Made in Alberta Awards

MARKET REPORT

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Shawn Leggett, co-founder of Okotoks-based GroundUp eco-ventures, maker of Born Again Protein Brownie Mix, the Sweet Food category and Overall Grand Prize winner of the 2022 Made in Alberta Awards.

6 EDITOR’S NOTE

28 MEET THE JUDGES

The Made in Alberta Awards program wouldn’t be possible without a team of judges. Get to know the experts who helped decide on this year’s winners and runners-up.

36 CREATIVE ROYALTY

Edmonton’s long-running Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair keeps the focus on vendors and creativity.

By Renato Pagnani

38 MAKERS PAST

11 The big reveal of the winners and runners-up in 10 award categories, as well as the Overall Grand Prize winner for 2022 and the Readers’ Choice winner.

By Tsering Asha, Karen Ashbee, Kendall Bistretzan, Carmen Cheng and Lynda Sea

30 MEET THE MAKERS

Peek inside the workspaces of some of the makers behind this year’s star products.

By Kendall Bistretzan

An Alberta heritage moment about Calgary Brewing and Malting Co. and its flagship beer — plus, how it’s being celebrated today.

By Michaela Ream

PHOTO BY HEATHER SAITZ

BY

PHOTO BY ASPEN ZETTEL; PORTRAIT

PHOTO BY COOPER & O'HARA

Shelley Arnusch Editor in Chief sarnusch@redpointmedia.ca

ALBERTA STORIES

Four years ago, Avenue launched the Made in Alberta Awards to recog nize and celebrate the ingenuity and craftsmanship in products made right here in our province.

We accept entries from anywhere in Alberta — urban, suburban and rural locales — in a range of cat egories that encompass sweet and savoury foods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, furniture, fashion, beauty and craft products, Indigenous-made products, and the always-inter esting catch-all category for “unique” products. We secure the help of expert judges to determine the winners and runners-up in each category, and we engage the public to vote for a Readers’ Choice winner across all categories.

For the past two years, we’ve also put together a special Made in Alberta issue to honour the win ners and celebrate maker culture.

At first take, it may seem like the products get all the glory. But behind every winner is a maker with a story, and, really, it’s those stories that are the heart of the Made in Alberta Awards. Take this year’s Overall Grand Prize winner: A made-in-Okotoks brownie mix featuring ingre dients upcycled out of craft-brewing byproducts and coffee grounds. GroundUp eco-ventures’ co-founder started experimenting with upcycling

while holding down an office job in the oil and gas industry — in the mornings, he would leave buckets outside a downtown café to be filled with coffee grounds that he would take home with him at the end of the workday. In many ways, it’s an archetypical Alberta story — an innovation born of grit and DIY spirit. And by helping to create a more diverse economy for the province, it’s also a story befitting these current times.

In this issue, you’ll discover amazing stories behind all the winning products: a Métis CEO from Edmonton whose shampoo and conditioner bars are crafted by a 13-member staff of women; a distiller from Fort Saskatchewan whose winning spirit invokes the earthy vegetal flavours of Alber ta-grown field peas; a Cochrane-based jewellery artist who has been perfecting her minimalist ear ring designs for more than two decades.

These stories and others are the cornerstone of maker culture in our province, something that we aim to foster with both these awards and with our Made in Alberta Conference, which is happening this year on October 12 at the stunning Central Li brary in Calgary. Along with a range of seminars to help makers produce, market, sell and refine their products, there will also be an awards ceremony at which we will toast the 2022 winners. It promises to be a night to remember.

We hope everyone can make it.

A BRIDGE TO THE PAST

The wood for the 2022 trophies is from Salvage Solutions in Pincher Creek, and is reclaimed deck timbers from the CPR High Level Bridge near Lethbridge, the longest and highest trestle bridge in the world. Since the bridge spans the Oldman River, the timbers are not treated with creosote and are replaced frequently.

EDITOR PHOTO BY HEATHER SAITZ; CLOTHING STYLING BY GRAVITYPOPE; PHOTO OF MICHAEL GERRAND (SALVAGE SOLUTIONS) BY STEVE COLLINS

Calling all Alberta makers

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Editor in Chief Shelley Arnusch, sarnusch@redpointmedia.ca

Design Director Steve Collins, scollins@redpointmedia.ca

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Contributing Editors Meredith Bailey, Jill Foran, Jennifer Hamilton

Editorial Assistant Michaela Ream

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Staff Photographer Jared Sych

Special Projects Intern Kendall Bistretzan

Contributors Karen Ashbee, Carmen Cheng, Gabrielle Cleveland, Cooper & O’Hara

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made in alberta

Now in its fourth year, the Made in Alberta Awards continue to showcase incredible products created right here in our province. From delectable foods (savoury and sweet) and refreshing drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to products that make us feel beautiful, make our spaces beautiful and make beautiful gifts for others, we’re thrilled to present the best of the many entries we received for 2022.

made in alberta awards.ca

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

THANK YOU TO OUR JUDGES AMY WILLIER AWARD FOR INDIGENOUS ARTISANS: YVONNE JOBIN AND JOCELYN LAMOTHE; BEAUTY: MARIE BERTRAND AND TARA COWLES; CRAFT: QUIN CHEUNG AND NICHOLE WINDBLAD; DRINK (ALCOHOLIC AND NON-ALCOHOLIC): OWEN KIRKALDY AND CANDY LAM; FASHION AND ACCES SORIES: ROPA MUPAMBWA AND HAITHEM ELKADIKI; SAVOURY FOOD: CARMEN CHENG AND MATT PENNER; SWEET FOOD: DAN CLAPSON AND TONY MARSHALL; FURNISHINGS AND HOME DECOR: KAREN ASHBEE AND KRISTEN MCKAY; UNIQUE PRODUCT: KELLY JUBENVILL, MELANIE LOVE AND JASEN ROBILLARD

BY TSERING ASHA, KAREN ASHBEE, KENDALL BISTRETZAN, CARMEN CHENG AND LYNDA SEA

INNOVATIVE AND DELICIOUS

Born Again Protein Brown ie Mix by GroundUp eco-ventures is the whole package: An innovative and sustainable product that bakes up into a deli ciously chewy treat.

made in alberta

SWEET FOOD

Born Again Protein Brownie Mix

by GroundUp eco-ventures

MADE IN OKOTOKS $9.99 groundupev.com

Four years ago, Shawn Leggett started reading more about circular economies and upcy cling. What he learned would prove the catalyst for his busi ness, GroundUp eco-ventures, which uses spent grains and coffee grounds from cafés and craft breweries to make “super flours,” baking mixes and coffee oil. “There are a lot of things that we view as waste that have unbelievable amounts of po tential and value,” says Leggett.

“I wanted to start my own company, but I wanted to do something different. It just made so much sense and was such a positive message.”

Being innovative and sustainable is one thing, but GroundUp’s Born Again Protein Brownie Mix also proved delicious. The moist and chewy brownies have a flavour so deep and satisfying it earned them the Overall Grand Prize honours in this year’s Made in Alberta Awards.

By using byproducts of brewed beer and coffee as source material, GroundUp also isn’t creating any waste products of its own. Currently, it collects spent grains from local craft breweries including Calgary’s Cabin Brewing, High River Brewing, Big Beaver Brewing in Okotoks and Turner Valley’s Fahr Brewery. “The breweries see what we’re doing and they get it. They really like it, and it saves them money because they don’t have to pay to have it disposed,” Leggett says. GroundUp gets its coffee grounds from Blackbird Cold Brew Coffee Co.

Leggett’s background includes 23 years working in oil and gas in downtown Calgary. His two careers even overlapped for a time: when he and his wife

alberta awards.ca

Candace were first developing their coffee oil prod uct for skin and hair, he would grab grounds from Analog Coffee in Bow Valley Square. “I would drop pails off in the morning on my way to my day job and pick them up at the end of my day.”

Leggett incorporated GroundUp eco-ventures in 2018 and spent the next three years doing research before opening the doors of a 4,000-square-foot zero-waste facility in Okotoks in June 2021.

Leggett says, unlike recycling, upcycling is tak ing something of little or no perceived value and creating a product of higher value. If you recycle something like glass, it just makes glass. Recycle pa per and you get a lower quality of paper every time you recycle it. “When you look at coffee grounds, you wouldn’t think there was any value, but if you upcycle it, you extract the oils and create an ingredi ent. All of a sudden, it now has a ton of value.”

The company is already generating buzz, and Leggett says they plan on expanding and adding new products. At SIAL, the largest food-innovation trade show in Canada, GroundUp won a Gold Innovation Award, meaning it will be showcased in the grand show in Paris this month.

The Born Again Protein Brownie Mix came about after playing around with a family recipe. It features the company’s own Brewer’s Barley Saved-Grain Flour and its Gluten-Free Coffee Flour, which gives everything a darker colour and has a nutty, choco latey flavour. “Coffee is used in baking to highlight the flavour of chocolate, so brownies just seemed like the right application,” says Leggett.

Along with being protein-rich, GroundUp’s brownies are also high in fibre. “We know 95 per cent of North Americans only get half of their daily recommended fibre,” he adds. “If you can have a brownie and eat better, why wouldn’t you?” —L.S.

I LOVED THAT THESE BROWNIES WERE EASY TO MAKE, NOT TOO SWEET AND CONTAINED UPCYCLED INGREDIENTS.

THE FACT THAT THEY HAD MORE PROTEIN AND FIBRE WAS JUST A BONUS! ”

TONY MARSHALL

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

THIS IS THE HIGHESTQUALITY SOAP I ’ VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF TESTING IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS OF BEING A BEAUTY-CATEGORY JUDGE. LONG-LASTING, QUALITY INGREDIENTS, LUXURIOUS FOAM.” MARIE BERTRAND

BEAUTY

Bar Soaps by CleanO2

MADE IN CALGARY

$8 each cleano2.ca

In 2013, CleanO2 Carbon Capture Technology founder Jaeson Cardiff was working as a plumber and HIVAC technician. Aware that his industry accounted for about 20 per cent of Canada’s carbon emissions, he began researching ways to limit the harm caused by natural-gas heating appliances.

This journey led Cardiff to create the world’s first soap made from carbon-capture technology. CleanO2 Soaps are inspired by the cir cular economy, a production model that involves reusing and recycling for as long as possible.

The carbon is captured through patented CarbinX units that gather gas from the flues of natural-gas heating boilers and furnaces in com mercial buildings and sequester it before it can cause climate damage. The captured carbon takes the form of pearl ash, which is what gives the soap its silky feel. Even after the soap has been used, the carbon has been permanently gathered and can

not escape back into the atmosphere. The proceeds from the soap help offset additional research, development and deployment of CarbinX devices. Judges praised the soap for its rich lather and lovely scent. While environmentalists and beauty-product lovers make up a large portion of CleanO2's customer base, there has also been keen interest in the brand from a demographic you might not expect — those who work in the oil and gas industry. “They’re in the value chain and they’re looking to mitigate their carbon impact,” says CleanO2’s COO, Alistair Hazewinkel. “It’s a myth that Albertans don’t care about climate change.”

The CleanO2 team has plans to expand into creating other personal care products, as well as finding additional avenues for carbon capture.

In the meantime, you can look for their soaps at various Canadian Tire, Safeway and Sobeys stores.

K.B.

made in alberta

CRAFT

Mom and Baby Grizzly by Michelle Atkinson

MADE IN CALGARY

$475 michelle-atkinson.ca, @matkinsonyyc

Michelle Atkinson is a multidis ciplinary artist with a penchant for glass. Born and raised in Alberta, she is heavily inspired by landscapes and the natural world. Her sculptures of swift foxes, bull trout, whooping cranes and griz zly bears are made from kiln-cast slabs of recycled glass otherwise destined for the landfill.

“I try to use recycled glass where possible. It’s the whole reduce, reuse, recycle idea and the environ mental aspect of my work,” Atkinson says. “The animals in the work are classified as threatened or endangered … They represent what we’ve lost through the amount of construction and destruc tion we do to the land we settle on.”

Atkinson uses broken glass windows, tempered glass and even old gin bottles to create the ghostlike silhouettes. Much of her glass material is do

made in alberta awards.ca

nated: in February last year, she put out the call for empty Bombay Sapphire gin bottles and, by June, she had enough (roughly 70) to make her slab. She smashes the old glass into small pieces, and then places them into a ceramic mould in her kiln to melt down. Once they've cooled into slabs, she uses a high-pressure stream of water with garnet grit to cut the animal shapes. “Because it’s so precise, I can do something like a puzzle piece,” says Atkinson.

Striations where the pieces of glass melded together create an appearance similar to glacial ice — another detail that evokes an awareness and conversation around biodiversity, environmental ism and recycling. “I’ve always liked glass,” says Atkinson. “It almost has two personalities, which I find alluring and fascinating at the same time. It has a strength, but it’s also really fragile. It can be really smooth, but also sharp. There are so many ways it plays both sides of the fence. And just the fact that it can play with light is a big deal for me.” —L.S.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

I LOVED THE UNIQUE CONCEPT OF THIS PIECE. TO ME, IT REALLY REPRESENTS CANADA THROUGH THE GRIZZLY BEAR, AND, IN ADDITION, SPEAKS BEAUTIFULLY IN THE WAY MOTHER AND BABY FIT TOGETHER.” QUIN CHEUNG

PHOTO BY MICHELLE

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

AMY WILLIER AWARD

F OR INDIGENOUS ARTISANS

Citrus Shine Shampoo & Conditioner Bar Gift Set by Jack59 Inc. MADE IN EDMONTON

I APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION TO DESIGN DETAIL AND THE NOPLASTIC PACKAGING. AFTER USING IT JUST ONCE, I EXPERIENCED SOFTNESS IN MY HAIR THAT I HADN’T FELT IN A LONG TIME, EVEN WITH HIGH-END SALON BRANDS.” JOCELYN LAMOTHE

Brushing your teeth or washing your hands are universal hygiene practices and don’t typically incite loyalty to specific brands. But washing your hair is an entirely different matter. That’s what Vanessa Marshall, CEO of Jack59, has zeroed in on with her shampoo and conditioner gift sets.

“I don’t want people to tolerate our products; I want to amaze them. Our conditioners have a literal wow factor to them,” Marshall says.

The pack of two bars (one for shampooing, one for conditioning) comes in a compostable hemp container. The hemp is sourced from Spruce Grove and the containers are made in Edmonton. One bar can last more than 80 washes, eliminating approxi mately three average-sized plastic shampoo bottles and five conditioner bottles.

The 90-gram bars are made from a powdered form of coconut-derived, dry surfactants, with hand-pressed essential oils, nutrients and scents. There are 11 varieties for different hair types, and all are pH-balanced between 4.5 and 5.5 and are sulfate- and silicone-free and vegan — making them colour-safe and gentle on your scalp. Most impor tantly, Citrus Shine bars actually lather.

As a women-led and -operated company, Marshall (who is Métis) says she is conscious about offering a living wage and flexible working hours to all her employees and sees Jack59 as a “global brand rewriting the way businesses are run.”

You can find the bars at the Jack59 storefront in Edmonton, as well as a variety of local boutiques and chain retailers such as Sobeys and Safeway, and, most recently, in 25 Hudson’s Bay stores across the country. —T.A.

made in alberta

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

NON-ALCOHOLIC

DRINK

Botanical Cocktails by Wild Folk

MADE IN CALGARY

$5.50 each, $22 for a four-pack drinkwildfolk.com

Back when Dalia Kohen was running The Coup vegetarian restaurant, she noticed customers increasingly cutting down on their alcohol intake. It led to her creating alcohol-free botanical cocktails for the menu that turned out to be very popular.

“I believe that the growth of the non-alcohol category is largely due to an increase in people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle,” Kohen says.

After selling The Coup in 2020, Kohen came up with the idea of producing her cocktails as canned beverages. She altered the recipes for the canning process, then launched her company, Wild Folk.

The drinks are steeped, rather than distilled, which brings out the nuances of the ingredients. The robust flavours cater to an adult palate and pair nicely with meals. Taking inspiration from the Americano cocktail of the 1860s, Wild Folk’s

made in alberta awards.ca

Sparkling Negroni is made with rhubarb, grapefruit rind, star anise, rosehip and juniper. It has a natural burnt-orange colour and sweet-bitter complexity that mimics the Campari and vermouth in the clas sic alcoholic version. The Vermouth Spritz is lightly carbonated and also nicely balanced between bitter and sweet, with notes of coriander, cinnamon, basil, hops, ginger and chamomile — a great choice to open the palate before a meal or to help settle the stomach after eating.

These free-spirited, zero-proof takes on classic cocktails balance the convenience of ready-todrink products with the complex flavours of wellcrafted cocktails. Wild Folk botanical cocktails can be found at retailers, restaurants, liquor stores and hotels across Alberta. As 95 per cent of the ingredi ents are organic and many are sourced sustainably, instead of a hangover, consumers of Wild Folk’s botanical cocktails can wake up celebrating their good choices. —C.C.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

SIPPING COCKTAILS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE WAYS TO CATCH UP WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

WILD FOLK DELIVERS A SOPHISTICATED ALCOHOL-FREE OPTION, SO WE CAN ALL EXPERI ENCE COCKTAIL CULTURE ON OUR OWN TERMS.” CANDY LAM

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY WILD FOLK

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

ALCOHOLIC

DRINK

Don't Call Me Sweet Pea Garden Amaro by Field Notes

MADE IN EDMONTON/FORT SASKATCHEWAN $32 to $38 sipfieldnotes.com

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE PEA FLAVOUR TO BE SO FRESH OR PRESENT IN A COMPLEX AMARO.

IT HAD THE EFFECT OF TRANSPORTING ME TO A BACKYARD GARDEN, DEVOURING FRESH PEAS STRAIGHT OFF THE PLANT.”

OWEN KIRKALDY

After working in economic develop ment for four years, Faaiza Ramji understood the A to B of export, as well as the agricultural supply chain — selling raw ingredients to countries that process them into more complete, value-added products and then buying them back at higher price points. She was compelled to localize that process.

At first, Ramji experimented with peas and pulses to make a dairy alternative, until she recog nized the potential of Alberta’s brewing and distill ing culture. This sprouted another idea: Could she turn field peas, along with other ingredients native to the Canadian Prairies — honey, botanicals and natural grains — into a decidedly Albertan amaro?

Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea Garden Amaro, a deli cious, prairie-inspired herbal liqueur, is the result.

Along with Italian aperitivo culture, Ramji took

inspiration from her South Asian upbringing — her grandma, aunts and mom always talked about using natural remedies to aid digestion, immunity and skin care — to create what she calls her “gar den amaro,” made with locally foraged roots, barks, berries and herbs, like sage and dandelion.

“I wanted to make something that tasted kind of like the prairies and something that was very her baceous, like you were walking through a garden or a forest,” Ramji says.

The spirit is a purely Albertan product, from start to shelf. “The more that we can do with an industry within the province, the better for the province,” says Ramji. “We can add jobs, we can add more GDP, and we’ve got more tax revenue coming in, which is great for creating that prosper ity that we need.”

You can find Don’t Call Me Sweet Pea Garden Amaro at shops across the province. —T.A.

made in alberta

FASHION

AND ACCESSORIES

Signature Collection by Kari Woo

MADE IN COCHRANE AND CALGARY $24 to $295 drawthelinejewelry.com

Jewellery artist Kari Woo first con ceived of her Signature Collection in 2001. At that time, Woo was finishing school at Alberta College of Art + De sign (now Alberta University of the Arts) with a specialty in jewellery.

During her early years at ACAD, she had learned about continuousline drawing, where the artist puts a pen or pencil to paper and doesn’t take it off until the drawing is complete. She took that technique and applied it to her own field, shaping jewellery pieces from one long continuous piece of wire.

“It was a bit of a stress-management activity,” Woo explains. “Working with the wire was almost like a knitting or crocheting activity for me in a way, so that’s where it all began.”

Since then, Woo’s early designs have evolved into the current collection, which judges praised for its versatility and timelessness.

made in alberta awards.ca

Crafted with materials such as sterling silver and solid 14-karat gold, Woo’s pieces can work day-to-night, so the on-the-go wearer doesn’t have to switch out jewellery for different occasions. The collection includes earrings, bracelets and neck laces, and they can be dressed up or down based on the mood and taste of the wearer, whether they’re looking for a statement piece or a minimalist hoop.

Woo’s designs are a true embodiment of the idea that less is more. She describes her Signature Collection as “a direct response to the increas ingly complex world that we live in and contend with every day.” Always elegant and accessible, the collection sees the beauty in day-to-day life. The pieces are also accessibly priced, allowing those on a modest budget to enjoy the luxury of custom artisan jewellery.

“I aim to simplify life by creating jewellery that can be worn all day, every day,” Woo says. —K.B.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

KARI WOO’S CREATIONS ARE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, LIKE LISTENING TO JEAN-MICHEL JARRE’S ‘OXYGENE, PT. 6’ FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE PIECES ARE MINIMALIST AND SENSUAL. I IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE.”

HAITHEM ELKADIKI

PHOTO BY

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

“ SAVOURY, SPICY, WITH A TOUCH OF THE BEER COM ING THROUGH IN EVERY BITE. ALL THIS FROM A PRODUCT THAT WAS SUPER-EASY TO MAKE.

IT’S A WINNER FOR ME — AND A PANTRY STAPLE.”

MATT PENNER

WINNER

SAVOURY

FOOD

Dillapeño Beer Bread Kit

by Lazy Bake

MADE IN CALGARY $14 lazybake.com

This delightful kit yields one loaf of freshly baked bread, featuring flavours of dill and jalapeno, made start-to-finish in less than an hour. The judges marvelled over the ease of this kit, while the smells of the loaf baking in the oven had them all swooning.

Like many of us, Katie Duffin rediscovered her passion for baking in 2020. As she dug deeper into baking projects, she noticed a gap in the marketplace — while many meal kits were emerging during the pandemic, there didn’t seem to be many baking kits available.

Lazy Bake launched in October 2020 with a vision to spread joy through kits that only require a few steps, but still bring the warm smells and tastes of home baking to your kitchen. Duffin makes the effort to support other local businesses by sourcing ingredients from Calgary companies,

including Village Brewery, which helped develop her line of Beer Bread kits. (Duffin’s father is one of the founders of Village Brewery, making this an obvious collaboration.) “It was really fun working with the team at Village,” she says. “I’ve paired this bread kit with the Village Wit, which happens to also be my favourite beer!”

Busy (or lazy) bakers will love how quickly this savoury dill bread with a kick of jalapeno comes to gether: Combine the contents in a mixing bowl with a bottle of beer, and bake. There’s no need to knead, proof or rise the dough, and non-beer drinkers can substitute the beer for any carbonated beverage. Slather a thick slice with butter and honey, or use it to make delicious grilled-cheese sandwiches.

Lazy Bake kits can be found at retailers across the province. Customers can also order kits online through lazybake.com, or join a monthly subscrip tion service, so that wonderful fresh-baked-bread smell is always just a quick mix away. —C.C.

made in alberta

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

FURNISHINGS

AND HOME DECOR

The Architect Metal and Walnut Dining Table by Iron Hide Woodworks

MADE IN EDMONTON

$5,700 ironhidewoodworks.com

When Brad Neilson built his first table for his new home and friends started asking him to create one for them, he knew he had an instant hit. Seduced by a passion for wood- and metal-working, Neilson left his day job to forge a new career in custom furniture. Having worked in the oil patch for 12 years, he was naturally adept at using his hands, but found his previous job left little outlet for his creative side or time for his family.

Launched seven years ago with his wife and partner, Jennifer Neilson, Iron Hide Woodworks is known for unique designs that incorporate both wood and metal. Case in point: Neilson’s canti levered dining room table, named The Architect. Measuring 10 feet long, the table features a walnut top with three pieces of 14-gage sheet metal

made in alberta awards.ca

welded together and painted black to form a solid cantilevered base. The resulting effect is one that appears to defy gravity.

The table can seat up to 10 people and most of the materials used were sourced from local businesses. Neilson says he came up with the idea three years ago when a client requested a dining room table with a showstopping design, so he decided to create a piece that paired wood with metal. Cantilevered bases show off the blend of both materials best. Like most of Neilson’s work, this statement-making table is at home in a variety of decor styles including rustic, modern, farm house or industrial.

“This certainly has become a signature piece,” states Jennifer. “My husband’s creativity really shines with this table, as it’s not just a piece of furniture, but rather functional art.”

The Architect and other custom pieces are available at ironhidewoodworks.com. —K.A.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

“ I WAS DRAWN TO THE HANDSOME, YET ELEGANT DESIGN AND SIMPLICITY OF THIS PIECE. THE HIGH-QUALITY, BEAUTI FULLY HANDCRAFTED MATERIALS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.”

KRISTEN MCKAY

PHOTO

UNIQUE

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

OUT OF THE WAY, KIDS! WE WANT TO DO THESE OURSELVES! WHAT A GREAT WAY TO GET OUTDOORS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO DIDN ’ T GROW UP IN AN OUTDOORSY FAMILY.”

MELANIE LOVE

Wild Life Outdoor Adventure Subscription Box by Wild Life Outdoor Adventures

MADE IN CALGARY $39 to $45 jointhewildlife.ca PRODUCT

Wild Life Outdoor Adventures was established in 2019 and sent out its first subscrip tion box in March 2020. This might suggest it was created to fill a specific gap in socially distanced enter tainment due to COVID-19. However, the sentiment be hind the program, which enables families to explore the outdoors and learn life skills such as navigation, shelter-building, first aid and outdoor cooking, without having to plan the adventures, preceded the pandemic, and is still the backbone of the Wild Life business model.

Owner Jenelle Peterson has fond memories of playing outside with her brothers and spending the summers participating in park ranger programs.

“When I became a parent, my brothers and I started talking about how we could give our kids the

same kind of experiences we had, in a day and age where we’re competing with on-demand technol ogy and lots of distractions,” she says. “We wanted to develop a way to ... create those experiences, whether it was in the backyard or backcountry.”

Wild Life offers monthly or quarterly subscrip tions. Each box includes essential outdoor gear, activities, games, crafts and an enamel merit pin. The activities are based on outcomes from the Alberta Education curriculum for Grades 3 through 6.

In the past 24 months, subscription boxes have been sent to every province and territory in Canada, and the brand has recently expanded into the U.S. “We are so privileged to have grown up in Alberta,” Peterson says, “and I feel compelled to share some of that with kids and families across North America, whether they’re living in apart ment buildings or rural places. It’s going back to our roots.” —K.B.

alberta

READERS’ CHOICE

Glass Oil Dispensers by Glass House Xperience

MADE IN CALGARY

$98 ghxperience.com

Glass-blowing is not for the faint of heart. Dating back to the first century, the technique involves heating silica, soda lime and potash until it becomes molten at 2,150˚F. Glass-blowers then add air through a metal pipe, inflating the glass to the desired shape.

Mandy Patchin’s introduction to glass-blowing came in 2011 after sign ing up for a class on a whim. She immediately fell in love. She opened Canada’s only mobile glass studio in a 40-foot truck, insulating the equipment with refractory material in order to withstand the high temperatures. Patchin continues to use the truck to create and teach her art. She also works out of Fascapple Glass and another private studio.

The idea of working with molten glass may be scary for some; for Patchin, it’s the opposite. “I love glass-blowing because it’s methodical and medita tive,” she says.

Patchin focuses mainly on functional glass art — pieces designed for common purposes such as eat ing, drinking and cooking. The olive oil bottles she creates are some of her most popular items.

“Personally, I always cook with oil, so if I have it in a nice bottle, then it’s something nice to look at on the counter,” she says. Avenue readers seemed to agree, voting Patchin’s glass oil dispensers the winner of this year’s Readers’ Choice Award. Unlike the other judged categories in the Made in Alberta Awards, this award is decided entirely by the public.

It’s no easy feat to curate such a dedicated fol lowing, but Patchin has managed to do so through constant engagement with customers and dedica tion to growing with her work. “The other thing I love about glass is all the various techniques and colour applications, which leads to a lifetime of learning,” she says. “It took thousands of years for glass to evolve, and you can only master a tech nique with replication.” —K.B.

PHOTO BY JARED SYCH

2022 RUNNERS-UP

1 Azure Dream Cloud Multi-Acid Recovery Fusion by Pura Botanicals

Made in Edmonton

Runner-Up: Beauty

This lotion-serum hybrid sloughs off dead skin cells while softening the skin’s appearance. $122, purabotanicals.ca

2 Smudge Candle by Land of Daughters

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans

An alternative to burning real smudge bundles to cleanse your spaces, this coconut and soy wax candle has an herbal and sage scent and a lead-free cotton wick.

$30 to $44, landofdaughters.com

3 Blueberry Vanilla Bean Cider by True North Cider Co.

Made in Camrose

Runner-Up: Alcoholic Drink

A custom apple blend cider that ferments for at least six weeks before it’s sweetened with blueberry juice and aged with vanilla. $4 to $5, truenorthcider.com

4 Gradient Vodka Soda by Gradient Beverages Corp.

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Alcoholic Drink

These canned cocktail beverages made with Western Canadian-sourced vodka and Rocky Mountain water come in an array of alcohol strengths, from three to seven per cent. $12 to $26, drinkgradient.com

5 Métis Beadwork by Rose & Clover Beadwork

Made in Rocky View County

Runner-Up: Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans

These jewellery designs feature glass beads and caribou or moose hides that have been traditionally tanned, as well as modern materials like Ultrasuede and leatherette.

$10 to $300, rose-and-clover-beadwork. myshopify.com

6 Rattan Basket Wall Decor Set by JennyCraftsbyJJC

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Craft Wall-decor placemats handwoven with rattan straw from Indonesia, featuring intricate patterns that showcase artist Jenny Cheng’s meticulous weaving techniques. $185, jennycraftsbyjjc.com

7 Siyanda Conscious Wear by Siyanda

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Fashion and Accessories With this ethically handcrafted clothing made with organic hemp and cotton, you can literally wear your values on your sleeve. $58 to $178, siyandaconsciouswear.com

8 Queen Bee Honey Blond by XhAle Brew Co. Inc

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Alcoholic Drink Alberta’s first all-women and queerowned-and-operated brewing company’s collaboration with Fallentimber Meadery is a Belgian blond beer made with Alberta dandelion honey. $20 to $23, xhale-brew-co.myshopify.com

9 Caf-A-OK Body Lotion by Lowen’s Skincare

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Beauty Deemed “lotion that makes you happy,” this all-purpose hand and body lotion is infused with cocoa butter and coffee-oil extract. $22, lowens.ca

10 Hairpipe Necklace by Oji Creations

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans Saulteaux/Métis artist Autumn Whiteway’s necklaces are made of bone or horn hairpipe beads, and are smudged before being sent to customers. $50, oji-creations.square.site

11 Wild Rose Ring by NVR NUDE

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Fashion and Accessories Made with 14-karat white and yellow gold and adorned with diamonds surrounding an imprint of a wild rose, this elegant ring showcases the beauty of Alberta. $4,500 to $5,500, nvrnude.com

12 Memorial Glass Keepsakes by Glass House Xperience Made in Calgary Runner-Up: Craft

A heartfelt way to memorialize someone special as a work of art, these blown-glass keepsakes are custom-created for clients using the cremated ashes of their loved ones. $70 to $325, ghxperience.com

13 Leather Wallet by Open Air Options

Made in Grande Prairie Runner-Up: Craft

Created by police officer Ash Browne, these wallets made with vegetable-tanned leather are designed specifically to hold a police badge. $120, openairoptionscanada.wordpress.ca

14 Badlands Vest by C. Heritage Co. Made in Calgary

Runner-Up : Fashion and Accessories

From the apparel division of firefighterfounded Calgary Heritage Roasting Co., this piece of outerwear has been field-tested on hikes, fishing trips and other adventures. $340, calgaryheritageroastingco.com

15 Shampoo and Conditioner Bars by Jack59 Inc.

Made in Edmonton

Runner-Up: Beauty

Métis entrepreneur Vanessa Marshall's sulfate-free bars (winner of this year’s Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans) come in multiple options for nearly every hair type. $20, jack59.ca

alberta awards.ca

BY

16 The Jumbo Basin Basket by Baskets&BowlsShop

Made in Okotoks

Runner-Up: Furnishings and Home Decor

These eco-friendly, handcrafted rope baskets come in three sizes and are made with 100-per cent unbleached cotton rope. $85 to $275, basketsandbowlsshop. patternbyetsy.com

17 Stone Age Oatmeal by Stoked Oats

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Savoury Food

Maybe oatmeal isn’t a dish that typically gets you excited, but our judges felt otherwise about this oatmeal, which has flavourful pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and walnuts. $11.99, stokedoats.com

18 Mighty Pine Mixers by Mighty Pine Collective Corp.

Made in Strathmore

Runner-Up: Non-Alcoholic Drink

This zero-proof drink also makes for the beginning of a great cocktail, in flavours that include Peach Cobbler, Prairie Punch, Blueberry Basil and our judges’ favourite, Rhubarb Habenero.

$16 to $18, mightypinemixers.com

19 The Oliver Table by MollyWolly Woodworking Inc.

Made in Spruce Grove

Runner-Up: Furnishings and Home Decor

Incorporating modern and traditional joinery and clean lines, this timeless piece is durable enough to withstand seasonal humidity changes and household wear and tear.

$3,500 to $5,000 mollywollywoodworking.com

20 2021 ‘Sweet’ Botanical Beer Vinegar by Marigold Manufacturing

Made in Aldersyde

Runner-Up: Savoury Food

Made from fermented and oxygenated craft beer, this vinegar captures the nuance and complexity of Alberta produce through the addition of farm-grown botanicals. $15, marigoldmfg.com

21 Frozen Haskap Fruit by Rosy Farms

Made in Edmonton

Runner-Up: Sweet Food

These haskaps from organic and regenerative farming operation Rosy Farms are 100-per cent Alberta-made, including the packaging. The northern superfood boasts three times the antioxidants and five times the antiinflammatory properties of blueberries. $9, rosyfarms.com

22 Bolo Classics Triple Chocolate Cake by Bolo Cakery

Made in Calgary

Runner-Up: Sweet Food

This three-layer chocolate cake has been called “an experience” by loyal customers for its ganache filling made with organic cream and dark Callebaut chocolate, enveloped by Bolo’s signature Swiss-meringue buttercream. $89 to $178, bolocakery.com

23 Butter Chicken Sauce by The Curryer Pakistani Kitchen Made in Calgary Runner-Up: Savoury Food This Halal-certified sauce is rich with the unique flavours of Pakistani cuisine. $7.95, thecurryer.ca

24 Organic Teas by Jolene’s Tea House Made in Banff

Runner-Up: Non-Alcoholic Drink

Tea houses have a rich history in the Canadian Rockies. Jolene’s Tea House teas allow Albertans to create the experience at home with blends such as Banff Breakfast, Alberta Rose Sencha and Creamy Earl Grey. $16 to $19 each, jolenesteahouse.com

25 All Purpose Cleaner & Concentrate by :AM Cleaning YYC Made in Calgary Runner-Up: Unique Product Free from toxins and artificial fragrances, these plant-based cleaning products are infused with orange, peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils. $20 to $30, amcleaningproducts.com

26 Kokedama by Atelier Secret

Kokedama! Made in Calgary Runner-Up: Unique Product Maker Cece Chow uses the traditional Japanese planting technique that emphasizes the structure and nature of plants by growing them in a moss-covered soil ball, called a kokedama, rather than a typical pot. $40 to $400, kokedama.ca

27 Friceys Prairie Fruit Pops by Broken Tine Orchard

Made in Beaverlodge

Runner-Up: Sweet Food

These creamsicle treats are made entirely with Alberta ingredients, including sugar from sugar beets, ice cream from Foothills Creamery and haskap berries from Broken Tine Orchard, a fourth-generation farm and winery.

$4.20 to $4.50, brokentineorchard.ca

28 Rocky Mountain Tisane by Rocky Mountain Tisane Company Made in Calgary Runner-Up: Non-Alcoholic Drink These refreshing drinks are certified organic, vegan, and sugar-, sweetener- and gluten-free, with zero carbs and calories, and come in four flavours: Hibiscus Cinnamon, Lemon Ginger, Fruit Infusion and Mountain Chai.

$2.99 each, rockymountaintisane.com

29 The Armory by GOLFwood

Made in Edmonton

Runner-Up: Furnishings and Home Decor For the avid duffers out there: this sophisticated take on a golf locker is equipped with ample shelving and has divoted, oil-rubbed doors.

$4,325 to $5,800, golfwood.ca

30 The Blessing Blanket by Blue Eyed Buffalo Inc. Made in Okotoks

Runner-Up: Unique Product More than just a baby blanket, this lovely keepsake tells a visual story through art on one side, while the other side is inscribed with narrative blessings. $130, blueeyedbuffalo.ca

MEET THE JUDGES

KAREN ASHBEE

Furnishings and Home Decor

Karen Ashbee is the Calgary city editor for Western Living and a regular con tributor to Avenue. She holds a degree in marketing and economics from the University of Guelph and formerly developed major national accounts for beauty and lifestyle clients at Flare magazine. She also writes for the Globe and Mail and covered the first Saut Hermès event at Paris’ Grand Palais for Bombardier magazine.

MARIE BERTRAND

Beauty

As Chief Creative Officer of SkinScience, Marie Bertrand has more than 20 years of experience in the skin-care industry. Prior to founding SkinScience, Bertrand worked in management for L’Oreal Canada, developing skin-care training programs for cosmeticians and dermatologists throughout Canada. In 2018, Bertrand launched her own skin care line, Aliquote Skin.

CARMEN CHENG

Savoury Food

Carmen Cheng comes from a long line of food-lovers and notorious over-orderers. She loves learning about different cultures through understand ing and honouring their culinary stories. She shares her food adventures on various forms of media including print, online, radio and TV. When she’s not eating, cooking or talking about food, Cheng works as a talent strategies leader in Calgary.

QUIN CHEUNG Craft

The mind, heart and hands behind Quinspired Ceramics, Quin Cheung makes minimalist, functional pottery inspired by her Asian heritage. She be lieves that, when the items we eat and drink from are thoughtful and beautiful, it makes us more present in the moment to enjoy more deeply and appreciate the little things that make our everyday. Her gold whisky tumbler won the Made in Alberta Awards Craft category in 2021.

DAN CLAPSON

Sweet Food

The Globe and Mail’s restaurant critic and columnist for the Prairies, Dan Clapson is also co-founder of the media and events company Eat North. The award-winning writer has contributed to Out Magazine, Air Canada enRoute, Eater, Vice, the Calgary Herald and others. His first cookbook, co-authored by Twyla Campbell, is set to be released nationally in late 2023 through Appetite by Random House.

CANDY LAM

Non-Alcoholic/Alcoholic Drinks

Candy Lam is co-founder of the bever age company Parch, a runner-up in the Made in Alberta Awards Non-Alcoholic Drink category in 2021. After immigrating to Calgary as children, Lam and her sister/co-founder, Joyce Lam, created Parch to maintain a connection to their Chinese roots and traditions by sharing their culture and wellness practices through herbal tea-based products.

JOCELYN LAMOTHE

Amy Willier Award

Jocelyn Lamothe is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Born and raised in the Edmonton area, her ancestry is traced back through the Peace River area, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She creates traditional beaded works under the name Willow Rose Beads from a studio space in her home in Spruce Grove, Alta. Her Willow Rose creations were awarded the inaugural Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans in 2021.

MELANIE LOVE

Unique Product

Melanie Love is a SheEO Activator, supporting Canadian women-led busi nesses. She is also a 10-year contributor to the Calgary Stampede, previously vice-chairing the Western Showcase Creative Arts & Crafts sub-committee and currently on the Downtown Attrac tions Committee. In 2016, she led a team to pitch the idea for a craft market at the Calgary Stampede that ultimately became the Maker Market.

TONY MARSHALL

Sweet Food

Tony Marshall is president and cofounder of Highwood Crossing Foods, which was named one of Canada’s Top 20 Artisan Food Producers. Marshall has served on the board of directors for the Canadian Organic Growers Association and he and his Highwood Crossing co-founder and wife, Penny, were also named Canadian Food Heroes by Slow Food Canada.

KRISTEN MCKAY

Furnishings and Home Decor

Kristen McKay grew up in Banff and Canmore and worked for more than 20 years in the destination resort hotel industry. In 2020, she started Camp Four, a luxury, small-batch, handmade candle company. She is passionate about the craft of candle-making, creating highquality products and fragrances that awaken the senses. She is the mother of three girls and lives with her husband and beloved Boston terrier in Banff.

made in alberta

TARA COWLES

Beauty

Makeup artist and beauty entrepreneur Tara Cowles is the founder and director of Artists Within Makeup Academy and the creator of the makeup line AW03 Maquillage, which she launched nearly 15 years ago. AW03 is available at the Artists Within storefront location in Calgary, as well as at various Alberta salons and online at artistswithin.com.

HAITHEM ELKADIKI

Fashion and Accessories

Libyan-born Haithem Elkadiki challenges the norm in Canadian fashion with sleek fits, bold colours, loud prints and mega-sexy swimwear for men through his label, KaaDiki. His collections have shown at Berlin Fashion Week and Toronto L’Oréal Fashion Week, and have been worn by Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman. He is a graduate of The International Academy of Merchan dising and Design in Toronto.

YVONNE JOBIN

Amy Willier Award

Yvonne Jobin is Cree First Nations origi nally from High Prairie, now residing in Calgary. She is the owner of Moonstone Creation, a gallery she started with her daughter, the late Amy Willier, namesake of the Made in Alberta Award for Indigenous Artisans. Jobin’s knowl edge of traditional Native culture and spirituality is reflected in her artwork, which is in private and public collections in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

KELLY JUBENVILL

Unique Product

An advocate for all things local, Kelly Jubenvill supports Alberta small businesses and non-profits with creative, fast and affordable project and operations solutions through her consulting practice, Solve4 Results Ltd. She helped develop and chair the Calgary Stampede’s Maker Market and spent two years chairing Your Brain on Art, a fundraiser for the Branch Out Neurological Foundation.

OWEN KIRKALDY Non-Alcoholic/Alcoholic Drinks

Owen Kirkaldy is president and education director of the Edmonton Homebrewers Guild, a Master-ranked BJCP Judge, and has acted as an instruc tor in beer-judging preparation courses. He has been a judge at the BC Beer Awards, Canadian International Beer Awards and Northern Lands Festival, and is co-founder and head judge of the Alberta Beer Awards.

Fashion and Accessories

Ropa Mupambwa is a fashion designer and founder of CELYN ROZE, a shoe company that offers its vibrant designs in five different heel heights. Mupambwa wants people to feel beautiful and confident in any shoe of any heel height, in any colour. She aspires to change the shoe industry, one heel at a time.

MATTHEW PENNER

Savoury Food

Matt Penner has worked in the natural foods industry for over 15 years and is currently category management lead & manager of e-commerce for Community Natural Foods (CNF). He believes that, with a commitment to people and the planet, we can truly make change in the world, focusing on reducing packaging and sustainable ingredient sourcing. The CNF core value that he resonates with most is radical transparency.

JASEN ROBILLARD Unique Product

Jasen Robillard is the founder and creative source behind the Calgarybased StumpCraft wooden jigsaw puzzle studio. His whimsical creations featuring Canadian fine art are collected by art patrons and puzzle fans worldwide, and were a category-winner in last year's Made in Alberta Awards. He enjoys chatting philosophy over local craft beer, playing disc golf and board games, and enjoying the great outdoors.

NICHOLE WINDBLAD

Craft

As producer/director of the Art Market Art & Craft Sale, a position she took on in 2020, Nichole Windblad believes in supporting fine art and craft, and serving both consumers and the artisan community. She is a former co-owner of a construction company with her husband and was head horticulturist for a private golf course for 10 years. She is the mother of two adventurous, fabulous boys.

alberta awards.ca

ROPA MUPAMBWA

LISA TERRY BOLO CAKERY CALGARY

Lisa Terry has decorated Bolo Cakery with vibrant colours, paintings and plants so that customers feel the same joy when they’re choosing a cake as she does when she’s mak ing them. Despite being away from the public eye, the back kitchen, where Terry spends much of her time, is no different. Neon green walls surround five fridges, rainbow spatulas and all the other equip ment the baking team of two require to create their artful cakes.

made in alberta

PHOTOS BY JARED SYCH

BY KENDALL BISTRETZAN

MEET THE MAKERS

Take a peek inside the creative workspaces of some of the makers behind this year’s winners and runners-up.

BRAD NEILSON IRON HIDE WOODWORKS EDMONTON

Behind Iron Hide Woodworks’ Edmonton showroom lies a 2,700-square-foot work shop where Brad Neilson meticulously crafts his signature piece, The Architect Metal and Walnut Dining Table, along with other custom works. Moving such massive furniture around is no easy feat, which makes the 10-foot-tall overhead crane not just a favourite feature of the space, but a necessity.

PHOTO BY COOPER & O’HARA

CECE CHOW ATELIER SECRET KOKEDAMA! CALGARY

Cece Chow crafts kokedama — plants growing in moss-covered soil balls — in a garden paradise. Or at least, her sun-filled workspace sure looks like one, with large windows and sprawling plants. “I’ve designed it so that when people come in, it feels like you’re out doors,” she says. “Especially in winter, it feels alive with plants rather than cold and barren.”

made in alberta

BY JARED SYCH

KARI WOO DRAW THE LINE JEWELRY COCHRANE

in alberta awards.ca

COLIN WAY

Kari Woo’s home workspace is made up of three distinct areas: a bright design studio, which houses her mini library, design archive, mixed media materials and current projects; a garage studio that acts as a high-action production space; and a separate shipping and receiving zone, where her studio assistant works. While Woo loves all of them, her favourite spot is at her design table when the afternoon light is streaming in.

MANDY PATCHIN GLASS HOUSE XPERIENCE CALGARY

Mandy Patchin of Glass House Xperience alternates between her mobile studio in a 40-foot moving truck and a rental space, pictured here, for local glass artists. “I like being [at the rental space] because it’s less stressful,” she explains. “I don’t have to worry about equipment failures and staffing. I can just go in and create, which can be methodical, medita tive and creative.”

made in alberta

PHOTOS BY JARED SYCH

Corinne Schurmann works from the bright, secluded loft of her home. With a white board to keep organized, a printing area and shelving unit, and two vintage sewing machines, Schurmann has everything she needs to handcraft her baskets, bowls, trivets and trays, all made from 100-per cent raw, unbleached cotton rope.

BY RENATO PAGNANI

CREATIVE ROYALTY

Twice a year, artists and de signers, most from Edmon ton, some from Calgary, a few coming from as far as Skookumchuck, B.C., con verge at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre in Edmonton for the Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair.

Founded by illustrator Raymond Biesinger, the vendor-run fair showcases goods ranging from ceramics to leather work and jewellery. Today, the market is one of the most famous of its kind on the prairies, but it wasn’t always destined for such heights. In fact, in 2009, after only operating for two years, the Royal Bison nearly came to an end.

Vikki Wiercinski was a vendor at the time, and she recalls the day Biesinger an nounced via email that he was moving to Montreal, and that the Royal Bison would cease when he left Edmonton. “A few of us immediately emailed Raymond back and were like, ‘You can’t do this, the Royal Bison means so much to everybody!’” Wiercinski says. “We refused to accept its death.”

Those vendors, including Wiercinski, ended up inheriting the fair, which is now in its 15th year, albeit with a two-year pause of in-person events due to the pandemic. Wiercinski is one of six current or former Bison vendors that make up the current organizing team. “When we took over the fair, it wasn’t what it is today,” explains Wiercinski. “We were lucky if 500 people came through over a whole weekend ... but it was perfect timing, in a sense.”

The focus on art and design continues to be a foundation of Royal Bison. Food and beverage applicants are redirected to the adjacent Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market as a better fit. “Edmonton has excellent artand-design programs, but when students

graduate, they realize there aren’t a lot of jobs out there as creative as they want,” Wiercinski says. “Creatives learn quickly that we have to make our own projects — that’s extremely ‘Edmonton’ to me.”

Wiercinski attributes the continued suc cess of the market to a deliberate, measured approach to growth. “The fair has grown very slowly and organically,” she says. “It still takes place in the same venue where it began, and that’s intentional. We’ve kept it stable — it only happens twice a year — and that gives people enough time to come up with new ideas and create new work.”

Being vendor-run also gives the Royal Bison an edge among other arts and crafts fairs. “The Royal Bison isn’t run by business people,” says Wiercinski. “I can’t think of another craft fair in Western Canada of this size that is vendor-run.”

The organizers’ efforts are in pursuit of a simple goal: supporting local maker culture in Edmonton. “If you don’t support it, it will fade away,” says Wiercinski. “It’s hard to be an independent maker. It takes a lot of hard work, but it also takes a lot of support from

your community. You need an appreciative audience that says, ‘This is made locally, and that’s something we value.’”

Co-organizer Emily Chu, a commer cial illustrator and maker of art products, echoes Wiercinski’s sentiment. “I already feel like we have a strong art community, but it’s a lot of work to sustain and grow that kind of culture,” Chu says. “We want to make sure the community stays vibrant and supports artists so that they can achieve great things.”

Chu began selling indie comic books at the Royal Bison in 2014. Her adminis trative role has focused on community outreach — connecting with vendors who would be a good fit with the Royal Bison ethos — along with other general tasks.

Chu also creates gift guides that highlight the vendors and their wares. “We put the focus on vendors,” says Chu. “The Royal Bison is a platform for small businesses, and we do everything we can to support these small businesses, from keeping table fees as low as possible to making sure friends are able to set up next to each other.”

Chu, who also serves on the Edmonton Arts Council Equity Committee, sees the Royal Bison as a locus of creativity. “Royal Bison [is] an opportunity for experimenta tion. People try new and unique things, usually in very small runs. Sometimes, you’ll see something at the Royal Bison and there are only two or three of that thing in the whole world — and that’s special.”

At the end of the day, it’s about build ing community. “The Royal Bison is really the story of the artists,” says Chu. “We’re just here to help artists build a connection with an audience. If we can help foster that relationship, we’ve succeeded.”

made in alberta

With its singular focus on art and design, Edmonton’s Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair is like no other market on the prairies.

“SOMETIMES, YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING AT THE ROYAL BISON AND THERE ARE ONLY TWO OR THREE OF THAT THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD — AND THAT’S SPECIAL.” EMILY CHU

THE

ROYAL BISON MARKET RUNS NOVEMBER

TO

AND DECEMBER 2 TO 4, 2022; ROYALBISON.CA

PHOTOS

BY ASPEN ZETTEL

BY MICHAELA REAM

MAKERS PAST CALGARY BREWING AND MALTING CO.

How a legendary 19th-Century beer got a New Lease on life.

Left: The Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, established in 1892 by A.E. Cross.

Below: Village Brewery’s updated session ale inspired by the original Calgary Export Lager.

In 1884, a young veterinarian named Alfred Ernest Cross moved from Montreal to Alberta and found work on a ranch. One year later, Cross founded his own ranch, naming it A7 Ranche after himself and his six siblings. Located near Nanton, it remains in the Cross family today.

Cross also had a keen eye for opportunity and communitybuilding. He was a founding member of the Ranchmen’s Club and one of the “Big Four” founders of the Calgary Stampede.

Between an accident that left him unfit for ranching, and rumours that Prohibition was coming to an end, Cross saw an opportunity to shift into brewing. He took a brewery appren tice course in Montreal, then returned to Calgary to set his plans in motion. In 1892, Cross incorporated Calgary

Brewing and Malting Company in what was then known as Brewery Flats (now Inglewood).

A year later, the brewery released its flagship Calgary Export Lager (af fectionately known as Calgary Beer) and registered its iconic buffalo head and horseshoe logo. The beer became an instant local favourite, and the brewery grew and flourished as Cross became a certified brewmaster and expanded exports across Canada and into the U.S. Cross even initiated the process of growing barley in Alberta for malting purposes, which, up until then, had always been imported.

The brewery was a key employer for the area and one of the first in the province to provide pension plans and insurance to its employees, as well as Depression-era relief.

Despite surviving both World Wars, another Prohibition and the Great

Depression, by 1961, the company faced insurmountable challenges and was sold to Canadian Breweries. For the next three and a half decades, the brewery continued to change hands until Molson Breweries (The Molson Coors Company) finally took over in 1989. Production of Calgary Beer ceased in 1994. But this wouldn’t be the last of the iconic brew.

In 2021, Village Brewery — one of Calgary’s original craft breweries — collaborated with Molson Coors to revive Calgary Beer. The recipe for the new edition drew inspira tion from the original. The resulting Calgary Craft Lager sold out in just eight weeks.

This year, in celebration of Village Brewery’s 10th anniversary, Calgary Beer is being resurrected again, as what operations team member Mike Boucher calls “an easy-drinking session ale,” made with Albertagrown craft malt. The reimagined logo features a black Angus bull and horseshoe in a nod to the original.

“It’s very important for us to add something to the history of Calgary Beer,” says Village Brewery president Jeff Popiel. “And that’s what craft beer is all about: Taking something old and enjoying it in a new way.”