July / August 2019  t8nmagazine.com
Making Waves NAVIGATING THE STURGEON RIVER
THE SPOR TING LIFE
8 GAMES TO STAY ACTIVE THIS SUMMER
SNACKS ON A STICK
SAVORY SKEWER TREATS FOR YOUR NEXT PATIO PARTY
ROOM BOOM
SHORT-TERM RENTALS & THE SHARING ECONOMY
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Contents
T8N MAGAZINE
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 6 July/August 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, Mike Ross, Leslie Vermeer, Shima Zonneveld OFFICE MANAGER
Janice Lightfoot CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Image page 6 © Monkey Business/Adobe Stock Image page 8 © Dzianis Rakhuba/Adobe Stock Image page 20 © nasik/Adobe Stock Image page 32 © superiorstocker/Adobe Stock
ISSN 2368-707X (PRINT) ISSN 2368-7088 (ONLINE)
Conversations 6
Betting on Bedding
With Airbnb making inroads in St. Albert, how will the city adjust to this rising economic trend?
Arts & Culture 11 20
18
THE 8s
28
FOOD & GATHERINGS Sticking Around
5 succulent summer treats to slip a skewer through.
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A River Runs Through It MEET YOU THERE The Sturgeon by Kayak
A rustic exploration of St. Albert’s venerable waterway.
Spotlight 30
Summer Games
Living
THEN & NOW
Retracing the Sturgeon’s critical link to this city’s development.
Rigorous Restoration
The rejuvenation of River Lots 23 & 24 to preserve a vital chapter in local history.
The Olympics are a year away, but why wait to stage your own?
22
City
32
Bungalow Rocker
Classic rock vanguard Moe Berg still finds comfort in his hometown roots.
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
Here's a brain teaser so appropriate for summer, you just might want to work on it outside.
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T8N July / August 2019  3
From the Publisher GIVEN THOSE LAZY, hazy, crazy days of summer,
sometimes the best thing you can do is go with the flow. Such as kayaking on the Sturgeon, a feat Markwell Lyon achieved and documented on page 28. If his experience doesn’t prompt others to pick up a paddle, perhaps a look back at the local waterway’s contribution to this city’s well-being on page 18 might be of interest. If navigating the river currents isn’t your speed, how about some summer games in your backyard, including a few Rob Lightfoot with some Olympian connections? We’ve got some options for you on page 20. And while at play, try some skewering on for size, namely some nifty food treats suggested by Shima Zonneveld who has an arsenal of culinary ideas you can shake a stick at on page 22. Back in the day, “I’m An Adult Now” was enjoying as much chart rotation as anything by Bon Jovi and Prince. And while the hit’s creator Moe Berg, bandleader of The Pursuit of Happiness, is a bona fide Canadian classic rocker, St. Albert was his original stomping grounds. Check page 30 about his return to the area in August. While on the topic of heritage, one critical chapter of St. Albert’s history has been the painstaking restoration of Metis settlements, chronicled on page 11. Also check out accommodations in a more modern setting, namely the rise of short-term rentals which is taking the global housing economy by storm. How will this affect St. Albert? Read about it on page 6. Finally, if going with the flow is your game plan for the rest of summer, make the most of it. Enjoy!
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On the Cover Few outdoor activities in St. Albert are as adventurous as paddling on the Sturgeon River. Contributor Markwell Lyon decided to play voyageur for a day and wrote about the experience, starting on page 28.
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Conversations
Betting on
Bedding
How short-term rentals could affect St. Albert’s hospitality industry BY LESLIE VERMEER
FREQUENT TRAVELER NICOLE Brenda can’t
say enough great things about staying over in a short-term rental. “It saves money,” says Brenda, who’s sacked out at many of these joints, including several in Alberta. “It’s less expensive than staying in a hotel, and we’re supporting local people instead of a big chain.” She isn’t alone in her praise. Short-term rentals have been a boon to travelers like Brenda in recent years, thanks to the emergence of the share market in the hospitality industry. Spearheaded by online service Airbnb, this latest wave in home-based accommodation is expected to generate more than $170 billion worldwide this year. With roughly a dozen St. Albert residences on board and hundreds of others in Edmonton and surrounding area, those who facilitate short-term rentals see it as a convenient supplementary source of revenue. While a short-term rental is often mistaken for a more traditional bed and breakfast spot, it differs greatly in that it doesn’t require licensing, permits or such mandatory stipulations as owners needing to live on the premises being used for lodging. “It’s a great source of additional income you wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Edmonton businessman Chris Vilcsak, who admittedly doesn’t own a short-term rental in St. Albert, but has reaped returns on a domed home he has in Sedona, Arizona, where it’s available for tourists to rent. Like almost all of the
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WANT TO HOST A SHORT-TERM RENTAL? Airbnb is a sideline for most people, whereas VRBO tends to be a full-time business. There is in fact a how-to book for setting up a travel-hosting business, if you’re so inclined, but here are the basics. • You set the price. Airbnb takes a percentage of your rental fee, plus a fee from your guest. VRBO charges owners either an annual fee (if they are regular hosts) or a percentage per rental (for part-time hosts). • The system depends on trust between host and guest. Airbnb checks out its guests; hosts set rules for their space and have the right to refuse a reservation. VRBO allows hosts and guests to communicate before the rental, and either party can cancel if things feel uncomfortable. Hosts are also vetted to ensure safety and prevent fraud. Honest reviews and local validation are crucial to everyone’s safety and success. Learn more at www.airbnb.ca/b/homes-earn, www.vrbo.com/lp/learn-more or www.flipkey.com (choose List Your Property). St. Albert locations, Vilscak enjoys a cash flow via registration on Airbnb, by far the largest short-term overnight rental in the market, with more than six million listings available in at least 190 countries. A distant second is Expedia-owned VRBO (formerly Vacation Rentals By Owner) boasting some two million rental options and TripAdvisor Rentals’ FlipKey, with more than 800,000 locations worldwide. “Airbnb has been spectacular for me,” said Vilcsak, who’s more than willing to entice others to get in on the action. Registration is free on the Airbnb website, which gets a three percent share of all booking revenue. Parting with that take was probably worth it for those already with Airbnb in Edmonton last November during the Grey Cup festival. Roughly 2,000 bookings collectively yielded $180,000 during the event, the biggestever revenue generator for Airbnb suites in the city that weekend. While owners and an eager traveling clientele are sold on short-term rentals, more community-minded critics claim that bringing in strangers overnight poses
the risk of attracting an undesirable contingent into the neighbourhood. Others critics include hotels and B&B outlets, declaring the short-term rental trend is another way to sidestep licensing, regulations and taxes that more traditional hospitality competitors have to follow. Despite panic that short-terms rentals are eating into the hospitality market, a 2018 paper by economics professor Assandé Adom, published in the Journal of Applied Economics and Business Research, found that the inclusion of sharingoriented players was far too new to indicate any considerable disruption in the overall market. Still, that finding may not be enough to convince Eric Hesse, who owns a St. Albert-based bed and breakfast establishment with his wife. “Starting last summer, things had just dropped right off,” said Hesse who reportedly enjoyed greater returns throughout most of the 20 years that the family’s City View service has been around. “We had less than a quarter of the business than we did previously. I think Airbnb is taking over.” T8N July / August 2019 7
Outside the hospitality industry, though, there’s far more evidence that short-term rentals dramatically affect vacancy rates in the rental market and drive up the cost of monthly rent, adding to the overall shortage of affordable housing in cities. To owners, it’s a no-brainer option that enables them to make more per night from short-term rentals than from monthly rentals and annual leases. In many cases, owners have far fewer responsibilities than in a traditional owner–tenant relationship. Cities worldwide have long been grappling with this latest accommodation trend and it’s only been recently that major centres have taken action. Los Angeles finally tightened rules on Airbnb pricing, the maximum number of stays for all short-term rental
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locations, as well as health and safety regulations in 2018. Amsterdam followed suit with similar measures in January. At present, an owner does not need to have a business licence to host a short-term rental in St. Albert, but that policy could change at any time. Provided owners are not renting more than three rooms in one home simultaneously, they do not need to charge the four-percent Alberta tourism levy, which hotels and traditional B&Bs must collect. Owners are also supposed to report earned income on their taxes, although policymakers are concerned that most short-term rentals exist in a grey market and don’t bother reporting that revenue.
Grey markets also worry condominium boards, wary of suite owners who rent out their space to total strangers and the potential risk that brings to other residents. Edmonton lawyer Robert Noce noted that because government regulation is effectively silent on short-term rentals, each condo board must figure out for itself how to deal with short-term rentals. And while booking platforms offer general policy coverage to owners of short-term rentals, insurance experts say that may not be enough to cover more serious claims like fires and floods involving a guest. At minimum, an owner must carry an extra endorsement on the homeowner’s policy, although an insurer might be prompted to get a client to also carry commercial insurance. That said, such a side gig must be known when a homeowner policy is being drawn up to avoid the consequences associated with damage should a serious incident take place. It’s a situation that even traditional bed and breakfast owners like Hesse know so well. “Our insurance company said that we had to get car insurance, because if we have a car accident and the insurance company can prove that you were on your way to the store to get butter for your bed and breakfast, you could be in trouble,” he said. “So that cost us a couple hundred a year just for that.”
THE DARK SIDE OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS In late 2017, Vancouver’s city council introduced a bylaw, which came into effect in April 2018, requiring any owner listing a property on a short-term rental website to have an annual licence (costing $49). Fines for non-compliance could be as high as $1,000 per day. In March 2019, the city began going after violators, and now more than 800 owners face various actions, including steep fines. Vancouver officials feel such punitive measures are justified by the city’s extremely low long-term rental vacancy rates, which hovered below one percent in 2017 and 2018 and are exacerbated by absentee ownership. suburban locations like St. Albert, yearround short-term rentals exist primarily for the convenience of people visiting friends and family, scouting for potential employment and making other ordinary trips—a role hotels and traditional B&Bs also fulfill.
And so far, extreme cases involving short term rentals have been incredibly rare in this neck of the woods. Recalled Brenda in her experience, “The only bad one was a lady who locked up the toilet paper!” t8n
However, Vilcsak believes the near-instant reporting features on short-term rental websites isolate and stop offenders immediately and permanently. “A guest who’s causing problems will never be able to rent again,” he said. “The risk to owners is small. People aren’t going to trash your house.” Perhaps because many people have heard stories about both unscrupulous hosts and destructive guests, booking services have ramped up their efforts to ensure both sides of the short-term rental transaction feel safe and secure. Airbnb now requires both hosts and guests to provide government-issued documents to verify their identities. Additionally, visitors seeking short-term rentals are more attracted to locations where ratings are higher and guest comments are more positive. Pressure from annual events such as music festivals and sports tournaments may create unusual demand, but in T8N July / August 2019 9
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Arts & Culture
Rigorous Restoration Arts and Heritage St. Albert renews remnants of life dating back at least a century
BY MARKWELL LYON; PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENDA LAKEMAN
IN A PICTURESQUE setting between the
river and the grain elevators, St. Albert’s early history has been coming alive again. The site, a remnant of the former River Lots 23 and 24, is now home to a fascinating collection of historic homes and buildings. “What’s significant about these houses is their relationship to the families who lived in them,” explains Ann Ramsden of Arts and Heritage St. Albert. “We’re able to see four generations living on the river lots, and they were Métis families.” With restoration work nearing completion, St. Albertans now have an unparalleled view of what life was like in the area more than a hundred years ago.
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Many of St. Albert’s early settlers were Francophone and Métis, and they preferred the seigneurial system of land tenure that developed in New France. This meant ribbon-shaped lots that reached back some distance from the river, rather than the square-mile sections usually favoured on the prairies. “At its height, River Lot 24 went all the way back to Deer Ridge,” Ramsden says. “The lots were very long and very thin.” St. Albert was one of the few places outside Quebec where the seigneurial system was practiced. The system had its benefits; lots gave settlers access to resources, including freshwater and wood, as well as land for planting and grazing. It also kept neighbours close together. However, being semi-feudal in nature, it was gradually abolished throughout Canada. Ramsden says that the riverside location of the restored buildings will help preserve this aspect of St. Albert’s history. “Visitors can hear about the families and see how they lived in those houses and in that location.”
Image Credit: Musée Héritage Museum Mrs. Ternan and her three children, Gernadine, Jane and John in front of the Hogan house, July 29, 1915 12 T8Nmagazine.com
Restoring buildings built over a century ago is a delicate and painstaking process. “We have to keep as true to the building, and how it was used, as possible,” Ramsden says. It’s more than simply preserving the structure of a building; especially with homes, the experience of living within those four walls in a bygone era is an important part of restoration. For insight into how these houses were furnished, Arts and Heritage pored through books, photos, documents, and even old Eaton’s and Sears catalogues, in addition to collecting oral histories from family members. These efforts provide a bigger picture of what each building looked like inside as well as out, making restoration more accurate. “It’s obviously difficult to get the items that belonged to those families,” Ramsden says. “In many cases we’ve furnished the houses with representative furniture from that period.”
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Historical accuracy is important, of course, but when four generations of a family have lived in a house, there’s the question of which history to preserve. Over enough time, a home becomes a hodgepodge of different styles from different decades as successive owners renovate and redecorate. Take the Cunningham House. Built around 1910, researchers determined its most significant features date to the 1920s. In other words, work done to the house in later decades—including new wallpaper in the 1930s—had to be undone in order to take the house back to its most noteworthy era.
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Besides the Hogan/Belcourt and Cunningham Houses, two other buildings on the site are in the process of being conserved. The Chevigny House, a two-storey solid log house built before 1890, is one of the oldest such buildings in the province. It’s also significant for having stayed within the same family. The Brosseau Granary, meanwhile, dates to around 1900. Restoration of those structures involves collaboration between the City and architects, and Ramsden expects they will be open to the public next year. t8n Image Credit: Musée Héritage Museum. Chévigny House ca., 1905. T8N July /August 2019 15
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T8N July /August 2019  17
Then & Now
A River Runs Through It Winding through the history of the Sturgeon waterway BY MARKWELL LYON
JUST AS IT f lows 26 0 k m from its
headwaters at Hoople Lake south of Entwistle to its confluence with the North Saskatchewan, the Sturgeon River also flows through 150 years of St. Albert history. Much has changed over those years, but in many ways the Sturgeon remains the (slow) beating heart of the city. Now, with growing public interest in its conservation, one can hope the river will experience a renaissance in the decades to come.
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Early History According to the Geographic Board of Canada’s 1928 Place-names of Alberta, the river’s original name was derived from the Cree word mihkwapemak, meaning “red willow.” European explorers would quickly rename it for “the abundance of sturgeon caught in the river.” Indeed, this fishier appellation appears as early as David Thompson’s 1814 map of the region. In 1862, a year after the settlement’s founding, heavy spring run-off inspired Father Lacombe to build a bridge— the first in Canada west of the Great Lakes—following mass one Sunday. The locals, many of whom had never seen a bridge before, entertained themselves by repeatedly crossing the completed 300-foot span, which was wide enough for an ox-cart to cross. From the beginning, the river was the go-to spot for fun and games. In summer, it was swimming, fishing, and canoeing, while winter saw weekend skating and hockey. In 1914, the paddlewheeler Ste. Thèrésa began making Sunday and holiday excursions between St. Albert and Big Lake. Dropping water levels made the route untenable after a few years, and the boat was moved to Lac Ste. Anne.
The 1940s and 1950s Being a prairie river, spring run-off sometimes brought the water to precipitous levels. Floods were recorded in 1940, 1943, and 1948, with the last of these described as “extensive.” Outside of spring, however, the river was becoming noticeably sluggish, and in 1956 its flow dropped to nil. Additional water was brought in from Big Lake a year later through a “blasting” process. Though apparently a success, it was not enough to secure the water supply, and the city instead chose to connect with Edmonton’s water supply.
The 1960s and 1970s Writing in the Gazette in 1962, Eugene Perron described the Sturgeon as “now a sluggish, weedy stream, clogged with silt and beautiful only when seen at a distance or with the sun shining on it.” Harsh, but his words pointed to a growing awareness that decades of
Canoeing on the Sturgeon River ca., 1920. From left to right Judith Giroux, Bertha Leonard, Roland Giroux, Lucette Giroux and Marie Leonard. Image Credit: Musée Héritage Museum
neglect and overuse have degraded the Sturgeon. In the early ’70s, Paul Kane students reporting on pollution in the river placed the blame on the sewage lagoons and the town dump. Mayor William Veness remarked at the time that he had never “seen so much interest in the river.” The Sturgeon continued providing rowdy winter fun, though. In 1970 the RCMP detachment got its first “power toboggan” to help deal with noise complaints arising from snowmobiles on the frozen river late at night. That same winter a skate-a-thon was held to raise money for an artificial ice plant for a new community arena. Close to 500 skaters participated, including Lt. Gov. Grant MacEwan and Mayor Ray Gibbon. Twelve-year-old Stephen Lister skated 80 laps, the most of anyone that day, and the event raised $6,500.
The 1980s and 1990s Efforts to conserve and beautify the river valley intensified in the ’80s. In 1984, the Devonian Foundation donated money to the city to build riverside trails between
the trestle bridge and St. Albert Place. In 1991, the Red Willow Urban Park Master Plan initiated further development, with 85 kms of trail connecting parks and neighbourhoods. That same year, the Big Lake Environment Support Society (BLESS) was formed with a mandate to conserve the Big Lake wetlands. BLESS would later play a prominent role in the contentious fight over the west bypass, which would eventually become Ray Gibbon Drive near where the Sturgeon flows out of Big Lake.
Today Things have improved somewhat for the Sturgeon. The 2012 Sturgeon River State of the Watershed Report assessed the river’s overall health as “fair,” stressing the continued need to minimize the impact of urbanization and the loss of natural areas, as well as reducing the amount of pollution entering the water. What is clear is that much work remains to ensure the health of this important waterway so that future St. Albertans can continue to enjoy it. t8n
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The 8s
Summer GAMES
The XXIII Olympiad in Tokyo won’t happen for another year, but there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your own homemade version of some of these events right now BY RUDY HOWELL
SURE, NOT EVERYONE can pole
vault, sailing's a bit out of the question for a lot of us landlocked folks, and as for wrestling? Well, that might test a few friendships among families and neighbours. Still there's a wide assortment of summer game options, several of them featured at the Olympics, that are within easy reach. The beautiful thing is, that they're not only inexpensive, but from a recreational standpoint, skill levels aren't an issue. Here's a handful we look at.
1. Badminton Badminton has long been the perfect casual outdoor activity that you can set up in your backyard, a field, or even at the beach. It’s a type of racquet sport played by hitting a shuttlecock back and forth across a net. Badminton makes for a great family activity, as it can be played with either two or four players. Two player games are known as singles, with one person on either side of the court, while four player games are known as doubles, with two players on either side of the court. A game begins with one player serving the shuttlecock diagonally over the net into the other player’s service court. Each side may only strike the 20 T8Nmagazine.com
shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A single point is scored whenever a player wins a rally, regardless of whether they served. Badminton games are typically played to 21 points. History: Badminton was developed in British India during the mid 19th century from the earlier game of “battledore and shuttlecock.” Since 1992, badminton has been a Summer Olympic sport.
2. Horseshoes Although this game is more popular played in a sandbox area as opposed to a grass surface, horseshoes is classified as a lawn game. It’s played between two people, or two teams of two people. Typically, the game involves four horseshoes and two throwing targets (stakes). Players alternate turns tossing two horseshoes (one at a time) at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet (12 metres) apart. Any horseshoe that completely surrounds the stake is called a “ringer,” and scores three points. If no ringers are scored, then the horseshoe nearest the stake receives one point. Most backyard games are commonly played to 21 points. History: It is believed that horseshoes evolved from the ancient Greek sport of “quoits.” As the story goes, poorer citizens who could not afford to buy a real discus, made their own by bending
horseshoes. The practice was later adopted by the Roman army, and spread across mainland Europe to Britain, where the aim of the sport remained as a competition to see who could throw the horseshoe the furthest.
3. Ladder Ball Ladder Ball is a lawn game played by throwing bolas (two balls connected by a string) onto a ladder. The game really is as simple as it sounds, but don’t let that fool you, because it’s harder than it looks. Ladder Ball is typically played with up to four players, in either teams of one or two. Once you have spaced the game ladders about 15 feet apart, you can begin tossing your bolas. Each player has three bolas, and must toss all three before another player can go. The goal is to wrap the bolas onto the rungs of the ladder. The top rung is worth three points, the middle is worth two, and the bottom is worth one point. Whichever bolas are still hanging at the end of the round are awarded points. The first team to score 21 points exactly, without going over, is the winner. History: The origins of ladder ball are for the most part unknown. One theory speculates that the game developed from a pastime in which cowboys in the western United States would throw live snakes at fences or branches for points.
History: The early Romans were among the first to play a game resembling what we know today as bocce. Beginning with Emperor Augustus in the 1st century B.C., bocce was soon introduced throughout the empire.
4. Bunnock Bunnock is commonly referred to as a cross between bowling and curling. The object of the game is to knock down all of the oppositions bunnock (bones), beginning with the two guards first, using the provided throwers. A set of bunnock includes four black bones (guards), 40 white bones (soldiers), and eight coloured throwers. The game consists of two parallel rows of bones set up 10 meters apart. Each row consists of 20 soldiers placed side by side, with two guards at either end. Bunnock can be played with two to eight players, and is won by knocking down all of the opponent’s bones with the least number of throws. History: Bunnock is believed to have been created during the 19th century by Russian soldiers as a way to pass time while stationed in northern Siberia. Bunnock got its nickname, the “game of bones,” because the soldiers used dead horse’s ankle bones as playing pieces.
5. Bocce Bocce is an Italian-developed ball sport played around the world. The game can be played between two players, or teams of two, three, or four, where each side is given four balls to bowl. A match is started by a randomly chosen side being given the opportunity to throw a smaller ball (the jack) from one end of the court into a designated zone at the other end of the court. The side that places the jack bowls first. Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side bowls. From then on, the side which does not have the ball closest to the jack has the chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls. At this point, the other side bowls its remaining balls. The team with the ball closest to the jack receives a point. The scoring team is awarded a point for each of their balls that is closer to the jack than the closest ball of the other team. Typically, it takes between 7 and 13 points to win a game.
6. Croquet Croquet is a sport that involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops (or wickets) embedded in a grass playing court. There are several variations of croquet currently played around the world, but the one played primarily in Canada is also called “ninewicket croquet” or “backyard croquet.” In this variation, there are nine wickets, two stakes, and up to six balls. For a two- or four-player, two-sided game, you will need four balls. The ball colours are usually blue, red, black, and yellow. One side (with one or two players) plays with blue and black, and the other with red and yellow. The course is arranged in a double-diamond pattern, with one stake at each end of the course. The object of the game is to advance your ball through the course, scoring points for each wicket and stake in the correct order and direction. The winner is the first side to score 14 wickets points and two stake points for each of its balls. History: Croquet is a form of ground billiards that has been popular in western Europe dating back to at least the Middle Ages. However, the oldest document to bear the word “croquet,” with a description of the modern game as we know it comes from London, England, in a set of rules registered by a gentleman named Isaac Spratt in 1856.
7. Cornhole Cornhole is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing bags of corn (or bean bags) at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. Cornhole matches are played with two sets of bags, two platforms, and two to four players. There are four bags to a set, with each set identifiable from the other using different colours. Cornhole matches are broken down into innings in which every player must throw all of their bags. If playing in pairs, the first side of players alternate pitching until both players have thrown all four of their bags. Then, the players
pitching from the opposing side continue to alternate in the same manner until all four of their bags are thrown and the inning is completed. In order to score, the bags must either be tossed into the hole or land on the board. A bag that falls through the hole is worth three points, and a bag that lands on the board is worth one point. A cornhole match is played until the first player or team reaches 21 points. History: The game described by a gentleman named Heyliger de Windt in his 1883 patent for “parlor quoits” displays most of the features of the modern game of cornhole, but with a square hole instead of a round one.
8. Pickleball Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, in which two or four players (singles or doubles) use solid paddles to hit a perforated polymer ball (similar to a wiffle ball) back and forth over a net. The rules of pickleball are very similar to those of badminton. The ball is served diagonally into the opponent’s service zone with an underhand stroke, and must be from behind the baseline on one side of the centre line. A single point is scored by winning a rally. Unlike badminton, only the serving side may score a point, and play for a point ends when one side commits are fault. Similar to tennis and table tennis, you have to hit the ball either out of the air, or after one bounce. The first side to score 11 points, leading by at least two, wins the game. History: Pickleball was created in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the home of former State Representative Joel Pritchard. When Pritchard and his friends returned to his home after a round of golf, they attempted to play badminton, but couldn’t find the shuttlecock. Instead, they improvised with a wiffle ball, lowered the badminton net, and fabricated paddles from plywood in their shed. t8n
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Food & Gatherings
Sticking Around
Try these unique recipes for the ultimate backyard skewering party! RECIPES & STYLING BY SHIMA ZONNEVELD; PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENDA LAKEMAN
FOR AN OUTDOOR gathering with a difference, there’s nothing like a
wonder wand to serve all those delectables. Puzzled? Well, think finger food, beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian and sweets−all served on a stick. Get your friends and family talking and eventually eating all you can eat on a skewer once the grilling’s done. Also try rice, lettuce cups and other fresh seasonal veggies and your guests are guaranteed to stick around! 22 T8Nmagazine.com
Beef Bulgogi Skewers This delicious beef dish has its origins deeply rooted in Korean cuisine. Thinly sliced beef paired with a tangy marinade are traditionally served alongside rice or popped into a lettuce leaf for a crispy wrap-like meal. Ribeye, sirloin and brisket all work great in this recipe; just remember the key is very thinly cut strips of beef. Think razor thin! 3 sirloin steaks, thinly sliced, 1/8” thin approximately 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. rice vinegar combined with 1 tsp. white sugar or use mirin
3 tbsp. brown sugar 2 tbsp. grated, fresh ginger juice of 1 lemon ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tbsp. sesame oil
Pop the steak into the freezer for 30-45 minutes; this will make cutting the steak into thin slices much easier. While the steak is firming up, put together the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sugars, vinegar, ginger, lemon juice, pepper flakes and sesame oil in a food processor or the container for a hand blender. Whiz up until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Working with one steak at a time, leave the remaining steaks in the freezer, thinly slice the beef and add into the marinade. Marinate the meat in the fridge for up to two hours, but no more than that. The acidity from the lemon will break down the meat protein too much. Heat the grill to a medium-high heat. Skewer the beef and cook. Grill the skewers 3-5 minutes per side, make sure there are lovely grill marks on each side. Serve with rice, butter lettuce leaf cups and a sweet and salty dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce 1 tsp. sambal oelek 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. lime juice 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. sugar ¼ c. rice vinegar 2 tbsp. flavourless oil (sunflower, canola, grapeseed) ¼ c. slivered green onions
Whisk to combine. Serve alongside the beef bulgogi or use as a drizzle over top of the rice. T8N July July /August /August 2019 2019 23 23 T8N
Skewered Shrimp with Lemon and Coconut Grilled shrimp is a great alternative to friends and family who prefer seafood over chicken and beef. The bright, citrus hit of the lemon juice combined with shredded coconut make a great cocktail snack or a meal. Just add rice and some slivered snow peas and the party is on! 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint ⅓ shredded coconut ¼ c. olive oil ¼ c. soy sauce 1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined skewers
Combine the red pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, cilantro, mint, olive oil and soy sauce in a food processor. Combine until the mixture is smooth. In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp and the marinade. Cover and set aside for 2-3 hours. Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat. Thread the shrimp onto the individual skewers. Cook the skewers until they are browned on both sides and the meat is cooked. This takes approximately 4-6 minutes per side. Serve hot off the grill or alongside rice and slivered snow peas! 24 T8Nmagazine.com 24 T8Nmagazine.com
Whipped Yogurt Dip This dip would complement any dessert. The almond extract gives it a marzipan-like flavour and the tonka bean adds a unique taste similar to vanilla. Serve alongside pancakes, waffles or a simple tray of fresh fruit. 1 c. vanilla yogurt
½ tsp. almond extract
1 c. freshly whipped cream
¼ tsp. freshly grated tonka bean
Gently fold the ingredients together and serve with grilled almond cake and fresh berries.
Almond Cake This is a riff on Boterkoek ,which is a Dutch butter cake with a distinctive almond flavour. Any which way this cake is served is delicious, including putting it on a skewer to grill and then pair it with fresh fruit and a yogurt dip. A great summer dessert. 1 c. room temperature butter
1 c. almond flour
1 ½ c. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, room temperature
pinch of kosher salt
½ tbsp. vanilla extract ½ tbsp. almond extract
1 egg, beaten and set aside for an egg wash before baking
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
¼ c. natural slivered almonds
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray and line an 8”x 8” pan and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the two types of flours, the baking powder and salt, then set aside. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Add the two extracts, followed be the dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Press the dough into the prepared pan, brush the top with the egg wash and then sprinkle almonds all across the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing. This cake is delicious if you choose to go no further. However, if warm, slightly crispy cake is appealing, skewer 1 ½” cubes of cake and pop them onto the grill until golden grill marks appear. Serve alongside fresh fruit and a whipped yogurt dip. T8N July /August 2019 25
Sweet and Sour Chicken Skewers with Pineapple and Pepper This is a great sweet, tangy recipe. Perfect for a warm night of grilling. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” chunks ½ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. vegetable oil ⅓ c. tomato purée 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sesame oil ¼ c. julienned green onions 1 red pepper chopped to 1 ½” chunks ½ pineapple, also chopped into 1 ½” chunks
1 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
In a saucepan, warm the vegetable oil over medium heat. Stir in tomato purée, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil. Bring this mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce is visibly thicker. Season the chicken breasts with vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Also season with chopped pepper and pineapple with salt. Skewer all three items in an alternating pattern, chicken, pepper, pineapple. Leave a space in between each chunk. Place skewers on a greased grill over medium heat. Brush half of the sweet and sour sauce over the skewers, grill, turn over once. Brush the other side with the sauce. Serve with rice or inside a yummy pita pocket! Tip: Remember when grilling meat, the protein will easily pull away from the grill when it is cooked. If the meat is sticking, it is probably not done cooking. 26 T8Nmagazine.com
Balsamic Portobello Mushrooms This is a fantastic vegetarian option for a skewer party! These mushrooms are delicious with any cooked grain, but would also be yum on a bun, burger style. 14 portobello mushrooms
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. Balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ c. soy sauce
½ tsp. black pepper
3 tbsp. honey
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and use a spoon to scrape out the gills. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. Whisk all the ingredients together. In a glass casserole dish, place the mushrooms cup side up. Drizzle the marinade overtop, cover and let the marinade soak in for 30-45 minutes. Heat grill to medium-high. Skewer the mushrooms (any kind of skewer will work, wood, stainless steel) and make sure the skewer goes through the meatier portion of the mushroom. Two mushrooms will fit on a skewer but doing them one at a time works too. Place the skewers on the grill with the mushroom cup up to hold any extra marinade. Grill for 2-5 minutes per side until brown grill marks are present. Serve warm and enjoy! t8n
T8N July /August 2019 27
Meet You There
The Sturgeon by Kayak Experiencing a wilder, wetter side of St. Albert BY MARKWELL LYON
THE STURGEON RIVER has
provided many different things throughout St. Albert’s history, among them water, food, transportation, habitat, and recreation. These days, a growing appreciation of the local waterway’s ecological importance and understated beauty is drawing many St. Albertans back to the water. And there are so many ways to enjoy that water now, too, including by kayak. These ancient, low-impact watercra ft a re not only fun and easy to use, but also provide an entirely new perspective of our home by the river.
Close to Water There’s no preamble, no safety lessons, no kayaking 101 lecture. Within a few minutes of showing up at the boat launch in Riel Park, I’m on the water in a 12-foot, 50 lb kayak, as if I’ve been doing this sort of thing for years. (I haven’t.) Not that there’s much need for formalities —unlike many other recreational activities, kayaking really is as easy as it looks. The distinctive boat sits low in the water, making it more stable than a typical canoe. Manoeuvrable and quick, it responds very well, even for the novice, darting forward with just a few strokes and (almost) stopping on a dime. It’s a comfortable ride, too—braces inside the seating area, including a backrest and footrests, make for easy, low-impact exploration. And the Sturgeon River is a great venue for the first-time kayaker, too. According to Sean Demidovich of Active Recreational Rentals, the Sturgeon is a big draw for many of his customers, especially through the spring and early summer. A popular route for many clients is to float downstream from Riel Park to downtown or even further. On this mid-July morning, however, weeds are already choking much of the sluggish river. Instead of heading off for a jaunt through town, for a few minutes I simply try out the area around the 28 T8Nmagazine.com
boat launch, getting a feel for the water. Unlike modes of travel, kayaks really put you in touch with the thing you’re moving through—you feel you’re in the water, as much as you’re on it. I stop for a moment to watch the dark head of a muskrat bobbing past as it crosses from one bank to the other. Then I turn the kayak upstream and make my way to more open water.
Birds of a Feather Another advantage of kayaks, at least as far as the soloist is concerned, is the paddle. The distinctive spoon blades at either end allow for more strokes and a rhythmic pace, as the kayaker isn’t constantly switching the paddle from one side of the boat to the other. This means kayaks tend to “track” (i.e. move in a straight line) more easily than other watercraft. While canoes don’t necessarily require more skill to paddle, the fact is even a beginner like myself can feel (and look) pretty masterly in a kayak. Though there’s no current to fight against, I take my time as one of the river’s greatest draws soon reveals itself. The riverbanks and in the shallows of Big Lake are home to a great diversity of birds. I spot three dowitchers, plump birds on stick-like legs that poke for invertebrates in the mud with their long, sensitive beaks. As I coast toward them, the wary birds swim off into the denseness of the rushes. Meanwhile, a male red-winged blackbird flies back and forth across the river, perching on the tall rushes on either side. While the females tend to stay out of sight, the males are gregarious attention-getters, with the plumage to match: glossy black all over with bright, orange-red shoulder patches that flutter beautifully when the bird is in flight. Black terns are another recognizable species, spotted more easily for their distinctive hunting behaviour than their grey-to-dark colouring. Like dragonflies, they hover over the water and frequently dart at the surface when they spot a soon-to-be unfortunate bug or fish. They’re also known for aggressively
defending their nests by divebombing anyone who wanders too close, to the point that the nearby boardwalk has been shut down before.
A Big Lake In many ways, a kayak is the perfect way to explore the nooks and crannies of the Sturgeon and the lake it flows through. Those slow-moving waters offer little resistance, allowing a paddler to explore at their leisure. Compared to other watercraft, especially the motorized variety, kayaks have less of an impact on the environment. As self-powered vehicles, they don’t leak gas or oil into water and their lower speeds in shallow waters don’t cause erosion to shorelines. On the other hand, any vehicle (and the human presence that accompanies it) causes at least some disruption to fragile ecosystems. The fact that kayaks can go places other vehicles can’t—like uncomfortably close to nesting areas— places the onus on the user to enjoy this environment responsibly. It’s one good reason why Alberta Parks has considered enacting a total boat ban for Big Lake as part of the draft management plan for the provincial park that surrounds it. Such a ban would be disappointing to some boaters, but it would be understandable. The lake, the centrepiece of Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, is known for its wetlands habitat, an ecosystem
valued for its ability to absorb and purify large amounts of water, process carbon and inorganic nutrients, stabilize shorelines, and provide food and homes to a wide range of plants and animals, especially birds. Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of ecosystems, and at Big Lake it’s easy to see why. Up to 237 bird species have been recorded there, with around 180 recorded using the site annually. Due to this diversity of life, and the importance of the provincial park in conserving the wetlands, Big Lake is recognized globally as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), a listing developed by BirdLife International to recognize important bird habitats around the world.
Back Again After two hours of paddling, with the water me refracting the midday sun and a blanket of heat hazing the distances around me, it’s time to head back to Riel. Like other journeys, things look different on the return. On the horizon, new subdivisions are going up as a fast-growing city, by necessity, swallows up the open spaces around it. One wonders how we’ll experience this and other natural places in the future, and if we’ll be able to balance a newfound appreciation with the competing demands of development, recreation, and conservation. t8n
Active Recreational Rentals Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week Call (587) 588-9226 Email sean@activerec.ca Visit activerec.ca Sean Demidovich of Active Recreational rents and sells a variety of kayaks. Rentals are $30 for two hours or $60 for solo kayakers for the day and include life jacket, paddle, and some basic instructions. Sean also offers free kayak drop-off and pickup within St. Albert. Delivery and pickup throughout the Edmonton region also possible for an added fee. T8N July /August 2019 29
Spotlight Arts & Culture
Bungalow Rocker National music legend Moe Berg recalls his suburban upbringing BY MIKE ROSS
MOE BERG DOESN’T remember
much about St. Albert, frankly because there wasn’t much here to begin with. “When we moved into our crescent on Grandin, it was brand new. There were still lots that hadn’t been developed. It was just being built up,” he says. If you wanted to do anything aside from grocery shopping you had to go into Edmonton. There was the Klondike Inn and the Dairy Queen–everybody remembers the Dairy Queen–and that’s about it. St. Albert only exploded after Berg moved to Toronto in the early 1980s. He found fame and fortune with his band The Pursuit of Happiness, and its massive 1986 hit I’m An Adult Now. With renewed interest in the band owing to the 30th anniversary of their debut album Love Junk, the band returns to perform at the Edmonton Rock Music Festival in Hawrelak Park on Friday, Aug. 16. 30 T8Nmagazine.com
“We never broke up,” Berg says, so you really can’t call this a “comeback.” The singer and guitarist has visited family and friends at least twice a year since he moved, so he’s seen St. Albert grow in six-month increments from sleepy town into booming city. “Part of me wishes it had been more like that when I was a kid, but I’m happy I grew up when I did, when there weren’t a lot of distractions.” His creative development occurred inside a bubble. He describes his childhood as “very idyllic,” despite the fact he and his four siblings were abandoned by their father when he was seven years old. Fred Berg was a country singer. Moe has a happy memory of his dad letting him strum an open-tuned acoustic guitar during a living room jam. When dad left, “we soldiered on,” Berg says. In the summer, Mom would open the door in the morning and let the kids roam free, calling them in for lunch or
dinner and bedtime. She never had to worry. The kids played street hockey in the winter. Not many times you had to stop the game (“Car!”) in their quiet cul-de-sac. “You could just be a kid–and not have the same sort of pressures that my kids have on them,” says Berg, a married father of two. “We just played, played music, talked about records, and that’s what life was.” His first exposure to live concerts came from school dances. Even in junior high schools back in the day they’d have live bands. “And I was in awe of all of them,” recalls Berg. His records were a big influence: The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Ramones. He says, “When I first heard The Sex Pistols I thought I was going to lose my mind, it was just so amazing.” A couple of friends brought over a UK copy of The Sex Pistols’ 1977 single Pretty Vacant before it was released in Canada.
ST. ALBERT IN SONG
“We listened to it in my room. When Johnny Rotten said, ‘WE DON’T CARE!,’ oh, man, you’ve never seen three happier people. I’d lived music my whole life, but there was something special about this. It was the thing that got me writing my own songs and going in my own musical direction.” It was at Paul Kane High School where he met Kim Upright and Bob Drysdale, who would eventually be part of Berg’s first serious original project, The Modern Minds. They arrived right smack in the middle of the explosion of punk and new wave music. Their debut seven-inch single Theresa’s World came out in 1980, and is considered the area’s first “punk” recording. The band practiced every day; “We didn’t have computers, video games or cell phones, so there wasn’t really anything else to do,” Berg says. At the time there were exactly zero places for a rock band to perform live in St. Albert, he says. “There was barely a place to play in Edmonton.” So they practiced–and got good. What happened next is history. The Modern Minds made a huge impact playing clubs like Scandals–in the basement of the Sheridan Hotel in Edmonton. Berg was living in the provincial capital by now, absorbing R&B influences from Teddy Pemberton’s famous radio show on CJSR, The Black
Experience in Sound (“What an incredible show,” Berg says.). After some experimenting in that realm with his other bands Troc ’59 and facecrime, Berg finally made the decision to move to Toronto. “Edmonton had such a small scene that it was a bit exhausting,” he says. “For the audience, too. For fans of bands playing original music, there’s seven bands, and you see them whenever they play, and that’s your life. It’s hard as a band to keep up your enthusiasm, and as a musician to know there’s hardly any gigs. There was no future. It was this dismal situation. There was no Black Dog, no smaller venues. There were hotel bars, maybe they’d do punk night on a Tuesday night, they were slumming, and unlicensed events in halls. It came to a point I had to do something.” If he’d stayed, he says, “I could’ve had a life. I would’ve lived and died, and there would’ve been nothing remarkable about my life. I was extremely motivated to do music. I think of the balls it took for me to move. I had no money, I just went and did it.” At this point in the story, you might want to say, “And he never looked back.” But he does, from time to time. “St. Albert is my hometown,” he says. “There’s comfort in that.” t8n
Moe Berg claims he can only come up with one song he wrote that was inspired by St. Albert specifically. On the B-side of Theresa’s World lurks a minute and 40 seconds of rockabilly angst called Bungalow Rock. It’s about himself–like most of his songs–and his feelings growing up: Well, it’s five o’clock Friday, and I just got paid. I get into my car and drive into my grave, Oh, oh, to my suburban home! Tonight I’ll get my baby, and we’ll do the Bungalow Rock! Got a lumberjack shirt, I got a Trans-Am, too I do everything my girl and my friends tell me to. When I’m oh, oh, in my suburban home! Tonight I’ll get my baby, and we’ll do the Bungalow Rock! We end up at the bar, spill the beer on my jeans I yell “rock ’n’ roll!” Don’t even know what it means. Oh, yeah, I’m a suburban moron! Tonight I’ll get my baby, and we’ll do the Bungalow Rock! T8N July /August 2019 31 T8N June 2019 31
The Crosswalk
Fun in the Sun!
TAKE A SWING at this month’s crossword puzzle that’s all about summer recreation and learn something new about some of St. Albert’s best amenities. For answers, visit t8nmagazine.com
Across 3 No wind, no fun 5 Trees are this sport’s worst enemy 8 This night time activity is most rewarding in the summer months 9 Use soap and water (3 words) 10 The only kind of fight that parents condone (2 words) 12 One of three local parks with free gym equipment 13 This local spot is off the “leash”(2 words) 14 It’s impossible to stay dry here (2 words) 17 St. Albert has 26 of these 19 You might want to pack some ant repellant, too 20 This sport gives you an excuse to yell as loud as you want
Down 1 All you need for this activity is a good pair of shoes 2 In some countries, this activity is a compulsory part of education 3 The Sturgeon River fills up with these in the summer 4 Every dog's favourite game
5 The name of this game contradicts itself 6 Stay cool while keeping active at this local spot (2 words) 7 Don’t forget the peanuts 11 This activity always ends with a splash 15 Weekend getaway 16 A hockey player's favourite pastime 18 Canada’s national sport
32 T8Nmagazine.com
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