Avenue July/August 2023

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You can have it all in Midtown, Airdrie.

Your lifestyle is both unique and important, requiring a space that truly reflects it. That’s why the thoughtfully designed community of Midtown, Airdrie, is the ideal place to indeed, have it all!

From parks and recreational areas to shopping centers, the community has everything you need to live life to the fullest.

Whether you’re looking for a spacious single-family front drive home, a modern laned home, or a cozy paired home, Midtown has the perfect home waiting for you.

HOMES FROM THE $490s*

* Pricing includes house, lot and GST. Subject to change without notice. Conditions Apply. See Area Manager for details.

PARKS

PLAYGROUNDS PONDS PATHWAYS FAMILY

H lp G ad ac p n al.

Un

TAKE A TOUR OF OUR awardwinning COMMUNITY

Calgary’s best-selling urban community.

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT is Calgary’s best-selling urban community. With a bustling Retail Main Street, annual community events like the U/D Night Market, and 40 acres of green space including Central Commons Park, there’s a lot to explore. Stop by the Discovery Centre to tour home options and learn more about what makes this an award-winning community. We’d love to meet you.

Experience the wonder of WildScapes this summer. This larger-than-life garden takeover is open for a limited time and is included with admission and membership.

MARDA LOOP IS ONE OF CALGARY'S BEST COMMUNITIES

( Even under construction )

We're getting a main street makeover, but we are very open for business!

Shop, eat and play #intheloop this summer!

Sponsored by:

The Marda Loop Night Market is back for its second year! Visit the heart of Marda Loop and shop the latest in handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind goods. Get creative at the kid’s craft station, grab a bite from a food truck, and listen to local live music. Make sure to enjoy a beverage at Marda Loop Brewing - the market’s official patio. After all, it’s in the neighbourhood!

FRIDAYS, JULY 21 + SEPTEMBER 1

5PM - 10PM | 34 AVE SW | FREE TO ATTEND

@mardaloopnightmarket

www.mardagras.ca | www.visitmardaloop.com

@visitmardaloop

#VisitMardaLoop #MardaGras23 #MardaLoopNightMarket

Experience Calgary’s longest running street festival! Walk the street, connect with community and local business, enjoy an exciting lineup of live music, dance and entertainment for all ages and attend the legendary pet pageant!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2023

10AM - 5PM | 33 AVE SW | FREE TO ATTEND

@mardagras @mardagrascalgary

Discover Pinnacle Estates, the leading residential community for newly constructed homes in Cochrane, Alberta. Situated amidst the sought-after and well-established Sunset Ridge neighborhood, Pinnacle Estates seamlessly combines the tranquility of natural surroundings with the convenience of modern amenities.

Our team of experienced builders is ready to work with you to bring your vision to life. From conception to completion, they will guide you through the building process, ensuring that every detail is handled with care and precision.

Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of the Pinnacle Estates community. Contact us today to learn more and visit our website to view our interactive lot map.

We can't wait to welcome you home.

PinnacleEstates.ca

ASPEN LANDING SHOPPING CENTRE

Aspen Woods Estates is a development community inspired by Calgary’s architectural heritage. The development features beautiful executive homes, breathtaking views, walking and biking paths, and west Calgary’s premier shopping destination Aspen Landing Shopping Centre.

Homes By Us

Crystal Creek Homes

Homes By Us Crystal Creek Homes

Homes By Us

Alpine Park

Bayview

Clearwater Park

Cranston’s Riverstone

Fireside

Mahogany

Sage Hill Crest

The Willows of River Heights

Vantage Fireside

Perfectly designed for real life.

Meet the people behind Calgary’s celebrated hospitality.

14.

19.

22.

1. Mayor’s White Hat Award Susan Arthurs Calgary Stampede Foundation

2. Doug Johnson Service Award Linda Craig The Westley Hotel Calgary Downtown, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

3. Exceptional Leader Joanne ter Harmsel Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo

4. Exceptional Server: Centre City

Autograph Collection

5. Exceptional Service: Shopping

6. Exceptional Server: North Anna Bassi Hotel Clique Calgary Airport

A GLOBAL INNOVATOR IN VETERINARY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is one of the best in the world — and big changes will soon mean even more locally trained vets.

Before Dr. Renate Weller accepted the position of Dean at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) in 2021, she spent most of her professional life working in London, England, at the Royal Veterinary College. It is one of the biggest and oldest vet schools in the world, yet Weller was thrilled to pivot and lead one of the youngest and newest vet schools.

UCVM was founded in 2005 and is one of only five veterinary schools in Canada. Despite only being around for 18 years (compared to the Royal’s 232 years), it’s already ranked as the 37th best vet school in the world. This doesn’t surprise Weller.

“The reasons I selected Calgary are UCVM’s worldwide reputation as being an innovator in education, its cutting-edge research programs with global impact, the can-do attitude of the university and the emphasis on community engagement,” says Weller.

WORKPLACE LEARNING AT ITS BEST

UCVM is dedicated to offering its students the very best learning opportunities.

“UCVM doesn’t have teaching hospitals, as is usual for veterinary medicine training. To ensure all of our graduates are ready when they enter the market, the students’ fourth and final year is entirely community-based and they work in our partner institutions, including private practices, the zoo, government agencies and research institutions,” explains Weller.

UCVM students have

the opportunity to work in a variety of real-life settings while earning their degree, including a 1900-acre working cattle ranch. Businessman and philanthropist J.C. Anderson and his daughter, Wynne Chisholm, donated their entire working cattle ranch — including all of the buildings and a 1,000-head herd — to the university in 2018. (It is the largest gift of ranch property in Canadian history.) It is now called W.A. Ranches, and Weller says this “living laboratory” provides a unique learning and research environment where students get hands-on experience in a real farm setting. Engaging with people from all walks of life is a key part of UCVM’s curriculum. The school works with the Calgary Urban Project Society, caring for animals owned by Calgarians experiencing homelessness.

Additionally, all students carry out a rural rotation and there are three rotations in Indigenous communities, including Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut'ina.

LOCAL WORK WITH A GLOBAL IMPACT

Weller says veterinary medicine is intimately connected to the big problems of the world, like climate change, zoonotic diseases, and food supply and safety. All students have the opportunity to get involved in cutting-edge research and see firsthand how their training can have a global impact.

For example, students are trained in disease detection and work with the faculty’s Diagnostic Services Unit, a lab that acts as an early warning system for disease. By examining dead livestock and wild animals, a surveillance system is put in place to detect disease outbreaks as early as possible and prevent disease spread.

Weller adds that UCVM collaborates with other departments in the university with impactful results. “One of the coolest projects we have is around our regenerative medicine group,” she says. “Dr. Jeff Biernaskie is sponsored by the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Society because of his research in reindeers. The velvet on their antlers heal without scarring, and Jeff has discovered the cell types we can cultivate to prevent scarring in humans.” The research is moving into clinical trials now, and could change how burn victims are treated in the future.

GROWTH AND INNOVATION CONTINUES

Starting in September 2025, UCVM will double its acceptance rate for its four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine course and welcome 100 students. That is a major undertaking, and an exciting one.

To prepare, UCVM will add a new teaching building to Spy Hill campus, expand teaching facilities and infrastructure at W.A Ranches and work to attract more talent.

“We need vets more than ever. As of April 2021, our province already had a shortage of more than 600 veterinary professionals. UCVM will work with its partners to continue to be an innovative leader and prepare them to fill this need.”

To learn more, visit vet.ucalgary.ca or follow @ucalgaryvetmed on Twitter and Instagram.

20 Editor’s Note

114 You Are Here

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS

27 Detours

The soft sell on the soft serve from Lukes Drug Mart; how to plan a day around a Calgary Surge basketball game; and artisan cheese shop owner Isaac Bignell tells us about his favourite things in the city.

31 Summer Fun Special

The scoop on river recreation and one fun thing to do every day in July and August.

70 Dining

Where to go in Calgary for authentic Filipino cuisine. Plus, Filipino chefs sound off on their favourite traditional dishes.

88 Calgary Style

Wondering how to dress for Stampede without feeling like you’re in costume? Get inspired by legit horsewoman Sam Mitchell and Stampede committee volunteer Ujal Thakor.

92 Decor

A courtyard, back deck and rooftop terrace showcase outdoor living at its best.

98 Mountains

Off-the-beaten-path hiking trails that deliver gorgeous views without the maddening crowds.

on the cover

Artist, architectural designer and art gallery bar manager Khalid Omokanye in his favourite neighbourhood, Mission/Cliff Bungalow.

Photo by Jared Sych

41

41 Neighbourhoods We Love

A couple of realtors, a home builder, an urban accessibility expert, an immigrant services staff member and some academics from the University of Calgary’s School of Archictecture, Planning and Landscape describe which Calgary neighbourhood they love best. Plus, our list of great communities that have something extra special about them, whether that’s impressive architecture, boutique shopping, easy access to nature or easy access to the airport.

By Shelley Arnusch, Karin Olafson, Michaela Ream and Colleen Seto

58 Is the Glenmore Reservoir

Calgary’s Best Neighbourhood?

Our reservoir is one of only a handful in North America that permits recreational activites. A local sailing instructor takes us inside the tight-knit community of water enthusiasts that call it “home.”

By Dave Robertson

62 On the Fly

A profile of Indigenous fly fishing guide Quinn Soonias, whose trips down the Bow River go much deeper than just reeling ’em in.

By Dominique Lamberton

To summer like a Calgarian is to truly appreciate every minute of every day when the temperature finally hits the “no jacket required” mark. There are so many other days of the year when a jacket is most definitely required, along with mittens, a toque and boots, so you’ll forgive us for going a bit batty at this point.

Let’s begin, as summer officially does in Calgary, with the Stampede. What is this 10-day fest if not a primer for making the most of a summer day?

Start with pancakes, throw in a parade, some roller coasters, a live music show or two. Watch bad-ass farm animals fling cowboys into the air like pizza chefs tossing rounds of dough. Eat some weird fried food that shouldn’t be good but totally is. Go dancing. Catch the fireworks. Hit the tents, hit the hay. Wake up. Rinse. Repeat.

Or you can take a low-key approach and make the most of summer not by amping things up, but, rather, by slowing them down. Go for a walk on one of those endless twilight evenings in a neighbourhood you love. (Turn to page 39 to see which neighbourhoods we love the best). Row a boat on the Glenmore Reservoir, one of few urban water bodies of its kind to allow recreational activity.

SHELLEY ARNUSCH EDITOR IN CHIEF sarnusch@redpointmedia.ca

THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE

(Turn to page 56 to learn more about the reservoir and the community it inspires.) Or drift lazily down one of our rivers and watch the world float by. (Turn to page 60 to read about Indigenous fly fishing guide Quinn Soonias, who can teach you to cast and share his cultural understanding of the Bow while you’re pulling in your first catch.)

Want a little bit of everything? Our summer fun special section has a roundup of river activities, plus calendars for July and August with something to do for each day of each month.

Of course, you don’t have to go anywhere or do much of anything to make the most of summer. Sometimes, home is best, particularly when you have a lovely courtyard, backyard or rooftop terrace to enjoy. (Turn to page 102 to see some local homes with gorgeous outdoor living spaces.)

Whatever you end up doing, we hope your Calgarian summer is all that and more.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Avenue’s annual Best Things to Eat Market is back! On Saturday, July 22, we’ll be gathering in Rangeview, Calgary’s first “garden-to-table” community, to shop vendors from this and previous years’ Best Things To Eat lists. Tasty treats in a lovely suburban-rural setting. What more could you ask for?

PHOTO BY HEATHER SAITZ; CLOTHING STYLING BY GRAVITYPOPE

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THE AVENUE EDITORIAL BOARD

Joy Alford, Mariangela Avila, Rachelle Babcock, Erin Best, Shalini Bhatty, Desiree Bombenon, Doug Bruce, Ellie Bruce, Danielle Caffaro, Elizabeth Carson, Melinda Channon, Carla Chernetz, Alan Chong, Connor Curran, Kristiana, Dayrit, April DeJong, Speranza Dolgetta, Anne Donaldson, Nicole Dyer, Jan Eden, Mohammed Eljabri, Raissa Espiritu, Elizabeth Evans, Janice Lynn Froese, Karen Gallagher-Burt, Derege Gebretsadik, Sarah Geddes, Briggitte Gingras, Gaurav Gupta, Christina Hagerty, Amanda Hamilton, Katherine Harmsworth, Kyle Hofstetter, Rameez Husseini, Alison Jeffrey, Pritha Kalar, JP Kansky, January Kohli, Brad Krusky, Wil Lakatos, Shannon Lanigan, Heather Lawton, Andrew Layzell, Anila Lee Yuen, Chris Lemke, Jamie LeongHuxley, Derek L’Hirondelle, Sharon Martens, Stacy McFarlane, Diana McIntyre, Robert McIntyre, Joann Meunier, Elizabeth Middleton, Catherine Moar, Cory Moench, Judi Parrott, Steven Phillips, Kelly Pitaoulis, Gord Plouffe, Victoria Plouffe, Carmyn Prefontaine, Paul Salvatore, Rob Schultz, Montana Shaw-Antonio, Tom Spatola, Kelli Stevens, Janet St. Germain, Jessica Theroux, Ryan Townend, Arleigh Vasconcellos, Wendy Winder, Bradley Zumwalt

We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta.

Avenue is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, Magazines Canada and the International Regional Magazine Association, and abides by the editorial standards of these organizations.

and get on board A-list Join the

Avenue has partnered with TreeEra to plant 1,425 trees, replacing all the trees used to print the magazine this year.

The Avenue editorial board is exclusive to members of the A-List and A-List+ programs, and provides the opportunity to participate in discussions on the direction and content of the magazine. For more information on how you can join the A-List and the board visit AvenueCalgary.com/shop.

Embrace adventure and explore true Canadian fare at this local hotspot and its Stargazer rooftop patio.

The shoe & canoe is more than just a favourite local watering hole; it’s also steeped in Canadian history. Keeping the legend of 19th-century explorer David Thompson alive, the restaurant’s name, signature drinks and patio are all inspired by the famous adventurer.

Thompson worked for the Northwest Bay Company, where he mapped, explored, traded and discovered a trading route to the Pacific Ocean from the Rocky Mountains. Over his life, Thompson mapped tens of thousands of kilometres and traded with several Indigenous tribes. The Salish people called him Koo-Koo-Sint, which means The Stargazer, as Thompson used science, math and stargazing to create his near-perfect maps.

Thompson travelled by canoe and often had to walk and carry his canoe for several kilometres when no water routes were

available. The shoe & canoe took its name in honour of his travels. Here’s five reasons to go check out shoe & canoe.

Amazing farm-to-table culinary creations by Chef Eugene

Bringing over 20 years of experience, Red Seal Chef Eugene Hicks and his culinary team whip up delicious dishes all prepared using fresh farm-to-table ingredients. A favourite dish of Hicks’ is the Bison Flatbread paired with a Stargazer Pale Ale. The flatbread uses locally raised bison, mushrooms cultivated at Red Fox Fungi Farm and ricotta cheese from the Alberta Cheese Company. Hicks says it’s a perfect blend of “gamey” flavours washed down with the malty pale ale and even better when experienced on the scenic Stargazer patio.

Hand-crafted

cocktails and local craft beers

The Stargazer Pale Ale is just one of several local beer options that all pair well with shoe & canoe’s menu. Showcasing 12 local beers on tap and 30 domestic and international choices, the public house also features a full range of wines and cocktails. South to Missouri is an original cocktail named after the southernmost part of the continent that Thompson mapped. Missouri is known for its pears and cranberries — two key ingredients in the drink. Koo-Koo-Sint is another homage-paying cocktail that refers to Thompson’s Stargazer nickname.

Stargazer rooftop patio with native Alberta plant features

The rooftop Stargazer patio is an experience within itself, connected to the Delta Calgary Downtown, which is nestled between the downtown core, entertainment district, river walk and East Village. The patio’s views alone are worth a visit. Featuring perennial wildflowers and grasses, native to Alberta flora, this patio makes for an ideal relaxation space.

Happy Hour and live music every Wednesday and Thursday at the Stargazer

To get through the mid-week hump, the Stargazer by shoe & canoe hosts happy hour and live music every Wednesday and Thursday starting at 4pm. There’s also special events throughout the summer to celebrate the legend of Thompson. Enjoy an exploration of different food routes and pairings that encourage connection to place and one another. The patio is also open for lunch Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11:30am -1:30pm — so long as mother nature cooperates.

Free parking

Park for two hours for free in the Delta parkade when visiting shoe & canoe — plenty of time to fully enjoy your meal and drinks. Just head to the front desk to register your license plate. Then sit back and enjoy the cuisine, drinks, views and relaxation.

Learn more and book a reservation today at shoeandcanoe.ca.

Why You Need to Go to shoe & canoe public house This Summer Why You Need to Go to shoe & canoe public house This Summer

Detours

ost Calgarians know that familyowned Lukes Drug Mart, the city’s oldest pharmacy, carries much more than your typical drug store selection at its two locations. There’s vinyl, third-wave coffee beans, artisan apothecary items, plants from Plant, fresh produce, even Glamorgan Bakery cheese buns. And, perhaps most notably, there’s soft serve. Lukes started churning and serving the stuff in 2017, a callback to the early years at the original Bridgeland location. “Back in the 1950s, because pharmacy was not the most lucrative business in the world, we had to also operate a lunch counter with sandwiches and milkshakes,” says third-generation owner Gareth Lukes. Today, in addition to its signature Milk+ flavour, made with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla (try it in the affogato), Lukes offers a monthly feature flavour, often created in collaboration with a fellow Calgary business. Past collabs have included a matcha-strawberry flavour with The Matcha Way, tiramisu with D.O.P. Italian restaurant and churro with The Silk Road Spice Merchant. “It’s always a fun challenge and learning experience to adapt a dessert or drink recipe into a soft serve,” says Lukes. And, he notes, the ever-changing flavours keep devotees coming back: “It adds a novelty factor; whatever you’re having, you may not be able to have again.”

THE SOFT SELL

—

Dominique Lamberton lukesdrugmart.com

How to

SPEND A DAY BEFORE A CALGARY SURGE GAME

Calgary’s new professional basketball team brings a surge of energy to the city this summer. The Calgary Surge, playing in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, moved here from Guelph (the Nighthawks were one of the league’s first official teams) and now calls the WinSport Event Centre home. You can catch the end of the team’s inaugural season at the Surge’s home games on July 20, 22 or 26 — and go all in with our game-day itinerary. –Chris Landry

Farmers’ Market lunch

Calgary Farmers’ Market West, across from WinSport in the up-and-coming area of Greenwood/Greenbriar, is a great place to shop and eat. Grab lunch from one of the food hall stalls, like channa masala and fresh naan from Deepak’s Dhaba or perogies and cabbage rolls from Margarita’s Dishes. calgaryfarmersmarket.ca

WinSport adrenaline rush Get yourself psyched for the game with a heart-pumping activity at WinSport. Hop in the driver’s seat for downhill karting by Skyline Luge Calgary and let gravity blast you down the 1,800-metre course — which has 50 twists and turns — then ride up the chairlift and do it all over again! downhillkarting.ca

3 COOL COURTS

THE BOUNCE GAMES PARK

Located between Studio Bell and the Central Library in East Village, The Bounce is a multi-use game zone with a full-size basketball court, pingpong tables, hopscotch and a vibrant mural by artist duo MAUD. 8th Ave. and 4th St. S.E.

GOPHER PARK

Spruced up by local businesses and neighbours, this Inglewood cornerturned-basketball court and green space features a mural of the area’s resident rodents painted right on the three-on-three asphalt playing area. 11th Ave. and 11th St. S.E.

Dinner at EightyEight Bar & Grill

PLATFORM INNOVATION CENTRE PARKADE

Game Time

The Calgary Surge play under International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, and there are a few key differences compared to NBA basketball. The games are shorter (10-minute quarters vs. 12); the courts are smaller, with the three-point line closer to the hoop; and more defense is allowed around the basket, meaning Calgarians can look forward to fastpaced action and game-changing plays when watching their new team. calgarysurge.ca

Post-Game at Abbey’s Creations

Ending a summer day with ice cream is always a good idea. Head over to the Bowness location of Abbey’s, where you’ll find Asian-inspired fllavours such as Thai Milk Tea and the eye-catching Ube & Queso. abbeys.net

Before the game, fill up on pub grub surrounded by 1988 Calgary Olympics memorabilia at WinSport’s EightyEight Bar & Grill, located on the second floor of the Frank King Day Lodge. Pair your nachos or Nashville hot chicken sandwich with a WinSport Lager (brewed by Trolley 5) or lean into the theme with a pale ale by Eighty-Eight Brewing Co. winsport.ca

This hidden-in-plain-sight, publicly accessible court on the main level of the Platform parkade is covered, meaning you can play all year long, even in the rain and snow. —C.L. 407 9 Ave. S.E.

PHOTO CREDITS: TIM MATHESON, SURGE; CHRIS LANDRY, FARMERS’ MARKET; JARED SYCH, ABBEY’S; DAVE HOLLAND, KARTING; STEVE COLLINS, PLATFORM; WINSPORT, EIGHTYEIGHT; CMLC, THE BOUNCE

The List ISAAC BIGNELL

Isaac Bignell unapologetically loves the good things in life. His appreciation for fine wine, fine cheese and a fashionable pair of boots are all part of his considerable charm, but the young entrepreneur is also making a name for himself through hard work and dedication to building strong communities. He’s best known as the owner of Say Cheese Fromagerie, the exceptionally well-stocked cheese counter at Crossroads Market, but is also the founder and chair of the Crossroads Marketing Committee and part of the board of the Inglewood BIA.

Bignell bought Say Cheese from previous proprietor Nancy Brown last year, after spending a few years working there. He fits right in at the eclectic Crossroads Market and has been careful to honour the shop’s long legacy (it has been in the market since 1999), while also inserting his own panache. With everything from hard-to-find high-end Comtés to more budget-conscious cheddars and goudas behind the counter, and a calendar full of wheel openings and tasting events, Bignell’s strength lies in a balance of effervescence and expertise. “I don’t like mediocracy, it’s too boring,” Bignell says. “It’s all about sharing my passion with other passionate people.” When he’s not behind the cheese counter, Bignell frequents these spots in the neighbourhood and beyond.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

RAIN DOG BAR

“It’s this slightly punk, without actually being punk, restaurant run by Bill Bonar, who is a cicerone [beer sommelier]. I don’t even drink beer, but I absolutely love his restaurant. It has one of the best charcuterie menus in the city with proper meats, cheese and conservas.”

GOOD NEWS COFFEE

“This homey spot does pay-what-youcan drip coffee. So, if you get off the No. 1 bus and you’re cold, you can go get a coffee if you have a nickel. Everyone can feel the space is for them, which doesn’t really happen a lot.”

PLAZA THEATRE

“When you go see films in a small theatre like the Plaza, it almost feels like live theatre in how the audience interacts with the film. When you see these really intimate, niche films [like The Rocky Horror Picture Show], you can meet people of the same mind. There’s a shared humanity.”

D.O.P

“I like spending three or four hours in a restaurant and being able to just take it easy — you can do that at D.O.P. It’s not hard to find great food in the city, but for the service to be so on point is pretty incredible.”

NOODLE WORLD VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

“If you want great pho in Forest Lawn, this is the place to go. I’m six foot four — a giant — and sometimes I can’t finish a bowl, they’re so big.”

ESPY EXPERIENCE

“I like that you can go get a pair of jeans there that will last at least four or five years and still look excellent because of the quality. The staff will not let you walk out of there in something that doesn’t suit your body type or shape.”

BUSINESS & PLEASURE

“It feels a bit like Cheers when you walk into this bar. I know all the bartenders because it’s small and there are only three of them. Once you’ve been there a few times, they get to know you, too.”

METROVINO

“The owner, Richard Harvey, kind of developed the high-end wine market here in Calgary and he doesn’t pander to anyone. When you’re passionate and care about what you sell, you’ll attract people with the same passion. I look up to Richard in that way.”

PUMPHOUSE THEATRE

“I love amateur theatre as much as I like full-fledged professional theatre and huge opera productions; there is something so intimate and lovely about it. Pumphouse did a gender-reverse Pirates of Penzance that was a lot of fun.”

BIGNELL PHOTO BY JARED SYCH; GOOD NEWS PHOTO BY HARRISON NEEF; METROVINO PHOTO BY JOSE QUIROZ

If you’ve lived here a while, you know that summer days in Calgary are a precious commodity. So, when the weather warms, Calgarians go for it: festivals, fairs, food, floating down the river — we’re game for pretty much whatever. In this special section, we tap into that make-the-most-of-it mentality with a range of ways to enjoy our rivers, as well as a calendar with something fun to do each and every day of July and August. If you need some inspiration on how to summer like a Calgarian, you’ll find it in the following pages.

HOT TIMES IN THE CITY

Recreational Activity Matrix

HOW TO ENJOY THE WATER IN CALGARY

Go

Walk

Explore The Wandering Island art project on Elbow Island.

Book a riverside firepit, such as the ones on the Inglewood River Walk, for an evening campfire.

Do a beach day at Sikome.

Set sail on Heritage Park’s S.S. Moyie paddlewheeler.

Splash around with your pup in the riverside off-leash at Sue Higgins Park.

Rent a pedal boat at Bowness Lagoon.

Go canoeing at Carburn Park.

Relaxed in the water

Float down the Elbow from Sandy Beach to Elbow Island.

Kayak the Bow from Shouldice Park to St. Patrick’s Island.

Fly fish in the Bow near Fort Calgary, complete with a city skyline backdrop.

SUP the Elbow from the Dam to Stanley Park.

Hit the rapids at Harvie Passage in a raft.

Surf the standing wave at the 10th Street Bridge.

Body surf the rapids at Harvie Passage in a life jacket.

for brunch on the patio at River Café.

Photograph the city skyline from the 12th Street Bridge.

Have a picnic on the grassy beach at Stanley Park.

Sit in a lawn chair in the Elbow at 25th Street Beach.

Sunbathe at The Slabs.

the trails around the lagoon at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Wade across the submerged pathway on St. Patrick’s Island.

PHOTO CREDITS: RIVER CAFÉ; HERITAGE PARK; KELLY HOFER (RIVER SURFING); DANA WHEATLEY (PEDAL BOATS); STEVE COLLINS, SHELLEY ARNUSCH, CHRIS LANDRY, SOFIA VELASQUEZ, ADOBE STOCK

W hat to B ring for a F

D own t he Bow o r E lbow RIVER SHOES

Three things you’ll need for the quintessential summer-in-the-city experience in Calgary.

Flip flops won’t cut it on slippery, rocky riverbeds. Whether you’re wearing old sneakers or fancy sport sandals, the key is to have something on your feet that won’t come off if you have to walk your watercraft through a shallow section.

Teva Original Universal Sandals, $70, sportcheck.ca

SNAPBACK CAP

You’ll need a hat when you’re out on the river on a sunny day. A snapback is ideal, as it can be adjusted to fit snugly. Show some love for the local Okotoks Dawgs baseball team with this instant-classic trucker hat with a vintage-styled embroidered patch.

Dawgs Wrigley Trucker Hat, $35, dawgsgeneralstore.ca

PHONE PROTECTION

While a Ziploc bag will keep your phone dry, it won’t keep it from sinking. Prepare for the worst-case scenario by investing in a phonesized floating dry bag. —

Shelley Arnusch geckobrands Float Phone Dry Bag, $27, mec.ca

Take a mini roadtrip out to Cochrane for ice cream at McKay’s

Book a twilight tee time at one of the City’s seven municipal golf courses.

Celebrate Canada Day at Heritage Park’s annual celebration, complete with live music and a ride aboard the steam train. at the Saddledome.

Fuel up for the day at a Stampede breakfast — this year marks the 100th anniversary of pancake breakfasts at the Calgary Stampede. Get

Game on! Cavalry FC faces Atlético ottawa at ATCO Field.

TAKE IN THE FINAL NIGHT OF THE RANGELAND DERBY ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHUCKWAGON RACING AT THE STAMPEDE.

Treat your post-Stampede hangover with a Caesar on a patio.

PHOTO

Walk along St. Patrick’s Island with Nature Calgary and learn about native bird life.

Hop on a e-scooter for a cruise on the Bow River Pathway.

SHOP THE TRIWOOD FARMERS’ MARKET

Bless this One Sweet Day: Boyz II Men perform at Grey Eagle Event Centre.

Get in the groove at the 19th annual International Blues Fest at Shaw Millennium Park.

EXPECT A REAL TOUR DE FORCE AT THE TOUR DE BOWNESS STREET FESTIVAL’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY.

SHOP FOR LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCTS AND CELEBRATE THE 10TH YEAR OF THE BRIDGELAND RIVERSIDE FARMERS’ MARKET.

Stay up late at the Inglewood Night Market.

Play beach volleyball at the Marda Loop Communities Association in South Calgary.

The Calgary Dragon Boat Race & Festival is ready for the water, with 50 vendors and 15 food trucks on land.

Enjoy an indie theatre performance at the Calgary

Catch the Calgary Arab Festival in its new home at Shaw Millennium Park.

If you want his body (and you think he’s sexy), Rod Stewart’s playing the Saddledome.

RAISE YOUR GLASS TO LOCAL FARMERS AT ALBERTA ON THE PLATE.

Play smarter at the Brainasium Outdoor Park at Telus Spark.

Celebrate a new crop of murals in the inner city at BUMP Festival’s opening party.

Fringe Festival.

Detours

Dust off your feathers and get ready to dance at Carifest.

see/hear the Showcase: Guitars exhibition at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.

19 23 29

Western Canada’s largest Latin festival, Expo Latino, takes

21

Have a wiener roast at one of the firepits in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Drink poolside cocktails at Hotel Arts.

Worship the holy trinity of meat, beer and music at Brewery & the Beast.

30

STROLL THE ARTFULLY DESIGNED NATURAL AREAS AT DALE HODGES PARK.

Shop the Airdrie Farmers Market from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

25 28 31

Be wowed at opening night of Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA.

Toast

over Prince’s Island Park.

SADDLE UP FOR THE PRIDDIS & MILLARVILLE FAIR.

See Spain’s fireworks spectacle at GlobalFest.

Love who you love at Calgary Pride Week.

See Queer Eye’s hilarious super-stylist Jonathan van Ness at The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival.

the end of August on Ol’ Beautiful’s patio with a Summertime Slush.

NEIGHBOURHOODS

WE LOVE

What, exactly, makes a neighbourhood the best? We’d say it’s a range of things, measurable and intangible, that all add up to a feeling that you’re in the right spot.

Whether you live in your ideal neighbourhood, or just like to visit, the qualities of what makes it the best are all over the map. Sometimes it’s having the perfect home with the perfect yard; sometimes it’s the perfect park or the perfect café or the perfect bar where everybody knows your

name. Sometimes it’s the way the trees form a canopy over the streets. Sometimes it’s having a lake that only you and your neighbours get to use. Sometimes it’s having someone nearby who brings over fresh banana bread and will feed your pets and water your plants. Sometimes it’s being able to go away without anyone knowing you’re gone. Sometimes it’s being able to see the mountains out your back window. Sometimes it’s being able to see your kid’s school out your front door. Perhaps you’ve never put much thought into why we love certain neighbourhoods.

But some people think about it a lot — those who work in real estate, or homebuilding or community development; those who study how cities get built and how we get around in them; those who help newcomers settle in and feel at home. So, we reached out to a handful of them to tell us about the neighbourhood in Calgary that they love the most, and why.

We also compiled our own list of best neighbourhoods in a range of categories.

Which neighbourhood do you love? We’d love to hear from you, too. —Shelley

Arnusch

PHOTO BY STEVE COLLINS

NABEEL RAMJI

OCCUPATION Co-Founder and CEO of Pedesting, a navigation app that identifies accessible routes through built environments of cities.

FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE

I love the Downtown Commercial Core. I have cerebral palsy and use a power wheelchair to get around — we are all pedestrians, regardless of what our abilities are — and I find the downtown core to be accessible and inclusive. The Plus 15 Network safely connects buildings with more than 16 kilometres of elevated pathways, and the City has made a concerted effort to improve them for all pedestrians. For example, improvements have been made to add handrails and ramps, power door openers, and lighting and colour contrast

for people with limited vision. Plus, there are some cool gathering spots in the Plus 15 Network, like the Devonian Gardens and the Winter Gardens, and I always have positive interactions with Calgarians in the network. Whenever I’m wheeling through the Plus 15s, I’ll see someone I haven’t seen in a long time and stop to catch up, or I’ll meet someone new.

I’m a coffee drinker, so another thing I love about the downtown core is all of the boutique coffee shops. Some of my favourites are Phil & Sebastian, Analog Coffee

and Deville Coffee, but I think my most favourite is Lil E Coffee Cafe. Besides offering great coffees and teas, it’s a non-profit business that hires people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s a unique business model, an inclusive space and a fantastic place that supports people with disabilities.

At this time of year, I think my absolute favourite thing to do in the downtown core is wheel up and down Stephen Avenue. There’s just an incredible energy.

—as told to Karin Olafson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED SYCH

JOHN BROWN

The perfect neighbourhood is the one that fits you and where you feel at home. Parkhill has served me and my family well for the past 25 years — and counting. It’s central and close to downtown, a 10-minute walk to Mission (where my office was), and it’s quick to the airport, which is good, since I travel a lot. It also connects with the Elbow River, Stanley Park and the pathway system. Plus, I’m a three-minute walk from my brother’s apartment building.

I’ve always loved Parkhill, so when an opportunity to build there [came up] my

NEIGHBOURHOODS WE LOVE

partner and I took advantage. It’s a denser community with smaller lots — our attached home is on a narrow duplex lot. People sit out on their porches and take care of their homes and gardens. There’s a great street life here.

The community has worked well for our different life stages. When my children were growing up, they were able to go to great public schools. Now they’re grown, but there’s still a strong sense of community: I like the diverse backgrounds of neighbours, the community association,

events like the community Stampede breakfast. I enjoy just participating in the life of the neighbourhood.

Living in Parkhill has allowed our family to avoid extensive commuting for work or school. I believe the more we can stay close to where we live, the better. We like to shop and dine in Mission. We really like the independent vendors on 4th Street S.W.: our favourites are Peasant Cheese, Yann Haute Patisserie, PAWSitively Natural Pet Food, Aida’s Bistro and Purple Perk.

as told to Colleen Seto

OCCUPATION Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary, and Co-founder of Housebrand and Garden Loft FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKHILL

KHALID OMOKANYE

FAVOURITE

NEIGHBOURHOOD MISSION/CLIFF BUNGALOW

I appreciate neighbourhoods that accommodate different modes of transportation, like public transit, and have good walkability and public art. I just like neighbourhoods that have a lot of different stuff going on. My habits tend to be more erratic, skipping between different sectors of the city, and I tend to avoid singular favourites. But, forced to choose, I’d say Mission/Cliff Bungalow would be my current favourite,

for the way it goes from quiet residential blocks, to busy streets packed with restaurants, bars and cafés, to the tranquil riverside areas, all within a few strides. It is a neighbourhood with a great deal of variety for the wandering flâneur

For dining out, there are places like Jinya, Carino and Shokunin. If you’re into the third-wave coffee thing that’s going down in Calgary, much of it is represented

in Mission, like at Phil & Sebastian. There are also probably 10 different doughnut places like Hoopla Donuts and Beebop Doughnut.

I also like the park in Cliff Bungalow [Mok’nstsis Park], sitting by the river around there. I can completely forget I’m in the inner city. It feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere. That’s cool.

as told to Colleen Seto

OCCUPATION Artist, Architectural Designer and Managing Director of The Artist Lounge, a bar and restaurant inside the Ruberto Ostberg art gallery.

TYLER DUMANSKI

I became a licensed realtor in the fall of 2022. One of the things that makes me unique as a realtor is, before that, I spent 23 years building homes for Calgarians. Over that time, I’ve been involved in the construction of dozens of new communities, as Calgary has grown immensely over the last two decades. While there is a certain charm to older, mature communities, I always find myself gravitating to the

NEIGHBOURHOODS WE LOVE

growing communities and the new ideas developers are bringing to them.

My family and I moved to Pine Creek in November of 2022. We love that it is quiet and serene — we can even hear coyotes at night. Our children can go out into our backyard that backs onto a playground and explore. While Pine Creek is quiet and has a tucked-away feeling, I love that we can get in the car and within eight minutes

we are at the Shawnessy arena and library, as well as many shopping and dining options. I love that we are a four-minute drive to the newly opened Big Sky Fitness in Legacy, as I can work out every morning and be home in time to see my kids off to school. I feel that Pine Creek is the best of both worlds, in that it feels like you’re away from it all, while still being close enough to amenities. —as told to Michaela Ream

OCCUPATION Real Estate Agent at Charles Real Estate FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD PINE CREEK

NEIGHBOURHOODS WE LOVE

LEJIA FENG

I moved to Calgary from Nanchang, China, just over three years ago. I’ve lived in five different neighbourhoods since 2020 and my favourite is the one I live in currently: Killarney. Because it’s a dense, inner-city neighbourhood, I find it’s quite diverse. You can meet all kinds of different people here. I think that makes Killarney welcoming for newcomers. I feel at home here.

Most of the reasons I love Killarney are very practical: I can drive, but I prefer public transit, and I think the transit net-

work in Killarney is convenient. I take the bus into downtown for work, and it’s only a 20-minute commute for me. And the closest CTrain station is a 10-minute walk away. I got a puppy during the pandemic — a yellow Labrador retriever named Bobby — so I also like how Killarney is a great neighbourhood to be a dog owner. When I first moved here, I was surprised how many dog parks and green spaces there are. It’s a short walk to the Bow River Pathway, and I love taking Bobby to the

Killarney Off Leash Dog Park and to the big green space behind the Killarney Aquatic & Recreation Centre. The aquatic centre is another reason I love this neighbourhood!

I live right by this public amenity and I’ve signed up for swimming classes. I recently tried Hot Yoga on 17th and loved it! The lifestyle here is great, too. Killarney is right next to 17th Avenue S.W., so all the stores, bars and restaurants on 17th are also part of Killarney’s convenience.

—as told to Karin Olafson

OCCUPATION Digital Marketing Specialist at Immigrant Services Calgary FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD KILLARNEY

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SHANE WENZEL

My favourite neighbourhood has been, and will always be, Valley Ridge. I’ve always liked where Valley Ridge is located. It’s actually closer to downtown than a lot of the [outer] northwest locations. It’s well situated for when you’re trying to get away to the mountains. It’s one of the best locations around, and, for a long time, it was a bit of a hidden secret.

We were building in Valley Ridge about 25, almost 30 years ago. Calgary at that time wasn’t even a million people yet. From a builder’s perspective the lots were still very wide: 48, 50 feet. It was one of Calgary’s last true golf course communities, but where it was situated was really

NEIGHBOURHOODS WE LOVE

what made Valley Ridge so unique. It was right on the edge of the river valley, so you had all the natural trees surrounding the community, and the developer at the time, Barbican, managed to protect a lot of those wooded areas.

The homes we were building were very different back then. You had a wider lot, which allowed you to have a wider home on the lot, so you had a lot of different front facades. And there were varying materials: You still had some cedar siding going on, some stucco exteriors, some vinyl exteriors, but a real blend of product. The homes were larger estate homes that, today, would be low in the area of about $1.5

million, right down to a small retirement village — homes there would run about a half-million today. Those homes are quite desirable right now, anything that’s retirement- or aging-in-place-focused, especially where people have the ability to “lock and leave” and go somewhere warmer for the winter.

Valley Ridge just holds a special place in my heart, because it was one of those more unique subdivisions, where you drove in and you just had that sense of feeling that you had gone somewhere else. And that’s probably what makes it special, that you felt like you were out of the city once you got there. —as told to Shelley Arnusch

OCCUPATION CEO & President of Shane Homes Group of Companies FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD VALLEY RIDGE

TANYA EKLUND

FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD ELBOW PARK

I moved into Elbow Park in 2018 when my family and I bought our forever home. Some of the things that I love about this community are that it is very safe and active. The community centre and association offer a variety of amenities, including tennis courts and playgrounds for kids. There’s also the Glencoe Club, movie nights in the park, multiple skating rinks and an excellent tobogganing hill for the snowy winter days.

Elbow Park is also a short walk to Mission/Cliff Bungalow and is centrally located with only a sevenminute commute into the downtown core. The community of Elbow Park is very family-oriented and offers great schools for kids. Neighbours look out for each other, and parents are actively involved in their children’s lives. It is a wonderful community that my family and I are happy to call home. as told to Michaela Ream

OCCUPATION Real Estate Agent, The Tanya Eklund Group of Re/Max Real Estate (Central)

BEVERLY SANDALACK

I’m choosing the Beltline, but specifically a subset of the Beltline, as my favourite neighbourhood. I live in Connaught, one of the components of the Beltline, and I’ve decided to narrow it down because that’s really my neighbourhood. It’s where I do my living. Within a 10-minute walk, I have four grocery stores, about nine or 10 cafés where I do a lot of work, a lot of writing. There are many specialty shops. There are several bakeries, there are personal and professional services, there are gyms. Basically, everything I want to do, aside from where I work, which is the University, is within an easy walking distance.

NEIGHBOURHOODS WE LOVE

I think walking is one of the best ways to get around. It puts you in touch with where you are better than driving. Connaught is extremely walkable. There are continuous sidewalks everywhere. There are, more or less, continuous street trees (although it’s becoming a little patchier as the urban forest ages in this neighbourhood). It’s the quality of the walk. It’s not just being able to walk somewhere in 10 minutes, it’s a really good experience.

Also in this neighbourhood, one thing I really like is that there’s a mix of building types, a mix of ages of buildings. That variety gives a lot of opportunity for different

people to live here and you get a real mix of people. It’s an extremely diverse part of the city, which is one of the things I appreciate about it.

I’ve lived here for a long time and I love where I live. I didn’t come to love it; I chose it because it had all the urbanity, all the density that I really like if I’m going to live in the city.

It doesn’t have enough parks, but the flipside of that is within minutes, on my bike or walking, I’m on the river path, and that connects me to much of the rest of the city. And, I can also walk to the LRT. as told to Shelley Arnusch

OCCUPATION Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD CONNAUGHT (BELTLINE)

Calgary’s Best Neighbourhoods

A best neighbourhood isn’t necessarily going to be “best” for all: Different strokes for different folks, the saying goes. Some people love a car-free lifestyle while others live in their cars (and wouldn’t have it any other way). Some enjoy the bustle of busy urban life while others seek solitude in an enclosed backyard. In Calgary, with approximately 200 communities — and counting — there’s bound to be something for everyone. Here are some of the neighbourhoods from that vast and ever-deepening pool that we believe are worthy of being called “best.”

BY SHELLEY ARNUSCH

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR NEW URBANISTS CURRIE

Having originated during the 1980s, the urban design philosophy known as New Urbanism isn’t so “new” anymore. You can certainly see how it might have seemed radical back in the ’80s, however. Suburban homes at that time were mostly designed with car commuting front of mind and front of lot, with living spaces tucked in behind large two- and three-car garages. While that certainly worked then, and continues to work now for many homeowners, the New Urbanist mindset created a new way of thinking about the suburbs that moves cars (and garages) to the back, and fosters neighbourly vibes with front porches and accessible gathering spaces. Built on a spread of land in the southwest that was formerly a Canadian Forces base, Currie is New Urbanism in Calgary come to life, designed with walkability and neighbourly interaction in mind at every step.

Honourable Mentions: Alpine Park, Garrison Woods/Garrison Green, McKenzie Towne, Walden

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR FREQUENT FLYERS THORNCLIFFE

If you travel often — for work or for pleasure — easy access to the airport can be a key deciding factor when choosing a place to live. But you also need more than that for the time spent at home. From its centre, the community of Thorncliffe is around 10 minutes by car (barring traffic conditions) from YYC, and encompasses one of the city’s most active and vibrant community associations. It also has the up-and-coming Greenview Industrial BIA, home to cool hangouts like Citizen Brewing Company, Congress Coffee and several art studio/gallery operations; and access to the trail system at Nose Hill Park on its northwestern tip.

Honourable Mentions: Evanston, Harvest Hills, Saddle Ridge, Winston Heights/Mountview

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR YOUNG FAMILIES ALTADORE

If you’ve got kids at varying stages of independence, there are a range of things that make your life a whole lot easier if they happen to be nearby: schools, inclusive playgrounds, recreation areas, day care and preschool options, ice-skating rinks, grocery stores, the list goes on. Altadore encompasses a range of school options (the Lycée International de Calgary Frenchlanguage academy among them) as well as the Flames Community Arenas complex, My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe, the summertime hotspot River Park at Sandy Beach and some of the best places to park your stroller and have a coffee (NHBR, Monogram, et al) that the city has to offer. There’s also a supermarket in neighbouring Garrison Woods; boutique shopping, restaurants and breweries in the Marda Loop

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR ARCHITECTURE NERDS UPPER MOUNT ROYAL

The winding streets of Upper Mount Royal are a smorgasbord of architectural forms everything from heritage arts and crafts to crisp modern abodes (give or take a castle). Set on sprawling lots with stately towering trees, a stroll or leisurely bike ride through Upper Mount Royal doubles as a gallery walk showcasing residential architecture in Calgary at its most impressive.

Honourable Mentions: Elbow Park, Erlton, Rosedale, Scarboro

BIA on the northern edge; and an outdoor swimming pool and sand volleyball courts in neighbouring South Calgary.

Honourable Mentions: Bowness, Brentwood, Capitol Hill, Riverbend

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR OUTDOORSY TYPES DISCOVERY RIDGE

A great neighbourhood for outdoorsy types should naturally include easy access to the Rockies, but true outdoorsy types need their urban wilderness, too. Tucked in alongside Highway 8 on the city’s westernmost edge, residents of Discovery Ridge are practically halfway to Kananaskis Country before they even get in their vehicles, with Griffith Woods Park, one of the city’s most picturesque natural areas, right in their backyard.

Honourable Mentions: Lake Bonavista, Lakeview, Silver Springs, Wildwood

ALTADORE PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE COLLINS

CUTEST NEIGHBOURHOOD CRESCENT HEIGHTS

What makes a neighbourhood cute? We’d venture to say it’s a mix of cottage-style heritage homes, residential streets lined with mature trees (bonus if the trees do that highly Instagrammable thing where they grow into a canopy over the street), quirky features that pop up where you’d least expect them and easy access to boutique shopping. First incorporated as a village in 1908 (and annexed by the City the following decade), Crescent Heights still has a healthy contingency of detached residences designed in its formative years. Along with the Rotary Park lawn bowls green, and a variety of unique artisan foodsellers, you’ll also find the Tigerstedt Block here, home to a host of quirky micro-retailers, a pop-up flea market and one of the coolest vintage signs in town.

Honourable Mentions: Ramsay, Renfrew, Sunalta, West Hillhurst

BEST CAR-FREE NEIGHBOURHOOD UNIVERSITY DISTRICT

For a long time, the most walkable neighbourhoods in Calgary were in the core. Then, the University District came to town. Developed on the parcel of land just west of the University of Calgary, this complete community of multifamily residences was designed from the ground up to be walkable. The main commercial area features a supermarket, restaurants and cafés, movie theatres and a recently opened LEED-certified location of Germain Group’s Alt Hotel chain. The outdoor recreation amenities are similarly well thought out: a central commons, complete with firepits and a splash pad, as well as a refrigerated skating rink during the cold-weather months; a dog park; an environmental feature that serves as both park space and stormwater treatment system. Walkable amenities bordering the community include the recreational facilities at the University and, kitty-corner to the northwest, one-stop shopping at CF Market Mall.

Honourable Mentions: Beltline, Cliff Bungalow/Mission, East Village, Hillhurst/Sunnyside

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR SENIORS MAHOGANY

Accessibility is key when looking at neighbourhoods that are well-suited for seniors: not just in regard to housing, but also to recreational and community-building amenities for an active and healthy life. The southeast lake community of Mahogany has, in recent years, established itself as one of the city’s most desirable addresses for active seniors to age in place. Jayman BUILT hub Westman Village provides a range of housing, from lock-and-leave condominiums through residences for varying levels of independent living (including memory care). Amenities in the village hub include a jazz club, golf simulator and Chairman’s Steakhouse (one of Avenue’s Best Overall Restaurants picks for 2023), while the greater community of Mahogany has a 22-kilometre pathway network, beach club, non-motorized water recreation opportunities, and more.

Honourable Mentions: Bridgeland, Inglewood, Oakridge, Ogden

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This summer, plan a self-guided tour of local craft breweries, each with their own distinct story and experience, or visit one of the many Airdrie restaurants and pubs that support them.

Your new favourite beer is waiting for you.

airdrie.ca/aletrail

ISTHEGLENMORE

NEIGHBOURHOOD RESERVOIR CALGARY’S BEST

It doesn’t have any houses, apartments, shops or schools, but the Glenmore Reservoir is a hive of activity and a tight-knit community. A sailing instructor shows us around and makes the case for why it belongs on a Best Neighbourhoods list.

BY DAVE ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED SYCH

he Glenmore Boat Patrol arrives just before dawn on a quiet Sunday. The three-person crew shuffles up the dock to the big blue boathouse that houses the Calgary Rowing and Canoe Clubs on the west side of the Glenmore Reservoir. They pass rowers preparing for the first training session of the day, carrying their delicate rowing shells to the water in the pre-dawn light.

As the city around them sleeps, the patrollers test the boathouse’s emergency radio. Next, they hoist a green flag to the top of a nearby mast to tell the public they’re on watch. The rowers leave the dock when the sun breaks over the eastern horizon, and the patrol heads out onto the water in their rescue boat to start their rounds.

A couple of hours later, the pathways, parks and parking lots around the Reservoir start to fill up. On weekends, the Glenmore Reservoir attracts pedestrians in the same way neighbourhoods

Tlike Inglewood and Kensington attract shoppers and diners. By midday, families fill the splash park at South Glenmore, picnickers haul coolers to firepit-equipped sites in North Glenmore and couples pose on the docks near Heritage Park, snapping selfies with the water and the boats in the background.

Meanwhile, the Reservoir’s habitués are out on the water. In the north arm, kayakers prowl the shore while a dragon boat practices in the racing lanes. At the sailing school on the south side, an instructor shouts encouragement to kids in tiny dinghies. Further out, the Heritage Park tour boat, the S.S. Moyie, placidly paddles past a fleet of sailboats.

When I moved from Yellowknife to Calgary 20 years ago, I put my passion for sailing on a shelf. The little I knew about the Glenmore Reservoir was gleaned from occasional drives over the causeway, and I didn’t consider it as much more than an oversize pond. But a pandemic and four months of lockdown forced me to reconsider the Reservoir’s possibilities. Desperate for time outdoors and

more social contact, I took a learn-to-row class. Three summers later, I now teach sailing in the adult keelboat program at the Glenmore Sailing Club and row enthusiastically (but not skillfully) at the Calgary Rowing Club. Like other denizens of the Reservoir, I spend more summer days on the water than not.

It sounds like a privileged lifestyle, but a whole raft of community-oriented clubs offer accessible ways for Calgarians to get on the water. The Calgary Canoe Club is home to canoers and kayakers, and the Disabled Sailing Association of Alberta offers sailing programs for children and adults. The Calgary Dragon Boat Society supports local teams and organizes an annual festival. On top of it all, the City of Calgary provides affordable sailing lessons and boat rentals to the public.

This body of water is a unique public asset, explains Doug Bruneau, the former supervisor of Glenmore Reservoir Services. “The Glenmore Reservoir is one of the very few raw water sources that permit recreational use on it in North America,” he says.

A YOUTH SAILING GROUP AT THE RESERVOIR'S "DINGHY DOCK."

“The Glenmore reservoir is one of the very few raw water sources that permit recreational use on it in north America.”

This wasn’t always the case. When the sod was turned on the Glenmore Dam in July of 1930, the reservoir was to be a new source of safe drinking water for the growing city. When it opened in January, 1933, the reservoir was deemed out-of-bounds to the public, and authorities erected a 10-foot barbed wire fence to protect it. Fencing off reservoirs wasn’t, and still isn’t, an unusual practice.

But in the summer of 1946, The Calgary Herald started running articles urging the City of Calgary to open the Glenmore Reservoir so that citzens could enjoy the recreational possibilities. The writers had big ambitions for their vision for a new public park, advocating for picnic areas onshore and docks for boating, swimming and fishing. They proposed “a regular patrol, maintained by guards on horseback and afoot,” to protect the “pristine environment.”

Discussions about public access continued for almost 10 years. Finally, on July 19, 1955, the Herald reported that after considerable debate, City Council voted to set aside space for future park development. Permission for boating on the Reservoir would take two more years and approval by public health authorities. There was still concern about water quality, so the City established a simple, strict rule: Calgarians could play on the Glenmore Reservoir, but not in it.

Rowing, sailing and paddling enthusiasts responded quickly by founding new clubs. The Calgary Canoe Club and the Glenmore Yacht Club (now the Glenmore Sailing Club) were founded in 1959, and the Calgary Rowing Club followed in 1966. The first order of business was finding members, and in a prairie city like Calgary, that meant teaching people to sail, row and paddle.

“In the early ’60s, the Sailing Club started the Glenmore Junior Sailing School, and that became wildly successful between the school’s start in 1964 and 1972,” says Nollind van Bryce, one of the Sailing Club’s board of directors. “In that decade, it grew to almost a thousand students a year.”

The Reservoir’s youth and adult education programs are just as popular 60 years later. Summer camps, athlete development programs and adult introductory courses are all priced to promote accessibility, and it’s a strategy that has proven remarkably successful. Our landlocked city has produced more than its fair share of prize-winning sailors, rowers and paddlers.

Calgary rower Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski helped the Canadian women’s eight rowing crew take home gold in 2021 at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. A team of rowers from the Calgary

D OUG BRUNEAU former supervisor, Glenmore Reservoir Services

Rowing Club came eighth out of more than 700 clubs in the 2022 World Rowing Masters Regatta. In 2017, Calgary sailor Christopher Lemke won his division in the Transpac Yacht Race from Long Beach, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. Lemke continues to race at the Glenmore Sailing Club and remains a perennial favourite. Local endurance kayaker Wayne Anderson won first in the solo category of the 2018 Yukon River Quest, completing the 715-kilometre course in just under 50 hours. Anderson is a fixture on the Reservoir in his sleek Epic race kayak, often logging up to 40 kms in a single training session.

Among the most remarkable Glenmore Reservoir athletes are paddlers Jon Amundson, John Roberts and Otto Erdelsky. At 75, 79 and 82 years old, respectively, these members of the Calgary Canoe Club all hold world records in outrigger

(LEFT

tinually asking: “What were the regulations that came out yesterday? What do we need to change? What do we need to implement?”

During a particularly severe wave, the club used a Google Sheet to choreograph solo rowing sessions (it later implemented an online booking system). Following public health rules, two masked rowers were allowed in the boathouse every 15 minutes to obtain and launch their shells. A safety boat monitored the rowers on the water from an appropriate distance. No coaching was allowed, but at least the rowers were on the water.

Schumacher says the extra effort kept members physically healthy and bolstered their mental health. “If you see somebody on the water, even though they’re 10 feet away, you can still communicate with each other,” she says. “Even though it’s a distant sense of community, it’s still a sense of community.”

Health and safety are also top of mind for those who run the Glenmore Boat Patrol. This 12-person unit is staffed by City of Calgary lifeguards trained to operate the Reservoir’s rescue boats. On a typical day, they might round up dangerous pieces of driftwood, rescue a capsized boater or monitor hazardous weather. Shift supervisor Darren Tosche oversees the operation and says one of the main priorities is protecting our water supply. “A lot of people don’t know the Glenmore is our drinking water, so we educate people,” Tosche says. Their job includes explaining rules prohibiting Calgarians (and their pets) from dumping or swimming in its waters. “We’re the stewards of the Reservoir.”

canoe racing. Last year, Erdelsky won two gold medals for his age group at the 2022 Va’a World Sprint Championships.

Calgary hardly seems like a hotbed for outrigger canoeing, but after Roberts helped start the Canoe Club’s outrigger program in 1995, the sport soon found a dedicated following. “I have to say that the community in the Calgary Canoe Club outrigger program is the best over the 65 years I’ve been in this paddling business,” says Erdelsky.

During COVID-19, the Calgary Rowing Club went to extraordinary lengths to maintain its close-knit community. Amelie Schumacher, club manager during the pandemic, worked with the Rowing Club’s safety committee and coaches to redesign programs as public health rules changed. They tried to be nimble and to think outside the box, but it wasn’t easy. Schumacher recalls con-

Like any great neighbourhood, the Glenmore Reservoir’s biggest challenge may be its popularity. Club memberships jumped during COVID, and Tosche has noticed a marked increase in usage by the public. Yet, the people he encounters on the Reservoir are positive and respectful: “It’s really easy to love your job when everyone is friendly. It’s just a great place to be,” he says.

The end of the day is my favourite time. I’m usually among the stragglers in the Heritage Park boatyard, chatting about boats and sailing while we finish packing up. If it’s a teaching day, I’m likely debriefing my sailing students at a picnic table while they practice their knots.

Just before sunset, the boat patrol comes by for its final sweep. The patrollers stop to gossip about the Reservoir’s ducks (who are spoiled and rude) or the weather. But soon, they return to their duties, pulling down the green flag and turning off the emergency radio. As the sun hits the horizon, they turn their rescue boat for home in preparation for another day.

TO RIGHT) ELITE OUTRIGGER CANOE RACERS OTTO ERDELSKY, JOHN ROBERTS AND JON AMUNDSON.

FOR INDIGENOUS FLY FISHING GUIDE QUINN SOONIAS , TAKING PEOPLE DOWN THE BOW RIVER IS AS MUCH ABOUT

BY DOMINIQUE LAMBERTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED SYCH

SHARING AN APPRECIATION FOR THE LAND AND THE WATER AS IT IS ABOUT CELEBRATING A GREAT CATCH.

flurry of sounds fill the air at the boat ramp near the Calgary Auto Mall, as I stand on the shore of the Bow River, fly fishing rod in hand. Giant semi-trucks trundle across the Graves Bridge on Glenmore Trail; motorbikes whizz by; and, overhead, jet engines roar as they make their descent into Calgary International Airport. The cacophony makes it a bit tricky to pick up on the snapping noise my rod is making as I learn to cast on this late-August morning. That snap, says my guide and instructor Quinn Soonias, is one sound I shouldn’t be hearing.

“You’re breaking the sound barrier when you make that noise,” Soonias says, his voice animated and reassuring as he teaches me and my fly fishing companion the forward and backward motion of the false cast. “It should be a really quiet kind of cast.” He demos it for us on the rocky river’s edge, showing how we should pause for a beat before propelling forward. We practice a little longer, trying our best to emulate his fluid action.

This riverside tutorial, which also covers setting and mending, roll casts and stripping our lines, is key before we hop into Soonias’s three-seater drift boat and start casting for real. Rainbow trout, brown trout, whitefish, jackfish and burbot are all possible catches in the Bow River, one of the top fly fishing locales in North America — particularly when it comes to trout.

Soonias is the owner of Drift Out West Fly Fishing, a guiding business he operates on the Bow. Equipped with his red and white boat, tackle boxes full of colourful homemade flies, and more than 30 years of experience and knowledge, Soonias takes clients out on half- and full-day fly fishing adventures, right here in Calgary. He also offers a unique perspective: As a member of Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Soonias shares his history and connection to the water, inviting conversation, learning and exchange with his guests, who come in all ages and skill levels, including first-timers like us.

After donning our PFDs and receiving a quick safety briefing on the boat, Soonias begins paddling us away from the hubbub near the launch and into the calm flow of the Bow. This stretch that we’re floating is part of the “blue ribbon” section of the river, which begins near downtown and extends to the Carseland Weir south of the city, a distance of about 80 kilometres, where the trout are renowned for their size — up to 24 inches long.

AS A MEMBER OF RED PHEASANT CREE NATION, SOONIAS SHARES HIS HISTORY AND CONNECTION TO THE WATER, INVITING CONVERSATION, LEARNING AND EXCHANGE.

SOONIAS USES HIS KNOT-TYING TOOL, WHICH HE WEARS AROUND HIS NECK, TO TIE A FLY ONTO A LINE.

The City’s water treatment plant is partly to thank for this, says Soonias. “The treatment plant creates a lot of food for the bugs, so the bugs really thrive below the treatment plant, and the fish [get] big because the bugs are plentiful.”

Our float today will take us on a 13-km-long stretch of the blue ribbon section, to the boat launch at Fish Creek Provincial Park. It can take up to eight hours, says Soonias, so there are parts he will paddle through to get us moving a little quicker. We must also have our lines out of the water by 2 p.m.; a streak of hot weather has put hoot owl restrictions into effect, so fishing is not permitted during the warmest part of the day in order to provide a break to fish stressed by low water levels that are rising in temperature.

Soonias isn’t bothered by the restrictions: taking care of the water and the fish is paramount for him. Originating in the Rockies, the Bow meanders 587 km through mountains, foothills, city and prairie, before meeting up with the Oldman River and eventually joining the water that Soonias’s family and ancestors lived on in Red Pheasant Cree Nation, just south of North Battleford, Sask. “The Bow River turns into the South Saskatchewan, and then connects with the North Saskatchewan, which is where we were,” Soonias says. “The one thing I always think about, is how the stuff that happens here is going all the way down, through where my reserve was, and then to Hudson Bay. So, we need to watch what we do because, if we destroy the water here, it’s going to have an effect right across Western Canada.”

Born in Saskatoon, Soonias moved from there with his family to Alberta, eventually returning to Saskatchewan to live with his grandparents on Red Pheasant Cree Nation when he was 13. It was there he started spending more time in nature, developing an appreciation for it. At 16, he tried fly fishing for the first time with some friends in a nearby dugout stocked with trout. “I didn’t have any idea how to cast or how to tie a knot or anything,” he says. “I just started flailing away, trying to get my fly out there. But once I got it out, having a fish come up and eat a dry fly was pretty cool.”

While that initial experience launched a lifelong love of fly fishing, it would be another two decades before Soonias started Drift Out West. Along the way, sport and the outdoors were common threads in his life. In high school, he played volleyball and basketball — natural choices for a tall kid (Soonias is 6 feet 7 inches). He would go on to play volleyball with Mount Royal in Calgary, earning a spot on the National B team.

In 1994, Soonias moved to Yellowknife, N.W.T. (he’d spent summers there during university), where he worked at a sporting goods store and began developing a career in tourism. A youth tourism course inspired him to pursue a dream of becoming a backcountry ski guide: He eventually relocated to Fernie, B.C., and took a certification course at the College of the Rockies.

Soonias spent the next four-and-a-half years taking groups of people on backcountry cat-skiing trips with Fernie Wilderness Adventures, which also involved snow compacting and avalanche safety. He was typically the tail guide, helping fallen skiers and riders get up in deep powder, and motivating them to keep going down the mountain. “At the end of the day, having guests come up to you and say, ‘Thanks man, that was an awesome day, I haven’t experienced anything like that,’ was the reward,” Soonias says.

A QUICK POST-CATCH PHOTO OPP WITH A WHITEFISH BEFORE IT S RETURNED TO THE BOW; (BELOW) WRITER DOMINIQUE LAMBERTON REELS ONE IN.

A broken arm eventually convinced Soonias to put backcountry guiding on ice. He moved to Calgary, where he worked in construction for years, before becoming an air supply agent at WestJet. During that time, Soonias was fishing regularly with a friend who owns a fly fishing outfit, and he started guiding for the company part-time. This side gig made Soonias wonder whether he could make a living at it himself. He bought his first boat and, in 2007, launched Drift Out West Fly Fishing. In 2019, Soonias began guiding full-time.

As Soonias navigates the water on the Bow, paddling us upriver so we can fish certain sections multiple times, he’s constantly scanning and calling out instructions: “pick up and cast to the left;” “drop that rod tip and point at your indicator;” “strip in;” “cast again;” “mend your line;” “set, set, set!” The fish sit right where the slow water and fast water meet, in the eddies of the river. When your indicator moves, or drops under the water, you have a bite: “Even if there’s a little bit of movement, you set — lift straight up,” he says.

Similar to his experiences as a backcountry ski guide, Soonias says the best part of river guiding for him is seeing his guests enjoying themselves, and the excitement that comes when they catch a fish — the ecstatic reaction from all of us when my fly fishing partner pulls a rainbow trout out of the river for the first time perfectly demonstrates what he means. “When one of my clients catches a fish, it feels like I just caught that fish,” he says. “And

when they lose a fish, I’m just as upset about it as they are.”

Soonias also finds great joy in the art of making and tying flies, a skill he taught himself using books and, later, online videos. “I can sit down and start tying flies and the next thing I know, six hours have passed,” he says. He opens one of his boxes filled with homemade flies in varying shapes and colours, some neon and sparkly.

“I’ve got worms, foam flies, nymphs, cactus flies, black leeches, streamers, sparkle minnows,” he says, gesturing to the contents. For each type of flying fishing — nymphing, dry-fly and streamer fishing — he has a favourite. “For streamer fishing, I really like the sparkle minnow; it’s shiny and it’s got a lot of movement in it,” he says, noting the marabou feathers and glittery synthetic material he uses to make it.

Unlike others in his position, he’s open to sharing flies on the river: “Some guides even cut their flies off their line if they’re coming in for lunch where there are other boaters because they don’t want people to see what they’re using,” Soonias says, laughing.

“We all know what works on the river; it’s no big secret.”

While there’s a healthy and, for the most part, collaborative guiding culture on the Bow, Soonias is offering something different than most. As an Indigenous tour operator — he’s a member of Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA) — he builds in opportunities to open up the discussion around Indigenous culture, truth and reconciliation, and honouring tradition with his guests. One way he does this is by starting tours with a tobacco offering: “I take out

“I CAN SIT DOWN AND START TYING FLIES AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW SIX HOURS HAVE PASSED.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: GOLDEN HOUR ON THE BOW; SOONIAS WADES IN FOR A FEW CASTS; A SELECTION OF SOONIAS'S HOMEMADE FLIES.

some tobacco from my medicine bag and pay respect to the water and the creator and my ancestors; I thank them for everything I’ve got and place that in the water.” It usually breaks the ice, he says: “People will often ask me to tell them more after that.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous tourism was the country’s fastest-growing tourism sector. And it’s continuing to keep pace, says Shae Bird, the CEO of ITA, with both demand and investment on the rise. In March, Travel Alberta announced $6 million in funding for ITA over the next three years. “With the current environment and acknowledgement of residential schools, and this new desire to learn more about the authentic Indigenous culture within our own backyard, the domestic demand is actually growing significantly,” Bird says.

The biggest challenge ITA faces is increasing awareness, especially because what you experience with an Indigenous tourism provider isn’t always marketable. This is true when it comes to Drift Out West, says Bird: “You don’t think of fly fishing as an Indigenous experience; you think of it as a fishing experience. It’s not until you meet Quinn, sit down with him and he shares his stories and his connection to the waterways and where his family comes from, that the perceived fly fishing experience turns into an authentic Indigenous fly fishing experience. It’s something that’s really hard to market, because it’s not something that you necessarily see, it’s something you feel when you’re with him. That is the magic of a lot of our operators.”

Near the end of our float, Soonias hands us each a “snacklebox” and invites us to take a seat as he paddles through the next stretch — we’ve just passed Douglasdale and Fish Creek Park’s canopy is opening up on our right. Inside the tackle-box-cumlunch-box compartments are crackers, cheese, pickles and elk pepperoni, made with elk Soonias hunted and had processed at a butcher shop. He hunts in the off-season, and uses elk salami, sausage and pepperoni in the homemade sandwiches and snackleboxes he prepares for all of his tours.

His grandfather was a hunter, too; a residential school survivor, Soonias’s grandfather didn’t share much of his Cree culture with Soonias or the rest of his family. “He was taught not to speak his language or share his culture, so he didn’t,” Soonias says.

But Soonias wants to continue to learn as much as he can about his culture for himself — and the more he learns, the more he can share with his guests. As he paddles, the water trickling down his oars and ricocheting off the side of his boat, which he named Nicimos (Cree for “sweetheart”), Soonias tells us how water is sacred to Cree people, and what it means to him personally.

“In the medicine wheel, there’s air, fire, water and earth. And for me, the more I think about it, water is everything — it’s part of all the elements,” he says.

“The water has given me this job, it gives me the fish that my guests catch... It’s one big circle and it just keeps coming back to water all the time.”

“IN THE MEDICINE WHEEL THERE’S AIR, FIRE, WATER AND EARTH. AND FOR ME, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, WATER IS EVERYTHING.”

SOONIAS REGULARLY SWAPS OUT FLIES BASED ON HOW THE FISH RESPOND.

BY MICHAEL JUAREZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED SYCH

Filipino Flavors finding

THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN CALGARY SERVING UP AUTHENTIC DISHES FROM THE PHILIPPINES RIGHT NOW.

You could argue Filipino food is the original fusion cuisine. The Philippines is home to the world’s oldest Chinatown — Binondo in Manila, which dates back to the 16th Century — and the country was colonized and ruled by Spain for more than 300 years. As such, the food is heavily influenced by these and other global regions. The country itself is also heavily regional, an archipelago comprising more than 7,600 islands (2,000 inhabited) with a population of 113 million — almost three times the population of Canada in an area that is approximately half the size of the province of Alberta.

With that many islands and that many people, it’s no wonder the different regions of the Philippines each have their own take on Filipino food. When it comes to the national dish, adobo, perhaps the only thing anyone can agree on is that no two ever turn out the same. Adobo will always contain the staple ingredients of a protein and vinegar, but one Filipino grandmother’s adobo will always be “better” than another’s.

Another word that aptly describes Filipino food is “comfort.” Each dish is prepared with an array of flavours that harbour familiar tastes. (Filipinos even have their own version of spaghetti, which is a bit sweeter than traditional Italian versions.) For native Filipinos, these authentic dishes invoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging; for those new to this cuisine, a journey of discovery. Either way, here are some must-try Calgary restaurants serving up the flavours of the Philippines right now.

RISE N’ SHINE BREAKFAST PLACE

Along with Western fare, Rise N’ Shine serves signature Filipino breakfast and lunch items. In Filipino cuisine, no meal is ever complete without rice — breakfast included. You’ll find dishes here such as tapsilog (a.k.a. “beef tapa”) — thinly sliced marinated beef (tapa), garlic fried rice (sinangag) and egg (itlog) served with a side of mango salsa. Try it with the restaurant’s house-made chili oil if you like a little heat. The chili oil also pairs well with Rise N’ Shine’s Filipino siomai — a Chinese dim sum staple that is a popular street food in the Philippines. 2014 36 St. S.E., 403-271-5170 rnsbreakfastplace.com, @rnsbreakfastplace

CLUCK + OINK

Lola is the Filipino word for grandmother. Arvin Dauz, owner-operator of Lola’s Cluck + Oink, says he was fortunate to grow up with amazing lolas, the inspiration behind the name and the food at this up-and-coming restaurant in the bustling halls of Fresh and Local Market & Kitchens. “I do not want to be the face of the brand, I want the food to speak for itself,” Dauz says. “I want people to discover what good food is, while being relatable and new at the same time!”

Each item out of the kitchen, be it entrees, seasonings or sauces, is made in house. Dauz’s lumpianisa combines lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and longganisa (a sweet and

salty sausage) to delicious results, while the sisig dynamite spring rolls, are a twist on tradition — a blend of sisig (minced pork) with jalapeno peppers and cream cheese, wrapped in rice paper and deep fried crispy and golden. Top sellers include crispy chicken skins with a variety of seasonings, as well as barbecued chicken (“cluck”) and pork dishes (“oink”). Those who like their food with some heat will want to make good use of the signature “fire and ice” sauce. Every dish has a story behind it and Dauz is always happy to share.

12445 Lake Fraser Dr. S.E 587-577-1380

@lolasclucknoink

LOLA’S

AMIHAN GRILL + BAKESHOP

With siomai, spring rolls, kwek kwek (quail eggs dipped in an orange batter), kikiam (an elongated fish ball) and crispy chicken skin, the street food snack platter at Amihan Grill + Bakeshop is an all-in-one serving of Filipino favourites. Another must-try here is the longga burger, made from the ubiquitous pork sausage

and served Western-style with fries.

Amihan’s grill menu includes proteins such as pusit (squid), liempo (pork belly) and chicken, while the bakeshop offers Filipino desserts and breads. Compared to Westernstyle baking, these items flip the script when it comes to flavours. Cakes, such as the ones

MIA’S LECHON

This hidden gem was voted Taste of Calgary’s Best last year for its lechon belly. In the Philippines, lechon — a Spanish-derived word for roasted suckling pig — is traditionally served at birthday and holiday celebrations, and to commemorate significant milestones. Mia’s Lechon serves it up as a slow-roasted rolled pork belly. Similar in appearance to an Italian porchetta, the flavour is uniquely different, seasoned with a mixture of lemongrass, peppercorns and bay leaves. Mia’s shares space with Fantasy Pretzel & Donuts, so you can satisfy your sweet and salty cravings for pretzels, pastries and pork all in one place.

6115 4 St. S.E., Bay 2, 587-351-7775 @miaslechon

at Amihan made with ube (purple yam) or mango, tend to be less sweet than Western cakes, while Filipino breads, such as pan de sal, will be sweeter than expected, a perfect pairing with your morning coffee.

3132 26 St. N.E., Unit 208, 403-455-6050 amihan.ca, @amihan.grill.bakeshop

PLATTER UP! GRILLED ENTREES AND SNACKS AT AMIHAN.

LECHON BELLY AT MIA’S LECHON.

MORE FAB FILIPINO DINING DESTINATIONS

1

ROC’S GRILL

Roc’s is known for putting a contemporary spin on dishes that have been passed down for generations, whether that’s street foods like kwek kwek; crispy pork belly, or kare kare (a peanut-based curry). Roc’s also serves halo halo, a dessert concoction of crushed ice, sweet beans, banana, jackfruit and jellies topped with flan, ice cream and cornflakes and finished with sweet milk or cream. When ordering here, the real question is whether to start with dessert.

285 Shawville Blvd. S.E., 403-891-5158 rocsgrill.ca, @rocsgrillyyc 2

CHOPSTIX RESTAURANT

Long-running Chopstix is one of Calgary’s original Filipino restaurants. Although the ownership has changed hands over the years, the fundamental tastes and joys of the food have endured. For many, this restaurant is a go-to for Filipino noodle soups such as lomi (egg noodle soup in a thick, almost gravy-like broth), mami (a thinner noodle in a thin broth) and La Paz batchoy, an egg-noodle soup topped with crispy pork crackling, pork liver and sliced green onion.

5315 17 Ave. S.E., 403-235-1682, and 9679 Macleod Tr. S.W. 403-251-0740; chopstixrestaurant.com; @chopstixfilipino 3

PAOLO’S FILIPINO RESTAURANT

Paolo’s is the quintessential family-run restaurant, owned and operated by the mother-and-son duo of Rose and Eugene Enriquez. “Every single customer is family to us!” is the mantra here. Paolo’s is known for its superb king crispy pata and crispy ulo dishes — both made with tender pieces of pork — as well as pancit, a Filipino stir-fried noodle dish in a variety of flavours.

7070 11 St. S.E., 403-253-9200 paolos-dine-in.business.site, @paolosdinein

HALO HALO AT ROC’S GRILL.

A TASTE OF HOME

FILIPINO CHEFS IN CALGARY TELL US THEIR FAVOURITE TRADITIONAL DISHES.

Andrew Ocasion

PARTNER AND OPERATOR

Con Mi Taco

FAVOURITE DISH

Pork Adobo and Rice

“This was a staple in my household. When I was young my parents used to make it for me and my friends who weren’t Filipino, and it was always their favourite dish. Coming from a city with few Filipinos, this always made me proud of my culture!”

Yevgene Antalan

CHEF

Rooftop

FAVOURITE DISH

Sisig

“I was born in Tarlac, which is near the city of Pampanga, where sisig originated. This is my favourite pulutan (bar snack). When my friends tried my sisig they told me that my version is the most authentic they’ve ever tried. My wife and I also run a small food business and we [created a] unique version of our sisig by turning it into a taco.”

John Pida

DAY SOUS CHEF

Joey Crowfoot

FAVOURITE DISH

Longganisa

“A sausage that’s salty, sweet and sometimes spicy. Delicious and incredibly addicting!”

ANDREW OCASION

JOHN PIDA

YEVGENE ANTALAN

Emmanuel Pascual

JR. SOUS CHEF

Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation

FAVOURITE DISHES

Sisig, Pinangat na Galunggong sa Kamias, and Tortang Talong

“All are near and dear to me, so I couldn’t just pick one. These dishes were taught to me by my parents. It was fascinating to see my culinary heroes build those simple flavours into something really tasty!”

Nicole Salcedo

EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF

Lonely Mouth Bar

FAVOURITE DISH

Halo Halo

“When I was a kid we would set up a [halo halo] stall outside my house — that was our version of a lemonade stand. It’s great, especially in the Philippines’ hot weather that can go up to like 40 or 50 degrees.”

Jay Del Corro

HEAD CHEF

Nan’s Noodle House

FAVOURITE DISH

Adobong Manok

“It’s the most distinctly Filipino dish that can be made with very simple ingredients. It’s the first dish I learned to make and the first dish I taught to my kids!”

JAY DEL CORRO

NICOLE SALCEDO

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nominate your favourite restaurants in calgary

The winners will be part of Avenue’s list of Calgary’s Best Restaurants 2024

NOMINATIONS JULY 11 TO 26, 2023

VOTING AUGUST 29 TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Don’t let your teeth become extinct.

The National accessArts Centre (NaAC) and its artists are challenging the stigma of what people with disabilities are capable of. NaAC artists are redefining who an artist can be and what creative expression looks like. For each of these artists, success looks different. For some, it’s about the rigorous process of creation; for others, global exhibition and presentation is the goal. Regardless, these artists are shifting perspectives and forging a dynamic and more diverse arts landscape.

THE NaAC IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

Setting the Stage for Artistic Innovation

BY KARIN OLAFSON

The National accessArts Centre (NaAC) is a thriving centre for creativity you never knew existed.

THE NaAC, a non-profit organization, offers artists with physical and developmental disabilities in-studio and online training, workshops and mentorship, and presentation and exhibition opportunities with global reach. Since 2018, NaAC artists have showcased their work globally, including in Dubai, Seoul and Guadalajara. Currently, the NaAC’s studio space is located in Calgary, with plans to expand nationwide.

“This is not an auxiliary recreational program. The NaAC is essential to the artists, their identity and their creative expression,” says Karly Mortimer, Vice President of Artist and Program Development at the NaAC. Mortimer adds that the NaAC is one of the only organizations in Canada that supports the professional development of artists with disabilities at this scale, and in 2020, became the country’s first multidisciplinary arts organization for artists with disabilities.

Because NaAC artists live with disabilities, their artistic practices — including mediums in which they create work — are constantly evolving in exciting and innovative ways. The NaAC’s practicing artists work alongside a team of facilitators who offer new skills in visual arts, dance, film, opera, digital music and more.

“Our artists bring a completely new kind of perspective to what you might deem mainstream art, and they're presenting it in ways that are really inviting the public to think,” says Mortimer. “When your identity intersects with that of being an artist and being someone with a disability, your whole world is centered around innovation and problem-solving.” Simply, NaAC artists translate their resiliency and often-undervalued experiences through their works.

THE NaAC’S KEY MOMENTS

1975 The organization launches as the In-Definite Arts Society as a place for people with disabilities to practice craft.

2017 Now under new leadership, the NaAC supports the holistic development of each artist and their diligent creative practice.

2020 The NaAC expands beyond the visual arts — it adds performing arts, music, film and more to its offerings.

2021 Opens The Conference of the Birds exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland at the UN Climate Change Conference.

2025 The NaAC is on track to begin operating three spaces: the Won Lee Community Arts Hub in Toronto, the NaAC training facility in the West Hillhurst Community Centre and a new, accessible arts hub in West Hillhurst, comprised of a visual arts training studio, a multidisciplinary performance space and a gallery.

Disability isn’t something that affects only a few; rather, it’s prevalent in our society. One in five Canadians ages 15 and older lives with a disability.

Calgary’s Most Globally Prominent Arts Organization

BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH /// MAP BY MARK HENRY

The NaAC is amplifying its artists’ voices through global initiatives and cultural diplomacy.

The NaAC’s impact goes far beyond Calgary. International audiences have also been moved by its artists’ work, and in the last five years, NaAC artists have showcased and discussed their creations all around the world. Here are seven exhibitions that have toured internationally.

The Conference of the Birds, featuring JorDen Tyson, Karin Hazle, Johnathan Stel, and Rachel Harding

Where: Glasgow, Scotland

When: October to November, 2021

Medium: Photography

(Below) A conceptual map showing where in the world NaAC artists have exhibited and presented their work.

Albertan Perspectives, featuring 25 NaAC artists

Where: Seoul, Korea and Hong Kong

When: March to June, 2018

Medium: Mix of visual mediums

Drawing Power, featuring 10 NaAC artists

Where: Guadalajara, Mexico

When: December, 2019

Medium: Mix of visual mediums

Connections, featuring 11 NaAC artists

Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When: June, 2019

Medium: Mix of visual mediums

Intense Difference of Its Own, featuring 18 NaAC artists

Where: Seoul, Korea

When: June to August, 2023

Medium: Mix of visual mediums; music

My Imagination is So Many Things, featuring Donald Greenough, Jane Cameron, Adeel Sadiq, David Oppong and Ray Wang

Where:

Tokyo, Japan

When: December, 2021 to February, 2022

Medium: Mix of visual mediums

dolan.dolan featuring eight NaAC artists

Where:

Seoul, Korea

When: November, 2021

Medium: Mix of visual mediums

GUADALAJARA

GLASGOW

DUBAI HONG KONG

TOKYO

SEOUL

Meet the NaAC’s Busiest Artists

BY MICHAELA REAM

KATHY M. AUSTIN

Chosen medium(s):

NaAC artists are dedicated creators with rigorous practices. They push boundaries and challenge both themselves and audiences to think outside the box. By constantly creating new work and experimenting with new mediums, these artists are helping break down barriers and diversifying the local and international art scene.

Here are five NaAC artists everyone should know about, with a snapshot of just some of the work they’ve recently created.

Austin is a multidisciplinary artist. She is a writer, photographer, dancer, filmmaker and more.

“I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a crayon and started writing when I was six, so I’ve been creating my whole life. I feel like it’s not something I chose, but that chose me.”

A snapshot of her art: Flower Garden (pictured) A colourful display of various flowers all in bloom, that showcases the beauty and diversity of all living things (whether plants or people).

Melting Yeti

In this Super 8mm film, mystical yetis and abominable snowmen dance, smooch and party before avalanches and snowball fights overcome them. The film, composed with original audio and with integrated audio descriptions, explores Austin’s experience as an artist with blindness.

Her artistic approach:

“I get inspiration from everything I hear, touch, smell, taste and see. My world is like motes of dust in the air, that not everyone can see unless the sun is shining through the window. But I can see lots of motes of ideas, and so I’m constantly inspired.”

How being involved in the NaAC has benefitted her artistic process:

“I have a lot of abundance right now, thanks to the NaAC. They’ve helped immensely with my artistic process because being with the NaAC has created all these unbelievable, amazing opportunities. Since I do have limitations because of being legally blind, it’s wonderful to have such free reign here.”

Finding Through Arts Education

Wonder

Sarah Friesen, Director of Communications at River Valley School

Photography by Sarah Friesen and Andrea Page

Empowering a student to discover, explore and express their uniqueness and individuality has the wonderful outcome of sparking success not only in academics, but in their overall wellbeing.

Years of data and research shows that access to arts programming is directly linked to the life-long successes we want for our children and their future.

Does this mean we need to mold our students into the next Picasso, Mozart or Steven Spielberg? Of course not. What it does mean however, is that when we put a stronger emphasis on facilitating moments of wonder and creativity, we are empowering them to do what is innately natural to them; to work with their hands, to use their imagination and to think outside the box (or in this case - your basic lined paper or worksheet). This is our goal at River Valley School.

Through the fine arts, children experience various artists, styles and mediums all while building and uniquely demonstrating a knowledge of colour, composition, value, and form. In drama (or while participating in dramatic play), students not only learn to be great actors, but also how to express themselves as confident communicators and collaborators. Through music, students use their bodies and voices as their first instruments to strengthen their cognitive abilities, memory and focus; all skills we know are important for reading, math, language development and overall brain health. Even within classroom curricular work, artistic muscles can be "flexed" through hands-on projects where students use art supplies, loose parts and recycled materials to creatively exemplify their understanding of concepts and ideas.

By utilizing arts programming to its full potential, we are not only contributing to this generation of children’s success, but empowering them to be proud of who they are, what they create and what impact they can have on the world around them.

Sydney Gurewitz Clemens once said, “Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.”

ANDREW HARDING

Chosen medium(s): Harding is a multidisciplinary artist. He works in clay, Venetian plaster, ceramics, fibreworks, painting and more.

“I enjoy the hands-on approach with my art. I can see in my mind all the kinds of ceramics or clay works that I create.”

A snapshot of his art: The Dark Forest (pictured) This work was created using self-grinding ink from Korea and drawing the image onto rice paper. The painting was exhibited in Korea before coming back to Canada. This summer, the art returned to Korea as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea.

Art in the Dark Harding codesigned this workshop with the NaAC three years ago for participants to explore nonvisual approaches to making art. Through a series of blindfolded drawing, painting and sensing exercises, the workshop participants explore what one can learn using nonvisual senses while creating visual art.

His artistic approach: “I sculpt from my interests, like nature, animals, sports and things I’ve done in my life that inspire me to make a project. I imagine what I want to create and see if I can draw a picture in my mind, so I can then create it with my hands.”

How being involved in the NaAC has benefitted his artistic process: “I’ve been a long-standing National accessArts Centre person for nearly 13 years. With support from the NaAC, I’ve also received funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to work on a largescale work in summer 2023.”

LAURA LAPEARE

Chosen medium(s): Acrylic paint and pencil drawings. She has recently started exploring music, film and photography.

“I like to make my art come to life and really show detail. Acrylic paints can make scenes look more vibrant and real. With pencil, it’s your choice to make things look lighter or darker with shading and let people see a scene clearer or not.”

A snapshot of her art:

Seven Miniatures for the Rolston String Quartet (pictured) This project was a partnership between Xenia Concerts and the NaAC, with seven neurodivergent artists co-creating original pieces of music under the mentorship of nine professional musicians. The pieces were performed by the award-winning Rolston String Quartet. Inspired by the sounds of a PAW Patrol xylophone, LaPeare created a piece titled Isaiah’s Birthday in honour of her nephew.

Photography Practicum

During her participation in the year-long NaAC Practicum Program, LaPeare experimented with different perspectives and themes. This summer, LaPeare and her fellow artists will share their work in an exhibition at the NaAC.

Her artistic approach:

“I’ve travelled a lot, which is something that inspires me to do my art. I like to re-create landscapes from where I’ve been or of places where my mom has been. I’ve also been around animals my whole life, so I’ll paint old pets, like my old black horse Magic, or dogs, cats and other animals.”

How being involved in the NaAC has benefitted her artistic process:

“The staff are very supportive of what I can be involved in and the NaAC has a lot of extra programs now as well. I’m in the film ensemble program learning to make films and learning how to re-create my work using different art forms. The photography practicum is teaching me how to capture clearer pictures and snapshots that really stand out. Each approach is bringing a different perspective to my art.”

Myself in the Mirror

by Laura Lapeare

MEG OHSADA

Chosen medium(s): Dance and painting.

“I’m dealing with social anxiety, but I believe I’m sending important messages [by sharing movement with] the audience instead of words.”

A snapshot of her art: Joy

This is an original musical theatre piece about a princess following her dreams alongside her magical cat, Neko. Ohsada developed a scene of the story in NaAC’s musical theatre ensemble, which included composing original music, writing lyrics and dialogue, and choreographing the movement. She performed this work-in-progress at The GRAND in May 2023.

Dance Intensive with Daniel Vais

Daniel Vais is a UK-based choreographer, the Artistic Director of Culture Device — a dance company for professional dancers with Down Syndrome (DS) — and founder of Drag Syndrome, the world’s first collective of drag kings and queens with DS. In May 2022, he facilitated a dance intensive with Ohsada and other artists from NaAC’s dance ensemble.

Her artistic approach:

“When I listen to music, my body starts to move as I feel it. My life is surrounded by beautiful scenery, people and music. They inspire me, and I always appreciate and challenge as many opportunities as possible. My dream is to work with mainstream artists without the label of disability.”

How being involved in the NaAC has benefited her artistic process:

“I'm doing NaAC programs such as weekly open art sessions, Indigenous Ways of Knowing program, Broadway jazz dance and musical theatre. The NaAC gives me many different creative opportunities. I can create, I can perform and I can be anything I want to be. Help and inspiration are always there. The NaAC is crucial for me to explore my art and life journey. It also advocates disability art to the public, so people know us better and support our artistic achievements in different ways.”

DAVID OPPONG

Chosen medium(s):

Oppong is a multidisciplinary artist working in photography, drawing, painting and music.

“I love to learn new things and want to constantly learn things about music, being a DJ, painting with acrylic, drawing and [how] to control those forms.”

A snapshot of his art: Resiliency & Coronavirus (below)

Created in response to COVID-19, Oppong portrays his own emotions of sadness and hope during the pandemic. The painting represents the difficulty of the pandemic, as well as the knowledge that happier days will come. It is part of the Government of Canada’s permanent collection.

Robot Revelations by the Science Fiction People (bottom)

A unique and experimental musical album created by exploring individual and peer-to-peer approaches to disability-led music creation, remote technology and accessible digital instruments. The album is available on all major music streaming services.

His artistic approach:

“I’m a person that loves to express myself and bring people together to communicate and understand each other by using art. I’m also interested in learning and approaching new things.”

How being involved in

the NaAC has benefitted his artistic process:

“With the music ensemble, we are learning to make music that really invokes feelings, how to practice instruments and then how to create our own music. The NaAC supports us artists to continue working hard and learning new things. I also want to just thank the NaAC staff for supporting us and watching out for us.”

ARTISTS WORKING WITH ARTISTS

BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED SYCH

The NaAC’s programming decreases barriers and increases opportunities for creativity.

The NaAC encourages artists living with disabilities to pursue both recreational and professional art practices, but what does that programming look like in action? Two NaAC staffers offer insight into the process.

CLAYTON SMITH LEAD, PROGRAMS & EXHIBITIONS, SHARES HOW NaAC STAFF WORK WITH ARTISTS:

“We’re trying to establish programs that decrease barriers. Those could be financial barriers, so we provide tools and technology artists may not otherwise have access to, and seek fair compensation for our artists’ time, labour and artwork.

“We continuously seek feedback from our artists, get them involved in program direction and co-develop ways of challenging conventions in the arts and culture sector. A lot of our programming is designed to be peerto-peer, where the facilitators are responding to the artists individually, as opposed to acting like a teacher distilling information to a student.

“For example, when we started the music program, we thought the artists were going to get excited about improvised, ambient and offbeat ways of creating music. What we found was they really wanted to concentrate on pop music, because that's what they hear

all the time and love to listen to. It became evident we were going to have to figure out new ways of bringing pop music into the program. The program led participants through the entire pop production process, similar to what most musicians would experience if they were making a pop record. And the lead programmers provided support in the same way that a pop producer would with any up-andcoming Canadian musician.

“It's essential for their growth as artists to explore the territories they want to, with the staff there as supportive figures as they need us.”

<<< Clayton Smith and Raewyn Reid with artist, Yunsun Lee, as she prepares work for her upcoming exhibition, A Felt Process.

RAEWYN REID

“The visual arts studio is split into three main areas: fibre, painting and drawing, and ceramics, with a dedicated facilitator for each area. Our visual arts studios are very openly structured. Artists come in and self-elect projects — nobody tells them, ‘You’re going to be learning how to weave today.’ If they choose to do painting, we’ll chat with them about the size, what kind of paint they want to use, or if they want to do a mixed media collage piece, and then help them map out their project. We’re essentially there to support them as they move along. We're not hiring staff based on their experience working in the disability sector — we’re hiring artists to work with our artists, rather than following a traditional day program structure.

“Another thing the NaAC does well is building relationships with artists. An artist might not necessarily think they should sign up for a program focused on professional practices in the arts, but when we have a relationship, we can encourage them to take those steps when we see something in them that they may not see in themselves. That relationship building comes first and the open studio structure really leaves space for us to be able to explore who the artists are as people.”

Art that Sparks Complex Conversations

BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH

NaAC artists tackle complex issues like climate change, reconciliation, gender identity and ableism through their art, encouraging audiences to join the conversation.

SOMETIMES THESE ISSUES are addressed through individual works, and other times, they’re considered in the context of an organized ensemble. The NaAC has nine professional art ensembles practicing in a variety of mediums, including The Conference of the Birds ensemble.

The global ensemble, made up of more than 200 artists from seven countries, was formed in 2021. Using the Persian poem, The Conference of the Birds, by Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar as its starting point, the ensemble explores different ways of creating and innovating to make sense of the pandemic and climate change.

Rachel Harding is a visual artist and member of The Conference of the Birds ensemble. The ensemble presented a photography exhibition, also titled The Conference of the Birds, at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Here, she shares what the ensemble process was like.

“The Conference of Birds was about how human beings and nature can coexist as one and how we can find that balance more in our day-to-day lives, rather than working against nature. Those were the questions that came up as we went through the journey as a group.”

THREE MORE NaAC ENSEMBLES TO KNOW ABOUT

Relative Spaces cohort

Works: 2022’s QAACuterie, presented live at Dickens Pub

Ways of Knowing cohort

Works: An upcoming online publication and an interdisciplinary exhibition to debut in September 2023 at Leighton Art Centre

Music Ensemble

Works: Robot Revelations by the Science Fiction people, a collaborative album available on all major streaming platforms

Richelle Bear Hat is the Coordinator, Indigenous Programs at NaAC. She works directly with artists, leading the Canadian chapter of The Conference of the Birds ensemble and also facilitating the Ways of Knowing cohort, which examines questions around climate and community relationship building, with the support of Indigenous mentorship. She has seen NaAC artists approach complex and topical issues in many different ways.

“We develop a lot of our programming by listening to the interests of our artists, while providing resources and taking the time to talk things through. I love hearing about our artists’ lived experience and knowledge, because they're navigating this world in different ways and it's important to honour them.

“We have some artists who feel strongly about speaking up and have a strong sense of justice. And there are others who want to process thoughts and ideas and take time to ask questions. The artists trust the staff at the NaAC to help try to find answers to those questions together.”

Rachel Harding

Richelle Bear Hat

WHILE THE NaAC has long been doing groundbreaking work, over the last five years the organization has seen a bold shift, positioning it not just as a place for artists living with disabilities to execute their work, but as a cultural disruptor working to build a more diverse and challenging arts landscape. The NaAC expands the definition of what art is and who an artist can be, and Calgarians from all walks of life are able to enjoy, and be challenged by, a wider range of perspectives.

“When we launched our new strategic plan in 2017, we very quickly became the country's most prominent disability arts organization,” says the NaAC’s President and CEO Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, noting that the plan repositioned the organization as a serious player in the Canadian arts landscape rather than a disability day program. “Our partnerships have helped launch artists’ careers internationally. When you create a space for artists, the results can be extraordinary.”

A serious arts organization needs professional-grade spaces, but currently, the NaAC is operating out of a less-than-ideal space adjacent to the collapsed Fairview Arena, with some programming offered in borrowed

SUPPORT THE NaAC

Future Focus: Reframing Culture in Calgary

As the NaAC grows, expanding both its physical spaces and programming, it will continue to be the city’s most diverse arts organization.

BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH

venues such as Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. To bring all programming under one roof, the next step is the construction of a new accessible arts campus, with a visual arts studio building (formerly the Scouts Canada building on Memorial Drive) and an adjacent, state-of-the-art multidisciplinary performing arts and gallery space, projected to open in 2025. (The NaAC is also in the process of developing a new space in Toronto, scheduled to open in 2025.) Ryu knows that bringing the studio into a brighter and more well-appointed space will inspire both creativity and confidence. The goal is to allow artists to fully immerse themselves in their practices so they can produce high-calibre work to show in top-tier venues in Calgary and around the world, should they choose a professional pathway.

“The NaAC is perhaps one of the very few arts organizations in this city that has an opportunity to reframe what culture in Calgary is, what it can be and what it should be,” Ryu says. “Our new space, the growth of our programs and opportunities, and our global presence will provide another perspective to what Calgary is and what it can be. That's what excites me the most about our future.”

Want to learn more about the NaAC and support its vision to build a more diverse and challenging arts landscape? Visit accessarts.ca

THE NaAC IN ACTION

A spotlight on upcoming exhibitions.

Intense Difference of Its Own Opening Reception: September 8

Location: Korean Cultural Centre, Ottawa

Ways of Making

Opening Reception: September 9

Location: Leighton Art Centre, Millarville

Calgary on Purpose: Disability Arts in Calgary

Date: December 3

Location: Contemporary Calgary, Calgary

ICONIC

Date: January 18 to January 21

Location: Espace Orange, Édifice Wilder, Montreal

The NaAC is a social changemaker creating a future that will bring even more opportunities to its artists.

A rendering of the exterior of the NaAC's new accessible arts campus.

A rendering showing the NaAC's state-of-the-art gallery space, projected to open in 2025.

BY MICHELLE MCIVOR PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

HOW TO DRESS FOR STAMPEDE

STAMPEDE COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR UJAL THAKOR ON HOW TO COWBOY-UP A WHITE-COLLAR WARDROBE.

For Ujal Thakor, dressing for Stampede is about comfort and flexibility: He wears layers to transition easily between indoor and outdoor events; comfortable, broken-in boots; and (pro tip) he carries a power bank in his pocket to charge his phone. For downtown types like him looking to get into the Stampede spirit, he suggests working with clothing you already own and adding a few Western touches. And, he highly recommends getting a boot jack, a tool that makes taking cowboy boots off a breeze. “Even after 18 hours on your feet, your foot slides right out,” he says. “It’s magic.”

Shirt, Panhandle brand from Lammle’s, custom-made for the Community Projects and Development Committee; jacket, and pocket square, from Harry Rosen; lapel pins, from the Stampede, marking his 10th year of volunteering and the 2013 “Hell or High Water” flood year; jeans, Levi’s; hat, Smithbilt; bolo tie, Ivan; belt, and boots, from Lammle’s; buckle, Montana Silversmiths; bracelet, bought at an artisan market in Nairobi.

BY MICHELLE MCIVOR PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

HOW TO DRESS FOR STAMPEDE

Sidesaddle racer and Skijor Canada founder Sam Mitchell dubs her style “wranglish.” Her go-to ensemble — jeans, boots, hat and blazer — is inspired by early settler ranch wives. “They fascinated me,” she says, “and were a big part of what got me interested in sidesaddle.” For Stampede, Mitchell carries a bag big enough to hold a bottle of water and a bottle of whisky, and never leaves home without a wild rag (ranch-speak for scarf): knotted around a necklace as a halter top, around her waist, or tied to her bag. “You can use it to catch a loose horse or tie it into a tourniquet in a pinch,” Mitchell says. “Thankfully, I’ve not had to use my Hermès to stop anyone bleeding out.”

Jeans, Levi’s; wild rag and rings from Cody & Sioux; blazer, Halston Heritage; necklace, earrings and cuffs, by local silversmith Scott Hardy; boots by Alberta Boot Company; bag handmade by Mitchell; 2022 Millarville Stock Horse Race Champion buckle won by Mitchell’s horse Simon; CS Side Saddle Racer bracelet by local silversmith Shawna Whiteside Erickson; hat, Smithbilt.

A SMITHBILT HAT, A PRIZEWINNING BELT BUCKLE AND A PAIR OF CUSTOM BOOTS: SAM MITCHELL’S STYLE IS AT HOME ON THE RANGE AND ON THE RODEO GROUNDS.

Front Garden Courtyard

P

aulina Ramis had a clear vision when building her brand-new family home. Of particular importance was that the design, which takes inspiration from summer beach house and prairie farmhouse aesthetics, flowed effortlessly between the indoor and outdoor spaces. For her front yard, Ramis wanted a low-maintenance garden that felt summery and elegant, while tying in seamlessly with her home’s interior.

Ramis knew just the person to bring her vision to life: María del Sol Galdón, principal landscape architect and co-owner of Planta Landscape. The two women, who’ve been friends for 20 years, share a cultural connection, both having immigrated to Calgary from Argentina, as well as a creative one: Ramis, a fashion stylist, has an architectural background, and Galdón has both interior design and landscape architecture experience. Galdón’s parents started Planta Landscape in 1991, shortly after the family moved to Canada. She and her brother took over the business in 2016.

“I have seen all the projects Maria does, and they are incredible,” says Ramis. The collaboration was equally appealing for Galdón: “Paulina really knew what she wanted aesthetically, functionally and proportionally. This made it very straightforward to work together and collaborate.”

For the front garden to integrate holistically with the house, the colour palette was maintained in both spaces; outdoors, this was accomplished through thoughtfully chosen plants. “It’s not just about the house, or just about the garden. It really is about the composition of it all,” says Galdón.

“I think it’s very Argentinian, too,” says Ramis. The two women note that an indoor-outdoor lifestyle is a big part of Argentinian culture.

“For Paulina to have this openness and that transition through the spaces, both physically and visually, is a very cultural way of living,” says Galdón.

Favourite Spaces

SUMMER SANCTUARIES

THE COURTYARD

“Having a place where we can enjoy the weather outside and have it connected to the interior was the main idea of this space,” says homeowner Paulina Ramis. She and her family make the most of the courtyard all summer long, eating meals outside and enjoying maté, a traditional Argentinian drink.

THE PLANTS

“The plant material is tied into that beachy farmhouse look and feel,” says María del Sol Galdón, principal landscape architect and co-owner of Planta Landscape. “The design is a bit rustic and wild, but also refined with a mix of hydrangeas, sage and ornamental grasses.” There is always something in bloom until the frost arrives, she says, starting with dianthus and salvia in the spring.

THE COLOUR PALETTE

Subtle colours were key to evoking a timeless, yet bright and summery feel. Galdón and Ramis settled on a fairly neutral palette, including earth tones such as sage, white shades, bluish-purple accents and a touch of pink in the spring. “[The colours] complement each other and create that summer freshness,” says Galdón.

THE LIGHTING

“From day one, Paulina and her husband wanted string lights,” says Galdón. So, string lights they got, together with soffit lighting (added to the home during the architectural design process), as well as a broad beam light that highlights the front wall and house number, and ornamental lighting that illuminates the entrance.

PHOTOS BY PAULINA RAMIS

For a precious four months (more, if we’re lucky), Calgarians retreat to backyards, balconies, gardens, patios and terraces, to savour some fleeting outdoor living. Three homeowners invite us into the spaces where they most love to spend their summers.

ALL EYES UP FRONT: A SERENE FRONT GARDEN DESIGNED BY PLANTA LANDSCAPE.

Multi-Level Backyard O

n a beautiful summer day in August of 2020, Cheryl and Sean James hosted musician Matt Masters for his Curbside Concerts series in their backyard. Masters strummed away on his guitar while performing on the back deck, facing the pie-shaped lot that overlooks Confederation Park. It was the last event to be hosted on that deck — a month later, the property was a construction site. The Jameses purchased the bungalow knowing it would be demolished. “[The concert] was a farewellto-the-house party,” Cheryl says.

Today, in its place, is a gorgeous, modern house, designed and constructed by Alloy Homes, complete with a new, multi-level deck and beautifully landscaped backyard that works in harmony with the property’s city-meets-nature setting. Construction on the home was finished in November of 2021, with finishes to the landscaping winding down the following spring. “There’s an intimate relationship between the outdoor space and the home’s architecture,” says Christopher Lemke, Alloy’s co-owner and managing partner, design and real estate services. “When you’re outside, you want the home to reach out and embrace you, creating a welcoming, comfortable outdoor living space.”

The eaves gracefully wrap around a cascading deck, leading to a shaded patio tucked beside crab apple trees that were part of the original property. The deck was designed to highlight the view into the park; likewise, the planting choices were selected to softly integrate with the park’s natural vegetation. “We wanted everything to blend into the background behind the house,” says Nick Baber, owner of Baber Design + Build, who worked with Alloy Homes on the property’s landscaping. “I also wanted to create a more private space in the patio area, because of the natural backdrop.”

For the homeowners, the new home and yard strikes the perfect balance between being in the inner city as well as in nature. “It almost feels like a vacation property,” says Sean. “It’s perfect out here.”

Decor

THE DECK

“We designed the deck as a series of surfaces that cascade down to the back yard,” says Christopher Lemke of Alloy Homes. “Each is two feet below the one above it, but only the lower level has a guard rail.” This allows for unobstructed forest views from the upper deck. “The whole build was about the fact that the park is the view,” says homeowner Cheryl James.

THE PATIO

“I really wanted to create the opportunity to get down, almost like being in a sunken living room,” says Nick Baber, owner of Baber Design + Build. To provide additional privacy, he built a cedar screen behind the patio area: “Just to give it a little more separation park-side,” he says.

THE PLANTS

Baber chose a mix of low-maintenance, prairie-friendly shrubs and perennials, including Morden upright yew and little rebel dogwood in the shaded patio garden, and Barbara Mitchell daylilies and Miss Kim lilacs in the sunny garden by the deck.

THE LIGHTING

The lighting serves two purposes, says Baber: to support the view and create privacy. “While looking out from the house, the lighting keeps your focus on the landscaping,” he says. “From the public side, rather than looking in the windows, the eyes are drawn to the up-lit tree canopy.”

PHOTO BY EYMERIC WIDLING

DECK THE YARD: THE OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE AT THIS ALLOY HOMES BUILD MAKES THE MOST OF ITS PARKSIDE LOCATION.

Rooftop Terrace B

uilt like “a mini-skyscraper,”

Deborah Close’s threestorey house in Calgary’s southwest leaves almost no backyard space at ground level. Instead, the home’s rooftop terrace acts as a yard, offering serenity above the street, along with breathtaking city views.

Construction on the Close home completed in 2019. When it came to the terrace, it was important to the homeowners that the landscaping integrated perennial plants. This was a hurdle for designer Katherine Kinch, owner of Your Space By Design.

“A big challenge in Calgary with rooftop terraces is that everyone wants to put something in that comes back year after year, and there are literally no guarantees,” says Kinch. She explains that the city’s sub-zero winter temperatures make it difficult to successfully plant perennials in pots.

Problem-solving that challenge — by selecting hardy material, using planters and integrating turf to bring green into the space — drove the terrace’s layout and design; along with Close’s love of entertaining. Broken up into two main areas, the terrace’s upper level features a dining area and a lounge space with a fire table. “My husband and I sit out there with a warm blanket and the fire table turned on and have a glass of wine in the evening,” Close says, adding that they also use the upper half of the terrace when hosting guests.

The lower half is lined with turf, perfect for Close’s grandchildren to play on, and framed by planters. “The entertaining is all up top, and the bottom is a play space,” says Close.

Despite the technical challenge of growing perennials in pots instead of grade, the greenery Kinch chose is thriving, including the Amur maple tree, which anchors the terrace’s back corner.

“I feel very blessed,” says Close. “[The terrace] feels very peaceful to me; it’s a quiet place to be.”

TOP

Decor

DECOR SOURCE

THE FENCE

“A big part of the design is the decorative cedar fence,” says Katherine Kinch, owner of Your Space By Design. While the homeowner could have chosen a glass fence, Kinch says that having a visual solid block helps to delineate the space more effectively without taking away from the view.

THE PERENNIALS

When it came to potted perennials, Kinch chose hardy plants designed to withstand Calgary’s tough winters, including tor spirea, Amur maple and Karl Foerster grasses. In the small patch of soil at ground level, Kinch planted columnar aspens. “They will get tall enough so that you can see them on the rooftop,” she says.

THE HERB GARDEN

Homeowner Deborah Close’s favourite part of the design is the built-in slatted planter at the back of the terrace. “We have a herb garden there on one side that we harvest all summer long,” she says. “My husband is a fabulous cook.”

THE ACCENTS

“We wanted the indoors and outdoors to feel integrated,” says Close. Her home’s interior is very neutral, save for a large, primarily red painting. This informed the terrace’s colourful accents and annual plants. “The annuals are a riot of colour, with red being an anchor throughout,” she says.

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

NOTCH: THIS THREESTOREY ROOFTOP PATIO IS IDEAL FOR ENTERTAINING.

ROOFTOP TERRACE STYLED FOR PHOTO SHOOT BY KATHERINE KINCH OF YOUR SPACE BY DESIGN, WITH ITEMS FROM MOUNTAIN HOUSE FURNITURE, 4611 MANHATTAN RD. S.E., 403-455-9288, MOUNTAINHOUSEFURNITURE.COM.

HIKING WITHOUT THE HORDES

It’s high season for hiking in the Rockies right now. Here are some trails to try if you’re looking to avoid the summer crowds.

You’ve had it on your hiking bucket list for decades. Now, finally, there you are at the summit, ready to claim the prize of gazing out on an otherworldly view of chiselled peaks, hanging glaciers and baby-blue lakes. But the overlook is packed and a train of people is steadily ascending. Jostling for position, you swim your way through the sweaty bodies to get your picture, before hightailing it out of there, disappointed and disheartened.

Perhaps the culprit is our look-at-me, social media-fueled age that funnels people toward famous landmarks and viewpoints. Whatever the reason, people tend to migrate to the roads, the trails, most travelled, the familiar. But hiking doesn’t have to be this way. The mountains are threaded with many terrific trails that barely see a soul; you’ve just got to dig a little deeper to find them.

Here are some under-the-radar rambles that will take you far from the maddening crowds.

HALF-DAY

If you like Tunnel Mountain in Banff

T RY Missinglink Mountain in Sheep River Provincial Park.

Distance 4.2 km Elevation Gain 338 m

For short-and-sweet hikes in Kananaskis Country, minus the crowds, head into the Sheep River Valley just west of the town of Diamond Valley. There are many options here — High Noon Hills, Carry Ridge, Indian Oils and Mount Hoffmann — but one of my personal favourites is Missinglink Mountain. The trail starts with a moderate uphill section through the trees before reaching an open summit ridge. It’s fairly steep near the end, but spectacular K-Country views are the rich (and relatively easy-won) reward.

If you like views of Peyto Lake in Banff National Park,

T RY Bow Summit Viewpoint.

Distance 6.8 km Elevation Gain 305 m

Peyto Lake is a magnet for selfie-seeking sightseers, and it’s best to avoid the oft-crowded trails around the viewpoints if you seek tranquillity. But that’s not to say there aren’t other options. From the same parking lot you can take the seldom-travelled trek to the Bow Summit Viewpoint. The main trail is relatively wide and not overly steep, with multiple offshoots that end up at the same point (what’s known as a “braided trail”). The views down the valley and of the baby-blue Peyto and Bow lakes are spectacular from many spots along the journey.

If you like Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park

T RY Thompson Falls near Golden, B.C.

Distance 11.9 km Elevation Gain 460 m

True, Johnston Canyon is a fabulous foray into a famous Rocky Mountain slot canyon. The hanging boardwalks, waterfalls and rock formations are undeniably spectacular — but so are the crowds. Although it doesn’t come with the same slot canyon characteristics, the out-and-back Thompson Falls Trail just west of Golden is a beautiful and serene riverside hike with a pretty waterfall at the end that you may just have all to yourself. The trail starts in the forest along the Blaeberry River, before veering inland. It then heads back along the river, finishing with a steep and narrow section near the falls. To access the trailhead turn right on Moberly Branch Road (20 minutes west of Golden) and drive along the gravel road for approximately 10 minutes.

A LLTRAILS, ALL THE TIME

Wayfinding apps are essential resources for those seeking out less-travelled hiking trails. Founded in 2010, AllTrails (alltrails.com) is one of the premier apps that hikers use to find trailheads, navigate routes, share reviews and log their kilometres. More than 50 million people use AllTrails and the app has information on upwards of 400,000 trails throughout the world. The basic app is free, while the AllTrails+ version ($35.99 per year) unlocks many other features, such as wrong turn alerts, offline maps and 3D maps.

PHOTO

ANDREW PENNER; THOMPSON FALLS PHOTO

ABBY COOPER; ALLTRAILS PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLTRAILS

THE THOMPSON FALLS TRAIL NEAR GOLDEN LEADS TO A SCENIC WATERFALL.

T HE ULTIMATE HORDE-LESS HIKE

For an undeniably high-end “away from it all” adventure, Banff-based Canadian Mountain Holidays, a.k.a. CMH, operates a variety of heli-hiking trips from its Bugaboos, Cariboos and Bobbie Burns backcountry lodges (cmhsummer.com). This summer’s programming at Cariboos includes special small-group guided trips with two Canadian Geographic ambassadors: photographer Scott Forsyth and writer Robin Esrock. Guests can learn photography and get writing tips in some of the most spectacular wilderness terrain in British Columbia.

FULL-DAY

If you like Fullerton Loop near Bragg Creek

T RY Black Mountain and Whaleback Ridge Trail in the Bob Creek Wildland.

Distance 17.4 km Elevation Gain 761 m

Just an hour-and-a-half south of Calgary, bordered by rolling ranchland and grassy ridges specked with ancient limber pine, Bob Creek Wildland is a serene swath of hiking heaven. Only a handful of people visit this park on any given day, and the views, the wildflowers and the away-from-it-all aura here is unlike anything you’ll encounter in the more “famous” parks. The catch is that you’ve got to come prepared: there are no services and the trails can sometimes be tough to find. The main public access is the Bob Creek staging area on the park’s south end. For more information on the Wildland’s trails, access point, regulations, et al, visit albertaparks.ca.

If you like Lady MacDonald in Canmore

T RY Turtle Mountain Trail in the Crowsnest Pass.

Distance 7.4 km Elevation Gain 936 m

Famous for the 1903 Frank Slide disaster, Turtle Mountain — a limestone behemoth that tips out at 2,210 m — is an unmistakable landmark in the Crowsnest Pass. Exploring the boulder-strewn remnants near the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is the most common way to gain insight into the catastrophe that claimed the lives of upwards of 90 people. But hiking to the top of the slide via the Turtle Mountain trail affords a hair-raising and unforgettable perspective. Like the popular (and overly populated) stairmaster Lady MacDonald trail in Canmore, Turtle Mountain is a grind: the initial steep and unrelenting approach to the relatively exposed shoulder of the mountain is a true leg-burner. The pitch and difficulty only increases from there to reach the initial false summit and the “real” summit beyond, however, a reward of spine-tingling views of the Crowsnest Pass and the slide awaits. Access to the trailhead is just off 15th Avenue in Blairmore, Alta.

THE TOUGH UPHILL GRIND OF TURTLE MOUNTAIN PAYS OFF WITH AMAZING VIEWS OF THE FRANK SLIDE SITE.

multi-day

The beautiful thing about a multi-day hike is that the further you go, the more likely you are to find solitude amidst the incredible natural beauty. Northover Ridge, an epic two- or three-day trek (tenacious trailrunners are known to run it in a day with a light daypack), isn’t for the faint of heart, and the hike up to Astor Lake and the eponymous ridge is steep and unrelenting, especially with a heavy pack. This is advanced-level hiking — expect loose rock, exposed sections and heavy winds — but the payoff is that much sought-after tranquility, and the views are sublime.

MOUNTAIN PHOTO BY ANDREW PENNER; CMH PHOTO BY KATIE GOLDIE; NORTHOVER RIDGE LOOP TRAIL PHOTO BY DAN EVANS

Distance 34.3 km Elevation Gain 2,304 m

If you like Sunshine Meadows or Assiniboine Lake in Banff National Park

T RY Northover Ridge Loop Trail in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

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ROAD TRIPS

There’s nothing like answering the call of the open road. Hop in the car and see what new adventure awaits. Whether you take a quick trip across town to 17th Ave SW or New Horizon Mall, head up the highway to Silvertip Resort in Canmore, Sunshine Village in Banff or Eagle Ranch Resort in Invermere, or go even further afield to explore the bounties of Winnipeg, Manitoba, or the sunny state of Nevada, there’s no shortage of amazing road trips to be had this summer. Read on for tips on what not to miss. Then gas up (or charge up!), and see where the road takes you.

NEW HORIZON MALL: A DESTINATION FOR TREASURE HUNTERS AND EXPERIENCE SEEKERS

Take a drive to uncover a different kind of mall experience.

If you’re after a good find, look no further than New Horizon Mall (NHM). Located in Balzac, this treasure-seeking destination offers a great road trip experience while still being close to the city.

“New Horizon Mall is a modern indoor marketplace for hundreds of new and emerging local retailers, artisans and restaurateurs,” says Alexandra Winn, marketing manager at NHM. “It’s a place to explore and to make a discovery around every corner.”

An alternative to big box stores and other typical shopping malls, NHM is currently home to more than 150 locally owned and operated stores — the perfect place for treasure hunters and experience seekers alike.

TREASURE HUNTS FOR EVERYONE

A treasure hunt encourages seekers of all ages to get active, seek specific items and explore new places. NHM caters to such a look-and-find experience by offering small shops with big variety, creating a distinctive retail experience filled with locally sourced and imported specialty items. Find a unique gift for someone special — including for yourself!

For fashion hunters, the more than 50 specialty fashion shops encourage visitors to peruse beyond their usual hunting grounds and discover new shops and items. Everything from fedoras, traditional wear, purses, sunglasses, formal dress apparel, retro aprons and custom designers can be found.

Those interested in reminiscing about old games or kids keen to discover the latest and greatest can visit the 10+ gaming, collectable and anime shops. Seek treasures featuring collector toys, trading cards, model kits, vintage items, classic horror items, puzzles and more.

UNIQUE FLAVOURS TO SAMPLE

Most important while on the hunt is staying fueled up. Whether that means a craving for something traditional, sweet or completely new to you, the food court has plenty to sample. Faloodas, handcrafted mocktails, tropical drinks, fresh fruit smoothies, rolled-up ice cream, Asian

Fusion, traditional Halwa Puri breakfast and the best wonton soup in the city are just some of the tantalizing items waiting to be devoured.

Don’t forget to pop by the British/Irish specialty store or the imported candy store for across-the-pond delights. Plus, small markets offer packaged Italian meals, Taiwanese and Asian goods, Filipino cuisine and more so you can continue the culinary adventures at home.

NEW EXPERIENCES AWAIT  FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they play in the Sky Castle indoor playground, which boasts 34,000 square feet of family entertainment with multiple slides, a snow castle, a ninja area, a car track and much more. There’s even a “mini-town” where kids can pretend to be firefighters, doctors, chefs, even grocery store managers. Mark your calendars as NHM hosts a number of exciting annual events, including a Stampede “Breakfast for Dinner” featuring pancakes, sausage patties and all the fixings. Outside of Stampede, visit craft markets, classic car shows, and plenty of free family entertainment year-round.

From discovering treasures and delicious treats to fun events, New Horizon Mall offers a truly unique selection you won’t find anywhere else in Alberta. For more information, visit newhorizonmall.com.

HIT THE OPEN ROAD IN NEVADA

Make your next visit to Vegas the start to an amazing road trip.

We love quick trips to Las Vegas, but the fly-in, fly-out crowd misses the chance to hit the open road and experience the heart and soul of beautiful Nevada. So the next time you’re Vegas-bound, expand your horizons beyond Sin City. Here’s two itineraries to get you started in planning the perfect Nevada road trip.

DESERT DAYS, VEGAS NIGHTS (1 to 3 days)

Day 1: Las Vegas serves as an ideal home base for desert exploration. Start by checking into the glitzy new Circa Hotel in downtown Vegas, then take a short walk over to historic Fremont Street, where the city was born. Try your luck at the tables, take in a free live concert and indulge at a signature restaurant. Then celebrate the city’s colourful history with trips to the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum, a collection of signs from Vegas’s golden years.

Day 2: The Hoover Dam, just an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, is a key piece of American history and a stunning feat of engineering. On the way, stop in nearby Boulder City, a charming town full of cute restaurants, antique shops and museums. Adventurous road trippers can paddle or hike along the Colorado River, then drive the hour and a half to Laughlin to explore

that city’s Riverwalk. Overnight in Laughlin and enjoy a nightcap at the Aquarius Casino Resort.

Day 3: Hop in the car and drive about 90 minutes northwest to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Book a timed reservation online to take in the 13-mile scenic drive or opt for a quick hike among the breathtaking terrain. Stop in for a burger and a beer at the Goodsprings

Ghost Town’s famous Pioneer Saloon before returning to Vegas (only 15 minutes away) and flying home.

THE WEIRD AND THE WONDERFUL (1 to 4 days)

Day 1: Start by exploring the otherworldly

topography of Cathedral Gorge State Park, two and a half hours north of Las Vegas, with its striking hoodoos, slot canyons and red rock spires. Next, make your way west towards Route 375, also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, rolling past the Nevada Test and Training Site’s Area 51. Spend the night in Tonopah at the historic Mizpah Hotel; you may encounter the Lady in Red, the most famed spectre of this spirited hotel.

Day 2: More eccentricity can be found in the area surrounding Tonopah and the nearby town of Goldfield. The art installations along the Free-Range Art Highway are distinctly bizarre and beautiful, including the International Car Forest of the Last Church, an open-air art gallery featuring 40-plus, spray-painted junk cars. Stop into the Rhyolite ghost town before tucking into Beatty for a meal at Smokin’ J’s Barbecue and an overnight stay at the Death Valley Inn.

Day 3: Beatty is the gateway to Death Valley National Park, one of the most spectacular natural areas in all of America. Covering 5,270 square miles, its salt flats, sand dunes, mountains and the famous Badwater Basin deserve at least a full day of exploration. Finish up in the town of Pahrump, unwinding at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino for the evening.

Day 4: Prepare to swirl and sip in Pahrump. It’s the hub of a small wine region with wineries like Artesian Cellars and Sanders Family Winery offering tours and tastings. If there’s time before heading back to Vegas, grab the clubs for a round of golf at the Mountain Falls Golf Club.

Learn more at travelnevada.com or book now through AMA Travel at amatravel.ca/Nevada.

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) DEVON BLUNDEN; SYDNEY MARTINEZ; SYDNEY MARTINEZ, ALL COURTESY TRAVEL NEVADA

G.

Nevada’s all-to-yourself highways and byways are what road trip dreams are made of. Explore some of the Silver State’s stunning parks. Meander among the world’s oldest living trees. Or get starstruck by the lower 48’s darkest skies. Your next adventure is waiting for you.

SUMMER FUN AND MORE AWAIT ON 17th AVE

Take road trips to the inner city with Summer On 17th featuring familyfriendly events, performances and more, all summer long.

Mark your calendars and get ready for a summer full of fun in the city. Summer on 17th Ave is back for the second year in a

row with a fresh lineup of live, free and family-friendly events and performances. Best of all, the events will run all summer long, kicking off on June 21 and running until September 23.

Each week brings something new and fun to experience including Multicultural Mondays, featuring live entertainment highlighting diversity and multiculturalism in Calgary. Theatrical Thursdays bring a variety of performers ranging from improv

classical music in Tomkins Park. The second weekend of every month will also feature outdoor movies.

And while you’re out enjoying Summer on the 17th events, you can take advantage of one of the best dining and shopping districts in Calgary. Stop in at your favourite local shop or discover a new one. Grab a bite or a beverage at the array of tasty eateries, coffee shops and bars that make 17th Ave a favourite destination for fun and adventure.

WINNIPEG’S CULTURAL MAGNETISM

Must-see cultural attractions to experience in Manitoba’s capital city

If you’re planning a summer road trip to Winnipeg, don’t miss these three cultural gems.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Located in the birthplace of the Métis people — the Red River Valley, the Canadian Museum

for Human Rights helps visitors not only to form an understanding of the evolution, celebration and future of human rights in Canada, but worldwide. The museum shines a light on global issues and tells the stories of all Canadians so visitors gain an appreciation of the past, present and future of Indigenous rights, racism and prominent civil and political figures. 85 Israel Asper Way; humanrights.ca

The Leaf – Canada’s Diversity Gardens

Located at Assiniboine Park, The Leaf offers visitors a unique glimpse into the colours, textures and fragrances of various plants and their connections with people. The Leaf features four distinct biomes, showcasing plants from tropical and Mediterranean climatic zones as well as one dedicated to butterflies of all kinds. Outside, explore nearly 30 acres of greenspace and six different gardens, including an Indigenous Peoples Garden, a sensory garden and a performance garden, where an outdoor stage melds art with nature. 55 Pavilion Crescent; assiniboinepark.ca/leaf

Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq

Founded in 1912, the Winnipeg Art Gallery has grown into a world-renowned visual art museum, and has featured Qaumajuq since 2021. Offering more than 28,000 art pieces including the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world, the gallery lets visitors immerse themselves in Canadian and Manitoban art, learning the history of Inuit artists from one of the oldest gallery-run, art-making programs in the country. And, behold the awe-inspiring, three-storey glass vault filled with Inuit carvings. 300 Memorial Blvd; wag.ca

For more things to do and places to go in Winnipeg, visit Tourismwinnipeg.com.

HOT SUMMER FUN AT SUNSHINE VILLAGE

Did you know that Banff Sunshine Village is a serene summer oasis?

That’s right. Sunshine Village, well known for its stunning snowy views, superior ski hills and invigorating mountain air, transcends into a remarkable summer retreat, offering iconic warm-weather fun amid the summits of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

HOP ABOARD THE GONDOLA

For incredible sightseeing, the popular gondola ride takes visitors on a majestic journey up the mountaintop. As the gondola climbs, the landscape transforms into panoramic views of the village. You’ll

literally feel on top of the world as you drink in the breathtaking alpine scenery. Join a trail host at the Interpretive Centre before riding the Standish Chairlift. From the top of Standish Mountain, walk to the Standish Viewing Deck to enjoy the vistas of Sunshine Meadows and alpine lakes, all while learning more about the surrounding mountains, wildlife and history of this World UNESCO Heritage Site from your trail host. You can even take your fitness to new heights by joining a fitness class on the viewing deck. At an elevation of nearly 8,000 ft, enjoy a picnic or take a hosted trail walk through Sunshine Meadows.

Afterwards, unwind at the tranquil spa with rejuvenating treatments or a relaxing dip in the outdoor hot pool. Dine on elevated alpine cuisine or nosh on pub classics with a mountain view at one of the diverse restaurants in the village. Wrap up the day by tucking in at the cozy and comfortable Sunshine Mountain Lodge, the only high-alpine hotel in Banff National Park. Whether you’re an adventure seeker, a nature lover or just looking for some mountain therapy, a summer visit to Sunshine Village has something for everyone.

Learn more at banffsunshinemeadows.com.

Escape the city. Take a quick one-hour drive with family or friends to Silvertip Resort in Canmore. There you’ll enjoy worldclass golf, exquisite dining, and invigorating hikes in the Rocky Mountains. Continue your adventure to Eagle Ranch Resort and stay at Headwaters Lodge, Invermere BC’s premier luxury accommodation destination. Immerse yourself in the stunning views of the Columbia Valley while enjoying golf, hiking, lake activities, and local cuisine.

MAKE LASTING MEMORIES WITH A

MOUNTAIN

UNWIND

Rejuvenate your body and mind

Discover Silvertip’s scenic walking trails, spanning 6km throughout the community. Extend your exploration to notable trails like Policeman Creek or Bow River Loop. For thrilling adventures, summit Mount Lady MacDonald for spectacular views or scramble Grotto Mountain Trail.

DINE Rustica Steakhouse

PLAY

Experience golf at its best

Experience an exhilarating golf game amidst the majestic mountains at Silvertip Resort. Whether you’re seeking a challenging game with friends or a leisurely outing with family or colleagues, Silvertip promises a day to remember. Enhance your game by booking a personalized lesson with their golf pros!

SHOP

Look your best

Explore Silvertip’s Pro Shop for chic and functional attire, enhancing your style both on and off the course! Browse a wide selection of premium brands like Lululemon, Sunice and PING, including footwear and accessories.

After a day of golfing, nature walks, or art exploration, savor a locally inspired dinner. Their menu caters to your discerning palate offering an array of exquisite options such as Wagyu beef, caviar, and fresh oysters. Rustica offers an extensive wine collection and impeccable service to ensure an evening to remember.

Stoney’s Bar and Grill

Recharge after golf or during your road trip with a delectable meal at Stoney’s, considered Canmore’s best patio. Enjoy elevated classics and crowd-pleasing dishes alongside refreshing beer, wine, or signature cocktails. Stoney’s is a must-visit destination.

Radium Hot Springs

Invermere

Calgary Canmore

STAY

Headwaters Lodge

The epitome of luxury accommodation

Immerse yourself in stylish and well-appointed guestrooms and experience the ultimate in comfort. Enjoy mesmerizing views of the Columbia River and Purcell Mountain Range from your private balcony. Headwaters Lodge offers curated packages for an unforgettable stay, be it a weekend escape, friend trip, or family getaway.

GETAWAY

PLAY Extraordinary golf

Impress your golf buddies amidst stunning 360-degree mountain and valley views. Conquer the challenging 6,646-yard course and strive to outdo your score the following day. Want to refine your swing? Enroll in private lessons or join a golf workshop led by an Eagle Ranch pro to elevate your skills.

RELAX

Make little moments count

Create cherished memories by embracing a slower pace. Enjoy serene moments wrapped in a luxurious Headwaters blanket while roasting marshmallows at their valley view fire pits. Spot resident deer and elk as you savor fresh-roasted coffee on the balcony or experience the thrill of soaring high on the iconic Eagle Ranch swing.

GET OUT THERE

Hit the trails

Embrace the outdoors with invigorating hikes and stunning valley viewpoints. Explore the captivating lakeside scenery and activities by renting an e-bike from Eagle Ranch or cruise along the mountain trails.

DINE

Rustica Steakhouse and Traders Lounge

Begin your weekend with an energizing breakfast or chef-curated brunch at Traders Lounge. Finish your day with a casual meal or fine dining experience at Rustica. Relish fresh local ingredients while admiring panoramic views from their stunning patio or elegant dining room.

You Are Here

34th Avenue S.W. Marda Loop

Wow Bakery

One of four locations in the city, this bakery specializes in Korean cakes and baked goods with inspiration and influences from Japanese and French cuisines and techniques. Some of head chef Kyung Yeon Hwang’s creations include green tea chiffon cake, sweet potato mousse cake, matcha milk loaf and classic French croissants (chef’s favourite) — all beautifully presented using topquality ingredients.

Henry Block

The newest addition to The Shops at Avenue Thirty Four has opened up spaces for even more boutique businesses. Tenants include the brother-sister-run Meadowlark Toy Company; Slow Burn Books, which specializes in romance novels; Supper Studio/ Just Baked, an Okotoks-founded maker of meal and dessert kits; and a second Calgary location of the apparel and accessories retailer Adesso Man.

Gardenia Flower Boutique

Inspired by the French countryside, this flower shop was designed by Rod Leonard and Kale Bandura of Leonard Development Group to be run by Leonard’s mother, a florist. After finishing the Gardenia project, Leonard and Bandura decided to develop the neighbouring home as well, creating a range of character spaces for businesses, now known collectively as The Shops at Avenue Thirty Four.

La Hacienda

This Avenue Thirty Four speakeasy is akin to being in the cozy living room of a friend’s home, complete with floral wallpaper, bookshelves, table lamps and vinyl records. In true speakeasy style, a password is required for entry: when you make a reservation, you’ll receive a message back with the password. Upon arrival, speak the password (which changes daily) into the vintage pay phone to get inside.

The Clothing Bar

This female-founded thrift and consignment store occupies a house on 34th Avenue S.W. and is run as a safe space where customers and staff can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism or harassment. The Clothing Bar also partners with several local charity organizations, including Dress for Success, Juno House and Women in Need Society.

Dominique Lamberton

Globe Trotter Collection, designed by Marcel Wanders. Montgolfière. Bed.

La Parisienne. Bedside tables. Up & Mariposa. Lamps. Paris. Rug.

Photos by Flavien Carlod, Baptiste Le Quiniou, for advertising purposes

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