T8N Volume 10 Issue 2 "Best Of" issue

11 tips to keep your home safe when you’re away

Before you head out on your upcoming vacation, use these easy tips to keep your home safe.

Ask someone to collect your mail

Stop mail and newspaper deliveries or have them regularly picked up by a neighbour, so it looks like someone is still home.

Arrange for lawn care

Have your landscaping tended to by a friendly neighbour or local service. Before you leave, trim tree branches that might allow access to a climbing burglar.

Prevent power surges

Disconnect your computer, TV, stereo and other electronics, or make sure they are plugged safely into a surge protector.

Invest in temperature control

Use a programmable thermostat to lower your heat or air conditioning usage.

Secure valuables

Consider putting your jewelry or other valuables in a safe deposit box and hide any other expensive items so they can’t be seen through your windows.

Don’t leave spare keys outdoors

Collect any spare keys you may have hidden around the exterior of your home because burglars know the most popular hiding places, like beneath mats and in potted plants.

Set timers on both your interior and exterior lights

This will help deter burglars by making it appear as though someone is home.

Check all doors and windows

It might seem obvious to lock them but double-check just to be sure.

Lock your garage

Even if there’s no direct entrance to your house, you likely store some very valuable items – like expensive sports equipment or landscaping tools – in there, so don’t allow burglars easy access.

Notify your alarm company

If you have a home security system, let your representative know you’ll be away from home and make sure the alarm is set properly when you leave.

Avoid status updates

Don’t broadcast your location on social media – especially if your profile isn’t restricted to just your friends or colleagues.

Enjoy your vacation stress-free thanks to these quick and easy tips! If you’re interested in more ways to protect your home, give me a call to discuss your property needs – and, for additional advice on how to prevent damage, theft and stay safe, visit desjardinsagents.com/customer-care/blog.

jen@jmilesinsurance.com

michelle@michellebroadbent.com michellebroadbent.com

PUBLISHER EDITOR

Rob Lightfoot Gene Kosowan

ART DIRECTION

Brenda Lakeman

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Isaac White

DESIGN CONTRACTOR.

Kaylee Chiumento

PHOTOGRAPHY

Brenda Lakeman

CONTRIBUTOR

Shima Zonneveld

OFFICE MANAGER

Janice Lightfoot

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES

Images page 36: nobeastsofierce/Adobe Stock, AdobeStock_69040054. page 37: University of Calgary: na-4548-5 | CU1125655

ISSN 2368-707X (PRINT)

ISSN 2368-7088 (ONLINE)

For editorial inquiries or information, contact T8N magazine at info@t8nmagazine.com . Have something to say? Letters, suggestions or ideas can be sent to letters@t8nmagazine.com.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rob Lightfoot rob@t8nmagazine.com

780 940 6212 or visit t8nmagazine.com

T8N magazine is published 5 times a year by T8N Publishing Inc. Copyright ©2023 T8N Publishing Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Content marked by the Sponsored Content icon was produced in partnership between content producers and T8N magazine.

PRINTED IN CANADA

T8N PUBLISHING INC

PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT

Rob Lightfoot: rob@t8nmagazine.com

Mailbox #215, 3-11 Bellerose Drive, St.Albert T8N 5C9

IN EVERY EDITION OF T8N , we like to publish stories reflecting what we think makes St. Albert one of the best cities in Alberta. But once a year, it’s fun to ask residents their take on the best things about this city, hence our annual Best of T8N survey. As the results in more than 100 categories demonstrate, once again you did not disappoint. Find out what made the list on page 18.

Being the best involves forward thinking, although taking an occasional retro perspective also helps, a theme underscoring this edition’s fashion spread. More specifically, this colourful photo essay reveals how some crafty designers have upcycled wardrobe that was all the rage a generation ago into apparel more relevant than ever. Catch those alterations on page 12.

Elsewhere, discover how to create some nifty al fresco dishes (page 27), catch a glimpse of products decked out in Pantone’s colour choice this year (page 34), revisit a few historic health scares that St. Albert successfully endured (page 36), find out how vegan café kb&co draws customers with its unique plant-based cuisine (page 39), and get the scoop on an innovative circus this summer, spearheaded by Edmonton aerialists Firefly Theatre (page 42).

Finally, showcasing the greatest things about St. Albert isn’t merely a boastful exercise; it’s also about figuring out what it takes to hit that pinnacle, whether it be via hard work or pure determination. But former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry probably nailed it when he said, “Being the best at whatever talent you have, that’s what stimulates life.”

And with that, enjoy this issue! t8n

Old meets new in this unique fashion spread which took place at the Multicultural Heritage Centre Public Art Gallery, featuring the Fiber Arts Network “Chromatopia” exhibit curated by Alexis Marie Chute. “Estate” cropped patchwork jacket from Prairie Trail Goods, $180 with “Minnie Mouse”’ denim from DeKill Designs, $150 and Prelove lace insert shoes from The Little Honey Bee Boutique, $19. Photography and Styling by Brenda Lakeman, modeling by Nikki Bosh. See page 12

St.

Rob Lightfoot

• Best of since 2016 we believe

• For the “winner” circle in the middle, how about more of a starburst type shape so its noticeable

Can you change the text in the shape to “Thank you

Albert for recognising us again in 2023!”

• Change the Houzz logo to the 2023 one from our March content

• Change the “&” in the testimonial to “and”

“The team at Caruana Interiors and Contracting, did an exceptional job in laying out the project, including the costs and timelines. They completed the work in a very professional and timely manner. I’d highly recommend Caruana Interiors and Contracting.”

— Brent H.

Designers breathe new life into previously worn outfits

THESE DAYS, HAND-ME-DOWNS are enjoying brand-me-up status, adding more mileage to the fabrics, but with new identities all their own. In part, you can credit the environmentallyinspired recycle movement for hinting that even clothing can be repurposed into creative fashion designs. Maybe give kudos to an unpredictable economy for triggering ideas to revitalize outdated outfits or other items that no longer fit the youngsters. Or tip your hat to the notion that some of the stuff folks used to wear is simply too good to throw out.

Local crafty designers have already been going the upcycle route by taking vintage and other previously-worn wares and with a stitch here and there have come up with new looks for old items. The result is an array of wardrobe pieces from jackets and tote bags reconstructed from vintage quilts to denims paired with upcycled fabric inserts. Round it out with second-hand jewelry and accessories and you’re good to go.

To further press the point, this photo essay was shot in the art gallery of the Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain, located in a repurposed institution that was previously the Old Red Brick School House built in 1925. t8n

“Estate” cropped patchwork jacket from Prairie Trail Goods, $180 with “Minnie Mouse”’ denim from DeKill Designs, $150 and Prelove lace insert shoes from The Little Honey Bee Boutique, $19

“Stars and Squares” patchwork jacket from Prairie Trail Goods, $150 with Preloved pink t-shirt from The Little Honey Bee Boutique, $13 and “Groovy Flower Power” denim $200 and scrunchie set $12 from DeKill Designs with “Material Existence” multimedia sculpture by Alexis Marie Chute

“Pretty in Pink at Grandma’s House” crewneck $45 and “At Home Together” cross-body bag, $60 from DeKill Designs with Preloved green pencil skirt from The Little Honey Bee Boutique, $10 with “Material Existence”

multimedia sculpture by Alexis Marie Chute

“Patchwork Western” from DeKill Designs, $100 with Preloved yellow denim miniskirt from The Little Honey Bee Boutique, $15

“Springtime” granny square duster $180 and vintage tooled saddle purse $120 from Prairie Trail Goods with “Lake Side Dream” baby doll top from DeKill Designs, $60 and Preloved white denim jeans, $17 and Preloved lace insert shoes, $19 from The Little Honey Bee Boutique

Vintage denim patchwork jacket $100 and “All The Things” patchwork tote $150 from Prairie Trail Goods with “Groovy Flower Power” denim from DeKill Designs, $200 •

•

• postage stamps

• stationery

• calendars

• documents

• menus

•

• tickets

BEST OF T8N 2023 WINNERS

2023 Read the full list of winners and runners up on bestoft8n.com

CITY

BEST LOCAL ARTS EVENT Artwalk St. Albert artwalkstalbert.com

BEST LOCAL FAMILY EVENT International Children’s Festival of the Arts stalbert.ca/exp/childfest

BEST PUBLIC SPACE Lions Park

BEST PLACE FOR OUTDOOR SKATING Lions Park 1 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue

BEST HIDDEN GEM The UPS theupsstore.ca/65

BEST POLITICIAN Michael Cooper

BEST NON PROFIT Lo-Se-Ca Foundation loseca.ca

BEST PRESCHOOL Treehouse Playschool treehouseplayschool.com

BEST DAY CARE SIGIS Child Care Society sigischildcare.ca

BEST TUTORING BUSINESS Success 2000 Study Centres success2000studycentres.ca

BEST PLACE OF WORSHIP Holy Family Parish holyfamilyparish.ca

BUSINESS

BEST NEW BUSINESS Pizza Garage pizzagarage.ca

BEST LOCAL EMPLOYER Generations Family Dentist generationsfamilydental.ca

BEST BUSINESS DECOR Simone & Ivy Interiors simoneandivy.ca

BEST BUSINESS WEBSITE Saltwater Boutique saltwaterbay.ca

BEST BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE Off the Hook Laser and Spa offthehooklaserandspa.com

BEST NEW AUTO DEALER St. Albert Dodge stalbertdodge.com

BEST AUTO SERVICE Big Kev’s Tire and Auto napaautopro.com/en/autorepair/alberta/st-albert-big-kevstire-auto

BEST AUTOBODY REPAIR SERVICE Sturgeon Autobody sturgeonautobody.com

BEST AUTOMOTIVE TIRE SHOP Fountain Tire fountaintire.com

BEST BIKE SHOP Cranky’s Bike Shop crankys.ca

BEST FLORIST Charmed Floral charmed-floral-design-inc. myshopify.com

BEST CLEANING SERVICE Lathered Cleaning Company home.lathered.ca/Edmonton

BEST GARDENING STORE Salisbury at Enjoy salisburygreenhouse.com/ garden-centre-st-albert

BEST GIFT / GIFTWARE STORE Seasons Gift Shop seasonsgiftshop.ca

BEST LAWYER Laura Maloney – Weary & Company wearyco.com

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Whitesell jimwhitesell.com

BEST SHOPPING / RETAIL COMPLEX Erin Ridge Shopping Centre shoperinridge.com/

BEST SPORTING GOODS STORE St.Albert Source for Sports sourceforsports.com

BEST ANIMAL HOSPITAL / VETERINARIAN Sturgeon Animal Hospital sturgeonanimalhospital.ca

BEST PET CARE PROVIDER The Ranch Pet Care theranchpetcare.com

BEST PET PRODUCT STORE Bone & Biscuit boneandbiscuit.ca/location/stalbert

BEST LOCAL/CLOSE BY GOLF COURSE Cardiff Golf & Country Club cardiffgolfclub.ca

BEST MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO Phoenix Taekwon-Do phoenixtaekwon-do.ca

BEST ARTS STUDIO St. Albert Art Studio stalbertartstudio.com

BEST DANCE STUDIO Danceco Ltd. danceco.net

BEST YOGA STUDIO

Lahari Yoga lahariyoga.ca

HOME & LIVING

BEST COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, IN DEVELOPMENT

Erin Ridge Shopping Centre shoperinridge.com

BEST COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, COMPLETED The Shops at Boudreau

BEST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, IN DEVELOPMENT Jensen Lakes liveinjensenlakes.ca

BEST FURNITURE STORE Simone & Ivy Interiors simoneandivy.ca

BEST HOME ACCESSORY STORE The Makers Keep themakerskeep.com

BEST FINANCIAL CONSULTANT Aron Egay-Samu, Clarity Wealth Council claritywealthcounsel.ca/our-team

BEST INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE BROKER Tara Borle taraborle.com

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Ryan Sellers ryansellers.com

BEST LOCAL HOME BUILDERS Alves Construction alvesdevelopment.com

BEST LOCAL CONTRACTOR Caruana Interiors & Contracting caruanainteriors.

BEST PAINT STORE Benjamin Moore / Days Paint and Wallpaper benjaminmoore.com

BEST WINDOW TREATMENT BUSINESS Gotcha Covered gotchacovered.com/edmontonst-albert

BEST LANDSCAPING COMPANY Rockland Supplies rocklandsupplies.com

BEST FLOORING STORE Titan Flooring & Interior Design titanflooring.com

FASHION & STYLE

BEST EYEWEAR STORE MDO Optical mdoopticians.com

BEST HAIR SALON Bliss Hair Design facebook.com/profile. php?id=100057043181884

BEST BARBERSHOP Barbershop Boyz barbershopboyz.ca/st-albertlocation

BEST MEN’S WEAR STORE Tip Top Tailors tiptop.ca

BEST WOMEN’S WEAR STORE Bella Maas bellamaas.com

BEST FASHION ACCESSORY STORE Sweet Boutique sweet-boutique.ca

BEST JEWELRY STORE Gemport Jewellers gemportjewellers.ca

BEST THRIFT STORE Goodwill goodwill.ab.ca/goodwilllocation/st-albert-thrift-storeand-donation-centre

102-30 Green Grove Drive, St. Albert Call 780 418 2003

HEALTH & WELLNESS

BEST ACUPUNCTURIST Dr. Kevin Maloney maloneyclinics.com/ kevinmaloney

BEST CHIROPRACTOR Dr. Kevin Maloney maloneyclinics.com/ kevinmaloney

BEST PHYSIOTHERAPIST Dr. Chad Burden, Summit Physiotherapy summitphysiotherapy.ca

BEST DENTIST Dr. Dana Hardy, Generations Family Dentist generationsfamilydental.ca

BEST DENTAL CLINIC Cadence Dental cadencedental.ca

BEST OPTOMETRIST Dr. Angela Morley sturgeonvisioncentre.com

BEST MEDICAL CLINIC Grandin Medical Clinic

BEST SPA Off the Hook Laser and Spa offthehooklaserandspa.com

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST Amanda Taylor, Off the Hook offthehooklaserandspa.com

BEST NAIL SPA Off the Hook Laser and Spa offthehooklaserandspa.com

BEST FITNESS CLUB Goodlife Fitness goodlifefitness.com/clubs/ club.245.html

FOOD & BEVERAGE

BEST BREAKFAST Toast Breakfast and Lunch toastbl.ca

BEST BRUNCH Toast Breakfast and Lunch toastbl.ca

Winner Best Spa Winner Best Social Media Presence Winner Best Massage therapist, Amanda Winner Best Nail spa

BEST COFFEE SHOP Good Earth Coffee Shop goodearthcoffeehouse.com/ locations/st-albert

BEST BAKERY (BREAD, BUNS, ETC) Wild Earth Bakery wildearthbakery.com

BEST BAKERY (SWEETS, COOKIES, CUPCAKES, ETC) Mercato mercatofoods.com

BEST STEAKS Riverbank Bistro riverbankbistro.ca

BEST SUSHI Sushi Park

BEST TAPAS Tryst Wine & Small Plates trystexperience.com

BEST SANDWICHES KB and Company kbandcompany.com

BEST BURGERS Jack’s Burger Shack jacksburgershack.ca

BEST FRIES Delux Burger Bar deluxburgerbar.com

BEST PIZZA Famoso famoso.ca/locations/st-albert

BEST PASTA Nello’s Cucina Italiana nellosrestaurant.ca

BEST VEGETARIAN KB & Co kbandcompany.com

BEST CHICKEN WINGS St. Louis Bar & Grill www.stlouiswings.com

BEST RESTAURANT DESSERTS The Cajun House cajunhouse.net

BEST ICE CREAM SHOP DaVinci davinci-gelato.com

BEST TAKEOUT Jade Village jadevillage.ca

BEST DINING EXPERIENCE (+ $20 / ENTRÉE) Riverbank Bistro riverbankbistro.ca

BEST DINING EXPERIENCE ($20 / ENTRÉE) Nello’s Cucina Italiana www.nellosrestaurant.ca

BEST CHINESE Jade Village jadevillage.ca

BEST JAPANESE Sushi Park

BEST THAI / VIETNAMESE Second Bowl

BEST ITALIAN Sorrentino’s sorrentinos.com

BEST PUB Crown and Tower thecrownandtower.com

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Pizza Garage pizzagarage.ca

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT Tryst Wine & Small Plates www.trystexperience.com

MOST INNOVATIVE MENU Bodega bodegayeg.ca/st-albert

BEST WINE LIST (BY GLASS) Buco Pizzeria & Vino Bar bucopizzeria.com/st-albert

BEST WINE LIST (BY BOTTLE) Nineteen stalbert.dinenineteen.com

BEST BEER LIST (TAP) Endeavour Brewing endeavourbrewing.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE

BEST BEER LIST (BY BOTTLE) Central Social Hall centralsocialhall.com

BEST SPORTS BAR Canadian Brewhouse thecanadianbrewhouse.com

BEST LATE NIGHT Central Social Hall centralsocialhall.com

BEST SERVICE Nello’s Cucina Italiana nellosrestaurant.ca

BEST PATIO Eastside Mario’s eastsidemarios.com

BEST INTERIOR DESIGN Nineteen stalbert.dinenineteen.com

BEST ATMOSPHERE Central Social Hall centralsocialhall.com

BEST KID FRIENDLY Boston Pizza bostonpizza.com

BEST WINE STORE Wine & Beyond wineandbeyond.ca

BEST BEER STORE Wine & Beyond wineandbeyond.ca

BEST CATERER Socrates socratesrestaurant.com

780-459-6716

234 ST. ALBERT RD, ST. ALBERT fountaintire.com/stores/st-albert

‘Old-fashioned service’ lands Fountain Tire Best Automotive Tire Shop ranking for seventh year running

“Fountain Tire’s secret to success is simple,” Sands muses. “It’s all about good, old-fashioned service.”

That service, explains Sands, involves getting to know every customer personally. It’s about greeting them with a smile, providing solid, honest advice, and taking the time to ensure they understand any recommended repairs, whether they are urgent or can wait. It’s also about listening and acting on customer feedback, including value-added services that can add convenience.

It’s lucky number seven for Fountain Tire, named Best Automotive Tire Shop 2023 by T8N readers for the seventh year in a row. New store owner Michael Sands couldn’t be prouder.

“This award is particularly meaningful because it comes straight from our customers,” says Sands. “Todd and Liz Lesenko built a great legacy of Fountain Tire in St. Albert based on strong relationships and community support. We’re proud to carry that on.”

Sands and his wife, Lori Scheurwater, took over the Fountain Tire St. Albert store earlier this year, when previous owner, Todd Lesenko, retired. The move to St. Albert is a homecoming for Sands, who worked at the Goodyear head office early in his career. For the past 20 years he has owned and managed a Fountain Tire store in downtown Edmonton.

Fountain Tire St. Albert’s offering includes a child-friendly waiting room, online appointment booking, and pick-up and drop-off services. If new tires are requested online, a store representative will call the customer to confirm they are the right fit for their vehicle and how they drive. This summer, the store will roll out digital vehicle inspections, which include photo-based reports where customers can see first-hand their vehicle’s overall health.

“At Fountain Tire, we say ‘We’re on this road together,’” adds Sands. “That means we take care of each vehicle as if it’s our own. Whether retail, fleet or commercial customers, we want everyone who walks through our doors to feel like they’re not alone when it comes to the care and maintenance of their vehicles.”

St. Albertans clearly feel they’ve got someone by their side when it comes to automotive tire services. They have voted for good, old-fashioned service, and Fountain Tire says that’s something that never gets old.

Second Helpings

Our best and tastiest recipes

GOOD FOOD IS always worth making again, so here are our chosen “Best of T8N” recipes from our archives. We have everything from condiments to mains to a chocolate dessert. You may notice a backyard barbeque theme, because a meal eaten al fresco always tastes good, and tastes better when you have friends and family enjoying it with you.

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Mustard

This truly might be the grainy mustard of champions. Add it to BBQ sauces, top your favourite burger or use it as a glaze on chicken.

3/4 cup bourbon

3/4 cup water

1 cup brown mustard seeds

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

5 tbsp dry mustard powder

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

In a small mixing bowl, combine the bourbon, water and mustard seeds. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steep and absorb the liquid 5 hours or overnight. Place the soaked seeds in a food processor, and pulse to the consistency you like. Add the vinegar, dry mustard, sugar and salt, and pulse to mix. Transfer to a medium pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer to thicken 3 to 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Transfer to jars, add the lids and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

French Onion Soup Burgers

Onion-soup lovers, unite! This juicy number’s for you.

.5 kg lean-ground beef

.5 kg ground pork

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp Worcestershire

2 tsp onion powder

2 tbsp chopped thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (for frying)

1 small loaf of French bread, cut into 2-cm thick slices

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tbsp olive oil (for seasoning the bread)

4 slices Gruyere cheese

4 slices Fontina cheese

Caramelized onions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, mustard, Worcestershire, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Gently mix until combined, and then form into patties. Set your oven to broil.

Add the grapeseed oil to a large frying pan, and heat it to medium-high. Add the patties, and let them cook for 4 minutes before flipping. Reduce the heat to medium and let the second side cook slowly until the burger is cooked all the way through. Top the hot burgers with slices of Gruyere and fontina, and transfer them to a cutting board to rest.

Toast your French bread slices (2 per burger) on each side under the broiler. Slice your garlic clove in half, and rub the cut side on the toasted bread. Brush the toast with olive oil, and season with salt to taste. Assemble your burger between 2 slices, beginning and ending with caramelized onions. Dig in.

Feta & Avocado Salad with Red Onions

This salad is a great starter for any meal—salty, acidic and perfect for waking your palate.

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced thinly

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

2 generous handfuls of baby arugula

1 cup of cow’s milk feta, rinsed under cold water

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Freshly cracked pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil (to taste)

Add the red onions, red-wine vinegar and salt to a cereal bowl, and leave them to mellow. Strew the arugula in an even layer across a dinner plate, and top with large, crumbly cubes of feta and slices of avocado. Remove the softened onions from their vinegar bath, and add them to the salad.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and a generous sprinkle of freshly cracked pepper. Dress with olive oil to taste.

Blackberry & Thyme Shrub

A shrub is an old-fashioned drink that’s found its way back to popularity. This one is well worth the fruits of your labour.

For the shrub

2 cups blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

7 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 tsp freshly grated orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

For the cocktail

2 oz gin

2 oz blackberry & thyme shrub

Club soda or sparkling water, to top Thyme and blackberries, to garnish

Place the blackberries in a mixing bowl, and toss them with the sugar and honey. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to macerate for 24 hours. Place the sprigs of thyme, orange zest, lemon zest and vinegars in a Mason jar, secure the lid and place in the fridge to steep for 24 hours.

Pour the steeped vinegar into the bowl with macerated fruit, and mix them together with a fork, crushing some of the berries as you go. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 1 week. Strain the mixture, discard the seeds and herbs and pour the shrub into a sealable jar. It’s now ready to add to your cocktail.

Fill a tall glass with ice, add the gin and shrub, top with club soda and stir. Add blackberries and thyme to garnish, then serve.

Salad Roll Bowl

Finally, a “salad roll” that’s as easy to make as it is to eat. Perfect for lunch or dinner. Even better topped with grilled shrimp or pork.

1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts

7 oz rice vermicelli

1 cup shelled edamame, cooked

2 carrots, julienned

1/2 English cucumber, seeded and julienned

1/2 orange pepper, cut into strips

1/2 red pepper, cut into strips

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

3 scallions, chopped

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp chopped basil

For the dressing

1/2 cup (or less) soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tsp sriracha

2 tsp honey

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp sesame seeds (to garnish)

Lightly toast the peanuts in a small pan over medium heat, and set aside. Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl, and set that aside, too.

Cook the rice vermicelli according to package instructions, then drain and rinse it with cold water.

In a serving bowl, gently toss the vermicelli with the vegetables and herbs. Add the dressing, toss again and garnish with sesame seeds and dry-roasted peanuts.

You!

780-257-7652

Ginger & Lime Salmon Burgers

The only thing showier than these burgers are the toppings that go on them. Tangy tzatziki dolloped high over sun-ripened tomatoes fresh from the garden and peppery microgreens packed with flavour. Hello, delicious.

2 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

2 tbsp freshly chopped dill

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup bread crumbs

.5 kg sockeye salmon, skin removed Olive oil, for brushing burgers

Cucumber slices, to garnish

Lettuce, to garnish

Tomato slices, to garnish

Microgreens, to garnish

Coarsely chop the salmon, and set it aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard, ginger, soya sauce, pepper, dill, lime zest and lime juice. Stir in the bread crumbs, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the chopped salmon, and gently mix just enough to marry the ingredients.

Form into patties, brush them on all sides with olive oil and place them in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.

Heat your cleaned and oiled BBQ grill to medium-high. Place the chilled patties on the grill, and leave them to sear and firm up for 6 or 7 minutes before turning. Carefully flip the patties, and let them finish cooking on the other side. Remove them to a plate, and assemble into burgers with garnishes of cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, microgreens and tzatziki.

No-Bake Chocolate Tart

When a serious chocolate craving calls, answer with this no-bake masterpiece.

30 Oreo cookies (original, chocolate, vanilla or mint)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Berries, to garnish

Chopped pistachios, to garnish

Powdered sugar, to garnish

In a food processor, blitz the cookies until they are crumbs. Add the melted butter, and blitz again until moistened and combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a round, 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Place in the freezer to chill 10 minutes.

Heat the cream in a small pot over medium heat. When it’s hot (not boiling), remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the chocolate chips, Baileys Irish Cream, vanilla and salt. Continue stirring until smooth. Pour the chocolate filling over the prepared crust, and place in the fridge to chill for 3 hours. Decorate with berries and pistachios, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

BY : GENE KOSOWAN PHOTOGRAPHY : BRENDA LAKEMAN

Colour of the Year 2023

PANTONE 18-1750

Viva Magenta

SEEING RED

Pantone introduces Viva Magenta, the official shade for 2023

SINCE THE PANDEMIC, the Pantone Color Institute has struggled with elevating the notion of vibrancy to ward off the doldrums of isolation and lockdowns. Last year, they created the blue-ish Veri Peri. In 2020, they rolled out two colors – variations of yellow and grey – to inject positive feelings among the masses.

This year, Pantone continues its hop, skip and jump across the colour spectrum to unveil Viva Magenta, a deep red to nudge the restlessness that’s been wallowing in stasis the past couple of years. “In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real,” said Leatricer Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director. “Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.”

And as these items in this spread demonstrate, there’s no time like the summer to make the most of this hot new colour.. t8n

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Gerbera daisy from Salisbury at Enjoy, $15.99

Sustain lipstick “Aki” from Cheekbone Beauty, $32 “Harper” mixed media on watercolour paper (11 x 14 inches) by Agnes Kokot, Agnes Kokot Studio Contact artist for price (agneskokotstudio.com)

“Viola” earrings and ‘Savanna’ earrings by Skyla Russell from Made for Brunch, $25 each

Little Bear gelato “Haskap Cheesecake” from Mercato Italian Bakery, $12.99

Kelly & Katie pleated shoulder bag from DSW, $49.99 with Painterly floral scarf from Simons, $29

Historic health crises

St. Albert has endured its share of epidemics and pandemics

ST. ALBERT’S PATH of progress from a hamlet founded by Father Albert Lacombe to a bustling city of nearly 70,000 citizens hasn’t taken place without a few bumps in the road, some of them rather perilous. The waves of fatal illnesses that swept the world also made their way through the northern Alberta community over the past few

centuries, including diphtheria, influenza, scarlet fever, typhoid, and whooping cough. As the city and the world bounces back from the latest international affliction caused by the coronavirus, here’s a brief look at some other major health scares that affected the region over the years.

BY: GENE KOSOWAN

Smallpox (1870)

In 1520, smallpox first appeared in North America via Spanish explorers trekking through Mexico, but it took more than two centuries for the disease to hit the Canadian prairies. Outbreaks in 1779 and 1838 devastated the aboriginal population, with communities reporting more than half of their people had lost their lives to the infection.

The statistics were more accurate albeit sobering when smallpox hit St. Albert in 1870. The Metis in the area suffered the most with a 37 percent decline in their population. In St. Albert, the affliction struck more than two-thirds of its citizens, of which 311 died within the first four months alone. Those losses could have been considerably higher had a hospital not been built for the Grey Nuns that year. Skilled medical practitioners, the Grey Nuns reportedly treated 692 infected families.

In the historical tome, “The Black Robe’s Vision: A History of St. Albert & District,” Lacombe wrote about personally witnessing the ravages of smallpox firsthand. “The pattern is at first very feverish,” he recalled. “The skin becomes red and covered with pimples that form scabs filled with infectious matter, after which the flesh rots and falls off in fragments.”

The waves of fatal illnesses that swept the world also made their way through the northern Alberta community over the past few centuries

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Spanish Flu (1918-1920)

The 20th century’s deadliest pandemic held much of the globe in its death grip, when up to 500 million people around the world caught the Spanish flu, which killed around 50 million people in nearly three years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. That morbid figure included 3,000 Albertans of which 300 hailed from St. Albert. Many of them, recorded “The Black Robe’s Vision,” were aboriginal and Metis citizens residing in the lower Grandin area.

“The death toll was high and a frequent sound throughout the district was the mournful tolling of the church bells, notifying the surrounding community of yet another loss,” indicated a passage from “The Black Robe’s Vision.” “Without saying a word, nearby farmers would hitch up their teams and head to the church to find out who had died and how they could help the survivors.”

At the time, no vaccine was available, so more medical practitioners resorted to less pharmaceutical measures from issuing masks and stressing better hygienic practices to imposing quarantines and curtailing public gatherings until the affliction ran its course.

Polio (1946-1955)

While northern Alberta had experienced a few outbreaks of polio, the most devastating wave took place shortly after the Second World War, particularly in 1953. That year alone, 266 Albertans came down with polio, of which 12 of them died. It’s not known how many of them were from St. Albert.

“No age or class was spared, but it seemed to be particularly cruel to a generation of young adults,” wrote physician Robert F. Taylor in the book “Polio 1953,” an account of his firsthand experience with the disease in the Edmonton region. “After a short, silent incubation period, victims developed a headache, followed by rapidly progressive paralysis and sometimes death within three or four days.”

On the medical front lines, Taylor reported that polio struck two doctors and five nurses, of which two of them died while working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. The rush was on to facilitate patients with iron lung machines, the precursor to the modern ventilator. It wasn’t until Dr. Jonas Salk created a polio vaccine that the disease eventually waned.

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COVID-19 (2020-2023)

Remnants of what was first called the coronavirus still exist, albeit in relatively more innocuous variants, serving as reminders of the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China that at last count infected more than 660 million people worldwide and killed some 6.8 million of them. As of August, 2022, nearly 9,000 people in St. Albert had caught the virus, including 88 who died from it.

Within days of the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the Alberta government declared a provincial state of emergency, resulting in St Albert shutting down public facilities and schools. That July, the city reported its first COVID death. While the government imposed social distancing, quarantines and business shutdowns, the first rollout of a vaccine in December was a much-needed shot in the arm.

In 2021, the Alberta government felt the outbreak had dissipated enough to introduce an ill-fated “Open For Summer” campaign that may have played a part in infections spiking up to 2,000 cases per day by the fall. At one point, in July, 2021, St. Albert had only one active case, which jumped to 288 two months later. By the end of the year, St. Albert trailed only Cold Lake as an Alberta municipality having the most per capita cases of coronavirus.

The start of 2022 saw Alberta Health Services report a record 6,735 singleday infections on Jan. 11, including cases involving the omicron variant. The rate plummeted to 466 by late February, prompting the provincial government to lift most restrictions by March 1. By mid-May, AHS reported 10 people were dying daily from COVID, including two St. Albert residents. However, the Alberta government lifted all remaining restrictions on June 14. t8n

Green Cuisine

kb&co continues to win converts with its meatless options

ESTABLISHING A BUSINESS can be a challenge during the best of times. However, hanging your shingle in front of a vegan restaurant in Alberta, where AAA, grain-fed beef is a literally a culinary icon, presents itself with a different set of obstacles altogether. Somehow, kb&co has managed to convert even the most stubborn carnivores in St. Albert into chowing down on more plantbased offerings.

“I’ve witnessed meat-loving dads come in on dates with their teenage daughters and complain about the lack of meat, only to later come up to me and rave about how flavourful and delicious their food was,” said co-owner Kristi Huot-Besler. “I’ve witnessed friends being dragged in by a regular customer to simply give it a try and wind up loving it. I believe we can all use more whole, healthy foods in our lives and kb&co offers that.”

BY: GENE KOSOWAN PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDA LAKEMAN

“I’ve witnessed friends being dragged in by a regular customer to simply give it a try and wind up loving it."

— co-owner Kristi Huot-Besler-

kb&co

210-840 St. Albert Trail, Jenson Lakes Blvd. 780-458-5882 | kbandcompany.com

aturner@kbandcompany.com

Those weaned on steak and taters might get bewildered after gazing at kb&co’s green-oriented menu offering breakfast dishes that include oat and hemp seed berry waffles and cashew cream cheese avocado toast. They would also need to get used to the idea that they’re unlikely to find chunks of cattle in the restaurant’s Thai lentil stew. Ditto for the house chili, which contains a blend of three types of beans, quinoa, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, tomato, and sweet corn topped with avocado, sweet chipotle cashew cream, tortilla chips and even more quinoa.

Co-owner Ashley Turner believes the selection addresses the needs of regular health-conscious consumers. “However, every day we meet new customers coming to us with dietary restrictions due to an illness where they have been encouraged by their doctor to focus on consuming more plant-based foods,” she added.

Three years after kb&co opened its doors, the café already enjoys a regular clientele; roughly three-quarters of them are already known by name to Turner. Big favorites include the coconut BLT sandwich, chipotle taco wrap, and the coco bean smoothie. “Almost every second order is one of those items,” said Turner.

Billing itself as a café that offers casual conscious eats, kb&co also reflects the personal dietary choices of the two owners. “I have always eaten this way,” said Turner. “Conscious eating is giving our body the nutrition it needs for optimal health, function, and energy. I felt like more people would eat this way if it was readily available.”

Huot-Besler was an Edmonton-based police officer for five years and had no designs on being a restaurateur. But when she returned to the force after a year of maternity leave, she decided to abandon a law enforcement career and open a day home instead. At the same time, her family started pursuing a vegan diet, once her research found that some so-called healthy food also contained harmful chemicals. She also provided that same vegan diet for the children at her day home, even experimenting with ingredients.

“I made all snacks from scratch making things I had never considered before such as snacks made from chickpeas, vegan macaroni and pancakes made with lentils,” she added. “It’s amazing to experience foods that taste delicious when you can see every ingredient go into them and know that it all added benefit to your body.”

I believe we can all use more whole, healthy foods in our lives and kb&co offers that.

— co-owner Kristi Huot-Besler-

The St. Albert location of kb&co is one of the seven outlets in the chain founded by Edmonton entrepreneur Kristina Botelho, who also has set up three eateries in the provincial capital, and one each in Sherwood Park, Calgary, and Kelowna B.C. What’s impressive about kb&co’s origins is that it’s a real rags-to-riches story chronicling the struggles Bothello endured to carve her prosperous career path. A foster child raised in B.C. who faced the hardships of being a single mother, she worked her way up the hospitality ranks starting as a raw food chef to eventually opening her first kb&co business in 2016. She’s been adding eateries ever since.

“I think Kristina’s story is an incredible example of perseverance and determination,” said Huot-Besler, who became a partner with Turner earlier in 2023, “a true testimony to the fact that we are all in charge of our own lives and our circumstances do not define us.”

Turner and Huot-Besler had to apply Bothello’s fortitude lessons when their St. Albert operation celebrated its grand opening early in 2020, just when the World Health Organization declared the spread of the coronavirus as a global pandemic. They had to let go of a few staff, deal with supply shortages and inflation issues and opt for take-out delivery via customers dropping in and signing up with services like Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats. Turner believes that the fact kb&co was bent on creating nutritious food to its customers worked out for them in the long run.

“If anything, this pandemic has made people more aware of their health and how they can better themselves by cutting out processed food and eating as healthy as possible,” she said. “As I always say, health is wealth.” t8n

Lofty Ambitions

Firefly Theatre takes performance art to new heights

AS AN AERIAL artist, Annie Dugan literally experiences a series of ups and downs in her work. But while she’s equipped to take on those altitude variances, she’d rather do without handling the more metaphorical highs and lows inherent in running her company, Firefly Theatre.

BY: GENE KOSOWAN PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDA LAKEMAN

A case in point was the pandemic, which shut down pretty much every business that didn’t sport a grocery or liquor storefront, just when Dugan was polishing off plans to introduce the company’s first annual Alberta Circus Arts Festival. “I came up with it before the pandemic and it just takes a little while when you have a brand new idea for a festival,” recalled Dugan, who is Firefly’s artistic director. “They don’t happen overnight. There’s a lot of planning, thought and design and fundraising. We had it already to start in 2020, and of course that didn’t happen.”

Two years later, when vaccinations and government quarantine directives mitigated the dangers of Covid, Firefly was ready to take another shot at its circus arts festival debut, retaining most of the lineup from the aborted 2020 version. But just days before the event, a flood at their choice venue of La Cité Francophone created a scramble to reassemble the proceedings at the University of Alberta’s Timms Centre.

If there’s a sense of guarded optimism that all will go well for the second annual event, slated to run June 22-25 at La Cité Francophone and the Mill Creek Ravine, Dugan’s covered it up with bubbly enthusiasm. “We have contemporary circus coming from across Canada,” she said, wistfully pointing out one of its main attractions, Quebecois troupe Barka, an 18-piece ensemble of musicians and performers fusing dance music with circus disciplines. The band will also be on hand to inaugurate the festival with a dance party. “It gets everybody hyped up and gives you an outlet to dance and have a good time,” Dugan added.

Also on the itinerary is the profound “Twist of Fate,” a solo show by Angola Murdoch, a gymnast sidelined by scoliosis, although she uses her aerial talents to tell her remarkable story. Another female one-hander is “Deep Dish,” which stars Winnipeg contortionist Samantha Halas, who revisits her formative years working as a waitress. “She has these crazy skills she does with pizzas,” noted Dugan.

Amixed bag of Canadian circus performers will take part in the festival’s “North by Northwest” cabaret as well as a free family-friendly event in Mill Creek Ravine. Rounding out the proceedings will be a series of workshops that will include such skill sets as stilt-walking and juggling.

Ever since Dugan and her husband, local actor John Ullyatt founded the company in 2000, Firefly’s entertainment programming has not only delivered some all-ages fare, the company has also taken on some heady, surreal stuff. One production tackled a two-decade odyssey of the corpse of Argentinean icon Eva Peron. Another recent show explored the hellish works of Dante, while yet another aerial presentation concerned one man’s obsession with rubber ducks.

Regardless of the content, Firefly’s won over a loyal audience, not only in Edmonton but worldwide, via the company’s performances at the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland, a Canada Day celebration in London, England, and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The company has also received such honours as the City of Edmonton Excellence Award in Arts and Culture and a Mayor’s Award for Innovative Artistic Direction.

Former New Yorker Dugan first joined a circus in her region when she was 21, riding horses. After taking some time off to learn about theatre, she discovered an acrobatic style that would change her life. “When I got out of theatre school, I saw some people working on aerial silks and the corde lisse [a vertically-suspended rope],” recalled Dugan. “Which is very new and that really hit North America in the mid-‘90s. That style of working was developed in France in the ‘80s. To me, it looked like a fabulous way to tell stories.”

Dugan boned up on the intricacies of aerial art and took time off to head to Edmonton to play at the Edmonton Street Performers Festival in 1997 and the Fringe Festival in 1998. She made the permanent move to the Alberta capital in 1999. “I had a rope and I had trapeze and I wanted to find a place where I could hang them and train, and there wasn’t one anywhere,” she recalled. “I found a gymnastics club that let me hang my equipment and myself and John Ulyatt, we formed our company and started creating.”

Regardless of the content, Firefly’s won over a loyal audience, not only in Edmonton but worldwide

They created more than an aerial theatre company, but a whole mini-industry focused on circus art. Since Firefly’s inception, scores of artists have learned the craft at the company and incorporated that knowledge into subsequent projects. “There are three circus schools and recreational circus schools in town which were started from people who came from Firefly,” said Dugan.

And while the business end of aerial arts has its own peaks and valleys, Dugan credits another unpredictable element that tipped the scales in her decision to stay in Edmonton, namely the nice summer weather the city enjoyed during her previous two visits. “I had a great time,” Dugan said. “The sun was shining, and I’m telling you, if the weather was bad, and if it rained and snowed, we might not be talking now.” t8n

Firefly Theatre

8540 Roper Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 6V4 fireflytheatre.com

Caramel Calculation

Here’s a sweet and rather weighty challenge worth chewing on

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRENDA LAKEMAN

Folks familiar with Down Time recall that every time this spread features a container of candy, they’re challenged with determining how many of those sweets are in that jar. This time, T8N turns the tables, asking readers to do something different concerning these caramels.

Instead of trying to count them, we’re asking you to determine how much these caramels weigh (using either English or metric measurements). All you have to do is first, write down your answer on this page, take a photo of it with your smartphone, then post that image on either Facebook or Twitter (tagging #t8n, of course) or direct message us on those platforms.

The closest guess wins. If there is a tie, we will randomly draw a winner. Prize is available only to St. Albert residents. t8n

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