CITY LIFE STYLE EDMONTON
BE S T DR E S SE D S T Y L E W I T H AT T I T U D E
APRIL 2020 | $4.95
AVENUEEDMONTON.COM
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
— Leonardo da Vinci
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PREMIER
AIR
SEA
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Come for the Action, Stay for the Fun!
3 Exciting Locations in the Edmonton Area! Visit us at cnty.com EDMONTON 13103 Fort Road
LEDUC (Next to EIA) 4711 Airport Perimeter Road
ST. ALBERT 24 Boudreau Road
It’s Pronounced Kez-zick.
Two Brand New Schools, Gordon King Pond, and Stunning Homes from Award-Winning Builders Makes Arbours of Keswick The Place to Live in Southwest Edmonton. ArboursofKeswick.com
We all know that one person, who builds their community. Who helps others achieve their dreams. Who? It’s up to you.
N O M INAT E NOW
N O M I N AT I O N S C L O S E A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 0 Visit Top40Under40.com and help us recognize those who are making Edmonton all it can be. Candidate must be under 40 years old as of November 1, 2020 to be eligible.
Q+A VISIT ART HOMES IN: SOUTH EDMONTON Greenwood at Orchards Laurel Green Maple Crest SOUTHWEST EDMONTON Arbours of Keswick Ridgecrest at Glenridding Ravine WEST EDMONTON Woodhaven Edgemont NORTH EDMONTON Village at Griesbach
PAID ADVERTISEMENT BY ROHIT LAND DEVELOPMENT
QUESTION & ANSWER WITH ART HOMES WE ASKED OWNER ARMAN PANDHER WHY HE’S ONE OF YEG’S FASTEST GROWING HOME BUILDERS
FAMILY BUILDERS ARMAN, NEETU & NIRO
“IN JUST 14 YEARS ART HOMES HAS GROWN FROM A SMALL RESIDENTIAL HOME BUILDER BUILDING JUST A HANDFUL OF HOMES IN ONE COMMUNITY, TO OVER 80 HOMES A YEAR ALL ACROSS EDMONTON”
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
It’s pretty impressive to see a local home builder with a Google Buiness Rating of 4.7 out of 5 and 97% on Homestars. My favourite review is from John who even offers his personal email if you have questions.
97%
“To sum it up. Do your research, talk to builders, ask questions, look at reviews, talk to existing clients and make your decision, we did. And if we were to do it again we’d land at the same builder, ART Homes.”
COMMITMENT TO DETAILS
What makes ART Homes so special is the attention to detail in their home designs, quality of materials, construction and customer experience, it’s something Arman learned as a small builder and maintains to this day. From the large open concept floorplans, to the thoughtful accents and customization, it’s evident he’s a builder who cares. Arman even names home models after important people in his life; the Neetu and Niro in Greenwood at Orchards are named for his wife and son pictured above. DESIGN CENTRE
www.artcustomhomes.ca
You can now pick your finishes in one place! Visit their design center at 9620 27ave NW.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelsey Siemens works at Rohit Land Development, She does Marketing for Urban and Suburban Communities and Builders.
CONTENTS
30
FOOD & DRINK
BEST DRESSED
23
TO DINE FOR A diner with a modern twist, an immersive Japanese restaurant, Sabor’s new St. Albert Bodega and some Persian hibiscus tea. It’s quite the mix.
Our city has never been more in vogue, and our Best Dressed list proves it. Our judges scoured the streets to present Edmonton’s best style and attitude.
by CAROLINE GAULT and BREANNA MROCZEK
DETOURS
18
WORDS & P I CTURES
TREND SETTERS From pop-up swaps to hand-crafted jewellery and Indigenous design — these creators and curators have style to spare.
63 #YEG, ARTIST Q&A, AND CONVERSATION PIECE Max Fawcett recalls one of the greatest ball players to ever swing a bat in the river valley; we look at RE/MAX Field’s own Green Monster.
FEATURE S
58
40
46
52
BOYS OF SUMMER On and off the diamond, these Edmonton products show passion for the great American pastime.
WORKING CLASS DOGS
GRASS ISN’T GREENER Why the perfectly mowed grassy lawn isn’t ideal for a rising number of homeowners.
HIKING BOOTS OPTIONAL Revelstoke is more than a high-octane hotbed. Lay back and enjoy these low-key activities.
by CAROLINE BARLOTT
by LYNDA SEA
by AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL
These professional pooches would like to see you in their office.
ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPHY AARON PEDERSEN; EVA POLIS IS WEARING BLACK CROPPED JACKET BY LANVIN, FROM NORDSTROM RACK; PEARLS FROM BIRKS FINE JEWELRY; CROWN BY JENNIFER BEHR, FROM NET-A-PORTER; GLOVES FROM SWISH; DRESS BY SANDRO, FROM HUDSON’S BAY
COMING IN MAY IT’S THE ANNUAL BEER AWARDS INCLUDED IN A SPECIAL CHEERS SECTION – PINTS, COCKTAILS AND SAKE, OH MY! WE LOOK AT NEIGHBOURHOOD REDESIGN, MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND A PROLIFIC EDMONTON ARCHITECT. 10 avenue A P R I L . 20
GOODBYE , WINTER!
Hope
AV E N U E E D M O N T O N . C O M
made delicious! made delicious!
Where will you be dining on April 22?
Publisher Trudy Callaghan
Where will you be Simply dining 22? goon out April for dinner at one of A Taste for Life's
Associate Publisher Chelsey Swankhuizen
participating restaurants on April 22 and 25% of Simply go out for dinner at one of A Taste For Life’s participating proceeds will be donated to ensure food security for restaurants on Wednesday, April 22 and 25% of proceeds will be Edmonton's most vulnerable.
Hope
Editor Steven Sandor Art Director Kim Larson
donated to ensure food security for Edmonton’s most vulnerable.
Assistant Editor Cory Schachtel
made delicious!
Be sure to indulge dessert... it's for a good cause! Be sure to indulge in dessert... it’sinfor a good cause!
For reservations & restaurants
Digital Editor Kateryna Didukh
Eat and drink for
Production Artist Betty Feniak
Where will you be dining on April 22?
For reservationsatasteforlife.org & restaurants: atasteforlife.org
Editorial Intern Blanca Moreno Contributors Caroline Barlott, Bluefish Studios, Curtis Comeau, Cooper & O’Hara, Matthew Daley, Max Fawcett, Caroline Gault, Nada Govic, Alyssa Habchi, Amy Laing, Avry Lewis-McDougall, Breanna Mroczek, Aaron Pedersen, Colton Ponto, Mel Priestley, Lynda Sea, Jason van Rassel, Colin Way
Simply go out for dinner at one of A Taste for Life's participating restaurants on April 22 and 25% of proceeds will be donated to ensure food security for Edmonton's most vulnerable.
Director of National Sales Lindy Neustaedter
Be sure to indulge in dessert... it's for a good cause!
CHAPTER
THREE
For reservations & restaurants
Account Executives Liz Baynes, Jocelyn Erhardt, Sam Farrell, Brad Kelly, Anita McGillis
Eat and drink for
atasteforlife.org
Sales and Traffic Assistant Adrienne Vanderheyden Accounting Lana Luchianova Production Art Odvod Media Printing Transcontinental Inc. Distribution: GREENLine Distribution Subscriptions (prices plus GST): One year $27.95. Two years $49.95. Three years $69.95. One year American $45.00 ($65 US) Submissions Avenue accepts queries via email for editorial submissions. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Please review writers’ guidelines at www.avenueedmonton.com. Published 12 times/year by Odvod Publishing Inc. Copyright (2020) by Odvod Publishing Inc. Odvod Publishing Inc. is a partnership between Odvod Media Corp. and RedPoint Media Group Inc. REDPOINT MEDIA GROUP INC. President Pete Graves Editor-in-Chief Käthe Lemon
wang
May 1 7:30 pm May 2 7:30 pm May 3 2:30 pm
Triffo Theatre in Allard Hall, MacEwan University tickets: balletedmonton.ca or 780.970.4979
SPECIAL EVENT SATURDAY PERFORMANCE (MAY 2) 6:00pm cocktails, appetizers and silent auction in the lobby. 12 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
Photography by Ryan Parker
wen wei
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions herein do not necessarily represent those of Odvod Publishing, the publisher, Trudy Callaghan or the editor, Steven Sandor. Canadian Publications Mail Product Agreement No. 41354037. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to address below: ODVOD PUBLISHING INC. 10221 123 Street, Edmonton, AB, Canada T5N 1N3 T 780.451.1379 F 780.482.5417 www.odvodpublishing.com info@odvodpublishing.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
I have been on my fair share of red carpets. There was the one time I was writing about a film that debuted at the Sundance International Film Festival, and I got to walk the carpet right next to actor Stephen Root, whom you might recognize as the Swingline stapler-obsessed nerd from Office Space, or as the self-serving handler in the totally binge-watchable HBO series, Barry. (Stephen Root will not remember any of this. I walked behind him by a few steps and we never spoke. Why did I not take a photo? When you are part of an entourage, it’s not cool to blast your entourage-mates with selfies. That’s an unwritten rule of being in an entourage.) There was the time I was invited to a party that featured rock legends Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White. I was on the VIP list, got to walk the carpet, and was ushered into the big party room — or, “the room where the riffraff go and the three stars in question will never enter.” But, lay down a red strip in front of any sort of venue, and people will seize the chance to strut, be glamorous, to show off their favourite pieces of bling. I mean, put your feet on a red carpet and you immediately become conscious of every step you take. Your lagging walk becomes a confident strut.
You unsuccessfully combat the urge to wave at complete strangers. So, this month, Avenue is giving a select group of Edmontonians a chance to walk the red carpet, at least metaphorically. We gathered a panel of local style experts and, without any solicitation on behalf of the candidates, picked a group of people who we felt were the best dressed in the city. We had pages and pages of names, we crept Facebook profiles and checked Instagram photos. We Googled people. We remembered who stuck out at parties, fundraisers and other civic events we’d been to. Then, without any warning, we approached the people who ended up on our final list. We talked about people who looked great at black-tie affairs, those who were casually elegant, those who had a great sense of street style. We understand that “best dressed” can mean very different things to different people. It’s not always about suits and dresses with massive price tags. It’s about combining looks. It’s about attitude. So, Avenue reader, allow me to roll out the red carpet for you. I promise not to send you to the riffraff room. And, yes, if you’re ever in need, I will let you borrow my Swingline stapler.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL SWANSON
MAGIC CARPET RIDE
Steven Sandor Editor steve@odvodpublishing.com RANDOM THOUGHT It’s not too early to think about who might make our Best Dressed list for 2021. Tweet your suggestions to @stevensandor
THE
SAVE DATE
Suit Yourself 12th AnnuAl FundrAiser And AFternoon teA 14 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
Sunday, May 31st, 2020
Visit our website for ticket details
suityourselfclothes.org
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
MIKE CALDWELL KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A FASHION STATEMENT.
This is what Best Dressed looks like at Syncrude What does it take to make safety personal?
F
or Syncrude’s Mike Caldwell, it’s all about finding the right motivation. And there’s no doubt what that is for Mike: his family. After all, they’re the reason he goes to work in the morning and they’re what drive him to get home safe at end of the day. “There’s no better feeling than having my boys run to the door to greet me as I get home from work,” says Mike. As team lead, Mike always puts safety first. “Syncrude has a deep commitment to keeping everyone safe,” adds Mike. “So I try to do my part to always set a good example for my team.” That’s why the first thing he does with each new pair of work gloves he gets — and he’s issued dozens every year — is
“IF WRITING ON MY GLOVES INSPIRES EVEN JUST ONE PERSON TO WORK SAFER, IT WILL BE WORTHWHILE.” —MIKE CALDWELL
grab a marker and write the names of his wife, Jenn, and two sons, Jasper and Ryder, on them. “Having worked all over the upgrader has allowed me to gain a deep understanding and appreciation for what we do in the plant, as well as the various hazards associated with the work,” says Mike. “If writing on my gloves inspires even just one person to work safer, it will be worthwhile.” It turns out Mike’s routine has been inspirational. Many of his colleagues have begun writing their own motivation for working safely on their gloves: loved ones’ names, pets’ names, even the word “retirement.” It’s this blend of personal expression, attention to detail and commitment to safety that, to us, epitomizes the very notion of “dressing well” on the job.
CONTRIBUTORS
Aaron Pedersen @pedersenstudio
Aaron Pedersen started taking pictures 20 years ago when he began photographing his friends skateboarding. Since then he has been working mostly in advertising and fashion. His irreverent, spontaneous style has made him a regular contributor to Avenue magazine.
Avry Lewis-McDougall
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS
@avrysports
@Avry
Podcaster, writer, TV correspondent and a 10-plus year veteran of the media world well before my 30th birthday. I’ve covered everything from the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, CFL, Pan Am Games and even a little bit of rodeo. Seriously! Born and raised in Edmonton with a little stint living in the Centre of the Universe — a.k.a. good old Toronto. One of five Edmonton residents with no interest in riding the Mindbender.
for helping us celebrate Edmonton’s growing culinary scene.
Colton Ponto @coltonponto
Colton Ponto is an Edmonton-based lettering artist and graphic designer. After graduating from MacEwan University, he spent a few years in Edmonton working on magazines, then traveled to Europe and the Middle East for a time. After returning to Canada, he moved to Vancouver for a few years to enjoy the weather and almost year-round access to riding bikes outdoors. Now back in Edmonton, he enjoys spending time with his wife, reading, drawing and being outdoors.
Colin Way
@colinwayphoto
Photographer Colin Way has been commercially shooting in Calgary for over 15 years. Since graduating from ACAD, he has shot for a varied client list including The New York Times, Travel Alberta, Sportsnet and Canadian House & Home. His work has been recognized in Communication Arts, Applied Arts and at the Alberta Magazine Awards.
16 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
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F I E L D W O R K C O. CRAFTSMAN I S A AC H A I N E S
DESIGN
H A N DS O N
GUIDED BY A DEEP sense of curiosity and initiative, Edmonton’s Isaac Haines is decidedly hands-on when it comes to developing his fine goods line, Fieldwork Co. (fieldworkco.com). As a fly fisherman, it all started with the need for a tool roll that could easily be stored on his motorcycle during fishing trips to the mountains. After months of research to no avail, he decided to make his own; he bought a cheap sewing machine, a block of beeswax and linseed oil, painted his own formula blend onto the cotton canvas, and infused it into the fibres using his wife’s hair dryer. “Tada! I had waxed canvas,” he recalls. He added brass rivets, leather wrap detail (“Essentially, all the elements I love,” he says), and carefully filled the tool roll with a curated selection of motorcycle tools. “It cost me way more than any tool roll I could have bought online, but it was exactly what I wanted — and needed. It was rugged, durable and, in my opinion, beautiful.” In the three years since, the self-taught, 29-year old craftsman has created tobacco pipe travel pouches, leather belts, journals, camera straps, key chains, coasters, carpenter aprons, backpacks and, most recently, a Cypress wood, patchouli and lavender beard oil, made in collaboration with Edmonton’s MacDuff’s Soap Company. It appears that to get tailored, quality products you truly love, you have to put in the fieldwork. — Caroline Gault 18 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
photography AARON PEDERSEN
S E L F - TA U G H T C R A F T S M A N C R E AT E S ACCESSORIES FOR THE ROAD
E C O-FA SH IO N
TI M E LE S S Y ET TE M P O R A RY P O P - U P S H O P S B R E AT H E L I F E INTO SECOND-HAND CLASSICS
BÉTON BRUT DESIGNED BY AMA NDA NOGIER
DESIGN
B E AUTI FU L B R UTA LIT Y
p h o t o s C A R E Y S H AW ; P I N K B LU S H P H OTO G R A P H Y
J E W E L L E RY A N D I N D U S T R I A L DESIGN COLLIDE FIVE YEARS AGO, Amanda Nogier started selling handmade concrete jewellery at a student-run pop-up shop during her bachelor of design at the University of Alberta; today, the industrial designer’s customer base stretches across the world. From her Saskatoonbased studio, she ships one-of-a-kind earrings, necklaces, rings and home decor items across Canada and the United States, Australia, Japan and even Russia. Fittingly coined Béton Brut (betonbrutdesign.com), meaning “raw concrete” in French, the line is inspired by the Brutalist architectural movement, known for its use of common materials, social idealism and longevity. Surprisingly lightweight, Nogier’s 3D-esque Lavalier earrings particularly seem to have “hit the mark,” she says, as over 10,000 people liked them on Design Milk’s Instagram feed late last year. “It’s about balance and symmetry,” she explains. “When you experience a Brutalist building in life it has a kind of rigid, organic flow to it, as you walk through. There are surprising nooks and corners and patterns that you find along the way.” In Edmonton, find Béton Brut stocked at Hideout Distro, Arturo Denim Co., Shop Chop and the Royal Alberta Museum. — Caroline Gault
EVERYTHING OLD becomes new again — and, in the case of increasingly popular eco-fashion trends, everything used is replacing the new. Along with growing awareness around the environmental impact of fast fashion, clothing swaps are more in demand than ever — and Edmonton is joining the movement. Unlike traditional stores, these offer more accessible ways to expand your wardrobe and curate a unique style, without a massive hit to your wallet. “If something is already out there in the world, it’s important to me to ensure this garment is reused as much as possible, and locally,” says Jennifer McConaghy, the founder of Life Preloved. “If you donate, but continue to buy new, that’s still wrong — because now we have this excess supply of clothing and no idea what to do with it.” McConaghy began reselling pre-owned clothes and offering closet cleanout services over two years ago, but has been thrifting since long before “it was cool.” It all started with posting online the pieces she left behind during her thrift hauls, and helping a friend clean out her closet. Now, McConaghy is regularly organizing her Swap Studios events all over the city. “It was a way to keep clothing circulating in the community,” says McConaghy. “But, this year, they really blew up.” McConaghy has partnered up with local businesses, like MOD Uncorked and Tipsy Palm, arranging these events at almost no cost to attendants. Each year, she also acts as a speaker at Edmonton’s Fashion Revolution Week, which explores overconsumption, waste and ethical labour conditions in the fashion industry.
JENNIFER MCCONAG H Y
“Fashion is a very tangled web, and it can be really upsetting once you dive deep,” says McConaghy. “You need to focus on what’s important to you — whether it’s using recyclable textiles or using more natural fibres, et cetera.” While thrifting is making a small dent in diversion of fashion waste, the stigma around second-hand stores like Value Village still persists. “We need to show people what you can find there and not be embarrassed about it,” says McConaghy. Not surprisingly, the accessibility of cheap and mass-produced clothing makes it hard for consignment shops to compete with the mainstream industry. Robin Hobal, a founder of Mina Consignment, which specializes in boutique-style clothing, knows that reselling pieces from brands that already offer low prices doesn’t work — which is why she only accepts brands like Lululemon, Aritzia and Rebecca Minkoff, which have the best resale value. Hobal also hosts “shopping parties” for up to 10 people — and, last October, she organized her first pop-up shop at The Creative Hive, in partnership with Vida Consignment. “Thrifting has become incredibly trendy,” says Hobal. “Everyone is looking for the next great find.” — Kateryna Didukh AvenueEdmonton.com
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FA SH ION
MODERN INDIGENOUS DEREK JAGODZINSKY SEEKS EXPRESSION A N D U N I T Y T H R O U G H FA S H I O N
DEREK J AG O D Z I N S K Y AND HIS R AINBOW WA R R I O R S COLLECTION
20 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
GROWING UP on Whitefish Lake First Nation, Derek Jagodzinsky was always interested in art and design. But he doesn’t recall a particular person or influence that guided him to his current path as founder of LUXX Ready To Wear — a clothing designer is pretty much what he’s always been. Talking in his downtown loft, surrounded by fabric and clothing made from elk, buckskin and even fish leather (with classical music playing softly in the background), Jagodzinsky reflects on his 10th year as a Cree fashion creator. “I feel like I’ve found my voice, and it’s what I would call a modern Indigenous vibe. Each collection is an ideal version of real life,” he says. “Growing up, it wasn’t very in vogue to be Indigenous, and that’s kind of why I do it, to create a new visual language to help strengthen new Indigenous identity.”
His voice has certainly found an audience, with his designs being featured in Western Canada Fashion Week, as well as the Native Fashion Now exhibit that toured throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian National Museum. But he finds his biggest challenge is the same all independent designers face. “Due to mass production, I feel like fashion is a dying art, and that’s really sad. It’s appreciated by some people, but Gucci, Armani and Versace and all those remain at the forefront because they have huge financial backing.” The idea of overcoming the destruction done by the rich and powerful is not just familiar to Jagodzinsky, it’s something he’s used to fuel his art. His 2019 Spring/Summer Rainbow Warriors Collection’s theme was based around a prophecy about everyone coming together
at a time of planetary destruction — led largely by profit-seeking corporations — to restore harmony between people and the Earth. “It’s certainly apocalyptic, but it’s also trying to be inspiring, to say we have to work together to fix what’s been done here. Because the environment is not just an Indigenous thing, it’s a human thing.” Jagodzinksy grabs a print that sums up that cultural cohesion in a single image: The encircled busts of two women, one Indigenous, one Japanese, facing each other, expressing the same sentiment in their different languages. “They’re both saying, ‘We will succeed,’” he says. “It’s a dialogue between them, and a mantra for all nations. Because we’re all different tribes, but we’re all together and, as Cree people, we want to share our culture.” — Cory Schachtel
AvenueEdmonton.com 2 1
Light Touch Reiki Therapy
For Mind, Body and Soul Email reikikathy@gmail.com and book your appointment today! #203, 10340 - 121 Street (2nd Level, Best Buds Flowers)
By HENRY LEWIS, JONATHAN SAYER, & HENRY SHIELDS Directed by ADAM MEGGIDO In Association with Arts Club Theatre Company, Vancouver The North American Premiere of the hit MISCHIEF THEATRE Production
APR 11– MAY 3, 2020 The Cornley University Drama Society tries to mount a production of JM Barrie’s fantastic tale Peter Pan, but anything that can go wrong, does. You’ve never seen anything like this brilliant display of sheer comedic mayhem before. Ages 8+.
CALL US TODAY! 780.425.1820 • citadeltheatre.com 22
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FOOD&DRINK
N E W & N O TA B L E + T O D I N E F O R + T R I E D & T R U E + F O O D B I T E S + B E E R + W I N E + C O C K TA I L S
Dorinku Osaka
Maybe even more so than its sister restaurant on Whyte Avenue, Dorinku Osaka is like walking into a Japanese amusement park. You are greeted by rows upon rows of lucky cats, paws waving, like you might be walking into a Jordan Peele movie. There are Japanese video games in the back corner. A bar filled with sake and Japanese whiskeys dominates the centre of the main dining room, and it’s covered in a beautiful pagoda-style roof. It’s like a pavilion within the restaurant. In the back, behind a row of vending machines dispensing Japanese sodas and other sweet drinks, is the ramen room, a steamy spot where you line up for the broth in a setting that feels like one of the street scenes from the original Blade Runner. >
photography CURTIS COMEAU
KUSHI KATSU
NEW & NOTABLE
AvenueEdmonton.com
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FOOD&D R I N K
NEW & NOTABLE
Royale Burgers & Beer Designed as a 1950s diner, Royale Burgers transports you to a bygone era — with one modern twist. Instead of retro posters, here you can spot graffiti on the walls. If you’re in need of comfort food and a setting quiet enough to let you hear the conversation, this burger joint provides a safe haven in a sea of buzzing downtown dining spots. You can expect the burgers to be fresh — the local grass-fed beef is cured and ground in-house. The spacious and well-lit restaurant also serves craft beers and a rotating selection of house-made doughnuts and pies — and, of course, classic milkshakes. Try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken sandwich with bread and butter pickles, lettuce, tomato and Buffalo hot sauce. It brings just enough kick to give it a rich flavour, yet isn’t spicy enough to leave you breathless. Pair it with the crispy onion rings for a savoury and filling meal. And, if you prefer your burgers with beef, and your comfort food loaded with cheese, consider this: The Royale With Cheese beef burger made especially for you — it comes with plenty of melted aged cheddar and mozzarella. — Kateryna Didukh
10145 104 ST. NW, 780-249-0430, ROYALEYEG.COM
COLOURFUL RAMEN BOWLS, OSAKA STYLE AND DESSERT
ROYALE OLD FASHIONED
experience with Japanese arcade games, anime art and action figures throughout. Dorinku Osaka has a different menu (it focuses on — you guessed it — Osaka street food, which is different than what you’d find in Tokyo) but the vibe is like Dorinku Tokyo’s love of pop culture on steroids. When we dine, I play my own sort of game, fishing out melt-in-yourmouth slices of Wagyu beef out of an addictively good sukiyaki sauce. The Sukiyaki Pot Gozen features tiny potatoes, noodles tied up in bows and asparagus spears in the sauce that’s so salty and sweet good, I spoon it into my mouth after cleaning out all the bits of food. My wife has the Pork Katsu Sando. The meat inside is tender, and the breading is delicate. Noodles in Japanese mayo make for a refreshing side dish. — Steven Sandor
10328 JASPER AVE., 780-761-9990, OSAKA.DORINKU.CA
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p h o t o g r a p h y B LU E F I S H ST U D I O S
> Dorinku Tokyo, located on Whyte Avenue, puts fun into the dining
STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE
DOUGHNUTS MADE IN-HOUSE FRESH DAILY
THE BIG CAM, SERVED ON IN-HOUSEMADE BUNS
YO U C A N E X P E C T T H E B U R G E R S TO B E F R E S H — T H E LO C A L GRASS-FED BEEF IS CURED AND GROUND IN-HOUSE. AvenueEdmonton.com 2 5
FOOD&D R I N K
Bodega St. Albert
NEW NEW &LOCATION NOTABLE
Sabor has been a staple in downtown Edmonton, and was recognized in our March Best Restaurants’ Tried and True category. Bodega, the tapas bar that was launched out of Sabor’s bar, has now expanded to three more locations across Metro Edmonton. The St. Albert spot is located in a strip mall, but the pottery and bulls on the wall, all painted white, create a feeling within the space that’s anything but suburban. We arrive on a Saturday evening, and there’s a small lineup of people waiting for tables or bar spots, but, we’re seated fairly quickly and the servers greet us promptly despite the rush. We’re told by the server that there are slight differences in the menu at each Bodega location, but each has an emphasis on ordering items for the table to share. The Piri Piri Dusted Fried Calamari, perfectly cooked with a bit of heat in the breading, is a wonderful starter. The Serrano Ham Croquettes are creamy and rich on the inside, served with a creamy honey mustard mayo that’s, dare I say, delicate. The tang remains, but the harshness that can come with mustard isn’t there. For the main, we share the Lobster Risotto. The pieces of lobster are significant and the richness of the lobster broth with a dash of tomato sauce offers a great complement. There’s enough left over to take home. One more note: Bodega has an extensive wine list, and posts some of the best pairing possibilities on a chalkboard by the bar each week. But don’t sleep on the cocktails. There’s a gin and tonic menu — five varieties of G&T with different flavourings representing various parts of the world. I tried the Portuguese Gin and Tonic, with ginja, cherries and port wine all added in, and it tasted sour and sweet — almost like a… Long Island Ice Tea? — S.S. 101, 1 HEBERT RD., ST. ALBERT, 587-290-1119, BODEGAYEG.CA
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MEAT CHEESE BOARD
B O D E G A , T H E TA PA S B A R T H AT WA S L A U N C H E D O U T OF SABOR’S BAR, HAS NOW E X PA N D E D TO T H R E E M O R E LO C AT I O N S A C R O S S M E T R O E D M O N TO N .
SABOR’S SEAFOOD PAELLA
BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH MANCHEGO CHEESE
PIRI PIRI PRAWNS
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FOOD&D R I N K
BEER
LOCAL LAGERS TO LOVE
FOXTAIL BREWING ROOKIE SEASON LAGER
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More people around the world drink lagers than any other type of beer, but, for whatever reason, they have often failed to command the attention of craft beer drinkers. In some ways, it’s understandable: After years of monotony from drinking pale lagers like Molson Canadian or Bud, newcomers to craft often skip over lagers as they discover IPAs, sour styles, barrel-aged beers and all kinds of other things they never knew existed. There’s a feeling among many industry watchers that craft lagers may finally get some respect in 2020. It’s about time, I say. As spring turns to summer and the weather gets warmer, I want beers for socializing and refreshment — and lagers deliver on both counts. The sensory adventure of tasting something big, boozy and out there is a genuinely enjoyable aspect of craft beer, but it’s often a oneand-done experience. A bourbon barrelaged imperial stout may be well-crafted, but it’s not refreshing. And having a few usually isn’t advisable, either. If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between lagers and ales, this is an oversimplified — but accurate enough — explanation: Yeast strains used to make ales ferment at higher temperatures, and the process creates compounds that can result in a range of flavours and aromas: Fruity, peppery, candy-like. Lagers, on the other hand, get their characteristic balance and clean finish from yeast that works at cooler temperatures and a longer maturation process. (Lager comes from the German verb lagern, which means “to store.”) There’s a range of styles under the lager umbrella — from light and crisp helles (golden) lagers, to spicy and moderately bitter pilsners, to bold and strong doppelbocks. Keeping the focus on refreshment and socializing, here are a few Alberta-brewed recommendations on the lighter side of the lager family.
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Campio All Malt Lager: This brilliantly clear helles lager strikes a great balance between bready malt and a mildly spicy hop bite. “All malt” in the name means it’s made entirely with malted barley. A key difference between craft lagers and mass-produced ones is that the brewing conglomerates cut costs by reducing the amount of malted grain and adding rice or corn instead. This gives the megabrands a characteristic sweetness that people are accustomed to, but not much else. Foxtail Brewing Rookie Season Lager: This beer pours a slightly darker gold than a helles lager, but is no less easy drinking — remember, darker doesn’t mean heavier! Expect some bready malt up front, with a touch of honey-like sweetness and some mildly spicy hops. Brewsters Mexcellent Cerveza: This beer uses Munich and Vienna malts, which make it a bit darker than a straw-coloured lager and give it some biscuit flavour and caramel sweetness. It finishes light and smooth with a touch of floral and citric hops. (Lime wedge optional.) Fahr Copper: Brauerei Fahr in Turner Valley specializes in traditional German beers, with a focus on lagers. This copper-hued beer resembles an Oktoberfest-style lager, with a pleasant toasted bread-crust quality and caramel malt. The darker profile and toasty trait make it a good pairing with grilled meats, but it has a crisp finish that makes it refreshing and enjoyable on its own.
FOOD BITES
CASK & BARREL Cask & Barrel has been on 104th Street for nearly a decade, but the menu has undergone a full rethink, courtesy of chef Michael MacLean. With an emphasis on local products, MacLean has produced some bar snacks and meals that are influenced by flavours around the world. The braised beef tacos, with pickled cabbage and fresh carrots, feel like a cross between Mexican food and a Vietnamese sub; the stout cheese that’s the staple of Welsh rarebit is delivered through a canister, giving it a foamy texture. And, so far, the quinoa lettuce wraps, which take the chef a couple of days to prepare — soaking the main ingredient and germinating it, that is — are the biggest hits on the menu. — S.S. DISTRICT 102 A new addition to Edmonton City Centre, District 102 is an ultra-modern, openconcept eatery, located next to Landmark Cinemas. The stylish and elegant decor, with ornate engravings, creates a laid-back vibe equally fit for date nights and casual dinners. The restaurant also offers plenty of space for lounging and even a few table games, which makes it perfectly suited for large groups. The menu is built around fried comfort food, snacks and pizzas, and incorporates local ingredients from suppliers like Irvings Farm Fresh, Handy Bakery and Meuwly’s Charcuterie Sausage & Preserves. Try the Pulled Pork + Shrimp Tacos (don’t expect the tacos to be tiny — these are substantial, and generously stuffed with toppings) or Triple Onion Fritters with yellow pepper aioli, which taste like a mini version of a well known guilty pleasure we’ve all indulged in at summer fairs — the Colossal Onion. — K.D.
PULLED PORK + SHRIMP TACOS AND TRIPLE ONION FRITTERS WITH YELLOW PEPPER AIOLI FROM DISTRICT 102
Lotus Cafe & Gallery You’ve heard of English high tea. There are ornate Chinese tea ceremonies. And, tea is also a big part of Japanese culture. But, if you’d like to relax with a pot of tea, served Persian style, try a cafe that’s located above an art gallery (you can take your tea down and browse the gallery). The Lotus Cafe & Gallery is located inside an old house on 124th Street. Handmade Persian carpets surround a few solid-wood tables. And tea is served on rustic wooden trays, with hard saffron
TO DINE FOR
HIBISCUS TEA SERVED WITH SAFFRON CANDY CUBES
candy cubes. It’s the crystallized yellow candy that transforms a tea break into a ritual. It dissolves slowly in the cup. The bright red tea and yellow crystals are beautiful to look at. The red hibiscus tea (ask for it to be served strong) is wonderfully sweet and tart, and a squirt of citrus brings out the sour notes. It’s a great complement to a rich Iranian dish, such as the Gheimeh, a stick-to-your-ribs lamb stew served in a broth of tomato and lime sauce. — S.S.
10321 124 ST. NW, 587-409-8150, LOTUS-GALLERY.COM
WINE
RHINELAND REDS
p h o t o g r a p h y B LU E F I S H ST U D I O S
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German white wine gets all the attention, but Germany also makes a number of impressive red wines that are well worth your attention. You’ll have more luck finding German reds at wine shops than on restaurant lists around Edmonton because they’re still fairly unknown in this part of the world — with one notable exception. The Andreas Bender Pinot Noir has infiltrated several restaurant wine lists and shops around Edmonton. You can find it on the menu at Canteen, Red Ox Inn, Tiramisu Bistro and Chartier, and wine stores like Color de Vino and Bin 104 regularly stock it, too. This is due to efforts made by the wine’s agent, Eberhard Tamm of Enotri Wine Marketing. Tamm brought The Bender Pinot to Alberta a year after he launched Enotri in 2013. Despite German red wine still being relatively obscure to the Alberta consumer, this particular wine is Enotri’s second-best seller — sales of it grew 84 per cent in 2019 alone.
The reason? The Bender Pinot is the best-in-class German red wine, as well as one of the best values of Pinot Noirs on the Alberta market today. “Andreas Bender is extremely skilled, has a great palate and a good understanding of the consumer,” Tamm says. “His policy of reducing yields and only working with 100 per cent healthy, ripe grapes is paying dividends throughout his range. This Pinot’s tannins are firm, ripe and well-integrated. There is a nice touch of balancing acidity, but not as pronounced as in most French Pinot Noir in that price range.” The Bender Pinot is a wonderful flagship wine for showcasing what Germany can do with red grapes, given the proper care and region. Though Pinot is a fickle grape to grow, it also thrives in cooler climates; this is why it predominates Germany’s red grape plantings. Here, Pinot is often labelled under its German name, Spätburgunder, though many producers are adopting the internationally known French name instead.
A few other early-ripening red grapes are grown throughout Germany, including Portugieser and Dornfelder. However, these aren’t planted in nearly the same quantity as Pinot Noir and, due to their relative obscurity outside Germany (and tonguetwister names), they are not exported very often. Still, the local market for German reds has been slowly growing. Juanita Roos, owner of Color de Vino, regularly stocks the Bender Pinot and also brings in other German reds from time to time. “I can recall at least two requests asking specifically if we had any German red wines, so yes — there’s certainly an increase in interest,” Roos says. “Climate change has resulted in sequential harvests of red grapes that are becoming fully ripened to produce wines that are juicy, ripe and less acidic than in in the past. I’d put a coolclimate Spätburgunder from a warmer harvest on a list for a high-quality, fresh, low-alcohol and delicious Pinot Noir option anytime.”
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AMY LAING, Ponytails + Horseshoes •
Judges • MICHAEL MENEGHETTI, Mode Models • DEANNA FITZMAURICE, Virtu Boutique AARON PEDERSEN, Aaron Pedersen Photography • CAROLINE GAULT, Fashion Writer
Photography AARON PEDERSEN • Stylist ALYSSA HABCHI Hair AMY LAING • Makeup NADA GOVIC • Letters COLTON PONTO 30 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
This marks the first year of what promises to be an annual tradition at Avenue Edmonton: A celebration of the city’s BEST-DRESSED. Edmonton is a city constantly striving to be more — more inventive, more diverse, more established — and we’re looking for those of us who stand out, whether it’s in a boardroom, a big gala or hanging out on a Saturday night. So, we gathered a panel of Edmonton fashion experts and combed through a wide, unsolicited array of local fashion mavens with style attitude for our first official celebration of our city’s style.
JANIS IRWIN MOST CHERISHED ITEM “I love the first suit I got at The Helm. I believe I was the second woman that they’d fitted for a suit. It just felt so good to get it tailored to my body and for it to fit so well.”
If you shared a photo on social media during the viral “10 Year Challenge” that closed 2019, you were likely “out-liked” by Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin’s decennial flashback. She’s arguably had the most dynamic style evolution since 2010 and, yet, the present-day rendition of the Edmonton MLA feels the most suiting. Think: Bright, patterned shirts, thrifted ties, tailored men’s suits and a short bouffant of curls atop her head. “I have a closet full of heels that I haven’t touched in years,” she says. While breaking gender norms is one thing she actively fights for at work, Irwin’s personal sense of style appears to be passively inspiring the next generation: “I’ve had a few young people reach out to me and ask me where I buy my suits, and say that they appreciate me for dressing in a ‘non-traditional’ way. If I can show others that it’s OK to dress however you feel most comfortable, then that’s pretty great.” — Caroline Gault
Navy suit by and from THE HELM CLOTHING; floral shirt by DENIM & FLOWER, from WINNERS; floral tie, thrift store find; socks by FRIDAY SOCK CO., from MAJESTY AND FRIENDS; shoes by MOMA, from GRAVITYPOPE; pin by LITTLE RAINBOW PAPER CO., from THE QUILTBAG
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ZACH POLIS MOST CHERISHED ITEM Rains raincoat (a birthday gift and Acne Studios sweater purchased at La Maison Simons. “Sometimes you need to embody an Easter egg — and stay dry.” 32 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
Like mother, like son — is that not how the saying goes? It certainly holds true for Eva and Zach Polis. Known for their statement-making hairdos and head-turning senses of style, the duo dresses with intention. By day, Eva opts for sleek pants and bold lips at the DDB Edmonton office as creative director, and saves her most glamorous pieces for the evening or traveling, when they can really “triumph,” she says. Meanwhile, Zach is sculpting out a similarly creative career, as a writer, filmmaker and St. Albert poet laureate. Groomed to invest in great pieces, he’s often spotted around Edmonton in his Calvin Klein 205W39NYC x Pendleton plaid wool coat, designed by Raf Simons, purchased from La Maison Simons. “It has that classic, just-stepped-out-of-theOregon-woods writer [kind of] look,” he says. On teaching her kids to always tell a story with their clothing, Eva elaborates, “It was tough love and went something like this: Children, when we go to church you will be judged, and not by God. Don’t disappoint.” — C.G.
Black and pink blazer by PAUL SMITH, from SIMONS; Winona shirt by IDEA, from IDEA online
MOST CHERISHED ITEM “A Stephen Jones x Marc Jacobs feather headband. I purchased it at Marc Jacobs’s former shop on Prince Street in New York City. And then I wore it to see Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones at the V&A in London. In a way, I too was part of the exhibit.”
Hoodie by VETEMENTS, from VSP CONSIGNMENT; jade cape by BALENCIAGA, from NORDSTROM RACK; black jeans by TOPSHOP, from HUDSON’S BAY; black high heels by JIMMY CHOO, from HOLT RENFREW; gloves from SWISH; purse with dog by GIVENCHY, from KIRNA ZABÊTE
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EVA POLIS
ELEXIS SCHLOSS MOST CHERISHED ITEM “The accessory I wear most often is my Order of Canada pin. When I put that on my lapel, I’m so proud to be Canadian.” 34 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
When philanthropist and a presiding official at Citizenship Court Elexis Schloss makes her annual volunteer trip to Africa, she packs a carry-on with simple, mostly black basics … and five pairs of shoes. It’s a testament to her fashion philosophy that clothing should be classic while accessories should be fun and interesting. “On my gravestone I want it to say, ‘She had great accessories,’ ” Schloss laughs. “Put your money into a classic blazer and fabulous shoes and you can never go wrong.” While her style has changed over the years, fashion has always been of interest to Schloss. Perhaps, most uniquely, some sweaters she started knitting as a hobby ended up being sold through Neiman Marcus, Saks and Holt Renfrew — a skill she now uses to make tuques to donate to local shelters. — Breanna Mroczek
Orange jacket by JULIAN J. SMITH
NISHA PATEL MOST CHERISHED ITEM “My custom-designed denim jacket, which I designed myself. I did all the patchwork and paneling on the jacket from EightyTwo Denim. It’s taken over three years to take shape and, every time I travel, I bring back something to add to it.”
Nisha Patel’s roles as executive director of the Edmonton Poetry Festival and Edmonton’s poet laureate require a diverse assortment of tasks, but, no matter what she’s doing, she tries to create a memorable outfit that merges fun and function, and doesn’t stick to any particular aesthetic. “Every day is an opportunity to showcase a different part of yourself,” Patel says. “I want to be able to maintain a sense of identity and playfulness throughout the day.” And when she takes the stage for a poetry reading, she tries to set the tone for the show through her clothing. “Stage outfits are very fun but stressful for me because I try not to repeat an outfit for a full year.” — B.M.
Jacket by EIGHTYTWO DENIM; striped shirt by and from HIDE AND SEEK
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SOUTHGATE MALL WEST EDMONTON MALL SHERWOOD PARK MALL ST. ALBERT CENTRE
TOMMY GRIMES MOST CHERISHED ITEM “My Straight to Hell leather jacket from Trash and Vaudeville store in New York City. It’s classic and I can wear it with anything.”
Musician Tommy Grimes grew up in a small town where retail options — and a sense of personal style — were pretty limited. But that didn’t stop him from dressing by his own rules. “I’ve always dressed really differently from everyone and I like to stand out,” Tommy says. “I like to express my individuality.” Now the leopard print, neon colours and punk vibes that he rocks are less out of place, especially when he’s performing — but he still dresses for himself. “My fashion philosophy is to just be yourself,” Grimes says. “Style is a huge part of one’s self-identity so, it’s important to express that.” — B.M.
Red leather pants, jacket and hat, custom made from DANIEL SNOW APPAREL
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BLAIR JUNIOR MCFARLANE MOST CHERISHED ITEM “My Kapital wool scarf was made in Japan with a really unique style of embroidery called kogin. It’s one of those pieces that is functionally great, especially in winter, but it’s a great layering piece to put over top of a t-shirt.”
Despite ownership stakes in three places with three distinct moods — Lock Stock Coffee, Red Star pub and The Bower nightclub — McFarlane has one specific style: Timeless streetwear. “I’m a pretty laidback guy so that is very apparent with how I dress,” he says. “I’m always moving and grooving so my clothing moves with me.” When shopping, he looks for pieces that are classic, comfortable and quality, with only the most subtle of details, and purchases investment pieces that he knows will suit him, and be in style, for years to come. There is one time he’ll make an exception: “If I’m coming in to The Bower to DJ, I like to wear something that is very comfortable and light, and also a statement shirt … but one that’s not too loud.” — B.M.
Denim jacket, cargo pants and brown mukluk shoes by visvim from HAVEN; scarf by KAPITAL
38 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
sagefurnishings .c a 1 1 7 1 7–1 70 S t r ee t, ed m o n to n 78 0 . 4 8 7.7 243
Specializing in premium custom furniture and Canadian-made upholstery in hundreds of fabrics and leathers.
HELPING MEN LOOK THEIR BEST
Now in store!
314 McLeod Ave. Spruce Grove 780.571.3434 Knighton.ca AvenueEdmonton.com 3 9
BY AV RY LE WI S - MCDOUG A LL
FORMER PITCHER MIKE JOHNSON
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+ PHOTOG R A PH Y COLIN WAY
IN THE GAME THREE PEOPLE WHO PROVE EDMONTON IS MORE THAN A HOCKEY TOWN
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THE MENTOR: MIKE JOHNSON
JOHNSON WAS ONLY THE SECOND EDMONTONIAN TO REACH BASEBALL’S PINNACLE IN OVER 50 YEARS (DAVE SHIPANOFF PITCHED 26 GAMES IN 1985).
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A count of two strikes and two balls. Pitching in Arlington, Texas against the hometown Rangers. The hitter is Mickey Tettleton, a former All-Star with four 30-home-run seasons to his name. Mike Johnson’s Major League debut came on April 6, 1997, for the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Johnson was only the second Edmontonian to reach baseball’s pinnacle in over 50 years (Dave Shipanoff pitched 26 games in 1985). But the next pitch would not be anything out of a storybook. “I tried to go in with a fastball. I left it up over the plate and he hit it into the second deck,” Johnson recalls. But that dinger — to a man who claimed his power came from Froot Loops — would only be a footnote for Johnson’s career. He’d go on to pitch in a total of 81 Major League games for the Orioles and Montreal Expos. A 1993 draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Johnson would also pitch in Asia, two Summer Olympics for Canada and for the Edmonton Capitals, before retiring in 2010. Currently, the Sherwood Park resident is the owner and operator of 5 Tool Field House and runs the 5 Tool Baseball Academy in Edmonton’s west end. Johnson works with kids to improve their fitness and baseball skills, but also makes sure that players sharpen their off-field tools.
“RIGHT OFF THE START I WAS MAKING SOME UNIQUE LOOKING BATS.” —±RANDY JESPERSEN Ryan Estey is a pitcher/ outfielder/first baseman from Sherwood Park who’s committed to Garden City Community College in Kansas. He has worked with Johnson. “It’s great — you have to take care of that tool of the game. If you’re a great ball player it doesn’t matter if you can’t do two plus two. The best part there is that he looks out for another aspect of the game.” Johnson takes pride in being seen by families as a source who can steer athletes in the right directions for their futures. “With what I’ve done in the game and where I’ve played and people I’ve played with and learned from, I feel there’s a little bit of respect that’s been garnered from that. That’s definitely helped me as far as parents entrusting me to work with their kids.”
RANDY JESPERSEN AND HIS SON CYRUS
THE CRAFTSMAN: RANDY JESPERSEN In a baseball story, you wouldn’t think to hear about Randy Jespersen, the founder of Olive Skateboards and Snowboards, and winner of >
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the 2019 Made in Alberta Awards. But his son, Cyrus, played for the Parkland Twins at both the U13 and U15 levels. His dad, having a creative mind, got into looking at making bats that could be used for local teams. “The first few bats I built were actually used laminating maple veneers, from the skateboards into a block,” says Jespersen. “Right off the start, I was making some unique looking bats.” Cyco Stix would soon be born; what it offers differs dramatically from any other bat makers on the market with radical designs. The bats are featured in multiple colours such as blue, green, red and pink. The flashier bats are not yet gameapproved at higher levels, but they do get used in batting practices and by coaches. “Right now we’re just in our first year and we’ve had phenomenal local support. Coaches bats were used by the Parkland County coaching staff. There’s a lot of coaches using our bats, teaching the kids and doing whatever with that.” The bats retail between $85 and $220, but Jespersen is preparing for when the demand reaches outside of the Edmonton area. “We weren’t really pushing for a lot of sales but we were getting really good traction in the Edmonton area for sure. We haven’t really pursued any provincial or national sales ... we are starting to now, we just wanted to make sure we had the first year of our production and processing kinda seamless. So now that we’re ramping up for this spring, we’re ready for any kind of distribution of any kind of production we need to take on.” With the baseball bat industry valued in 2018 at $350 million and projected to reach upwards of $450 million by the end of 2025, being able to take a small portion of that market is some44 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
thing that both father and son would love to do, as the brand grows moving forward. “The baseball industry is huge. We currently are building products that are fun to use. This is an awesome opportunity for Cyrus and me to develop a brand and build it up to whatever level. If sales evolve to one per cent [of the market] we will gladly accept that and push further.”
THE TRAINER: DAVE CONSTANT In Costa Mesa, California, a city that’s about a half an hour drive south from Los Angeles, you’ll find a high-performance and general training sports facility known as Constant Performance. It is owned and operated by Edmonton native David Constant. The clients that have called this facility their off-season home include Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly, former 40-home run man Mark Trumbo and current New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka. Access to every-day Major Leaguers didn’t happen overnight; a tremendous amount of hard work was put into making this all a reality. The journey for Constant began with him attending both the University of Alberta and Langara College in Vancouver; he’d move onto an honours degree in Kinesiology from Toronto’s York University. In 1998, he would move to California in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. By 1999, his business plan would become Constant Performance, known as DC Fitness and Sports Performance at the time of its opening in Anaheim. The name changed in 2008. Kelly has been known to hit 100-plus m.p.h. on the radar gun for the Dodgers; Trumbo has
been in the MLB’s Home Run Derby multiple times. So what does Constant work on with a top athlete to help him get to the next level? “It’s really a basic template to start with,” says Constant. “It all depends on the athlete and what their goals are, what their fitness level is, where their weaknesses and strengths lie. For the most part you focus on shoulders, core stability, but also making sure you don’t lose the mobility in those joints. You also want to enhance strength and power. Baseball is primarily a power sport, but it’s power and endurance for the pitchers.” The trainer’s journey with Kelly began when the future Major Leaguer was only nine, when Constant and Kelly’s mother entered into a relationship. He then started training Kelly and it was clear to Constant how much talent the kid possessed. “His arm was almost like a whip. He had a gift from as far back as I can remember. His throwing motion and his shoulder mobility, whether it was a football or baseball or whatever it was, he had the ability to throw very hard at a young age.” Even with the talent Kelly had, he didn’t really take the game or personal training seriously when he was younger and had a bit of resistance to the idea of working with Constant. “I didn’t really want to listen to his words of wisdom, for strength and conditioning,” says Kelly. “I thought I was just fine, I thought I was a good athlete. I didn’t know what kind of benefits it would give me with advantages over other players who don’t use personal trainers or don’t know baseball-specific movements.” When Kelly was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009, Constant helped him get to the next level — from draft choice to an actual Major League prospect. Kelly saw how Constant bucked the trend that saw an emphasis on weight lifting for pitchers. “Dave knew that it’s basic biomechanics: If you keep doing the same thing over and over one way and your muscles are weak going the other way, there’s a chance you’re going to get hurt more often. In Southern California where I was, he was one of the pioneers of baseballspecific workouts, where people might think that’s the wrong way to work out, but everyone now knows that’s the right way to work out. “I got very lucky to not only have Dave as a father figure but also as a mentor in how to take care of my body and how to get strong. I don’t know if I’d have been successful or if I’d have made it to the Big Leagues.”
CALGARY, ALBERTA MAY 7 & 8, 2020
25annual th
WHERE WESTERN CANADA’S MAGAZINE MEDIA PROFESSIONALS COME FOR INSIGHT AND INSPIRATION. GENIUS KEYNOTES Learn how industry innovators are growing their brands and finding success
TRADESHOW HALL Hear business solutions from industry suppliers and vendors
NETWORKING Connect with colleagues informally and at moderated and roundtable events
MULTI-TRACKS Deep-dive breakout sessions covering all aspects of magazine publishing Stay informed and get motivated at the 25th annual Alberta Magazines Conference and hear from the industry’s most respected innovators.
albertamagazines.com
Not just another pretty floor
10531-170 Street, Edmonton, Alberta 780-444-1036 affinityflooringedmonton.com AvenueEdmonton.com 4 5
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LENARD
THE DOG CITY FESTIVAL, A FUNDRAISER FOR WELLSPRING EDMONTON, IS SCHEDULED T0 TAKE PLACE THIS SUMMER. IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHAMPION PETFOODS, AVENUE SAT DOWN WITH THESE PROFESSIONAL POOCHES (AND THEIR CELEBRITY OWNERS) FOR A FURRY PHOTOSHOOT AND TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THEM SUCH GOOD DOGS. WE’VE FEATURED A QUARTET OF THEM ON THE COMING PAGES, BUT LOOK FOR MORE OF THESE CANINE BOARD MEMBERS AT AVENUEEDMONTON.COM. >
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY COOPER & O’HARA
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LENARD TITLE
HEAD COACH OWNERS
Lauren Kyle (Interior Designer) and Connor McDavid (Player of Hockey) BREED
Bernadoodle AGE
Nine months FAVOURITE TOY
Stuffed bear or people shoes FAVOURITE HUMAN FOOD
Turkey
GETS IN TROUBLE WHEN
He bites furniture or shoes — mostly shoes
“ Skate a few more laps then it’s time for my belly rub!”
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— LENARD
MOSES TITLE
CCO (Chief Cuddling Officer) OWNERS
Kari Skelton (Blogger) and Ryan Jespersen (630 CHED Host) BREED
Boxer AGE
Seven FAVOURITE TOY
Any toy another dog is playing with FAVOURITE HUMAN FOOD
Cheese and pepperoni pizza GETS IN TROUBLE WHEN
Never … except that one time he ate the couch
“ No more walks in the cold, please.”
— MOSES
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HARLEY TITLE
MOTIVATIONAL BARKER OWNERS
Brett Fraser (President, Edmonton Stingers Basketball Club) BREED
Mini Aussie Shepherd AGE
Three FAVOURITE TOY
Her blue dragon FAVOURITE HUMAN FOOD
Meat and cheese, but only discreetly when no one’s looking GETS IN TROUBLE WHEN
She barks at the neighbours
“Wake up! That Frisbee won’t catch itself…”
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— HARLEY
RICO TITLE
CROSSING GUARD OWNERS
Kelly Kimo (President, Production World) BREED
Havanese AGE
Six
FAVOURITE TOY
Rubber chicken FAVOURITE HUMAN FOOD
Cheese
GETS IN TROUBLE WHEN
He doesn’t come when you tell him to come
“No running in the office!”
— RICO
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BY CAROLINE BARLOTT
M A N Y E D M O N T O N I A N S A R E CHA NG ING T H E WAY T H E Y V I E W T H E IR YA R DS THINK OF ALL THE YARDS in Edmonton and the billions of blades of grass that consume our time, our water and our space. Whether it’s Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue or perennial ryegrass, the goal of having a traditional lawn is the same — keep it green and free of any other species. We even compete with neighbours to have the perfect patches of green. But while the grass may always seem greener on the other side of the fence, it’s never sustainable. Some parts of the world including Nevada, where drought is an issue, have taken note — and have restrictions on the amount of grass people can plant, as well as prohibitions on overwatering the turf. >
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EXCESSIVE USE OF WATER ISN’T THE ONLY ISSUE WITH LAWNS. SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS DEPLETE SOIL OF NUTRIENTS; PESTICIDES KILL BENEFICIAL INSECTS; AND THE LACK OF DIVERSITY LEAVES POLLINATORS HUNGRY. Meanwhile, homeowners squander valuable space that could add to local food production and create relationships in their communities. “Lawns are the default option,” says Kazimir Haykowsky, owner of Spruce Permaculture, “Some new homes even have bylaw requirements that require lawns. So, now they’re the default not just in our society, but in law and legal agreements.”
DIVERSITY OF OPTIONS
But many Edmontonians see the possibilities in their own back (and front) yards. Haykowsky’s among them. His front yard overflows with cherry trees, silver buffalo berries, saskatoons and currants. He also created a hügelkultur — a mound of buried compost and wooden debris — that resulted in 15 pumpkins from a plant that spanned the entire space. He uses the techniques of permaculture to design yards with plants, animals and insects working together as a unified whole. It’s the antithesis to the perfectly manicured lawn. With a lawn, you might use herbicides to eradicate weeds, but, in permaculture, some of the plants traditionally considered “weeds” are in fact native species, which are encouraged — even planted — rather than eradicated. And they intermingle with vegetables, fruit trees and shrubs. Permaculture is just one option of many. Through organizations such as Food 4 Good, some homeowners share their yards with those who want to grow their own food. Haykowsky is also working with a local group of gardeners to start an organization that will use public and private lands for growing food. Another option is to grow native plants, including clover, which add nitrogen to the soil, require 54 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
less mowing and provide food to pollinators. More diversity could be added by growing various native wildflowers, shrubs or trees. YARD OF THE BEHOLDER
For many, it’s hard to break away from the traditional look of a flawlessly green lawn. Often a more natural look is misunderstood as laziness rather than conscious effort on the part of the homeowner. It’s a matter of perception, one that’s been cultivated over centuries and even reflected in policy. The City’s bylaw 14600 states: “A homeowner may not have unkempt grass or weeds in excess of 10 cms.” Native grasses and wildflowers far exceeded that height restriction in a yard that Liz Deleeuw, a board member and grower for
the Edmonton Native Plant Society (ENPS), helped defend against the City. Since City staff rarely deal with native species, they weren’t familiar with the ENPS. “Members of the Society were able to convince the city that the plants were native species and would not pose a threat in the sense of being weeds,” says Deleeuw. “More education is needed in that sense.” The idea that all native species are weedy is a common misconception, says Deleeuw. Some native species spread quite easily, while others do not, so it’s really a matter of knowing what types of plants work best for urban environments, says Deleeuw. But native species, even those that spread fairly easily, are not considered invasive or a threat to diversity.
WHERE TO START Kenton Zerbin, an educator and designer who offers seasonal Edible Landscaping Workshop Series, says that many people no longer have knowledge of growing food or of species that naturally occur in our area. “People are very disconnected from their landscapes. It used to sustain them. Now, we have very superficial relationships with them,” he says. As a result, many don’t know where to start when looking at trading in their grass for something more sustainable. “I would advise people start with hardy perennials,” Zerbin says. It’s best to first observe one’s yard and the conditions that would serve different types of plants. Then, add a few key
The ENPS met with city staff to discuss how regulations could be revised to ensure native plants are legal in yards. The City now provides details about natural landscapes on its website and even included a Natural Yard category in Front Yards in Bloom in 2014. BIODIVERSE AND SELF SUFFICIENT
Lady slippers grow alongside domesticated plants in Deleeuw’s yard; it’s a design that contrasts closely clipped lawns and vacuumed rocks in nearby lots. “I once had a neighbour comment: ‘Liz you have a lot of work to do,’” says Deleeuw. “And I’m like, no, not really.” That’s part of the beauty of a more natural landscape. It’s far more diverse and complex than a lawn, but also less maintenance once
producers such as an apple or cherry tree before slowly adding other species. Adding elements like a fence or rocks around plants can help to create a more manicured look. Or, people can maintain some patches of grass and intersperse different species in certain sections to provide more diversity. To maximize the harvest, some homeowners plant flowers amongst edibles to attract pollinators. Watts suggests growing a variety of native plants to feed these beneficial insects throughout the season. Prairie Crocuses are among the first to open in late March; Canada Violets bloom from May to April; in July,
established. In permaculture, for example, each plant adds something that helps the whole system function properly. So, lupins can fix nitrogen in the soil, silver buffalo berries attract pollinators — Haykowsky once saw five different native bee species on one silver buffalo berry plant — and hops could grow up an apple tree and discourage pests. “As the fruit trees mature and shrubs grow they create less work and produce more food whereas, with a lawn, you’re still mowing and watering it the same amount or more as our conditions become drier,” says Haykowsky. Native plants in many cases can actually thrive in difficult growing situations like gravelly hillsides or dry sandy prairies, says Dawn Watts of Medieval Manor Gardens, which sells native plants and offers workshops. Ironically, those who are accustomed to frequently watering and fertilizing may find them challenging to start as the plants often prefer natural soil conditions with less precipitation. However, once established, they are generally easier to maintain than many other greenhouse counterparts. Watts says perfectly manicured yards don’t just create excess work; they can actually create cycles of imbalance. Quick fixes like pesticides might eliminate an aphid problem but also kill ladybugs, a natural predator of aphids, creating a bigger issue.
Red Columbine is a hummingbird favourite and Goldenrods blossom late in the season. The colour of the blooms can impact what you attract. Hummingbirds gravitate towards red and fuchsia, while bees can’t see colours in the red spectrum and instead prefer yellow, white, light purple and blue flowers, says Dawn Watts. Liz Deleeuw suggests thinking about the origin of the plants you buy before adding them to your space. Sometimes, plants bought from big-box stores are sprayed at the original greenhouse with neonicotinoids, a systemic pesticide, cause a decline in the numbers of pollinators, according to an article in Science.
SOCIAL EXCHANGES
While some people don’t know the names of their neighbours’ plants, there are plenty that also don’t even know the names of their neighbours. Generally speaking, says educator and designer Kenton Zerbin, city residents have very few — if any — exchanges within theircommunity when it comes to food production or anything that affects their daily existence. But growing food or even just being outside more can create opportunities for conversations between neighbours. Haykowsky experienced it firsthand when he collected about 50 bags of leaves from his neighbours to spread on his own yard. He even learned about a local park that was being redeveloped. “I gave them some suggestions of plants that could be put in there and we’d have discussions and they were just amazed with what was possible with the food you can grow,” says Haykowsky. Those who want to experiment have unlimited options even in our climate including: Kiwi, grapes, black walnut, apricots and a native hazelnut tree. But for most, keeping it simple is the key. While grass likely will still be a staple in many yards for years to come, more people are starting to change their perceptions. The initial work involved in creating a more natural landscape can result in less work and far more rewards in the long run. AvenueEdmonton.com
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Your life is filled with experiences, relationships and all the things you choose to do.
Now, choose to leave a gift in your will. It could mean the gift of life for someone you love. At just 43 years old, Michael had a heart attack. Then his lungs failed. Because of generous donations to the University Hospital Foundation from people just like you, the technology, skill and facilities were there to save his life. He could be your husband, brother, son, or even you.
You can make your will a way to save a life. 1 Decide what matters most to you. You could choose cardiac care, non-invasive brain surgery or something that matters to you — any area will help us push the boundaries of care and knowledge.
2
Dialogue with us, your family, your lawyer, or financial planner. It’s a big decision, take your time and have good conversations. We are here to help.
3
Designate a gift in your will.
It will make a difference.
A gift in your will to the University Hospital Foundation will help create a healthier future. One where strokes are less devastating, Alzheimer’s disease is treatable, and more surgeries are non-invasive. The generosity of our donors has supported every corner of care at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Kaye Edmonton Clinic.
Make your will a way to save a life. Contact: Sue Chaffey Vice President, Philanthropy Susanne.Chaffey@ahs.ca | 780.407.5573 When making a gift in your will, we always recommend donors seek professional advice from legal and financial advisors.
T R AV E L / B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A
R EVE L S T O KE C HI L L I F YO U J U ST K N O W “ R E V Y ” A S A M E C C A F O R H I G H - O C TA N E A D V E N T U R E S , I T ’ S T I M E TO D I S C O V E R T H E M O R E LO W- K E Y S I D E O F T H I S B . C . M O U N TA I N D E ST I N AT I O N by L Y N D A S E A
Revelstoke isn’t exactly unknown to Edmontonians, though for many, that knowledge begins and ends with the world-class skiing and snowboarding at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. But this growing city of 7,500 people located along the Trans-Canada between B.C.’s Monashee and Selkirk Mountain ranges has much to offer beyond its adrenaline-charged winter scene. There’s a slower, more relaxing side to “Revy” as well, one of forest walks, wildflower-filled meadows and a growing 58 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
dining, craft-beer and spirits scene being shaped by the tight-knit community of mountain creatives residing there. A day trip from Edmonton, Revelstoke is close enough for a long weekend road trip, but far enough away not to draw the volumes of summertime crowds who flock to the mountain towns closer to Edmonton, such as Banff and Canmore. On Saturday mornings in the summer, there are two bustling farmers’ markets on MacKenzie Avenue (Revelstoke’s main >
a l l p h o t o s c o u r t e s y o f TO U R I S M R E V E L STO K E
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) DOWNTOWN REVELSTOKE; GONDOLA-ACCESSED HIKING AT REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT; GLACIER HELICOPTER TOURS; HALCYON HOT SPRINGS ON UPPER ARROW LAKE
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T R AV E L
THE GIANT CEDARS BOARDWALK TRAIL GETS YOU UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH OVER-500-YEAR-OLD CEDARS THAT TOWER ABOVE YOU IN THE WORLD’S ONLY INLAND TEMPERATE RAINFOREST.
60 avenue A P R I L . 2 0
street), where you’ll find locally made jams, artisan breads, fresh fruit and vegetables and handcrafted soaps and jewellery. Peruse the shelves at the indie bookstore Grizzly Book & Serendipity Shop for your next read, or stop into the cute little Sugar Shack for espresso, ice cream and nostalgic candy. Starting in late June and running through August, there’s nightly live music at the gazebo in the heart of downtown, rain or shine. With two national parks at Revy’s doorstep (Glacier and Mount Revelstoke) it’s not hard to get a daily dose of nature. Approximately 30 minutes east from town, the Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail gets you up close and personal with over-500-year-old cedars that tower above you in the world’s only inland temperate rainforest. It’s also relatively easy to get grand, panoramic mountain views without having to undertake an arduous hike into the high alpine. Drive the winding Meadows in the Sky Parkway in Mount Revelstoke National Park, or take the Revelstoke Mountain Resort gondola up to walk the trails just below the Mount Mackenzie summit. Glacier Helicopters offers sightseeing tours with aerial views of the Revelstoke Dam, lush forested valleys, crystal-clear lakes and the
dazzling turquoise glacier on Blanket Mountain. Waterfalls are everywhere around Revelstoke, with many located just off major roads. In Blanket Creek Provincial Park, the 40-foot gushing Sutherland Falls is a five-minute walk from the parking lot. Moses Falls near the dam is a secluded little gem out of a fairytale. For a unique way to visit Begbie Falls, rent a kayak or canoe from Natural Escapes Kayaking and paddle to the inlet on Upper Arrow Lake. Of course, nothing revitalizes you like a relaxing soak in the rich mineral waters at one of the many hot springs in the region. Canyon Hot Springs and the Crazy Creek Hot Pools are the closest to town. Further south (requiring a drive of just under two hours) are Halfway River Hot Springs and Nakusp Hot Springs. The one not to miss is Halcyon Hot Springs. To get there, drive south from Revelstoke along Highway 23 and catch the free ferry to Nakusp at Shelter Bay, which runs once every hour. The effort is well worth it as Halcyon’s unbeatable location on Upper Arrow Lake means you get unobstructed views of the soaring Monashee Mountains from the four pools, which are open year-round.
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GIANT CEDARS BOARDWALK TRAIL
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May 1–9, 2020
LERNER and LOEWE’S
ATB Arts Barns - Westbury Theatre
10330–84th Avenue | Tickets at tixonthesquare.ca
Nightly 7:30PM Sunday Matinée - 2PM No Show Monday / Tuesday
The Musical
$30 Adult, $25 Senior/Student (Includes Service Charges)
BRIGADOON
Book and lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER Music by FREDERICK LOEWE Original dances created by AGNES DEMILLE Directed by JON SHIELDS Musical Director SIMON ABBOTT Choreographer KELSEY ISAMAN Brigadoon is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
www.elopemusicaltheatre.ca MEAT STREET PIES MEET PIE. EAT PIE.
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WORDS&PICTURES
# Y E G + A R T I ST Q & A + B O O K E N D S + S P O T L I G H T + G A L L E R I E S + C O N V E R S AT I O N P I E C E
#YEG
EDMONTON’S BEISBOL HISTORY b y M A X FAW C E T T + i l l u s t r a t i o n M AT T H E W D A L E Y
Over the course of their 24 years in the Pacific Coast League, the Edmonton Trappers brought a lot of great players through town. There was Ron Kittle, who hit 50 home runs in 1982 (winning the PCL MVP in the process) and would go on to win the MLB Rookie of the Year Award the following year. There was Justin Morneau, the future American League MVP from New Westminster, B.C., who would help the Trappers win their last PCL championship
in 2002. But the greatest of all to ever play in Edmonton might be the one who never played a single game in the major leagues: Omar Linares. I got to see Linares in the summer of 1990, when my dad and I drove up from Vancouver to watch the debut of a theatrical adaption of his book, Cambodia, at the Fringe Festival. Linares wasn’t a big fan of Canadian theatre, mind you — instead, I saw him on the other side of the North Saskatchewan river at John
Ducey Field, where he was a key part of the Cuban squad that was playing in — and utterly dominating — the 1990 World Baseball Cup. Growing up in Vancouver, I had watched a lot of minor league players come through my hometown, but I’d never seen anything like Linares, who fired line drives off (and over) the walls like it was the easiest thing in the world. The Cuban team would go on to win the tournament, and Linares posted an astonishing .512/.553/1.098 line — batting > AvenueEdmonton.com
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WORDS&P I C T U R E S
Max Fawcett is a freelance writer and the former editor of Alberta Oil and Vancouver magazines. He first moved to Edmonton in 2010 and came back in 2016 to work for the Alberta Climate Change Office. He was raised in the church of baseball and worships there to this day.
64 avenue A P R I L . 20
ACTRESS LILLA SOLYMOS
I thought, I could try this. It’s a good challenge. What were you worried about doing?
The evil grin (laughs). And basically, just being … A psycho?
Yes (laughs). How did you get the grin to work? A lot of practicing in front of the mirror, and practicing with my parents. And I actually took some of what I did with Matilda, because she had this mischievous grin. So I took that and tried to make it evil and not playful. And that helped me a lot.
A R T I ST Q & A
LILLA SOLYMOS moved to Edmonton from Hungary in 2009, when she was two years old. She enrolled in the Citadel Theatre’s Foote Theatre School at six, which led to her playing Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol (a show she’s been in three times since), the title role in 2019’s Matilda, and the terrifying Rhoda in last summer’s The Bad Seed. At only 13 years old, she’s one of the busiest actors in town. What’s your first memory of performing?
I’ve always liked to dance and sing for my family. My family all like to dance together so I was always running around, singing and dancing. Do you have a favourite actor?
That’s really hard, because everyone I’ve worked with so far are like, so good, and I can learn a lot from them, but if I had to choose one person, it would be Kimberley Rampersad, who was the choreographer for Matilda. Because, in
my mind, she represents that you can do anything because she does all sorts of things like director, actor and dancer, too. And that’s important to me. But acting is number one. How did you end up playing the terrifying Rhoda in The Bad Seed?
Andrew MacDonald-Smith, who was in Matilda, asked if I would be interested in reading the script and seeing if there was anything I wouldn’t be comfortable doing. At first I couldn’t see myself doing that, but then
Any other challenges to playing her?
Well there was just this creepy thing about her that’s like, she’s so perfect, so you have to act all innocent, which is not too hard. But deep down, you know she’s actually doing this to trick people. It’s like, wow, she would actually do that. What’s your favourite part about acting in Edmonton?
Theatre is special to me because you get to do it several times, and every time is different. And unexpected things can happen. Like something goes wrong, and then you need to improvise. And I really like the environment here because everyone’s nice and they treat me like I belong, and I just like the feeling that we’re entertaining people.
p h o t o RYA N PA R K E R
> average, on base percentage, slugging — over the 10 games they played, with six home runs and 18 runs batted in. This wasn’t Linares’s first trip to Edmonton, either. He made his international debut as part of the Cuban senior national team at the 1985 Intercontinental Cup, where he slugged a mere .467 over the team’s nine games. All told, he would spend 20 years with Pinar del Río in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in a career that would see him post a .368 batting average (best alltime), hit 404 home runs (third all-time) and steal 264 bases. And as Rachel McDaniel noted in a 2018 piece for Baseball Prospectus, Major League Baseball scouts were believers in his talent. “Orrin Freeman, the Marlins’ director of international scouting, said in 1993 that Linares ‘could hit 30 homers, steal 50 bases and be a Gold Glover,’ and that he could do the same playing shortstop. ‘He could be the MVP here.’” He almost had the chance to prove it, too. Linares swore he’d never play a game in the United States due to the ongoing tensions between the two countries, but there was a moment where it looked like he might be willing to play the 81 home games on Toronto’s schedule — and potentially replace Kelly Gruber as the team’s third baseman after the 1992 season. Linares was coming off one of his best seasons ever, in which he batted .393 and slugged .764 in Cuba and helped his country win an Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. But Linares decided to stay in Cuba — and Blue Jays fans had to settle for two consecutive World Series victories, which helps explain why so few people even know about their brief flirtation with perhaps the greatest player in the world at that time. Fewer still probably know about Linares’s exploits in Edmonton. And as the memory of high-level baseball being played in Edmonton fades further into the distance, his story — and his unlikely connection to the city — is worth remembering. It’s one I’ll certainly never forget.
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C O N V E R S AT I O N P I E C E
THE OTHER GREEN MONSTER b y ST E V E N S A N D O R
The Edmonton Prospects have called RE/MAX Field home since 2012. And, owner Patrick Cassidy can’t recall a time when one of the team’s players hit a ball that even reached the base of the centre field wall. Not only is the wall a whopping 420 feet from home plate, it’s 30 feet high. To clear it, a hitter would need to hit the ball with just the right amount of loft, and get at least 450460 feet of distance on the drive. “No Prospect has even hit that wall,” says Cassidy. “But, because of how far back the wall is, there’s lots of room in the outfield. Lots of extra-base hits in the alleys. To cover the ground, the outfielders really have to scamper.” For those of you not super familiar with the game of baseball, I’ll put it this way: It would be harder to hit a home run over the centre field fence at RE/MAX Field than it would be in any park in the Major Leagues. 66 avenue A P R I L . 20
Even though the way the game is played has radically changed over the past 20 years, the game is seeing a record amount of home runs and strikeouts. Pitchers throw harder than ever, and hitters swing for the fences. Major League Baseball saw a record amount of home runs hit in 2019, leading players such as Houston Astros ace pitcher Justin Verlander to question if the baseballs being used were “juiced,” meaning that subtle changes had been made to make them fly farther. But home-run trots are rare at Prospects games. The team plays in the Western Canadian Baseball League, one of several “wood bat” summer leagues in North America that gives amateur players from colleges the chance to play when school is out. And, in Edmonton, the players are greeted by a stadium with dimensions that are, well, intimidating.
“It is definitely a pitcher’s park,” said Cassidy. The wall has been nicknamed “The Other Green Monster.” The original, more famous “Green Monster” is the left field fence at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. That wall is 37 feet high, but, in the left field corner, it’s just 310 feet from home plate, and hitters who hit balls that might be fly outs in other parks can clear that Monster. In Edmonton, just getting the ball to the base of its Monster is a feat. Cassidy said that, to his knowledge, only three players have ever hit a ball over the centre field fence, dating back to when RE/MAX Field replaced the old John Ducey Park 25 years ago, back when the Edmonton Trappers, playing in the AAA Pacific Coast League, still existed as a Major League farm club. Two of these three dingers came in AAA games. The first to do it was Mike Busch of the Albuquerque Dukes, who would go on to play 100 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The second was Michael Cuddyer, even though there is some dispute that, even though the ball had the distance to clear the centre field fence, it actually went out a few feet to the right of it. Cuddyer would win the National League batting title in 2013 as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Despite the lack of the long ball, Cassidy said there have been no discussions about bringing in the fences, a move some Major League teams have made in the past in order to boost home-run numbers. Instead the focus will be on more pressing issues; replacing the infield turf, getting a new scoreboard and replacing the stadium lights with energy-efficient LEDs. Today, new ballparks tend to have much smaller dimensions than the stadiums of the past, as the trend is to make cozier parks that offer more chances to see (and catch) some dingers. The fact that everything about RE/MAX Field goes against current baseball trends makes it all the more interesting. Baseball, by nature, is anachronistic game; it’s fantastic that our baseball stadium is a throwback to the stadiums of old, like the huge centre field expanses of long-since-demolished parks like Detroit’s Tiger Stadium or New York’s Polo Grounds.
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