms no one. Laws against public drunkenness already exist. But these, too, are similarly problematic. There is no breath test for “drunk-

enness” after all. No defined blood-alcohol concentration that renders someone a nuisance. The law asks individual officials to interpret when someone’s level of consumption is criminal. This discretionary application of a law carries its own problems, of course. I suspect people who look like me (i.e. white) receive far fewer drunkenness citations than those who don’t.

Mah wonders if our nonsensical drinking laws can be blamed on the number of teetotallers on City Council, or the fact that few, if any, on council live in apartments. I am not so sure. For every non-drinker like Naheed Nenshi and Sean Chu, there’s a Joe Magliocca whose “hosting” receipts indicate an appreciation for Grey Goose. And the laws didn’t budge under Rum-and-Coke Ralph Klein, anyway.

Last year, to support licenced businesses, the

Province allowed bars and restaurants to sell alcohol, including canned and bottled cocktails, as part of takeout and delivery orders. Calgarians loved the new policies. Who wouldn’t enjoy beers delivered with their pizza, or a bottle of takeout barrel-aged Boulevardier cocktail? The Province also allowed drinking at approved public campsites and picnic sites as of June 2020.

These rule changes did not cause society to collapse, just as allowing children into pubs, breweries and beer gardens did not shatter families. My son took his first steps in a beer garden at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market, although his mother often denies it. Our laws should trust citizens to be responsible and treat adults like adults.

The prohibition against public drinking aims to solve a problem that does not exist.

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BY TSERING ASHA PHOTOS BY JARED SYCH

ICE CREAM CU LTU RE

L

The stories behind some of the city’s top ice cream makers and what sets them each apart.

ike craft beer and artisanal coffee, ice cream making has seen a recent emphasis on small-batch production, local ingredients and worldly flavours. Here in Calgary, ice cream makers are going bold and experimenting with textures, tastes and temperatures, creating flavours like Vietnamese coffee, black sesame and toasted hay, and creating opportunities for Calgarians to enjoy treats that

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are popular in places around the globe. Whether you’re up for something with a base of cream, milk and eggs, a vegan nut-milk ice cream treat, a refreshing sorbet, or maybe you just want to try a flavour or style of ice cream that’s new to you (the term “ice cream” has a tightly controlled legal definition in Canada but we are using it as a catch-all for the sake of simplicity), here are some of the top local makers creating our city’s ice cream culture.

DINING DINING

MADE BY MARCUS Since 2016, Made By Marcus has been known for inventive and out-of-the-box flavours, like honey and black truffle and toasted hay and Saskatoon berry. Owner Marcus Purtzki’s approach to ice cream making is a blend of art and science. Purtzki initially started making ice cream because he had an excess amount of egg yolks left over from his macaron business. He brings his background in food science and nutrition to Made By Marcus, creating ice cream formulas with an optimum balance of protein, sugar and fats.

Purtzki is also a champion of using real, local ingredients, and those who would doubt his committment to staying real do so at their own risk, like the employee who had an allergic reaction to the toasted hay flavour, because he didn’t believe Purtzki would actually use real hay.

121, 1013 17 Ave. S.W., 403-452-1692; 221 19 St. N.W., 587-353-9414; and 1105 1 Ave. N.E., 403-457-3068; madebymarcus.ca, @madebymarcus

JUST SWEET ENOUGH While ice cream makers are always conscious of maintaining the right sugar, fat and air levels — factors that differentiate between gelato, hard ice cream, soft serve and sorbet — getting to low or no sugar is another story. Holly Luong at Just Sweet Enough Bakery makes no-sugar, low-carb ice cream for sale by the tub. Since 2001, Luong has sold fresh baked goods and alternative groceries suitable for the keto diet, diabetics and other specific dietary restrictions and preferences. She expanded into ice cream-making in 2020.

The ice cream that Luong makes contains no added sugars — not even natural sugars like honey. Instead, Just Sweet Enough uses a sugar alcohol that tastes similar to sugar and has a low glycemic index. Flavours vary wildly, from cookies and cream, rocky road and maple walnut to seasonal favourites like black sesame and matcha.

138 50 Ave. S.E., 403-240-4486, justsweetenough.ca, @just_sweet_enough.ca

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DINING

ABBEY’S C R E AT I O N S Throughout Asia, ice cream varieties and flavours have flourished for centuries: think kulfi in India, matcha ice cream from Japan or halo halo (Tagalog for “mix-mix”) from the Philippines. At Abbey’s Creations, owner Abbey Claro makes a halo halo using ube, coconut and jackfruit, from scratch. This and the other “creations” at the shop she opened in May 2020 highlight the flavours that Claro misses from the Philippines, including salted egg, durian and creamy apple. The extremely colourful scoops come in a variety of sizes.

Claro says her ice cream is made entirely inhouse and uses only real fruit sourced from Asian markets.

13, 4703 Bowness Rd. N.W., 403-454-0072, abbeyscreations.com, @abbeyscreationsyyc

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BOOZA PALACE Frozen drinks and desserts have an established history in what’s now called the Middle East. Fadi Alaraj and Hanadi Mansour, the married couple behind Booza Palace, say that booza, an Arabic ice cream, is extremely popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. The pair opened Booza Palace in Calgary in 2020 to bring their favourite treat to their new country. Unlike North American-style ice cream, booza contains no egg yolk and is instead made with mastic (a gum-like resin) and salep (orchid flour), which gives it a soft, yet elastic texture.

Traditionally, booza is made by beating the ice cream within a wooden drum rather than churning it. Booza Palace uses machines in their process to produce a large volume of the treat before hand-rolling the ice cream. The finished product is nearly identical to traditional booza, and looks a bit like a Swiss roll.

Alaraj and Mansour say their most popular flavour is pistachio and mastic. Their booza can be found at international grocery stores and Middle Eastern restaurants throughout the city.

403-400-0154, boozapalace.com, @boozapalace

DINING

SWEET TOOTH Sweet Tooth Ice Cream owner Olivia Kam says that rolled ice cream originated in Thailand, but it has since become a popular treat throughout India and Asia. In 2016, Kam’s shop was possibly the first to offer rolled ice cream in Calgary. Ice cream artists take a freshly made blend of liquid and flavour ingredients and pour it over an extremely cold plate. They then mash it repeatedly using a metal spatula, which transforms it from liquid to solid form. Once the ice cream and ingredients are blended, the ice cream is spread into a thin layer and curled into individual rolls, a shape that helps it stay frozen longer than it would in scoop form. The process works for dairy-free ice cream, too, and Sweet Tooth offers a coconutmilk option.

206 Centre St. S., 587-832-0128, sticyyc.com, @sweettoothyyc

MILK ICE CREAM Cousins Anita Ly and Tiffany To say the childhood treats from their Chinese and Vietnamese roots inspire their Milk Ice Cream. For one of their most popular flavours, “White Rabbit,” Ly and To blend White Rabbit Creamy Candy (a well-loved candy from Shanghai) into the ice cream base.

The candies come wrapped in edible rice paper, and Milk includes them in the ice cream, making it more authentic and unique. Another Milk specialty, Vietnamese coffee, is flavoured with a special blend of Vietnamese and French coffees created by Ly and To. For Milk’s pandan ice cream, Ly and To use pandan juice they make from scratch from the tropical plant commonly used in cooking in Southeast Asia. Milk also offers vegan options made from coconut milk, cashew milk and soy milk.

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DINING

VILLAGE ICE CREAM Going for a scoop of ice cream after work, school or dinner is a quintessential North American pastime. Billy Friley, founder and owner of Village Ice Cream, says he became inspired by the vibrant neighbourhood gathering spots he experienced while travelling, and set out to create something for his home city. “We saw that the beer market was changing, and people were starting to celebrate things that were made in North America,” Friley says. He decided his neighbourhood hub would be built around ice cream and founded Village, which is known for house-made flavours like salted caramel and honeyberry. The local love extends to Village’s ice cream cups, which feature illustrations of Calgarians.

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ICE CREAM INSTITUTIONS The shops that are synonymous with Calgary’s ice cream scene.

L E AV I T T ’ S I C E CREAM SHOP

This shop has been a staple in the Parkdale community for 39 years. Try the chocolatepeanut butter flavour, made with real peanut butter and chocolate-peanut butter cups.

3410 3 Ave. N.W., 403-283-3578, lics.ca, @licsyyc M A C K AY ’ S I C E CREAM

MacKay’s in Cochrane has been around since 1948. The most popular scoop flavour is pistachio almond, but surprisingly the most popular take-home container flavour is durian. Co-owner Meghan Tayfel says that the previous owners (her aunts) were welltravelled women who brought flavour ideas like durian back from their trips abroad.

220 1 St. W., Cochrane, 403-932-2455, mackaysicecream.com, @mackaysicecream M Y FAV O R I T E I C E CREAM SHOPPE

N O T O G E L AT O Through trade and travel, frozen drinks like sharabt from the Middle East arrived in 17th century Italy, influencing the invention of gelato and sorbet. Noto Gelato co-founder Stefanna Spoletini says that in Italy, gelato-making techniques are pretty traditional but that makers are very open-minded about flavours. Spoletini and her uncle Dom Tudda, of the Kensington-area restaurant Pulcinella, travelled to Italy to learn about the traditional techniques and current flavour inventions before opening Noto Gelato in 2020. Gelato is often creamier and denser than hard ice creams, with more milk, less cream and in most cases, no egg yolks. Generally, butterfat

content is less than nine per cent compared to more than 10 per cent in ice cream. Sorbet, on the other hand, has no milk, and is most often water-based. At Noto Gelato, you can get scoops or pints of traditional gelato flavours like chocolate, pistachio and salted caramel. Noto also offers creative sorbet flavours like vegan dark chocolate, strawberry prosecco and Aperol spritz (one scoop added to prosecco or Aperol makes for a perfect summer “sploat,” says Spoletini).

Noto has also added house-made brioche-gelato sandwiches to its menu this year.

236 4 St. N.E., 403-234-8118, notogelato.ca, @notogelato

There are more than 80 flavours of ice cream at this longstanding ice cream parlour, though the top picks are classics such as cookies and cream, chocolate-chipcookie dough and mint chocolate.

2048 42 Ave. S.W., 403-287-3838, 1114, 8561 8A Ave. S.W., 403-234-7100, myfavoriteicecream.com, @myfavoriteicecream L U K E S D R U G M A RT

Lukes originally opened in Bridgeland/ Riverside in 1951 as a soda fountain and lunch counter. Though ice cream hasn’t been a constant offering, in 2017 Lukes started selling soft serve again, with seasonal flavours on rotation.

112 4 St. N.E., 403-266-4142, 3407 26 Ave. S.W., 403-242-1566, lukesdrugmart.com, @lukesdrugmart

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A C A B I N AWAY Cozy mountain cabins and chalets for an unforgettable getaway without leaving Alberta.

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t a time when personal space and the ability to maintain safe distance from others is a primary consideration when planning a vacation getaway, individual cabin accommodations are ideal. Having a self-contained space lets you avoid interactions with other guests in hotel lobbies and elevators, while cabins equipped with dining tables, kitchen facilities and barbecues provide the option to eat in. There is no shortage of private cabin

rentals out there, however, cabin resort properties provide the perk of hotel-style service along with personal space. Most properties limit in-person contact from the time you arrive to when you leave by offering features such as self-check-in and check-out and being available by text if guests need anything.

Since nothing is more intrinsically Canadian than a cozy cabin in an alpine setting, here are some charming options that offer respite from the city crowds and easy access to our province’s natural wonders.

B Y LY N D A S E A

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MOUNTAINS

CASTLE M O U N TA I N CHALETS Sitting at the base of one of the Rockies’ most majestic peaks, the 22 rustic-yet-refined individual units at Castle Mountain Chalets all have jaw-dropping views of their 2,766-metre-high namesake. The fully equipped chalets were built originally in 1939 and are located on more than 6,641 square feet of parkland. It’s the perfect home base for exploring Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks or driving the scenic Icefields Parkway.

The iconic (and immensely popular) Johnston Canyon is close by, as is Silverton Falls, a 1.8 km out-and-back walk. For cyclists, Castle Mountain Chalets offer easy access to one of the most scenic bike rides in the world, the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A), which is closed to vehicle traffic again this summer, from the junction of Highway 93 south to where it connects with the Trans-Canada. Reserve a portable deck firepit to cap off your day of adventuring by relaxing around a cozy fire. castlemountain.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE GOULD; MCKEOWN PHOTOGRAPHY

B A N F F G AT E M O U N TA I N R E S O R T Most of us drive by Dead Man’s Flats en route to Canmore and Banff, but there’s a hidden gem to discover just across the highway from this overlooked hamlet. Located in Wind Valley of Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Banff Gate Mountain Resort has 46 cozy chalets with sleeping capacity for between six and eight. Each chalet has a massive deck for taking in the views of morning light hitting Pigeon and Windtower mountains or watching twilight cast on the majestic four

summits of Mount Lougheed. You can set off on a hike without starting your car: trails weave throughout the property and the trailhead for the Mount Lougheed Viewpoint is just five minutes away. Other great hikes in the area include Skogan Pass, Centennial Ridge and Windy Viewpoint. On hot days, you can walk to Upper and Lower Spray Falls from the resort in around 30 to 45 minutes (return) and cool down with a refreshing dip. banffgatemountainresort.com avenuecalgary.com

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G O AT M O U N TA I N G E T- A - W AY

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ou’ll find Goat Mountain Get-A-Way nestled next to Bluff Mountain (known to locals as Goat Mountain) in between the towns of Frank and Blairmore in Crowsnest Pass.

Husband and wife Dale and Shelley Kuta built Goat Mountain Get-A-Way in 1997 on just under 17 acres of land they bought nearly 30 years ago. There are seven cedar chalets with 14-foot open-beam ceilings, and one deluxe cabin suitable for larger families, all surrounded by cottonwood, aspen and large fir trees. Fly fishers can cast for numerous varieties of trout in the Crowsnest River that borders the

property. Turtle Mountain, home of the Frank Slide and its great interpretive centre, is minutes away, but don’t miss the Allison/Chinook Provincial Recreation Area with its many hiking and biking trails, or the North York Creek Plane Crash site where you can encounter the wreckage of an RCAF DC-3 Dakota that went down in 1946.

For local eats (in-person or takeout, COVID restrictions depending) check out Frida’s for Mexican, Chris’s Restaurant for breakfast fare, Stone’s Throw Cafe for coffee and baked goods or The Pass Beer Company for craft brews, pizza and wings. goatmountain.ca

Storm Mountain Lodge’s log cabins were once part of the bungalow camps built by the Canadian Pacific Railway circa 1922. The cabins have retained their historic charm with rustic decor, wood-burning fireplaces and old clawfoot tubs (with showers). Although Storm Mountain’s restaurant hasn’t been operating as per usual due to COVID-19 restrictions, guests can still get meals delivered to the cabins. Located just south of the Trans-Canada along Highway 93, the Lodge allows easy access to Banff, Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper National Parks. Boom Lake and Stanley 38

avenue July | August 21

Glacier are popular hikes nearby, or for a kid-friendly option check out Marble Canyon, a walk that cuts over an impressive gorge and turquoise glacial waters with a series of bridges. Make sure to pull off at the Continental Divide parking lot on the south side of Highway 93, where you can stand on the continental spine of western North America with one foot in Alberta and one foot in B.C. Whatever your plans for the day, your first stop should be Storm Mountain’s takeout window to pick up a hikers’ lunch. stormmountainlodge.com

P O C A H O N TA S C A B I N S B Y P U R S U I T Pocahontas Cabins are ideal if you’re looking for a quiet Jasper getaway with great hiking and the hottest hot springs in the Canadian Rockies. Located just outside the east gate of Jasper National Park at the base of the road to Miette Hot Springs, the cabins all have full kitchens and private decks. While the town of Jasper is only a 30-minute drive away, you can avoid the crowds by picking up groceries, snacks and souvenirs at the Trading Post shop on site. For a nearby hiking trail with a dose of history, the Pocahontas Upper Loop takes you through an original mine site.

For something heart-pumping with a panoramic payoff, hike the Sulphur Skyline trail, then soothe your muscles at the hot springs.

If you have no desire to cook after a day of adventuring, hit up the taproom patio of nearby Folding Mountain Brewing, or enjoy the smokehouse menu on the outdoor deck of Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen.

Once the sun goes down, enjoy the stellar stargazing that Jasper National Park offers as an official Dark-Sky Preserve. banffjaspercollection.com/hotels/ pocahontas-cabins

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y D A L E K U TA ; J A K E D Y S O N / B A N F F L A K E L O U I S E T O U R I S M ; A M A N D A H U D S O N

S T O R M M O U N TA I N LODGE

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After the events of the past year, many Albertans are searching for safe and accessible vacation options and are investing in a recreational property to call their own. Here’s why now is the right time to make that purchase — and why these desirable, out-of-town developments should be on your radar.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

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AN INCLUSIVE AND CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY

EMBRACE THE MOUNTAIN LIFESTYLE WITH RECREATIONAL REAL ESTATE IN CANMORE

Spring Creek, a 28-hectare, master-planned community in the heart of Canmore, was designed to appeal to all ages and backgrounds — and it’s easily accessible from Calgary, making it an ideal home base for balancing outdoor adventure and remote work.

“Just over half of Spring Creek’s homeowners are recreational owners, while the other half are either local or have made the decision to make their Spring Creek home their permanent residence, with their city home a convenience for work,” says Frank Kernick, president of Spring Creek Canmore.

Here’s why so many recreational buyers are deciding to call this welcoming community home.

A SANCTUARY STEPS FROM DOWNTOWN CANMORE

Spring Creek is tucked between two babbling creeks, breathtaking views of the mountains are impossible to miss, and the community boasts over seven kilometres of trails. Here, the mountains are residents’ playground, with Spring Creek’s layout and design supporting an alpine lifestyle. Each Spring Creek building has bike parking and storage, ideal for mountain-bike lovers, as well as a hot tub for soaking tired muscles after a day of adventuring. Residents can also unwind with a drink on one of the community’s incredible outdoor patios: the Stirling Lounge at the Malcolm Hotel and the Mineshaft Tavern are both in the heart of Spring

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Whether returning to Spring Creek after a few weeks or a few months away, all property owners feel like they’re coming home.

“Everybody feels like they belong here,” says Kernick, adding that the community values connectivity and neighbourliness. Spring Creek has an active property owners’ association.

While they’ve had to get creative to maintain connectivity during the pandemic, homeowners are looking forward to returning to the group hiking, biking and skiing trips and special events like an annual block party and wine samplings that the association planned.

“I always wanted Spring Creek to be a community with life in it all the time, all year long,” says Kernick. “The events that bring us together have had to evolve over the past year, but our community spirit has grown stronger than ever.”

SPRING CREEK HAS IT ALL

Spring Creek has urban amenities right at its core, including a market and liquor store. When complete, Spring Creek will offer housing options to meet a range of budgets. Buyers can choose between townhomes, single-family homes, multi-family homes and condos. There are options to fit different lifestyles: Airbnb is available for a limited number of condos, and Spring Creek has one assisted living building, Origin at Spring Creek, for seniors 65 years old.

“Spring Creek is planned for all ages and all stages of life,” says Kernick.

Additionally, the environment is a priority here. All Spring Creek buildings have geothermal heating and cooling systems. This is just one of the many sustainability programs in place that resulted in Spring Creek achieving Platinum standing as the first Built Green Community, a new program for 2021 from Built Green Canada.

P LAY WHE R E YO U L I V E A N D LOV E WHE RE YO U WO RK 46 luxury condominiums • BUILT GREEN® Localized air flow individual to each home & the outdoors

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

WELCOME TO LAKE LIFE: WHY NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY AT COTTAGECLUB GHOST LAKE Despite COVID-19 — or because of it — the recreational property market is heating up. The 2021 RE/MAX Recreational Property Report stated the average sale price was anticipated to rise up to 30 per cent in some recreational property markets.

This echoes the 2021 Royal LePage Canadian Recreation Property Report, where 91 per cent of recreational real estate experts reported that demand continues to outpace supply and forecast a 15 per cent increase in house prices for recreational property.

“We are selling lots to families who are being priced out of areas like Invermere, Sylvan Lake, Okanagan and even Ontario cottage country,” says Don Stengler, project manager, CottageClub, who has launched the popular lakeside community’s final phase.

The CottageClub community is located between Banff and Calgary, just minutes from Canmore on Highway 1A along the shoreline of Ghost Lake, an 1,866-acre freshwater lake with amazing views of the Rocky Mountains, the Bow and the Ghost River.

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Starting at $219,000, fully serviced cottage sites in the final phase at CottageClub range from 4,600 to 7,300 square feet with no building commitment, including some walkout lots.

“There’s really nothing like it in the province,” says Stengler.

“With the location, amenities, the building flexibility and the security of a family-friendly atmosphere, CottageClub is a throwback to the good old days when kids wandered around, played and biked freely.”

The 92-acre gated community includes a private boat launch, tennis and pickleball courts, and a rec centre and dining hall. Ghost Lake offers swimming, boating, windsurfing, waterskiing, and the community has multiple beaches with hammocks and several parks and playgrounds.

CottageClub is a master-planned development from Lamont Land, a land developer since 1991 with a reputation for innovative planning solutions. For more information, visit cottageclub.ca.

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DECOR HO W A R TIS T A ND D E S I G N E R M AYA G O H I LL U S E D H E R S I G N AT U R E STY LE TO TR A N S FO R M T H E I N T E R I O R O F A V I N TA G E R V.

BY COLIN GALLANT PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED SYCH

CODY WILLIS, MAYA GOHILL AND DEVEN WITH THEIR VINTAGE RV “PRISCILLA” AT MCKINNON FLATS. (NOTE THAT CAMPING IS NOT ALLOWED AT THE SHORELINE. CHECK PARKS CANADA OR ALBERTA PARKS FOR REGULATIONS WHEN SELECTING A SITE.)

avenuecalgary.com

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n the summer of 2018, Calgary artist and designer Maya Gohill received some sad news: her father had passed away at 87. Around that time, she had been perusing classifieds looking for her dream recreational vehicle (RV). Soon afterwards, she landed on the right option, a 1989 Chevy Van 30.

And so, refinishing the RV became the project that helped her grieve the loss of her father.

Gohill powered through the majority of the renovation in just three weeks, adding peeland-stick flooring, fashioning new handles for cabinetry, reupholstering, painting and installing decor pieces. “I literally was in here day and night, just working and getting it done. I was really lucky to have had this project to work on because it really was such a good distraction,” she says.

Largely sourced from Kijiji, thrift stores and major retailers, the RV’s decor is instantly recogniz-

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“There’s nothing in here that we don’t have [at home]” — M AY A G O H I L L

able as a Gohill project. Calgarians know her design aesthetic from Calcutta Cricket Club (CCC), which she decorated. Gohill is also an investor in CCC and her partner, Cody Willis, is the founder of Thank You Hospitality, which operates CCC as well as the A1 restaurants.

For the RV, Gohill repainted a decorative lion’s head and reused elements leftover from the CCC project (kitchen backsplash, grasscloth wallpaper) and the now-closed Thank You restaurant Two Penny (fabrics). The most personal touches are original artworks by her son Deven in the bathroom and main living space. Deven also gave the vehicle its nickname: Priscilla, or “the Priss’’ for short.

The most common challenge with RV living is, of course, space — how to fit all the necessities of life into something about the size of a food truck.

Gohill’s answer is to employ a combination of modular furniture and ample clever storage space.

At first glance, you’d never guess that the Priss can

MODERN FARMHOUSE DREAMHOME Cosmopolitan Collection I Naked OUTSOURCING OPTIONS

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Not everyone takes joy in the process of hunting down the right RV or van and customizing it to their liking.

Thankfully, there are other local options out there.

YA M A VANS Yama Vans converts Mercedes sprinter vans into “off-grid adventure vans.”

Based in Calgary but mostly serving clients in the U.S., Yama works directly with clients on their logistical needs and aesthetic considerations throughout the process. You supply the van (newly purchased only) and Yama will take care of the rest, though client input is gathered at each stage of conversion. The base price for the conversion work is $110,000 USD, and due to healthy demand, conversions are usually scheduled six to 12 months in advance. yamavans.com K A R MA CAMPERVANS This Calgary-based company offers rentals of “modern-rustic rooms on wheels” that sleep up to two people.

With depots in both Calgary and Vancouver, clients can book a return trip or a one-way adventure where the van is picked up at one location and dropped off at the other. Each van is outfitted with a wide array of amenities, and there are winterized, pet-friendly and solar-powered options available. The price per night of rentals changes seasonally. karmacampervans.com

Exclusive to

Visit our showrooms CALGARY I EDMONTON I VANCOUVER I divinefloor.com Photography: Merle Prosofsky

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sleep up to six. But the banquette near the entrance and the dining table both convert into beds, plus there’s a loft above the cabin area.

“It’s actually got quite a bit of space, surprisingly,” says Gohill. “You also learn how to just minimize and not take so much stuff.”

The RV is equipped with electrical and plumbing, and includes a working kitchen with both an oven and stovetop.

As restaurateurs, Gohill and Willis like to eat well, including when they’re on the road.

“I remember once Cody made this really delicious roasted squash with goat cheese and lentils and caramelized onions,” Gohill says. “We do other stuff that’s a little bit more elevated, because we can. There’s nothing in here that we don’t have [at home]. It’s possible to do whatever you would do at home.”

Gohill keeps her favourite place to take the Priss a tightly held secret. “I don’t want to say what it is 48

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because then everybody’s gonna go there,” she says with a laugh. She will say that it’s at a reservoir in B.C. and is conducive to her family’s cycling and boating hobbies.

She usually takes the Priss out about four-to-five times each summer, for solo trips, family trips and trips for just her and Willis.

At the moment, the Priss is solely a recreational vehicle. But Gohill says she might consider parttime #VanLife one day. She has also considered renting it out, redoing it or even selling it and starting fresh on a new vehicle. “As time goes on, I realize, okay, well this is sort of my taste from a few years ago, but now I might do things a little bit differently,” she says. “But I still kind of like the eclectic charm … everything kind of ties together — but doesn’t at the same time, you know?”

And while Gohill doesn’t regularly do design work for clients, she says she is open to the prospect of taking on another RV project for someone else.

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ES D M E O S H EA E L W L O RE A S SH W R O N FO

C A L L I G R A P H Y CO L L EC T I O N

GRAND FINALE CALLIGRAPHY COLLECTION 84% SOLD OUT: ACT NOW BEFORE THEY'RE GONE

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5% FINALE INCENTIVE* (VALUED FROM $20,000) + FREE LIST WITH JAYMAN REALTY** (VALUED UP TO $10,000) + HALF PRICE PURCHASE OF 2 ND PARKING STALL* (VALUED AT $15,000)

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188 Mahogany Gardens SE 587.350.0237 wvpresentation@jayman.com Mon. - Thur. 2PM - 8PM Fri. CLOSED Sat., Sun. & Holidays 12PM - 5PM

* Prices subject to change without notice. E.&O.E. See Presentation Centre for exact details. Free List and 5% Quick Close incentive programs only available for Calligraphy Condos.

Conditions may apply. Subject to change without notice. **Free list program available through Jayman Realty.

A community developed and constructed by:

WORK OF ART C U R AT E D B Y K AT H E R I N E Y L I T A L O

T I T LE

Comet DATE

1983/2020 ARTIST

Kathryn Fodchuk Dobbin MEDIUM

Painted steel and bearings

COMET

SIZE

5.3 m x 5.5 m x 1.8 m

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LOC AT I ON

Intersection of the Bow River Pathway and the pathway east of the Pumphouse Theatre, near stormwater outfall sign B69.

NOT ES

Originally sponsored by Shell Canada, with assistance of machinist George Petitclerc.

Conservation and restoration through the City of Calgary Public Art Program with assistance of John Gohmann (metal fabricator) and Propell, Calgary (paint). Another Dobbin sculpture, Dandelion (1982), is on view at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre.

replacing some parts, adding a protective coat of flecked dark blue paint and fixing it on a firm foundation.

Dobbin was one of a crew of talented Calgary sculptors including Brian Cooley, Gordon Ferguson, Bob Quin and Quentin Caron, who built the much-loved Dinosaur Prehistoric Park at the Calgary Zoo in the ’80s. When she moved to Vancouver in 1989, she worked at the Vancouver Aquarium and then built sets and props for the film industry before putting her career on pause to raise two children. She returned to art, earning a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (2015), and now explores processes and form as a silversmith, still engaging

organic linear qualities and geometry.

Dobbin credits early influences that feed her creativity: the interiors of Ukrainian churches; the advice of her baba (an avid knitter, weaver and embroiderer) to take things “one stitch at a time;” and her late father’s life’s work to bring people together with nature in meaningful ways. Roman Fodchuk was a Canadian pioneer in planning and landscape design, whose list of accomplishments reaches from the Ottawa parkway system to the Banff Centre campus and Pacific Rim National Park. It would surely bring him joy to see his daughter’s sculpture rejuvenated and integrated along Calgary’s Bow River Pathway.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED SYCH

ike its cosmic namesake, Kathryn Fodchuk Dobbin’s Comet buzzes with visual energy. Light glints off 21 discs hovering around a corkscrew core. A long sliver trails from the head like a bright ion tail, while the curve of the tubular spine suggests a comet’s dust tail responding to solar winds. The anatomy of a comet is all in place here. Dobbin has drawn it in three-dimensions by welding together gas pipe and steel sheets. The finished piece has the look of an impromptu diagram.

The ancient Greek name for comet literally meant “long-haired star.” For thousands of years, the celestial body was considered a messenger from the skies, an omen. This Comet also conjures visual poetics: it’s a spirited comet, a boat with a generous rudder, a bird with a jaunty tail.

Dobbin constructed this exuberant steel sculpture in 1983 as she was graduating from the Alberta College of Art (now AUArts), in anticipation of the arrival of Haley’s comet.

Inspired by her mentor, sculptor Katie Ohe, and others such as Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, known for his Surrealist mechanical kinetics, Dobbin designed Comet to move with the wind and with human interaction.

Unfortunately, some Calgarians back then hadn’t learned the difference between public art and playground equipment and the sculpture was damaged, relocated and neglected until the City of Calgary’s Public Art team took responsibility. With a new plan to conserve the city’s artwork, the team invited Dobbin back to Calgary to give Comet a structural refresh, including rewelding and

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but we’ve got this alberta. ok, so things might be a little upsidedown lately.