july/august 2012

10121 , AB T5J 4X6 contents

2 Message from the Chair

3 More Hip than Square in the City Message 4 Patios in the City Welcome the Core Crew! from the Chair

5 Casual Friday

6 New Business Market in the City Downtown is such an exciting place to be in the summer! Take in a festival, the City Market on Saturdays, or have a meal on an outdoor patio with friends -- there are so 8 Festivals in the City many reasons to visit Downtown.

The DBA proudly sponsors many of the festivals that make the heart of the city an exciting place to be. From the Pride Festival to Street Performers to Taste of Edmonton, these popular events draw thousands of people here, to enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces and a variety of dining, entertainment and nightlife. Check out some of the Photo credit: City Hall Canada Day, Anthony P. Jones, festivals featured in this month’s newsletter. City of Edmonton, Fairmont I’m so pleased to welcome back the DBA’s Core Crew for another great summer! We invite you to join them -- Andrew, Tori, Myles and Francis -- on their free, guided walking tours where you’ll discover Downtown’s history, landmarks, public art and architecture. The tours run weekdays until August 24. You’ll also see the Crew picking up litter throughout Downtown and helping out at festivals and special events. When you pass them on the street with their red uniforms and smiling faces, be sure to say hello!

Downtown streets are bursting with colour thanks to the arrival of large planters The Downtown Advantage overflowing with bright Wave petunias. The DBA partners with Hole’s Greenhouses Newsletter is published bi-monthly and the City of Edmonton on the Ride the Wave Program, which makes these flowers by the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton. available to businesses. I’m proud to say that this year, we sold a record 233 planters! Congratulations to the Downtown businesses, organizations and individuals who support Editor Katherine Hoy this program. Thank you for helping beautify the streets and showing your civic pride! Editorial Assistance & Design: Amber-Leigh Polowich Enjoy the summer. It’s always too short! Layout To stay in touch with the DBA visit our website, edmontondowntown.com. Andrew Bly, Capital Colour Contributors “Like Us” on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Janis Galloway Jared Tabler Amber-Leigh Polowich Sincerely, Katherine Hoy

Downtown Business Association 10121 Jasper Avenue Linda C. Cook, Chair Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 4X6 Downtown Business Association Phone: 780.424.4085 Fax: 780.425.7805 [email protected]

edmontondowntown.com MORE HIP THAN SQUARE IN THE CITY

Bob Rasko is a busy guy! When he’s not acting in plays or Square, so we’ve programmed bands to play the lunch hour. performing with Edmonton’s foremost ukulele band The We’ve been spending time ensuring that the tables and chairs Be Arthurs, he’s working at his day job: The “Happenings” are set up nicely, creating specific zones for our activities, as Programmer in Churchill Square. His job is to program The well as for eating and socializing. Square between festivals, and to help make it a vibrant and exciting place to be. He weaves his magic with a $100,000 You also have to program when it’s minus 20. Is it realistic budget, funded by the City and managed by the Edmonton to expect Edmontonians to come to The Square on a cold, Arts Council. As he hits his 1st year anniversary on the job, we snowy winter’s day? caught up with him to see how things are going! Absolutely. The trick with The Square is that the snow is removed which limits a lot of winter activity. So we are hoping What do you have lined up for us this summer? to concentrate on City Hall Plaza, focus on interactive events Zumba, Boot Camp, chess, and table tennis will be down there on the rink like Swing and Skate, and really look at animating all summer. In August we’ll be focusing on some great family the outside during City Market times on Saturdays. The Square events. The B-Boys (break dancing) will be a staple, and I’ll be is still a very popular walkway in the wintertime and although experimenting with other events like The Short Order Poet, people might not want to hang out for 2 or 3 hours like they and occasional live musical entertainment. do in the summer, we can make it a beautiful place to enjoy a hot chocolate and a walk. How do you balance the programming so that you get a diverse line up, and everybody’s happy? There’s much talk about Downtown vibrancy, yet most of The first thing I had to realize is that making everybody happy the programming takes place 9 to 5. Are we going to see is impossible. I still chat with people who want all the grass more after-hours events? and trees back on The Square. One of the focuses given to We have extended the everyday activities like chess, table tennis, me was interactive programming. That’s why the chess, table and basketball to 8pm. This has really helped The Square have tennis, and afternoon workout programs are there, and why a warmer feeling. Certainly more evening programming will be the Swing and Skate has dance workshops. Even the B-Boy coming in the future. event on Thursday nights is open to anyone who would like to join. Trying to make the events as interactive as possible has Short of doing a daily head count, how do you gauge success? helped in achieving that variety. Right now the success is people treating The Square like a park and spending time there. In the future, success will be Food trucks are taking off. People are flocking to The Square measured by the businesses around the square. I would love to patronize them. Do you program to take advantage of to see longer hours, and more vendors, which will come once that built-in audience? owners recognize the change. Yes, the food truck trend is very exciting. Thursdays at lunch became the day where a number of trucks would be on The july/august 2012 the downtown advantage 3 Celebrate summer at some of Downtown’s best PATIOS IN THE CITY

Blue Plate Diner Courtyard by Marriott Address: 10145 - 104 street Address: One Thornton Court, 99th & Jasper Ave Hours: 11am - 10pm M - F, 9am - 11pm weekends Hours: Open Daily, Weather Pending (May-October) Best Eats: Elk & Bison Burger Best Eats: Butter Chicken Favourite Libation: Yellowhead Lager (from Edmonton!) Favourite Libation: Bistro Lemonade

The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald/ The Sherlock Holmes Pub Confederation Lounge Patio Rice Howard Way Address: 10065 – 100 Street Address: 10150-100 Street Hours: 11 am to Midnight Hours: 11:00 am to 1:00 am Best Eats: Herb-Marinated Tuna on Grilled Foccacia Best Eats: Fish & Chips - we filet fresh Halibut in our kitchen! with Tomato Fennel Relish Favorite Libation: Sherlock Ale Favourite Libation: The Perfect Manhattan

WELCOME THE CORE CREW! The Downtown Business Association’s Core Crew are back for another great summer! Andrew, Francis, Myles, and Tori are hitting the streets in their bright red shirts and caps, acting as friendly Downtown Ambassadors: Welcoming visitors and locals to the core, helping keep the streets clean, and offering helpful information about transit, festivals and other special events. Join the Core Crew on their free, guided walking tours (weekdays until August 24th) where you’ll discover Downtown’s historic sites, architecture and public art. Want to book a CORE-porate tour for larger groups? Want to invite the Core Crew to your Downtown festival or special event? E-mail [email protected]

4 edmontondowntown.com CASUAL FRIDAY IN THE CITY with Janis Galloway DressMeDearly.com & Jared Tabler StyleGuyJared.com

Looking stylish, polished and professional is a daily challenge for most of us. Now that most offices have adopted casual Fridays we still need to be aware that we’re portraying a corporate image. This month Janis Galloway and Jared Tabler, two of Edmonton’s most influential bloggers & fashionistas discuss how to avoid Friday Fashion Faux pas.

What are the do’s and don’ts for Casual Friday? JT: Casual Friday to me is less formal than the whole week, but should still be pulled together for business. I think the misconception when you use the word casual is that all rules are off, all bets are off and that people can wear whatever they want. That is woefully incorrect. Things to avoid would be flip flops, torn up jeans, jean shorts, and short shorts. Anything where we can see too much leg there is a problem, for guys and for girls!

JG: The biggest thing is fit. People will either wear something that is way too tight because they think they can get away with it, or wear way to lose and baggy clothes. Keep the same fit as the rest of the week.

How would you portray a corporate but relaxed look? JG: A skinny jean or a really good pair of jeans with a nice blazer and blouse underneath. A blazer can solve everything.

JT: When I think about dressing casual in the corporate world, that’s wearing a suit without a tie, opposed to abandoning the suit all together. I think we should return to the more formal throw back of looking good but being relaxed.

JG: I think it is good when you are pushing the boundaries just a little bit, but there is this really fine line. Maybe you are wearing a cute pair of shorts with a blazer to dress it up, but, how short are those shorts?

When the weather gets hotter the clothing gets shorter, where do you draw the line? JT: The clothing should not get shorter, because the weather gets hotter! There are a lot of different ways to combat the heat when you’re dressing for the office. I challenge people to look for clothing items that breathe well. Lighter material like silk, cottons, and linens are all really great items that can be worn with a polished look.

JG: I firmly believe in the rule that my mother taught me. Hands by your side and your skirt, dress or shorts should be as long as your arms to the fingertips. If not, you shouldn’t be wearing it to work.

Do you think there is a generation gap when it comes to how people are expected to dress in the workplace? JG: Everyone should be dressing up. You should be dressing more mature because you are in the workplace and no matter what you’ll be dealing with the public and colleagues and want to be perceived as professional. You don’t want your clothes to distract from your job and what your skills and capabilities are.

JT: When it comes to dressing in the workplace the Baby Boomers have a different value set around how to dress. Gen Y would say don’t squish my individuality; let me express myself! And then your Baby Boomers would say you’re at the office it’s not about your individuality, it’s about portraying a corporate and professional image. We’re still battling those two schools of thought. Companies that are doing a really good job of balancing will allow enough room for there to be some individuality while still maintaining a professional look in a corporate setting. july/august 2012 the downtown advantage 5 Spotlight on New MARKET IN THE CITY Business Strathcona Country Kitchen @Scountrykitchen Little Scholars Childcare Full-time workers by day, foodies by www.educationaldaycare.ca night, husband and wife team Grant EPCOR Tower Suite 220-10423 and Vanessa Lloyd have turned their 101 Street kitchen passion into a growing business. They sell jams and baked goods but What kind of programing are probably best known for their do you offer? delectable lemon tarts and lemon curd Our program is intended to give that people line up for every Saturday. children awareness of their feel- ings and a means for expressing What made you decide to bring your love for jams and baking themselves by the use of free choice and educational programming. By providing an environment where the child learns to share and reflect on to the public? the needs and concerns of others. The program provides individual at- We’ve both always enjoyed food, eating, cooking and sharing with tention to each child’s strengths and needs and provides an opportunity others. Selling food at the markets was just an extension of that. to participate in the decision making process. What is your philosophy behind the food you make? Are there enough childcare spaces in Downtown Edmonton? We don’t use food additives, preservatives or food colouring. All There is a real challenge right now for parents to find quality childcare our recipes are handmade with natural and organic ingredients. spots in the downtown area. There are some facilities that are practicing Food we make has to be something that our family would enjoy “higher standard” levels of care, although these facilities have 1-2 year wait lists for registration, leaving the parents in a difficult situation of set- before it makes it to the market. tling for average or below average childcare services. You both have full time jobs. How do your prepare for a busy Saturday market? The Cask & Barrel Things like caning, jams and meringues are made through-out www.thecaskandbarrel.ca the week, baking and prep is done later in the evenings. Friday’s 10041 104 Street, Edmonton start at 6am and goes all day making the fruit curds, tarts and more jam usually finishing around 2am. We are back up at 4am to You describe your place as finish, pack, and are off to the market by 6am. “Modern Prairie Tavern”, what do you mean by that? The name Prairie Tavern actually came from a friend of ours who said that the Cloud+Lolly www.cloudandlolly.com first time she saw our establishment. It Cheryl Currie has always been passionate about creating. This stuck after that. passion inspired her to give up her nine – five office job to work You’re the ultimate recyclers full-time at her company Cloud+Lolly, where she makes and sells — a lot of your furniture handmade accessories and jewelry. comes from other restaurants and hotels. Tell us about that. Describe your pieces? We loved the idea of reusing items that people wanted to get rid of. The Playful, affordable, Sutton Hotel was having an auction and selling everything (they are put- innovative. Designed ting in a Chop). Our amazing designer/builder Chris Smith bought the old with a sense of history chandeliers. He stripped them, cleaned them up, and painted them. They and vintage flair. look amazing. We then bought the love seats and had them reupholstered, and bought some of the salad bowls and made light fixtures out of them. When you’re making Know about a new Downtown business? a piece what’s your inspiration? Contact [email protected] Usually what’s lying in front of me. I buy vintage beads, chain, keys, 6 edmontondowntown.com charms, you name it. Visiting the antique mall sparks ideas! When The City Market Downtown has been part of the Edmonton scene for more than 100 years. The open-air market draws thousands of people each weekend, and boasts more than 150 vendors who provide IN THE CITY an array of products including produce, MARKET clothing, crafts, and other guilty pleasures. it comes time to make a piece I pair this with that, then add Here’s a snapshot of four of the vendors something else. Each piece ends up being one of a kind. who help make this the place to be on What would you tell people who are trying to pursue Saturday morning! their passion? Don’t be afraid to take risks. If you’re firm in your belief that you will succeed, everything will fall into place. Surround yourself with like-minded people, too! That helped me The Happy Camel Inc. www.happycamel.ca greatly in my pursuit of being an entrepreneur. Sara Larson is proof that by being good at something, you can succeed. After her son had grown, she wanted to create a business for herself. The result is The Happy Camel which Birds & Bees Organic Winery and Meadery sells Mediterranean www.BirdsAndBeesWinery.com dips, salads and Birds and Bees Organic pita bread. It now Winery & Meadery has three market (formerly known as locations, including Em Sante) offers a the City Market, and variety of wines made a stand-alone store. from fruit -- including Saskatoon, Raspberry, You’re living the Cherry, Apple -- and dream – you started a honey wine known with one location and now have four including a store. as mead. Based in Brosseau AB, the Chrapko Family are What’s the key to you success? turning their own organically grown produce into a thriving The key is the quality of our products! We bring the new provincial industry. goodness of the Mediterranean to you in the freshest, most authentic way possible. We work hard and spare no detail Most of us are familiar with traditional wines made with when it comes to quality, consistency, freshness and taste. grapes. How do these fruit wines taste in comparison? Above all, it’s the incredible team of employees and family Many associate fruit wines with being cloying sweet dessert members who put their time and heart into making sure our wines. However fruit wine can range from dry to semi-sweet. customers are happy! Fruit wines have a greater range of flavor than grape wines. Twenty years ago Edmontonians weren’t very familiar Take us briefly through your wine making processes. with Mediterranean food. How do you explain its The process is identical to making wine from grapes. popularity? Fruit wines and mead are more challenging to work with, Mediterranean food has become very popular as it has many because each fruit and the honey vary significantly in the significant health benefits, while not skimping on taste or sugar content and acidity. making you feel like you are depriving yourself. With whole grains, healthy oils and plenty of fresh vegetables, the Wine making in is taking off. We now have gov- Mediterranean diet allows for plenty of variety! ernment regulations – The Cottage Winery Regulations – and the beginnings of a wine making industry, due in What’s your advice to other entrepreneurs thinking of part to a lot of work by your family. Explain the role your starting out at a Farmers’ Market? father played in this? Starting a business at the farmers market is a wonderful Our father, Victor Chrapko wanted to find a new way to way to test your product, receive feedback from customers value-add to fruit and honey so that farmers could diversify and develop a business plan, while keeping costs low the farm and make it sustainable. In 1999 he approached before committing yourself to a commercial location with the government with his idea. In 2005 the government professional equipment. established the Cottage Winery Regulations. july/august 2012 the downtown advantage 7 FESTIVALS IN THE CITY

Edmonton International Street Performers July 6-15, 2012 | www.edmontonstreetfest.com The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival invites you to play in Churchill Square. From musicians to jugglers, acrobats to magicians, the festival features over 1500 outdoor performances by an international cast of street artists. Enjoy face painters, rovers, Be Your Own Busker workshops and Kids’ World activities. And don’t miss the all NEW Silent Disco! There is no admission fee and performances are “pass the hat.”

A Taste of Edmonton July 19-28, 2012 | www.eventsedmonton.ca A Taste of Edmonton Festival gets you the best seats to Edmonton’s dining table! Churchill Square is transformed to accommodate nearly 500,000 visitors over 10 days. The event boasts more than 40 restaurants, cooking events, new vendors, gourmet food trucks, plus musical entertainment. A Taste of Edmonton showcases the culinary talent and diversity our city has to offer.

Animethon 19 August 10 - 12, 2012 | www.animethon.org Now in its 19th year Animethon, which takes place at MacEwan University is Canada’s longest running Anime Festival. Animethon celebrates Asian popular arts with a focus on Japanese Animation (Anime), and features a wide variety of programming that includes industry and musical guests, a Cosplay (Costume) Contest, panel discussions, and more.

Cariwest 2012 August 10 -12, 2012 | www.cariwest.ca Downtown Edmonton explodes with spectacular costumes, Caribbean music, street theatre and enticing cuisine at the annual Cariwest Caribbean Arts Festival! The fun begins at the Friday night costume extravaganza at the Shaw Conference Centre. On Saturday Downtown streets come alive at the colourful Cariwest Parade. The celebration of the Caribbean continues through to Sunday at Churchill Square with Caribbean food, beer gardens, non-stop music and more

For a complete listing of events visit edmontondowntown.com