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saving Ranchland,conserving wildlife p. 28 AND
Living together saves resources p. 40
greening theatre heLPs the PLanet p. 36
EvErything in canmorE has changed
but thE mountains 44 Fun-FiLLeD
summeR FestivalsanDrew Ference: the nhL’s greenest PLayer
the magazine about alberta for albertans //marCh 2014
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Neil Young + the damage done / Jaspreet Singh’s hefty Helium /
Fort McMoney, the videogame Red Deer: Home of the Quinzee /
Rosebud: Canada’s most ambitious hamlet / Stenson on libricide
100 YEARS OF OILThe legacy of Turner Valley p. 34
Creative SpaCeCultural creatives take on Alberta’s boom-bust
cycle p. 28
Hometown artSCan art survive in Fort McMurray? p. 42
INSIDe: Our AnnuAl
MuSEuM
S & GAllErIES GuIDE
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Local Food Guide: Your map to the province’s tastiest edibles /
Alberta’s original patronage scandalEPS jettisons The Squad /
Postcard-picturesque Highlands / Learning from Las Vegas’s
tortoises
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Treaty rights vs. oil sands
gamechangerThe court case we all should be watching p. 28
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACEShow alberta’s judicial selection process
invites Pc cronyism p. 34
PERFoRmING StAmPEDEWhy aren’t the Young canadians more widely
celebrated? p. 40
2015 Media Guide
Lau nch e d 1997
fr equ e ncy 10 times a year
ci rcu Lation 15,000 copies per issue
r eade r sh i p 76,000 per issue
distr i b ution Throughout Alberta to subscribers, newsstands,
professional offices and as newspaper inserts
n ewsstan d cove r pr ice $5.95
e ditor iaL profi Le Independent, thoughtful analysis of
Alberta’s unique politics and culture
r eade r s Leaders, influencers, conscientious consumers, active
citizens, creators and visionaries
adve rtis i ng / e ditor iaL ratio 15/64 or 23% of pages
we b site www.albertaviews.ab.ca
The Magazine at a Glance
Who We Are / What We Do
Alberta Views provides new perspectives on our province’s
politics, social issues and culture. Alberta Views is read by
well-educated, influential citizens who discuss the content with
their colleagues and friends. In our 17 years of publication,
Alberta Views has become the must-read magazine for people who want
fresh ideas and a richer view of Alberta’s unique character,
challenges and opportunities.
2009
NAT
IONA
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RD
SL
ES 32E PRIX DU MAGA
ZIN
E CA
NA
DIE
N
ReadeR engagementSpend over 1 hour reading each issue: 78% Keep
issue for future reference: 72% Have been reading AV for 6+ years:
52%
ReadeR chaRacteRisticsavid readers 87% listed reading as a
leisure pursuit. 67% purchase more than 6 books annually. 18% buy
more than 20 books per year.
supporters of the arts 55% attend more than 6 arts events per
year.
frequent traveLLers Average of 8 trips in Alberta, 3 trips
within Canada and 2 trips abroad per year.
ethicaL consumers Base consumer decisions on the ethics of the
company.
weLL-connected word-of-mouthers 85% discuss what they read with
neighbours, colleagues and friends.
environmentaLLy minded 85% listed the environment as the area of
public policy that concerns them most.
active Lives 50% list gardening, 54% list exercise, 56% list
travel, 42% list volunteer work and 50% list the outdoors as
leisure pursuits.
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Circulation Readership What Advertisers Say
PRint RUn 15,000*
distRiBUtiOn Paid subscriptions 6,000Newsstands
2,000Professional offices 2,000 Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges 1,000
National distribution Other controlled 4,000 The Globe and Mail,
National Post, FSA drops, conferences, etc.
geOgRaPhic distRiBUtiOnEdmonton 31% Calgary 34% Rest of Alberta
27% Outside Alberta 8%
ReadeR PROfilemen 47% women 53%
post-secondary degrees 93% post-graduate degrees 41% mean
household income $97,328 under 44 16% age 45–64 42% age 65+ 42%
Data from reader survey, conducted May 2014.
*Publisher’s sworn statement enclosed.
Simon Evans Jessica Goldman Naheed Nenshi Laurie Adkin Linda
Duncan Arno KopeckyHistorian Theatre critic Mayor of Calgary U of A
professor MP Writer
Readers
ISSue
jan/feb
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apr
may
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Feature mind the gap
3 0 A L B E R TA V I E W S A P R I L 2 0 1 2 A L B E R TA V I E
W S A P R I L 2 0 1 2 3 1
In the spring of 2011, Naheed Nenshi flew off on his first big
overseas junket as mayor of Calgary—a trade mission to China. His
destination was Beijing, and he arrived after a gruelling flight in
the same scuzzy state as any long-haul passenger, exhausted and
aching for
a shower. Still not used to the jetsetting holder-of-high-office
circuit, he’d made the trip in a T-shirt and jeans. He was met at
the baggage carousel by a Chinese government escort and whisked
into a black SUV with tinted windows, which raced the newly minted
VIP toward his first meeting down special traffic-free lanes
reserved for senior officials. It took some cajoling, but Nenshi
convinced his reluctant minders to stop off at his hotel so he
could at least change into a suit.
A few double-time, VIP-lane minutes later, a more presentable
Mayor Nenshi was led into the palatial working quarters of the
Mayor of Beijing. Bleary but beaming, Nenshi strode into his
Chinese counterpart’s office to find it full of sober, dark-suited
men awaiting His Calgarian Worship’s arrival.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nenshi spotted a familiar face:
Doug Horner, the deputy premier of Alberta. Horner had positioned
himself several deferential steps behind Nenshi, in keeping with
local custom. In China, the mayor of a major city is a far more
powerful and more revered official than some lowly provincial
apparatchik. No one was much interested in the vagaries of
provincial government; the mayor was the dignitary they’d come to
meet.
Back home in Alberta, of course, the power balance is exactly
the opposite. Naheed Nenshi’s office—and every other mayoral office
at every city hall in the province—exists
By CHRIS TURNER
G A P
MInd t he
ew
an
nic
ho
ls
on
“In Canada the city is a poor cousin, an afterthought, a
beggar.”
4 2 A L B E R TA V I E W S J U N E 2 0 1 4 A L B E R TA V I E W
S J U N E 2 0 1 4 4 3
By aritha van herk
cr
ed
it
ca
lg
ar
y H
er
al
d
How the vastly underrated Young Canadians reflect Alberta to
ourselves
PERFORMING STAMPEDE E
Ach EVENINg AT ThE cALgARy STAmpEdE, roaring crowds watch the
chuckwagon races, a sport fast, dangerous and life-threatening to
both men and horses. But the rumble fades once the chucks are over.
The hardcore racing fans leave, the tourists
don jackets against dusk’s chill, and the big eight-wheeled
tractor trundles the TransAlta grandstand show’s moveable stage in
front of the infield. The stage itself is a hybrid of beast and
bling called the Queen mary, pulled in and settled in place,
carefully levelled against the permanent stage to make a large
performance platform. A behemoth of an apron, it boasts three
elevators and state of the art turntables that almost dip and roll
under the gyrating bodies that perform on them. As dave Kelly, who
has served as grandstand show host and announcer for the last seven
years, says, “It’s the only stage I know where it takes 40 seconds
just to get to the centre, to where people can see you, a mad
dash.”
The indubitable and sometimes dubious character of Stampede
arouses much discussion in calgary. Some calgarians keep a Western
wardrobe ready to don, while others sneer at the annual carnival as
a form of uncultured theatre, a faux celebration of an era so far
in the past that it doesn’t even raise dust. The tension between
rodeo fans and animal welfare groups is fierce. And the jostle
between the lineups and the excessive drinking and the commercial
aspect of the whole affair means that the words “culture” and
“Stampede” are seldom uttered in the same sentence. yet the culture
of the calgary Stampede occupies a distinct precinct, provoking an
unusual brand of poetry and music. And if the chucks are both the
most historically authentic and the most controversial element of
the Stampede, the grandstand show may well be the least.
The show is exactly what its name suggests: grandstanding, or
what Kelly calls “a country fair on steroids.” Entertaining 20,000
people every night, it manages in 75 minutes to combine tacky and
touching, celebration and threnody, chautauqua and Vegas. It serves
up education and spectacle, music and dance, with a soupçon of
cirque-style acrobats and jugglers, pyrotechnics and stunts. It has
to please a million different demographics: kids, teenagers and
seniors, men and women, rural and urban and the infield leftovers
from the chucks. Reviews of the grandstand show range from gentle
enthusiasm to tempered approval—great family fun, but kind of lame
if you’re going with your friends—and an attitudinal shrug: once
you’ve seen one of these shows, you’ve seen them all.
But while the nightly spectacle sounds like a recipe for
disaster, year after year it draws full-house crowds and year after
year grows bigger and glitzier. Every year it follows a path both
predictable and creative, always garnished by the singers and
dancers of the young canadians.
Editorial
ON sALe DAte
jan 1
feb 17
mar 16
apr 13
may 19
jun 22
aug 17
sep 14
oct 19
nov 16
Editorial at a Glance
features critique the policies and actions of key government
departments. “Meet the Minister” evaluates the minister responsible
for a given issue. Culture articles showcase Alberta’s imaginative
creators and innovators. Our features, essays and fiction are by
Alberta’s best writers, with photography and illustration by
talented Albertans.
eye on aLberta is a reader’s digest of previously published
work, excerpts from news stories, speeches and think tank reports.
Eye shows what people around the province are talking about.
community action profiles interesting neighbourhoods in cities
large and small, and reports what residents like and would change
about their community.
our coLumns are written by Albertan award-winning humorist Fred
Stenson and by naturalist and former Banff National Park
superintendent Kevin Van Tighem.
booksheLf contains reviews of works of literature, history,
political science and cultural analysis written by Albertans and
published by local and national publishers.
behind the scenes gives the scoop on what’s going on at
Alberta’s arts organizations, including theatre companies,
orchestras and public art galleries.
guides are essential handbooks of unique resources and
destinations in the new Alberta. They are packed with information
for life-long learners, arts patrons, travellers, foodies, festival
fans, music aficionados, dance devotees, opera enthusiasts,
theatregoers, students, people concerned about the environment and
book lovers.
1 0 A L B E R TA V I E W S J U N E 2 0 1 4 A L B E R TA V I E W
S J U N E 2 0 1 4 1 1
com m u n ity action
Apple filmed a Christmas-themed commercial in Highlands late
last year. It must be encouraging when one of the most media-savvy
technology companies in the world chooses your neighbourhood to
embody the archetypal family Christmas. And Highlands is postcard
picturesque. Stately elm trees outnumber fence posts. Marshall
McLuhan, one of Canada’s most influential public intellectuals,
spent his early childhood roaming the northeast Edmonton
borough—his former home is being refurbished into a public arts
space. And yet, despite its close proximity to downtown and
panoramic views of the North Saskatchewan River
valley—not to mention a row of homes so grand some of them
actually have names—Highlands feels both approachable and
accessible. Residents take neighbourliness seriously. Long-time
Highlander Howard Lawrence is in the midst of year two of the
Abundant Communities Initiative, a pilot project funded by the
City. The ACI is a strategy for building a neighbourhood’s social
capital. One resident from every block is assigned the role of
“connector,” which entails interviewing the entire block to chart
specific skill sets, interests and life experiences. The
information is then collated into a database that can be queried to
generate a list of neighbours having a shared hobby such as hockey
or experiencing a similar stage in life such as caring for a
newborn. The initiative helps kick-start new associations and
supports, which lead to novel webs of connections. Social capital,
explains Lawrence, is a neighbourhood’s best defence against crime,
but can also increase quality of life for more vulnerable residents
such as the elderly. The ACI project has spread to seven other
Edmonton communities, and Lawrence is starting to consult with
cities across Alberta and BC.
Highlands
be
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P r o f i leAnnexed: 1912Population: (2012) 2,631Ages: 0–19:
19%; 20–39: 25%; 40–59: 33%; 60–79: 18%; 80+: 5%Marital status:
Married: 49%; separated/divorced: 7%; widowed: 6%; never married:
38%Housing: Rent: 24%; own: 76%Provincial electoral district:
Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (created in 2003 by merging two
inner-city ridings)MLA: Brian Mason (NDP), 2000–present (2000–2003;
Edmonton-Highlands)Local legends: Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980),
media scholar; William Magrath (1870–1920), who developed the
community and built the Magrath Mansion; Eda “Weather Woman of the
West” Owen (1879–1957), a pioneer meteorologist; Bobby “Pied Piper
of Canada” Gimby (1918–1998), orchestra leader, trumpeter and
singer/songwriter
What do you love about your community?
What most concerns you?
If it could be the way you wanted, what would your community
look like?
res i de nt resPonsesSusan Ruttan (community league president):
I love how Highlands has a real sense of itself. People do things.
Just last weekend this woman was having something called a house
concert. Every month now, she has up to 30 people over and she
hosts local musicians. There’s a lot of that stuff going on here
and the more you get involved, the more you know about. We need
more higher-density housing, and 118 Avenue is the logical place.
We have one seniors’ residence and we need more. When people get to
an age when they have to leave their house, most of them have to
leave the neighbourhood and they don’t want to.
Arie Jol: I love how the folks here like to talk. Along my
street we have a barbecue together, a garage sale together. I have
some good friends here now, and if I were in trouble I could call
on them 24/7. We had a drug house here on our street. We phoned the
police and bylaw for about two years in a row until we decided it
had to stop one way or another. They finally did something about
it. We got together as neighbours and that really gives us
strength. It’s really important for people to know each other on
the street.
Barb Martowski: First, I love the geography, and where it’s
situated. I’m concerned about 112 Avenue. I wish the City would
have seriously considered downsizing the number of lanes to help
slow the traffic and reduce the amount
of cars. There are probably 20 times more vehicles travelling
down Whyte Avenue, but they’ve got things in place so that, even
though the speed limits are essentially the same, people don’t rip
down that street.
Dan Rietveld: When I come home from work, I drive down the first
available street because it’s like coming back into the womb. It’s
a place of belonging. Most people living here plan on living here
the rest of their lives and those that move out, regret it. I like
that there is a disparity between rich and poor. We go right from
Ada Boulevard, which has Magrath Mansion and is one of the nicest
streets in Edmonton, and then we go all the way up to 118 Avenue,
which is one of the worst streets in Edmonton, where you’ve got
men’s shelters, recovery homes. We really need a grocery store and
a pub.
Carol Snyder: I love older neighbourhoods, and we live in a
historic house that was built in 1927. I’m concerned about infill
housing. Highlands’s character is being affected. I know that some
of the older homes they’re taking down are not of historic value,
but the new monsters they’re putting in just do not blend with the
architecture we are trying to preserve. Howard Lawrence: I love our
neighbourhood retail. I appreciate that we have a destination to go
to and hang out at. For example, in our downtown portion of
Highlands we have Mandolin Books coffee shop and our
restaurants—Creole Envy and La Bohème. I’m concerned about land-use
bylaws that prohibit walkability or other factors that would help
encourage a close-knit neighbourhood.
Susan Petrina: My attraction to the neighbourhood started with
the physical layout. It’s overlooking the river valley. It’s got
eclectic architecture. It’s got mature elm trees. It’s got the
history. All of those physical attributes are vitally important to
creating an inviting and stimulating space to live. But what became
more important over time is the people—those intimate relationships
you forge. That’s what creates value in the community. I’m
concerned about the arterial road, 112 Avenue, that divides the
community.
Herbert Gale: We have a lot of young families becoming part of
the community, which means we don’t have to worry about school
closures. And what makes this exciting from, shall we say, an old
person’s point of view is the chance to walk down the street and
talk to someone in their 80s, 90s or even 100, but also to chat
with kids that are 5, 6, 7 or 8. It gives you a real sense of
community and a sense that we’re not stagnant.
Cheryl Mahaffy: I love the trees and the access to the river
valley. I also love the sense of neighbourliness. There is the
ongoing struggle that community leagues have, to find the people we
need in order to do what we envision. Also, we are very close to a
busy and kind of rundown thoroughfare. The golf course, which has
been somewhat open to the community, just had a family day event
and co-operated with the community league. The golf course has a
sledding hill and they made a skating rink and served hot
chocolate. It attracted lots of people. I’d like to see more of
those sorts of things, where the various organizations and assets
of the community can pool together. #Ma
ck
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A L B E R TA V I E W S J U N E 2 0 1 4 47
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet et conseqteur
g u i d e 2014
local foodd
an
a p
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dig
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Meet the albertans who are growing, raising, brewing and
fermenting a bounty of farm-fresh veggies, fruit, meat, beer, wine
and mead right under your nose.
g u i d e 2014
local food
Editorial Calendar Theme
Finance
Aboriginal Affairs
Cities
Labour
Agriculture
environment
education
energy
healthcare
Justice
MAteriAL DeADLiNe
dec 1
jan 19
feb 12
mar 16
apr 20
may 25
jul 20
aug 17
sep 14
oct 19
BOOkiNg DeADLiNe
nov 27
jan 15
feb 10
mar 12
apr 16
may 21
jul 16
aug 13
sep 10
oct 15
our GuIde To
LIFELONg LEARNINg
MuSEuMS
ART gALLERIES
LOCAL TRAVEL
LOCAL FOOD
SuMMER FESTIVALS
PERFORMINg ARTS
HIgHER EDuCATION
BEINg gREEN
NEw BOOKS
a l b e r ta v i e w s J U N e 2 0 1 4 49
Sparrow’S NeSt orgaNicS Opalwww.sparroworganics.comCSA pickup
spots: Edmonton; St. Albert Farmers Market; Strathcona (2
locations)Available to purchase: Edmonton: Earth’s General Store,
124 St Grand Market, Blush Lane Organic Market; St. Albert Farmers
Market
Now in their 13th season, Sparrow’s Nest offers the
longest-running fully certified organic CSA in Alberta. The CSA has
always been the cornerstone of this family farm’s business, and
Graham Sparrow would like to keep it that way. Shareholders are
expected to pitch in two days per season on the farm, to make sure
the workload doesn’t overwhelm the farmers; however, a slightly
pricier non-work share is available. Sign up for the 20-week season
officially ends on June 1, but Sparrow has been known to take pity
on the odd straggler.
wakomao greeNhouSe & gardeN aNd plaNet B FarmS 5 km east of
Clydewww.wakomao.comPickup spots: Greater Edmonton area and
northern Alberta (see website for full list)Available to purchase:
Clyde (on the farm); Edmonton: Café de Ville, French Quarter
Market
To increase the variety of their CSA, Rae Barabash and Philippe
Lusson of Wakomao partnered with Sheldon Marko of Planet B Farms to
offer poultry and eggs in addition to the fruit, vegetables and
beef produced by Wakomao. Shares can be customized to include
proteins, fruits or vegetables. Shareholders receive chicken and
beef on May 11, the first day of the CSA season. Fruit is delivered
5–10 times per season, depending on availability. Vegetable shares
run for 15 weeks, from mid-June until mid-September.
homeStead hearth Onowaywww.homesteadhearth.caPickup spots:
Edmonton
Initially, former Edmontonians Kathleen Arnold, a registered
nurse, and Victor Pipkin, a cellist in the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra, had planned their escape to a 20-acre property outside
Onoway around their own needs: they hoped to feed themselves off
their land and escape city life. However, almost immediately after
moving, the couple became more ambitious. Last season they dipped
their toes in the CSA pool, selling 10 shares. This year, Kathleen
is hoping to double that, with a long-term goal of feeding 40
families off of their 20 acres. In addition to vegetables, Kathleen
and Victor raise chickens, so talk to them about adding a weekly
delivery of eggs to your vegetable share (most of the eggs go to
members of the ESO right now).
greeNS eggS & hamLeducwww.greenseggsandham.caCSA pickup
spots: Calgary: Crossroads Market, Symons Valley Market; Edmonton:
City Market on 104th, Ocean Odyssey InlandAvailable to purchase:
Edmonton: City Market on 104th, French Quarter Market, Ocean
Odyssey Inland; Calgary: Crossroads Market, Symons Valley Market,
Forage Farm to Fork Foods; the Cochrane CookHouse
Greens Eggs & Ham’s futures program allows shareholders to
place a weekly order, selecting from a wide array of heritage
vegetables, meat products and eggs. The cost of the goods is
deducted from the shareholder’s account after pickup. Between this
flexible delivery system and the variety of unique products on
offer (have you ever tried curry rum raisin duck sausage?), Greens
Eggs & Ham is a great choice for CSA newbies.
riverBeNd gardeNS Edmontonwww.riverbendgardens.caCSA pickup
spots: Edmonton (6 locations); Sherwood Park; St. AlbertAvailable
to purchase: 7 Edmonton and area farmers markets
Although they only started offering a CSA in 2012, Aaron and
Janelle Herbert have watched it grow exponentially. After selling
250 shares last season, they are now aiming to secure 400
shareholders prior to their first delivery in the first week of
July. Customers can pick up their shares at one of several Edmonton
and area businesses, such as D’Arcy’s Meat Market and Prairie Mill
Bread Co. Many of these businesses report a spike in sales on
delivery day, since many shareholders take care of the rest of
their food shopping at the same time as they pick up their
vegetables. Riverbend produce can also be enjoyed at several
Edmonton restaurants.
prairie gardeNS & adveNture Farm Bon
Accordwww.prairiegardens.orgCSA pickup spots: Bon Accord (on the
farm); Edmonton: Rge Rd parking lotAvailable to purchase:
Morinville: The Green Bean; Edmonton: Rge Rd
A Prairie Gardens CSA can be as much a seasonal hobby as a
weekly share of veggies. Between workshops on growing and cooking
with herbs, seven-course field-to-fork dinners prepared by Rge Rd
chef Blair Lebsack, and a bevy of family-friendly festivals
throughout the summer, farmer Tam Andersen encourages CSA
shareholders to spend as much time on the farm as they can handle.
The CSA itself runs for 15 weeks and includes a season’s pass to
all farm events. Members can either pick up their shares at the
farm (a considerably cheaper option) or in the parking lot of Rge
Rd in Edmonton, which is also a CSA shareholder.
community supported agriculture: edmonton & area
g u i d e local food 2014
