the griff January 2021

JANUARY 2021

POSTAL DELIVERIES | SECOND-HAND FASHION GHOST KITCHENS | MENTAL HEALTH

Megan Lockhart managing editor managing@thegriff.ca

Madison Krupa online editor madison@thegriff.ca

Jackson Spring assistant editor jackson@thegriff.ca

Claudia Steele assistant editor claudia@thegriff.ca

Michelle Weremczuk design editor michelle@thegriff.ca

Thank you for reading the griff, MacEwan University’s student media. The griff is funded by student fees and is considered a service under the Students’ Association of MacEwan University. For four years, the griff published a weekly newspaper, before transitioning into a monthly magazine in 2015. Currently, we publish seven digital issues between September and April, and our website is updated semi-daily throughout those months.

As the student media at MacEwan University, our foremost aim is to provide diverse, well-researched articles written from a student perspective. Our content is hyperlocal, with a focus on issues affecting our university and the greater downtown area. We aim to create in-depth articles that promote wellbeing in our community.

We want to engage in a dialogue about the things that matter to you.

If you are interested in volunteering for the griff, please join us at a volunteer meeting! Check our social media for information between September and April.

CONTENTS

JANUARY 2021

Handle with care For postal workers, both the pandemic and the holiday season have meant more work, more injuries, and more exposure to the virus.

BY JACKSON SPRING

PAGE 12

Mental health during COVID As COVID numbers soar mental health declines, but there are things you can do to help.

BY CLAUDIA STEELE

PAGE 16

Second-hand shop – or swap – for the sake of the planet and your style By shopping second-hand, Edmontonians can do their part to combat climate change and human rights issues perpetuated by the fast fashion cycle.

BY MADISON KRUPA PAGE 18

A spectre is haunting Edmonton Ghost kitchens are becoming increasingly popular, despite apparently not being good.

BY JACKSON SPRING

2 Letter from the Editor

5 How-to: Sanitize your home

What works best to keep your home germ-free.

3 Creative Spotlight

MacEwan student works for equality in Edmonton’s arts and music scene.

6 Student Group Q&A

4 Recipe: Strawberry and goat cheese spinach salad

8 Food for thought: Northern Chicken

A salad made better with the addition of candied pecans and homemade poppy seed dressing.

PAGE 22

10 Date night: Tobogganing, blankets, and hot chocolate

Make the most out of a challenging time in dating.

11 Review: Enola Holmes

Girl Up MacEwan.

Incredible deep-fried chicken with heart.

Mystery and feminism encapsulated in a movie that screams girl power.

26 Final Thoughts

Some of the benefits of staying home may be outweighed by the stresses of online classes.

Cover image by: Michelle Weremczuk

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Letter from the editor W

elcome to the January issue of the griff!

It’s a fresh calendar year, but we’re all still dealing with a lot of issues from 2020. Jackson Spring shares his opinion on how the first semester of online classes went, and prepares for another few months of learning from home.

Of course, we can’t possibly forget the reason for those online classes. The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t coming to an end anytime soon, and it’s important to remember to take care of yourself in the meantime. Claudia Steele looks into mental health resources to help get you through the rest of the winter months indoors.

The pandemic has affected various industries in extremely different ways. Jackson discusses how the increase in online shopping has increased strain and risk for the city’s postal workers.

Though online shopping is a lot easier than getting out to stores these days, ordering clothing from fast fashion chains can be wasteful in the long run. Madison Krupa looks into ways to buy and sell clothes second-hand right here in Edmonton.

Food, however, is something you can easily order to your house while still supporting local businesses. The rise in ghost kitchens around the city has provided more delivery options, but as Jackson discovers, some aren’t as local — or as tasty — as they may seem.

If you need an excuse to get outside, Claudia has a suggestion. She explores some of the city’s best hills for tobogganing in this month’s date night.

Flip through this issue for these topics and more to distract you from the stress of the new semester. We’ll be back with a fresh issue and new stories in February. g Words MEGAN LOCKHART

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THE GRIFF

Creative Spotlight

Simone A. Medina Polo

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rom Mexico City, Mexico, to take on a more intensive role Simone A. Medina Polo is in the arts as an administrator.” a trans, Latinx scholar and In October, she jumped into the artist. She started taking a BA in role and is already working hard philosophy at Concordia Univer- to navigate how they respond to sity in 2013, followed by a three- areas like Black Lives Matter and year break after graduation to their commitments to not only work in the arts. This then led her BIPOC communities but also to MacEwan University’s arts and LGBTQ communities that are cultural management program, very present in the organization. where she is currently finishing Supporting artists is of the utmost her last year. importance, with workshops and Recently Medina Polo became providing accessibility to those The Nextfest Arts Company’s new artists who need it most. festival producer, a job that she Along the way, Medina Polo has is very passionate about. “I have had the opportunity to work with been involved with Nextfest in Fringe Theatre Adventures, Fun some capacity for five years … I Fest, and The Sewing Machine was involved mostly as an artist in Factory, which have enriched the different shows, and then this last experience she brings to the table year, I took on a more involved when working with other artists capacity being the curator for the and has helped her as an interpride night club,” Medina Polo disciplinary artist. She has done said. After this last festival — for theatre, poetry, and visual arts, which she was both curator and though, at this stage, she feels consultant for the responses to like she is leaning more towards Black Lives Matter — ended, a music. Medina Polo started her few arts administrators (mostly love of music in grade three, but women) decided that it was time over the last year, she began for some changes. producing her own with a release Her work this last year and the of an EP album on Jan. 1, 2021, changes initiated allowed Medina under the name pseudo-antigone.

Polo to find her new place at The “It marks a very significant leap in Nextfest Arts Company. “I’m my work as a musician ... I have currently informing my artistic started moving on into a very practice by putting queer and peculiar genre that has started trans folks like myself as well going off since 2016 but really as BIPOC at the front of shows prominent as of last year called that I curate … I got to share and Hyper Pop,” says Medina Polo. host debriefing sessions with our Once Medina Polo graduartists and anyone in the commu- ates, she is looking forward to nity that wanted to get involved. hopefully having her permanent So I had a pretty important residency in Canada, as dealing opportunity to educate folks on with immigration has not always COVID-19, and also Black Lives been easy. But above all, she is Matter and having that discussion very much looking forward to her made me realize that I was ready continued work in the arts. g

Words CLAUDIA STEELE Photo SUPPLIED

JANUARY 2021

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Recipe Words + Photo CLAUDIA STEELE

Strawberry and goat cheese spinach salad ow that we’ve welcomed in a new year in hopes of landmark events far more pleasant than last year’s, we can begin to address the other elephant in the room: COVID weight. Let’s not pretend that we haven’t all considered the possibility that the 19 in COVID-19 actually stands for the extra 19-plus pounds most of us put on during quarantine. So, even if you have no plans to set a New Year’s resolution, it can’t hurt to put down the week-old Christmas sweets and eat a salad. Your post-pandemic body might thank you later for the healthy alternative.

But healthy should never mean tasteless or boring, which salads can often be. Instead, you should find joy in adding greens to your meals, and this salad should prove effective.

Spinach offers protein, iron, and vitamins all in a low-calorie package, and it’s an excellent base for a salad. Add in some strawberries, red onions, and goat cheese, and you have a delicious combination that will go well with almost any meal. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, enter candied pecans. OK, there is nothing healthy about sugar-coated pecans, but you only live once, right? Top it all off with some homemade poppy seed dressing, and this salad does not disappoint.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

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SALAD

1 283g bag of spinach 1 small red onion 1 pint of strawberries Goat cheese CANDIED PECANS

1 cup of pecans 1/2 cup of brown sugar 2 tbsp. of water POPPYSEED DRESSING

1 tbsp. poppy seeds 1/2 cup of white vinegar 1 cup of vegetable oil 1/3 cup white sugar 1 tsp. of grated onion 1 tsp. of powdered mustard Salt and pepper to taste

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tart with the pecans because they will need time to cool. In a frying pan, add the brown sugar and water. Cook until the sugar has all melted together and comes to a boil. Add the pecans and toss them together until they are coated. Then on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet, spread out the pecans and allow to cool. Once cold, you can break them up for the salad.

Next, move on to the salad. In a large salad bowl, place about half of the bag of spinach. Wash, trim, and slice strawberries and toss them in with the spinach. Peel the onion and grate 1 tsp. worth, and set aside for the dressing. Then slice the remainder and toss it in with the spinach and strawberries. Crumble as much goat cheese as you like over salad and toss together to mix ingredients.

In a mason jar, mix vinegar, white sugar, vegetable oil, grated onion, powdered mustard, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Seal the jar and shake until well blended.

Pour as much dressing as you would like over salad, top with candied pecans, and serve.

This salad can be a main meal with your favourite protein or a complementary side with your dinner. It goes well with just about anything, and items can be interchanged. If you don’t care for strawberries, try blackberries or raspberries. The cheese can also be omitted if it isn’t a personal favourite and the extra dressing can be stored in the fridge for about a week, but due to the raw onion in it it should not be kept longer than that. And whatever you do, just remember to have fun with your meals.

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How-to: Words CLAUDIA STEELE Photo R AWPIXEL

Sanitize your home

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eeping your home clean is always crucial for your health, but never as important as during outbreaks.

Most of the time, cleaning and sanitizing is pretty common sense, but there are some misconceptions about where the highest levels of germs are found. Some may assume that toilets are the germiest parts of your home, but shockingly that isn’t accurate. Kitchens are among the most germ-infested locations in your home, though most people may not want to acknowledge it. Kitchen sinks and taps are at the top of the list, along with cutting boards, and even the knobs on your ovens.

But you clean your kitchen all the time, so how is it possible? Well, one thing might be that cleaning and sanitizing aren’t always the same thing, and we often do surface cleans as opposed to deep cleans.

The other important thing to consider is what you’re using to clean. If you use a sponge to do the dishes and wipe down your entire kitchen, for example, you might as well be scrubbing your kitchen down with a raw chicken breast or not clean at all.

Sponges are something many of us use, but they are some of the worst harbingers of germs. So what are the most important things to do to keep your space germ-free? We’ve compiled a list of steps to keep in mind the next time you deep clean.

Step 1. Let’s talk about products.

First things first: you can’t clean without the right equipment, and there are a lot of choices. For anything that you will be using, stick to stuff that is washable. Use dishcloths, rags, and even mops that can be tossed into your laundry machine after every use. When buying cleaning chemicals, check the difference between things that clean and those that sanitize. Environmentally friendly or natural cleaners are great, but they don’t always kill germs or viruses, contrary to some of their claims. This doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but keep something on hand that will eradicate the hidden contaminants. The CDC recommends using bleach with 5.25 to 8.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite and making a mixture using 1/3 cup of bleach added to 3.75 litres of water. You can store it in spray bottles for ease of use, but make sure you label them correctly for everyone’s safety in your household.

Step 2. Make a checklist.

Sometimes it is easy to get lost in the moment when cleaning our own house. Distractions happen, and if sanitizing is the goal, missing spots will mean the work you did do was for nothing.

So make a checklist. This can be an easy way to make sure you covered all the necessary areas. When making the checklist, put all your items in an order that will make it easy to prevent backtracking. For example you wouldn’t sanitize your kitchen sink and then start cleaning the kitchen because now every time you rinse your rag you’re recontaminating the sink. It’s also important to start from the top. Dirt is bound by gravity just like the rest of us, so cleaning your floors and then dusting is counterproductive.

Dust, wash, and wipe counters and surfaces first, then vacuum and wash your floors last.

Step 3. Get going.

Just go for it. Dusting is pretty straightforward and works best with a damp surface, so spray some of the sanitizer on the surface or cloth and wipe away. For kitchens and bathrooms, use your favourite cleaning agents to get out all the dirt and grime, and rinse away all the product. Once you’re done, spray all the surfaces down with the bleach solution, leave it for at least one minute, then wipe it all down. It’s vital to use a different rag for each area. Don’t be afraid to switch rags often, and never use the rag you used on your toilet to wipe down your taps, sinks or counters. You don’t want the chance for cross-contamination of any kind. Along the way, don’t forget to pay extra attention to the most-touched areas, mainly doorknobs, light switches, faucets, remotes, phones, and computers. Finally, vacuum and wash your floors with hot water and your favourite floor cleaner. Then you can follow up with the diluted bleach solution to sanitize.

Step 4. Clean up after clean up.

Oh, you thought you were done? No, not yet, but almost.

Take all of your rags and mop and toss them into your washing machine. Add a bit of bleach and detergent, then run with hot water and dry on high heat to make sure you kill anything that may have survived.

Once everything is done, you might want to treat yourself to a snack and a Netflix marathon. Just remember, before you do so, wash your hands.

JANUARY 2021

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5

Girl Up MacEwan

Student Group Q&A

A discussion with club president Mackenzie Thomas To start, what is your name and position with the Girl Up MacEwan student group?

also gives womxn a platform and opportunity to impose meaningful changes not just in their community, but on a global level.

My name is Mackenzie Thomas and I am the president of the Girl Up MacEwan club.

What is your favourite thing about being involved in the group?

Girl Up MacEwan is a branch of the United Nations’ Girl Up organization, correct? Did you start the MacEwan University branch?

My favourite thing about being involved in the group is the ability to meet like-minded individuals and to become more aware of the issues. The Girl Up MacEwan club allows womxn to network, which is especially important in the current pandemic where it can be incredibly difficult to connect with people. The club also actively supports education and awareness. Since being involved in the group, I have become enlightened about important topics in a way that allows me to be a better advocate.

That is correct. Girl Up is a global movement founded by the United Nations that has over 4,000 clubs in nearly 125 countries.

I am one of five founders of the MacEwan branch.

What inspired you to start the MacEwan branch?

Is the group open to all MacEwan students?

The inspiration to start the club came from the desire to expand the Girl Up movement. There is power in numbers; as such, the more people who are committed to activism, advocacy, and education the greater the chance that our voice will be heard.

With the Girl Up movement being founded in 2010, a MacEwan branch was well overdue.

Absolutely! The club is open to anyone and everyone interested in becoming more politically active, advocating for gender equality, and creating a safe space on campus for womxn.

How can students get involved?

Does the group have any specific goals it’s working towards this school year or things that it aims to accomplish overall?

To get involved you can send us an email at macewangirlup@ gmail.com or direct message us on Instagram (@girlupmacewan).

Overall, our club is focused on empowering womxn to promote gender equality and take a stance on other social and political issues that are impacting their communities. We further wanted to provide a safe space for womxn and provide them with opportunities to educate and advocate for change.

Is there anything else you’d like potential members to know about the group?

What kind of events does the group hold for its members?

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic everything must be virtual this year, but we still have plenty of fun events planned! This includes virtual events such as club meetings, Netflix parties, informational speakers, and a book club.

You can still join! We are always happy to welcome new members to the club. It is a great opportunity to connect with people and have some fun in a safe, inclusive environment. There also is not a large time commitment which is great for busy student lives!

Finally, I think it’s important to mention that since we are such a new club we are really malleable to suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any feedback you might have on ways we may better serve MacEwan and the greater community.

Edited for length and clarity.

What are the benefits of joining the group?

The main benefits of joining the group lie in the opportunities it provides. Not only is it a great way to connect with others, but it

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THE GRIFF

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Words MADISON KRUPA Photo DORIAN REEVES

JANUARY 2021

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10704 124 Street Edmonton, AB T5M 0H1 Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Food for thought:

Northern Chicken

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orthern Chicken has been a jewel in the downtown area for four years now. It is a queer-owned business serving up southern-style comfort food that has been satisfying appetites and warming hearts.

When owners and chefs Matt Phillips and Andrew Cowan, who had both previously worked in fine dining, decided to open Northern Chicken, they knew they wanted to make great fried chicken in a fun work environment that was employee-centred, says Phillips. “We were tired of working at places that just weren’t our vibe … it really can from a dream of opening a fried chicken place, but also one that was employee-focused.”

That is precisely what they did. Phillips and Cowan have always paid their staff above minimum wage and pooled tips so that everyone gets a fair share. They also offer staff benefits. This has made for an environment with minimal turnover. Phillips says, “our turnover rate is almost nonexistent, and if it has existed it’s people that have moved on to, I want to say bigger and better things like big boy jobs and big girl jobs. Sort of like finish university and take the engineering job or move along to be the chef of a restaurant somewhere else.”

Over the pandemic, Northern Chicken donated meals to hospitals and healthcare workers. “My best friend is a nurse, and Andrew’s mom is a nurse, so immediately before even the lockdown happened, we were starting to do deliveries to hospitals,” Phillips says. After AHS restrictions stopped Northern Chicken’s deliveries of donated meals, Northern Chicken teamed up with ATB, who matched their contribution of $5,000 for a total of $10,000 in food discounts that were given out to any health care

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Words CLAUDIA STEELE Photos MICHELLE WEREMCZUK

worker that could provide ID. “It only lasted four days because we had such a crazy response to it, but we ended up doing ... 916 orders for just over 10 grand in discounts, we were offering 40 per cent off,” says Philips.

Impressive ethics aside, Northern Chicken’s food is fantastic.

The fried chicken is crispy even after driving home with it, and flavourful beyond the batter. Unlike most fried chicken, whose flavour is contained in the delicious, crunchy, batter-covered skin, this chicken tastes excellent right down to the moist, well-seasoned meat. You can get the chicken in different levels of heat, either on its own or in a sandwich served between two slices of Texas toast with coleslaw and pickles that will leave you wanting more. The Dorito mac and cheese is creamy with the right amount of cheese and crunch, courtesy of the crumble of chips sprinkled on top.

If that doesn’t persuade you to try their food, then the crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside cornbread might put you over the edge. With several other options on hand, it shouldn’t be challenging to find something that will pique your interest. If you are searching for low-calorie, you won’t find it here, but I can confirm you won’t go home hungry. The greatest part is that it isn’t too costly to eat there, either — a meal for three costs just under $50. The dinner includes a three-piece chicken meal, chicken sandwich, mac and cheese, cornbread, coleslaw, and chicken fingers.

Its location makes it easily accessible to students living near MacEwan University, and they offer pick-up and delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats.

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JANUARY 2021

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Date Night

Tobogganing, blankets, and hot chocolate T

he date night challenge that began in 2020 continues, and no one really knows when it will entirely end. In fact, as this article is being written, restrictions have simply become tighter with rising numbers and no end and sight.

So what can you do when it’s cold, it’s post-Christmas so logically money is tight, and COVID-19 still rages on? How about embracing the cold and being a kid again?

When we are young and carefree, anything is an excuse to have fun. In Canada, there is no better excuse for fun than snow.

So why not enjoy what winter has to offer and go tobogganing?

Toboggans will cost you around $40 unless you are going for the more traditional wood toboggans, which can get pricey.

Crazy carpets are even less expensive though they are named crazy carpets for a reason, so buyer and tail bone beware.

Once you find a perfect toboggan, it’s time to plan for the cold.

Warm outerwear and toques and mitts are a must, but what about warming your insides as well. Hot chocolate, perhaps?

Get yourself a couple of Thermoses and make your favourite hot chocolate. Personally, I believe adding some milk or flavoured creamer is the best way to make a simple hot chocolate extra creamy and delicious, but that is entirely up to the drinker’s taste.

Baileys is also a great option, but if you’re going to do that, please don’t drink and slide.

Now with everything in hand, it is time to find the perfect tobogganing hill. There are numerous sites in Edmonton that are perfect for this activity. Here are a few.

Emily Murphy Park, located at 11904 Emily Murphy Park Road, has a great hill with access to bathrooms, as well as fire pits where you can make a fire and stay warm while drinking your hot chocolate.

Gallagher Hill near the Muttart is located at 97 Avenue and 92 Street. This hill is not for the faint of heart, so unless you’re

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Words CLAUDIA STEELE Photo R AWPIXEL

seeking thrills with your chills, I wouldn’t venture there. But, if thrills are what you’re after, this is a great hill with a steep slope.

It is also one that you might want to look into before going, as there is ongoing construction at Connors Road above that could affect your plans.

Rundle Park, located at 2909 113 Avenue, will give you lots of options as it has several hills used regularly for tobogganing.

However, this is a very family friendly area, so depending on the day you choose and whether you’re looking to make this a very romantic date, you may want to take that into consideration.

Millwoods Sports Park, located at 23 Avenue and 66 Street, has some great spaces and can be far less busy at times. If you live on the southeast end of the city, this might be a great option to stay close to home and still have some fun.

Parkwest toboggan bowl, located at 18725 95 Avenue, seems to be an Edmonton favourite with ample space to play. Much like most of the toboggan hills, it is family friendly, something the activity lends itself to.

Last but not least, it is important to mention Whitemud Park north, located at Keillow Road and Fox Drive. This hill is excellent if you have a need for speed, but the stairs nearby mean you don’t have to fight the uphill battle of climbing back up on snow and ice.

Whichever park you choose, you are sure to have a great time as long as you choose the right fun-loving person to take in tow. If you have any questions about parks and possible restrictions at the time of planning, the City of Edmonton keeps their tobogganing hills site updated and supplies information on current hill conditions. So what are you waiting for? Grab your partner and your stuff along with a blanket or two, and get out there. And don’t forget the marshmallows!

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Enola Holmes

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f I said I had heard of Enola Holmes before watching the movie, I’d be lying. However, I will admit that after watching the made-for-Netflix movie, I was pleasantly surprised.

The 2020 film directed by Harry Bradbeer and produced by, among others, Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Enola Holmes, shares the story of the first book in a series written by Nancy Springer. It opens with a bit of back story showing a kooky, fun, and loving relationship between mother and daughter with clear feminist tones. Upon waking on her birthday, Enola finds her mother Eudoria Holmes is missing. Mystery and mayhem ensue as the search for mommy dearest commences.

Naturally, Enola’s brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, played by Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin, respectively, are called in to care for a sister they haven’t seen in so long they don’t recognize her at first. The two brothers are as different as night and day, with Mycroft being a self-involved politician, only concerned with appearances and taming his wild and free sister. When he can’t do so on his own, he tries to send her off to a finishing school to turn Enola into a “lady.”

On the other hand, Sherlock is quite different from what one might think of when thinking of Sherlock Holmes. Different from past portrayals, this Sherlock is far kinder and more empathetic, something that hasn’t struck well with the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer of the Sherlock Holmes books. The

Review:

estate went as far as suing because Sherlock is depicted as too emotional.

Nevertheless, this Sherlock and his apparent admiration for his little sister is nothing if not a breath of fresh air.

Enola escapes her brother Mycroft before he, as her guardian, has the chance to her deliver her to finishing school and is off on a crazy adventure with some help from money and clues left behind by her mother. She finds herself in predicament after predicament, solving puzzles and donning a multitude of disguises in an effort to find her mother on her own.

Along the way, she assists a boy, Tewkesbury, who is in harm’s way after the death of his father. As the movie progresses, the feminist storyline grows. A vote is about to happen that could change women’s rights forever, and it’s clear that Tewkesbury’s father would have voted to help the progress along, leading to his demise, and now Tewkesbury is in the line of fire. Enola, preoccupied with her own troubles, finds him cumbersome and problematic but assists him instead of compromising her ethics.

The story continues without one specific evil genius, but rather one young girl fighting a system whose mission is keeping her down. Given the Victorian era setting and the society that held fast, it is of little surprise that some of the worst characters are other women that are hellbent on assisting the patriarchy in keeping the status quo.

Of course, Mycroft does not favour women having a right to vote,

putting him at odds with his sister’s strong independent nature. Once she escapes for the second time, this time from finishing school, he is determined to find her and send her back. With no success in finding her, Mycroft focuses on himself. Shocking!

The movie continues to loop in and out of multiple plots between Enola looking for her mom, helping Tewkesbury, and avoiding her brothers. I won’t spoil everything for you, but it all amalgamates in the end into one excellent resolution, much like a domino effect.

It was incredible to see Enola beat Sherlock at his own game and solve everything just before he did. The scene in the police station is epic.

In true Sherlock fashion, Sherlock explains everything to the detective that then asks him how it is that his sister got there first.

Not only did Millie Bobby Brown do a great job as Enola, but the character herself is a great mentor to young girls. She is fierce, strong, fearless and incredibly intelligent. As I watched it with my daughter, I could see her excitement every time Enola succeeded in her adventures. Not to mention that the movie doesn’t paint women as helpless or damsels that need saving but as rather fully capable of saving themselves.

The males are quite useless in the movie, serving only as distractions and speed bumps along the way. If there is one thing that could have been done slightly better, it is the relationship between Enola and Tewkesbury. As the movie progresses,

JANUARY 2021

the feelings that both have for each other are palpable, yet in the end, Enola still walks away from him as if she has to choose between being a feminist or falling in love. But doesn’t being a feminist mean you can do both? I know I have.

Everything works out as it should in the end, leaving everything solved, including Enola’s mom’s return, though not in the way one would have expected even after Tewkesbury is able to take his father’s place and successfully vote for women’s right. Enola becomes her own woman and plants her feet firmly in the world as a detective, much like Sherlock, setting the stage for the possibility of many more movies based on the other books.

All around, this was a fun movie with a lot of action that succeeded in keeping you on your toes. There is never a dull moment, and the actors were well suited to their characters.

The effort to teach young viewers and remind older ones of the history of women’s rights and the need for the continued fight for equality is front and centre, addressing items still relevant today. It’s a great family movie but also one that adults will enjoy on their own.

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Words CLAUDIA STEELE Graphic R AWPIXEL

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Handle with care How postal workers are dealing with record-breaking surges in parcel deliveries, in a pandemic Words JACKSON SPRING Phtotos CANADA POST

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ince April, almost every one of James Ball’s work days has ended later than he’s used to. On its own, this wouldn’t be a major problem for him, except for the fact that his customers are not used to it either.

“When it reaches the point that people are answering their doors in their nighties, they tend not to like it, even if you are bringing them a package,” Ball says with a laugh.

As a letter carrier for Canada Post, Ball and his coworkers have been bearing the brunt of a massive surge in parcel deliveries. Between February and May, when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Canada, online sales surged by 99.3 per cent, reaching a record-breaking $3.9 billion spent online in May, according to a report from Statistics Canada. This is alongside a correspondingly record-breaking decline in retail sales, which plunged 10 per cent nationally in March alone according to the report — the largest monthly decline on record and more than double the previous record of 4.5 per cent in February 1998, says the report.

Retail and online sales went up as stores reopened to a limited capacity later in the spring, but only slightly.

This, of course, means that the volume of parcels being shipped has surged to record-breaking levels as well. According to Canada Post, the volume of parcels has increased by 35.4 per cent, or 26 million units, in the second quarter, over the same period in 2019. In a press release, the company said the volumes were “as high as in past peak Christmas seasons.”

“These Christmas volumes basically started right when the pandemic started, they just shot up,” says Roland Schmidt, president of the Edmonton local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, “and they’ve just been at this constant full-throttle mode since then.”

Increases in the amount of mail do not always mean more work for mail carriers, but Ball says the specifics of how people are shopping in the pandemic have most of the staff working weekends and overtime. Some of these shifts, like his, are at irregular times, since the shifts have been staggered to help avoid crowding in Canada Post’s facilities.

“If you order one parcel or you order two, I still come to your door once,” says Ball. “Now, it’s customers who have never ordered parcels before are now ordering parcels, and they’re ordering one at a time. I’ve had more than a few people say ‘Oh, I didn’t think that was going to arrive so fast, I’ve never ordered online before.’”

Schmidt, whose union represents around 2,300 workers locally, and almost 50,000 nationally, says that the postal workers he interacts with generally welcome the holiday rush, since it is expected and the overtime hours help cover their own giftbuying. However, this surge has been continuous since February, with no end immediately in sight, and it has been taking its toll.

“When that holiday period is extended to, say, six months, you have workers taking on considerably more weight and volume, which also contributes to more fatigue-related injuries or even slips trips and falls. The more people are working and the more weight that is applied to it just statistically, that will lead to more injuries,” says Schmidt.

“The routes are getting longer, and they are getting harder, and we are looking at a very high injury rate” agrees Ball. “I walk 20 kilometres a day, and I drive a third of my route. There are others who hardly drive their route at all.”

Besides injuries, there is also the virus itself to worry about.

For the most part, Schmidt says that Canada Post has been doing relatively well at ensuring the safety of its employees, after a slow start and pressure from the union and its members. Back in March, he spoke to CBC about how the company was lacking personal protective equipment and social distancing measures in both the Edmonton delivery depots and processing hub.

“When the pandemic hit, they were lacking in leadership as far as identifying problems and implementing safety protocol,” Schmidt says. The union formulated a list of demands, he adds, and after a month or so of no response, employees threatened to refuse to work. Canada Post swiftly implemented proper safety measures soon after that, he says, and since then, employees at these facilities have felt safe, in spite of a few reported infections.

“The logic was always that it’s inevitable that people will bring the infection from outside into the workplace, but we want to set it up so that it mitigates any internal transmission. Since (the safety measure were implemented) there has not been any contamination spread inside the facility, like it has happened in Winnipeg or places in Ontario,” he says, referring to outbreaks at a Winnipeg processing plant on Nov. 8, a Hamilton depot on Oct. 21, and an Etobicoke depot on Sept. 22.

However, company policy is only responsible for so much.

While those working inside the facilities appear relatively safe, for delivery drivers like Ball, there is always a risk of exposure, since their job demands they interface with people and businesses, and enter many different public areas. Ball recalls a

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“The whole thing makes you make some weird decisions, like how you open the door to the convenience store you’re delivering to. You take a second look at everything you do.”

— James Ball, mail carrier for Canada Post

number of close encounters inside apartment buildings where residents wander by the mailboxes on their way to the laundry room, not wearing personal protective equipment since they understandably feel as though they are in their homes despite it being a common area, or on business pickups where a solitary warehouse worker not be wearing a mask offers to help him load his truck, and others.

“The whole thing makes you make some weird decisions, like how you open the door to the convenience store you’re delivering to. You take a second look at everything you do,” he says. “I am used to helping elderly customers, for example, bringing their parcels just inside their door. Now I can’t really do that.”

“I basically have direct interactions with a lot of people every day. I’m trying to limit that, but it’s difficult.”

This means mail carriers are not just subject to the health and safety policies of every place they walk into, not just Canada Post’s. Schmidt is particularly concerned about the strategy of the Alberta government, which he says is poor, mainly due to the lack of enforcement of social distancing and sanitation measures, the fact that a number of high-risk businesses such as restaurants, bars, and gyms, have been allowed to stay open, and that primary schools opened for in-person classes for the fall semester, even as COVID-19 cases are spiking.

“They’re trying to have their cake and eat it too, by pretending that things could be business as usual. In the meantime, the virus is getting out of control, and it really undermines our efforts in the workplace to protect our members — people are just getting sick at a higher level in Alberta overall,” he says.

The number of cases in Alberta has been rising rapidly since September. Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows the province is averaging just over 900 cases per day and has a total of 13,166 active cases as of Nov. 23, the highest per capita of any province in Canada, with the Edmonton zone making up the bulk of them. This trend is showing no signs of slowing down either — the province’s record for new daily cases was set on Nov. 23, at 1,549. Edmonton’s Mayor, Don Iveson, also asked the province for stricter rules in a statement to the press issued on Nov. 19. Alberta is the only province that does not impose mandatory masks in public, as of Nov. 20.

Ball too is concerned about the provincial government’s handling of the pandemic, and says he encounters unsafe situations created by the lack of restrictions regularly.

“I deliver to four schools. I’ve arranged to have them meet me either outside the front door or put it in a mailbox, and that has helped, but still, sometimes I’ll go to the front door and the kids will all be outside on their break, and they’re not wearing masks, because it’s break time” he says. And, of course, the fact that

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mail carriers are busier than ever only heightens how exposed they are.

“If I have to deliver, say, 30 per cent more parcels, that means 30 per cent more work, 30 per cent more stops, 30 per cent more interactions,” says Ball.

Even though Canada Post has been working with Christmas-like volumes of deliveries for six months, actual Christmas still brought its own expected surge on top.

“A survey conducted for Canada Post in June showed 48 per cent of Canadian shoppers plan on spending mostly or exclusively online this coming holiday,” said a spokesperson for the crown corporation prior to the holiday season. In an Oct. 21 statement to the public, Canada Post’s chief customer and marketing officer, Rod Hart, said the company was gearing up for a “holiday season like no other.”

Overall, this is a good thing, since retail environments are responsible for a significant portion of the virus’s spread. In Montreal, for example, the majority of outbreaks occurred in retail stores. But, the rush also means the concerns of workers are only going to get worse.

Schmidt says that since the early stages of the holiday rush began in the middle of November, and that Canada Post has been able to keep employees as safe as they can from the virus, introducing even more staggered shifts and expanding hours to accommodate the 4,000 seasonal employees the company hired.

However, the issues of fatigue and other safety concerns are still around, and the measures the company has introduced may not be enough to offset them.

“On Christmas, we’re expected to work weekends — we’ve already been working weekends. We’re expected to work overtime — we’ve already been working overtime,” says Ball.

As the circumstances of the pandemic continue (and probably get worse) in Alberta, the postal service is going to continue being instrumental in allowing people to stay home and out of retail stores. The concern is that, without Canada Post scaling up their operations to meet the new demand for parcels, postal workers are more and more in danger of burning out and getting injured. This also means the postal service is going to be less able to fulfil this demand.

“If I can’t get all my deliveries done on one day, that’s just going to keep piling up onto the next day and the next day and the next day,” says Ball. “I’m concerned the customer is not going to get the service they want or that they should get.”

The one thing Ball does know is that he is going to be working late nights for the next little while, and asks the public to “expect we’re going to be out a little later than normal, and maybe keep their lights on.”

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Mental health during COVID The other pandemic we need to talk about more Words CLAUDIA STEELE Graphics MICHELLE WEREMCZUK

“Sometimes, it is OK not to be coping.”

— Scott Coleman

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ith the world turned upside down, it is no surprise that “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental people worldwide are struggling to hold it all together. health services in 93 per cent of countries worldwide while the It has been almost a year since COVID-19 began demand for mental health is increasing,” says an article on the spreading worldwide, and everything changed. Through lock- WHO website written in October. Scarier still is that 60 per cent downs, quarantines and restrictions, people’s emotions and of countries reported disruptions in help to vulnerable people, nerves began to falter. It didn’t take long for the state of the including children, and more than a third reported disruptions to world’s mental health to deteriorate, and while governments emergency interventions. focused on protecting the public’s financial and physical health, Of course, there is a flip side with everything as there are mental health wasn’t at the forefront of concern. resources, though Coleman says that sometimes they are poorly In a policy advice paper written by The Centre for Addiction laid out, or people don’t know where to look for them due to a and Mental Health (CAMH) in July 2020, it is reported that seven lack of communication. If only there were better communications, out of 10 Ontarians believed that there would be a mental health more people might realize that there are great programs right at crisis due to the pandemic. The CAMH goes on to report that your fingertips. Sherwood Park has developed a psychological the concern is justified, as history shows that health crises tend first aid course that is free and online. It teaches citizens how to cause rises in mental health issues. The paper states that in to help each other psychologically through these trying times. A the 2003 SARS outbreak, people in the most affected areas saw great many places, including MacEwan University and SAMU’s increases in sleep problems, smoking and alcohol use, mood Peer Support, have moved to online and telephone appointdisorders, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. ments to provide consultation from the safety of your home.

Luminesce Counseling and Coaching’s Scott Coleman, an This could benefit those who may have previously shied away Edmonton-based Canadian Certified Counsellor, says he has from trying therapy forwards as it eliminates barriers caused by noticed a difference. He says that some people who typically transportation or other factors. There is also a Stanford stress cope well find that the pandemic is amplifying anxieties and tool kit that can help teach students about stress and how to deal depressions, meaning they are coming to him more. “A lot of with it and even provides activities and videos. Further, there is a parents too, who are struggling with trying to work from home highly recommended course offered by Yale and led by Professor and have kids doing virtual school. So they need to provide Laurie Santos called The Science of Well-Being that is free online. support like a teacher while still looking after their employment,” On a personal level, there are always things that we can do for Coleman says. ourselves. Coleman recommends mindfulness, and by that, he None of this should be shocking as most students, much like isn’t just referring to things like meditation but even the simple parents, have seen the strain of online work and school. Sure act of acknowledging the stress and accepting that things are there are benefits to being online, such as no commute, less going to be less than ideal. “Sometimes it is OK not to be coping,” money spent on travel, parking and coffees but the savings come he says. This is a great first step that should lead to gratitude and at a higher cost. Often online courses can be more stressful. even gratitude journals as a reminder of all we still have. Giving Depending on a student’s learning style and abilities, not back to others can help us feel valued, an essential human need. everyone is suited for the virtual classroom.

Coleman says that as cliché as it sounds, connecting to people is As far as employment, there has been a noticeable shift there important even if it can’t be in person. as well. “This is maybe unspoken, and I’m not saying that it’s Above all, know your values and be authentic. And perhaps a always intentional, but now that people are working from home, little less time online watching the news may be useful for your it may feel that they should be more accommodating with their mental health as well. “People are watching the news and seeing schedules,” says Coleman. Several studies, including one used the media, and of course, the media’s job is to point out the chalin a Forbes article in May, show higher productivity rates when lenges and amplify a lot of the stuff that isn’t going well, which working from home and a more challenging time separating creates a lot of nervousness,” says Coleman. Of course, this isn’t work from home, which can inevitably cause more stress and to say that we shouldn’t take the pandemic seriously. However, less self-care. No one can be in work mode all the time without an overabundance of negative information coming at us on a burning out. loop is enough to drive even the calmest person to the brink.

But then, if people can seek mental health help, what’s the With the COVID numbers and restrictions rising, it’s important problem? A survey done by the Canadian Mental Health Asso- to take our mental health more seriously now more than ever ciation (CMHA) found that 85 per cent of Canadians believe that before. Don’t remain silent, but rather reach out to friends, family mental health is one of the most underfunded health areas in and therapists and remember that Alberta Health Services also our universal health care system. With mental health not being has a number of helplines for those in need of support. Now funded at the rate that physical health is, the possibility of getting more than ever, we need to stick together and show support, help when it is needed most can be slim. The World Health even if that support comes via a random text from a friend just Organization (WHO) conducted a survey from June to August checking in. You never know when something as small as a “hello, in 130 countries, and as expected, the statistics were alarming. how are you?” can make all the difference.

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Second-hand shop – or swap – for the sake of the planet and your style Second-hand shopping may be the fix the fashion industry needs Words MADISON KRUPA Photos R AWPIXEL

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“The fun part about second-hand shopping is it’s a great way to experiment with your style and your taste. You’ll be surprised how much you start to formulate your sense of style when you step outside of the trends that are constantly being thrown at you.”

— Michele Fowler

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mployees are swapping out their suits for sweats and shoes for slippers as companies adopt work from home models in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With few places to go and even fewer people to see, as per Alberta Health Services’ recommendations, it has become increasingly hard to justify purchasing new clothing, with the exception of loungewear. Not only that, unemployment rates are up from last year, consequently knocking many Albertans’ bank account balances down.

In addition to keeping people cooped up, pinching pennies and pajama-clad, the pandemic emphasizes something we already knew: the fashion industry needs fixing.

At the onset of the pandemic, fashion companies recognized the decrease in consumer demand. Major players responded quickly but not without consequence. According to Vogue, “in Bangladesh, around 4 million people have lost their livelihoods, a direct result of some of the world’s most powerful fashion brands canceling orders due to the closures and layoffs precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic.”

This is not the first time the fashion industry has been scrutinized for its treatment of garment workers. In 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,134 garment workers and injuring upwards of 2,500 more, according to Fashion Revolution. The collapse is believed to be a result of corruption and hazardous working conditions, still common occurrences in the industry today.

In addition to the fashion industry’s mistreatment of people, it has also caused considerable damage to the planet. According to Business Insider, “fashion production makes up 10 per cent of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams.” But it’s not just the production that’s a problem. It’s consumption, too.

Brands are creating products faster than they can reasonably be consumed. Yet, consumers are buying them anyway, resulting in perfectly good garments being tossed to make room for the new.

Michele Fowler, a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Clothing and Textile program and a sustainable fashion advocate, explains that “the fashion cycle used to correspond with the four

seasons, but now most companies release a new line of clothing every couple of weeks.” According to Fowler, this rapid production rate has resulted in an unnecessary influx of stuff, which contributes to an unsustainable and incredibly wasteful cycle, otherwise known as the fast fashion cycle.

With all of this in mind, it is no surprise that consumers are looking for alternative ways to shop. According to Lyst, “in September, ‘vintage fashion’ generated an average of more than 35K monthly searches, while online fashion searches for secondhand-related keywords increased 104 per cent.”

In its many forms, shopping second-hand is a viable option to combat climate change and human rights issues perpetuated by the fast fashion cycle. It’s also an excellent way to save some money. Lucky for Edmontonians, it’s also very doable.

Edmonton is chock-full of second-hand clothing stores, allowing for various ways to shop second-hand all over the city.

Thrift stores sell donated, second-hand items, such as clothing, accessories, and homewares, at a low price and are often associated with a charity.

More Than a Fad, a popular Edmonton thrift store, raises funds to support the Adeara Recovery Center, a long-term addiction recovery center for women and their children. So, you can feel especially good about your purchases.

“People are excited to get behind the purpose of stores like More Than A Fad; the lower prices are just a bonus that makes it a win for the customer and the community,” says Daysha Albrecht, More Than a Fad’s assistant manager.

Albrecht offered the following advice to new thrifters: “Find shops that are clean and well laid out. Pick a time of day where you have time to go through everything, as thrifting can be overwhelming. Go through the shelves/racks one way and then come back another, so you see things from different angles and prevent missing anything.”

Consignment stores sell second-hand items on behalf of other people for a cut of the profits. They typically offer an assortment of higher-end items. Vespucci Consignment is a favourite among locals and offers everything from H&M to Chanel. Mood Consignment and Mina Consignment are among other local favourites.

If you’re looking for something more nostalgic, vintage stores

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“I have found my own personal style through shopping secondhand because I am buying what I like versus what the stores and brands are telling me to buy that season.”

— Jennifer McConaghy

offer specially curated collections of items from times past. To be considered vintage, clothing and accessories need to have been made 20 or more years ago.

Vintage stores are popular among Whyte Ave wanderers and downtown dwellers alike. From Another, located on Whyte Avenue, offers a selection of vintage streetwear and sneakers.

Swish Vintage, a member of the 124 Street Business Association, is filled to the brim with feminine frocks and accessories.

Jennifer McConaghy, a thrifting enthusiast and founder of Life Preloved and Swap Studio, has popularized another way of shopping second-hand in Edmonton: clothing swaps.

McConaghy grew up visiting upscale consignment shops alongside her mother, who was on the hunt for opera-bound gowns and ‘80s power suits. So, it is no wonder that McConaghy has gone on to an exciting career that centres around secondhand shopping.

Clothing swaps are as they sound. You and others bring clothes you no longer want and swap them amongst yourselves. You can easily arrange one yourself, or you can attend one of the many that McConaghy organizes, COVID-19 regulations permitting.

The idea took off in 2019 after McConaghy suggested to local businesses that they collaborate to offer a clothing swap that promotes the businesses and circular fashion. The swaps were highly successful and appealed to more and more Edmontonians.

So much so that McConaghy hosted five clothing swaps in nine months, each growing by 50 attendees.

In 2020, McConaghy gave the series of swaps an official name: Swap Studio. The premise has remained more or less the same.

Swap Studio invites locals to attend clothing swaps curated by McConaghy and held within local businesses.

There truly is a second-hand option suitable for all shoppers.

If the benefits to the planet — and your wallet — aren’t reason

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enough, shopping second-hand also gives you the chance to establish a truly unique and personal style.

It can be challenging to differentiate your style from the styles presented to you regularly through fashion authorities’ marketing materials specifically to influence your purchases.

Second-hand shopping allows you to select items that speak to you personally, without the influence of trends.

“The fun part about second-hand shopping is it’s a great way to experiment with your style and your taste. You’ll be surprised how much you start to formulate your sense of style when you step outside of the trends that are constantly being thrown at you,” says Fowler.

In a similar sentiment, McConaghy says of her own experience: “I have found my own personal style through shopping second-hand because I am buying what I like versus what the stores and brands are telling me to buy that season.”

However, if there is a current trend that has caught your eye, you can likely find a second-hand version. Fashion trends are cyclical, meaning that what is popular now was popular sometime before and will be popular again. There is probably a variation of the item you’re looking for hanging on the racks of a local, second-hand shop for half the price and double the quality of its fast fashion equivalent.

According to McConaghy, if clothing manufacturing stopped today, we would have enough clothing to last us 60 years. In that case, it makes very little sense to opt for brand new, storebought items when you can opt to shop sustainably, uniquely, and economically simultaneously.

Edmonton is already home to many avid second-hand shoppers, and there is always room for more. Perhaps you’ll join them.

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s i e r t c e p A s nting hau onton Edm Words JACKSON SPRING Graphics MICHELLE WEREMCZUK

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n the cold, snowy evening of Nov. 11, Sarah Spisak made the understandable decision not to brave the weather and the pandemic to get groceries for supper.

“I was feeling lazy and decided to order something from SkipTheDishes,” Spisak says. “All I wanted was some wings and good sauce to warm my belly.”

Looking for bar food, she found a listing she had never heard of before, scrolled over to the chicken wings section, and began looking through their sauce options — her “favourite part of the process,” she says — before settling on “Spicy Southern BBQ.” “I confirmed the order and began imagining how good these wings were going to be: deep fried to perfection and covered in spicy, sweet, sticky sauce.” What she could not have imagined is the disappointment she would soon face.

The reason Spisak had never heard of the restaurant before is that it doesn’t exist — not physically, anyway. It is a ghost kitchen: a business that doesn’t have any tables for people to sit at or waiting areas for customers to pick up take out or a big sign to see as you drive by. Instead, ghost kitchens serve food exclusively through third-party delivery apps like SkipTheDishes or Uber Eats, or DoorDash.

While ghost kitchens have existed in the United States for a while, they have only become popular in Canada over the past year or so. A spokesperson for the Alberta Health Service (AHS) said in an email that the provincial government has approved 14 ghost kitchen locations in Edmonton.

They take a few different forms. Some of them are inside permanent structures, such as the three locations of the appropriately named Ghost Kitchens, located on Whyte Ave, Jasper Ave, and Hermitage Rd. Others are mobile sites, operating out

of trailers, such as the two locations of Reef Kitchens in Impark parking lots downtown and just off Whyte Ave (Reef Technology, the Miami-based parking lot operating company that owns these trailers, also manages all of Alberta’s Impark lots).

Both of these types offer a wide variety of brands, each with their own menu, logo, and listing on the food delivery app of choice, all operated out of a single location. So, whether you order hot wings from Wings & Things or carnitas tacos from Red Corn Taqueria on SkipTheDishes, your food is going to come from the same Reef trailer nearest to you. Or, if you look through the menus of both American Eclectic Burger on Door Dash, and Lightning Burger on SkipTheDishes, you might notice they are exactly the same, since both are also operated by Reef.

Ghost Kitchens also acts as a sort of importer, selling the products of hard-to-find American brands of grocery store products like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, and bakery items from The Cheesecake Factory.

Others, like the one Spisak unknowingly ordered from, operate out of existing restaurants.

“About five minutes (after ordering), my phone rang and my caller ID was saying that it was Denny’s. ‘That’s weird,’ I thought to myself,” she says. “I picked up the phone and lo and behold it was a lady calling from Denny’s (I could hear all the Denny’s chatter in the background) and was talking about my wings order.”

The larger brands tend to indicate they are ghost kitchens.

Buns and Bao appears as “Buns and Bao by REEF,” on SkipTheDishes, for example, while all of the Ghost Kitchens brands appear under one banner. However, this one, and others like it, tend not to indicate anything about their operation. Spisak only discovered she had ordered from a ghost kitchen because of

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this fluke — the employee called to tell her they were out of one of the items she ordered — otherwise, it would have appeared like any other restaurant. Bawk Bawk Chicken & Poutines, for another example, is a restaurant based out of London, ON. that rents the kitchen of Wok Box on Jasper Ave to offer their menu for delivery only in Edmonton.

No matter what form they take, one thing is consistent about ghost kitchens: people tend not to like the food.

Spisak, who has worked as a professional cook for nine years, says her experience with them has never been good, and that as soon as she found out she had ordered from one, she knew she was “destined to receive less than mediocre wings from the back of Denny’s.”

“And less than mediocre wings I received,” she says. “The ‘Spicy Southern BBQ’ sauce was nothing more than some teriyaki mixed with HP Sauce and some sort of mango condiment — the leftover remnants of a Denny’s lunch rush.”

This opinion is far from an outlier. A sampling of comments from users on the r/Edmonton subreddit on Reddit painted an almost universally negative picture of ghost kitchens in the city, from low quality food, to tiny portion sizes, to — oddly enough, since it is the basis of the entire business — long delivery times.

“Everything is bought pre made and pre cooked,” says user doughmixer1983, who also says they have been in the food business for a decade. “Basically, they are taking cooked meat and just mixing it with different sauces and seasoning to make it look different.”

“They basically get things shipped in from those American chain restaurants and reheat them up for you. I ordered The Cheesecake Factory and Cinnabon one time, was super disappointed to see how small the serving sizes are for how pricey it is,” says user bdpoptart.

“I despise these places,” says user suckmygoatsack.

And it isn’t just customers that have a bad time dealing with ghost kitchens. Azad Kaya, a former food delivery driver, says that his impression from the perspective of having to pick up orders from them is equally as bad.

“Most of them are super sketchy,” says Kaya. “I’ve wandered around the block trying to find the place I was supposed to pick up from, only to call and have them tell me I’m supposed to knock on a door in the alley.”

Kaya also says his impression is that, because ghost kitchens

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do not have any customer-facing locations, there is less scrutiny, and that from what he has seen, a lot of them can appear much dirtier than what people might expect from a normal restaurant.

Lastly, he adds that out of any type of restaurant, ghost kitchens have always made him wait the longest when he arrives to pick up the food.

The spokesperson from AHS says that ghost kitchens are subject to all the same health and safety standards as normal restaurant kitchens, regular visits from a health inspector, and that so far, no health code violations have been found at any ghost kitchen in Edmonton.

A spokesperson from Reef issued an emailed statement to the griff that read in full: “Reef’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers, and we follow strict food handling and COVID-19 safety protocols at all of our Neighborhood Kitchens. Additionally, Reef works hand-in-hand with our restaurant partners to ensure quality and consistency in every meal we prepare. This often requires installing specialized kitchen appliances or sourcing specific ingredients from local partners. Through our network of Neighborhood Kitchens, we are able to broaden the delivery options available to customers and provide restauranteurs the resources and flexibility they need to evolve and expand, while minimizing operational costs and delivery times.”

Ghost Kitchen Brands, the parent company of Ghost Kitchens, could not be reached for comment in time for publication.

From a business perspective, the appeal of ghost kitchens is easy to see. Opening a full restaurant comes with massive up-front and operating costs — paying high rent for a location large enough to fit a kitchen and dining room, hiring front-ofhouse staff, and often large amounts of construction and remodeling. Ghost kitchens, on the other hand, reduce the real-estate costs, need less staff, and eliminate the need to provide and maintain anything for customers except the bare bones of cooking necessities. It is essentially food preparation stripped down to its barest, most efficient form.

In practice, what this tends to get you is U.S. companies siphoning money out of local economies by providing cheap, purposefully generic menus through an opaque assortment of brands out of trailers and buildings that customers can’t even visit.

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Final Thoughts

Online school work is more school work

Words JACKSON SPRING Graphics MICHELLE WEREMCZUK

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am lucky enough to have been able to do the entire fall semester from the comfort of my home. A typical school day for me meant waking up at whatever time sans alarm, brewing a whole pot of coffee for myself, plopping down at my solitary desk in front of my big fourth floor window overlooking a quiet street, and throwing on Steely Dan’s 1972 masterpiece Can’t Buy A Thrill while I write article after article like this one. There were no bus schedules to worry about, no textbooks to haul across campus, and of course, no viruses to contract outside of my bimonthly tactical trips to the grocery store.

I didn’t just have the benefit of all my classes fitting within the bulk of courses delivered online.

The majority of my professors also decided they would not be doing live video lectures. Aside from a single hour-long block on Wednesday afternoon, and exams towards the end, I essentially had no weekly schedule.

Classes like these still have lectures of course, but they take the surely familiar form of narrated powerpoint presentations or video recordings to be viewed at your leisure. Then, there are all the replacement tasks: weekly written reflections on the lectures to replace attendance grades, extra readings instead of class discussions, random mid-semester Zoom check-ins, and mandatory Blackboard discussion boards. Though it’s possible, I don’t think I imagined the excess workload of small, out-of-class activities that are supposed to be a stand-in for the act of going to class, I guess.

Instead of active learning, there was a functionally endless list of undifferentiated chores, dripping out at a steady pace like the most annoying leaky faucet in the world.

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With regular assignments added in, remote university is an unstructured mess. There are constant deadlines for which students are more responsible than ever to schedule and organize on their own. For many, the school day now consists of choosing which lectures to download, teaching yourself their material, figuring out which of the remaining hours of the day are best spent on each tiny assignment worth one per cent of your final grade, and finding time to finish all of the expected essays and projects in between. There is less opportunity for feedback — no professor to show your work-in-progress to, and nobody sitting in the desk behind you to ask what the hell is going on.

While my own lack of schedule was nice as a concept, what I ended up with was the extra stress of making my own schedule — admittedly involving cramming six hours’ worth of video lectures for one class the night before an exam on more than one occasion — with many more items to organize than pre-coronavirus semesters. First-year students have it much worse, I’m sure, not having even a frame of reference for a typical university workload in the first place.

Even though MacEwan University announced that more courses overall would be delivered in-person or using a hybrid model this time around, remote university is probably going to be around for a while. That’s good. Schools seem to be simply too unsafe to open up. But, a lot more work needs to be put into how online classes are formatted.

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