Recap: artsScene Edmonton’s Summer Party + Behind the Scenes at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

artsScene Edmonton’s latest sold out event took place tonight at the historic Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. The Summer Patio Party + Behind the Scenes was another great opportunity to catch up with old friends and to meet some new ones too! Here’s what the event was all about:

Steeped in history, The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald opened its doors in 1915 and has continued to be the centre of Edmonton’s social life. Join fellow young professionals (ages 18-40) and discover the building’s history and architecture, combined with a summer patio party with DJs, drinks and more overlooking the city’s river valley. It’ll be an artsScene Behind the Scenes event like no other!

Tonight’s event was a unique chance to learn more about Hotel Mac, as it is known here in Edmonton. The smoke outside meant that most people stayed indoors, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and a few of us ventured onto the patio anyway.

Here are some highlights from the tour:

This is the Empire Ballroom, which is where the famous Sunday brunch takes place. During World War II, the space was used to make jeans!

This is the Drawing Room, which used to be for ladies only. It even featured a separate entrance (which now serves only as an emergency exit).

Right next door is the Jasper Room, which was for men. The most striking feature are the windows, which are seem too close to the floor – they’re level when you’re seated.

Apparently this mural was “photoshopped” – it features John A. Macdonald at the centre, but not everyone pictured was actually there.

The staircase was my favorite part of the tour. Marble steps and some incredible views on the way down.

We also got to see one of the rooms on the 8th floor. The one we saw was two levels, and goes for about $1000 per night. Apparently the one Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed in is much larger and is more like $3000 per night!

After the tour we checked out the patio, which tonight offered a clear view of the smoke:

Tonight’s event also featured music from the Jerrold Dubyk Trio, Mindy Cooper (DJ Sweetz), and a really intriguing art project called “Angles of Love” by Sarah Jackson. You can see the rest of my photos here.

If you haven’t checked out an artsScene event yet, what are you waiting for? Stay tuned to their blog and Twitter for updates. See you at the next one!

Edmonton Notes for 8/14/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

It may not be illegal, but it’s certainly unethical as far as I’m concerned: Envision Edmonton is paying “volunteers” to collect names for its petition. It shifts the reason for signing from supporting the campaign to supporting a worthy cause, like a community league. Oh, and to City Council, don’t be bullied into thinking you need to support a plebiscite in order to support democracy. That’s just ridiculous.
Congratulations to local startup Empire Avenue on the big news: they’ve raised $200,000 in funding from a group of angel investors, including Boris Wertz, whose other local investments include Nexopia.
Some election news this week: there’s confusion over the new provincial rules regarding the campaign contributions, and on Tuesday about 40 City employees took part in an election dry run.
The Edmonton International Airport announced this week that a new 189-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel will open in the fall of 2012 at the northeast end of the airport.
Groupon, the website that features a daily deal, is now available in Edmonton.
Is an urban planning school coming to the University of Alberta? Apparently the U of A is the only major university in Canada without a planning school.
The Communitas Group received a $481,000 federal grant this week to build an “eco-minded affordable-housing” project at 129th Avenue and Fort Road.
Here’s a puff piece by Gary Lamphier on TEC Edmonton.
Apparently the economy is taking a toll on local hotels, with occupancy rates dropping more than 6% since last year. The Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe was sold for $47.8 million this week.
Fringe Theatre Festival fans can now find the best shows on their phone in seconds, thanks to a prize-winning entry in the City’s Apps4Edmonton competition.
The Edmonton Journal’s two Capital Notebook writers are heading back to school!
Happy 40th Birthday to Southgate Mall!
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
FC Edmonton, which handily defeated the Victoria Highlanders 7-1 on Wednesday, is hosting the Spokane Spiders on Sunday at Foote Field.
Looking for something to do for lunch on Monday? Check out Live at Lunch at Churchill Square.
The Fringe, which started on Thursday, runs through August 22nd. Don’t miss it!
I’m really looking forward to artsScene’s Summer Patio Party & Behind-the-Scenes at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on Thursday!
The annual Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival starts on Friday at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.
Next Saturday marks the 81st Run for the Daisies! The Canadian Derby runs at Northlands Park all day, with coverage on TSN starting at 3pm.

Another busy day at the City Market Downtown! Sharon’s 14th market report of the season is here.

Edmonton Notes for 8/7/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Runway 16/34 at the City Centre Airport officially closed early Tuesday morning.
The five finalists in the City Centre Airport design competition were announced on Friday.
The results of the Jasper Avenue survey are in – people want more activity downtown.
Edmonton-based Investopedia, founded in 1999, was scooped up by online marketing company ValueClick for $42 million this week.
Last weekend’s Heritage Festival was a big success, though the Edmonton Food Bank unfortunately did not reach its goal. Think about them the next time you see a donation bin!
Online food ordering & delivery service DeliveryTown.ca is now available in Edmonton. The currently support more than 100 food delivery and takeout locations.
Edmonton’s Eddie tourist bus is no longer running, at least not until EEDC can figure out how to make it more popular and sustainable.
Fill the Stadium for the Stollery, an annual fundraising football game between the Edmonton Police and Edmonton Fire Rescue services, raised $11,797 for the children’s hospital.
The Edmonton Opera announced that Mary Phillips-Rickey is stepping down as the general manager by the end of October. They are currently searching for a new CEO, part of a large restructuring.
Edmonton Stories wants to know how you get around town! They’re running a contest from August 9 until September 3. Enter your submissions here!
ETS will provide weekday morning and afternoon peak period service between the City of Leduc, Nisku Inn, the Edmonton International Airport, and Century Park LRT Station starting August 30.
Election news is heating up as we get ever closer to October. Dave wrote a good piece on social media and the election.
Speaking of the election, Don Koziak announced he’s making another run at the Mayor’s chair. By trying to stop LRT expansion.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Tomorrow at Alley Kat is Slow Food Edmonton’s Beer and Boar BBQ. Should be fun, assuming the weather holds out!
Don’t miss lunch time in Churchill Square for the rest of the month! Live at Lunch on the Square starts on Tuesday.
FC Edmonton plays its next exhibition game on Wednesday, against the Victoria Highlanders.
The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival starts on Thursday and it’s bigger than ever with more than 1200 performances of 230 shows by more than 500 artists from around the world. Frequent fringer and double fringer passes sold out in less than 24 hours, the first time that has happened in the festival’s history!
Thursday is also the final Rooftop Patio party at Latitude 53.

The annual Cariwest parade took place downtown today:

Edmonton Notes for 7/31/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Mosquitoes swarmed the city this week, both day and night. City pest management officials say that after two years or record low mosquito levels, we’re back to normal.
City Council came up with 140 questions for the Katz Group, Northlands, and City Administration related to the proposed downtown arena. You can download all the questions in PDF here.
Tons of City Centre Airport news this week: Envision Edmonton was booted from Taste of Edmonton and Capital EX after fairgoers complained. On Thursday evening they unveiled a proposal for the lands but without cost figures. A few MLAs and Enbridge joined their cause, as did Danielle Smith, which got Mayor Mandel pretty upset. It was also revealed that taxpayers could be on the hook for almost $1 million to hold a plebiscite on the issue. And don’t miss this: Economics fuel pilot’s desire to close City Centre Airport.
The Edmonton Corn Maze is now open for 2010! This year’s design features Edmonton’s Food Bank.
More than $72 million has been saved and more than 4 million tonnes of materials have been recycled since the City’s aggregate recycling program began 30 years ago. Great story.
You can now surf the web for free at the Edmonton International Airport! They launched free wi-fi on Friday. EIA was also in the news for providing a sneak peek at Expansion 2012, which is on time and under budget.
Local social media startup Empire Avenue officially launched this week. Chris has a good write-up on why EAv is a must-watch.
Mayor Mandel was profiled in the National Post yesterday.
New walking maps for eight north-central communities were made available this week. Get out and walk!
Thinking of running for City Council? You might want to attend an event on August 11 to learn more about the new rules for campaign contributions and expenses.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
The Heritage Festival is trying to be 100% green this year. The annual event runs through Monday.
The Edmonton Eskimos finally won a game last night! And then fired GM Danny Maciocia this morning. Their next home game is Friday, when the Toronto Argonauts are visiting.
Cariwest kicks off on Friday, as does Animethon.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival starts on Thursday (on ShareEdmonton).

Summer is for eating outside!

Edmonton Notes for 7/25/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz spoke to City Council on Wednesday in what was surely one of the most anticipated meetings of the year. While he committed another $100 million to his proposed downtown arena project, the Katz Group also made it clear that the Oilers will not play in a renovated Rexall Place. Shortly after the meeting wrapped up, the Why Downtown? website launched opposing the project. Also, don’t miss Don Iveson’s post on the meeting.
Scott Dixon won the Honda Indy Edmonton today!
As soon as the Indy has cleared out, Edmonton Airports plans to close one of the two runways at the City Centre Airport. Also ECCA-related this week, National Post reporter Kevin Libin suggested that there was a backroom plot to close the airport, before the issue ever got to Council. Take that with a grain of salt – Libin references just three emails out of who knows how many were sent in the months leading up to the final decision. It’s easy to jump to conclusions without any context.
Edmonton International Airport is now ranked as the most efficient small airport in Canada, fifth in North America.
The City launched its Have a Heart-Give Smart campaign this week, aimed at encouraging Edmontonians to donate spare change to service agencies rather than to panhandlers.
Edmonton is joining the fight against the elimination of the long-form federal census. This report, which recommended that Mayor Mandel send a letter expressing the City’s concerns, was discussed and approved by Council this week.
The temporary parking lot at Century Park LRT station is saving the City millions of dollars per year, which can now be spent on infrastructure projects. Shouldn’t it be placed into a “future LRT projects” fund instead?
The Association of Edmonton Convention Hotels issued a letter supporting the Edmonton Indy this week, calling it an “investment in the future of the city”. You can read the letter in PDF here.
What was once an old gravel pit in Hermitage Park has been transformed into the City’s first wetland built exclusively for stormwater treatment and river protection.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Both Taste of Edmonton and Capital EX are in full-swing now, of course. Get out and enjoy!
The 5th annual Edmonton Chess Festival starts on Wednesday.
Don’t forget about Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series! It happens every Thursday at 5pm.
The BC Lions are in town to play the Eskimos on Friday night. It has been a very painful start to the season, but this have to get better right?
The 35th annual Heritage Festival starts Saturday in Hawrelak Park!

FC Edmonton played Portsmouth FC on Wednesday in the second annual Edmonton Cup game. I was at the game, along with 8792 other Edmontonians. Unfortunately, FC Edmonton lost in penalty kicks.

The annual Capital EX Parade took place on Thursday morning. The list of winning entries is available here. My favorite was the WestJet float:

Edmonton Notes for 7/17/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

The number of passengers riding ETS increased by 6.9% from January to May compared to the same period in 2009. The increase from 2008 to 2009 was just 2%.
The City received 33 responses to the request for potential bidders for the City Centre Airport lands redevelopment project. About 25 of them were led by a local firm or include a local partner.
Enjoy making videos? You might be interested in entering the Be Idle Free Video Contest, which is accepting submissions until September 30.
Even though I don’t like them, I can understand why Council decided against doing anything about the sports figures along 118th Avenue.
Council discussed a proposal this week to raise sewer and garbage rates by 6% next year.
Here’s the Edmonton Startup Index for July.
The City of Edmonton is reminding drivers to keep their eyes peeled for motorcycles this summer.
Northlands launched the Monster Burger this week. The 1kg burger feeds six and will be available at Capital EX for $39.50. If you can finish it by yourself, it’s free!
Sharon visited the Valley Zoo recently, and wrote a great post about it.
Local social media startup Empire Avenue was featured in The Journal today.
Production of eight one-hour episodes of the TV drama Blackstone began this week here in Edmonton. The series will premiere on APTN and Showcase early next year.
Here are the winners of the Edmonton Stories Indy contest!
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
There are more than 30 ideas posted in the Apps4Edmonton contest!
Next Friday is Red Friday. Wear red to show your support for troops based in the Capital Region.
The July meeting for Emerging Business Leaders is on Monday evening.
Portsmouth is in town to take on FC Edmonton on Wednesday evening at Commonwealth Stadium!
The annual Capital EX Parade takes place late in the morning on Thursday (on ShareEdmonton).
SkeptiCamp Alberta is happening next Saturday at ETLC (on ShareEdmonton).
Friday is going to be a busy day. It’s the start of the Honda Indy Edmonton, Taste of Edmonton, and Capital EX!

City Market Downtown

Recap: Refinery at the Art Gallery of Alberta

Last night was the Art Gallery of Alberta’s second Refinery Late Night Art Party. I was invited to attend for free in exchange for live-tweeting during the event, an offer that Sharon and I happily accepted. I can’t remember why we didn’t make it out to the first Refinery party, but we heard nothing but good things about it. Needless to say, we were looking forward to checking it out the second time around.

The doors opened at 8pm, and slowly but surely people started to arrive (apparently there was a line-up outside at the first Refinery party). DJ Justin Der (Shortround) helped set the mood on the main level. Two of the event’s featured artists, actors Amy Shostak and Arlen Konopaki, were asking guests to help them prepare for their improv show by writing favorite lines from Warner Brothers cartoons on little slips of paper. Sharon and I had difficulty remembering anything but the most famous lines, but we eventually came up with a few things.

Our next stop was the new exhibition, The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons. We both grew up watching Looney Tunes, so it was really neat to see the original character sketches and the evolution of the characters. It was also surprising to learn that they stopped making new cartoons in 1969! Everything we watched as kids was so old! Or timeless, I guess 🙂 Here’s a little about the exhibition:

This major exhibition features 165 drawings, paintings, animation cels and related art objects used in the making of Warner’s classic cartoons. The exhibition explores seven different themes from a chronological history of the cartoon studio to the evolution of Warner’s first cartoon stars, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck; and features a step-by-step breakdown of how classic cel animation was made and an in depth look at Warner’s most famous creation, Bugs Bunny.

We also spent a few minutes in the M.C. Escher exhibition adjacent to the Warner Bros. one. Just outside the exhibitions on the second level, local filmmaker Adolfo Ruiz was working with Refinery guests to create a group film. Everyone was invited to scratch, paint, and draw on 16mm film. The final product was displayed at 12:30am. Also on the second floor was the Warner Bros. photo booth! Here’s Sharon and I in front of the backdrop:

One of my favorite things about Refinery is that the entire AGA was utilized. We eventually made our way to the third level, where local artist Sarah Jackson (one of our favorites) was drawing condiment portraits. Everyone received three of Sarah’s trading cards at the door, the idea being that you trade with others as you meet them, hopefully collecting all seven to win a prize. With the condiment portraits, Sarah would draw you as a “condiment”, like a salt shaker, or a cupcake. The line was long all evening, but Sarah just kept on drawing!

Outside on the terrace, DJ Dane Gretzky was spinning records and drinks were being served. It was a beautiful night to be outside, and you could just catch a glimpse of the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival taking place in Churchill Square. At 10:30pm, Amy and Arlen performed their improv show using Warner Bros. as the theme. It was funny and entertaining, as expected! The AGA did a fantastic job with hors d’oeuvres and treats, created by Zinc. Over a dozen different plates of food were carried by servers throughout the terrace. There was also an ice cream bar!

We also wandered through the TIMELAND: 2010 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art exhibition, and Sandra Bromley’s FIRE as well. If you haven’t checked out the newest exhibitions at the AGA, you should, they’re worth the visit.

The crowd at Refinery was pretty diverse, which meant a few familiar faces and lots of new ones. I’m not sure how many people attended, but the terrace was pretty full for the improv show. Everyone was dressed really well too, so if you’re looking for an excuse to wear something new, Refinery is the party for you!

Thanks to the AGA for inviting us to check out Refinery. We’ll be back for future parties!

You can see the rest of my photos here. The AGA will be posting theirs on Flickr too.

Edmonton Notes for 7/10/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

The new Capital City Downtown Plan was approved by City Council this week. It forecasts the number of people who live downtown will double from about 11,000 presently to 24,000 over the next 20 years.
Also approved this week was the city’s first long-term people plan, known as The Way We Live. It’s a 10-year, strategic plan that sets directions, establishes priorities, and guides decisions about services that contribute to the health, safety and well-being of Edmontonians.
ETS officially launched its new Trip Planner, Bus Stop Schedule Search, and Route Schedule Search tools this week.
Olympic champion Kevin Martin is Northlands Grand Marshal for the Capital EX Parade and the Honda Indy Edmonton.
The City is considering a proposal from Montreal-based Octane Racing Group to run the money-losing Indy race here in Edmonton.
The first installment in a new Journal series called The Sweet Spot talks about Churchill Square.
Jeff has another great election roundup at EdmontonPolitics.com.
Great post from Chris on the debate that just won’t go away. I like his use of the word nostalgia when discussing the City Centre Airport.
The city could mark the 100th anniversary of the Edmonton Public Library system by renovating the exterior of the Stanley Milner branch downtown.
Planning a birthday party for your kids? Here are ten reasons to choose the Art Gallery of Alberta.
Edmontonians will be able to pay for guaranteed parking at four LRT lots starting in September.
Congratulations to I Heart Edmonton, one of my favorite local blogs, on a great first year!
I have never liked the giant bat at 97 Street and 118 Avenue. It seems resident don’t either, and there’s a push to get rid of it and the rest of the sports streetscape features.
Good article in Vue Weekly: Time is ripe for urban farms.
Have some cool pictures of Edmonton? Send them to Brittney!
Both Megatunes locations will close at the end of the summer. Stock is on sale for 25% off until then.
The ongoing downtown arena saga was written up in the National Post today.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
If you’re looking for something to do on Thursday evening, consider Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series!
SOSFest is this weekend, and the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival started yesterday as well. You can see all festival dates and times here.

This Breyer’s truck was handing out free ice cream yesterday afternoon at Jasper Avenue and 103 Street!

The cooler, damp weather couldn’t keep people away from the City Market today!

Edmonton Notes for 7/3/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Edmontonians are being asked to take the five minute Jasper Avenue Nightlife Survey online. The survey runs July 2-16.
Fewer people are driving downtown and more are taking buses and the LRT.
The deadline for nominations for the Front Yards in Bloom program is July 8. The goal is to have at least one nomination from each neighbourhood in the city.
It’s not quite a Civic Smart Card, but the Find Your Fun pass is still a pretty good option if you’re going to check out a number of City of Edmonton attractions this summer.
The final reason in Jennifer Fong’s 52 Reasons to Love Edmonton? You.
Edmonton Streetcar #33 has been restored back to its original 1912 condition and is now available for rides, thanks to the Edmonton Radial Railway Society.
Three Edmontonians have been appointed to the Order of Canada: Georges Ares, Herbert Belcourt, and Adriana Davies.
A garlic mustard plant was spotted in Mill Creek Ravine recently. It has the potential to cause a lot of damage apparently.
There are some good thoughts in this article on embracing winter in Edmonton.
About 200 people marched downtown today to protest the arrest of more than 1000 people during the recent G20 summit in Toronto.
City Cemetery tours are back at the three heritage cemeteries this summer.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
The BC Lions are in town to play the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday.
On Tuesday the Ottawa Fury are in town to play FC Edmonton.
The next Green Drinks Edmonton is happening on Wednesday at The Common.
The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival kicks off on Friday, as does the new SOSFest. You can see more festival dates and times here.

There were some nice fireworks in the River Valley on Thursday for Canada Day!

Canada Celebrates in Edmonton

Last night was the Canada Celebrates event at Commonwealth Stadium here in Edmonton. Or at least that’s what the ticket said. There wasn’t much promotion in advance, but what few things I did see tended to call it “For the Love of Country and For the Love of Hockey”. Whatever it was called, the nationally televised event was an opportunity to pay tribute to our Olympic heroes, as well as our heroes in the Canadian Forces. It also raised funds for the Hockey Canada Foundation.

There were maybe 10,000 people in attendance, nowhere close to the number of people that Commonwealth Stadium can accommodate. I have to agree with Terry Jones – promotion of the event could have been much better. The Mayor proclaimed the day Canada’s Heroes Day last Tuesday, but I’d bet that most Edmontonians still hadn’t heard of the event by the time it got started. It probably looked worse than it was though, because almost everyone in the stands made their way to the field once invited to do so. I’m sure that made the empty seats even more noticeable on TV.

Canada Celebrates was a great opportunity for those who did attend and for everyone who watched across the country to reflect back on Canada’s golden Winter Olympics and to salute the military. There were lots of little kids on the field, and they seemed to be having a great time! The flyover was pretty exciting too.

The event was by no means a failure, but it probably didn’t go as well as the organizers had hoped it would. My guess is that they didn’t have a lot of time to pull it together, but did so anyway. Kudos to them for seizing the opportunity to showcase the City of Champions. It’s just too bad we didn’t have time to fill the stands a little more.

You can see the rest of my photos here. You can see the Edmonton Journal’s photo gallery here (story is here).

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