April 2019 t8nmagazine.com
GOING GREEN Eco-friendly options from the garden to the kitchen
LAW & ORDER
Why St. Albert is one of Alberta’s safest cities
ARTISTIC MAKEOVERS A local crafter restores landscapes from the past
WASTE NOT WANT NOT Recycling reaches a whole new level
Contents
T8N MAGAZINE
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 3 April 2019 PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Rob Lightfoot
Gene Kosowan
ART DIRECTION
Brenda Lakeman, Correna Saunders DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Correna Saunders PHOTOGRAPHY
Brenda Lakeman CONTRIBUTORS
Rudy Howell, Markwell Lyon, Robert Michon, Lisa Szabo, Shima Zonneveld EDITORIAL INTERN
Lisa Szabo OFFICE MANAGER
Janice Lightfoot CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Image page 6 © photka/Adobe Stock Image page 16 © geraria/Adobe Stock Image page 30 © sudowoodo/ © GraphicsRF/ © Evgeniya M/ © Amelie /Adobe Stock Image page 32 © Good Studioo/Adobe Stock
Conversations 6
Recycling Gets a Revamp How St. Albert responds to worldwide changes in the regulation of waste management.
Arts & Culture 11 16
25 28
Living FOOD & GATHERINGS Second Helpings
Recipes and food tips to use up those leftovers in the fridge. 2 T8Nmagazine.com
THEN & NOW St. Albert’s Law Enforcement
How a local NWMP detachment evolved into one of the province’s best forces.
A local artist demonstrates how neglected paintings get a new lease on life.
THE 8s 8 Best Crops For St. Albert Gardens
MEET YOU THERE
Spiritleaf
A retailer tackles the conundrum over cannabis.
Second Chance Creations
From herbs to honeyberries, here’s what’s worth growing this spring.
19
City
Spotlight 30 32
Plastics-by-Number
Here’s a guide to tell which materials hit the blue bag or the garbage can..
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 10-12 times a year by T8N Publishing Inc. Copyright ©2019 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
The Crosswalk
Find out how much of a footprint junior high biology left on you with this month’s crossword puzzle that’s all about the environment.
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From the Publisher
AS WARMER WEATHER approaches, we all look
forward to the reappearance of the colour green. You remember green, right? It was the same hue as the turf during the last Super Bowl. But this month, at least we’ll see the shade sprouting out in more of an organic presence. Leaves, grass, gardens and other foliage make yet another seasonal comeback and we’re here to cheer it on. And with that, our April edition looks at ways to appreciate green in several ways, including how to ensure that Rob Lightfoot colour doesn’t degrade into less pleasant hues while the Earth spins into an upredictable environmental future. We’ll do our part by keeping you abreast on St. Albert’s evolving recycling system (p. 6), share a new “green” business (p. 11), offer tips for your garden (p. 16) and reuse all those leftovers otherwise destined for a landfill (p. 19). This issue truly delves into the products of our Earth and how to get the most out of everything. Being a positive influence on the Earth, as this issue shows, does not prevent us from being creative or from having fun. We try to bring happiness, joy and knowledge to all that is glorious about being green this month. Enjoy.
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On the Cover April marks the first full month of spring, which means a lot of folks in St. Albert have gardening on the brain. To find out which crops grow best in this city, flip to page 16 for eight great options.
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Conversations
ecyclin
Gets a Revamp We’re all familiar with reduce, reuse, and recycle. Now, communities are having to rethink waste management, too. BY MARKWELL LYON
AS MANY HOUSEHOLDS in St. Albert know by now, the contents
of their blue recycling bags are much reduced. Gone are glass containers, some types of plastic packaging, cla mshells, single-serve cups, non-deposit tetra packs, and other plastic and paper waste. The new rules, which took effect in November 2018, caused some initial confusion and consternation, which was shared across central Alberta and beyond. But this could be just the start of things to come, as communities such as St. Albert grapple with the environmental and financial costs of waste.
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The St. Albert Landscape The new recycling rules in St. Albert and elsewhere are a response to policy changes halfway around the world. In early 2018, China implemented restrictions on recycling imports through its National Sword policy. With a single stroke, the world’s largest importer of recyclables banned the import of a wide range of plastic and paper for recycling, as well as unsorted mixed loads of different kinds of plastic and paper. Additionally, China has imposed stricter limits on the amount of contamination allowed—food scraps and other non-recyclable waste that get mixed in with recycling. For the Chinese, it was just one of several recent initiatives designed to make their country greener and cleaner. For us, it means we now have to do a much better job of sorting our garbage and recycling. The move, which was announced July 2017, has left the recycling industry in North America scrambling and has rippled through the recycling supply chain, all the way down to the local level. While Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) have hired more staff and slowed conveyor belts to improve the sorting process, communities like St. Albert have little choice but to pass on some responsibility to residents. “We just want to make sure that what we collect can be recycled,” says Olivia Kwok, supervisor of St. Albert’s waste and diversion programs. “We don’t want to keep taking things that can’t be recycled.” Early in November, the new restrictions led to a number of blue bags being stickered and left at the curb. But with the assistance of the City, its website, and the Be Waste Wise app, Kwok says, residents have largely been able to adapt. For the sake of efficiency, the initial stickers were colourful but non-descriptive, as collection workers didn’t have time to explain why bags were rejected. But soon, we can expect to see new stickers with checkboxes indicating problematic contents to help further ease residents into a new way of recycling.
Residential Recycling Whatever confusion St. Albertans have experienced, it’s been felt elsewhere, too. With contractors like GFL
WASTE AND RECYCLING: FACTS AND FIGURES • Plastic bottles can take more than 450 years to decompose; aluminum cans take 200 years—but cans can be recycled in just six weeks • 20,000 plastic bottles are purchased every second globally, and that number is growing • The average Canadian consumer throws away an estimated 170 kg of food per year • Recycled paper creates 73 percent less air pollution than virgin paper • Paper makes up 40 percent of all waste headed for landfill • The earliest record of paper recycling dates to 1031, when documents and scrap paper in Japan were re-pulped to create new paper Environmental no longer accepting items that can’t be sold locally or exported, many municipalities have had little choice but to fall in line. And so the blue bags and brown and green carts lining St. Albert streets on collection days are similar to what residents are now putting out in Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, Leduc, Spruce Grove, and other municipalities. And like St. Albert, those communities have made necessary changes in the past year to what can and can’t go into the recycling bag. “They have adjusted their programs as well, to ensure that items put into blue bags can be recycled,” Kwok explains. In Edmonton, at least for now, households are not asked to sort waste, and items that are banned elsewhere—such as glass jars and plastic clamshell containers—are still accepted. But in Edmonton and elsewhere, the goal remains to divert as much as possible— namely organics and recyclables—from the landfill. The capital is currently wrapping up its second phase of public consultations on the future of its waste
collection, which will likely lead to changes as the city strives to meet its goal of diverting 90 percent of residential waste from landfill. Its current diversion rate typically hovers around 50 percent. But in 2017, this number had dropped to 44 percent with the temporary closure of the city’s compost facility due to structural issues. For a time, this meant that organics were being diverted right back into garbage and local landfills. As such, waste diversion has become something of a mantra in urban waste collection. Landfills aren’t exactly attractive places, and when filled with decomposing organic waste, they can emit a considerable amount of methane and other greenhouse gases. Also, while built-to-standard landfills have systems in place to manage leachate (liquid that has passed through decomposing or hazardous waste) and stormwater runoff, the potential is still there for contamination of surface and ground water. Just ask the Town of Whitecourt, which was charged by the province in September 2018 for allegedly breaking a number of T8N April 2019 7
environmental rules at its municipal landfill, including the unauthorized release of runoff. Further pollution and contamination can occur during waste transportation, either through small leaks or traffic accidents. Then there’s the expense of landfills in terms of construction and operation, loss of other land-use opportunities, and later, the reclamation and remediation of the land, which continues for decades after a landfill has closed. As a result, like Edmonton, many cities have diversion targets in place. The target for St. Albert is 75 percent diversion by 2020, a goal that was set in the 2014 Environmental Master Plan. This came after the City met its previous goal of 65 percent in 2012. Unfortunately, the residential diversion rate seems to have stalled, even dipping to 64 percent in 2017. But Kwok points out that these 8 T8Nmagazine.com
figures can be a little misleading. Waste streams are measured by weight, and even 10 or 15 years ago, packaging was heavier than it is today, possibly giving the appearance that less material is being recycled these days. In relative terms, though, St. Albert isn’t doing too bad when it comes to residential waste diversion. In fact, it has one of the highest rates in the province. Christina Seidel, executive director of the Recycling Council of Alberta, names Strathcona County and St. Albert as two municipalities that are doing it right. While the former’s Green Routine program has an excellent educational component, St. Albert’s success lies more in its financial incentive. “St. Albert is already doing one of the most important things in driving waste reduction— charging for garbage based on a user-pay system,” explains Seidel. “The more you produce, the more you pay.”
DID YOU KNOW? Your green organics cart isn’t just for grass clippings and food waste. According to the Be Waste Wise “What Goes Where?” sorting list, these oft-trashed items can be composted: • Solidified cooking oil • Shredded paper • Paper towels • Coffee grounds and paper filters • Paper food containers • Napkins and tissues • Tea bags • Greasy pizza boxes • Compostable bags
Business Waste Matters Residential waste is just one part of the puzzle. And according to Seidel, it only accounts for one quarter of the waste we generate—with the rest coming from the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) sector. It’s a problem that governments in Alberta haven’t really tackled yet. And it’s a big reason why this province lags behind the rest of the country when it comes to waste. Not only did we generate the most waste per capita in 2014—981 kilograms—our total diversion rate that year was the lowest among the provinces at just over 16 percent. In St. Albert, waste collection at the moment is strictly residential, with no bylaws or policies in place for the commercial sector. Kwok notes, “Businesses are either voluntarily managing waste reduction programs, or they recycle on their own. Right now, there is no mandatory program.” Province-wide, this approach appears to be the rule more than the exception. On the face of it there is nothing stopping cities and towns from getting serious about recycling and diverting commercial waste. This could be done either through bylaws or through softer approaches, such as programs that encourage and assist businesses. “What we’ve found is that businesses are T8N April 2019 9
generally supportive and interested in doing these things,” Seidel says. “[But] it’s not their core business, so they don’t necessarily know how to do it.” Both Kwok and Seidel cite Calgary as a leader in this regard. The province’s largest city has mandatory recycling rules in effect for businesses, as well as residential apartments and condos. But Seidel believes the responsibility shouldn’t fall entirely on local government. She argues that the province also has a crucial role to play, and has largely fallen short. Besides banning certain materials from landfills, they could also set serious goals and lead by example. “There’s so much that the province could be doing,” Seidel says.
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Surmounting the Waste Heap Ultimately, though, all the attention given to waste diversion and recycling possibly obscures the real problem—the enormous amount of waste we create. Obviously, diversion is important, even necessary. But diversion doesn’t mean permanent. What’s recycled today may very well end up in the landfill tomorrow in a different form. In the waste hierarchy —commonly depicted as a pyramid, with disposal at the bottom as the least favoured action for dealing with waste— diversion is in the middle. The best way to deal with waste, in fact, is not to generate it in the first place. “Reduction is at the top and that is where our focus has to be,” Seidel explains. “Unfortunately we’re very quick to jump down the hierarchy to diversion, because that’s a little bit easier
to wrap our heads around, and it’s also what we’re more comfortable with.” It may require some significant changes in our purchasing and consumption habits, but there are many benefits of waste reduction and prevention: less pollution, less demand on natural resources, and less money spent on consumer goods and waste management programs. The recent change to the recycling program in St. Albert may be inconvenient, but it’s already having the positive effect of getting people to think more about where their waste goes after they put it out. “We do hope that people consider waste reduction, maybe even changing how they buy things,” says Kwok. “The biggest thing that we’re trying to emphasize is to reduce the amount of waste you’re generating.” t8n
Arts & Culture
Second Chance Creations
Forgotten items get a facelift and another chance to inspire. BY LISA SZABO; PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENDA LAKEMAN
T8N April 2019  11
PICTURE YOUR GRANDPARENTS’
living room in 1975 and, chances are, you’ll see an outdated landscape painting hanging above the floralprint sofa. A couple of decades past their prime, many of these paintings have since been forgotten, or relegated to basements, estate sales and the landfill. But with a few paint pens and a creed of redemption, Lorie Loewen is bringing these relics into the now, and back into people’s homes. Loewen, owner of Second Chance Creations, revives neglected paintings by hand lettering inspirational quotes and lyrics overtop of the scenes. “It’s breathing life into things people thought were dead,” she describes. She uses paint pens—and a knack for handwriting she’s been honing since childhood—to transform the forsaken pieces into stylish, meaningful works of art, saving them from the junkyard and giving them a second chance to be beautiful again. 12 T8Nmagazine.com
The process goes something like this: once Loewen has sourced a piece—she’s drawn to mountain scenes and colourful flowers, but has reincarnated everything from ocean scenes to portraits to heirloom photographs—she wipes it down and decides if it’s in need of restoration. Tears are repaired, and chipped paint is filled in; she even builds up decaying frames, sculpting rosebuds and ornate details in an effort to restore each one to its original glory. But the real star of the show is the hand lettering.
Loewen writes all of her words by hand with a paint pen—each letter getting 8 or 9 coats for maximum oomph. “The hardest thing is figuring out which quotes people are going to like,” she says. She keeps a note in her phone with ones that speak to her, but you won’t find any edgy sayings or sarcastic remarks here. Every phrase is deliberately uplifting, intended to nourish the family that receives it like a modern blessing. She resurrects tired frames with bold pinks, aqua, or white, and puts everything back together for the final product.
T8N April 2019 13
The finished Creations aren’t just beautiful—they’re slathered in meaning. Each one has a unique story, from dumpster rescues to commissioned works topped with a couple’s wedding lyrics to heritage pieces honouring a family’s history. “People love having something in their home with a story,” she says, noting that the demand for upcycled products has exploded since she started the business five years ago. “These paintings that have been around for 50 years have a history, and I think more people are buying into the stories of these pieces.” For Loewen, whose creations are often found decorating master bedrooms and nurseries, seeing her art hanging in people’s homes is the ultimate gift. “A lot of parents buy my pieces to go in their baby’s room,” she says, “and knowing this child is going to grow up looking at these words—knowing their parents bought this for them wanting to instill these words into their life… that just brings me so much joy.”
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The ‘second chance’ Loewen offers back to these paintings keeps them out of landfills and gives people affordable, meaningful art. But as a Christian and a woman who got another shot at marriage, it’s a theme very close to her heart. “There’s something cool about being given a second chance at life,” she says, “about giving something a second chance to be beautiful and useful.” And with the help of a few masterful flourishes and a carefully selected phrase, her creations have redemption written all over them. t8n T8N April 2019 15
The 8s
8 Best Crops for St. Albert Gardens There’s something for every urban gardener in this list of hardy, edible plants. BY LISA SZABO
YOU DON’T HAVE to live in the Okanagan to enjoy a
bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables every year. Plenty of tasty, interesting crops grow in Central Alberta climates, giving urban gardeners ample opportunity to eat their fill. With the help of Bob Stadnyk, Greenhouse Manager and talkshow host at Greenland Garden Centre, we’ve rounded up the eight best edible plants for all types of gardens—and gardeners—in the greater Edmonton area. 16 T8Nmagazine.com
Best Space-Saver: Cucamelon This surprisingly hardy, cucumber-like vine is great for gardening in tight spaces, as it can be trained to grow up a trellis from a garden bed or pot. Known colloquially as the Sour Gherkin, the cucamelon’s crunchy fruit resembles tiny watermelons, and tastes like a cucumberlime hybrid. Great for salads, or eating right off the vine, cucamelons will produce all summer long—or as long as the cold stays away.
Best Overachiever: Squash For gardeners with space to spare, these crawlers are up to the challenge. Squash like zucchini, spaghetti and pumpkin are heavy producers, and will fill up about as much space as they’re given. According to Stadnyk, planting smaller varieties like zucchini or small pumpkins will yield more fruit, while larger ones will produce less. Plant squash in large garden beds with lots of sun, and harvest in late August or early September.
Best Early-Producer: Lettuce Lettuce is the perfect vegetable for gardeners looking for a quick ROI. Easy to plant from seed, most varieties will be ready to harvest in 30 days. Make your crop last all summer with successive planting: sow half rows, two weeks apart in a cool shady spot, and enjoy fresh greens throughout June and July.
Tip: New to gardening? Plant your lettuce in a pot on your deck. Stadnyk says you’ll be more likely to care for something that you can see every day.
Easiest to Grow: Tumbler Tomato Tumbler tomatoes are known for their enormous yield of sweet bright red fruit, but they’re also incredibly easy to grow. Perfect for hanging baskets or planter pots, tumbler tomatoes require little more than a nice sunny spot and water. The best part about them? The fruit are ready to pick in July and continue producing all summer—providing ample reward for little effort. “You’ll have a lot of success with them,” Stadnyk assures.
Best Fruit: Honeyberries For gardeners wanting to expand their repertoire outside of the traditional Alberta berries, the winter-hardy honeyberry bush—or Haskap—produces antioxidant-rich fruit resembling grapes. As one of the first bushes to flower in the spring, honeyberries are ready for harvest in July. Once the berries are dark blue all the way through, put a large plastic container on the ground under the bush and shake, shake, shake!
Best Grown in Pots: Herbs What’s better than having a selection of your favourite fresh herbs just a few steps away? For a crop that’s equal parts
tasty and beautiful, plant a mix of Thai basil, oregano, and thyme in pots on your deck or patio. This savoury mix can be grown from seed or starter plants, and produces edible flowers as well as foliage.
Best for Friendly Competition: Peppers “A lot of young guys like to get together with their buddies and see who can grow the hottest pepper,” says Stadnyk. Pick up an already-started ghost, hot habanero, or scorpion pepper plant from a greenhouse to make up for our short growing season, and pop it into a south-facing garden bed or pot. At the end of August, invite your fellow growers over to find out whose pepper blazes through the competition.
Best into Fall: Goji Berries Who knew this trendy health food could thrive in Alberta climates? The goji berry bush, known for its nutrient-rich fruit, is a high-producing plant that will continue to yield fruit until the snow falls. Thriving in shady locations, the goji bush can grow over six feet wide and tall. Fun Fact: Many goji berry plants now grow wild on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, having been planted by Chinese farmers in the early 1900s. t8n
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Food & Gatherings
d n o c e S ngs i p l e H
Turn your food scraps into gastronomic treasures with these creative tips and recipes. BY MARKWELL LYON; RECIPES & STYLING BY SHIMA ZONNEVELD; PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENDA LAKEMAN
THOUGH WE TRY to be thrifty with food, some
waste is unavoidable. Whether it’s the chopped ends and peelings from dinner prep, or fruits and veggies that have sat in the fridge or on the counter too long, usable food often ends up in the compost simply because we don’t know what else to do with it. This is where some creative upcycling can come in handy. Instead of tossing those food scraps, here are a few ideas on how to turn them into nutritious meals and get more out of your grocery bill.
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Fridge Frittata Italian cuisine is always a hit, and it doesn’t get easier than this eggy dish with a name that simply means “fried.” It’s also a great way to clean out your fridge of vegetables that have seen better days. The variations are almost endless—try broccoli, green onion, or red pepper with cheddar, thinly sliced salami, and chopped tomato. 8 eggs
½ tsp pepper
1 cup asparagus, chopped and cooked
¼ tsp salt
½ cup ham, thinly sliced and chopped ½ cup milk
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated 1 ½ Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a 10-inch oven-proof skillet or spray with cooking oil. Whisk together all ingredients except the parsley. Heat the pan over medium heat and pour in the frittata mix. Cook for 12–14 minutes, occasionally tipping the pan to ensure the uncooked mixture on top seeps to the bottom. Once it’s cooked to preferred doneness, remove from heat. Turn on the broiler to high and place the skillet in the oven. Broil 2–4 minutes until the top is slightly browned. Remove and allow 5–10 minutes for the frittata to fully set. Cut into pie-shaped wedges and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese (if desired) and fresh parsley.
Breakfast Crumble The humble crumble is more than an after-dinner dessert—it’s also a great way to start the day, and a delicious option for past-their-peak berries and fruit. Try combining your own variety of fruits and toppings, or pair it with yogurt for a fruit-crumble parfait. For the fruit bottom:
For the topping:
4 pears, peeled and sliced
1 ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 apples, peeled and sliced
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup blueberries
½ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ cup coconut
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss together.
¼ cup slivered almonds 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal 1 stick butter, frozen
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly pour the fruit bottom mixture into the baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, sugars, cinnamon, coconut, almonds, and flaxseed. Grate the frozen butter stick into the mixture, using your hands or a pastry cutter to work it in. Spoon out the mixture overtop of the fruit layer. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling at the sides. 20 T8Nmagazine.com
Carrot & Pumpkin Seed Muffins This is great way to use up small amounts of raisins, nuts, seeds, and lessthan-fresh carrots. The carrots can even be grated and frozen in advance, then added to the batter. Not only are these muffins delicious, but they freeze well, too, making them the perfect lunch-bag addition (just leave out the nuts). 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 ⅓ cups sugar ½ Tbsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup carrots, grated ½ cup dark raisins ½ cup unsweetened coconut, shredded ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw ¼ cup pecans, chopped 1 large apple, peeled and grated 2 eggs ½ cup liquid coconut oil ½ Tbsp vanilla extract Demerara sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking oil or use cupcake liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, carrots, raisins, coconut, pumpkin seeds, pecans, and apple. Stir to evenly combine. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix the batter. Fill each muffin cup ¾ full. You can sprinkle raw Demerara sugar or cinnamon sugar on top of each muffin for a little sparkle. Bake for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then completely cool on a wire rack. T8N April 2019 21
Stem Stir-Fry Broccoli stems are a conundrum for the home chef; they’re not as appetizing as the florets, but it always seems like a waste to throw them out. A stem stir-fry solves that problem. You could also toss in wrinkly peppers, discoloured cauliflower, or any other less-than-perfect veggies on hand—you won’t even notice in the finished dish. 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1 Tbsp ginger, grated 2 Tbsp soy sauce 4 Tbsp teriyaki sauce 2 Tbsp chicken stock ½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt 1 Tbsp avocado oil 2 cups broccoli stems, peeled and cut on a diagonal 1 Tbsp each black and white sesame seeds
In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chicken stock, pepper, and salt. Heat the avocado oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli stems and sauté for 7–8 minutes until the stems start to char. Pour in the sauce and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes, or until the stems are evenly coated. Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds.
‘Better Than Store-Bought’ Chicken Stock Nothing beats a hearty stock for using up leaves, stalks, peels, and other odds and ends. Perhaps the only thing rivalling the versatility of this recipe is its convenience. It’s a perfect base for any soup or stew—including a few recipes here in these pages. 2 roasted chickens 12 cups water 4 parsnips, unpeeled, cut into thirds 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered 3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into thirds
2 celery stalks, leaves on, cut into thirds 1 Tbsp kosher salt 2 tsp whole peppercorns 7 sprigs fresh thyme 1 piece of ginger, peeled (about 1 Tbsp.) 1 tsp coriander seeds, whole 1 piece of turmeric, peeled (about 1 Tbsp.)
Add all ingredients to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 3 ½–4 hours. Check periodically to skim off any foam that accumulates. (Tip: Where foam appears, that is where the fat is pooling.) Remove and cool. Pour the stock through a sieve and discard or compost all solids. Use immediately or divide into portions and freeze. 22 T8Nmagazine.com
Turmeric Chicken Pasta Soup Sure, we probably had you at “chicken” and “pasta,” but it’s the turmeric that really puts this recipe over the top. A mainstay in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, this mustard-coloured spice adds an earthy kick to your everyday chicken noodle soul food. 12 cups chicken stock 1 tsp fresh turmeric, grated ½ tsp pepper ½ tsp kosher salt 2 cups carrots, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup frozen peas 1 ¼ cups cooked pasta, any variety 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
In a large stock pot bring the homemade chicken stock to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the turmeric, pepper, salt, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–10 minutes until the carrots are fork tender. Add the cooked pasta, peas, and chicken and warm through. Serve with homemade croutons and fresh parsley.
Homemade Croutons Rather than throwing out that rock-hard baguette—or any other stale bread—use it to add some savoury crunch to salads and soups. If the bread is coming out of your freezer, make sure to defrost it first. Baguette, sliced and cubed (about ¾ of a loaf) 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp pepper ¼ cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 350°F. On a parchmentlined pan, toss the cubed bread with the salt, pepper, and olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, tossing the croutons halfway through. Let cool completely before use.
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Everything & (Almost) Anything Cookies Another delicious way to clean out your pantry, these cookies work well with almost any ingredient you can dig up— cereal, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chunks, and so on. Just leave out the kitchen sink. 1 cup (or 2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ⅓ cups flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda 2 Tbsp milk powder 1 tsp salt ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup vanilla-caramel chips 2 Tbsp Corn Flakes cereal, crushed (crumbs) ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sugar
2 ½ tsp coffee grounds
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 cup mini pretzels, lightly broken
1 Tbsp corn syrup
3 Oreo cookies (or similar), chopped
1 egg
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup Rice Krispies cereal
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cream together the butter, sugars, and corn syrup. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Set this mixture aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. (This might take a bit of muscle!) Using a cookie scoop, portion out the dough onto the baking sheets. Pat the cookie dough down with your hands or the bottom of a glass. Chill for 10–30 minutes in the fridge. Bake for 9–12 minutes, until cookies are crisp and light brown along the edges. Cool completely. t8n
Meet You There
Jason Kent, Co-owner, Spiritleaf.
Spiritleaf Changing the stigma around cannabis culture one conversation at a time. BY LISA SZABO
NESTLED WITHIN THE Shops of Boudreau is a trendy new retailer.
Like its neighbours, the shop is neatly outfitted, the company’s white logo planted atop a clean black awning and cool stone contrasting a modern wooden door. But unlike the others, the windows of this retailer are frosted and host a sign prohibiting minors from entering. This is Spiritleaf—one of St. Albert’s new recreational cannabis dispensaries. T8N April 2019 25
The store is one of several franchise locations across Alberta and Saskatchewan, owned by entrepreneurs hoping to turn the end of prohibition into a budding business. Married couple Jayne and Jason Kent of Spiritleaf St. Albert are two such hopefuls determined to help locals make the most of cannabis culture in a responsible way. “We wanted to provide a safe and reliable place to buy cannabis products,” says Jayne, “and we felt that Spiritleaf’s values represented what we would want for the community.” But encouraging consumers to foster a responsible culture around a newly legalized drug wasn’t always on the Kents’ radar. “Before Spiritleaf I was a police officer,” Jayne says, “my husband as well.” Much of the pair’s previous experience with cannabis had been from a law enforcement perspective, seeing people abuse the substance. However, 26 T8Nmagazine.com
after learning about some of the benefits cannabis could provide when used responsibly, Jayne realized that everyone has their own reason for consuming. Those who visit the Kent’s shop can expect to find a variety of high-grade accessories like humble+fume crystal pipes in quartz, amethyst, and aventurine, as well as ashtrays, vaporizers, and aluminum grinders arranged behind glass cases. They can scope the day’s offerings on two TV screens—each strain marked with a price and symbol indicating whether it’s available in capsule, edible oil, or flower form—and legally purchase a government-regulated product they can trust. But perhaps most importantly, they can leave well-informed. “Legalization presents an opportunity for people to educate themselves about something that they haven’t really been
able to talk about,” says Jayne. Which is why their team works hard to be knowledgeable about their products, and get as much feedback from customers as possible. They even keep a log book at the front of the store, dubbed The Cannabis Taster, where they encourage shoppers to share their experiences with different strains. The pair’s background has turned out to be an asset, providing credibility to their business and helping to change the stigma around cannabis. It also means the couple is used to following rules—a practice that comes in handy in a strictlyregulated industry. “If it’s legislated, that’s the way that it goes,” says Jayne. “There’s no grey area.” For the owners, the company’s slogan “The end of prohibition” is more than just a business opportunity, it’s allowed people to talk openly about cannabis, share their stories, and learn what types of products might work best for them. “We want to make sure people are getting a good product and a good education, so that their first experience—or their hundredth—with cannabis is a good one.” t8n
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE SHOPPING FOR CANNABIS Rules vary between provinces. Although legalization is a federal decision, provinces and municipalities set their own rules for consumption. Make sure you’re familiar with your local laws before buying or consuming cannabis. Only certain forms of cannabis are legal. For the time being, retailers like Spiritleaf can sell dried cannabis, seeds, capsules and cannabis oil products. Edibles (like gummies and cookies made with cannabis) as well as concentrates are currently illegal.
Spiritleaf St. Albert at a Glance Location 107, 150 Bellerose Drive Service Recreational cannabis products and accessories Specialty Knowledgeable staff, candid conversations, and The Cannabis Taster Fun Fact Alberta and Quebec are the only Canadian provinces where the legal age for cannabis is 18. The legal age for all other provinces and territories is 19.
Retailers are strictly for recreational use. As a recreational dispensary, one thing you won’t find at Spiritleaf St. Albert is medical advice. Customers seeking cannabis for pharmaceutical use are encouraged to visit a designated medical dispensary like The Herb Clinic. Possession is limited to 30 grams per day. In Alberta, adults over 18 years of age can possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis in public, and can purchase no more than 30 grams at a time. Cannabis products should always be stored in a secure place, out of reach of children. You can grow your own. Albertans are legally allowed to grow up to four plants per household. Cannabis plants require special care; protect your investment by doing your research before taking seeds home. T8N April 2019 27
Then & Now
St. Albert’s Law Enforcement Then & Now BY ROBERT MICHON
ST. ALBERT IS consistently ranked
one of the safest cities in Alberta, and this is thanks in no small part to the efforts of the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police. While the RCMP have served the citizens of St. Albert for a long time, they weren’t the first police force in the town. St. Albert has a long history of law enforcement, ranging from early frontier justice to citizens’ militias.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, St. Albert detachment.
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The North West Mounted Police, 1876-1896 St. Albert’s first real law-keepers were the North West Mounted Police, a national police force created by John A. Macdonald who sent these officers to the Canadian Prairies in 1874 to keep the peace on the new frontier. While these officers technically held jurisdiction in St. Albert, it’s unlikely that they ever came to the fledgling settlement during this time, as most of them were busy chasing whiskey smugglers and cattle thieves in the south,
FUN FACT
North West Mounted Police Barracks, n.d. Musée Héritage Museum, St. Albert Historical Fonds
Early policemen in St. Albert were truly doing a public service. Officer Ernest Seymour is reported to have had a wage of $40 per month in 1905. Adjusted for inflation, that brings it to just under $900 today. or monitoring the Klondike gold rush far to the north. In fact, when Louis Riel’s Northwest Rebellion began in 1885, citizens of St. Albert looked to themselves for protection against Riel’s forces, forming the St. Albert Mounted Riflemen. Somewhere between a police force and a military, this citizen’s militia was made up of more than 40 men who volunteered to keep the peace and protect St. Albert during the conflict.
Vital Michelot in police uniform, circa 1933. Michelot served as town policeman from around 1927 to about 1944. Musée Héritage Museum, St. Albert Historical Fonds.
The North West Mounted Police set up a permanent outpost in St. Albert in 1888, building a two-storey barrack on St. Anne Street where they could house officers as needed. This original facility was very simple. It was constructed out of logs and lacked a permanent fireplace or chimney when it was built. It didn’t even have a jail where prisoners could be held. Instead, the backroom of the nearby butcher shop doubled as a cell when needed. This proto-police station didn’t need a dedicated jail however, as crime wasn’t the main concern for the early officers. While they did protect citizens and make the occasional arrest, they also settled disputes and doubled as immigration officers, helping settlers find and properly register their land.
St. Albert Police Force 1896-1944 While the North West Mounted Police provided a valuable service to the early settlers of St. Albert, their resources were stretched thin across almost all Western Canada. it wasn’t long until the town decided to form its own police force, one that would be under control of the town instead of answering to the federal government. This St. Albert police force was first formed in 1896, and in the early days, it only had one or two officers active at a time.
DID YOU KNOW? While in the early days of policing it was common for a single officer to serve the entire town, today there are 56 RCMP officers and 10 Peace officers on active duty in St. Albert. These officers moved into a new building on Perron Street (since the North West Mounted Police barracks weren’t being used any longer, these eventually became the town office in 1908). By 1920, the North West Mounted Police became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and continued to enforce law and order in the surrounding county.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police By 1944, it was becoming far too expensive to sustain a police force in the growing town of St. Albert. The town council dissolved the police force and invited the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police to act as the town’s police force once again, a role they continue to serve to this day. While they originally operated out of the former St. Albert Police headquarters, the RCMP soon moved to a modern police station on Muir Drive, complete with holding cells. They stayed at this location until 1976, when they moved to a sleek new building in Grandin, the same building that houses the Hemmingway Centre today. In 2001, they moved to the current-day station that sits on the corner of Boudreau Road and Bellerose Drive. T8N April 2019 29
Spotlight
Plastics-by-Number To recycle or not to recycle? BY LISA SZABO
YOU’VE SEE THEM on the bottoms of water bottles, peanut
butter jars and Styrofoam cups: three tiny arrows, chasing each other around a number in an infinite triangular loop. Despite sharing features with the standard recycling symbol (known as the Mobius Loop), these stamps don’t indicate recyclability. More accurately, they call out the type of plastic from which a product is made. So how do you know which items to put in the Blue Bag, and which to roll to the curb? The short answer is, it depends. To help, here’s a quick guide to some common items in each category, and where you can typically put them. 30 T8Nmagazine.com
program, and should be disposed of in your Brown Garbage Cart. Where do they go? Blister packaging and garden hoses go in your Brown Garbage Cart. PVC pipes, flooring and other renovation products should be dropped off at a City of Edmonton eco station or a waste management centre.
6. PS (Polystyrene)
1. PET (Polyethylene Terepthalate) This plastic is one of the easiest to recycle, and is usually crushed and shredded before being reincarnated as fleece or fibrefill for winter coats. Most of the plastic items allowed in your Blue Recycling Bag are PET plastic. Where do they go? Pop bottles, peanut butter jars, some body care packaging, and mouthwash bottles go in your Blue Bag.
2. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
4. LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) This low-density plastic makes up items like some grocery bags, sandwich bags, shrink wrap, and plastic beverage rings. LDPE plastics are not recyclable through the City’s program, however, many grocery stores in St. Albert offer recycling programs for plastic bags. You can reduce LDPE consumption by shopping with reusable bags and packing snacks and sandwiches in glass containers.
3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) You probably know this plastic best for its use in plumbing pipes and garden hoses, but PVC is also used in waterresistant jackets, gym bags, and faux leather material. Most PVC products are not accepted through the City’s recycling
Where do they go? Styrofoam cups, clamshell containers, packing peanuts and meat trays go in your Brown Garbage Cart.
Where do they go? Most plastic bags can be saved and deposited at a participating grocery store.
High density polyethylene plastic is stiffer and more durable than PET and is commonly used to package household products. Many HDPE items are accepted by the City’s curbside recycling program, and will eventually find their way into toys, piping, and rope. Where do they go? Flattened milk jugs, vinegar jugs, shampoo bottles and detergent bottles go in your Blue Bag.
Most of us come in contact with polystyrene products on a regular basis—mainly in the form of take-out containers and single-use products. It’s very common, yet very difficult to recycle. To avoid sending more polystyrene products to the landfill, pack a stainless steel container when you go for dinner, and bring a reusable coffee cup to work.
7. OTHER
5. PP (Polypropylene) Like PET and HDPE, PP plastic is common in food packaging. This tough, lightweight material makes up the plastic liners that keep cereal fresh, as well as yogurt containers, chip bags, and plastic straws. Not all items marked with this symbol are safe to recycle, so check the “What Goes Where?” sorting list on the city’s website if you’re in doubt. Where do they go? Margarine containers, ketchup bottles, and syrup bottles go in your Blue Bag. Prescription pill bottles, plastic liners, and plastic cups go in your Brown Garbage Cart.
This catch-all category includes any plastic compound that doesn’t fit up above. Because this symbol covers a multitude of ‘syns’—synthetics, that is—#7 plastics are the most difficult to recycle. Where possible, repurpose or reduce them altogether. Where do they go? Hard plastic bottles and jugs can go in your Blue Bag. But #7 plastics such as automobile parts should be dropped off at a City of Edmonton eco station or a waste management centre. As a general guide, plastics marked 1, 2, and 5 are most likely fine your Blue Bag, but it’s not a guarantee. It’s best to check individual items, regardless of the symbol, to find out what goes where. https://stalbert.ca/home/utilities/waste/ collection/recycling/.
T8N April 2019 31
The Crosswalk
Environment
FIND OUT HOW much of a footprint junior high
biology left on you with this month’s crossword puzzle that’s all about the environment. For answers, visit t8nmagazine.com
Across 3 A rise in this is threatening island nations such as Kiribati (2 words) 6 Introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change 7 An area occupied by a community or species 8 Humans give this to trees in return for oxygen (2 words) 10 Residents of St. Albert put this into their green bins 11 Sharing a ride to reduce pollution 12 This international treaty was signed in Japan in 1997 (2 words) 13 No, these are not formed from dinosaur bones 15 This gas has an unmistakable odour (think cows) 16 We now have this store in St. Albert Centre 18 Donald Drumpf doesn’t believe in this (2 words) 19 Materials that provide nutrients to plants
Down 1 This scientific term could also be used to describe certain restaurants (2 words) 2 Jason Kenney and Doug Ford and not fans of this federal act (2 words)
8 A measurement of the impact that humans have on the environment (2 words)
4 Earth’s shield from the sun
9 A community of organisms that depend on each other
5 This type of food costs more at the grocery store
14 Cities like Beijing and Los Angeles are famous for this
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17 St. Albert recently made changes to this program 20 The release of substances into the natural environment 21 This fictional character speaks for the trees
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