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top40 under40 L AW Y ER AND POET

S US ANNAH ALLEY NE A N D T HE REST OF T HE C L ASS OF 2 02 3

PARTY PLANNING 101

WINING AND DINING

WINTER FOR SNOWFLAKES

Tips for throwing a great holiday bash with minimal effort

Local restauants with superstar somms and wonderful wine cellars

How to have fun in the mountains if you’re not the outdoorsy type

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FOUR FINTECH STARTUPS GET A $375K CASH INJECTION COLD HARD CASH IS WHAT EVERY STARTUP FOUNDER WANTS. MEET THE FOUR THAT WON BIG AT THIS YEAR’S DIGITAL COMMERCE CALGARY FINTECH AWARD.

When Platform Calgary and Digital Commerce Group came together to launch the inaugural Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award in 2022, they saw it as a way to help growing fintech (financial technology) startups elevate their businesses, make connections and scale their operations. More than that, it was a way to put Calgary on the map — and stake its claim as a burgeoning fintech hub. The Award provides financial support, resources and connections to help promising fintech companies grow. Now one year after the inaugural event, 12 of the 150 startups who applied for this year’s Award, pitched to a panel of judges and at the Award Ceremony on October 4th, four went home with a combined $375,000.

MEET THE STARTUPS THAT MADE AN IMPRESSION: DealPoint came out on top,

with first prize and a $125,000 cheque. DealPoint is a platform that simplifies the complex process of raising and managing private capital financings. “If you’re raising private capital, you need DealPoint,” says co-founder and CEO, Sandi Gilbert. She says while private placements are happening every day, the process hasn’t changed in years. DealPoint is streamlining the investment process so that investors can easily access dealflow and execute investments from anywhere, and stakeholders can monitor the status of the raise, approve and close efficiently. Gilbert has spent most of her career in and around the capital markets in Calgary, and knows first-hand the impact private capital has on the city’s economy. “Companies like Solium, WestJet and many major energy companies started here with the support of angel investors,” she says.

And DealPoint hopes to be another hometown success story. “We have quietly been building a great company here in Calgary and we feel like this is really our ‘coming out’ party. Having just surpassed $550M in transactions, we’re feeling the momentum.” Gilbert says the Award will help win clients, raise capital and attract talent to their team. “It’s the validation that we stood in front of a group of people that understand the problem we’re solving and they said ‘this is a company that can do that.’” The first of two second place winners — who each took home $100,000 — is Blossom Social Inc. Blossom is a social app that’s creating an inclusive and welcoming space for sharing portfolios, trades and investment insights. “Essentially you can come to our app and find a

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community of over 50,000 investors talking about finance, and what they're investing in, and it’s all backed up by their actual portfolios,” says founder and CEO, Maxwell Nicholson. Nicholson says the app was created to make investing more approachable — not just for the financially savvy, but for everyone. “When you're getting started, you're hit with a million terms like ETF, mutual funds, dividends,” he says. “It's no surprise over 85 per cent of Canadians consider themselves financially illiterate when it comes to stocks and investing.” Nicholson says the Award will go directly into growing their business — in Canada and beyond. “I think all of us Canadians are proud to show that we’re innovators and we can stand up on the global stage and this award is going to help us do that.”

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The other second place winner is Propra, a Calgary startup that’s building an autonomous, all-in-one, property management software created to modernize the outdated residential property management industry. “We’re building a software where technology can

take care of administrative tasks and owners can focus on what truly needs their attention and the growth of their businesses,” says co-founder and CEO, Al-Karim Khimji. And he says it goes beyond streamlining and simplifying tasks. “As a property management software, we aim to create a positive impact on the communities that we serve,” he says. They see opportunities to engage with affordable housing organizations to make the work easier, introduce simple credit building mechanisms, and “generally contribute to the creation of safer spaces for people to live and thrive.” Khimji says the $100,000 will help in a series of ways: press, funding, further credibility and a crossCanada expansion. More than anything, it’s a reminder they’re on the right track. “This is not only going to help our business, but it’s a signal to our team that the hard work we’ve put in is meaningful, and that we’ve got a great solution to a very tough problem.” For the first time this year, a $50,000 Community

Builder Award was awarded. The winner of the award, Elev, is a platform that’s tackling the student housing crisis by streamlining the off-campus living experience for students and landlords. The idea for Elev came from personal experience after Jean Bruce Koua, co-founder and COO, landed in Canada as an international student. From struggling to find an affordable place to live, to navigating the credit system, paying rent and even opening a bank account, getting started in a new country is no easy feat. Koua sees Elev as a metaphorical “big brother,” that can help make things a bit easier, by bridging the gap between students and landlords, allowing students to focus on what matters most: their education. “Our platform promotes safe and affordable student housing, reducing the stress and financial burden on students,” he says. Winning the Community Builder Award is adding some fuel to their fire. “This win has propelled us to go ten times harder addressing this problem, and solving the student housing crisis,” he says. “Being in the spotlight now means it’s go time.”

The Community Knowledge Centre connects Calgarians to hundreds of local charities and not-for-profits, making it easy to support the causes you care about most. Visit ckc.calgaryfoundation.org to learn more.

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Change makers, ground breakers, status-quo shakers. Our alumni do it all. Congratulations to inspiring MRU alumni for making this year’s Top 40 under 40. Here’s to you, your accomplishment and all that’s still to come. We can’t wait to see what’s next. You always belong here. mru.ca/Alumni

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CALLING FUTURE CITY BUILDERS

Accepting BDCI applications from Oct 1 to Mar 1 for Fall 2024

o you want to design the future of Calgary? Fight climate change? Make cities more equitable, vibrant, and healthy? Then the Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI) may be for you. It’s the first undergraduate degree in Western Canada to focus on learning how to design innovative changes that improve the physical and social infrastructure of cities. Located within the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, the BDCI is an ideal program for those interested in becoming an architect, planner, or landscape architect. Alternatively, it can be customized with a variety of minor programs as a pathway to graduate programs in law, social work, public policy, public health and business. The BDCI also prepares graduates for direct

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entry into the workforce in a variety of citybuilding careers in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. “The climate crisis and increasing social inequity are two of the biggest challenges facing the future of cities,” says John Brown, dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. “This degree delivers the knowledge and skills needed to design solutions that will reduce our impact on the environment and improve quality of life.” The BDCI multi-disciplinary curriculum is delivered through experiential learning in design studios that deal with city innovation at a hands-on level, explains Brown, adding that students will also gain skills in 2D and 3D visualization, history, theory, sustainability studies, entrepreneurship and data science. “Right

from day one, students apply the theory they learn in the classroom to real world design projects in the studios.” This is something that is badly needed, says Kate Thompson, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, the group responsible for the development of downtown’s East Village and the new central public library building. The BDCI will deliver a critical educational option that is currently missing in Alberta, she adds. “The wide-reaching inputs to city building (physical, social, political, economic, historical) must be studied so that together our city can emerge as a leader in the world of urban design.” Applications are now being accepted for Fall 2024 start. For more information visit sapl.ucalgary.ca/bdci.

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Félicitations T

from

Your curiosity, commitment to change, unwavering tenacity and engaged citizenship inspires us. At Calgary French & International School we are dedicated to nurturing these qualities in our students, empowering them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Félicitations, Top 40 Under 40! We take immense pride in knowing that our graduates will join you in shaping a brighter future for all.

Our people do amazing things, every day. Thank you to our staff, physicians and volunteers across the province for everything you do. Whether you work on the frontlines, behind the scenes or volunteer your time, you are making a positive difference in the lives of Albertans. Your dedication to patients and each other inspires us all.

Congratulations to the AHS recipients of the 2023 Top 40 Under 40 award

Dr. May Choi

ahs.ca

Devin Cooper

Dr. Nauzer Forbes

Dr. Aravind Ganesh

Dr. Husein Moloo

Dr. Steven Yip

P H O T O G R A P H ( T O P L E F T ) B Y C R Y S TA L W A R L O W , J O I P H O T O G R A P H Y

For Sale: Casa Margarita del Cielo, Sayulita, Mexico. Rental income-generating property with ocean and jungle views. Offered at $1,495,000 USD.

WHY CALGARIANS SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN MEXICO SECURE YOUR SUN-AND-SAND DREAM WITH AN INVESTMENT SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

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You’ve likely been caught up in the Mexican daydream before, probably on a cold and grey Calgary morning when a heavy snowfall was adding to an already four-foothigh pile of snow. With freezing fingers, you couldn’t quite get the last of the frost off your windshield, and you wondered why you stay here through the harsh winter. The thought of sunbathing on a hot beach with a margarita in one hand and a taco in the other was the only thing getting you through your cold drive to work. Many Calgarians often vacation to Mexico — and for good reason. The beautiful sandy beaches, mouth-watering cuisine, and direct flights make for a fabulous holiday. It’s so effortless and enjoyable; it’s easy to imagine living part-time in Mexico. Well, you can. Seasoned local realtor Ann Stranges with Charles Real Estate in Calgary is also a seasoned agent at MexHome, a premier real estate agency specializing in Mexican properties. With more than six office locations along the Pacific Coast, MexHome is the gateway to secure real estate invest ments in Mexico. Stranges — who also lives in the Bucerias/Sayulita area — is well-versed in the unique benefits and opportunities of the Mexican real estate market. Here, she shares why Calgarians should consider buying property in Mexico.

LOW PROPERTY TAXES Property taxes can be a hassle when you’re looking to buy, but investing in Mexico can ease this tricky aspect of real estate. Stranges explains property taxes in Mexico are approximately 0.1 per cent of the assessed property value, a substantial bargain compared to Calgary’s average property tax rate, which is more than six times that of Mexico’s.

LOW COST OF LIVING Save on the basics living in Mexico. Things like utilities and transportation cost much less in Mexico. Kick back in your new home and enjoy locally sourced produce and protein at less than half the price of what you pay in Canada.

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There’s a healthy profit to be made by renting out your property when it's time to return to Calgary. Stranges explains that vacation home rentals in Mexican hotspots offer a six to 10 per cent return on investment. With Mexico’s fairly With MexHome’s high occupancy rate, your home away from home won’t be vacant extensive experience for long. and local knowledge,

it ensures a smooth and secure property acquisition experience. To learn more about how MexHome can help make your dream of owning a home in Mexico a reality, contact Ann@MexHome.com.

PROSPEROUS REAL ESTATE INVESTORS Large chains like the Four Seasons and many other notable investors have long been successfully investing in Mexico. That’s a good sign that it’s a stable place for you to make a real estate investment, too.

DAILY DIRECT FLIGHTS AVAILABLE For Calgarians, getting to Mexico is simple, with several daily direct flights from YYC to PVR. A few thousand kilometres in altitude and a quick nap later, you can find yourself in Puerto Vallarta — what could soon be your sunny second home. 19

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CONGRATS Hadis Karimipour, P.Eng. Ben Klepacki, P.Eng. Aaron Logan, P.Eng. on receiving an Avenue Top 40 Under 40 award!

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SUPPORT THE MEN YOU CARE ABOUT

DONATE LOCALLY TO MEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE PROSTATE CANCER CENTRE November is a big men’s health awareness month, which serves as an important reminder to do a health check on ourselves and encourage our loved ones to do the same. It’s also a time when many of us give back to men’s health causes we care about and the local organizations that support them, like the Prostate Cancer Centre (PCC). The PCC offers a comprehensive range of prostate cancer care to patients and their families in Calgary and Southern Alberta, encompassing everything from community outreach testing to ongoing clinical recovery support. It was through the PCC that Al Pipke, a former Calgary firefighter, was able to get the care he needed. Al helped pioneer the PCC’s prehabilitation program (set to officially launch in 2024) to both mentally and physically prepare for his prostate cancer surgery. “Because I did the prehab, I developed a muscle memory with both

my mental health state and my physical health state,” he affirms. This type of innovative holistic preparedness goes a long way to ensuring patients recover well. By giving locally to the PCC, you support those like Al in your community, and keep money here to ensure that fellow Calgarians and Albertans get the help they need when they need it. Before donating to a men’s health charity, it’s worthwhile to clarify where the money goes to ensure that, if you intend to donate, your money stays local.

To learn more about the PCC and support all of its work in the Calgary community, visit prostatecancercentre.ca or scan this QR code.

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A N N I V E R S A R Y

top40 under40 L AWYE R AN D PO E T

SUSAN N AH AL L E YN E AN D TH E REST O F TH E CL ASS O F 2023

PM# 40030911

PARTY PLANNING 101

WINING AND DINING

WINTER FOR SNOWFLAKES

Tips for throwing a great holiday bash with minimal effort

Local restauants with superstar somms and wonderful wine cellars

How to have fun in the mountains if you’re not the outdoorsy type

on the cover Susannah S. Alleyne is the Law Society of Alberta’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Counsel and Equity Ombudsperson, a published poet, and a member of Avenue’s Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2023. Photographed in downtown Calgary at Oxford Properties Eau Claire Tower. Photo by Jared Sych

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contents 28 Editor’s Note 146 You Are Here

33 Detours The original plans for The Bow tower had a second building incorporating salvaged elements from the demolished York Hotel. More than a decade later, with no building in sight, just what has happened to those pieces of the York? Plus, a local underwear company with a sustainable edge, a coffee roaster making a difference and a dish deconstruction of the delicious coconut ceviche at Milpa. 123 Dining This one’s for the oenophiles out there: A roundup of the best restaurants in

FE AT UR ES Calgary (plus one in Lake Louise) with top-notch wine programming, superknowledgeable sommeliers and cellars stocked with rare and impressive finds. 130 Calgary Style Kate Hewko’s head stylist Christa Gravel pulls from her own closet to showcase holiday-party fabulousness. 132 Decor With the kids out of the nest, a couple reenvisions their basement space as a moody cocktail lounge for date nights and home entertaining.

40 Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 Find out who is on this year’s list of Calgarians finding success and making their mark at a young age. Plus, meet the judges (some of whom are Top 40 alumni) who volunteered their time and expertise to help select the list, and learn about the lifestyles and habits of the Class of 2023 by the numbers. By Tsering Asha, Kendall Bistretzan, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Julie-Anne Cleyn, Deaniell Cordero, Valerie Fortney, Christina Frangou, Chris Landry, Karin Olafson, Michaela Ream, Colleen Seto and Krista Sylvester

101 The Lazy Host’s Party Planner Forget being the host with the most: Why not be the host with the least? These stress-busting ideas for lowmaintenance holiday entertaining will make the season bright. By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth and Jennifer Hamilton 135 Winter for “Snowflakes” A guide to winter activities in the mountains near Calgary for those who don’t like winter. Or snow. Or cold weather. By Jacquie Moore, Karin Olafson, Jody Robbins and Alana Willerton

November/December 2023

P H OTO S BY J A R E D SYC H A N D FA I R M O N T B A N F F S P R I N G S

D E PA R T M E N T S

Congratulations to this year's outstanding Top 40 under 40.

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Editorʼs Note

A fiercely and determinedly local publication run by a fiercely and determinedly local media company, Avenue has a deep appreciation for these local success stories. At 25, the Top 40 Under 40 list could be considered our legacy project, but it’s a legacy that will continue to grow as there are still so many stories to tell. As long as there are bright young minds and hearts in this city, we’ll continue to celebrate them. Nominations for Top 40 2024 open officially on November 2. If you know of someone who should be recognized as we kick off the next 25 years, go to top40under40.com.

SHELLEY ARNUSCH EDITOR IN CHIEF s a r n u s c h @ re d p o i n t m e d i a . c a

Top 40 at 25

EAT, DRINK AND BUY LOCAL With all the hype around the reveal of the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, let’s not forget there’s more to this month’s issue, including stories on how to shine as both a holiday party host and a holiday party guest, local restaurants known for having the best wine lists, and tips on how to have winter fun in the mountains when you don’t like being out in the cold. Our annual Avenue holiday gift guide is going digital this year — visit avenuecalgary.com, for loads of festive and fun gift ideas from Calgary shops and retailers. And, if you’re looking for locally made goods, come check out our Made In Alberta Markets, happening November 22 and 23 downtown at Bow Valley Square.

Exceptional businesses need exceptional people Congratulations to the Top 40 under 40 winners! 400 Third | Bow Valley Square | Centennial Place | Eau Claire Tower

November/decemBER 2023

P H O T O B Y H E AT H E R S A I T Z ; C L O T H I N G S T Y L I N G B Y G R A V I T Y P O P E

am not sure my editorial predecessors who put together the first Top 40 Under 40 list ever considered it would continue on for the next 25 years, but here we are. In this issue, we’re excited to reveal the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, presented by connectFirst Credit Union, the University of Calgary and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and photographed on locations from the downtown portfolio of Oxford Properties. We’re also thrilled to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Top 40 project: a quartercentury’s worth of honouring Calgarians who have achieved noteworthy successes before their 40th birthdays. Maybe part of the reason Avenue has found a niche in recognizing success and achievement at a young age, is because the city we are dedicated to covering is, itself, still young. Compared to other urban entities around the world that track their age in centuries, Calgary still counts its years in decades — if there’s a list of the Top 40 cities Under 400, I would like to think we’d make the grade. It follows that a city that is young and full of potential, might, in turn, inspire those who are young to fulfill their potential by starting businesses, making important research discoveries, innovating their various industries, and creating new opportunities and greater capacity for others to succeed.

FLAMBE dining table Twelve transparent glass legs handmade by the masters of Murano glass on a smoked mirror plinth. Fifteen mm thick extra clear glass top and turntable with Diamante engravings. Made in Italy. avenuecalgary.com

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

THE AVENUE EDITORIAL BOARD Joy Alford, Mariangela Avila, Rachelle Babcock, Erin Best, Shalini Bhatty, Desiree Bombenon, Richard Boyer, Bridget Brown, Doug Bruce, Ellie Bruce, Danielle Caffaro, Elizabeth Carson, Melinda Channon, Carla Chernetz, Alan Chong, Tom Cox, 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, Lindsey Galloway, Derege Gebretsadik, Sarah Geddes, Jameela Ghann, Briggitte Gingras, G. Grewal, 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, Trina Lo, Sharon Martens, Emma May, Stacy McFarlane, Diana McIntyre, Robert McIntyre, Karen Metrakos, 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, Theresa Tayler, Jessica Theroux, Ryan Townend, Gail Urquhart, Arleigh Vasconcellos, Wendy Winder, Bradley Zumwalt

We acknowledge the traditional territories oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda Nations,

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.

the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people

and provides the opportunity to participate in discussions on the direction and content of the

who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta

The Avenue editorial board is exclusive to members of the A-List and A-List+ programs,

magazine. For more information on how you Avenue has partnered with TreeEra to plant 1,425 trees, replacing all the trees used to print the magazine this year.

can join the A-List and the board visit AvenueCalgary.com/shop.

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NEXT ISSUE JAN/FEB 2024

Your Phil for the Holidays Bring your friends and family, or book your holiday party at the Orchestra this festive season.

Weddings Stories of couples who said “I do” in 2023, plus, the results of our annual Best Wedding Services ballot.

Special Olympics Spotlight Calgary’s legacy as an Olympic host city continues with the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in February 2024.

Coffee Culture New cafés, local roasters, superstar baristas and more: A look at what’s brewing in the coffee scene.

Handel’s Messiah 1 + 2 December Jack Singer Concert Hall Traditional Christmas 5, 6 + 7 December Grace Presbyterian Church Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Meets Symphony 9 December Jubilee Auditorium Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert 1 January Jack Singer Concert Hall

For details and tickets, visit calgaryphil.com

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SUBSCRIBE by Dec 1 to get the Jan-Feb 2024 issue to your door. Three-issue subscription $18, one-year $25. AvenueCalgary.com/shop

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November/december 2023

Detours [ A NOTEBOOK OF THE CITY]

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y R AY M O N D B I E S I N G E R F R O M 3 0 5 L O S T B U I L D I N G S O F C A N A D A ( G O O S E L A N E E D I T I O N S , 2 0 2 2 )

cross from The Bow building downtown stands a mostly vacant lot, a curious emptiness for such prime real estate on 6th Avenue S.E. But of course, that wasn’t always the plan. The lot was once home to the York Hotel, an eight-storey brick building constructed in 1930 and bought by the City in 1992. When construction for The Bow began in 2007 on the north side of 6th Avenue, the development plan included a second building on the south side of the block, incorporating distinctive heritage elements of the York. While then-owners Encana couldn’t incorporate it in its entirety into their proposed mixeduse, six-storey building, they agreed to retain the south and west facades of the hotel for reuse. This agreement netted a density bonus for The Bow while allowing the City to retain some of the York’s historic art deco friezes, made with a rare, pre-cast concrete style briefly popular in the 1930s. It would also eventually obtain a municipal heritage designation for the facades once the space was rebuilt. But, more than a decade after The Bow’s completion in 2012, its sister block remains unbuilt, thanks in part to a changing economy and fluctuating financial viability of the project. avenuecalgary.com

DUDE,WHERE’S MYHOTEL? T H E C O N S T RU C T I O N P L A N S F O R T H E B O W O F F I C E T O W E R O R I G I N A L LY I N C LU D E D A S E C O N D B U I L D I N G I N C O R P O R AT I N G H E R I TA G E F E AT U R E S F R O M T H E Y O R K H O T E L . WHERE DID IT ALL G O?

According to David Down, chief urban designer with the City of Calgary, who worked with the City review team on initial development plans for the space, the masonry and bricks were all numbered and stored in a warehouse at the expense of the site’s owner at the time. “We have all been waiting for the owner of that site to come back with probably a revised development permit,” says Down. “Who knows what will be viable on that site, but the requirement for the York Hotel to be rebuilt is attached to the site itself, so that discussion will reopen at any time a development permit comes back.” While that explains why the York Hotel’s friezes haven’t reappeared, it still leaves heritage advocates with the nagging question: Where are they, exactly? “It’s one thing to say any future development has to have it,” says Heritage Calgary CEO Josh Traptow. “But what if the friezes don’t exist anymore, because it has changed ownership so many times, and they’ve been lost to time? What happens then?” While Traptow and his team are pursuing some leads, for now, it seems, the York Hotel will be checked out for the foreseeable future. —Andrew Guilbert 33

Local Podcast Spotlight

GOING GREEN

THEUNDERWEAR ULTIMATUM

Dear Writer Creative writing is one of those hobbies that either fizzles out over time or, with enough patience and dedication, becomes a lifelong endeavour — even a career. Sarah Anderson and Ashley Lindsay, creators of the Dear Writer podcast, have wanted to be writers since they were young girls in Auckland, New Zealand. They collaborated on projects under the portmanteau Sasha A. Linderson, even as they pursued careers in nursing and chemistry. With Anderson moving to Calgary while Lindsay stayed in Auckland, the two now use Dear Writer to discuss specific aspects of creative writing and to host fellow authors and promote their books in the Author Spotlight. Whether you’re an amateur creative writer yourself, or know someone that is looking to make an impact with their own words, Dear Writer is a must-listen. —Deaniell Cordero Catch Dear Writer bi-weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

R AY N A L A R S O N A N D G R A C E C O U L A S O F B OTA U N D E R G A R M E N T S .

ne person’s discarded unmentionables could become another person’s furniture through a Calgary-designed program to dispose of used undergarments sustainably. It’s not as unrealistic — or gross — as it sounds. Calgary’s Bota Undergarments launched in late 2022. As well as offering sustainable, size-inclusive

underwear options, it was important to founders Rayna Larson and Grace Coulas that their underwear didn’t contribute to the global problem of textile waste. Bota’s first-pair commitment gives its customers the option to exchange their first purchase if the garment doesn’t fit. “We weren’t going to resell [the returned underwear], but we also didn’t really have any way to dispose of it,” Larson says. Currently, there are limited op-

tions for getting rid of used underwear — most thrift stores do not accept it (and rightfully so). “The vast majority ends up in the landfill,” Larson says, adding that waste is prevalent in every facet of the fashion industry, with an estimated 92-million tonnes of textile waste generated each year. “A lot of underwear is made from synthetic materials that take a really long time to break down,” she says Their response was the Top Drawer Detox Kit, a first-of-its-kind underwear recycling program in Canada that launched earlier this year. Bota partnered with Debrand, a Vancouver textile recycling company, to create a way for undergarments to be repurposed. “Specifically, for underwear, this means turning your old pairs into things like insulation and furniture batting,” Larson says. An individual Top Drawer Detox Kit retails for $18; or around $10 when purchased with three pairs of underwear. The kit includes a prepaid return mailer made from 100-per cent recycled plastics and a two-strip sample pack of unscented Tru Earth eco-friendly, plastic-free and non-toxic laundry strips. “This recycling program was just such a natural fit,” Larson says. “It was an ‘a-ha moment’ when we realized that we could expand by not just reclaiming the wastes from our changes and returns, but really do something that will make an even broader impact.” —Krista Sylvester

november/december 2023

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F B O TA

H O W A C A L G A RY- B A S E D G A R M E N T C O M PA N Y C R E AT E D A S O LU T I O N T O T H R O W I N G O L D U N D I E S I N T H E T R A S H .

COFFEE CULTURE

COFFEE WITH A CAUSE

ffering hope to strangers and fostering friendships through coffee and conversation is the mission of Kingdom Coffee founder Jesse Singleton. When Singleton was a child, his father, Jim, went to jail for the first of many times, eventually ending up on the streets with a heroin addiction. In 2010, a group of pastors came upon Jim in front of the Calgary Drop-In Centre. “They found my dad on the street, they shared a cup of coffee together and brought him to a recovery centre — and changed his life,” Singleton says. Jim ultimately became a pastor himself, helping others on the streets and reconciling with his son. After Jim’s untimely death in a workplace accident in 2015, Singleton didn’t want his father’s

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transformation to be in vain. In 2016, he and his wife, Steph, started giving away coffee outside the Drop-In Centre. In 2017, the couple started their own coffee company, Kingdom Coffee, from their garage. It has since grown into a roastery and café in Ogden, with a second location at Crossroads Market. Kingdom products can be found in grocery stores across the city, and a portion of every bag of Kingdom coffee beans sold goes to helping get unhoused people into recovery and finding them a place to stay. The Kingdom team still gives away coffee and provides meals to the unhoused every week. Kingdom Coffee also launched a food bank in 2022 that helps more than 2,000 families. Singleton says it all comes back to honouring his father’s legacy, and how he was able to come to a place of peace and recovery. “We want to encourage others in that as well,” he says. —K.S.

BY ELIZABETH CHOR-

MILPA’S COCONUT CEVICHE DECONSTRUCTED

hef Elia Herrera is a culinary force. Hailing from Cordoba, Mexico, she has two notable restaurants in Toronto and has been a contestant on Top Chef Canada. Herrera is now executive chef and co-owner at Milpa in Calgary. The contemporary Mexican restaurant is a passion project rooted in her family recipes. Here, Herrera breaks down one of Milpa’s most talked-about dishes, the coconut ceviche. —Chris Landry

THE PAIRING Milpa’s bar manager John Fairholm suggests matching the ceviche with the Mexican Firing Squad, a play on a traditional margarita with flavours of pomegranate. THE DRESSING Coconut milk and water, ginger, lime and Maggi seasoning come together to make a creamy-yet-light, savoury-yetsweet base for the rest of the dish. “I love coconut,” Herrera says. “I think it goes with everything.”

THE SUBSTANCE Shaved young coconut and crisp fresh jicama are at the hub of the dish, and add contrasting textures to every bite. “The original recipe is my mom’s, but I adapted it to be vegan,” Herrera says. “She does it with shrimp.”

P H OTO BY J A R E D SYC H

THE TOPPINGS Chef Herrera tops the ceviche with diced red onion, cilantro microgreens, basil jalapeño oil and sliced serrano peppers for a bit of heat. The final touch is pomegranate seeds to add sweetness and what Hererra calls “a pop of juice.” She adds, “The flavour is not that prominent, but it’s still refreshing.”

Is there an interesting, innovative or iconic Calgary dish or drink you think we should deconstruct? Send us a DM on Instagram: @avenuemagazine

THE CHIPS A side of fried plantains, taro and corn chips deliver the ceviche from bowl to mouth. Each chip has its own slightly different flavour profile, so no two bites are exactly alike.

November/December 2023

P H OTO BY J A R E D SYC H

Dish it

S H E R W O O D

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P A R K

S T R A T H C O N A

C O U N T Y

top40under40 40

november/december 2023

CL ASS OF

2023 2 5 T H

A N N I V E R S A R Y

They say the 25th consecutive year of something is its silver anniversary. For the Top 40 Under 40 project, it’s fitting, considering the shining accomplishments of all who have been named to Top 40 lists since the program began. This year’s Top 40 Under 40, presented by connectFirst Credit Union, the University of Calgary, and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, continue that legacy. Representing a diverse range of sectors, these inspiring individuals are creating a more vibrant, viable, innovative and inclusive Calgary. We salute the Class of 2023, presented here in alphabetical order, as well as those who came before. BY TSERING ASHA, KENDALL BISTRETZAN, E L I ZA B E T H C H O R N E Y- B O OT H , J U L I E-A N N E C L E Y N , DEANIELL CORDERO, VALERIE FORTNEY, CHRISTINA FRANGOU, CHRIS LANDRY, KARIN OLAFSON, MICHAELA REAM, COLLEEN SETO AND KRISTA SYLVESTER PHOTOS BY JARED SYCH WITH STEVE COLLINS, JOHN COOPER AND CHRIS LANDRY PHOTOGRAPHED ON LOCATION AT OXFORD PROPERTIES 400 THIRD, CENTENNIAL PLACE AND EAU CLAIRE TOWER

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Susannah S. Alleyne

Age 37

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Counsel and Equity Ombudsperson, Law Society of Alberta

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E IS A T R A I LBL A Z ER WI T H I N A L BE RTA’S L E GAL P RO F ESS I O N , WORK I NG TOWA RDS AN EQUA L , I N C L US I VE WORK P L AC E .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

ast year, in Alberta, there were approximately 11,080 active lawyers and 474 articling students. As the Law Society of Alberta’s equity, diversity and inclusion counsel and equity ombudsperson, Susannah S. Alleyne provides the tools these professionals need to create safe, inclusive and fair workplaces. Alleyne took on the dual roles in 2021, less than a decade into her law career. She is the first equity, diversity and inclusion counsel in the Law Society’s 116-year history, and the first known Black equity ombudsperson (the Society hasn’t always collected race-based data.) As counsel, she supports the society in advancing its strategic goals to increase cultural competency and promote a profession that is representative of the public it serves. She oversaw the publication of an Acknowledgement of Systemic Discrimination for the Law Society in April 2022 and developed a cultural competency, diversity and inclusion module for the Principal Training Course with the Legal Education Society of Alberta, part of a mandatory course lawyers need to take in order to supervise articling students. As equity ombudsperson, she provides confidential information and assistance to lawyers, articling students and support staff in the legal profession on issues of discrimination or harassment. Alleyne was also founding president of the first Alberta chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers from 2021 to 2022. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Alleyne maintains a strong identity with her culture. She previously co-founded and organized the Calgary Caribbean Black History Month Showcase. She is also a poet, whose work was featured in the 2021 anthology Woven with Brown Thread, celebrating Black women and nonbinary voices. “The times I found myself most rewarded haven’t had a financial implication or some other benefit to me, but it was just a joy to serve and be a part of something,” she says. —D.C.

“BE OPEN TO THE IDE A TH AT W HER E YOU L AND, W HETHER TH AT ’S IN YOUR CAR EER OR WHERE YOU CALL HOME, M AY NOT E X I S T I N I T S F U L L F O R M Y E T. ”

november/december 2023

D AV E

Dave Carlton & Andrew Renaux

Age 35 ANDREW

Age 34

Co-founding director and CEO, Leaf Ninjas Inc.

“OUR BUSINESS ALIGNS WITH WHO WE ARE AS PEOPLE A N D W H AT W E WA N T T O D O I N T H E WO R L D . T H E R E I S N O L I M I T T O T H E P O S I T I V E I M PA C T W E C A N H A V E I N T H I S P R O V I N C E A N D A C R O S S T H E C O U N T R Y. ”

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

D A V E C A R LT O N

W H Y T HEY ’RE TOP 40S TH I S P OW E R H O USE PA I R I S DE DI CAT E D TO C R E ATI N G A H E A LT H I E R , G RE E NE R , M OR E B E A UT IFUL , BI ODI VE RSE A ND S USTAI NA BL E C I T Y.

ave Carlton and Andrew Renaux first met in grade seven drama class, and since then, “life has been a bit dramatic, especially doing business with Dave,” says Renaux, with a laugh. The two have been best friends now for nearly a quarter century, and the good-natured ribbing and easy banter between them is natural. It was also natural that, when both found themselves wanting more

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out of their work lives in their early twenties, they plunged into a new business together. That fledgling effort, mostly devoted to local food production, has since transformed into Leaf Ninjas Inc., a horticulture-focused ecological restoration company. Together with their business partner Jason Di Pietro, Carlton and Renaux lead a team that works to improve and repair damaged natural areas through vegetation installation, maintenance and an innovative, patent-pending solar irrigation system. Or, as Carlton puts it more simply, “Leaf Ninjas make plants grow.” Leaf Ninjas, in fact, has been at the forefront of revegetating, stabilizing and building back habitat from the 2013 Alberta flood. “It’s one of those timing stories,” says Renaux, who donates excess ma-

terials to other urban food farmers. “This terrible thing happened in our city, and we were primed and ready to step into it.” They have also done habitat restoration work in B.C. and up north. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The company has grown from four partners in 2012 to a seasonal peak of 30 employees today, and is the top-rated contractor for the City of Calgary’s Habitat Restoration projects. One of their ongoing efforts, a solar irrigation project, just happens to be right behind the building that once housed Calgary’s Montgomery Junior High School, the place where they began their journey first as friends, then business partners. “It reminds us how far we’ve come,“ says Renaux. “That’s a great full circle.” —V.F. 43

Age 35

May Choi Rheumatologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E H EL PS PAT I E N TS WI T H COMP L E X AU TO I M M UN E DI S E A S ES G E T DI AG NOSE D A N D TR E AT ED E A RL I E R .

“THE TYPES OF DISEASES I SEE ARE OFTEN CH ALLENGING TO DI AGNOSE, AKIN T O S O LV I N G A P U Z Z L E O R A M Y S T E R Y. ”

november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

cientists often say their achievements build on work of earlier generations of scientists. In May Choi’s case, that pioneering scientist is her father. When Choi was in medical school, her father, Vincent — a rheumatologist in Calgary with an interest in lupus — died unexpectedly. She heard stories about the impact he’d made. “This inspired me to follow in his footsteps,” says Choi, who did a fellowship focused on rheumatology in Calgary and another on lupus at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School, where she obtained a Master’s of Public Health. Today, along with being the mother to two young children, Choi works across hospitals caring for patients with severe autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma, and runs an outpatient clinic dedicated to lupus. She sees many former patients of Vincent’s. “I always dreamed of working together with my dad, seeing patients together,” she says. “I’m never going to have that, but I know he’s watching over me and my family. I know he would be proud.” Among Choi’s 66 peer-reviewed publications are influential papers that identified biomarkers that predict long-term prognosis in a common form of lupus. “Currently, there is no cure for autoimmune rheumatic diseases and there is a lack of effective therapies,” she says. These diseases primarily affect young women who are visible minorities, and are the leading causes of pain, disability and death in this population. Choi leads CatalystDx, a research program funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, to study biomarkers in the blood using artificial intelligence. Additionally, she is an associate director at MitogenDx Laboratory, a private laboratory that provides novel autoimmune biomarker testing for patients, physicians and researchers. —C.F.

Devin Cooper

Age 27

Musician and philanthropist, Devin Cooper Music Inc.

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 H E’S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG COUNT RY M US I C I A N , WH O STAG ES C H A RI T Y CO N C E RT E V E NTS I N SUP P ORT OF T H E A L Z H EI ME R’S SOC I E T Y.

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

riting and performing country music is Devin Cooper’s first love, but using his talents to help others may be even closer to his heart. As a young boy growing up in Innisfail, Alta., Cooper got his first guitar at age seven. Within two years, he was playing for residents at the continuing care facility in nearby Olds, where his mother worked as a nurse. Even as a kid he could see that music reached people with cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease in a profound way. “Seeing the effect music could have made a huge impact on me,” Cooper says. “I’ve wanted to be able to bring that spark of joy to people.” As Cooper grew up, so did his music. He started gigging as a teenager and took the leap to become a full-time musician in 2018, living in Calgary when he’s not touring, or out on one of his frequent songwriting trips to Nashville. He has played more than 450 shows across the country, released his Good Things album in 2022 (with another due next year), received numerous award nominations, and was named 2023’s Country I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG Music Alberta Horizon Male Artist Of The Year. DI V ER S I TY, EQUI T Y A ND I NC L USI ON But Cooper is most proud of continuing the STR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE R OF charity work he embraced as a kid. In addition to S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR playing for audiences in care facilities (often via E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E Zoom these days), in 2019 he launched Ride to G ROUP T K T K . Remember, an annual charity concert and motorcycle ride in support of the Alzheimer’s Society. In four years, the concert/ride events have raised over $50,000. It’s something that has been ingrained in him since he was young, but Cooper also sees giving back as part of his social contract as an artist. “Your community supports you before anybody else does,” he says. “If you can’t support them like they’ve supported you, then there’s really no point in doing this.” —E.C.B.

avenuecalgary.com

“IF I GET A NO, I NEV ER SEE TH AT A S A CLOSED DOOR, I JUST SEE TH AT A S A R EDIR ECTION.”

Matthew Corkum

Age 39

Head Meteorologist, Dynasty Power, and Accessibility Advocate

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E A DVOCAT ES F O R P E OP L E WI T H D IS A B I LI TI ES BY HE L P I NG TO C RE AT E IN C L US I V E S P ORT OP P ORT UNI T I ES A N D BY P UBL I C SP E A K I NG .

“ T H E B E S T WAY T O C R E AT E A B ET T E R C I T Y A N D COMMUNIT Y IS NOT TO JUST MEET EV ERYONE’S BA SIC NEEDS, BU T LOOK AT EV ERY THING W E DO W I T H INCLUSION IN MIND.” P H O T O B Y C H R I S L A N D R Y ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

iagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy at 18 months old, Matthew Corkum knows what it’s like needing accommodation in an unaccommodating world, but doesn’t let that stop him. After earning a PhD in atmospheric science in 2013, Corkum went to work for Dynasty Power as a meteorologist. He has since grown the department from his single position and now holds the title of Head Meteorologist, leading a team of four. Corkum is also a prominent advocate for accessibility, sharing his story through public speaking engagements locally, provincially and nationally. “My goal is to help people understand the things I have to deal with to live the same life non-disabled people live,” he says. Some of his public speaking aligns with his work with Rocky Mountain Adaptive (RMA), a Canmore-based charitable organization that creates adventure opportunities for people with physical or neurodivergent challenges. In March, 2021, Corkum started ski lessons through RMA. Since becoming a director last year, he has helped RMA expand into summer programs and double its revenue. In 2022, Corkum spoke at the International Skiing Fellowship of Rotarians Gala, helping to raise $25,000 for RMA, while earlier this year, he spoke at the Canadian Adaptive Snowsports-Calgary gala in support of ski and snowboard programs for persons with disabilities. Corkum has also been a part of the City of Calgary’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility for five years, advocating for initiatives such as a centralized taxi dispatch system to improve efficiency and lower wait times for users who rely on this service. He also speaks with first-year medical students from the University of Calgary and serves as a mentor for adaptive sport student projects at Mount Royal University. “Anytime I see an opportunity to educate or create a more inclusive space, I make it happen,” he says. —D.C.

november/december 2023

MORGAN

Morgan Curley & Marc Husted

Age 39 MARC

Age 38

Co-founders and Designers, Bamff

“WE ARE BOTH COMMITTED TO THE CIT Y AND SEEING HOW W E C O U L D E L E VAT E W H AT ’ S H E R E .”

W H Y T H E Y ’RE TOP 40S T H ROUG H T HE I R DESI G N A ND B R AN DI N G COM PA NY, T H E Y C RA F T A CO O L A N D L I G H T- H E A RT E D A EST H E T I C FO R CA LG A RY ’S H OS PI TA L I T Y I NDUST RY.

hefs and design architects get much fanfare in the restaurant industry, but Morgan Curley and Marc Husted are the unsung heroes behind the way many of our favourite local food and beverage brands make us feel. From the instantly iconic signage and matchbooks at Major Tom to the explosion of nostalgia at Eighty-Eight Brewing Co., Curley and Husted use their design savvy and

good-natured humour to create brand identities for a range of businesses around the city. “We help companies find their unique voice,” Husted says. After knowing each other for about a decade, the duo joined forces after both bid on the EightyEight account as freelancers, figuring the design could benefit from two sets of eyes. They officially founded Bamff (they found it funny to spell out “Banff” phoenetically) in 2019 and have since worked on everything from naming and brand strategy to packaging and logo design for over 30 local clients, including Concorde Entertainment Group, Made by Marcus, Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company and Vine Arts, as well as companies in Vancouver, Toronto, New York and elsewhere.

Their client list not only represents some of Calgary’s most acclaimed restaurants, but the kind of businesses that define our local zeitgeist. While restaurants were originally Bamff's primary (but not sole) beat, once the pandemic hit that sector hard, Husted and Curley shifted gears and have since been enjoying working with retail companies, designing packaging and other elements. Whatever they’re working on, both love being able to contribute to the vibe of the city they grew up in and consciously choose to continue to call home. “I love that there is a robust, lively, friendly and fun visual language to many of the restaurants and consumer goods here,” Curley says. “I love the impact of being able to work in our local area.” —E.C.B. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

MORGAN CURLEY

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Lauren DeDieu

Age 34

Associate Professor (Teaching), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E E M P OW E R S STUDE NTS OF A L L AG ES TO TR A N S F ORM T H E I R FE A R O F M ATH I N TO CO NFI DE NC E , A ND R U N S P ROG R A M S T H AT COMBAT G E N DER BI A S IN H E R FI E L D.

“IN BOTH MY TEACHING AND MY OUTREACH, I L O V E W H E N S T U D E N T S H A V E T H A T ‘ A - H A ’ M O M E N T. T H E I R F A C E S L I G H T U P B E C A U S E T H E Y G E T I T. ”

november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

auren DeDieu always enjoyed math, but it was in university that she discovered the subject was more about logic than numbers. DeDieu’s interest and aptitude for math drove her to get her master’s and then her PhD to teach math at the university level. Now an associate professor at the University of Calgary, DeDieu teaches and coordinates more than 2,000 undergraduate students each year. She empowers her university students to turn their fear of math into confidence through low-stakes assessments, allowing them to continue trying a problem until they master it. “The most rewarding feedback I receive is from students who say they were scared coming into my course but finished feeling very confident in their mathematical abilities,” she says. In Canada, less than 25 per cent of people employed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are women and DeDieu is committed to combatting gender bias in her field. Her inaugural eight-day Math Attack Summer Camp for Girls in Grades 6 to 10 in 2022 was more popular than she expected, with 150 applicants. Students explored cryptology, data science and probability paradoxes while also investigating the spread of disease by modelling a zombie outbreak. “Seeing them laughing with their friends and debating with their friends — moments like that make me smile,” DeDieu says. DeDieu has also contributed to more than a dozen outreach initiatives for K-12 students, including the annual Calgary Junior Math Contest, the SNAP Math Fair and an interactive math session for Canadian Indigenous high school students called Indigenous U. She also won the 2022 University of Calgary Teaching Award. Watching students grow from feeling unsure about math to enjoying it is what motivates her. “It feels rewarding,” she says. “It definitely feels good.” —K.S.

Age 36

Julie Deleemans Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine

W H Y S H E’S A TOP 40 S H E TESTS TO SE E I F P ROBI OT I C S CA N H EL P TR E AT G A ST ROI NT EST I NA L A N D PSYC H OSOC I A L SY MP TOMS I N CA N C E R PAT I E NTS A F T E R T RE AT ME NT.

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

t the age of 18, Julie Deleemans was diagnosed with stage IV laryngeal cancer, and had to choose between removing her voice box and getting high-dose chemoradiation or dying before her 19th birthday. Although a traumatic experience, Deleemans says it catalyzed her passion for helping others. “I believe I survived cancer for a reason, a purpose, and helping others is how I fulfill that purpose,” she says. Today, Deleemans is a research fellow at the University of Calgary with a PhD in Psychosocial Oncology. Through her research and clinical work, she found a connection between cancer treatments, especially chemotherapy, and longterm disturbance of the gut microbiome, which was related to poorer psychosocial and gastrointestinal (GI) health in cancer survivors. In her own experience, she suffered from anxiety, PTSD, depression and GI issues due to her diagnosis and treatments. While probiotics have been found to help treat certain GI symptoms in patients on active treatments, few studies have looked at the effects on survivors. Deleemans’ PhD research, called the Chemo-Gut Project, I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG looked at how treatments for cancer impact DI V ER S I TY, EQUI T Y A ND I NC L USI ON the gut microbiome, and how changes in gut STR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE R OF microbes may impact psychosocial and GI health, S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR making it the first of its kind. With a grant from E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E Alberta Health Services, Deleemans started the G ROUP T K T K . Chemo-Gut Probiotic Trial. If successful, the finding could provide the first evidence that probiotics can repair the gut microbiome after it has been destroyed by chemotherapy. Deleemans also works with AYA Can, an organization she co-founded in 2018 that is committed to improving access to quality age-appropriate care for adolescents and young adults with cancer. “I hope that through this work, I can make the world just a little better and leave it a better place when I go,” she says. —M.R.

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“DO NOT LET OTHERS TELL YOU W H A T Y O U ’ R E C A PA B L E O F ; Y O U C A N D E C I D E T H A T F O R Y O U R S E L F. ”

Barry, Daniel & Lorin Doerksen

BA RRY Age 33 DA N I EL Age 38 LO RI N Age 36

Farmers, ranchers and owners of Gemstone Grass Fed Beef

“ W E A L L H AV E U N I QU E A B I L I T I E S T O M A K E O U R G OA LS WO R K . H AV I NG A V I S I O N F O R W H E R E W E WA N T T O G O H E L P S U S OV E R C O M E A N Y P O T E N T I A L I S S U E S W E M I GH T H AV E WO R K I NG T O G ET H E R .”

W H Y T H E Y A RE TOP 40S T H E F OURTH - G EN E RAT I ON RA NC H E RS HAV E I N N OVAT ED T H E I R FA MI LY B U S I N ESS W HI LE R AI SI NG BE E F T H AT CALG A R I A N S CA N F E E L P ROUD TO E AT.

rothers Daniel, Lorin and Barry Doerksen grew up on their family farm in Gem, Alta., helping raise cattle to be sold on the commodity market — the typical model for most Alberta ranches. As they came of age, all three decided to make careers in ranching and also became drawn to regenerative farming and natural grass-fed beef. With the encouragement of their family, the

brothers transformed the farm into the headquarters of Gemstone Grass Fed Beef in 2018. “Growing up, we saw our dad and our uncle work together so well,” Daniel says, noting that each brother has his own role to showcase his individual strengths. “They’re very supportive of us trying this venture.” The shift meant becoming skilled in grazing management and growing nutrient-dense forage to produce high-quality beef, but also came with the welcome challenge of learning how to market beef directly to restaurants and consumers. That marketing piece has been a rousing success: Gemstone started out marketing 35 head of cattle in the first year and doubled sales every year since, harvesting well over 500 cattle in 2022. That growth has come not only through pro-

ducing delicious meat, but in educating customers about what differentiates their product and making it more readily available through grocery stores, online and farm sales, and the opening of a whole-animal butcher shop and kitchen kiosk at Calgary Farmers’ Market West. “It has been exciting to connect our farm, our story, our product directly to consumers,” Barry says. Lorin agrees, and says increasing the demand for a farm-to-table product by focusing on quality has been one of Gemstone’s greatest accomplishments. “Consumers are wanting to know where their food is coming from,” he says. “Having a relationship directly with the consumer and bridging the gap really benefits both sides.” —E.C.B. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

LORIN DOERKSEN

Nauzer Forbes

Age 38

Interventional Endoscopist and Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 H I S COL L A B ORAT I VE RESE A RC H I N TH E F I E LD OF I NT E RVE NT I ONA L EN DOSCO P Y H A S P UT CA LG A RY ON TH E WORL D MA P.

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very day, someone in Alberta who would have required surgery a decade ago is treated without a single incision. That’s thanks, in part, to Nauzer Forbes, a gastroenterologist with a specialty in interventional endoscopy. Forbes is training a new generation of physicians to treat disease through interventional endoscopy. In this burgeoning area of medicine, a doctor inserts an endoscope — a long tube with a camera and instruments at one end — into a patient’s mouth or bottom, and uses it to diagnose or treat a variety of conditions. Interventional endoscopy can do things like remove small tumours or gallstones. “This is a huge gamechanger,” Forbes says. “Otherwise, patients would need a big surgery, with more pain, risk of complications and a potentially lengthy hospital stay. After joining the University of Calgary in 2017, Forbes founded the Calgary Registry for Advanced and Therapeutic Endoscopy (CReATE), a research collaborative that collects data from endoscopies performed at nine major medical centres in North America and Europe. This work will answer key questions about when, how, and in whom interventional endoscopy should be used. CReATE “has put Calgary on the world map of endoscopy research,” says Forbes, who is the first Canadian to serve on the international body that sets clinical guidelines for endoscopists. Outside of work, Forbes is frontman for the local SNB '80s tribute band, though that’s on hold for now, as he and his wife are too busy, having welcomed their third daughter in 2022. When it comes to his work, he says his true passions involve teaching and research. “By mentoring the next generation of doctors and researchers, I really feel that I am making a positive difference,” he says. “I don’t work for fame, recognition or legacy. I do it to help patients. My legacy is my family so I try to put them first.” —C.F.

avenuecalgary.com

“ I W O U L D H A V E B E E N T R U LY H A P P Y DOING ANYTHING IN MEDICINE, BU T THIS IS M Y DR E AM JOB.”

Aravind Ganesh

Age 33

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Vascular and Cognitive Neurologist, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute; Chief Executive Officer, Let’s Get Proof

“ R E S E A R C H I S A N I M P O RTA N T WAY F O R ME TO TAK E QUEST IONS — AND SOMET IMES F R U S T R A T I O N S — F R O M PA T I E N T S A N D EXPLOR E THEM THROUGH A LENS TH AT MIGHT

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 A G LOBA L LE A DE R I N NE UROLOGY, H E A LSO R UN S A CROWDFUNDI NG PL AT F O R M T HAT GI VES A L E G UP TO R ES E A RC HE R S A RO UND T H E WORL D.

ome of the most powerful lessons Aravind Ganesh learned about neurology came from an unlikely place: stand-up comedy. Ganesh, who started performing as an amateur stand-up comedian in high school, says the practice taught him to observe, communicate and recognize lightness in difficult situations.

He now puts those skills to use as a neurologist. “Despite the advancements that we’ve made in stroke and dementia, we see a lot of tragedy,” he says. “Sometimes, the best thing I can do is be with somebody as a companion in their journey.” Born in India, Ganesh grew up in the Middle East and moved to Red Deer in grade 10. He came to Calgary to attend medical school, graduating at 22 years old. He then trained in neurology and completed his PhD at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar. In 2021, he returned to the University of Calgary to join the faculty. Today, Ganesh is a global leader in neurology through his efforts to improve outcomes for people who have experienced strokes. With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications to his credit,

he puts his research to work in stroke prevention clinics and hospitals. Clinical trials are also about to begin on a device Ganesh developed through his startup, SnapDx Inc. — a product that could become the first effective pre-hospital treatment for stroke and the first effective treatment for vascular dementia. He’s also the CEO for Let’s Get Proof, a crowdfunding platform that connects researchers to financial support. For this, Ganesh received the $75,000 USD Panmure House Prize from the estate of economist Adam Smith. “I often wonder if the next idea for stroke or dementia is banging around in the mind of someone who doesn’t have access to the right resources,” he says. “The opportunities one is given are very important.” —C.F. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

HELP US AR R I V E AT SOMETHING."

Stephanie Hutchinson

Age 39

President and Program Director, YYC Music Awards ; Vice President and Co-owner, Chronograph Records; Director of Programs, National Music Centre

W H Y S H E’S A TOP 40 S H E’S ON E OF WEST E RN CA NA DA’S TO P M US I C E X E C UT I VES , RE L E A SI NG M US I C O N HE R C H RONOG RA P H R ECOR DS L ABE L A ND RUNNI NG T HE Y YC MUSI C AWA RDS .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

algary hasn’t always been recognized as a major player in the Canadian jazz scene, but Stephanie Hutchinson’s record label Chronograph Records is helping to change that. Hutchinson and her husband, Kodi, an award-winning jazz bassist, launched the label in 2004, and it has since become one of the top-five jazz labels in the country. Hutchinson has released more than 100 prairie-led projects — jazz, as well as country, folk and other genres — to international markets, and Chronograph artists have been nominated for a combined five JUNO Awards, with one win. Her relationship with her husband sparked a natural progression into the music industry. This, paired with her entrepreneurship-focused degree from the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business, helps her bring global attention to Calgary musicians. Recognized as one of the top music executives in Western Canada, Hutchinson has, over the course of her career, secured more than $1 million in grant funding for artists and music organizations, including Arts Commons, where she worked for four years. “Seeing the I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG impact of helping musicians get further in their DI V ER S I TY, EQUI T Y A ND I NC L USI ON careers makes it worthwhile,” she says. STR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE R OF Hutchinson also advocates for the local music S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR scene in her volunteer roles as president and E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E program director of the YYC Music Awards. One G ROUP T K T K . of her biggest accomplishments since joining the awards organization was steering the ceremony celebration through the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, Hutchinson produced the awards online, returning to a live gala event in 2022. “It’s one of the things I'm most proud of in my career: how it turned out, being able to do it and still having this platform for our musicians,” Hutchinson says. She recently joined the National Music Centre in October as director of programs. “I’m really excited for this next chapter,” she says. —K.S.

avenuecalgary.com

“I WOULD TELL M Y YOUNGER SELF NOT TO T A K E T H I N G S S O S E R I O U S LY O R P E R S O N A L LY. THER E’S A LOT IN THE WOR LD TH AT YOU C A N ’ T C O N T R O L , A N D T H A T ’ S O K A Y. ”

Hadis Karimipour

Age 37

Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, University of Calgary

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E ’S A C Y B E R S EC URI T Y E XP E RT WH O IS P I ON E ER I N G TH E USE OF A I TO PROT E CT C R I TI CA L INFRA ST RUCT URE , W H I L E A DVOCATI NG FOR G E NDE R DI V ER S I TY I N H E R FI E L D.

“I POS SES S A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF T H E D I F F I C U LT I E S F A C E D B Y M I N O R I T I E S C O M PA R E D T O T H O S E W H O H AV E N ’ T E X P E R I E NC E D S U C H CH ALLENGES. FEELING THE BURN BY TOUCHING THE F I R E D I F F E R S F R O M B E I N G T O L D A B O U T I T S H E A T. ”

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P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

hile doing her PhD in electrical engineering, Hadis Karimipour heard about Stuxnet, a malicious computer virus attacking the operational technology of a nuclear processing facility in her home country of Iran. It fueled her burgeoning interest in cybersecurity, and how artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially be used to protect critical systems. Now a member of the faculty in the University of Calgary’s Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Karimipour researches the use of AI for security analysis of critical infrastructure, while teaching students to become cybersecurity experts. As a Canada Research Chair in Secure and Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems, she has secured more than $1.6 million in funding for her research, which addresses the gap between information technology security and operational technology security. She is also co-founder of TechnoVibe, a startup that focuses on AI-powered decision support and condition monitoring systems for critical infrastructure. Recognizing that cybersecurity has long been a male-dominated field, Karimipour also advocates for inclusivity and gender diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). She is a Calgary representative for the global organization Women in CyberSecurity, a mentor with the non-profit Society of Women Engineers, a UCalgary representative for Women in Data Science at Stanford University, and, in 2022, was named one of the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber by the online news digest IT Security Guru. Even with twin toddlers at home, Karimipour gives no signs of her career slowing down. “The field of cybersecurity is really exciting,” she says. “Staying updated is important ... and the challenges it brings make it even more enjoyable.” —C.L.

DION

Dion Kelly & Eli Kinney-Lang

Age 30 ELI

Age 32

Co-founders of Possibility Neurotechnologies and BCI Games.

W H Y T H EY ARE TOP 40S T HE Y C R E ATE OP P ORT UNI T I ES FOR C HI LDR EN W I T H SE VE RE NE UROLOG I CA L DI SO R DER S TH ROUG H BRA I N- COMP UT E R I N TE R FACE T E C H NOLOG I ES .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

magine you’re a child who can’t control your limbs. You can’t shoot water guns with your friends nor take part in your family’s tradition of pickling cucumbers. But, with a brain-computer interface (BCI) headset using a system called Think2Switch, you can. Developed by Dion Kelly and Eli KinneyLang, Think2Swith translates signals from the headset to control everyday devices. This is groundbreaking work in the challenging world of pediatric BCI. “Children are still underserved by BCI,” says Kinney-Lang. “The bigger BCI community still isn’t focusing as much on kids because … it’s really hard. Adults are really accepting of boring things, like long training sessions. But if we solve those problems for kids, that translates up to adults.” Kelly and Kinney-Lang are now helping position Calgary as a global leader in the field. They are founding members of BCI-CAN, an international network of engineers, clinicians and trainees advancing pediatric BCI and help lead BCI4Kids one of the first, integrated, clinical, pediatric BCI programs in the world. They are co-founders of BCI Game Jam, an annual 48-hour competition that challenges developers to create a game experience from scratch that is 100-per cent playable with a BCI. Since 2019, more than 200 developers have built 40 BCI-enabled games. Kelly and Kinney-Lang have raised and managed millions of dollars in funding for their research. In one year, their latest venture, Possibility Neurotechnologies, raised $275,000 from innovation and disability-research organizations around the world and moved swiftly from prototype to product, testing Think2Switch with 10 participating families and effectively launching the key for the future of BCI tech. “The best experience is working so closely with the kids and families,” says Kelly. “I love when one of the moms texts me a video of something new their kid is doing with the BCI that they never thought was possible.” —T.A.

avenuecalgary.com

“OUR GOAL IS TO CR EATE A MOR E I N C L U S I V E S O C I E T Y, W H E R E E V E R Y O N E H A S EQUAL OPPORT UNI T IES.” D I O N K E L LY

#SouthcentreMoments |

Indulging in every moment. 58

IMAGE PROVIDED BY: EARLS november/december 2023

Unwrapping New Adventures. Discover more at Southcentre Mall. With more than 190 retailers, Southcentre Mall connects you with the brands you crave. Explore all-time favourites like our newly expanded lululemon, or visit our newest additions like JD Sports and Earls. Feel good shopping at Southcentre Mall by supporting over 15 local retailers, from food to fashion and art to accessories there’s something for everyone.

Shop. Dine. Connect.

southcentremall.com

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Ben Klepacki

Age 38

Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer, Convrg

“I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO HELP CALGARY BECOME K NOW N A S THE GLOBAL CENTR E

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E CO - F OUN DE D A C L E A NT E C H COM PA N Y TH AT USES H I S STAT E - OFT H E -A RT T EC H N O LOGY DESI G N TO R E DUC E M ET HA N E E MI SSI ONS I N T HE OI L A N D G A S SE CTOR .

ack in 2018, Ben Klepacki sketched a design on an airplane napkin as he flew home from a meeting with an oil and gas producer. That sketch would become the foundation for Convrg, a 100-person cleantech company that is expected to bring in $45 million in revenue in 2023.

Convrg’s technology — known as EPOD — is used across North America to eliminate methane venting at well sites. The company is on pace to eliminate the equivalent of taking 110,000 cars off the road by year’s end. “Too often, businesses focus on making money at all costs and not enough on doing what’s right,” says Klepacki. “The two do not need to be mutually exclusive.” Entrepreneurship has been a rollercoaster ride. In 2019, Klepacki and his brother-in-law walked away from good jobs to found Convrg’s predecessor Westgen Technologies. At the time, their partners were pregnant, and they put their homes on the line and used their life savings. They volunteered engineering services to another company in trade for rent on office space. At one point, they

thought they’d lost everything when the price of oil plummeted. “I was terrified every single day. I still am,” he says. “But I don’t believe in situations where there’s not a solution.” Klepacki says he was bullied as a kid and is driven by never wanting to be in the position of being victimized again. He threw himself into sports and competed as a member of Canada’s national bobsleigh team from 2010 to 2014. He started his career in alternative energy but came to believe that he could make a bigger difference working within oil and gas to improve its environmental footprint. “I feel that we’re not seeing the end of oil and gas anytime soon,” Klepacki says. “If that’s a reality, we’d better get better at how we produce it.” —C.F. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

F OR T HE ENER GY E VOLU T ION.”

Age 38

Krista Lauridsen Associate Vice President, People Places & Spaces, ATB

“ I T R U LY T H I N K T H E R E ’ S V A L U E IN PEOPLE BEING TOGETHER

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

I N A C U R A T E D S PA C E . ”

I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG H YEQUI S H E’S TOPI NC 40 L USI ON DI V ER S IW TY, T Y AA ND S H E HA S T RA NSFORME D TRHOF E STR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE OF F I C ES A N D RE TA I L LOCAT I ONS S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR AT ATEP B IRNETO AWA RD-WI NNI NGE E N TR NE URSH I P RESOURC I N CGLROUP U SI VE TSPAC ES KTK. .

he ATB head office has seating for different body types, a library for dedicated focus and multipurpose wellness rooms. It’s all the brainchild of Krista Lauridsen, a registered architect who oversees real estate, facilities and workplace at ATB. “The nature of work is changing, and how we used to work (pre-pandemic) is not how we work today,” Lauridsen says.

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In April 2022, her team replaced the banking company’s cubicles with activity-based spaces (like meeting rooms) that allow for spontaneous conversations. That same year, Great Places to Work named ATB one of the Best Workplaces for Hybrid Work in Canada. In ATB’s retail locations, which serve over 800,000 clients, Lauridsen and her team of 50 have responded to changing client expectations in banking by removing some traditional teller counters, adding couches for informal meetings as well as closed-door spaces for more formal meetings. “You may not be going in every month to cash your paycheque, but you might be going in twice a year for far more meaningful, impactful advicebased conversations, like a mortgage,” she says.

Not only do these spaces address people’s changing routines, but their design also considers diversity and inclusion, an extension of Lauridsen’s experience as the only queer-female executive in the history of the portfolio at ATB. Her design of ATB’s corporate spaces keeps in mind the needs of neurodiverse team members from a space perspective. This includes lighting adjustability and variance, stimuli reduction through pods and tents, and textures for seating and flooring. Lauridsen’s underpinning belief that space matters doesn’t stop at interiors — she’s also a board director for the Calgary Horticultural Society and cares for her garden in her spare time. —J.A.C. 61

Chantelle Little

Age 35

Founder & CEO, Tiller

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E F O UN DE D A S UCC ESSFUL WE B D ES I G N A N D B R A N D AG E NC Y, WH I L E CH A M P I ON I N G A ND E NCOURAG I NG OT HE R YOUN G ENT RE P RE NE URS .

“ YOUR A BILIT Y TO LE AR N IS EV ERY THING. IF YOU CAN LE AR N FROM AN YONE AND E V ERY T H ING, AND SORT W H A T ’ S V A L U A B L E A N D W H A T ’ S N O T, T H A T I S R E A L LY T H E K E Y T O S U C C E S S I N A N Y V E N T U R E . ”

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P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

t the age of 19, while doing her undergraduate business degree, Chantelle Little had a summer job that allowed her to play with brand development and marketing. After just one month, she was hooked. “I fell in love with the storytelling part,” Little recalls. “I enjoyed that I could help take complex things and make them simple.” She decided then and there to start her own company, Tiller. Now, 15 years later, Tiller has grown into a web design and brand agency for B2B (business-to-business) software companies, with multi-millions in annual revenue. Little leads a team of 30 and works with B2B software companies across North America. “What [these companies] have can truly make people’s lives better,” she says. “We get to help them articulate their stories in a way that really resonates with their audiences, to reach their full potential.” Key to forging this successful business path, was overcoming and shedding self-limiting beliefs. “At the beginning of my journey, I was really intimidated by hiring people that were older than me,” Little says. “But, I really see the value in building intergenerational teams. Working with different generations has been transformational for the business.” Little is also a keen supporter of other young entrepreneurs. In 2022, she launched The Pixel Project, a community initiative to help emerging Calgary web and brand designers connect, learn and grow through events and mentorship. This past summer, Tiller invested $37,300 to bring Lemonade Day to Calgary, a U.S.-based program to help kids from kindergarten to grade eight gain financial and business literacy by starting their first business — a lemonade stand. Little says there are many people who have guided her and given her the benefit of their experiences. “I have the desire to do that for the generation that comes behind me,” she says. —C.S.

Aaron Logan

Age 37

Chief Operating Officer, Excir

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 A N EN T R E P RE NE UR WI T H MORE T HA N 6 6 0 PAT E NTS TO H I S NA ME , H E N EG OTI AT E D T H E L I C E NSE OF A P R E C I OUS ME TA L E -WA ST E T E C H N OLOGY TO T H E ROYA L MI NT.

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

self-described “commercialization and intellectual property deal structure guru,” Aaron Logan helps vet innovators’ ideas and then helps them find a commercial path and a strategic partner. With more than 660 patents to his name, he has founded and divested businesses and intellectual property with a shareholder and corporate value aggregate benefit of over $300 million. In May 2019, Logan joined Excir, a company with a proprietary technology that allows for the efficient and sustainable extraction of precious metals from alternative sources like e-waste. When he came on board, Excir’s founders had a lab-scale version of their chemistry, which wasn’t yet commercialized. Logan had experience commercializing technology, so he conducted an in-depth analysis of the global market, researching which countries do well when it comes to recycling e-waste. In the end, he negotiated the first license of the company’s technology to The Royal Mint of the United Kingdom. Recently, Logan founded and launched a Scotch company, Ór Leaghan (“liquid gold”), raising $3.5 million for its launch. He also serves as an advisor to five companies, whose products range from pharma and food to sensors and batteries. “The impact I’ve had is probably just allowing people’s visions of grand ideas to come to fruition,” he says. His belief in mentorship extends to his support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area — he personally contributes $10,000 annually to the non-profit. His ultimate motivator is his children, being able to say to them that he feels like he is making an impact on the world. “Everybody has something that they want to do to make the world a better place, and I want to help them execute on that,” he says. —J.A.C.

avenuecalgary.com

“ I L I K E T O B E PA R T O F N E W I N D U S T R I E S . I L I K E T O B E PA R T O F N E W I D E A S A N D B E A BLE TO GROW AND CH ALLENGE M Y O W N M I N D S E T. ”

Age 39

Adam Martinson President and Founder, AJM Environmental

WHY HE ’S A TO P 4 0 HE HELPS B U SINESS ES I N THE ENERGY INDU STRY MI NI MI ZE THE I R ENVIRO NMENTAL D I STUR BANC E AND DO ES VO LU NT E E R W I L D L I FE CO NSERVATIO N R ES E ARC H.

“ M Y G OA L I S T O B E A G O O D S T E WA R D O F T H E E N V I R O N M E N T. T H E H A R D E S T L E S S O N I ’ V E L E A R N E D I S T H A T W E ’ R E N O T G O I N G T O B E P E R F E C T, B U T I ’ M G O I N G T O D O T H E B E S T I C A N I N H E L P I N G C O M PA N I E S A N D S O C I E T Y G E T T O T H A T P O I N T. ”

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ome consider rattlesnakes to be fear-inducing; Adam Martinson thinks they’re misunderstood. From 2007 to 2009, while doing his master’s research in environmental science at the University of Calgary, Martinson studied how road traffic affects rattlesnake populations in Dinosaur Provincial Park. The desire to protect sensitive species drove Martinson to start his own environmental consulting company, AJM Environmental, in 2012. He employs a range of experts, such as biologists, research scientists and statisticians, to help businesses navigate environmental and regulatory challenges, enabling development with the least amount of environmental impact possible. AJM has grown from a team of just two — Martinson and his wife, Emily — to a team of 30 in 2023. AJM’s scientists monitored wetlands in the oilsands for Cenovus Energy and worked alongside construction crews on TC Energy’s Keystone XL pipeline, doing environmental assessments and creating mitigation plans to ensure wildlife, wetlands and waterbodies were minimally disturbed during the construction process. “The cowboy mentality of just doing whatever you want is gone now,” says Martinson. “Companies want to minimize their environmental impacts as much as possible.” In 2019, Martinson founded BioLogic, a sister company to AJM, whose goal is to solve environmental challenges with technology. And Martinson continues to volunteer his time to research rattlesnakes in Southern Alberta. He presents “snake talks” in elementary and junior high schools in the region, bringing along one of his two pet ball pythons to help students get over their fear. “By sharing information with these kids, they learn the value protecting these snakes has on entire ecosystems,” he says. —K.O.

YOU DREAMED IT. YOU DID IT. Congratulations to this year’s honourable Top 40 under 40, and here’s to 25 years of celebrating the changemakers, innovators and dreamers who are helping shape our city to be a place of boundless opportunity. What makes Calgary unique is its people. Home to curious, collaborative and creative people like you, Calgary is where bright minds with big ideas come together to solve global challenges. Let’s keep building this city as a place of possibility for all. Together.

Get inspired at lifeincalgary.ca.

Age 34

Renee Matsalla Co-founder, Tacit Edge Product Leadership

WHY SHE’S A TO P 4 0 SHE CO -CRE ATED THE FI R ST EQ U ITAB LE AND GLO BA L LY R E CO GNI ZE D APPLIED MICRO -CREDENTI AL P RO GR AM F O R PRO DU CT MANAGE ME NT.

“THE ADV ICE I’D GI V E TO M Y YOUNGER SELF IS, IF YOU HIT A GL A SS CEILING, JUST BUILD YOUR OW N HOUSE.”

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P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

enee Matsalla admits it can be difficult to explain what “product management” is. Essentially, it’s guiding the teams that build and bring products to market. “They’re really at the heart of innovation and growth in a company,” Matsalla says. She entered the field of product management after studying marketing, working in mobile gaming in Berlin and then landing at Calgary-based tech company Benevity. Now, Matsalla is helping to diversify the field through Tacit Edge, a startup she co-founded in 2021 that offers a 12-week, applied micro-credential course, delivered in partnership with SAIT, that has become the global standard for equitable product management education. Until recently, standardized paths to product management didn’t really exist, and that ambiguity bred inequity. Matsalla’s students include people familiar with tech, those transitioning to tech and anyone in between. In just two years, Tacit Edge has made great strides, graduating the first cohorts of balanced BIPOC and female-identifying product leaders; training more than 700 people from more than 120 different organizations, including the New York Federal Reserve and the London Stock Exchange; and placing graduates at the likes of Microsoft, Deloitte Digital and Shopify. Through partnerships with Alberta Innovates and Platform Calgary, hundreds of Albertans have enrolled in Tacit Edge free of charge. Graduates have a 73-per cent hire rate, more than 56 per cent are women and 72 per cent are people of colour. With the yearly salary for graduates averaging $93,000, and the program having produced three startups so far, Tacit Edge contributes to the innovation ecosystem in Calgary with educated talent and equitable access to career opportunities. “Change is not as hard as it seems, Matsalla says. “It just needs to be a bit more thoughtful.” —T.A.

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Jayme Minor

Age 39

Partner, MAXgreen Windows, Siding and Roofing; Partner, Endorphin Dream Garage Ltd.; Founder, OktSOBERfest

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E H EL PS B UI LD COMMUNI T Y FOR T H OS E R E COV ER I N G FROM A DDI CT I ON WITH A N EV EN T T HAT P UTS A SOBE R S PIN O N TR A DI T I ONA L OK TOBE RFEST.

“ T H E M O R E I T E L L M Y S T O R Y, I K NOW THE MOR E PEOPLE I C A N H E L P. ”

november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

e was the perennial life of the party, donning wizard costumes and playing his trumpet at Calgary Flames games. The only problem: Jayme Minor was nearly always under the influence of alcohol. “I always felt I needed to be the funniest, the most outrageous,” he says. “I thought I needed alcohol to get me to that level.” Today, Minor is marking five years of sobriety, and sports all the markings of success: he’s a partner in two businesses, MAXgreen Windows, Siding and Roofing, and Endorphin Dream Garage Ltd., an exotic car rental agency. MAXgreen’s charitable arm has donated more than $500,000 to local charities over the past 12 years. It’s a life Minor couldn’t imagine not so long ago, when the accidental drowning death of his best friend had him facing rock bottom. He sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery Alberta and Alberta Health Services, and went to counselling. Upon completing rehab, he pledged to spend the rest of his life helping others in the throes of addiction. In 2022, Minor launched OktSOBERfest, a twist on the traditional beer-guzzling Oktoberfest celebrations. Through donations and sponsorships, the free event raised more than $30,000 in cash and goods in its first year to help people needing addiction recovery cover the costs of counselling services. Minor also preaches the virtues of a sober life through music, chronicling his recovery journey on his soon-to-be-released debut album. He also speaks frequently to community groups about his experience with addiction. And, he’s back to being the life of the party at Flames games — this time, though, in a more official “Trumpet Guy” role, thanks to the VIP pass bestowed upon him in 2021. “People think I’m drunk when I’m running [around] with a trumpet in a crazy costume,” Minor says with a laugh. “But I’m sober and having more fun than I ever did before.” —V.F.

Husein Moloo

Age 39

CEO and Co-Founder, PurposeMed

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 HI S FA ST- G ROWI NG VI RT UA L CA R E COM PA NY H E L PS P E OP L E FROM UN DE R S ERV ED COMMUNI T I ES G A I N ACC ESS TO ME DI CA L CA RE .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

ight this minute, somewhere in Canada, someone is seeking medical care in a hospital emergency room because they couldn't access appropriate care anywhere else. Husein Moloo is trying to change that. In 2019, while working as a hospitalist physician for Alberta Health Services, Moloo co-founded PurposeMed Inc., a virtual care company that provides specialized medical care for underserved communities. PurposeMed operates three services: Freddie, which delivers HIV prevention medication (PrEP) to 2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians; Frida, which provides diagnosis and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and Foria, a virtual care service for transgender Canadians. In 2021, PurposeMed provided care to about 1,000 patients a month.That figure rose to 10,000 in 2023. The company now has 200 full-time employees. This growth led Kitchener, Ont.-based accelerator Communitech to declare PurposeMed a top tech performer with the potential of achieving $1 billion in revenue. PurposeMed is the latest in a string of successful business ventures from the born-and-raised Calgarian. As a high-school student, Moloo and his father launched a company selling burnable CDs. After reaching $500 million in sales, they licensed the technology to another company in 2007 and founded Highpoint Developments, a real-estate development company. Moloo remains the CEO at Highpoint. Moloo decided to pursue medicine when his brother developed leukemia as a child. “I saw how physicians treated him and I wanted to have that effect on other folks,” he says. He has since stepped away from clinical care to focus on PurposeMed, which provides a different kind of satisfaction. “When we get patient reviews saying how we’ve changed someone’s life, that really shows that what we’re doing matters,” he says. —C.F.

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“THE FRONT DOOR TO OUR H E A LT H C A R E S Y S T E M I S N O T THE S AME FOR EV ERYONE.”

Daniel Monzon

Age 39

CEO, Catapult Startups

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E HE LPS I M M I G R ANT, NE WCOME R A N D R E F UG EE E NT RE P RE NE URS OV ERCOM E O BSTAC L ES A ND STA RT B US I N ESS ES I N CA NA DA .

“A S A N I M M I G R A N T A N D P E R S O N B O R N W I T H O N E A R M A N D L E G , I H AV E FA C E D A N D C O N Q U E R E D PH YSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CH ALLENGES TH AT MOST PEOPLE COULD NEV ER IM AGINE.”

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P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

aniel Monzon had long been frustrated by seeing newcomers and refugees feel defeated in their career aspirations on account of not having Canadian experience. During the pandemic years, he worked for Supply Chain Canada, Alberta as director of digital and customer experience, while running his small business consulting firm Creative//Social, and saw how this lack of experience blocked access to resources. Without credit history in Canada, newcomers couldn’t apply for loans. Without knowing Canadian business customs, refugees couldn’t network with entrepreneurs or investors. If an immigrant had dependents, they couldn’t risk leaving a “survival” job to pursue something else. “Sometimes, they came to me almost broken down, like I was the last conversation they were going to have before they decided, ‘I’m just gonna take a menial job to survive’,” Monzon says. So, in February 2022, he formed Catapult Startups, a non-profit accelerator helping newcomer entrepreneurs get access to capital for their businesses. Since then, Catapult has launched its first cohort of 12 newcomer-founded businesses and has partnered with private, public and governmental organizations to create non-dilutive funding for newcomer entrepreneurs. The goal is to help launch 200 small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Alberta, creating 5,000 jobs and generating $3 billion indirect GDP by 2032, through accelerating 20 newcomer-, refugee- and immigrant-founded businesses annually. Monzon embraces his own “outsider” perspective as a tool for success. “That was the biggest thing to overcome,” he says. “I needed to learn that it’s okay to be me, and it’s also the biggest advantage. Having one arm and one leg makes people remember you, and that’s half the battle in business. For other people, it takes them several times. For me, it takes one look.” —T.A.

Anna Murphy

Age 30

Community Leader and Equity Advocate

“I BRING IN W H AT I K NOW AND INFUSE ALL OF TH AT INTO THE CONV ERS ATION O F E Q U I T Y, U LT I M A T E LY B R I N G I N G I T HOME AND BRINGING IT BACK TO MY

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

O W N P E R S O N A L S T O R Y. ”

I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG H YEQUI S H E’S TOPI NC 40 L USI ON DI V ER S IW TY, T Y AA ND S HESTR ’S CAT R EEG ATI NG A MORE I NCRL USI I ST A ND FOUNDE OF VE CSI H TY TH ROUG H H E R A DVOCAC Y FOR EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR TH E 2 S LG BTQ I A + COMMUNI T I ES E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E . G ROUP T K T K . aised in rural Alberta, Anna Murphy faced many challenges as she affirmed her identity as a transgender woman and eventually felt compelled to leave the province. However, in 2014, while passing through Calgary, she saw the city in a new light. “YYC became more than the gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies, it was the crossroads of opportunity,” Murphy says. Dedicated to advocacy for the 2SLGBTQIA+

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communities, women’s issues and transgender issues and rights, Murphy has since established herself as a champion for equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility. She holds several prolific volunteer positions, including University of Calgary Senator and vice-chair of the Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee of the Social Wellbeing Advisory Committee of the City of Calgary. She was recently recognized as a Calgary Stampede Western Trailblazer and received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her volunteerism and significant contributions to the province. In 2022, Murphy successfully advocated for a mayoral proclamation officially recognizing the international Transgender Day of Remembrance

in Calgary. Working at Contemporary Calgary at the time, Murphy organized a Transgender Day of Remembrance event there that was attended by 200 community members, Elders and dignitaries, including Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani. Murphy says this marked the first time a Lieutenant Governer of Alberta attended and provided remarks at an event specifically for the transgender community, in an official capacity. “I can talk every day, all day, with a room full of trans-people,” Murphy says, “but we don’t need to talk to each other about the issues. We know what the issues are. We need people like the mayor, ministers, MLAs, Lieutenant Governors, those people who have power, privilege and authority, in the room.” —D.C. 71

Toyin Lafenwa Oladele

Age 35

Executive Director, Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation

“OUR GOAL IS TO PROV IDE EARNING POW ER FOR NEWCOMERS, FOR THEM TO BE A BLE TO SEE TH AT THEY ’V E E AR NED AN INCOME A S AN ARTS

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E P ROV I DES I MMI G RA NT A ND N E W COM ER A RTS A ND C ULT URE PRO F ESS I O N A L S A N E NT RY WAY I N TO PA I D WO RK I N CA NA DA .

oyin Lafenwa Oladele is concerned with three things for arts professionals: employment, empowerment and exposure. That’s why, in 2019, she founded the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI). “We provide specialized information and resources for newcomers and immigrants [who are] arts and culture professionals,” says Oladele. “We create

free and inclusive programs and networking opportunities, and we educate the arts community on how to make their spaces inclusive.” Oladele knows firsthand how important such resources are. As a singer and theatre performer, curator, arts manager and educator in her home country of Nigeria, she has been involved in the arts since she was seven years old. Yet, when she moved to Calgary in 2017, she couldn’t find a single point of entry towards a professional artistic career for newcomers like herself. ICAI is not an agency or production company, but a collaborative and consultative partner that exposes existing arts organizations to newcomer arts professionals and procures paid opportunities for these individuals. Oladele has mentored

more than 150 individuals and created approximately 400 employment opportunities for newcomers. Her work includes providing recommendations on inclusive language, creating new curricula on arts management and non-profit strategies, and leading million-dollar initiatives, like the City’s Northeast Public Art Initiative. Oladele did two years of intensive research and community engagement to create ICAI’s sustainable partnership model. Today, its flagship program, the Newcomer Arts Professional Program is province-wide, accepting 20 participants per year. “When you come to a new place, you’re not sure if your art is acceptable until somebody pays you for it,” she says. “That’s when you say, ‘Okay, I’m really an artist in Canada.’” —T.A. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

PROFESSIONAL IN CANADA .”

Maxim Olshevsky

Age 36

CEO and Managing Director, Astra Group/Peoplefirst Developments

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 A L E A DE R I N O FFI C E -TO- RESI DE NT I A L CO N V ER S I O NS , T H I S I MMI G RA NT E N TR EP R E N EUR I S H E L P I NG RE VI TA L I ZE CA LG A RY ’S DOWNTOWN CORE .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

e came to Canada from Ukraine in 2000 as a wide-eyed 13-year-old, who spent his teen years in Calgary learning English and living with his parents and little sister in a twobedroom apartment. Today, Maxim Olshevsky is the CEO and managing director of Astra Group and Peoplefirst Developments. He employs 23 staff and more than 100 subcontractors, and is at the forefront nationally to convert underutilized office towers into residential units, providing much-needed affordable downtown housing in Calgary. The Cornerstone, in the former SNC-Lavalin building on the northwest side of downtown, is in the process of seeing its upper floors transformed into 112 residential apartments and 22,000 square feet of commercial space. Olshevsky, who grew up nearby, insisted that all Cornerstone residences have at least two bedrooms and be dog-friendly. So much of his vision today is thanks to the lessons he learned as a teenage newcomer. “My mother instilled a strong work ethic in me, saying there’s only one way to get what you want: to work hard for it because no one will give it to you,” says Olshevsky. “I was fortunate to start in the construction industry at the age of 16, with my first trade being a flooring installer,” he says. “Twenty years of 70-hour work weeks tends to offer good progression within the industry, especially if you’re curious enough to [ask questions].” He started and then sold his first company in his mid-20s, before founding Astra Group in 2014. In 2021, he launched Peoplefirst in response to the challenge of vacant office towers, integrating expertise in real estate investment, construction and development into one enterprise. “It feels good to create something that will benefit people,” says Olshevsky. “Every one of our projects contribute to the growth and prosperity of Calgary.” —V.F.

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“THERE IS AN EASTERN EUROPEAN SAYING: PEOPLE TH AT DON’T RISK, DON’T D R I N K C H A M PA G N E . ”

David Oulton

Age 30

Executive Producer/Host, Face to Face with David

“EV EN W ITHOUT K NOW ING THE DE ST I N AT I O N, YO U H AV E T O K E E P GOING. S AY YES TO OPPORT UNI T IES: COME FROM A PLACE OF YES AND

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E T UR N E D A COV ID- 19 LOC K DOWN PRO J ECT I N TO A N I NT E RNAT I ONA L LY SE EN T V S E R I ES , I NT E RVI E WI NG HOL LY WOOD C EL E BRI T I ES A ND S H OW CA S I N G LO CA L L UMI NA RI ES .

ike many of us, actor David Oulton was looking for a way to connect with people during the pandemic. He decided to try doing a talk show, interviewing guests virtually from his living room. Thinking the show needed some sort of signature, he decided his hosting garb would be an over-the-top, luxe, black Versace bathrobe.

“I wanted to get people’s attention,” Oulton says. “It was very strategic, but also ridiculous.” Whether it was the bathrobe or some other reason, Oulton’s Face to Face with David has now been on air for five seasons, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and broadcast on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, Slice and Outtv, along with more than 25 networks in more than 55 countries. In most episodes, Oulton sips wine, while lounging in the aforementioned bathrobe, and interviews Hollywood celebrities, such as comic Margaret Cho, actor Vanessa Williams and TV personality Carson Kressley. He also does episodes featuring local luminaries, including Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Premier Danielle Smith. “You can quickly build a connection with a

guest when they’re in their own home,” Oulton says. “For the viewer, it’s like watching a conversation between two friends.” While his intent in the early days was to keep it light, Oulton, who is gay, says he and his team of five employees have since evolved the show to take on issues such as transphobia. “I realized I had a responsibility to educate,” he says. Despite offers to relocate the show and team to a bigger centre, he’s keeping it in Calgary. “It’s a nice way to give back,” he says of showcasing the city internationally. One thing is for certain: the bathrobe is not going anywhere. “I blew the whole wardrobe budget that first season with the Versace bathrobe and had to drink boxed wine,” he says. “So it’s staying.” —V.F. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

J U S T G O F O RWA R D .”

Kathryn Pearce

Age 39

Executive Director, Maud Collective; Project Manager, City of Calgary

W H Y S H E’S A TOP 40 S HE E LE VATES URBA N SPAC ES TO BUI L D A S EN S E O F COMMUNI T Y T H ROUG H T HE P ROC ESS OF P L AC E MA K I NG .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

ehind successful communities is a process called placemaking, which Kathryn Pearce describes as “fostering connections between people and place by reinforcing positive life in the public realm.” Pearce was passionate about placemaking long before she was familiar with the term, and has since used that passion to invigorate various projects in her roles with the City of Calgary and Maud Collective, a company she founded that creates activations using art and augmented reality (AR). According to Pearce, placemaking is all about “strengthening community ties and making special places that people who live there can feel comfortable in and enjoy using.” Sometimes it can mean jazzing up a drab area with public art. Other times it can mean adding accessibility measures, like bump outs, to separate people from traffic. It can mean installing AstroTurf for safer playing spaces, or benches, inviting people to linger. During COVID-19, when indoor in-person interactions were limited, Pearce adapted her work with Maud Collective by creating the Northern Reflections Augmented Reality Art Walk, an exhibition of painted windows that used AR to I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG animate the art by viewing it through an app. The DI V ER S I TY, EQUI T Y A ND I NC L USI ON exhibition allowed people to enjoy public spaces STR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE R OF while adhering to social distancing. Northern S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR Reflections has since become an annual event. E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E One of the best aspects of placemaking, accordG ROUP T K T K . ing to Pearce, is the snowball effect. When people occupy a space that they love, they’re more likely to take care of it. After she and her husband completed a mural on the Tigerstedt block at the top of Centre street in Crescent Heights, she noticed property managers sprucing up their buildings. Tenants hung flower baskets from their balconies and a community fridge made its debut. “It started out as a painting, but a bigger community feel came out of it, and that’s what it’s really all about,” she says. —K.B.

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“ SM ALL EFFORTS E V ERY D A Y E V E N T U A L LY L E A D T O L O N G -T E R M S U C C E S S . ”

Jacqueline Peterson

Age 39

Director, Policy and Offsets, Kathairos Solutions Inc.

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S HE L A UN C H ED A P ROG RA M T H AT PROV I DES ECON OMI C I NC E NT I VE FOR M A J OR OI L A N D G A S P RODUC E RS TO VOL UN TA RI LY RE DUC E M E TH A N E EMI SSI ONS .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

n her director, policy and offsets role at Kathairos Solutions, Jacqueline Peterson works closely with oil and gas companies to incorporate cleantech strategies to reduce emissions. She also works with governments across Canada and the U.S. to create feasible methane-reduction strategies. “We’re all trying to move in the same direction and find solutions from an efficiency, efficacy and technical standpoint,” Peterson says. “I’m committed to figuring out how to pay for sustainability, and working with organizations to identify funding and financing to support their climate change strategies.” Peterson joined Kathairos in 2020, the first full-time staff member working alongside the two co-founders. The company is dedicated to reducing methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations by using nitrogen — a clean, inert gas — to power devices at wellsites, eliminating the need to vent methane. By 2030, this solution is projected to avoid 10 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent from being emitted. Since coming on board, Peterson launched the company’s emission offset program, which provides a strong economic incentive for oil and gas producers to voluntarily reduce methane emissions. She secured more than $5.2 million in government funding to scale up Kathairos’s Canadian operations and landed two of the world’s largest oil and gas producers as the company’s first trial customers. She also got Kathairos’s nitrogen-based technology formally recognized within Alberta’s offset system. The industry is recognizing her efforts, too: Peterson was shortlisted for the Emerging Leader Award at the 2023 Global Energy Show. “We have five years to convert the industry,” she says. “If we want to have any chance of meeting all of the methane targets that we’ve set out as a country, we have to act now.” —D.C.

“I’M A PROUD AMBASSADOR FOR CALGARY’S CLEANTECH C O M M U N I T Y. ”

november/december 2023

Steven Ross

Age 38

Chief Development Officer, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo

“IT’S A REAL FIT FOR ME TO BE A CONNECTOR FOR PEOPLE, S O I H OP E I H AV E A LO NG C A R E E R

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

A H E A D O F M E I N T H A T. ”

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 HE H A S HE L P E D RA I SE MORE T HA N $10 0 MI L L I ON FOR WI L DL I FE CON S ERVATI ON WH I L E I NSP I RI NG OTH ER S TO MA K E A DI FFE RE NC E .

hen he was five years old, Steven Ross held his first fundraiser for the zoo, raising $12 from a lemonade stand. Now, in the three years since he became the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo’s chief development officer, he has increased fundraising revenue from $5 million to $20 million annually.

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Ross discovered early on that he had a skill for connecting people with the causes they were passionate about, and that’s how he fell into the world of wildlife conservation fundraising. Over his 17-year career, he has helped raise $100 million, primarily through the Nature Conservancy of Canada where he spent a decade prior to joining the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. In his role, Ross helps foster the relationships needed to make fundraising opportunities possible. “Conservation without financial support is just a conversation,” he says. “We can talk endlessly about the need and the change we could create, but it’s [with] the financial resources that we’re fortunate to get from our community that all of this work actually starts to happen.”

Under Ross’s watch, the Wilder Institute has had the resources to grow its conservation portfolio from 12 to 37 at-risk animal and plant species, establishing itself as one of Canada’s leading charities dedicated to saving species at-risk. “Being able to see the path forward, to convert passion into impact, I think that’s where I’ve found the real success piece,” Ross says. By leveraging his influence, Ross aims to ensure community-led conservation continues. “That engagement needs to be there so that we can make a long-term sustainable change,” he says. “Now, as a father of two, I get to experience the next generation of conservation leaders building their own connection to philanthropy and environmentalism.” —K.S. 77

Julie Rubin

Age 39

Executive Director and Founder, Canadian Centre for Development

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 S H E STA RT ED A N I NNOVAT I VE CE N T R E TO F I L L A G A P I N T RE AT I NG KI DS W I T H DI S A B I L I T I ES DUE TO G E N ET I C I SS UES A ND T RA UMA .

“ T H I S I S B Y FA R T H E M O S T GR ATIF YING WOR K I’V E EV ER DONE. I FEEL SO PRIVILEGED TO H A V E H A D S U C H A N I M PA C T O N S O M A N Y FA M I L I E S ’ L I V E S .”

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P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

ulie Rubin felt her world explode when her now five-year-old son, Kaleb, was diagnosed as an infant with lissencephaly, a rare, gene-linked brain malformation that has caused him severe, life-altering delays. “It very quickly took [my husband Brian and I] from the happiest time of our lives of having given birth to what we thought was a healthy baby to — within three months — turning into the scariest time in our lives,” she says. Through exhaustive research into treating her son’s condition, Rubin discovered there was a significant gap in services that could help Kaleb and kids like him. Having previously founded two successful businesses — Elevated Learning Academy and Innotech College — she decided to start a third, and in 2021, she and her husband launched SMILE Therapy for Kids, recently rebranded as the Canadian Centre for Development. The Calgary-based centre offers intensive therapy that is proven to work better than traditional forms of therapy for children with disabilities from neurological delays. It is the only one of its kind in Western Canada, and has helped families from across North America and Europe. The model is founded on the repetition and consistency necessary to train brains to form new neural connections. “We take kids whose doctors say they’ll never walk, stand or even sit unassisted and help them achieve those goals,” Rubin says. From its origins in Rubin’s basement, the clinic has grown into a 7,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, with a team of 15 and specialized equipment, including the only Trexo Robotics exoskeleton robot in Western Canada available for public use. “Being that brain development most actively occurs from age zero to five, we felt a great sense of urgency to open as fast as possible,” Rubin says. “We did it mid-pandemic and with a child that is medically fragile, but we did it, and we’re proud of where that journey has taken us in two years.” —K.S.

Age 30

Ishita Singla Artistic Director, Madhuban Performing Arts; Senior Communications Officer, CBC

“MY PLACE AS A LEADER ISN’T A T T H E F R O N T O F T H E G R O U P. . . IT ’S AT THE BACK, TO PUSH

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

M Y T E A M F O RWA R D .”

W H Y S H E’S A TOP 40 I N TRO TK T K I S A N AWA RD-WI NNI NG S H E C R E ATE D A SA FE SPAC E FOR SOUT H DI V ER S I TY, EQUI T Y A ND I NC L USI ON A S I A N A RT I STS TO P E RFORM, AT T RACTSTR AT EG I ST A ND FOUNDE R OF I N G G LOBA L AT T E NT I ON WH I L E STAY I NG S H EM E ETS , A WOME N- OF- COLOUR T R UE TO HE R COMMUNI T Y ROOTS . E N TR EP R E NE URSH I P RESOURC E G ROUP T K T K . t last February’s Chinook Blast, a street festival designed to bring vibrancy to Calgary’s downtown core in mid-winter, Ishita Singla watched as spectators climbed up light poles to see her performers dance on Stephen Avenue. She still gets goosebumps thinking about the numbers who gathered in the cold to support Madhuban Performing Arts, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2016 as a safe

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space for South Asian musicians and dancers. The idea for Madhuban and what it represents stems from Singla’s childhood experiences as a newcomer. Her family moved to Canada from India when she was 11 and Singla was bullied because of her culture. “I ended up using dance as a mechanism to communicate what I was feeling,” Singla says. “I found that it was helping me connect with people.” At age 23, the self-taught dancer started Madhuban so other South Asian artists didn’t have to experience the alienation that she experienced. Madhuban now includes more than 40 artists and has given more than 200 live performances for more than 80 organizations. A few years ago, Singla got a call from Singapore asking her to choreograph a flash mob to promote a song for the Bollywood adventure-comedy The

Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. The video was filmed in Calgary with local dancers and now has more than 275,000 views on YouTube. Singla additionally works full-time at the CBC as a senior communications officer, where she started the Asian Changemakers campaign, which profiles Asians and South Asians who are breaking barriers in the community. She’s also a founding member of The Sifarish Network, a South Asian professional networking association. For all these community contributions, she received the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022. Though Singla has ambitions for Madhuban to tour, she’s touched by feedback she received at Chinook Blast from a newcomer group: they told her they felt like they were at home. —J.A.C. 79

Chaz Smith

Age 33

CEO and Founder, BeTheChangeYYC

haz Smith’s experiences with homelessness began in 2005 at age 15, when he was living between various homeless shelters and Children’s Services programs. In 2008, he became the first-ever recipient of the Trellis Society’s (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary) Infinity Project, a program that provides secure housing and teaches self-sufficiency skills, such as money management and self-care. In 2015, Smith founded the non-profit BeTheChangeYYC, driven by his own life experiences with homelessness. “I understood it in a way that others may never understand,” he says. As CEO, Smith works alongside a team of nurses, paramedics and a cohort of more than 65 volunteer outreach workers, all of whom are trained through BeTheChangeYYC’s curriculum of outreach work. Volunteers do street-level outreach four times per week, providing necessities such as food and water, along with harm reduction and mental health support, to homeless adults and youth, contributing to more than 4,000 cumulative volunteer hours. In 2022, BeTheChangeYYC served just under 17,400 individual contacts, 22 per cent of which received a referral to a service they said they had not previously known about. Before BeTheChangeYYC, Smith contributed to other homeless-serving organizations and initiatives. He helped raise money and awareness for Trellis Society’s Avenue 15 youth shelter, where he had stayed, and later became a staff member, and also worked with the Calgary Homeless Foundation on its 10-year plan to end homelessness, specifically youth homelessness. “The hardest lesson is learning to work with humility and love in a system that you truly wish was designed to serve people,” he says. Through his work at BeTheChangeYYC, he hopes others will care about ending homelessness with the same empathy and compassion that helped him escape it. —D.C.

“FOR OUR VISIONS OF THE FUTURE, W E JUST NEED TO START SOMEW HER E, A N Y W H E R E , A N D N E V E R G I V E U P. ”

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H I S LI V E D E X P E RI E NC ES WI T H H OM EL ESS N ESS DRI VE H I S M I SS I O N TO E ND I T.

november/december 2023

Age 29

Cassie Suche Artist

WHY SHE ’S A TO P 4 0 SHE’S DEDICATED TO STR E NGTHE NI NG CALGARY ’S CRE ATI V E COMMUNI TY THRO U GH ME NTO R S HI P AND PU B LIC ART P RO J E CTS .

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , 4 0 0 T H I R D

“ E V E R Y D A Y C A N B E A S D I F F I C U LT O R A S E A S Y A S Y O U W A N T. B U T I R E A L LY L I K E D O I N G T H I N G S T H A T A R E D I F F I C U LT. ”

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isual artist Cassie Suche has created several large-scale outdoor works of art around the city — including 10 current public ones — and she’s not stopping there. Suche enjoys experimenting with her art, which comes in the form of installations, sculptures, drawings and paintings. “Being an artist is so special because there are no rules,” she says. “There’s no limit or structure you have to follow, so it’s just open to your interpretation.” Suche’s contemporary art has been exhibited and sold in galleries in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, but she’s particularly drawn to creating public art because she enjoys sharing a community’s stories through collaborations with businesses, developers, architects and neighbourhood groups. “I am incredibly proud of the projects I have created in the city and the contributions I have made to the community,” Suche says. Beyond her artistic output, Suche mentors younger artists through local organizations including the Youth Centres of Calgary and the Beltline Urban Murals Project. Some of her most notable public art installations include RiverWalk’s “Touch Traces,” a series of 10 architecture-scale surface installations using hundreds of fingerprints sourced from the East Village community; and the “Rise and Reflect” project celebrating International Avenue. “I work closely with local communities to develop projects that reflect the site and setting,” Suche says. One of her favourites so far is “GROW,” a series of large-scale drawings on grass in neighbourhoods like Mount Pleasant, using non-toxic grass dye and fertilizer, intended to be highly visible for a few weeks until the dye washes away. “The biggest things I’ve ever made are labour-intensive, they don’t last a very long time, and I’m not sure how many people even know about them,” she says, “but they’re really interesting to me.” —K.S. 81

Jared Darcy Tailfeathers

Age 37

Multidisciplinary Artist

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E C EL EBR AT ES I NDI G E NOUS WAYS OF K N OW I NG T H ROUG H T H E CR E AT I ON A N D A MP L I FI CAT I ON OF M ULTI DI SC I P LI NA RY A RT.

“M Y ART IS A BOU T M Y R ECONNECT ION — M A K I N G S U R E I K N O W M Y I D E N T I T Y, AND COMMUNICATING TH AT TO OTHER PEOPLE.”

november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y S T E V E C O L L I N S ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

rowing up away from his father’s family on the Kainai Nation in southern Alberta, Jared Darcy Tailfeathers didn’t always feel connected to his Blackfoot community. He explored his culture through leatherwork and beading as a teen. But it wasn’t until his graduation in 2015 from Alberta College of Art + Design (now AUArts) that he found his calling in Indigenous art. Tailfeathers was asked to participate in a project centred around Indigenous musicians, and was hired as an Indigenous placemaker at the Calgary Public Library. In these roles, he worked with prominent artists, obtained art and relics to display in the library, and learned from Treaty 7 Elders. “It opened my eyes to my cultural inheritance,” he says. “I regained some of those lost connections, like language and protocols, and getting a traditional Blackfoot name, Sikomh Kokomii (Calling Crane).” Tailfeathers wears many hats: muralist, musician, comic book artist and researcher are just a few of the roles he’s had over the last five years, while also devoting time to making art centred around Indigenous ways of knowing. He’s also the primary caregiver to his three-year-old daughter, who joins him at the occasional mural project or research site. Tailfeathers also engages in anti-racism work with Cultural Instigators, a local initiative that supports artists in Treaty 7 territory in confronting social issues through art and an anti-racist framework. “The projects we do together connect with my Indigenous work,” Tailfeathers says. “I try to connect with community members and provide opportunities for other artists in that realm.” Tailfeathers often helps negotiate viewpoints that don’t always align between Indigenous approaches and Western organizations. While difficult, it’s also deeply rewarding, affording him chances to foster cross-cultural communication while continuing his own path of learning. —K.B.

Brodie Thomas

Age 39

Founder, Uncommon Cider Co.

“WE’RE HERE TO TEACH P E O P L E A B O U T C I D E R I N A WAY TH AT ’S NOT PR ETENTIOUS. I’V E HEARD M AN Y PEOPLE SAY THEY DON’T LIKE CIDER, BUT

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E HA S T R A N S F ORME D BOT H L IQ U OR L AWS A N D LOCA L DRI NK I NG CULTUR E W I T H HI S PA SSI ON FOR C R E ATI N G T HE P E RFE CT C I DE R .

hen Brodie Thomas moved back to Calgary in 2009 after several years living in the U.K., he was disappointed by the cider selection in the bars and liquor stores. Mass-market ciders didn’t have the same nuance and flavour as his favourite European ciders. Local craft ciders, on the other hand, were non-existent. He realized this was partly because

Alberta has no real orchards and AGLC regulations didn’t allow for urban cideries. Thomas started producing test batches of cider as a hobby for a few years. But, seduced by the craft of cider-making and the challenge of pioneering a new local industry, in 2016, he started producing cider commercially under the Uncommon banner. “In the first year, we made 3,200 litres,” he says. He hasn’t looked back since. Thomas addressed Alberta’s lack of orchards by creating a “community” cider made with excess apples (crab and otherwise) donated from backyard trees throughout the city. His bigger challenge came in revolutionizing provincial liquor laws: no cideries in Alberta meant no existing rules, forcing Thomas to help the authorities write up

regulations from scratch, eventually getting what he needed to make a small-batch product made from fruit acquired from both those backyard trees and orchard fruit brought in from B.C. This opened the door not only for Uncommon’s own growth, but also for more than a half dozen other cideries to open in Alberta. As for Uncommon, Thomas now presses over 180,000 kilograms of fruit a year, producing both easy-drinking cans of cider and more elegant wine-like bottles, as well as the communitysourced ciders, which have raised $14,000 for local not-for-profit organizations over the years. “We’re really trying to make an impact in the world of cider,” Thomas says. “Not just for the industry, but also within the community of Calgary.” —E.C.B. november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y S T E V E C O L L I N S ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

THEY LIK E OURS.”

Benjamin Tutolo

Age 35

Associate Professor, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary

W H Y H E’S A TOP 40 H E’S T HE FI RST UCA LG A RY R ES E A RC H ER TO BE PA RT OF NA SA’S M A R S SC I ENC E L A BORATORY C UR I OS I T Y ROVE R T E A M.

P H O T O B Y J O H N C O O P E R ; L O C AT I O N , C A M B R I D G E , U . K .

e’s not an astronaut, but Benjamin Tutolo’s work still reaches across time and space. As a geochemist, Tutolo traces the history of life-supporting environments across the solar system to design ways to maintain Earth’s habitability. He researches everything from oceans and lakes (he’s currently chairing the Ocean Networks Canada Ocean Observatory Council) to minerals on Earth, as well as craters on Mars. In April, 2022, Tutolo was selected to join NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover team on the Gale Crater. His proposal, to apply rules regarding Earth’s geochemical transformations to data being collected from Mars, is what garnered his spot in the internationally competitive intake process. His research has led to internationally adopted advancements and innovations in the study of planet Earth. Tutolo’s work as a key investigator for the Solid Carbon project, and his study of clay and weathering reactions on Mars with NASA, has fundamentally changed scientists’ understanding of how fast geochemical reactions occur. This has resulted in unique lab techniques that make it possible to design timely carbon dioxide removal strategies to mitigate global warming on Earth. Tutolo stays grounded by weighing prestigious awards, such as the Mineralogical Society of America Award he won in 2022, equally as important as sharing scientific knowledge with young children through the Skype a Scientist program, which he has been involved in for three years (and counting). And he particularly likes the idea of geoscience being a “historical science.” “It’s like storytelling about the world around you,” he says. “The Earth has so many moving parts that you actually need a very big imagination in order to describe it.” —T.A.

avenuecalgary.com

“[A S A GEOSCIENTIST] YOU’RE S T U DY I N G T H E WAY T H I N GS A L R E A DY WORK IN ORDER TO BUILD SOMETHING T H A T B U I L D S U P O N T H A T. ”

Andrea Urquhart

Age 39

Lawyer and Partner, Roulston Urquhart Criminal Defence

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 A PA RTN E R I N CA LG A RY ’S BI G G EST AL L- F E M A LE DE F EN C E L AW FI RM, SH E ARG UES TO UG H H E A DL I NE - MA K I NG CA S ES W HI LE P ROMOT I NG L E G A L R E P R ES E N TATI ON FOR A L L .

“PEOPLE’S STORIES, AND THE THINGS TH AT H APPEN INSIDE A COURT ROOM, AR E

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

partner in Roulston Urquhart Criminal Defence firm, the biggest all-female defence law firm in Calgary and one of the premier criminal law boutiques in Alberta, Andrea Urquhart has served as counsel on some of the most highprofile criminal cases of the last decade. “I work with so many talented women barristers,” she says. “We’re fierce advocates.” Urquhart is the first to tell you that some of her biggest life lessons occurred pre-law school, during her brief stint as a welfare income support worker, with a clientele that included addicts and those involved in sex work. “My eyes were opened to people living that life,” she says. “I’ve always been able to have conversations with people who haven’t lived the same life as me.” Prior to making the Dean’s List upon graduation from the University of Calgary’s law school, Urquart volunteered with Student Legal Assistance, a non-profit organization whose objective is to provide access to legal assistance for those who would otherwise not qualify. In 2010, she received the Provincial Court Judges Award for her work there. In recent years, she has gained national prominence for cases such as one in which she argued successfully for a client whose Charter rights were infringed. She continually strives to educate others on the importance of legal representation for all — something she believes is vital to living in a democracy. “My role is critical in holding the state accountable,” she says. “And I can play a big role in getting people the help they need.” Though she spends her days in the courtroom, Urquhart is just as proud of her accomplishments as a parent as she is of her work as a tough litigator. “Despite the demands of my work, I’m always there for my kids,” she says. —V.F.

W H AT DR I V ES ME.”

november/december 2023

AS A TOP 40 ALUM, ELLEN PARKER continues to elevate local and national brands through PARKER PR and PARKER Media’s thoughtful public relations strategies and skilled team.

CONNECT THE THOUGHTS RedPoint Media connects communities and engages audiences through trusted storytelling. Your passion inspires ours. Talk to us today to take your message further.

Passionate about building community and inspiring the next generation of thought leaders, Ellen volunteers on a number of boards and is a guest lecturer for the PR program at Mount Royal University. Ellen is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for volunteerism and a recipient of the Mayors’ Excellence Award. Ellen Parker’s business was founded in November 2015 and modelled after a PR firm she worked for in New York City. She strives to lead her team and PR work based on the principles of don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements and her dream continues to be to create a platform that generates awareness for businesses and people doing good work in the community. Ellen has fostered a deep love for music, art, fashion and helping others. She is a connector of people and passionate about dreaming big and helping others do the same. More than anything else, Ellen enjoys spending time with her geologist husband Erik Parker and their two amazing boys, Oliver and Henry. You will see them at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, visiting art galleries like Masters Gallery and Contemporary Calgary, hiking, playing hockey, eating sushi and steak at Modern Steak and traveling.

redpointmedia.ca avenuecalgary.com

Ashley Wanamaker

Age 37

Founder and Psychologist, Being Human Club

W H Y S H E ’S A TOP 40 H E R F E M I N I ST, TR AUMA- I NFORME D A P P ROAC H TO TH E RA P Y H E L PS T H OS E W HO A R E UNDE RSE RVE D BY T R A DI TI O N A L PSYC H OLOGY.

“ I T F E E L S R E A L LY I M P O R T A N T F O R C A LGA RY T O H AV E A N I N T E R S E C T I O N A L , F E M I N I S T, T R A U M A - I N F O R M E D S PA C E . ”

november/december 2023

P H O T O B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; L O C AT I O N , E A U C L A I R E T O W E R

eing human can be messy and imperfect, but it’s something Ashley Wanamaker welcomes at her Being Human Club psychology practice. Wanamaker founded Being Human Club in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many were struggling with mental health and seeking support. The first feminist and trauma-informed mental-health space of its kind in Calgary, Being Human Club focuses on inclusivity, and providing space and understanding for complex trauma that traditional practices within psychology may not address. A registered psychologist, Wanamaker focuses on areas of anxiety, depression, grief and eating disorders. She is one of the few psychologists in Calgary treating eating disorders, which have one of the highest mortality rates for mental illnesses. With Being Human Club, Wanamaker isn’t just providing mental-health services, she’s also aiming to create a safe space that destigmatizes the act of seeking support and helps create a view of therapy as a “collective act of maintaining overall health and well-being.” The clinic sells merchandise to fund therapy for those who can’t afford services, and participates in ongoing antiracism work with Inclusive Canada. It also collects donations for Walls Down Collective Calgary, a grassroots organization that addresses hunger and social issues on the ground level. Wanamaker has also expanded her psychology practice into the social-media realm, sharing mental health information and resources with her more than 50,000 followers on TikTok. It’s something she’s somewhat self-deprecating about, but shows that her intersectional, feminist, traumainformed approach resonates beyond what she’s doing at the clinic in downtown Calgary. “I’ve gotten comfortable being uncomfortable, and Being Human Club wouldn’t be the same without that,” she says. —D.C.

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Steven Yip

Age 39

Medical Oncologist, Tom Baker Cancer Centre; Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary

W H Y H E ’S A TOP 40 H E L E A DS I N N OVAT IVE P E RSONA L I ZE D CAR E P ROG R A M S F O R A L BE RTA NS WI T H CAN C ER , W HI LE E N S URI NG E QUI TA BL E ACC ESS TO TH ES E I NNOVAT I ONS .

P H O T O B Y S T E V E C O L L I N S ; L O C AT I O N , C E N T E N N I A L P L A C E

s a teenager, Steven Yip saw how his mother, a nurse, cared for his grandparents as they were dying from cancer. She brought them comfort in the darkest moments. He knew then, he wanted to follow in her footsteps. Today, Yip is a medical oncologist working to improve access to cutting-edge, molecular testing for cancer in Alberta. He leads a program called POET (Precision Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics), which has connected more than 1,000 patients with advanced cancers to molecular testing to learn more about their disease. Through POET, Yip has expanded genetic testing to more patients and their families, and brought an innovative prostate cancer imaging program (PSMA PET/CT) to Alberta. Those test results help identify the best treatment plan for each patient. “I’m not directly seeing every patient, but I can improve access to testing and help guide clinicians who are going to be treating those patients,” he says. Yip is driven to improve care for Indigenous communities and people residing in rural areas. In 2019, he helped create the first telehealth cancer clinic in Alberta for patients who live far from a cancer centre. During the pandemic, these telehealth resources became more readily available to all cancer patients. Today, he is co-chair of the Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative, helping accelerate research ideas from the laboratory to the clinic for patients facing prostate cancer. When he’s not at work, he’s often on his bike — for fun, or training for the next Enbridge Tour Alberta For Cancer. And he expects exciting things ahead with the opening of the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre — an important step on the way to making precision oncology available to all patients with advanced cancer. One day, he hopes, “it will be accepted as the standard of care for everybody.” —C.F.

“OUR TEAM IN CALGARY SERV ES AS A GR E AT BE ACON OF HOPE. W E’R E AT A W O R L D - C L A S S L E V E L , E S P E C I A L LY I N P R E C I S I O N O N C O L O G Y. ”

november/december 2023

25 Incredible Years • 1,000 Amazing Calgarians • 1 Great Night

top40 under40 2023

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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S H E L L E Y A R N U SCH Avenue’s Editor in Chief has more than two decades of experience working in magazines and 13 years of experience working on Top 40 Under 40 projects. Prior to Avenue, she held editorial roles at the Calgary Herald’s Swerve magazine and at Pique Newsmagazine in Whistler, B.C. She has won numerous awards from the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association and the International Regional Media Association for her work as an editor, and a National Magazine Award for her writing.

DON COU LT E R Don Coulter has been a leader in the financial services industry for more than 25 years. As CEO for connectFirst Credit Union, he believes in harnessing the power of cooperative banking to build sustainable economies, while driving positive social and environmental value for members. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, NYU, and the University of Toronto; a Chartered Public Accountant and an accredited director by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

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ZAHRA GOODARZI Dr. Zahra Goodarzi (Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2021) is an Associate Professor in the Section of Geriatrics within the Department of Medicine and Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. She is Deputy Division Head for geriatric medicine and Program Director for Leaders in Medicine. Her research is focused on improving the care for older adults across the spectrum of clinical care.

40 MAHOGANY MANOR SE MAHOGANY A2080435

USM A N TA HIR J U T T Usman Tahir Jutt (Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2019) is a father, philanthropist and entrepreneur. As CEO of Calgary-based Chirp Foods, he owns and operates more than a dozen McDonald’s restaurants in Calgary and surrounding communities and is one of the largest employers of young people in Southern Alberta. His most recent project is serving as chairman of the Calgary Surge professional basketball team. He was named Calgarian of the Year by the City of Calgary in 2023.

A R N U S C H P H O T O B Y H E AT H E R S A I T Z ; L E M O N A N D S I N C L A I R P H O T O S B Y J A R E D S Y C H ; A L L OT H E R P H OTOS CO U RT ESY O F J U D G ES

Judges

T H E TOP 40 UN D E R 40 P ROJECT WO U L D N OT B E I N S I GH T A N D E XP ERT I S E TO H E LP U S DE T E R M I N E

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4 BEDROOMS | 4.5 BATHROOMS 2,289 SQFT

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november/december 2023

P OSSIBLE WITHOUT T HE JUD GES WH O VOLUN T EE R ED T H EI R T I M E A N D P ROV I D ED T H E I R T H IS Y E A R’S CL ASS . OUR HE ART FELT T H A N K S TO T H E M !

KÄ T H E L E M ON Käthe Lemon is the president and coowner of RedPoint Media Group, Calgary’s largest independent, locally owned media company. RedPoint is the publisher of Avenue and The Scene, and through RPM Content Studio creates award-winning custom publications including Leap for the Alberta Cancer Foundation, SPUR for the Calgary Foundation, Create Calgary for Calgary Arts Development and others. Prior to taking on the role of president, she was the Editor of Avenue for 15 years.

ERY NN LYST E R Erynn Lyster (Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2016) is executive director of The Grand theatre, leading a talented, diverse team of arts professionals dedicated to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for artists and patrons. An entrepreneur with a background in event planning and production, design, communications and business development, she co-owns The Commons Collective Inc., one of the first coworking spaces in Calgary that has evolved into an event curation enterprise.

SARAH SI NCL AI R Sarah Sinclair (Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2021) is a member of Peguis First Nation, Treaty One, Manitoba, and was born and raised on Mohkinstis. An alumnus of UBC law school, she is the first lawyer for Sahwoo mohkaak tsi ma taas, the Indigenous justice program at Calgary Legal Guidance, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, the Human Rights Commission Indigenous Circle and the Law Society of Alberta’s Indigenous Advisory Committee.

B RE T T VA SCO NC E L LOS Brett Vasconcellos is the CTO at BIDS Trading, a subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets. BIDS runs the largest equities block trading systems in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia, trading over $60 billion per month. After earning his BS and M.Eng. degrees from MIT, Brett lived and worked in San Francisco, Whistler and the U.K. before moving to Calgary in 2009. Outside of BIDS, he advises startups in Alberta on technical leadership, product innovation and business strategy.

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The Top 40 Class of

M O R N I NG PERSON / NIGH T PERSON

PREFER SUMMER / PREFER WI NT E R

P R E FE R WO R KI N G SOLO / PREFER WORKING WITH A T E AM

T I ME / MONEY

33 DOGS / CATS 94

HO U RS

B OA RD GA MES / V IDEO GA MES

4 5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 9 AVERAGE NUMB ER OF HOURS OF SLE E P P E R NIG HT november/december 2023

2023 by the Numbers *ACCOUNTING FOR DUOS AND TRIOS, THERE ARE 45 INDIVIDUALS IN THE TOP 40 CLASS OF 2023.

ME T HOD OF T RANSPORTAT IO N TYPI CAL LY USED TO GET TO WO RK

H O UR S

2 2-3 3

4 4-5 5 5-7 6 6-8 7 7-9 8

22 5

1 4

1 3

9 10 14

1111

3 5

3 62

AV E R AG E N U MBER OF H OURS OF E X ERCISE PER WEE K

0 3 5 6 7 9 10

12 13 14 15 20 21 22

25 28 30 35 38 45 50

N U M B E R O F DAYS OF VACATION TA KEN BE T WEE N A U G 1, 2022 A ND J ULY 31, 2023 avenuecalgary.com

Introverts21Extroverts24 0

30,000 - 45,000 45,001 - 60,000

60,001 - 80,000 80,001 - 100,000

100,001 - 150,000 150,001 - 250,000

250,001 - 500,000 500,001 - 1M ANNUAL I NCOME B EFORE TA X ES 95

The Class of 2023 Would Like to Thank Susannah Alleyne “My parents and my husband; my village of loved ones and friends who root for me when I'm not looking; my community of champions and colleagues; my little nieces and nephews.” Dave Carlton “Jason Di Pietro; all the Leaf Ninjas past and present; our family, friends, colleagues; all our supporters; most of all, thank you to nature.” May Choi “My nominator, Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, my reference, Dr. Alexandra Charlton; my mentors, Dr. Marvin Fritzler, Dr. Ann Clarke, and Dr. Karen Costenbader; my research team and collaborators; my family, especially my mom, Lisa, sister, Jen, brothers, John and Wayne, brother-in-law, Bryan, parents-in-law, Sarah and Michael, husband, Chris, and my two children Sydney and Benjamin; my late father, Vincent, for inspiring me to follow in his footsteps.” Devin Cooper “My amazing family, supportive friends, dedicated fans and the incredible team that has played a pivotal role in my achievements.” Matthew Corkum “My family back home in Nova Scotia, especially my Mom and Grampy; friends across the country and the world; Rocky Mountain Adaptive; the Calgary Canucks Rugby Club; my personal trainer Lance Mocsoy; and my employer Dynasty Power.” Morgan Curley “All of the clients that hired us AND paid their invoices; my partner in business, Marc; and my partner in life, Corey.” Lauren DeDieu “My husband, Nick, and my parents, Shirley and Sheldon.” Julie Deleemans “My mentor and supervisor, Dr. Linda Carlson; my mentees and others affected by cancer; and my family, friends and rescue kitty, Calvin.” Barry Doerksen “My wife Karla and my children; God, for the blessings we receive each day.” Daniel Doerksen “My family.” Lorin Doerksen “Kim, Katie, Karla and all of our kids; our parents and extended family.” Nauzer Forbes “My wife and best friend, Elle; my three girls, Ally, Evelyn and Layla; my parents, my brother, my extended family, and my friends; my research assistants, medical learners and graduate students; my clinical colleagues and research collaborators; and my mentors, Steve Heitman, Sachin Wani, Joe Elmunzer, Raj Keswani, Grigoris Leontiadis, Frances Tse, Bob Hilsden, Gil Kaplan and Paul Moayyedi.” Aravind Ganesh “My parents, Genesh and Padmaja; my wife Malavika and her parents Varma and Veena; my dear late grandma Thankom; my leaders and motivators Drs. Lara Cooke, Andrew Demchuk, Tom Feasby, Nathalie Jette and Raj Midha; my mentors and teachers over the years including Drs. Bijoy Menon, Eric Smith, Mayank Goyal, Michael Hill and Scott Patten; my lab's amazing trainees and collaborators.” Marc Husted “Kate Husted; my parents, Rick and Karen Rimmer; my brothers Josh and Zak; Morgan Curley; our amazing clients and collaborators and all those who have selflessly shared their time and wisdom over the years.” Stephanie Hutchinson “My husband, Kodi Hutchinson; my kids, parents and extended family; my work colleagues; my many music industry mentors; my amazing team at the YYC Music Awards, and all Calgary musicians who keep pushing the boundaries of creativity; and business leader Patrick Elliott for my nomination!” Hadis Karimipour “My family, friends and colleagues; my husband, Amin, and my twin boys, who are an endless source of energy and inspiration.” Dion Kelly “My incredibly supportive friends and family; the BCI4Kids families; my dedicated colleagues, and my supervisor/co-founder/mentor, Dr. Adam Kirton.” Eli Kinney-Lang “My wife, Sara; my daughters, Cecilia and Juniper; my parents, Lisa and Rodney; my brother, Shelby and sister, Cambria; my co-nominee Dion; my colleagues and friends at Extra Life YYC and their president Todd Willsie;

2023 SAIT ALUMNI AWARDS Every year, SAIT recognizes graduates who are accomplishing great things in our community, on the national stage and around the world. Congratulations to our 2023 recipients.

Visit SAIT.ca/AlumniAwards to read more.

november/december 2023

my supervisor and mentor Dr. Adam Kirton; the whole of the BCI4Kids team; our extended partners in the BCI-CAN Network; and especially the children and families I get to work with.” Ben Klepacki “My wife, who carries the weight of our entrepreneurship; my family and friends; and my business partner Connor.” Krista Lauridsen “My supportive wife, Jade Getz; my ATB team for supporting the vision and all the work to bring it to life.” Chantelle Little “My mom, my dad and my sister for being constant cheerleaders and supporters; Brandon Nickerson, Tiller's COO, and my whole Tiller team.” Aaron Logan “My wife, Anne; our two children, Ava and Arthur; my brother Justin, mom Glenna, and dad Derek; Jim Fox for his unwavering mentorship.” Adam Martinson “My amazing wife, Emily, and my daughters, Savannah and Isabelle; my parents Carol Anne and Gary; and to all the other family and friends that I am so fortunate to have in my life!” Renee Matsalla “My co-founder, Christa Hill; my husband, Grant, my family and my friends; our community leaders, institutional partners, and collaborators; and the students who entrusted us with their career development.” Jayme Minor “Mom Jill, dad Norm, sister Lindsay, girlfriend Stacey, and business partner Adam Jones.” Husein Moloo “My wife, Catherine; my parents, Imi and Nina; my brothers Rahim and Ali; my in-laws Henry and Jane; my co-founders Pete and Amaan.” Daniel Monzon “Peter-Paul van Besouw, Andrew Wickson, Cal Leung, Scott Nolan, Brian Medeiros; my brothers, Miguel and Will; my mom, Alicia, and dad, Gustavo, and my grandparents Elmo and Alicia, and Julio and Magda; and special thanks to Lia, my fiancée, for believing in me.” Anna Murphy “My grandmother, for all she has sacrificed and the unshaken love and support she has given me; the friends and colleagues, allies and mentors; and to all who made this possible." Toyin Lafenwa Oladele “God (thank you, sweet Jesus!); my parents; my family in Calgary; The ICAI team and board; and The City of Calgary Public Art Team.” Maxim Olshevsky “Calgary, the city I call home, for all it has to offer, and those that have played a part, your significance is undeniable (you know who you are).” David Oulton “My mom, Lisa, and my friend and mentor, Larry Pressman.” Kathryn Pearce “Tanner Hamilton, Karla Pearce, Njoroge Ngure, Jennifer Jacoby, Victoria Hedin, Rachel Banting, Hawley Beaugrand, Ivan Ostapenko, Sonny Thaker, Justin White, Tarry Van As, Kyle Hinton, Kevin Jesuino, Joseph Bogda, Amanda Chan, Wooju Hong, Kuni Kawashima, Jackie Huskisson, Larisa Schuler, Ali McMillan, Jess Huffman, Joyce Tang, Michael Magnan, Emma Justine McCaul, Jane and Kay Linley, the Hamiltons, the artists who worked with Maud, my friends, teachers and family!” Jacqueline Peterson “Lena, Bernice, Kyle and all those that followed.” Andrew Renaux “My parents, my old friends and my Ninjas!” Steven Ross “My wife, Nicole, and my kids, Nellie and Everett; my parents; my staff and co-workers; Clement Lanthier and Bob Demulder, who have mentored me; and the thousands of amazing donors and funders.” Julie Rubin “Brian and my boys.” Ishita Singla “My mentors — parents, teachers, friends — for guiding me; the universe for opportunities, and the skeptics and challengers who pushed me to exceed my limits.” Chaz Smith “Everyone who has extended a helping hand to give me the opportunities I have been given; those who nominated me and those who have supported the work we do at BeTheChangeYYC; the volunteers and workers at BetheChangeYYC.” Cassie Suche “My family, for never letting me take it all too seriously.” Jared Darcy Tailfeathers “My peers who nominated me; my wife, kids, family, friends, colleagues and cultural leaders.” Brodie Thomas “My team at Uncommon Cider; my friends and family.” Benjamin Tutolo “Family, friends, mentors, students, postdocs and collaborators.” Andrea Urquhart “My parents, Ian and Theresa Urquhart; my husband David Vonesch; my sister Kali Urquhart; my boys, Benjamin and Oliver; The Hon. Judge Allan Fradsham; Tonii Roulston; my friends, family and coworkers who I can count on for always being in my corner.” Ashley Wanamaker “My husband, Brendon Rathbone; my incredible colleagues, co-founders, and friends Megan Kontrimas and Carrie Le; Lis Saxton; Greg Halpin; Graham Mehain.” Steven Yip “My family, particularly Lara Yeung; friends, patients, colleagues, and mentors, notably Dr. Danny Heng; and the donors, Alberta Cancer Foundation, AGAT Charity, Arthur J.E. Child Foundation, POET and APCaRI.”

2023 Distinguished Alumna

2023 International Impact Alumnus

JANICE KRISSA-MOORE

ROGER HADDAD

Business Administration 1998

Automotive Service Technician 2007

Co-founder, Free Store for Ukrainian Newcomers Senior VP Fund Development, Junior Achievement, Northern Alberta and NWT

Test Engineer, Red Bull Powertrains

2023 Outstanding Young Alumna

2023 Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence

DANIELLE MURRISON Architectural Technologies 2017

CINDY HUMPHRIES Medical Radiologic Technology 2005

Director of Construction, CRAFT Beer Market

Educational Laboratory Technologist, SAIT

2023 Outstanding Young Alumnus

TEJESHWAR GREWAL Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering 2018 Vice President of Innovation, Qube Technologies

avenuecalgary.com

2023 holiday gift guide

ARTS COMMONS PRESENTS See their face light up over and over. Give the gift of live music, circus, speakers (and more!) at Arts Commons. acpresents.ca

GOLDEN AGE 50 YEAR TAWNY

To Find a Retailer Visit: LIQUORCONNECT.COM/872295

TAYLOR FLADGATE Blended from rare wood-aged ports matured for five decades in oak casks, Taylor’s Golden Age is a special collector’s edition port.

BARRINGTON GRIFFITHS WATCH COMPANY Fine, hand-crafted watches, designed and made in Calgary.

www.liquorconnect.com/872295

bgwatch.com

MARKET SPOT YYC Shop gorgeous, one-of-a-kind local items for everyone on your gift list at Marketspot! Find us at Market Mall and CORE Shopping Centre. Contact: 403-545-0320. www.marketspot.ca

CODY & SIOUX Free. Bold. Wild. Find your style at Calgary’s coolest Modern West boutique. Ladies, Men’s, Home Decor, Pendleton. Shop at Inglewood or Cochrane or online.

MONOGRAM COFFEE Try Figgy Pudding - a limited-edition holiday blend with notes of spiced fruit, peach and vanilla. It’s the perfect cosy cup! Shop online or in cafe.

CARRIAGE HOUSE HOTEL Give the gift of a relaxing staycation. Yearround, outdoor heated pool; Seasonal guest room packages; Gift certificates available. 9030 Macleod Trial S | Calgary, AB T2H 0M4 |

codyandsioux.com @codyandsioux

www.monogramcoffee.com @monogramco

Carriagehouse.net

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

november/december 2023

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ONE YELLOW RABBIT’S HIGH PERFORMANCE RODEO Beat the January blues with tickets and gift cards to the 38th #HPRodeo! Give the gift of experience and local theatre this year. oyr.org

WILLOW PARK WINES & SPIRITS Count on the Trusted Experts for all your gifting needs! Call us today at 403-296-1640. willowparkwines.com

EAU CLAIRE DISTILLERY Unwrap the magic of the holiday season with our 12 Days of Whisky Calendar. Each day brings a new whisky surprise, including some never-before-released gems. eauclairedistillery.ca avenuecalgary.com

LEIGHTON ART CENTRE Find truly unique gifts created by 100+ talented Alberta artists, in person at Leighton Art Centre and at shop.leightoncentre.org! leightoncentre.org/event/festivefoothills-art-sale/

STUMPCRAFT PUZZLES Elevate your gift-giving this holiday season with a meditative, collaborative and soul-satisfying jigsaw puzzling experience. Made in Calgary with love. stumpcraft.com

CALGARY DROP-IN CENTRE Sponsor a meal for 750+ Calgarians who will be sheltering at the DI over the holidays. Donate today at http://calgarydropin.ca/Avenue calgarydropin.ca/meals

FAIRMONT PALLISER There is no better gift to give others than the gift of experiences. Surprise someone special with a Fairmont Gift Card. 133-9th Avenue SW | Calgary | 403.262.1234 www.fairmont.com/palliser

THE HONEY MERCHANTS Our diverse selection of naturally flavoured local honey will make a perfect gift for anyone this holiday season. TheHoneyMerchants.com hello@thehoneymerchants.com

TELUS SPARK SCIENCE CENTRE The perfect gift for that science lover in your life! Chemistry Tumbler & Straw $44.99 The Spark Store 220 St. George’s Drive NE, Calgary Sparkscience.ca 99

ADVERTISING FEATURE

EVOLVING YOUR BUSINESS TO MATCH YOUR PERSONAL VISION

TOP 40 UNDER 40 ALUMNI:

DESIRÉE BOMBENON

TWENTY YEARS AGO, DESIRÉE BOMBENON WAS NAMED A TOP 40 UNDER 40. TODAY, SHE CONTINUES TO GIVE BACK TO AND EMPOWER HER COMMUNITY.

Bombenon grew PDL Contact Centres from a telecommunications company to a full business process optimization and digital workflow company. While PDL was successful, Bombenon felt its culture and values weren’t aligned with her own. As her personal focus and vision shifted towards the positive impacts she could have through her success, she wanted her company to share those same values. “I would like to advocate that we all have an obligation to do better, meaning share our knowledge and mentor others, and support our community because a strong community can in turn contribute back and support a strong economy,” she says. Eventually, PDL evolved into its present form — SureCall provides global business optimization solutions to small and mid-sized enterprises as well as large corporations. Alongside its new name, the company also has a new, fully aligned vision. “Our company vision now looks at how we can empower our partners and transform the world,” says Bombenon. SureCall developed its Good Call Program in 2016 to turn that vision into a reality. The program uses two per cent of its top-line revenue and donates the funds to various local, national and international charity initiatives and projects. Bombenon also developed the Hero Girls program in 2018, which educates and empowers women aged eight to 21 in developing nations worldwide. The program’s goal is to empower women in their entrepreneurial endeavours, which in turn brings prosperity to the community and has an ongoing ripple effect. Within the first three years of the program, it helped over 500 girls by providing scholarships, family funding, educational resources and necessary materials. Bombenon has also expanded the program into Sri Lanka to tackle human trafficking.

To learn more about SureCall, visit surecallcc.com.

What drove Desirée Bombenon 20 years ago is different from what drives her today, but one thing remains the same: her desire to help others grow. When Bombenon first became a Top 40 Under 40 as a young entrepreneur, her focus was on building a successful business and career while empowering others within her organization. Now, her vision has gotten much broader. “Today, I think a lot more about my impact and how it can contribute to my community and the world,” says Bombenon. 10 0

“Using your business as a force for good, doesn’t mean giving up profits,” says Bombenon. “In fact, the more good you do, the more people want to be part of it, and the more companies align with you.” Looking forward to the next 20 years, Bombenon wants to continue being a “contributor,” adding that while her projects may change moving forward, her mindset of helping others will stay the same. “As a Top 40, people believe in you and what you stand for; that is why you were nominated so make sure you remember that when it comes time to contribute and make a difference. People will remember the difference you made, not the product you sold.” November/december 2023

P H OTO G R A P H BY P H I L C R O Z I E R

DO WELL BY DOING GOOD

BY E L I ZA B E T H C H O R N E Y- B O OT H A N D J E N N I F E R H A M I LTO N I L LU ST R AT I O N S BY P E T E RYA N

E mb rac ing the la zy host lifest yle means maximizing fun while minimizi n g s t re ss . By o u t so urcing the co o king and coc k tail- making , you get more time to e n j oy t h e p a r t y a nd c reate ha ssle -f re e memories. The last thing your guests w il l re m e m b e r i s w h e t h er yo ur dishe s a nd g lasses al l matc hed or if you assembled the ch a rcu te ri e b o a rd yo ur se lf. W hat they ’l l remember (if they remember any thing!) is t h at a great tim e was had by al l, inc luding the host . avenuecalgary.com

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Step into History Heritage Park offers endless venue possibilities, where historic charm meets modern convenience. From corporate conferences to team-building events to holiday and family celebrations, our versatile venues and exceptional cuisine, from casual to gourmet, are tailored to your every need.

Holiday dates are filling up fast. Host your event at Calgary’s HISTORIC venue. Contact our sales team today or visit us online at heritagepark.ca/venues sales@heritagepark.ca 403.268.8526

$100 OFF YOUR NEXT HISTORIC VENUE RENTAL Mention this coupon at the time of booking. Venue rental must be booked with food catering package. Valid for new bookings only. Based on availability. Cannot becombined with any other offer. No cash value. EXPIRES DEC. 31, 2023.

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November/december 2023

OU T S OU R C E T H E C O O K ING

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F C O S TA V I D A

W hy co o k whe n yo u can get someone else to put together your p a r t y spread fo r yo u? T he se local options wil l perk up any buffet tab le .

LINA’S ITALIAN MARKET This much-loved Italian grocery store and deli has upped its game in recent years, expanding into Windsor Park, Inglewood and a “Supermercato” location at 130 Avenue S.E. Lina’s does offer full catering options with pizza, deli trays and paninis, but not much beats grabbing a tray of lasagna and warming it in the oven before guests start to arrive. Multiple locations, linasmarket.com

COSTA VIDA This casual chain restaurant is a go-to for festive Mexican feasts that bring flavour and fun to any kind of party. The Top-Shelf taco bar setup comes with a choice of protein (get the sweet pork!), tortillas, beans, rice and other taco fixin’s. Bulk things up by opting for a burrito bar or go leaner with a taco salad option. Gluten-free tortillas are available. Multiple locations, costavida.com

CEDAR’S DELI It’s not a party without dip! This Mediterranean mainstay can hook hosts up with trios of hummus, tzatziki and baba ganoush, served with pita chips, as well as trays stacked with stuffed vine leaves, spinach phyllo and falafel balls. Don’t forget to grab some baklava for dessert. Multiple locations, cedarsdeli.com

EMPIRE PROVISIONS Locally owned Empire is best-known for its house charcuterie, which is definitely a worthy addition to any function, but it also offers a full array of seasonal holiday-appropriate bites and entrees to wow food-focused guests. 8409 Elbow Dr. S.W., 403-244-0570, empireprovisions.com

avenuecalgary.com

DEVOUR CATERING For an elegant holiday party, a professional caterer offers an extra level of luxury. Devour does full-fledged catering, but also offers serve-it-yourself deliveries, including full family-style dinners and special-occasion party boxes. 538 42 Ave. S.W., 403-242-0046, devourcatering.com BRIE AND BANQUET Blowing up the concept of the typical charcuterie board, Brie and Banquet’s grazing boards and tables are true works of art. Filled with high-end cheeses and meats, pickles, jams, fruit and the prettiest garnishes, these trays are designed to impress. –E.C.B. 524 42 Ave. S.E., 403-874-7006, brieandbanquet.com

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CONCENTRATES AND READY-TO-POUR COCKTAILS For just a touch of razzle-dazzle, invest in bottles of premixed cocktails or cocktail syrups for a shaken (or stirred) experience requiring very few mixology skills. Many of the local distilleries like Eau Claire, Bridgeland, Confluence and Burwood offer variations of manhattans, negronis, espresso martinis and the bee’s knees that come alive with a quick shake over ice. Locally produced concentrates like Mighty Pine Mixers (available in flavours like peach cobbler and blueberry basil) and Porter’s Tonic can easily be mixed up with any guest’s regular or zero-proof spirit of choice. –E.C.B.

PACK SOME PUNCH Invest in a vintage punch bowl, dump in a bottle of ginger ale and some frozen juices or pink lemonade, add your choice of gin, rum or Champagne, and you’ve got yourself a very easy pre-mixed cocktail, sized to serve a crowd. It’s a good idea to offer a boozy option as well as a non-alcoholic punch for kids and non-drinkers — just be sure to label each carefully to avoid unfortunate misunderstandings. –E.C.B.

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November/december 2023

DRINKEASY

GO AHEAD, CALL THAT CATERER

Tr u ly la z y h osts ca n stick to be e r/wine/pop par ties, but yo u ca n ra i se the b a r eve r so slig htly w ith a selec tion of f uss -fre e co ck ta ils. Fo rge t ho use -made syrups or multiple k i n d s o f b i t te r s — the se so lutio n s look and taste muc h m o re labo ur inte nsive tha n they ac tual ly are.

READY-TO-DRINK CANNED COCKTAILS the Cuba Libre from Romero Distilling, along with non-alcoholic options like Confluence Distilling’s zero-proof gin and tonic, and the sparkling alcoholfree botanical negroni from Wild Folk. Throw everything in a bucket of ice and invite guests to serve themselves throughout the night. –E.C.B.

P H OTO BY J A R E D SYC H

While most mass-produced canned cocktails taste awful, a growing number of local distilleries are making delicious ready-to-drink beverages with natural flavours and top-notch spirits. Collect a selection of faves like the Cherry Gin Collins from Eau Claire Distillery, the Gin-arita from Last Best and

avenuecalgary.com

or those of us used to sweating over labour-intensive do-ityourself parties, hiring a professional caterer can feel extreme. The word “caterer” evokes images of heavy candle-heated chafing dishes or jacket-clad waiters passing fussy canapés, which seems excessive for a house party. But catering options have evolved over the years and outsourcing the cooking (and, depending what route you go, serving and dish washing) can be a game-changer. There are levels when it comes to catering, and it’s important to choose something you feel comfortable with. For a completely effortless experience, consider hiring a private chef. Well-known local chefs like Alex Edmonson, Xavier Lacaze and Jamie Harling run private chef businesses, which sees the chef coming directly into clients’ homes to cook (and often serve wine) for a dinner party. The next step down is full-service catering, where the food is not prepared in your home, but staff will heat, plate and serve everything. If having strangers poking around the kitchen is distressing, it doesn’t mean catering can’t be an option — most caterers will drop off food you can heat and plate yourself, potentially creating the illusion that you cooked everything from scratch (you’ll get no judgement from us). The biggest hurdle in crossing over to become the kind of person who hires a caterer is guilt. Are guests going to think you’re a lax host? Or a bad cook? Or an imperfect person who hasn’t mastered the art of having and doing it all? Unlikely. They will marvel at how wonderful it feels to see you laughing and raising a glass with them, rather than acting like an unpaid servant in your own home, or nodding off in a corner after spending three days of non-stop prep work. So, hire someone else to do it. It will pay off in joy, connection and memories. —E.C.B.

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TOP

forty under forty

CLASS OF 2024

NOMINATIONSOPEN

Achievement is built on mentorship.

celebrates community builders and highlights the shared future Calgarians are forging.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area Congratulates the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.

Our world is changing rapidly. In the face of new challenges – from technological advancements to socio-political shifts – tomorrow's leaders need to be agile thinkers and resilient problem solvers. The one-to-one mentorship model at BBBS lets mentors use their own experience to help young minds navigate complex situations, make informed decisions, and shape their own futures. Share your success. Consider becoming a volunteer mentor today.

bbbscalgary.ca/volunteer 10 6

Build with us. November/december 2023

P IC K A T HEME

modern house party usually means mingling over food and drinks, but wine and chitchat isn’t always enough to keep people engaged. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes declaring a theme or organizing a formal activity can actually make for easier hosting. You don’t have to mitigate any social awkwardness with guests who don’t have much to say to one another, and once the fun and games wrap up, guests will naturally start to leave, allowing for a more compact event. The sky’s the limit when it comes to themes, but here are a few ideas to get you started: PROSECCO, POPCORN, AND A MOVIE Invite as many people as can comfortably fit in your living room over for a classic movie, complemented with bubbles and salty snacks. Choose a film that everyone knows so you can socialize without missing out on the action. COOKIES! Throw an afternoon family-friendly soirée built around holiday cookies or other treats, like ice cream sundaes. Adults and kids can partake in cookie decorating or build-your-own sundae stations while enjoying a quick visit. Without any savoury food on deck, everyone will have disappeared by dinnertime, leaving you to binge-watch Netflix on the couch for the rest of the night. OLD-SCHOOL PARTY GAMES Remember those old-timey party games that mid-century etiquette columnists used to recommend to “break the ice?” Grease your party’s social wheels by introducing activities like “Who am I?” (the one where guests adhere sticky notes with the name of a celebrity on their forehead and ask others questions to help them guess the name) or placing conversation cards around the room. It’s corny, but corny equals fun! –E.C.B. avenuecalgary.com

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H O ST ING H A C K S A few local hosts with the most share t h e i r tried- and- tested tips for par t y food and de cor.

ALY VELJI Principal Designer, Alykhan Velji Designs “When it comes to holiday entertaining, my go-to is to always have fresh florals on the table, in the powder room and around the house. If I am running short on time, I sometimes will pop into a grocery store and pick up a few bunches, take them apart when I get home and then create my own arrangements to make them a little more unique and custom. Fresh florals always just add a level of sophistication to any get-together and make it look like you put some effort into the party.”

Connect with us. 10 8

JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL Writer, Cookbook Author, Radio Personality “I like to throw a cheese party. Everyone loves cheese (and there are some amazing vegan ones for the plant-based crowd) and it requires minimal effort. I put cheese boards, baked cheeses, fondue and Cheezies all over the house, arranged with accoutrements — cracker-y things, pickles and preserves — and everyone is happy. Even better: ask everyone to bring some cheese, as they will want to bring something anyway! And the best part is the cheese leftovers I have to graze on during that week between Christmas and the new year.”

KAREN KHO Co-owner Empire Provisions and Lil’ Empire Burger “One hack we have at the shop is that when we roast potatoes, we toss them in mayo (aioli if you want to be fancy) before we roast them. It makes them crispy and glossy on the outside and helps to keep them moist and flavourful. We toss them in a bright lemon-herb vinaigrette while they are hot to give them an extra boost.” – as told to E.C.B.

November/december 2023

I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y T Y L E R L E M E R M E Y E R

connects Calgarians to local businesses, organizations and events.

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dinner | cocktails | cafe | brunch

Pay it forward — buy your Avenue copy so we can continue to offer it for free.

Dishes designed to spark your imagination.

@primarycolourscafe 403-764-2607 802 49 Ave SW, Britannia Plaza

SCAN FOR MENU

Support us. 11 0

November/december 2023

B LE S S THIS MESS Wh y you s h ou ldn’t clean u p at som e on e el se’s p a r t y.

HEATITANDEAT IT P H OTO BY J A R E D SYC H

assed appetizers add elegance to a gathering, but no casual host these days has the time to wrap bacon around dates to make Devils on Horseback. Good thing there are plenty of cheap and cheerful hors d’ouevres available around the city that won’t require a full day of cooking and assembly, but are a step or two above the dreaded Costco mini-quiches or jalapeño poppers.

avenuecalgary.com

SAMOSA FACTORY SAMOSAS Samosa Factory’s samosas are locally made, halal, ultra-crispy, available in minisize and in bulk party packs. Heat and serve with their tasty tamarind chutney. Multiple locations, 403-568-1447, samosafactory.ca VILLAGE PITA BAKERY Village Pita Bakery’s flat meat and vegetable pies are a classic midday snack, but they can double as an elegant hors d’ouevre. Buy a stack and cut into thin

wedges, sprinkling some lemon juice and hot sauce over top. 255 28 St. S.E., 403-273-0330 PRESIDENT’S CHOICE PUFF PASTRY HORS D’OEUVRE COLLECTION PC may not be a local brand, but if you’re in a jam and need something to fill out your menu, you can do a lot worse than a box of frozen puff pastry bites from Superstore — a secret weapon for a stress-free party. –E.C.B. realcanadiansuperstore.ca

kay people, I know you mean well, cleaning my kitchen after a dinner party. I appreciate the gesture. But please, stop it! It’s bad enough that I’ve found my Japanese knives in the dishwasher and would-be leftovers dumped in the garbage thanks to well-meaning efforts of “helpers.” Worse is that you’ve deprived me of the joy of basking in the unruly aftermath of drinks, dinner, dancing and hilarity. I’m not being lazy. It’s just that, to me, seeing dishes and glasses strewn everywhere, resplendent with stuckon food and lipstick smears, is akin to a receiving standing ovation for a party well-hosted. That’s why it’s such a burn when people start cleaning and fussing around. Its tantamount to announcing, “Okay folks, that’s it, party’s over!” Inevitably, the party becomes disjointed, with the cleaning army attacking my china and crystal with all the care of drunken orangutans, while the rest of the folks sheepishly scatter, stuck in party purgatory. A mighty mess is a tangible reminder that a rockin’ good time was had. And when everyone has gone home, as I navigate the post-party chaos, I get to relive the party with my husband, swapping stories and impressions, while we clean up and wind down. This shared task fosters connection between us. It’s the satisfying denouement that allows for reflection and contemplation and closure as we carefully put the house back together. Don’t deprive me of this calm after the storm. And if you really must feel like you’re “helping,” feel free to check out the laundry room. I like my towels folded properly in thirds. —J.H. 111

Christmas In Inglewood

Gold, Frankincense, and so much Myrrh… BETHLEHEM

INGLEWOOD INGLEW OOD

inglewoodyyc.com

@inglewoodyyc

220 – 42 avenue s.e. | 403 287 9255 alloydining.com | @alloyrestaurant events@alloydining.com

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November/december 2023

I L L U S T R AT I O N S : E N I S A K S O Y, C O U R T E S Y i S T O C K ; C R E AT I V E - T O U C H , C O U R T E S Y i S T O C K ; V E R O N I C A C O W A N

ADVERTISING FEATURE

GIVING BACK

Whether through partnerships, non-profits, businesses or individuals doing good, philanthropic efforts collectively help build strong communities and legacies of giving. See how some non-profits and businesses in Calgary give back — and not just at the holidays — while inviting you to do the same. Giving, no matter if it’s big or small, contributes to a city that’s generous and supportive. Cheers to that. 110173

ADVERTISING FEATURE

YMCA CALGARY AND THE CALGARY FLAMES FOUNDATION GIVE BACK TO YOUTH

CELEBRATING THE CALGARY FLAMES GRADE 6 MEMBERSHIP AT YMCA CALGARY WITH ALUMNI SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE.

Since 1902, YMCA Calgary has continued its mission to empower young people and communities worldwide. One of its most impactful collaborations began in 2013 with a partnership between the YMCA and the Calgary Flames Foundation to provide free YMCA memberships to all Grade 6 students in Calgary. Initially, the Calgary Flames Foundation committed $250,000 to the program, but ten years in, it’s still going strong. In 2023, the Calgary Flames Foundation committed $1 million dollars to ensure the free membership runs for another four years. The program helps youth ignite their potential and build confidence through structured and independent play. In its first year, the program gave memberships to 2,466 youth. A decade in, and it has provided access to over 32,000 grade sixers, ensuring they have the chance to experience positive mentorship, build confidence, develop healthy habits, and enjoy fitness and sports without pressure. According to the YMCA, four out of five youth in the program wouldn’t have been able to access a membership otherwise.

the YMCA a lot more,” says Cameron. “I met so many amazing people, and the program had such a positive impact on my mental health and confidence.” Cameron regularly attended Grade 6 events and enjoyed participating in the activities offered, such as badminton and lacrosse. By the end of the year, not only had she grown in her confidence, but the experience also led her to the YMCA’s Youth Leadership Program. In the leadership program, Grade 6 alumni help plan and host activities for the current roster of grade sixers. This volunteer-based program provides young people with the opportunity to further their skills in public speaking, event planning, time management

Grade 6 alumni Cameron Norek enjoys badminton at the YMCA.

and leadership while also benefiting physically from a complimentary YMCA membership. “The impact of the YMCA has reached every part of my life” says Cameron, and she’s not alone. 79 per cent of Grade 6 members report that the program helps them become more physically active, with 43 per cent saying they continue to stay active once their 13-month membership ends. Parents report seeing a noticeable change in their children with many “coming out of their shell” and making new friends.

Cameron joined the program in 2020. While she initially signed up for the Grade 6 membership for its offerings, which includes access to all YMCA Calgary locations, weekly activities, tournaments, special events and discounts on programs, soon she couldn’t stay away. “Having the membership encouraged me to go to

Visit ymcacalgary.org/calgary-flames-grade-6-ymca-membership to learn more.

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New this year, youth who graduate from the Calgary Flames Grade 6 Membership can continue to keep active by becoming Step Up members, a new reduced-fee program created exclusively for Grade 6 alumni. The Step Up membership ensures that sport and recreation continues to be accessible to youth until they turn 18 years old. The YMCA expects another 5,200+ youth to join the Calgary Flames Grade 6 Membership this year, and, hopefully like Cameron, make the most of the experience. November/December 2023

P H OTO G R A P H S BY S A M A N T H A U H L I C H

STEP UP MEMBERSHIP GRADE 6 ALUMNI: CAMERON NOREK

Celebrating 10 years of igniting the potential in Calgary's youth. The Calgary Flames Grade 6 Membership at YMCA Calgary provides a fun and safe place for our city's youth to develop independence, friendship, resilience, and healthy choices. Sign up your grade sixer at ymcacalgary.org avenuecalgary.com

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PROVIDE A LADDER UP ON LITERACY THROUGH CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY

GIVE A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON BY SUPPORTING ENGINE 23 AND OTHER LIBRARY PROGRAMS.

A 22-tonne addition has made its way to Fish Creek Library. Engine 23, Calgary Public Library’s popular play and education fire truck, has found its new home and is set to open in early 2024. Previously located at the old Central Library, Engine 23’s flashing lights and pretend sirens have attracted thousands of children to its hands-on learning experience in the past. Having been stored away for five years, Engine 23 is ready for a comeback and Calgary Public Library Foundation is looking for heroes to help get the program up and running. With a goal of raising $100,000 for this project, the Ladder Up on Literacy fundraiser campaign is on a mission to rev up its engine and get this truck ready for duty. Engine 23 provides crucial early skill development and safety education through a fun and unique experience for children up to 12 years old. The decommissioned Calgary Fire Department pumper truck gives way to imagination and provides a learning environment outside of the ordinary classroom setting. For kids, climbing big trucks,

role-playing real-life heroes and hands-on play opportunities are ingredients to the best day ever. And with Engine 23, they’ll be learning as they play. “With rising costs of living, families don't have a lot of options for free and accessible learning supports,” says Tracy Johnson, CEO of the Library Foundation. “With donor support, Engine 23 will be a safe, welcoming and barrier-free play and learning experience for children.”

BRICK BY BRICK A strong literacy program is being built, and the Calgary community plays a large part in it. It is because of charitable individuals, community leaders and businesses who are giving back that Engine 23 will soon come back to life. And Calgarians can still help build and be a part of this legacy. Through the “Brick-Buy-Brick”

campaign, with the purchase of a vinyl brick, donors can have their name or a short message inscribed and displayed on the Engine 23 feature wall. It only adds to the excitement for littles to search for their names.

MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT And during this season of giving, there are even more ways to help the Calgary Public Library’s literacy programs. “It’s been a hard year for many Calgarians and as the holiday season approaches, many of us are looking to support our community,” says Rob Van Wielingen, board chair of the Library Foundation. “Our charitable gift guide gives the opportunity to honour a loved one by buying a gift that supports an area of the Library’s work that means the most to you and your family.” Whether you choose to sponsor programs for school-aged children or senior community members, support newcomers to Canada, help fund mental health resources or simply add a book to the shelves, your gift will make a lasting impact.

Visit engine23.ca to donate and start shopping the charitable gift guide at librarygiftguide.ca.

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:: L I T G A L A ::

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Lit Gala, Calgary Public Library Foundation’s signature fundraising event, held at Calgary’s Central Library on October 21, 2023. Your incredible support and generosity have raised significant funds for free, accessible and high-quality children’s programs, services and spaces at Calgary Public Library : : Learn more about the results at LITGALA.CA

FEATURE SPACE SPONSORS:

IN-KIND SPONSORS:

HEATHER EDWARDS

avenuecalgary.com

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enrich specialized facilities and athletic programs, your help can be transformative for future students. Planned giving also benefits you as the donor. Gain the satisfaction of contributing to your community, achieve your financial and tax goals, and leave behind a long-lasting legacy that meets your philanthropic vision.

IS THERE A MINIMUM GIFT AMOUNT REQUIRED? Your money is in your hands. The dollar amount or percentage of your financial assets you wish to give is completely up to you. You don’t have to give a big donation (unless you wish to!) as a small amount can go a long way.

WHO SHOULD CONSIDER GIVING TO MRU?

PLANNED GIVING 101

Everyone! No matter your age or your financial standing, anyone can make a tremendous philanthropic impact. A planned gift is a great way to be philanthropically proactive. As long as you have a will, there are several options for planned giving, and they’re simple and rewarding. Naming MRU as a beneficiary in your will can be easily accomplished with the help of your financial advisor or estate lawyer. Revisiting your estate to include learning institutions like MRU can open new doors to the legacy you want to leave behind. Whatever your circumstances, there is a giving option for you.

MAKE A WORTHWHILE IMPACT WITH INTENTIONAL GIVING. We all hope to leave a lasting mark on the world. One way to do that is by leaving a legacy that reflects what matters most to you. Through planned giving, you can be strategic about how and what you give and the meaningful impact it will have.

WHAT IS PLANNED GIVING?

in your estate plans: through a bequest, life insurance policies, gifts of property or securities, registered retirement savings plans and registered retirement income funds. When you create your will and include worthwhile institutions like Mount Royal University (MRU) in your planned giving, you are making a difference for decades to come.

Planned giving (sometimes referred to as estate giving or legacy giving) is a choice made today that will make a difference tomorrow. It involves different ways to give without necessarily affecting your current finances. Planned giving is an opportunity to leave behind a legacy that will reflect the things most meaningful to you. There are several ways to make a planned gift

When you plan to give, you become part of something great. Supporting MRU allows you to help shape tomorrow's leaders and play a part in helping an educational sector important to you. Whether you choose to support scholarships and bursaries, enhance existing programs such as aviation or nursing, or help

WHY IS PLANNED GIVING IMPORTANT?

To learn more about planned giving with MRU, visit mru.ca/foundation.

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November/December 2023

Planned Planned giving. giving. Your Your legacy: legacy: the the will will to to change change lives. lives. Celebrate legacy and and empower empower deserving deserving students students Celebrate your your enduring enduring legacy by including including Mount by Mount Royal Royal University University in in your your will will and and estate estate planning. planning. Your generous generous support support will will leave leave an an indelible indelible mark on the the lives lives of of Your mark on countless students to come. come. countless students for for generations generations to Discover Discover the the countless countless reasons reasons to to give give and and leave leave your your lasting lasting legacy legacy at Mount Mount Royal at Royal University. University.

mru.ca/PlannedGiving avenuecalgary.com

Foundation

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MAKING MEANINGFUL SOCIAL CHANGE

UNITED WAY OF CALGARY AND AREA AIMS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY WELL-BEING THROUGH CRITICAL PARTNERSHIPS.

United Way of Calgary and Area is improving lives through the power of communities. As a local social impact organization, United Way brings together local agencies, corporations, donors, volunteers and government to create lasting social change in Calgary. “We unify our city’s tremendous giving power, directing it towards plans, policies and programs that address big issues and create big change,” says Karen Young, president and CEO of United Way of Calgary and Area. "We provide funding and support for hard-working agencies, so that Calgarians can access support when, where and how they need it."

The need in our community is great, with the affordability crisis impacting our community's ability to meet its basic needs. Albertans have the highest food insecurity rate in the country, with more than 20 per cent of people having to choose between eating and paying bills. Economic uncertainty affects all areas of our lives — our mental health, how we relate to each other, and how we participate in our community. This year, United Way is launching one of its most ambitious campaigns ever — one that focuses on the complex and interconnected issues of socio-economic well-being, mental health, healthy relationships and social inclusion. It is partnering with individuals and more than 650 workplaces to focus this work through the Community Impact Fund, which allows United Way to adapt to the shortand long-term needs of the community and make meaningful change fast.

Karen Young

A better tomorrow starts with you. Learn more by visiting calgaryunitedway.org.

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P H OTOS ( L E F T ) B I L L M A R S H P H OTO G R A P H Y; ( R I G H T ) H A R D E R L E E P H OTO G R A P H Y

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November/December 2023

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ENSURING ESSENTIAL EYE HEALTH FOR ALL

FYIDOCTORS SUPPORTS PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS CANADA.

Founded in 2008 by a dynamic group of university optometry grads, FYidoctors has grown into Canada’s largest network of eye care providers with Canada’s largest ophthalmic laboratory and nearly 400 eye care clinics, including several in Calgary. Passionate about eye health and enhancing the lives of each patient, FYidoctors has several programs to continually give back across the country. Here’s a rundown of these valuable initiatives.

NATIONAL NATURAL DISASTER GLASSES REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Developed in response to wildfires impacting many Canadians, this program aims to provide essential eye care and eyewear replacements to those who have lost or damaged theirs during evacuation efforts.

BETTER SIGHT. BETTER GRADES. This program provides complimentary eye exams and glasses to underprivileged children to set kids up for success with better eyesight.

ENHANCING LIFE MONTH An annual initiative celebrated by FYidoctors clinics across Canada every October. Clinics choose a charity to fundraise for through a variety of activities. This year, the goal is to collectively raise more than $500,000.

EYE ON THE CURE In partnership with Fighting Blindness Canada, this competition features eye health researchers pitching their breakthrough ideas to a panel of experts. Akin to a Dragons’ Den for optometrists, the event awards funds to winning pitches, including a contribution of $50,000 from FYidoctors.

OPTOMETRIC EDUCATION With a strong history of supporting optometric education in Canada, FYidoctors recently donated $5 million to the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science to fund construction of the Waterloo Eye Institute, a state-of-the-art facility supporting advances in vision research, optometric education and patient care.

MORE ABOUT FYIDOCTORS FYidoctors is Canada's leading diversified healthcare organization. Doctor-led, professionally managed and patient-focused, the organization concentrates on delivering outstanding eye care with patientcentric products and services. Recognized as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for four consecutive years (2020-2023), the organization employs almost 700 optometrists and more than 3,100 clinic and home office team members. Rooted in a mission to enhance life, FYidoctors supports a wide array of philanthropic causes and initiatives. Through numerous community-centric programs and the Enhancing Life Foundation, FYidoctors enhances the lives of Canadians both inside and outside its clinic doors.

Visit fyidoctors.com to learn more. avenuecalgary.com

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november/december 2023

Dining BY KAREN ASHBEE PHOTOS BY STEVE COLLINS

Wining Dining W H E T H E R I T ’S A N I C O N I C B I G R E D O R A Q U I R K Y, U N D E R-A P P R E C I AT E D VA R I E TA L , T H E S E R E STA U R A N T S A R E K N O W N F O R H AV I N G G R E AT W I N E S C U R AT E D BY K N O W L E D G E A B L E P RO S . great restaurant wine list offers both variety and depth, guiding serious oenophiles and novices alike to the perfect pour, while complementing the food to create harmony and balance. And behind every great wine list is a savvy hospitality professional who knows and loves each bottle like it was one of their own children. Here are some key spots in Calgary (plus one famous dining destination in Lake Louise) that are known for their spectacular cellars and wonderful wines. avenuecalgary.com

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ANNABELLE’S KITCHEN DOWNTOWN

eslie Echino, owner and operator of Annabelle’s Kitchen, has been passionate about wine since she got her first bartending job at age 19. For just over 12 years, Echino was the owner-operator of Blink, a fine-dining restaurant on Stephen Avenue renowned for its wine list. In 2020 she made the decision to close Blink and reconceptualize the space as a second location of Annabelle’s Kitchen, her more casual neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Marda Loop. The move to make Blink into another Annabelle’s was Echino’s way of adapting to her customers’ changing tastes. But even though the restaurant is more casual, the wine program remains top-notch. That’s not to say it’s pricey. “What makes building a list exciting is finding a selection of $45 to $50 wines, ones you can’t find in the wine stores, that are drinking incredibly well,” Echino says. At Annabelle’s Downtown, Echino has amassed a list of approximately 200 bottles with an ever-changing array of French, Spanish, Portuguese and, of course, Italian producers, given her heritage. In addition, she has a reserve room with some sophisticated rarities, such as a 2012 Joseph Phelps Backus cabernet. Echino also runs Bar Annabelle in the sliver of space next door, an intimate spot for wine and whisky sipped to the sounds of vintage vinyl on the turntable. For Echino, wine is more than just a drink: it’s a sense of time and place. “When you share a bottle, that means something,” she says. “Whether it be $70 or $500, there is not only an appeal to the senses, but an emotional attachment. Ten years later I will remember where, when and for whom I opened that bottle.”

L E S L I E E C H I N O, O W N E R /O P E R ATO R O F A N N A B E L L E ’ S K I TC H E N . B OT TO M ( L E F T ) GL ASSES FROM ADJACENT BAR ANNABELLE; ( R I G H T ) E C H I N O E X A M I N E S A B OT T L E I N H E R D O W N TO W N R E S TA U R A N T.

Annabelle’s Kitchen, 111 8 Ave. S.W., 403-263-5330; Bar Annabelle, 109A 8 Ave. S.W., 403-457-9884; annabelleskitchen.ca 12 4

november/december 2023

B R A D ROYA L E , CO R P O R AT E S O M M E L I E R F O R C O N CO R D E

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The go-to destination for all your holiday gift needs this season! From fashion to home decor, our curated selection has something for everyone!

Shop Local BARBARELLABAR/MAJORTOMBAR

ith Barbarella Bar on the ground level of the Scotia Centre and Major Tom on the 40th floor of Stephen Avenue Place, Concorde Entertainment Group has a duo of hit downtown restaurants. Barbarella courts an Amalfi coastal vibe, while Tom is a swanky steak joint. But when it comes to the wine lists, both are buoyed by the expertise and joie de vivre of Concorde’s corporate sommelier extraordinaire, Brad Royale. Ultimately Royale’s role is to design lists to provide the perfect little sip with that perfect little bite. “We have a well-trained populus of wine consumers who, thanks to changing tastes … have been drinking better bottles, trying different varietals and educating their palates,” Royale says. “They are much more open to a broader selection of wine now.” With more than 100 offerings from 12 countries, Tom’s list will change almost every two weeks, while Barbarella’s list focuses on wines avenuecalgary.com

from Italy, France and the U.S., and changes approximately once a month. Royale enjoys sourcing from smaller producers — one recent favourite being Mencia from Spanish producer Veronica Ortega — and buying up the entire allotment. “Diners at Major Tom will say, ‘This is really delicious,’ and ask where to get it,” Royale says. “My response is, ‘See you next week if you want more.’” Royale has been in the wine business for three decades now, the last three years with Concorde, and is known for his unconventional pairings and his poetically composed wine notes. “There is nothing better than a rich, delicately flavoured wagyu filet paired with a powerful full-bodied white Burgundy,” he says. “Customers shake their heads in disbelief, but when I explain why, and they try it, most will love it.” Barbarella Bar, 240 8 Ave. S.W., barbarellabar.ca; Major Tom Bar, 700 2 St. S.W., majortombar.ca

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10816 Macleod Trail South wpv.ca 1 25

TEATRO

ith approximately 13,000 bottles of wine stored in what were once the vaults of the Dominion Bank, built in 1911, Teatro’s is the undisputed Grande Dame of Calgary cellars. “I am quite confident that we are the largest restaurant wine cellar in Calgary,” says director of beverage and operations Taylor Simpson, who came on board in 2018. Bordeaux represents the cornerstone of the cellar, the oldest being a Mouton Rothschild from 1993, the year the restaurant opened. (As for the oldest bottle in the cellar right now? That would be a 1964 Riojas.) Wines from Italy are a close second, with approximately 200 labels, followed by the U.S., Germany and Spain. Prices range from $40 to $10,000 a bottle. Along with the main cellar, there’s also a secondary room — a.k.a. “the deep cellar” — filled with abundant cases and magnum bottles, and a separate white wine refrigerator. Naturally, there has to be a system in place to navigate such an extensive selection. Wines are arranged by country, then by region within the country and finally alphabetically within the region. “The wine list mirrors that exact arrangement,” confirms Simpson. “You can literally follow along.” Once upon a time, most of Teatro’s clients preferred big structured reds like the Napa cabs, but Simpson says he has noticed a paradigm shift in the last five years. “Those much-loved wines will always be on our list,” he says. “But in order to stay relevant, I have to source exciting new choices that our customers love and are comfortable paying for.” Simpson describes Teatro’s wine cellar as being like the rings on a tree. “Every sommelier has their favourite style of wine, and you can see their influences by what they bought during their tenure,” he says. “We all have our favourites and the cellar speaks volumes to that.”

T E AT R O ’ S TAY LO R S I M P S O N I N T H E R E S TA U R A N T ’ S FA M O U S C E L L A R I N T H E VA U LT O F T H E F O R M E R D O M I N I O N B A N K . ( B OT TO M ) S I M P S O N TA S T E S A ’ 93 M O U TO N R OT H S C H I L D.

200 8 Ave. S.E., 403-290-1012, teatro.ca 12 6

november/december 2023

SOMMELIER BRUCE SOLEY O N T H E PAT I O A N D P O U R I N G

‘ Tis the season at

AT T H E B A R AT R I V E R C A F É I N P R I N C E ’ S I S L A N D PA R K .

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The go-to destination for all your holiday gift needs this season! From fashion to home decor, our curated selection has something for everyone!

RIVERCAFÉ

algary’s much-loved River Café has been championing local producers since it opened in 1995, long before “local” was even a movement. As cellar manager and sommelier Bruce Soley tells it, the restaurant has been buying Canadian wines, like B.C.’s Blue Mountain, since day one. “Because our cuisine focuses on the Pacific Northwest, it made sense to showcase wines from Washington, Oregon, California and, of course, B.C.,” Solely says. “They pair well with our food.” During his 24 years at River Café, Solely has committed to having depth and variety of wines, maintaining consistently attractive markups and never buying anything that doesn’t sell. With avenuecalgary.com

the wine, as with the food, understanding the local market and where clients’ comfort level lies is key. “We have not leaned into the wine of the day,” says Soley. “During the whole malbec trend seven years ago, we only carried two.” Ultimately, the wines at River Café add to the somewhat surreal experience of stepping into another world, one that is removed from the city, while, at the same time, right in the middle of the city. Says owner Sal Howell: “What’s on the menu, and what we pour in a glass, all fits into the bigger picture of what it feels like to be here.” Prince’s Island Park, 403-261-7670, river-cafe.com

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VINTAGE GROUP

ormer actor Dean Norris joined the Calgary-based Vintage Group of restaurants as a server in 2009. He became the wine director two years later and, by 2014, was promoted into his current role of corporate beverage director. “The job chose me,” says Norris. “It just organically happened.” With restaurants such as Vintage Chophouse & Tavern, Luca and Chairman’s Steakhouse under his purview, Norris is one of the top restaurant wine buyers in the city, purchasing around 120,000 bottles and 10,000 cases annually. “Luca’s list is predominantly focused on Italian, while Chairman’s and Vintage Chophouse are more into California cabernets, Barolo, Super Tuscans and Bordeaux,” he says. If you’re feeling flush, there’s a bottle of California’s famed 2010 Screaming Eagle for $8,000 on the Chairman’s list. (Earlier this year, they sold a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem 1928 for $9,800.) But with prices increasing exponentially and sophisticated consumers seeking alternatives to big, bold, expensive reds, Norris has been exploring other, more affordable options. “You have to be more on top of your game now; the wine world used to be more elitist, but not anymore,” he says. Overseeing a total of 14 beverage programs, it seems unlikely that Norris, who is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and the International Sommelier Guild, would have time to work the floor, but he does — at least three times a week. “I love the theatre of [restaurant service] and I’m really approachable,” Norris says. “Being from Newfoundland, I think it’s my East Coast hospitality.”

V I N TA G E G R O U P C O R P O R AT E B E V E R A G E D I R E C TO R D E A N N O R R I S . ( B OT TO M ) I N T E R I O R O F L U C A , V I N TA G E G R O U P ’ S U P S C A L E I TA L I A N R E S TA U R A N T O N 1 0 T H AV E N U E S .W.

Luca, 524 10 Ave. S.W., 403-261-1777, lucayyc.com; Vintage Chophouse & Tavern, 320 11 Ave. S.W., 403-262-7262, vintagechophouse.com; Chairman’s Steakhouse, 2251 Mahogany Blvd. S.E., 587-291-9898, chairmans.ca 12 8

november/december 2023

HEAD SOMMELIER JULIAN SIMARDG I L L I S I N T H E L E G E N D A RY P O S T H OT E L O F T H E P O S T ’ S O L D E S T B OT T L E S , A ’59 DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES

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THEPOSTHOTELDININGROOM

ith more than 22,500 bottles, 3,400 selections and one of the oldest bottles dating from 1959, the wine cellar of The Post Hotel in Lake Louise is truly legendary. The Post’s previous owners, Swiss-expat brothers (and oenophiles) George and André Schwarz, originally came to the area as ski instructors, purchasing the hotel in 1978 from Sir Norman Watson. In January 2022, The Post sold to the Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts group, which includes Emerald Lake Lodge in Field, B.C., Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff and others. The famed Post cellar is now in the hands of avenuecalgary.com

wine director and head sommelier Julian SimardGillis, who manages the wine program along with a sommelier team of William Burke and Timothy Ty. “The goal of the wine program has always been, and will continue to be, to carry the best wines in the world, from all over the globe, inexpensive or luxury,” Simard-Gillis says. That, along with a focus on sustainability, a core value for the Banff National Park-based hotel. “Sustainability is definitely a conversation we are having these days,” Simard-Gillis says.” 200 Pipestone Rd., Lake Louise, 403-522-3989, posthotel.com

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10816 Macleod Trail South | wpv.ca

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Calgary Style

BY MICHELLE MCIVOR PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

HOW TO DRESS FESTIVE STYLIST C HR I STA GR AV E L O N HOW TO P UT TO GE THE R HO LIDAY PARTY O UTFI TS THAT ARE TR ULY THE L I FE

Christa Gravel has a motto for holiday party outfits: “Don’t let the Christmas tree have all the fun.” Indeed, whether she’s wearing sequins and metallics, or tulle and standout jewellery, the lead stylist with Calgary’s Kate Hewko boutique always goes all out. Gravel says the holiday season is the ideal time to don the fabulous pieces tucked away in your closet. “Anything goes during the holidays, which is what’s so fun about it,” she says. “This is the time to wear things you may not want to try at other times.” If you’re unsure how to pull a look together, take a cue from Gravel and build your outfit around shoes you love — and embrace her fearlessness, too. The style guru turns 66 this November and does not believe in fashion limits for people of any age. “Wear what makes you happy and help [everyone] celebrate themselves through their own unique style.” she says. Jacket ’90s vintage Escada sourced from Europe; tank top Gravel’s own; skirt and belt Kate Hewko; shoes The Attico, from Danielle’s Consignment; necklace one-of-a-kind from Toronto brand Rock ‘N Karma; earrings and rings Alexander McQueen.

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BY TSERING ASHA

ith their kids headed away to university, the owners of this home in Altadore wanted to create a basement space just for them. No longer the kids’ hangout zone, the lower level was to be transformed into a place for the adults to sip cocktails and relax. The homeowners brought in designer Louis Duncan-He to execute their vision for a moody, broody, speakeasy atmosphere with a vintage Mad Men vibe. “Because you can see the basement from the main floor, we realized that we needed to make the shift in energy very purposeful,” says Duncan-He. “We wanted to make it very clear that this is a different area of the house.” With dark blue walls, lush cognac leather chairs, a custom-made bar and decked-out entertainment centre, the subterranean space is certainly distinct from the rest of the home, which is light and airy. “We loved finding ways to find that tension and style, and that contrast to make sure that the overall space was something really interesting and not just one-dimensional,” says Duncan-He. Completed in 2022, the homeowners say they often have date nights in the space, and that they always wind up around the bar downstairs when hosting guests. (They’ll even admit that dance parties have broken out once or twice.) The basement lounge showcases items that represent one of the homeowner’s Caribbean roots, (specifically Barbadian), including rare rums, a carracing medallion and a century-old barometer from an uncle, who had worked as a weather forecaster. The couple also paid homage to past generations, framing and displaying a selection of heirloom bow ties, as well as vintage briefcases and cameras. Along with being very much in line with the desired Mad Men aesthetic, these items also enhance the space with warmth and sentimentality. “Incorporating personal details is part of our design ethos,” says Duncan-He. “Our signature is creating distinctive spaces that reflect distinctive people. And part of what makes a space feel distinct is mixing in a piece of someone’s authentic story.” —with files from Jennifer Friesen 13 2

Favourite Spaces

THELOUNGE november/december 2023

Decor

THE BAR Designer Louis Duncan-He supplemented the overall space with “dimensional relief,” by juxtaposing the custom, live-edge bar table with luxurious-looking bar stools and dark cabinetry, and adding an antique mirror to amplify the ambient lighting.

P H OTO S BY E Y M E R I C W I D L I N G

THE SOUND The custom entertainment system, featuring metallic mesh detailing and black mesh lining for sound clarity, does double-duty in what Duncan-He describes as a “functional, but also beautiful” way to integrate an existing sound system.

LIFE avenuecalgary.com

THE WOODS Duncan-He created what he describes as “a moody, mid-century feeling, with a slight industrial view” by combining metallic accents with rustic elements, including wood cladding that extends all the way around the bulkhead. THE MEMORIES Displaying sentimental treasures, provided they work with the design, will make a space truly distinctive and something that “can’t be replicated,” says Duncan-He.

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November/December 2023

THE SNOWFLA KE’S GUIDE TO

P H O T O B Y V I C T O R I A V A L C H E V/ @ A L P I N E W I T H V

WINTERIN THEMOUNTAINS

algary is often depicted as a city of ruddy-cheeked mountaineers who indulge themselves by bundling up and braving the elements. But we’d like to let those who aren’t naturally inclined to embrace being outdoors in the cold know they are no less

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Calgarian for it. So, join us in raising your hot chocolate mug to all the “snowflakes” out there, who wither when the temperatures dip below zero, who hide under a blanket at the first sign of snow. Read on, and you’ll see that the mountains are just as much yours to discover this season in your own most un-extreme way. 135

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Mountains

It’sTotallyFineto SkipSkiingandGototheSpa

P H OTO CO U RT ESY O F FA I R M O N T BA N F F S P R I N G S

ou’re on your annual Banff getaway with your closest friends. You’ve spent the last few days exploring the town, hitting the slopes by day and sipping drinks by night, before collapsing into hotel beds. Now, someone suggests a snowshoe hike, and, while you want to be a trooper, you’re more inclined to tap out. And, you know what? That’s totally fine. Let your friends brave the elements while you hit the spa! And not just any spa: the Fairmont Spa Banff Springs at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Previously Willow Stream Spa, the spa at the Springs was renamed after a company-wide re-brand in November 2022. Spread across 40,000 square feet, Fairmont Spa Banff Springs offers 27 treatment rooms where you can indulge in relaxing body treatments, massages or facials; the spa salon for manicures, pedicures and styling; and the spa pools. Those staying at the iconic castle hotel can book spa access any day for $79 plus tax per person, while non-hotel-staying guests can book spa access Monday to Thursday for $109 plus tax per person (holidays excluded). Daily bookings for services, such as massages, facials or body treatments, are open to both hotel guests and non-hotel guests alike (though all bookings are dependent on availability and non-hotel guests

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W H AT I T M E A N S TO B E “ O U T D O O R SY ” AT FA I R M O N T S PA B A N F F S P R I N G S .

may experience limited availability during peak holiday times) and come with three hours of general spa access. Following the ethos “nourished by nature,” the spa incorporates elements of Banff’s natural environment and history into its treatments and, when possible and allowed, uses locally found plants and natural materials in treatment oils, essences and scrubs. Experiences like the Signature Rockies Rehydration treatment combine dry-brush exfoliation and a massage using rich mineral cream with organic essences, while aromatherapy treatments like the Serenity Ritual encourage relaxation and tranquility through a hydrating body polish and a massage using frankincense essential oils. The spa pools are also an enticing reason to visit, with three waterfall whirlpools, an indoor mineral pool and an outdoor whirlpool, plus saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs in each of the women’s- and men’sonly areas of the spa. The three waterfall treatment whirlpools offer a particularly rejuvenating experience as you transition between the Bow Falls whirlpool (40°C), the Cascade Falls whirlpool (37°C) and the Assiniboine Falls whirlpool (24°C). Just beyond the indoor mineral pool, the outdoor whirlpool awaits, surrounded by views of towering mountains. You’ll emerge relaxed, renewed, re-energized and ready for whatever your friends have planned for you next. —Alana Willerton 137

How I Learned I’m Not the Winter Adventuring Type It only took one snowshoe excursion for me to realize some of us require warmer temperatures, moderate

grew up on the equator. I hadn’t really experienced a true Alberta winter until I was 23. But I love being outside and active — and I do have an adventurous spirit — so I decided to embrace the cold weather and try a new winter sport during my first November in Calgary. Just before Halloween, a friend showed me postcard-worthy photos of a snowshoeing trip to Chester Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. It was a bluebird day, the snowy mountains looked majestic and her rosy cheeks and huge smile told me she was having a blast. This is real Albertan fun, I thought. My Calgary-born-and-raised friend told me the route had minimal elevation gain (just over 400 metres), it wasn’t all that long (just over seven kilometres to the lake and back) and that it wouldn’t be strenuous at all (we trained for triathlon together and, for reasons I now can’t recall, found it fun to exercise intensely for hours on end.) I convinced my partner, Dakota, to join me. At the end of November, we rented snowshoes and poles from the University of Calgary Outdoor Centre and we drove out of the city and into Kananaskis Country, feeling like true Calgarians. I don’t remember why this particular Saturday was the only day we were able to tackle this adventure. I do remember that the weather was horrendous. As soon as we got out of the car, the howling wind slapped our cheeks. It was -40°C with wind chill and snowing so hard that we couldn’t see the mountains on the other side of the highway. We

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W I N T E R H I K I N G AT C H E ST E R L A K E I N K A N A N A S K I S CO U N T RY C A N B E F U N W I T H T H E P RO P E R W I N T E R C LOT H I N G .

strapped on our snowshoes and began up the trail anyway. About 10 minutes after starting, I realized I had made some poor clothing choices. The running tights I had just purchased would have made an excellent base layer under some heavy-duty snow pants, but on their own in this weather, made me feel like I was pants-less. Five minutes after that, my fingers went numb in the lightweight running gloves I had on and I came to the stark realization that this activity wasn’t as strenuous as cross-country skiing or running. Dakota dug through his pack to see if he had remembered extra clothes; he found

a dirty pair of socks that hadn’t made their way out of his bag and to the laundry after work one day. He recommended I put them on my hands. I gave him a look of disgust — at least, I tried to, but my frozen face couldn’t show emotion. I put on the sock-gloves. Maybe a high-calorie snack would help, Dakota suggested. Unfortunately, we forgot our snacks on the kitchen counter and my tiny backpack only contained some (now frozen) water. As the wind picked up and the visibility worsened, we huddled behind a tree and reassessed. We knew some poor decisions had been

made. We recognized this wasn’t safe and that it was time to turn around — if we had pressed on, it’s not like we’d be rewarded with a gorgeous view. So, just 30 minutes into our snowshoeing adventure, we called it quits. The outing wasn’t all bad. As we stumbled back to our car, we saw a moose licking the salt off a vehicle on the far end of the parking lot. Despite the frigid conditions, our car started no problem. And, most importantly, I learned some valuable lessons about outdoor preparedness and planning. That being said, I have not snowshoed since. —Karin Olafson 138 November/December 2023

P H O T O B Y T R A V E L A L B E R TA / N O R T H G R O V E C R E AT I V E

cloud cover and a light, gentle breeze when heading outside to connect with nature. And that’s okay.

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T DO ON A WINTER ADVENTURE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE

avenue WEEKENDER

Don’t make the same mistakes I did! If you’re smart and prepared, even the winter-skeptical can have an enjoyable time outdoors this time of year.

1 D O N ’ T ST U BBORNLY ST I C K TO YOUR PL ANS Always check the weather before you leave. And if it’s looking too cold, too snowy, too windy — or just generally hazardous — change your plans, even if that means rescheduling the adventure until after the holiday season.

2 D O N ’ T D R ESS F OR AN E ARLY O CTO B E R R U N I N NOV EMBER Thanksgiving in the city can be a beautiful time of year. Late November in the mountains can mean very chilly and very snowy weather. And, of course, mountain weather is changeable and unpredictable all year. Wear a warm base layer made of a sweat-wicking material (Merino wool is a great option), add an insulating mid-layer, like a fleece or soft-shell jacket, and then throw on a waterproof and breathable outer layer. Pack extra layers, always wear a toque and don’t forget warm gloves — socks won’t cut it, even if they’re clean.

3 D O N ’ T F O RG ET SNACKS High-calorie snacks can help you power through that final push on your adventure, giving you energy to keep moving and keep warm. Along with high-fat snacks like nuts, trail mix and dried fruit (like banana chips), consider bringing a Thermos with miso soup, instant noodles or hot chocolate. And always bring more food than you think you’ll need. —K.O. avenuecalgary.com

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TakethisGallery TourofBanff Behind every successful art tourist is a buttery croissant and an Americano — or some such iteration of pasty and caffeine. The inevitable lineup at Wild Flour (101, 211 Bear St.) is worth the wait; the baked goods are far better than good, and the vibe is enchanting, high-altitude hippie. From the bakery, you’re a scone’s-throw from your first gallery stop Willock & Sax Gallery (210 Bear St.). A small-but-mighty space, this gallery represents a strong roster of Western Canadian printmakers, photographers, ceramicists and painters.

Surely you can squeeze another gallery in before lunch: Canada House Gallery (201 Bear St.) is a mere 110 metres south of Willock & Sax. Established in the early 1970s, it’s the largest contemporary art gallery in the Rockies and represents upwards of 75 painters, sculptors and jewellers, as well as Inuit textile artists. Expect an exceptionally friendly interface: there’s a written invitation to visit in ski gear, cowboy boots, and/or biking shorts (you, of course, will attend in less sporty attire).

Now that you’ve filled your cerebral and cultural bucket for the time being, lunch awaits. You could just close your eyes and point to a suitably satisfying bistro or steak house, but one of the warmest seats on the block is at the fire-table at Hello Sunshine (208 Wolf St.). This two-year-old Japanese joint is a groovy destination for crispy avocado rolls, cheeseburger gyoza and private karaoke rooms. The dining room’s two gas-fuelled fire-tables seat 10 in the round; lean into a bowl of pork ramen and a belt of Nikka Whisky for maximum warmth before you set out on the longest leg of your art tour.

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H E L L O S U N S H I N E P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F H E L L O S U N S H I N E ; W I L D F L O U R P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y O F W I L D F L O U R B A K E R Y ; C A N A D A H O U S E G A L L E R Y P H O T O B Y K AT I E G O L D I E

N OT F EE LI N G PA RT I C UL A RLY OUT DOORSY ? SPEND THE DAY M E A N DER I N G TH ROUG H SOME OF BA NFF ’S BEST ART GALLERIES , W I T H LOTS OF STOPS A LONG T H E WAY FOR FOO D AND DRINKS .

BY JACQUIE MOORE

Mountains

W H Y T E M U S E U M P H O T O B Y K AT I E G O L D I E ; W A LT E R P H I L L I P S G A L L E R Y P H O T O B Y R I TA TAY L O R ; B L O C K P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F B L O C K K I T C H E N + B A R

Slide, walk, or roll back down the hill to the cultural pillar of Banff National Park, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies (111 Bear St.). Opened in 1968, the Whyte exhibits, collects and archives the human and natural history of the Canadian Rockies, including the Banff Townsite, the mountain landscapes and the Indigenous peoples of the Bow Valley. In addition to rolling exhibitions of alternative photography, paintings and sculpture, the museum’s holdings include 350 metres of textual records, more than 700,000 photographs and more than 1,500 sound recordings, motion pictures and videos. The permanent Heritage Gallery is always worth a spin (take your sweet time completing a large-scale puzzle in the centre of the room). Give yourself time to hit up the exquisitely curated book shop as you both enter and exit. Just as your skiing friends will justify their decadent après-ski indulgences with dubious tales of snow acrobatics and endurance, you, too, can impress with the story of your wintery quest to the town’s cultural summit at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (107 Tunnel Mountain Dr.). While your main intention is to visit the alwaysfascinating Walter Phillips Gallery in Glyde Hall, your frigid phalanges will need thawing at the inviting Maclab Bistro. Its Mountain Joe, Park Distillery hard coffee is a bracing mix of vodka, cold brew, oat milk and honey. Be sure to toast Walter Phillips himself, an influential past member of the visual arts faculty at the Centre, who popularized Japanese-style colour-woodcuts and helped develop the renowned visual arts program.

LAST STOP: Invite your ski friends to join your exhilarated and culturally enriched self for a Re’fashioned bourbon cocktail and tiramisu brownie brûlée at nearby Block Kitchen + Bar (corner of Caribou Street and Banff Avenue). Be gentle when you remind them that there’s always next year to skip the snow sports.

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November/December 2023

Mountains

BY JODY ROBBINS

Justtryit!

Just because the days are short, doesn’t mean your mood has to be. By mixing up your routine with a whiff of novelty and a sprinkling of fresh air, you, too, can embrace winter! Check out these alfresco adventures that promise to melt even the chilliest of demeanours. F O R E ST B AT H I N G P R O M OT E S Y E A R- R O U N D W E L L N E S S .

FOREST BATHING

P H OTO A D O B E STO C K

ith limited light exposure and cold temperatures, it’s no surprise many of us feel despondent in winter. While the inclination is often to eat your feelings and cocoon indoors, one of the quickest ways to shift your mood is to get out into nature. Numerous studies show that those who do have lower stress, blood pressure and heart rates, in addition to reduced neural activity in the part of the brain linked to mental illness. Japan leads the way in combating the blahs (winter and other) through a practice

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known as shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.” It seems easy enough to take to the woods in the summer, yet it’s quite possible to reap the rewards in winter, too. Canmore-based Forest Fix offers forest-bathing sessions for individuals and groups, led by certified forest therapy guide Ronna Schneberger, in a

range of locations that includes Kananaskis Country; Banff, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in Banff National Park; and Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. You’ll start by walking or snowshoeing to a secluded spot, where you’ll listen to the sounds and the silence of the forest, while inhaling the pleasant scent of evergreens. It’s a nice reset for body,

mind and brain, and winter’s low sun presents magical details you might not normally notice. This way of rejuvenating the mind and soothing your spirits may also offer the added benefit of actually enjoying yourself in the crisp mountain air — in the season you thought you dreaded, no less. forestfix.ca

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WINTER GLAMPING

G L A M P I N G A C C O M M O DAT I O N S AT M O U N T E N G A D I N E LO D G E .

SNOW TUBING

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is the afternoon tea consisting of a charcuterie board and madefrom-scratch desserts. The lodge building contains accommodations, but Engadine also has glamping tents operating through the winter season. If camping in winter sounds absurd, know this is not your regular camping experience. The winterized tents have king beds with thick duvets, gas fireplaces, and heated bathrooms, complete with a shower. If you’re a true “snowflake,” though, there’s no shame in booking into the main lodge. Travelling solo? The Chickadee room sports a twin bed and private washroom, though you’ll have plenty of opportunities to mingle with other guests in the dining room and in the communal spaces. mountengadine.com

N I G H T T U B I N G AT N O RQ U AY.

tubing is one of the most joyous ways to play in the mountains and can easily be amped up if you’re looking for even more of a rush. Race your tube mates down the slopes (pro tip: more weight equals more speed) or ask staff for a spin as they set you off. While only one person is allowed per tube, up to 10 tubes can be connected, allowing groups to slide simultaneously. The only thing better than speed-plus-snow is après (socializing over drinks after a day of snowy activities). Warm up with a cozy concoction inside Norquay’s family-friendly Lone Pine Pub in the resort’s main Cascade Lodge. Or, dial up the romance by opting for night tubing on Friday and Saturday evenings, which starts the weekend after New Years. banffnorquay.com

T U B I N G P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F M T . N O R Q U AY ; M O U N T E N G A D I N E P H O T O B E N J A M I N P R E S C O T T

ot everyone out there relishes barrelling down a mountain on two planks or being strapped onto a snowboard. Fortunately, there’s another equally fun way to hit the slopes. Unlike skiing or snowboarding, snow tubing requires no skill, yet it delivers the same feel-good endorphins. If you can plonk yourself into a tube, you’ve got this! Overlooking the Banff Townsite, Mount Norquay Ski Resort sports the longest tube lanes in Alberta. Access to the top of the lanes is via a Magic Carpet conveyor lift. Slope angles vary between 10 and 15 degrees, then flatten out at the bottom, before rising uphill onto burlap, slowing the tube to a gradual stop. With speeds of between 20 and 40 kilometres per hour, snow

ount Engadine Lodge is one of the few backcountry lodges you can drive up to — no ski-touring or hiking in required. The drive is just over two hours from Calgary, so it’s not so far away that it’s a major undertaking just to get there. Yet, amid the snow-quilted forest in the quiet hush of Spray Valley Provincial Park, you definitely get the feeling of being away from everything. Mount Engadine is off-grid in the way of no TVs or cellphone reception, though there is WiFi and indoor plumbing. Cozy communal spaces kitted out with puzzles and board games allow guests to connect, or you can simply melt in front of blazing wood fires. A multi-course breakfast and dinner, plus packed lunch for the day, is included in the price of stay, as

November/December 2023

Mountains 5 MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE BOOKS TO READ THIS WINTER

To Live: Fighting for Life on the Killer Mountain by Élisabeth Revol “French climber Revol tells the harrowing tale of being trapped alone high on the flanks of Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas in winter. This is a real page-turner — I read it in one go!”

C ROSTO N P H OTO CO U RT ESY O F T H E BA N F F C E N T R E ; B O O K COV E R S CO U RT ESY O F P U B L I S H E R S

Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration by David Roberts “This book describes one of the most tragic survival stories of all time, where Douglas Mawson and his team attempt to cross [Antarctica] by dog sled. A classic adventure showcasing what humans are capable of.”

ure, you could learn to snowboard this winter or see if you actually like winter camping. Or, instead of venturing outside and braving the elements, you could experience adventure the comfortable way — cozy by the fire with a good book. Joanna Croston knows great mountain reads. She has worked as the Festival Director for the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival for five years, and has lived in the Rockies since 1998. While not a “snowflake” herself (she loves winter and is an avid backcountry skier) one of Croston’s winter luxuries is huddling by the fire, engrossed in a great read. Here are her five winter mountain-adventure book picks, so you can read about impressive cold-weather feats without having to go out there and do them yourself. —K.O.

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The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains by Jeremy Jones “A guide to living life to the fullest and being safe. There are great nuggets of wisdom and exciting anecdotes from Jones’ life, and his laidback California vibe is highly entertaining and readable.”

SAY WHAT? You have a story — we can help you tell it. • Branded content • Email newsletters • Blog posts • Photos and graphics • Social media • SEO-friendly copywriting

Rising: Becoming the First Canadian Woman to Summit Everest, A Memoir

by Sharon Wood “Canmore author and climber Sharon Wood’s achievements are an inspiration to a whole new generation of women climbers. This is a must-read for anyone who has big dreams.” Winter 8000: Climbing the World’s Highest Mountains in the Coldest Season by Bernadette McDonald “This book is full of incredible adventures and unbelievable mountaineering feats. The best part [for readers] is not having to experience the pain and suffering first-hand!”

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You Are Here

ILLUSTRATION BY JARETT SITTER

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Mahogany 50° 53' 49.1" N, 113° 56' 5.6" W 1

West Beach Promenade This lovely, paved pathway surrounding Mahogany Lake is perfect for walking, or biking, or whatever activity suits your fancy. The tree-lined paths are well-maintained year-round, and there are plenty of benches for resting, and people- and dog-watching, while you absorb the ambience and work up an appetite to dine at one of the many nearby restaurants.

Diner Deluxe The newest location of this Calgary brunch institution offers the same delicious comfort dishes, such as meatloaf hash with poached eggs and hollandaise, as the original. Open 8 a.m. ’til 3 p.m., seven days a week, Diner Deluxe doesn’t take reservations, but don’t worry, it’s worth the wait. Especially for the breakfast cocktails!

Made Local Marketplace This independent retailer sells a wonderfully curated collection of gifts, household items and other curiosities. The merchandise is sourced from local artisans and crafters — think jewellery, wall art, plants, candles, glassware and yummy treats. No matter who you are shopping for, you’ll almost certainly find the right thing.

Alvin’s Jazz Club You might think the best place for jazz is in some seedy downtown club. But you’re wrong: Alvin’s offers authentic, live jazz six days a week, including a jazzy Sunday brunch. The swank environment has a menu to match, featuring modern, upscale à la carte dishes as well as a three-course tasting menu. Reservations are encouraged.

ChargePoint Electric Vehicle Charging Station If you drive an electric vehicle, you’ve no doubt experienced range anxiety. So, EV owners will appreciate the two Level 2 chargers here that let you replenish your battery while you explore the shops and other sights in the neighbourhood. —Jennifer Hamilton

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P H O T O G R A P H BY T K T K T K