Edmontonians Aug08

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104th Street door openers:Rima Devitt, Blue Plate DinerBryan Humphrey, 29 ArmstongMichelle Pombert, eyecare Group

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Proof__2_________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2008

was touched. It’s humbling when a specialfriend says something nice about you in a speechand in print. Community powerhouse Lyle Best isreceiving the Order of Canada—well-deserved…

I’ve always been more than a little proud that I was the firstperson Lyle met in Edmonton. We were taking the elevatorto the Travelers Insurance office where Lyle was about tostart a new job after being transferred from Toronto. I tookhim to my office (his was one floor down) to find out moreabout him. I’ll let Lyle tell it in his own words… this is anexcerpt from an interview with Scott Hayes of the St.Albert Gazette: “When I came here in 1979 I waschallenged by a guy named Muggsy Forbes,” he explained.“He basically told me that if you wanted to fit in EdmontonI needed to get off my bum and start volunteering. It startedme volunteering and started me off on a 30-year mission.”The rest, as they say, is history… the list of hisinvolvements and the millions of dollars he has raised overthe years would fill my entire column. Here’s to you, Lyle.

Special events connoisseur Jenny Kachkarknows how to throw a party. Think it’sin her genes; her dad,Jean, was a localhotelier of somerenown who ran theFantasyland Hotel andthe Mayfield Inn for theFamily Pechet fordecades. Jenny hosted amedia conference atViolino Ristorant a fewweeks ago to tell us thePechets want back intodinner theatre inEdmonton after sellingStage West a while back.Thank goodness. Gooddinner theatre’s been in the dregs ever since.

The Pechets have been one of the bricks that builtEdmonton. I’ve been lucky to know all three generations:patriarch, Gene, whom I knew during the days we hungout at the Corona on Jasper Avenue and 107 Street. It was abig hangout for the young and frisky in those days. Ofcourse, his son, Howard, wrote for Edmontonians formany years. Howard’s a prolific writer who’s made a fewbucks in the hospitality industry. It’s casinos, though, thatrecently have turned the heads of the next generation,Jason and brother David, who now run the familyenterprise along with 1,000 of their closest just-part-of-the-family-employee empire. First, the Camrose Resort Casinoand, in June, Canmore opened its doors. All the Pechetsneed now is the land and building to get back into dinnertheatre in Edmonton.

Notes from Indy: Nosurprise that DanicaPatrick is the media darlingof fast cars. I sat in the frontrow of her press conferenceat the opening of the Indyrace. She’s beautiful, lovelycomplexion, every thing astar should be. Her AndrettiGreen Racing team partnerTony Kanaan says she’sthe best female driver he’sever seen but, for me, that’s a bonus. Tony is known as thebest driver who has never won an Indy.

Head out to Fort-in-View for a smashinggood time at the annual Ukrainian Festival of Golf—akathe Buck-Diachuk Golf Classic—on Wednesday August20th. In case you don’t know—or remember—Dr. WalterBuck and Bill Diachuk are former MLAs. Special guests

are Clare Drake and Gene Dub. ThisUkrainian Foundation for CollegeEducation annual fundraiser supportsprograms at Grant MacEwan College.The $100-registration fee includes teamphotos, nine holes of golf—shotgun startat 12:30 pm—power cart, golf clinic,and traditional Ukrainian dinner andentertainment. Or just purchase a dinnerticket. Contact Alice Chumer at780.497.4374 or Larisa Hayduk780.497.5494. Registration deadline isAugust 15th. The committee is lookingfor prizes, auction items and sponsors.If you’d like to donate, call MollyAnne Warring at 780.456.8989.

Congrats to Ashley Berry, daughter of ourown Chef John and Myrna. This year, Ashley graduatedwith honours from VictoriaSchool of Visual andPerforming Arts in theInternationalBaccalaureate DanceProgram… got thehighest mark inPerforming Arts 35 anda service award. She alsowas awarded a scholar-ship sponsored byLandmark Homesthrough the Victoria Arts Foundation. Ashley is leaving thecity for BC’s Simon Fraser University to begin herBachelor of Fine Arts in dance. Dare I say, “Break a leg”?

In early June, talented bassistTaddes Korris was in Toronto to receiveCanada’s Top 20 under 20 Award. Each yearoutstanding youth are chosen for this award invarious disciplines for innovative projects theyhave created in their communities.

Taddes was recognized for his recordingproject ofMikalojusCiurlionissymphonicworks. Herecruited 66youngmusiciansfrom Albertato volunteertheir time andtalent torecord andintroduceCiurlionis’works toCanadianaudiences.

But here’sthe real news:In May,Taddes’ wastaking classesfrom twomembers ofthe New York

Philharmonic. These Julliard instructors were so excitedabout his ability, they convinced the Manhattan School ofMusic (where auditions are held in February) to hearTaddes play in June. US News and World Report rated theManhattan School as having one of the lowest acceptance

rates of any music school in the U.S. Within two days,Taddes was notified that he was accepted… a dilemma:He would have to forego his remaining $15,000Millennium Scholarship as it can only be used for aCanadian university. Tuition and board at theManhattan School runs about $50,000 per year.

Taddes’ mom, Nejolla Korris, who runs theSponsorship Group and is a former Edmontonianscolumnist, called from Winnipeg to confirm thebags and bass are being packed. Taddes leaves onAugust 20th. √

This message is for the publishers of the 2008-09 white pages phone book: What the hell were you thinking??

Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail [email protected]

II

Ashley Berry

Taddes Korris

Danica Patrick

with Muggsy, Marty & Mark

Mountain climber and

financial planner Guy

McKay stopped by the

Canmore Casino after

scrambling a few peaks

to flex his muscles on

the slot machines.

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2008 3


was totally thrilled to hear that the lateWes Montgomery is going to be inducted into theCountry Music Hall ofFame this coming

September in Winnipeg,thanks to wonderful people,like Jackie Rae Greeningof CFCW, who made thishappen. Wes owned theairwaves in Edmonton formany, many years, hostingmornings on CHED, K-LITE, and CFRN, with thelast several years on countrymusic radio CFCW.

I was fortunate to have known Wes since I was just a kidwhen he worked for Dad at CHED in the 1960s. Nothingwas sadder for me than when we changed the format onCFRN AM in the early 1990s and I had to let this legend gofrom his morning shift. Wes went easy on me and weshook hands as friends. However, he got the last laugh.

In his column in the Edmonton Sun that weekend, Wesmentioned his termination, stating, “I just got fired by myformer boss’s kid… I knew him when he just got out of hisdiapers.”

Special! Good work JR.

This past month I was honoured to be partof a focus group for the Edmonton Oilers. This was just aweek or so after the Daryl Katz takeover became official.Ernie Pasemko and Frank Calder of Calder Bateman

conducted the session, with input from people like me,Don Metz of Aquila Productions, Martin Salloum of theEdmonton Chamber of Commerce, and Ron Gilbertsonof Economic Development Edmonton, among others.

It was one of several gatherings to discuss the on-goingoperation of the hockey team. The sign of a great businessis when it conducts research on a continuous basis toimprove its product. Ithink we’ll see theresults of that on theice this year.

Speaking of theOilers, I go back tothe early 1980s withGM Kevin Lowewhen he was doingsport-a-torials for a radio station I wasrunning in town. I must have taught himwell because Kevin made sportsworld-wideheadlines when he performed a half-hourverbal assault on Anaheim Mighty Ducks’Brian Burke with Total Sports host Bob Stauffer on oursports station, Team 1260 early in July.

One of the most entertaining half-hours of radio that I’veever heard, it spurred a record number of phone calls ande-mails in the following few days. The NHL even called toask for a copy of the tape. Hmmm...

We are so fortunate with world classentertainment this summer in Edmonton. I saw sometremendous concerts in the past month and many more areon the way. As showcased a few months ago, Pink Martiniblew everybody away at the Winspear during the Jazzfest.China Forbes (no relation) sang in six different languagesand had a back-up band that could have carried the show.

Following that Mark Knopfler, formerly of DireStraits, sold out the Jube in record time and put on oneof those concerts where you spend most of the time withyour eyes closed moving to his amazing guitar. JubileePresident Katherine Huising invited me up to see therelatively new private rooms that are now available for

corporate functions at the refurbished auditorium. Giveher a call from more information.

Then it was off to Rexall forthe James Taylor concert.Nothing like watching aveteran of the music industrywork the crowd. Both Jamesand Mark enjoyed four-and-a-half-star status in thenewspapers the next day—ararity, to say the least.

Now the fun begins: We’rein outdoor concert mode andI hope that the past six toeight weeks of almost dailyprecipitation is over. The

Folk Festival, Big Valley Jamboree, the FringeFestival, and the Blues Festival deserve blue skies.

There’s nothing like bad weather—and badroads—to ruin a good summer. Fingers are

crossed that these outstanding events get more than theirfair share of sunshine so that the world class entertainmentwe have invited to Sunny Alberta can take home positivestories of their experience. Enjoy.

Finally, I’ve been touring the city for severalweeks with 630 CHED’s Gord Whitehead and DebbieWalker. We’ve spoken to some of our great civicsupporters—people like Telus’ Dr. Bob Westbury, theUnited Way’s Anne Smith, and Quickcard’s Lyle Best—about an incredible project that Santa’s Anonymous isputting together.

It’s not official yet… but when it is announced Santa’sAnonymous will go to a whole new level. It’s an excitingproject that will help this wonderful cause become evenbigger and better.

More to come…soon. √

Marty Forbes is VP and general manager of The Bear,EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. [email protected]

II

ispatch from the East Coast…Portugal Cove, NL – Breaker, Breaker.good buddy. I have been in and aroundthe East Coast for about a month now.

No real clue what is happening around E-Town, butexpect that my lawn must be quite unruly.

I was sorry to miss all the city’s activities in July…especially the Taste of Edmonton, Capitol Ex and theRexall Indy. But, I’m reallyenjoyingseeingfamily andfriends herein AtlanticCanada.

I wouldlike torecommendthat you startplanning nextyear’s summervacation in this part ofthe country. Youcould check out theStan Rogers folkfestival in Canso,Nova Scotia in earlyJuly. Top notchlocation, top notchentertainers and topnotch vibe—verysimilar vibe to the Edmonton Folk MusicFestival… except you’re in a beautiful ocean-sidelocation.

This year’s show featured Martin Sexton, StaceyEarle, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gordie Sampson, RonHynes, April Wine, Bruce Guthro, Little MissHiggins, Coco Love Acorn, Valdy, and my newfavourite Newfoundland band Shanneyganock, toname a few. Go to www.stanfest.com to get thescoop.

There was an Edmonton connection at Stanfest. Iwas happy to be hosting the main stage with my old

pal Steve Antle. As well, Bobby Cameron did agreat job at his first Stanfest.

Before I ramble on here about football…I want to wish Esks receiver Jason Tucker a speedyand full recovery. My thoughts and prayers are withyou, Jason.

I am and alwayshave been a diehardEdmonton Eskimosfan. That being said,I would love to seea CFL team inAtlantic Canada. Ateam in the Far Eastwould complete thepicture for the CFL.It would even theEast vs. Westcontest—and what ahell of a Grey Cup party they would have in Halifax.There has always been rumblings about this concepthappening. But why am I waiting until 11pm—11:30in Newfoundland—to see the western teams half ofthe Thursday doubleheaders? It seems to be a weebit neglectful of possible future ticket buyers inAtlantic Canada.

A huge round of applause… to the people ofEdmonton’s North East.The first ever CanadaDay celebration at

Borden Park washeld this year. Apile of peoplemade their way tothe park to hangout, listen tomusic, enjoyplenty of familyactivities and singthemselves “HappyBirthday.” Councillor TonyCaterina and his staff, MLA

Peter Sandhu along with greathelp from Northlands pulled off afantastic event that is sure to be along standing tradition in the city.

I didn’t know that Borden Parkgoes waay back to 1879 and that itboasted a wood-frame roller coast,affectionately called the “GreenRattler” from 1915 to 1935.Funland, as it was known then, alsohad a carousel, swimming pool and

bath house, a dining hall and zoo which ran until1954 when the “amusements” were removed. For allits years, it has been a popular picnic spot.

Borden Park currently has two wading pools, anunderused outdoor swimming pool in need of repair,a bandshell, playground, tennis courts, and twobaseball diamonds. Seven of the picnic sites can bebooked for gatherings of up to 100 people, and theeighth site for up to 60 is sheltered… oodles oftables, barbecue pits and stoves. A great place for afamily outing.

What a city we live in… Go to www.pollstar.comand search concerts coming to Edmonton; it isunbelievable. We are in the wheelhouse for touringacts. How about these picks?

• Can’t wait to see Tom Petty and theHeartbreakers with Steve Winwood

• Joan Osborne, Ron Sexsmith, Luke Doucetand Martha Wainwright at the EdmontonFolk Music Festival should be killer

• Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins at theEdmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival are not to bemissed

• Oasis at Rexall on the 29th should be good • Motley Crue would be a great show to see.

Live and learn… I want to thank Lorinne Shorefor pointing out a grammar glitch in last month’scolumn. Here’s part of her e-mail:

“I enjoy reading your column inthe Edmontonians. In referenceto…your commentary about BillClinton, you said ‘He inspiredme to do more…especially withregards to the environment.’ Justwanted to pass along that thecorrect terminology is ‘withregard to’, ‘in regard to’ or‘regarding’. The plural form…istypically used in friendlygreetings such as ‘give him/her my

regards’.”I think it is great that Lorinne sent me

this note. I hope to be the best writer I canbe. This feedback helps. Keep it coming.Barb Deters sends her regards too! √

Mark Scholz, owner of MESCommunications Inc. offers a variety ofservices including production, creativeand entertainment. For moreinformation or to suggest a story idea,email [email protected]

DD

Shanneyganock

Portugal Cove

The Green Rattler

and Pool-1932

Jason Tucker

KevinLowe

BrianBurke

James Taylor

Wes and Jackie Rae

Borden Park - 1913

City of Edmonton Archives

4



FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

AUGUST 2008Vol. XIX

Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of eachmonth at C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th StreetEdmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8. ©All rights reserved. Nopart of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced inany form without written permission from the publisher.

Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible forunsolicited manuscripts.

All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Circulation DepartmentC-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th StreetEdmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8Email: [email protected]

SHARON MacLEANPublisher and Advertising Director

Telephone: 780.482.7000Fax: 780.488.9317

e-mail: [email protected]

INSIDEVOX POPMuggsy Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Mark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3POLL STATIONNutritional labels/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

PHOTO FEATUREHabitat for Humanity/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

DOORS OPEN FESTIVALAccessing architetural jems/Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Edmonton’s Heritage Neighbourhoods . . . . . . . . . .9Name the Doors Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

INNOVATION/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

CIVIC BUZZ/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16MEDIA MINUTE/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

BUSINESS OF LOVE/Jesperson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17MY E-SPACEChocophilia/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

LIVELY LIFESTYLESMenu Magic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Absolute Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Marty ForbesMuggsy Forbes

Bruce HogleRyan JespersonDavid Norwood

Erin RaynerMark Scholz

Nizar J. Somji

FEATURE WRITERSNJ Brown

Barb DetersRick Lauber

Peter Drake McHughMarg. PullishyLaurel Vespi

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry BourqueQuincey Deters

Janis DowCarla Turner

SPECIAL PROJECTSEdmontonians Transformers

Tom BradshawLes Brost

Steffany HanlenLarry Ohlhauser

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Neighbours on 104th StreetPhoto by Terry Bourque

No. 8

1919YEARS

C E L E B R A T I N G

DO YOU USE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION WHEN PURCHASING OR PREPARING FOOD?

Respondents were first asked how often they use the nutritionalanalysis information that is provided on a variety of items. Sixtypercent of respondents reported they always or almost always use thenutritional information on prepackaged food, 35 percent use theinformation provided with recipes in cookbooks, 28 percent use it inmagazine recipes, and 18 percent always or almost always use theinformation provided with recipes on websites. Eighteen to 20 percentof respondents reported they sometimes use the nutritional informationprovided on the various items.

Respondents who reported they never use the nutritionalinformation provided (10 percent to 45 percent) were asked why not.The most frequent reasons were not using recipes in cookbooks,magazines or online or not purchasing prepackaged foods, and notbeing concern about nutritional analysis.

WHICH ITEMS ON THE NUTRITIONAL LABELSARE OF MOST INTEREST TO YOU?

Respondents were then asked which items on the nutritional labelsthey checked. The most commonly viewed items were sodium (84percent), fat (81 percent), and calories (70 percent). When asked ifthey believed that the nutritional labeling helped them make informedchoices for healthy living, 87 percent indicated that they believed itdid. The 12 percent who did not believe it helped were asked why theyfelt that way. Thirty-three percent reported they don’t pay attention tothe nutritional information, and another 33 percent indicated they stilldo what they want regardless of the information provided.

SHOULD NUTRITIONAL LABELINGBE MANDATORY FOR RECIPES IN PRINT AND ON-LINE?In December 2007, it became mandatory to include nutrition labelingon all prepackaged foods. When asked if they were aware that thelabeling was mandatory, 66 percent of respondents indicated that theywere. Respondents were then asked if they believed nutritionallabeling should also be mandatory for all recipes in magazines andcookbooks. Of the 67 percent who indicated it should be mandatory,28 percent of them said they wanted to know what they’re eating, 24percent wanted the analysis for health purposes, 24 percent wanted toknow the nutritional information, and 22 percent felt it would helpmake informed decisions. Thirty-two percent of respondents did notbelieve the labeling should be mandatory. Their reasons includedlabeling not being necessary (31 percent), ingredients already havingthe nutritional information on the packages (31 percent), and thatpeople will still do what they want regardless of the informationprovided (28 percent).

When asked if nutritional labeling should be mandatory for recipeson websites, 59 percent indicated “yes” because they want to know thenutritional information (27 percent), for health purposes (25 percent),and to make informed decisions (20 percent). Reasons provided by the32 percent who felt nutritional information should not be mandatoryfor recipes on websites included that nutritional information about theingredients is already provided on the packaging (50 percent), and thatpeople will still do what they want (31 percent). √

New to the Edmontonians website:Monthly Poll Station Online Question

Visit www.edmontonians.com to register your opinion

Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll?Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail

[email protected].

Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner ofBanister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider ofmarket research and program evaluation services.Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

STATIONnutritious and balanced diet is fundamental to good health. Nutrition labels providedon packaged food or with recipes provide the information needed to make healthyfood choices. This month’s Poll Station asked Edmontonians about their use of thisnutritional analysis information. AA

With Linda Banister

PollPoll

60%

84%81%

70%

35% 28% 18%Said they always oralmost always use

nutrition informationon prepackaged food

Said they always lookedat the sodium content

in the nutritionalinformation

Said they always lookedat the fat content in thenutritional information

Said they always lookedat the calories in the

nutritional information

Said they use thenutrition informationprovided with recipes

in cookbooks


in magazines


on websites

Perc

enta

gePe

rcen

tage

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2008 5


ore than 200 people celebrated the keypresentations to nine Edmonton families thathave settled into their new Habitat for Humanityhomes. The three triplexes are located on a tree-

lined street in Norwood. This is the largest number of homesbuilt in one location to-date. Eighteen more are currently underconstruction in the north east Kirkness district.

Among the families are Terry and Noelle and their two youngsons. Terry’s comments reflect the feelings of all the families: “Ourchildren will now have a bedroom of their own to sleep in and ayard to play in. We have been living in a one bedroom apartmentwith little hope of ever having a larger home, let alone becominghomeowners. Habitat for Humanity has offered us the opportunityof a life-time and we very much appreciate our new home.”

“Habitat for Humanity is committed to having as great animpact as possible on the affordable housing issue in ourcommunity,” said Mary Cameron, chair of the board of directors.Homes are built by volunteers and family members withsignificant support from corporate donors and governmentagencies. √

Presenter: Enbridge VP ofFinance Cynthia Hansen

Presenters: Grandson Jeff Brysonand his wife Tanis Mosentinerepresented the Stollery Family

Presenter: Mary Kwong,wife of LieutenantGovernor Norman Kwong

Presenter: Yves Millet,president of Intuit Canada

Presenter: Connie Campbell at a REIN seminar.She and her husband Don are great supporters ofHabitat through the Real Estate InvestmentNetwork

Norwood homes at96 Street & 114 Avenue.

Women Build board members andambassadors: (back row) SharonMacLean, Sandra Bromley, NancyGoin, Ruth Kelly, Mary Kwong andLynn Mandel; (middle row) Catrin Owen(standing) Opal Blackstock and MaryCameron; (bottom row) Gay Young, KarlaHorcica, Susan Green and Lindsay Kelly.

KEYS TO FAMILIES

MM

Presenter: Dalibor Houdek

from Forintek Canada Corp.



SATURDAY, August 9th

GUIDED WALKING TOURS—104th Street Market Area:Depart 10 am, noon and 2 pm from COBOCO Lofts10249–104 Street

SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS—10 am to 4 pm

Metals Building: Ric’s Grill—10190-104 StreetPhillips Building: Strada Clothing—2-10169-104 StreetBlue Plate Diner: 10145-104 StreetGreat West Saddlery Building: Scroll Shop—101-10137-104 StreetArmstrong Building: 29 Armstrong—10129 104 StreetArmstrong Building: C’est Sera—10125-104 StreetBirks Building: DeVine Wines—10111-104 StreetBirks Building: eyecare Group—10360 Jasper Avenue

Enterprise Square: 10230 Jasper AveCPR Building: Design Group Staffing -10012 Jasper AveMcLeod Building: 10134-100 StreetFreemasons’ Hall: 10318-100 Ave H.V. Shaw building: 10229-105 StreetStantec Architecture: 10160-112street LeMarchand Mansion: 11523-100 Ave

Capital Modern Bus Tour: 1 to 4pm- Register on-line; depart Enterprise Square

Freemasons’ Hall Poetry Reading: 2 to 3pm

Stantec Architecture Open House: Noon to 4pm

SUNDAY, August 10th

SELF-GUIDED TOURS—1 pm to 4 pm

Campus Saint Jean: 8406-91 Street

McDougall United Church: 10025-101Street

Ernest Brown Block: City Market Apartments—9670 Jasper Ave Saint Joachim’s Catholic Church: 9924-110 Street

MacLean Block: Audrey’s Bookstore—10702-Jasper Ave

Anglican Parish of Christ Church: 12116-102 AveGlenora Bed and Breakfast: 12327-102 Ave

Saint Peter’s Anglican Church: 11035-127 Street

Saint Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral: 10825 97StreetSacred Heart Church of First Peoples: 10821 96 StreetHoly Trinity Orthodox Church: 10902 96 StreetSaint Peter’s Lutheran Church: 9606 -110 AvenueAnsgar Lutheran Church: 9554 108A Avenue

Civic and Historic Bus Tour: 1 to 4pm- Register on-line; depart Campus St. Jean

Audrey’s Bookstore Edmonton- Architecture Book Event: 1 to 4pm

SPECIAL EVENTS

Phot

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uinc

ey D

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7EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2008


By NJ Brown

Adviana Davies at Campus Saint Jean, the heart of the French QuarterPhotos by Terry Bourque

ho among us has not stood on the outside of a closed door andthought, “Hmmm…I wonder what’s in there?” Or come acrossan old building and wondered about the original people andpurpose behind it? Whether exploring distant locations or

strolling down the streets of our own neighbourhoods, we wonder about theplaces and spaces that surround us. Curiosity compels us to ask questions andseek answers. Simply put, we’re all a little snoopy—and that snoopiness iswhat Doors Open caters to and, indeed, thrives on.

By its own description, Doors Open Alberta, aninitiative of the Heritage Community Foundation,“raises the profile of Alberta’s rich heritage byencouraging urban and rural communities to openthe doors of buildings of all types—past andpresent—to the general public.” In 2003, when thisinternational festival first appeared in Alberta, itincluded a handful of participants. It nowencompasses 21 communities province wide.Including, of course, our own fair city, where thefestival is set to run Saturday and Sunday, August9th and 10th, giving residents and visitors alike anopportunity to share in the city’s rich architecturalheritage.

Edmonton’s buildings have a unique and particular story to tell, especially inrelation to its position as the province’s capital. As Adriana Davies, executivedirector of the Heritage Community Foundation says, “Buildings here werebuilt to inspire confidence and that gives Edmonton its character. Thesehistorical buildings portray an enormous belief in the future of Edmonton asthe capital city.”

But that, of course, is not all there is to Edmonton and the festival embracesall aspects of the city’s architectural character. And, you have options for howyou explore these gems that line our streets. Festival details are available atwww.doorsopenalberta.com for all activities. The tours, all led byknowledgeable facilitators (and all free) are complemented by a variety ofother events (also free), such as receptions. In this way, the festival bringstogether the historical and the modern, telling the story of Edmonton through

the contributions of the many conditions andcultures that have shaped the city.

On Saturday, put on your walking shoes to joinJon Hall, a loft resident of the Warehouse District,for one of three guided tours along 104 Street … doa bit of shopping at the fabulous stores and pick upfresh produce at the City Market… then you canvisit a number of other buildings that will be opento the public… and take in a poetry reading at 2 pmat the Freemasons’ Hall. On Sunday, hosts will beon hand at several churches—many in the “Church”District—and other buildings from 1 to 4 pm…during those same hours, there will be a display ofbooks about Edmonton history and architecture at

Audrey’s Bookstore, where several of the authors will be on hand Sunday toanswer questions. Or, you can take a stroll through French Quarter: ExploreEdmonton’s francophone heritage and visit such sites as the Campus Saint Jeanand the iconic Saint Joachim Catholic Church.

Not into walking? Well, take a bus. On Saturday, architects Shafraaz Kaba,Troy Smith and David Murray will lead the Capital Modern afternoon tour,

WW

Continued on page 8

Beyond satisfying the snoop inall of us... is a social movement

that embraces and promotesreuse and presentation of

historical buildings.



starting at the Art Gallery ofAlberta in Enterprise Square.Edmonton boasts many significantmodern buildings around the city—some of which have been nominatedto be included on the City’sRegister of Historic Resources. OnSunday, there will be a guided Civicand Historical Tour—starting atCampus Saint Jean—that will takeyou to several architecturallysignificant neighbourhoods. Youmust pre-register on-line for bustours.

True to its name, the festival alsoopens the doors of various buildingsnot typically accessible to thegeneral public. While not allbuildings included in the tours willbe open for interior access, the onesthat are make the festival all thatmore compelling for the curious.One notable host is award-winningarchitect Gene Dub, who hasgranted the festival access to anumber of his historical buildings,including the H.V. Shaw buildingon 105th Street and the lobby of theMcLeod building on 100th Street.Other buildings that will be openfor public access include numerouschurches, the LeMarchand Mansionlobby, Enterprise Square, and theCity Market Apartments—just toname a few. As for those buildingsthat can be viewed only from theoutside, there remains a vastquantity of intriguing storieswritten on their exterior walls andthe landscape that surrounds them.

Central to the festival is theimportance of architectural heritagein shaping the understanding peoplehave of a particular community andtheir place in it. Davies explains, “Even for the average person living a normal,everyday life, it’s important to see the space-time continuum demonstrated bythese buildings, which gives us a sense of place and identity. Doors Open givespeople the opportunity to actually explore how Edmonton’s sense of identitycame to be what it is.”

Catherine Kuehne Harder, provincial coordinator of Doors Open Alberta,talks about how this holds true even on a personal level: “With Doors Open,we go behind the scenes to see how buildings have shaped communities. Our

experiences of our communitiesare different depending on wherewe grew up, and those experiencesshape us as people.”

And this sense of identity is notonly about who Albertans were intimes past, or who we are now, butalso about who we wish to becomein the future. In understanding ourheritage, Davies says, we are givenlicense to write our own history asit will be viewed by futuregenerations. “Doors Opens givesus the opportunity to re-examineourselves and work out what wewant to be as a city. It’s aboutcommunities opening doors andminds and discussing the city as aconcept in time and space.”

If this all sounds like aphilosophy rather than a simplefestival, that’s because Doors Openis as multi-faceted as the buildingsit explores. Beyond satisfying thesnoop in all of us—beyond issuesof identity, beyond theentertainment, education and purefun of it—is a social movementthat embraces and promotes reuseand preservation of historicalbuildings. As Davies points out,“Not all old buildings have to beturned into museums. Withadaptive reuse—whether thatmeans converting a warehouse tolofts for living space or a factoryinto a series of shops—thesebuildings remain a vibrant,essential part of our communities.”

Kuehne Harder echoes this ideawhen she cites a specific exampleof adaptive reuse being brought tobear on Edmonton’s landscape: “It’sabout preserving as well asappreciating these buildings. Forinstance, the Hudson’s Bay building

was pretty much mothballed until we found a new use for it. Many developers arenow starting to understand the importance of preserving our built heritage.”

All of this translates into a pro-active, rather than reactive, response to theline of thinking that would opt to demolish old buildings rather than goingthrough the trouble of restoring and reusing them. The logic at play here saysthe greater the understanding of how vitally important heritage buildings are,the smaller the likelihood of them being dismissed as unnecessary. And that, inturn, diminishes the need for protests as preservation becomes a given.

Unlike the bits and pieces of history we find housed in museums andarchives, buildings tell ever-present, immediate stories through the spaces andplaces that define our neighbourhoods—they are, after all, all around us, partof our everyday lives. Whether we are rural or urban dwellers, whether we livein a sleepy suburb or a busy downtown core, we are shaped by oursurroundings. As Jon Hall, manager of marketing and communications for theRealtors Association of Edmonton, says, “We live in the now, but everything isaffected by history and that, then, is projected into the future. It’s about time asmuch as it is about place. And when you start noticing these things, your lifebecomes more interesting as you watch how the stories have evolved andcontinue to evolve.”

Speaking of which, there are unique challenges of living in or operating abusiness in a heritage building. Rima Devitt, co-owner with John Williams ofthe Blue Plate Diner on 104th Street, offers a glimpse of what it’s like: “We’vebeen here four years… the location has housed various restaurants over anumber of decades. Basically, it’s not much different from any building…except for the ghost.”

Oh. Perhaps another story for another day. √

Doors Open Alberta website: http://www.doorsopenalberta.comDoors Open Edmonton website:http://www.doorsopenalberta.com/welcomepage.php?userid=49

On Saturday, August 9th, Jon Hall(left) will conduct guided DoorsOpen walking tours along 104 Street

Bryan Humphrey, who co-owns 29Armstrong with Amadeo Pagliuso, willfeature many of his own designs in theelectric furniture and decor studio

Michelle Pombert loves working witheyecare owner Kim Jurina in the original

Birks Jewellers store where a differentkind of bling sparkles in the showcases.

Continued from page 7

Blue Plate Diner owner Rima Devitt(right) and partner John Williams

have a permanent guest in their café



12327 - 102 Avenue,Edmonton, AB Canada T5N 0L8

Call for Reservations:Toll Free: 1-877-453-6672www.glenorabnb.com/index.html

HeritageBoutiqueBoutique

1. 2. 4.3. 5.

6. 7. 9.8. 10.

Name the Doors and Dine Contest

Identify the doors and buildings—all part of the Doors Open Festival—and win dinner for two at Ric’s Grill in the historic Metals Building.

Deadline for entries August 31, 2008. Mail entries to Edmontonians: C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th Street Edmonton AB T6E 4Y8or e-mail—in numerical order—to [email protected] Please include your contact information.

FIRST CORRECT ENTRY RECEIVED WINS!

Adaptive reuse means buildings—and the city–remain vibrant

Photos by Quincey Deters



NNOVATION

One of the solutions to our energy and climatechange crises could be as near as the local slough. That’sthe hope of InnoVentures Canada, a consortium ofresearch councils across the country. Their scientists want toharness the photosynthetic activity of algae, the green scumthat forms on prairie lakes and ponds during the summer.

Produced on a large scale, algae factories could captureexcess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As well, thefatty acids in algae are an excellent feedstock for theproduction of bio-diesel.

Dr. John Vidmar of the Alberta Research Council is amember of InnoVentures Canada. He describes how analgae factory might be constructed.

“We’re actually looking at a hybrid—covered ponds inwhich we have total control of evaporation and temperature.Also, the depths of the pond… the first two inches are theonly place where you actually have your algae within it.Underneath that, there’s no algae being grown because lightisn’t getting there.

“So we’re looking at solar collectors, and actually tryingto increase the depth of the pond where we have activegrowth of the algae.”

Dr. Vidmar suggests the heated ponds around coal fired-plants could make good algae factories, even during ourCanadian winters.

The term nano is quickly moving into theconsumer lexicon. We already have nano attached toanti-wrinkle cremes and mp3 players. And it won’t belong before the paper we write on or the houses webuild are also nano-ized.

That’s the prediction of Dr. Ted Wegner of theForest Products Laboratory with the USDA ForestService in Madison,Wisconsin.

He was in Edmontonrecently as a panelist at theAlberta Ingenuity Forumon Nanotechnology andthe Forest Industry.

Dr. Wegner predictsnanotechnology will provide awhole new range of value-added and multi-functionalproducts based on wood andcellulose.

“You can take a sheet ofpaper and it can be anelectronic device becausewood has pizoelectric properties which act as a semi-conductor under certain conditions. And you can get it to bea calculator and a computer just like the ones we have on

our desktops now. We can have our houses so that if they’rebeing attacked by insects or starting to decay, they’ll alertthe home. We can come up with siding that is going togenerate electricity for the home.”

Dr. Wegner believes that innovations usingnanotechnology will revive the forest products industry inNorth America.

The winner of thisyear’s Emerald Award forenvironmental excellence inthe research and innovationis Dr. Bill Gunter—hislatest in a string of awardsrecognizing hisgroundbreaking research.

A distinguished scientistat the Alberta ResearchCouncil, Dr. Gunterpioneered the science forcapturing carbon dioxideand storing it underground.

With global concern rising over the carbon emissions andclimate change, this new technology will have twoenvironmental benefits. First, it will help reduce carbonemissions. Second, since it’s an expensive technology, Dr.Gunter believes carbon capture and storage will help makerenewable energy sources more competitive.

Moreover, it will bridge the transition from fossil fuels toalternatives.

“How fast can you actually ramp the capacity up in termsof producing these alternative fuels? That, of course,” Dr.Gunter says, “takes a span of 50 to 100 years because, at thesame time, energy demands are increasing. So there’s reallyno solution to stop using fossil fuels abruptly. It has to be agradual thing.”

Dr. Gunter expects carbon capture and storage also willprove very useful in developing countries where the use offossil fuels is increasing.

with Cheryl CroucherIBeating the drum

Nano-ization

Scumfor

DR. JOHN VIDMAR

DR. TED WEGNER

DR. BILL GUNTER

capture & storageAward for work on CO2



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How fastthe landscapechanges dueto climatewarming is amajorconcern forecologist Dr.RickSchneider.For the pastyear, he hasbeenanalyzingvariousclimatemodels fortheintegratedlandscapemanagementprogramwhich hechairs at the University of Alberta.

Dr. Schneider says climate induced change has alreadybeen documented in Alaska where forests are moving upmountainsides, and peatlands are drying out. In Alberta,we’re already seeing the grassland encroach north into theparkland.

“None of these things happen gradually year by year. Theway it actually happens is in fits and starts,” Dr. Schneiderexplains.

“And so, in 2002 and 2003, we had a fairly severedrought over a lot of the lower parkland region… there arepeople who have been doing flyovers and aerial mapping ofthe aspen forest there and trying to document the amount ofdie back. And what they’re finding… it’s sort of a motheaten kind of change. It’s sort of like getting eaten out fromthe inside—more holes—and they get bigger and start tocoalesce and so on.”

Predicting these changes depends on better understandingthe link between drought, fire and vegetation.

When oil sands are processed to make oil, twoof the heavy metals that must be removed are nickeland vanadium. While valuable in their own right, theycan lead to pollution and contamination problemsfurther down the production line.

But the present technology for removing these heavymetals is wasteful. Dr. Murray Gray is the director ofthe Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for OilSands Innovation

“The current techniques are pretty crude,” lamentsDr. Gray. “If you use aprocess called coking,you reject about 20percent of the bitumen asa solid waste product.That contains all themetals, but you’ve lost 20percent of your crude oil.The other method is totreat the crude oil withsolvents and that removes30 to 40 percent of theoil along with all themetals.

“So you can appreciateremoving a fraction ofone percent of the oil”would be preferable to “throwing away 20 to 40 percentof the oil. We want to do things better.”

Dr. Gray’s research is now focused on findingmaterials that might absorb the nickel and vanadium,releasing them from the bitumen without wasting anyoil. Then these metals can be recovered for sale, notlost as a contaminant.

You may have strung LED lights on yourChristmas tree to save energy.

Well, a new Edmonton company has its sights set on aneven bigger market for LEDs or light emitting diodes.

Optilume Engineered Light is Western Canada’s firstLED manufacturer that caters specifically to outdoorlighting applications—street lights, parking lots andbuildings. Company president Guy Meyer estimates thereare 78 million streets lights in North America and twice thatin South America. Replacing those lamps with LEDs couldtranslate into huge energy savings for consumers and for theenvironment.

“The LED competes with all forms of traditional lighting,even the high pressure sodium,” according to Meyer. Thestreet light that this one would replace is a 200 to 250 watthalogen or high pressure sodium. [The LED] consumes 120watts…. and it lasts 100 thousand hours as opposed to the30,000 hours with the high pressure sodium. The benefitsare clear.”

Not only does the LED work efficiently in coldtemperatures, Meyer says the new modular designs make iteasy to add more light where needed. And thin, flat LEDpanels could change the way indoor construction is done.

Cheryl Croucher is host of Innovation Anthology on CKUARadio. Learn more at www.innovationanthology.com

RELEASING HEAVY METAL,DR. RICK SCHNEIDER

DR. MURRAY GRAY

GUY MEYER

Taking LED lightsTaking LED lightsto the next level

Changinglandscapes

saving crude



I like what I hear on i-news 880 nowthat the station is shaking off its changeof format jitters. New voices aboundwith the likes of Jeremy Lye and QuinnPhillips—the latter being rumoured tobecome the next Voice of the Eskimos…or to replace her dad, Rod, as Voice ofthe Oilers. The one concern I initiallyhad was some of the junior announcersinadvertently treading dangerously closeto promoting , rather than reporting, thenews involving Sandra Nette ofEdmonton.

She’s the lady who suffered a strokeresulting in multiple medical problems.That resulted in Sandra and her husbandDavid, through their lawyer DarylWilson, filing a statement of claimagainst chiropractor Gregory Stiles,claiming her condition was the directresult of his treatment. Also named arethe Alberta College and Association ofChiropractors and the AlbertaMinister of Health and Wellness.

Some 48 hours after filing that lawsuit,Wilson turned the case into a class actionsuit and set up a website soliciting furtherplaintiffs. That website was over heavilypublicized. Hence my concerns.

The dealings between Wilson and thevarious media brought into focus twointeresting viewpoints in The LawyersWeekly (which I read regularly thanks totwo lawyer sons). One was an article byPaul Kuttner who provides marketingsupport for Canadian and U.S. lawfirms. He wrote on the top 20 ways forlawyers to work with the media, withNo. 1 being: Don’t avoid reporters!

Saskatchewan Court of Queen’sBench Justice Geoffrey Dufour, prior tobeing appointed to the bench, disagreedwith Kuttner’s article, saying the firstquestion for the lawyer should be: “Whyshould I talk to the media?” Further, “Ifthe lawyer is absolutely honest withhimself, the two most frequent answerswill be: So I can enhance my profile andattract more and better clients; and/or somy mom can see me on TV.”

It is hard to reconcile the huge amountof coverage generated by Wilson in

talking with most of the city’s print andelectronic media about client SandraNette, with former lawyer Dufour’sstatement that: “There is no possibleupside to speaking to the media prior toadjudication and there is always apossible downside. It’s a no-brainer. Nointerview.”

In his letter to The Lawyers Weeklywritten when he was still a lawyer,

Justice Dufour said there were occasionswhen it was appropriate for lawyers tospeak with the media. That wouldinclude explaining the state of the law orproviding opinion on the effect of recentrulings which would enhance thepublic’s understanding of the law andlegal process.

But, he added, “Remember thatwhereas some reporters are fine andaccurate scribes, others cannot betrusted even with crayons. Choose thereporter carefully.”

Appreciating his blunt views on themedia, I would now like to ask Dufour,as a Court of Queen’s Bench Justice, forhis thoughts about decorum on thebench. Specifically, his views ofstatements expressed in open court lastyear by B.C. Supreme Court JusticePeter Leask when he acquitted Hell’sAngel member Glen Jonathon Hehn oftrafficking cocaine worth $1.5 million.

I’ve mentioned this in a previouscolumn: With school children touringhis court room at the time, Justice Leaskused profanity four times, swearing atthe Crown Prosecutor, saying: “He (theaccused) would have to be out of his f—king mind to store it (cocaine) in hisown locker, all right?” Justice Leaskthen used “f—king” a second time, aswell as “shit” and“goddamned”

Since I still haven’t heardanything from theCanadian JudicialCouncil on this matter, I’llgo play with my crayonswhile I await Mr. JusticeDufour’s reply. √

Bruce Hogle is the former news directorat CFRN TV and recently retired head ofthe Alberta Press Council. [email protected]

here’s no doubt that thehousing market inEdmonton has hit a plateau,with many more properties

currently available for sale than there arebuyers. New single-family homeconstruction has dropped dramaticallyover the past year. Homes are stillselling, but the average time on themarket today is about double what it wasa year ago: 55 to 60 days as opposed to27 to 30. At the same time, however, thesituation is regarded more as a

“correction” or “re-balancing” than a“bust.” To counter theopinions of theChicken Littles amongus, Todd Hirsch,senior economist withATB Financial,recently wrote in theEdmonton Journalabout housing pricesin Edmonton andCalgary. “In bothcities, prices in June[were] off onlyslightly from the peakrecord highs reachedlast July [2007].They’re down 3.6percent in Calgary,and 3.8 percent inEdmonton—hardly asign of collapsingprices. In fact, for afull year now, pricesin the resale markethave been remarkablystable.”

Another sign of thehousing stability isEdmonton’s condo-minium market. Priceshave held at evenmore stable levelsover the past year thansingle-family homes.This is reflected in the

fact that more projects are being startedand others announced. I’ve mentionedquite a number of them in this column inpast months, but it bears repeating thatthe market here remains strong.

It appears now that sales for the Mira,first tower of the Aurora project, willcommence this fall, with construction ofthe 23-storey tower and relatedtownhomes expected to begin in thespring of 2009. This does reflect aslowdown in the market, but no morethan that—the sky is certainly not

falling. As if to prove the point,construction has recently started on the23-storey Quest Condominium on104th Avenue and 105th Street. Thiselegant property, a project of RegencyDevelopments, will redefine the skylineof the north-central part of thedowntown core. Its proximity to GrantMacEwan College’s growing downtowncampus, not to mention the increasingnumber of shops and restaurants in theWarehouse District, will undoubtedlyhelp the Quest to be a successful project.

Another local developer with firmlyestablished credentials plans to developan upscale condominium, this time at thesouth end of the downtown core. AbbeyLane Homes is well known for anumber of multiple-family projects,perhaps most notably the ultra-upscaleOne River Park on Saskatchewan Drivein Old Strathcona and the Venetian inOliver. It is proposing a 26-storeycondominium on 97th Avenue at 104thStreet, in the Legislature district. Theproject received generally favourablereviews at a public hearing in mid-July.The building’s height was scaled downfrom 31 to 26 floors, in keeping with theplans for other high-rise condominiumsin the same area.

In my view, the renderings for theAbbey Lane project and the design ofmany other condos both proposed orunder construction indicate thatEdmonton is truly leaving behind thehorribly unimaginative box-likeapartment and condo architecture of itspast.

Despite the housing slowdown, it’sclear that Edmonton’s robust economy iscontributing to a healthy market, onethat will continue to foster exciting newdevelopments.

Edmonton International Airport’spassenger numbers continue to grow.Overall 534,660 passengers passedthrough security in June, and 3,144,369so far in 2008. While not the spectacular

growth experienced in the past twoyears, overall passenger numbers are upseven percent over 2007. The biggestincrease is in transborder (i.e., UnitedStates) traffic, up 17.8 percent in Juneand 14 percent year-to-date. Even with adecrease in flights to Europe (Martinairno longer serves Amsterdam fromEdmonton or Calgary, and ZoomAirlines has ceased its London-Gatwickflights), international passenger numbersare up 26.6 percent so far this year.Increased winter sun destinationflights—with more apparently on theway for winter 2008-09—and theintroduction of Mexicana Airlines’ year-round non-stop service to Mexico City inJune have undoubtedly helped boostthose numbers.

A follow-up on an item in last month’scolumn: Dynacor Media Group’swinning six prestigious Telly Awards.Managing Director Terri Dorn informsme that the company has won yetanother Telly, this one for an interactiveweb-based orientation program Dynacorcreated and produced for EPCOR.“From what we know,” she told me in ane-mail, “there isn’t another productioncompany in Edmonton, and perhapsAlberta, who has been awarded with aTelly—let alone seven of them in ayear!”

Just to recap last month’s comments,the New York-based awards honour “thevery best local, regional, and cabletelevision commercials and programs, aswell as the finest video and filmproductions, and workcreated for the Web.” The28th Annual TellyAwards received morethan 14,000 entries fromall 50 states and fivecontinents. √

David Norwood is afreelance writer/editor. [email protected]

edia Minutewith Bruce HogleM

ivic Buzzwith David NorwoodC

TT

Lawyers—and the media



ou’ll never be able tosurprise me!” she vowed,a year after we met in amedia scrum and started

dating. “I guarantee I’ll see yourproposal coming from a mile away!”

Needless to say, my fiancee-to-be—Capital FM’s Kari Skelton—hadofficially thrown down the gauntlet.

Fast forward two years. Kari is atPerugia enjoying a massage/manicurepackage “I won at work.” As she‘sleaving, she is given a hot pink envelopedirecting her to Second Cup. At the door,the barista hands Kari her personal travelmug filled with her favourite green tealatte, along with another pink envelopedirecting her outside. A Cadillac stretchlimo pulls up. Inside, she finds a gift-wrapped scrapbook chronicling ourcourtship. The limo delivers Kari to theLegislature grounds, where a securityguard hands her the final pink envelopedirecting her to the top of the stairs…

A “belated birthday dinner” with bothsets of parents—Bruce and CatherineJespersen from Calgary, and Gary andDeb Skelton from Sylvan Lake—laterthat night completed what proved to be atotal surprise for everyone—except herdad.

Getting engaged is a funny thing. Onone hand, you’re telling the world you’retotally ready to take the biggest step ofyour life. On the other, you quicklyrealize how little you actually know

about making a marriage work. Wholoses what when closets are combined?What if family Christmas traditionsclash? From bathroom cleaning duties tobank accounts, everything needs to bediscussed and decided. No better time toconnect with Edmonton’s leaders infinancial planning, real estate,organizational skills and interpersonalcommunication, to name a few.

This is The Business of Love—ajournal of sorts on getting ready for thering. One of the early questions is wherewe’ll live as newlyweds and what we’lldo with my current condo. But beforewe go there in coming months, somebackground on how I got to where I’mat…

“A man without land is nothing.”As a renter reading Richler, those wordsstung.

Was I the only would-be buyer wholay awake at night counting “shoulda-boughts”? Or were there otherEdmontonians who saw condos jumpfrom five-figures to an average quarter-million and started feeling queasy?

I feared I‘d be stuck on the outsidelooking in forever.

So a year ago, despite record-high realestate prices, I went for it. My gut toldme it was time to pounce.

After all, it would only be a matter oftime before I doubled my money…right?As several trusted friends concurred,there was “no way” the prices would

ever drop. It was onward andupward for this real estaterookie. With a few flips, I’dmove from a modest condo to ariverfront villa, chuckling athow easy it was to finallybecome “something.” All I hadto do was follow the model that hadworked for thousands of Edmontoniansalready—buy, sit, cash in.

So, at the height of the boom, Ibought.

But nobody said anything abouttiming. It’s a tough row to hoe: buildingwealth after the boom. You’re the guywho shows up at the buffet table 10minutes before closing time, withnothing but instant mashed potatoes anda bologna tray left to devour.

Fast forward one year, there are more“For Sale” signs outside my condocomplex than there are geraniums. Andthere are a lot of geraniums. It’s likeeverybody came to their senses and istrying to cash in at the same time.

Now, I fear I’m stuck on the insidelooking out.

Everyone agrees: It’s a buyer’s market.Great news for all those renters who hadthe foresight to ride out the insanity. Notso great for those who were banking onthe upward trend to continue, carryingthem to a beautiful bungalow on EasyStreet. Ahem.

Despite my assurances that “I knowwhat I’m doing,“ the fine folks at thebank are a little less eager to hand out a

second mortgage than they were the firsttime around. How on earth am Isupposed to take advantage of this greattime to buy with that kind of hesitation?

I’ll admit, there have been momentswhere I’ve second-guessed the price Ipaid for my place. It’s like the classicreal estate advice—“location, location,location”—simply meant “find one.” It’snot in the best neighbourhood. It’s noteven the nicest building on my street.But, at the end of the day, it’s mine (atleast, as long as I continue to make thepayments). And even though I probablyshould have waited… even though myhands are tiedduring this greattime to buy, I smilewhen I twist thatdeadbolt and walkthrough my frontdoor. Because thisis my place.

And a man withland is somebody. √

You can catch Ryan Jesperson “live onlocation” on Your City, weeknights at6pm on Citytv. [email protected]

t the age of seven, Kerstin Roos knewshe was leaving behind a world ofpremium sweets and chocolate whenher family moved to Edmonton from

Germany in 1977. Her passion for all thingschocolate was evident even then. Many years andmultiple culinary cultures later—from Japan to NewYork—she returned to Edmonton to launch Kerstin’sChocolates in 2003, retailing her uniquely flavouredbars in upscale grocery stores and cafes. In February,she opened The Cocoa Room at 10139 112th Street.

The marketing strategy focuses heavily ongrassroots relationship building. “I like meetingpeople and talking with them directly,” says Kerstin.Along with some basic advertising within the localcommunity, she has also capitalized on publicrelations and various food festivals and shows,including selling her chocolates at the RockyMountain Food and Wine Show. More recently, at theHome Show, she handed out coupons to track howmany visitors to the booth would later visit the store.She also invited attendees to sign up for her e-mailnewsletter. As well, Kerstin does chocolate tastings atThe Cocoa Room that the public can register for atwww.kerstinschocolates.com.

All of these initiatives are consistent with theorganic, original branding and her desire tocontinue growing the business at a manageablepace. When I asked Kerstin about her favouritemistake, she said the business has “gotten bigger,faster than I expected it would… and that hasmade me realize where I want it to go and whatI want to do in the business.”

I suggested that she look at possiblepartnerships with other luxury items retailers. Forexample, partner with a wine or liquor retailer toexpand her tasting event base or partner with aboutique flower or tea shop around holidays likeValentine’s Day and Christmas. There is also theopportunity to capitalize on the corporate andwedding markets by individually branding aspecific line of bars. √

Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing andCommunications Inc. You can submitmarketing materials for review; suggest youngentrepreneurs to be profiled; nominate a TopThree; or ask a business developementquestion. [email protected]

By Erin Rayner

For Young Entreprenuers

my spaceEAA

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ChocophiliaKerstin Roos of

Kerstin’s Chocolates

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By Ryan Jesperson

The Businessof LoveShe said YES!!



don’t think there is anything more precious thanreceiving your mother or grandmothers’ recipebook after they pass. This is the food that wewere raised on. It’s the food that we came to love

and enjoy—dare I say, expect—every Christmas,Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday, any special occasion.

This was the taste of home. It made us feel comfortable,safe, relaxed and, yes, bloated. But it was family and, bygolly, this is the way it was meant to taste. And the real joyis in passing these wonderful recipes to our children, sothey can pass them on to their children, and so on.

I was so blessed to receive my wife’s mother’s recipes,my mom’s and my dad’s after they had passed. Each reciperecalls a journey, a time, a place, an occasion. What a greatway to keep our family heritage alive.

The Eleniak family understood this. So to preserve thesecrets of their babas’ kitchens alive, they formed theEleniak Heritage Society and published a cookbook.There’s a wonderful picture of Anna, wife of Wasyl…Irene, second wife of Ivan… and Anna, wife of Petro. FromBaba’s Kitchen to Ours, dedicated to these matriarchs, is arunaway hit—a 13-year old hit.

“Every time I figure that’s it, a new order comes in,”marvels Steve Eleniak. It’s like a snowball that has rolledand rolled into an avalanche. The neat thing is that thefamily decided to support the Kalyna Country ofPerforming Arts Association with a donation from the saleof each book. It’s a 316-page bible of Ukrainian cooking,handed down from generation to generation—appetizers,breads, salads, candy, cakes, canning, preserves, pickles,meat, soups, sauces, tea dainties… the list is impressive.

Says Steve, “We decided to put this together in 1991, the100th anniversary of the first Ukrainian to arrive in Canada.We asked for recipes, and three months later had fivepounds of paper—all recipes.

Now in its seventh printing, 5,000 copies of From Baba’sKitchen to Ours have sold in Canada, the U.S. and aroundthe world. “Our busiest time is in the spring, when peoplebuy the book to give as wedding presents” You can buy it atthe Ukrainian Village, and the Ukrainian Book Store on97th Street—incidentally, the first bookstore in Edmonton,established in 1907. Or you can order directly from Stevenat 780.454.7893.

So parents and grandparents, start assembling the familyrecipes as part of your legacy. If you are 20-something, start

collecting them now, so your questions can be answered,and you can be taught by those in the know.

I chose a couple of the Eleniak’s traditional Ukrainianrecipes. After a hard day ploughing the land, a hot steamingbowl of borscht with homemade bread was alwayswelcome. These dishes are perfect at this time of the yearwhen you can harvest the veggies fresh from the garden, orpick them up at a farmers’ market.

BORSCHT2 cups beets, cut into thin strips1 medium onion, chopped1/2 cup carrots, cut into strips1 medium potato, cut into small cubes

1 tsp parsley, finely diced 1 tsp. dill2 cups shredded cabbage 9 cups water2 Tbs. lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp. salt1/2 cup sour cream.

Cover beets and carrots with water. Add lemon juice andsalt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables.Cook 30 minutes longer.Serve and top with a dollop of sour cream

POTATO PANCAKES:4 cups shredded, peeled potatoes (approx 4 large potatoes)1 Tbs. grated onion 1 egg, lightly beaten3 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. salt1/4 tsp pepper

Rinse the shredded potatoes in cold water. Drain well. Placein a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.In a skillet heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat. Drop 1/2cup of batter into the oil and flatten with a spatula. Fry untilgolden brown, then flip over. Drain on paper towels.

Contact Chef John Berry at [email protected]

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Borscht

Beets



e knew how to take what atree gave him and give it asecond life. He even knewhow to take apart the

second life and create something entirelynew from its remnants. He repurposed,reused and recycled before going greenwas cool. Dad was ahead of his time.

The blueprints were scrawled on the back of a napkin. Itwas the long week end in May 2001, and my father and Iwere fine-tuning measurements over a couple of espressos.Dad always had an affinity for all creatures great and smalland suggested we construct a sanctuary for my growingpopulace of feathered friends, using organic materialsharvested from our acreage. A graceful, arched arbourwould crown a collection of hand-made bird feeders,houses and baths, and provide scaffolding for hanging suetand seed baskets. Perfect. We downed our coffees, gatheredour tools, and headed outside to forage for suitablematerials.

In our search, we came upon a pile of fell trees thatwould provide all the timber required for our project. Noneed for the rusty clippers and stubborn chain saw… weeasily dragged our supplies to the job site. Our next taskwas to excavate four 24-inch deep cavities withoutpuncturing buried water or electrical lines. Gingerly, webegan the arduous task of hand-digging through clay, rockand tenacious roots that could only be tamed with thoserusty clippers. We dropped the limbs into the prepped holesand backfilled. The upright supports were reinforced withcross branches to provide stability to the structure. Littledid we know, those cross branches would be the perfectladder for poaching porcupines and their young.

The next step was to arc the branch tips to create thatlovely arched apex. Precariously balanced on the top rungsof our ladders, we dampened the branches and inch-by-inch began coaxing the wood to bow. I was the first tocrack my bough. Apparently, the branches we collected hadbeen cut down the previous year and were far from pliableanymore. Undaunted, we carried on until we shaped asomewhat awkward asymmetric gothic peak that leanedheavily toward the right. That lopsided creation wouldmake me smile each time I gazed upon it. Through it Iheard Dad’s laughter and felt his presence.

Finally, we beganthe auspicious taskof staging. Hangingfeeders, softplantings and hand-made willow piecescompleted thesetting. By nightfall,we were tired,hungry and inserious need ofshowers. But, westill had one morefeeder to install: a two-story cedar pied-à-terre thatrested on a four by four post. Hastily, we dug a smallhollow and rammed the post into the ground with asledge hammer. That’s when we hit water. I held bothhands over the gusher while Dad ran to the shut-offvalve. The next day I had the irrigation guys pay us a visit.They had to tear up half the lawn to replace the broken line.

For the next seven years nests were built, families wereraised, and migrants seeking temporary room and boardcame and went with the seasons. Over 30 species of birdsmade an appearance in our retreat. And then there were thelittle surprises. A flying squirrel built a nest in a feeder and,to this day, flies across the night skies from bough to boughin his aerodynamic webbed suit. Our chipmunk populationescalated to the size of a small village and moved to morespacious digs under the gazebo where they regularly sowsunflower seeds in the surrounding beds. The squirrelsrepurposed a willow feeder into a day bed, where theystretch out and take afternoon naps in the sun. Pheasants,partridges and ruffed grouse wander about in the fallcleaning up dried berries left on Saskatoon bushes. Deerstop in occasionally to wet their whistles at the bird bath. Ared-tailed hawk patrols the area floating on uplifting

currents from the river valley. Dad and I shared many anafternoon over an espresso watching the action outside.

And then ithappened: Lastwinter while fillingthe feeders after asevere snowfall, Itook a tumble on anunstable step-stool.To break my fall, Ireached for abranch and tookhalf the sanctuarydown with me.Dry wood, rottedshafts and

woodpeckerexcavations had weakened the assembly considerably.

Horrified, I re-erected the sorry mess with tie wraps, heavywire and tears. A month later, gale-force winds knocked theentire structure over. This time I knew it was irreparable.With a heavy heart, I disassembled what was left and cut itup for firewood.

July 12th would have been Dad’s 81st birthday. Icelebrated by branching out and erected a new sanctuary.Stronger, sturdier and more durable than the original, Ihope my efforts will stand the test of time.

I think you would have approved, Dad. √

For step-by-step instructions and how-to photos, go towww.edmontonians.com and scroll to the bottom of theCurrent Edition page

Contact Linda Bodo at [email protected] or visit www.absolutebodo.com.

with Linda Bodo

Arbour 2001

Arbour 2008

HH



In our experience with mergers andacquisitions we have found that weconsult with clients for a number ofyears before they actually decide tosell their businesses and engage usto assist them through thedivestiture process. During thisprelude we learn a great deal aboutour clients and their businesses.Entrepreneurs are an exciting breedof business men and women. Mostof them thrive when confrontedwith business challenges and needchange to keep them interested intheir work. In fact, the moresuccessful the entrepreneur is, themore likely they will want to startlooking for another business tochallenge them. Havingexperienced success in theirprevious business, their mindsetoften changes and many startdown a hazardous road toinfallibility.

They believe that they have theability to succeed where othershave fallen short. They look atprojects outside their traditionalknowledge base—certain that onebusiness is pretty much the same asthe next. Next they convincethemselves that if they follow theprinciples that made their corebusiness successful they will do wellwith their new venture.

Unfortunately most of these newventures fail. Owners discount theyears of hard work they invested in

their original business to make itsuccessful. They also forget themistakes they made along the wayand the set backs they caused.Wealth that took a number of yearsto create can be decimated in ashort period of time. Significantpositions are taken in a fail-safe realestate development in an unfamiliarlocation. They fall in love with adeal that they can’t seem to walkaway from even when they knowthey should. They ignore all theadvice they receive on the basisthat they never had any when theyfirst became successful, so whywould they need it now.

If you want some new businesschallenges, the key is to stay closeto your core business. Pursue astrategic acquisition that will bolsteryour existing business by bringingin new products, customers ormanagement expertise that iscurrently lacking or will becomplementary.

If you would like to explore youroptions in making a strategicacquisition we can help you. Wehave a tried and proven approachto developing the appropriatecriteria and targeting synergisticopportunities. Please contact me at:[email protected].

with Stephen W. Kent, CA(780) 441-6793

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