FALL 2016 • FREE THE DOWNTOWN EDMONTON COMMUNITY LEAGUE AND THE OLIVER COMMUNITY LEAGUE NEWSMAGAZINE MAKING HISTORY. BUT HOW? predictions for 10 the Ice District Board to Death Surviving your condo neighbours Pipe Down! Residents take on motorbikes + 7-11 Food Hacks the FALL 2016 inside PUBLISHER FRONTYARDS JARRETT CAMPBELL 4 COMMUNITY 6 OLIVER COMMUNITY EDITOR LEAGUE UPDATES Controversy surrounds a new OMAR MOUALLEM tower; an update on the Jasper Ave. INTERIM ART DIRECTOR 5 DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY makeover; fresh faces in the league; ERIK GRICE A new film series about the core; parks plus community events. Jennifer Windsor (on leave) are going on the chopping block; plus EDITORIAL INTERN community events. 8 AROUND THE CORE Kalyna Hennig A grab bag of hidden gems, VIPs, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR gossip and noteworthy events Lee Craig, Rhonda Kronyk CONTRIBUTORS 12 EXTRAORDINARY Jessica Barratt, Jeff Day, NEIGHBOURS Jeffrey Dekker, Jeremy Too many children never step foot on Derksen, Lizzie Derksen, downtown pavement—until they meet Ryan Frost, Mike Kuby, David Mrs. Hut. Then they never see their McBean, Jodie Mckague, Jyllian city the same way again. Park, Samantha Power MARKETING & EVENTS OPEN YEAR-ROUND! Sona Chavda ACCOUNT MANAGERS Travis Riedlhuber, EVERY SATURDAY Katie Turner THIRD PARTY AD SALES 9 AM TO 3 PM Carto Media GOVERNANCE BOARD CHAIR Jarrett Campbell 18 TREASURER 11 The List Eric Hermanns A high-end chef’s guide to SECRETARY Lee Craig low-brow, late-night snacking Hopes, Dreams, with 7-11 ingredients COMMUNITY LEAGUE JOIN US ON 104TH STREET FROM MAY LONG Fears and Anxieties REPRESENTATIVES How will the Ice District change our core? Lisa Brown, Marjorie Henderson & Nobody knows, but everybody has an idea. Simon Yackulic (Oliver); Chris Buyze, WEEKEND TO THANKSGIVING LONG Here are 10 predictions. Milap Petigara & Scott Winder (DECL) INTERVIEWS BY OMAR MOUALLEM DIRECTORS AT LARGE: The Condo Carolyn Jervis, Rhonda Kronyk, WEEKEND. THEN FIND US UNDER THE Adriana Amelio, Carolyn Jervis, 14 Board BACKYARDS Ben Whynot Survival CONTACT US BEAUTIFUL GLASS PYRAMID ON THE MAIN 23 CORE QUESTIONS The Yards Magazine Guide Can loud motor-bikers and patio diners 1011, 10301 104 St. NW A comprehensive on Jasper Ave. get along? Edmonton, AB T5J 1B9 FLOOR OF CITY HALL! breakdown of every issue, ADVERTISING SALES foreign word and colourful 24 INFOMAGIC [email protected] character you might find The North Saskatchewan River Valley, Published by on your path to harmonious now and tomorrow The Central Edmonton homeownership in the core News Society BY JYLLIAN PARK 26 YOU ARE HERE in partnership with Snapshots from last summer’s community events ON THE WEB Pokémon Safari in Oliver How residents are rediscovering—and reinvigorating—their www.city­market.ca neighbourhood through the wildly popular app. theyardsyeg.ca BY DAVID MCBEAN theyardsyeg.ca/pokemon-oliver facebook.com/theyardsyeg THE YARDS FALL 2016 2 @theyardsyeg FRONTYARDS Downtown Edmonton Community League FALL DECL board of directors: Chris DECL EVENTS here is a lot of development and invest- 3. Clarifying the Urbanism Rules: Recent Buyze (President), Ian O’Donnell (VP), Tment in Downtown to celebrate, but rejected “megabar” applications have Milap Petigara (Treasurer), Jillian Gamez there is also still a lot undone. We need to raised the need for fine-tuning of our (Secretary), Phil Anhorn, Erin Duebel, SEPT. 3, OCT. 1 keep looking critically at improving our city zoning bylaws. Sensitivity to Downtown’s Yvonne Epp, Laurissa Kalinowsky, Parks for Sale Membership Table (especially our urban areas), as we’re coming mixed-use nature and the desire to Christie Lutsiak, Alena Manera, Jarrett In a rapidly expanding core, parks are at the City Market Downtown from behind in many respects. With that in continue to attract residents (including Mykytiuk, Chris Pilon and Scott Winder. becoming a negotiated space Come get your new 2016/17 memberships for mind, here’s your league’s wish list for the families!) means our high-density core Rosvita Dransfeld $5 and get free access to the Don Wheaton heart of Edmonton: needs clearer rules to prevent disruptive decl.org rank Oliver Park’s flowerbeds and mani- YMCA Sunday afternoons. • 9am–3pm, 1. Separated Bike Lanes: Councillor businesses from ruining the street for [email protected] Fcured shrubs are a brief square of colour 104th St. and Jasper Ave Scott McKeen and Stantec’s initiative to all of us. We love our nightlife, but at the @declorg opening the vista of the Hotel Macdonald. It’s Downtown implement a “minimum grid” separated right scale and in the right location. accessible to Edmonton’s many residents and SEPT. 10 bike lanes pilot makes sense. While very 4. Developing Surface Parking: Surface visitors. And it’s for sale. CornFest 2016 few Edmontonians commute by bicycle, parking lots do nothing for Downtown It may come as a shock, but like the Docs Drop by to renew your membership, grab some that, we believe, is because of lacking safe vibrancy or community. Provincial rules Melcor-owned park on 102 St. and Jasper, or A film series all about your neighbourhood free corn-on-the-cob and check out the debut infrastructure. The pilot is actually quite about taxation do not encourage owners the proposed urban balcony project in the of our Urban Agricultural Fair! Balcony in 104 AVE a cheap project that’s had big returns in to build on empty lots. Edmonton and OCL Quarters, Frank Oliver Park is an example of atch a great flick with old friends Blooms winners will also be announced. 118 ST. 116 ST. 103 AVE • other cities, including ones with similar Calgary are lobbying to change the rules. 112 ST. 111 ST. 109 ST. 105 ST. 104 ST. 103 ST. private property posing as a public space. and new neighbours at Downtown 11am–3pm, Beaverhills House Park, C winters, like Calgary. 5. More Community Programming: We’re 102 AVE When ProCura bought it from the Docs at the DECL Community Space 105 St. and Jasper Ave. 2. Better Streetscaping: While roads like doing more events than ever. This year Fairmont, in 2009, chief operations officer and All Saints Lutheran Church. The 104 St. have been made more pedestrian we’re proud to add the Balconies in Bloom JASPER AVE Randy Ferguson said that it should never be free monthly film series starts Sept. 27 SEPT. 28 DECL and retail friendly, we have literal miles to awards (with an urban agriculture fair 100 AVE blocked by a tower. Today, judging from the and the league will take care of snacks Downtown Docs go. The OCL fought against the status quo component), plus a mini film festival (p. 5). sign for a future development on it, there’s and a cash bar. Just show up and get to The first of the film series, where we feature for the west side of Jasper Ave. (p. 6), but Events are our way of connecting residents nothing holding ProCura to that earlier know the community better through local films by local directors, feature’s Anti-So- every central Edmonton street, especially with new and returning community promise. Grant Pearsell, director of parks three movies by local filmmakers, like cial Limited by Rosie Drensfeld, who’ll be in right Downtown, deserves better. The league members. If you have ideas and What’s a Community League? and biodiversity with the City of Edmonton, Rosvita Dransfeld. Director of Broke, attendance. • 7pm, DECL Community Space, 10042 103 St. City ought to budget this as a priority, not suggestions for future programming, we’d Community Leagues are unique to says if the park space disappeared it would the Gemini-nominated documentary as an afterthought. love to hear from you. work to find replacement space, but that does about an inner-city pawnshop, Drans- Edmonton. They’re inclusive, grassroots, nothing to protect the glorious view of the feld will be in attendance to screen her OCT. 7 -9 community-based organizations found Hotel Mac from Jasper Ave. 2014 filmAnti-Social Limited. We caught Up + Downtown Music Festival @ DECL in each of this city’s 150-plus neigh- As downtown redevelopment takes hold, up with her to find how downtown We are proud to be a festival venue partner Oliver Community League bourhoods. They facilitate healthy, safe, and land prices increase, Pearsell says the influences her movies. —Jessica Barratt again this year. Concerts at DECL feature Jody City is looking to relationships with private Glenham and the Dreamers, Lucette and informed and connected communities ommunity League Day is again upon As for why should you care? The OCL developers to ensure park space is provided. What is it about this city that more. • Full festival details at updt.ca. Cus. This day, every third Saturday of helps shape our community. The league by promoting participation in recreation, Most recently, it worked with Norquest in its keeps you making films here? DECL Community Space, 10042 103 St. September, is set aside to celebrate neigh- believes in the power of neighbours knowing social activities and civic advocacy at the redevelopment to include park space. “That’s It’s really a world-class place. I think bourhood associations. Sometimes we get neighbours; the requirement of building sidewalk level. They’re volunteer-run and a way to make our dollars stretch further.” Edmontonians need to be prouder of NOV. 17 asked what exactly is a community league developers respecting our community’s But finding green space is always more everything they’ve accomplished. Some of Fall Regular General Meeting promote volunteerism because getting and why should we care? needs; the importance of recreation, difficult in the heart of Edmonton. Muni- the programs invented here [like Project for Members An explanation of these inclusive walkability, ease and safety of movement in involved is a great way to learn more about cipal urban planners calculate the amount KARE, or the Edmonton Food Bank] have Here’s an opportunity for members to meet organizations is printed on this page every Oliver; and the significance of inclusion of its your neighbourhood and city.