FARE THEE WELLIndependent restaurants join forces

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ON THE COVER Edmonton skyline

DEPARTMENTS

8 Almanac: a colourful sampling of Edmonton’s culture

18 Portfolio: people, places and events that defi ne Edmonton

29 Health & Wellness

33 Community Profi le: facts, stats and important numbers to know

CONTENTS

FEATURES

10 FARE THEE WELLIndependent restaurants join forces to promote dining locally.

14 URBAN PLAYGROUNDEdmonton’s parks, trails and greenway system are the envy of many other metropolitan areas.

30 CULTURAL SUCCESS, SQUAREDArt Gallery of Alberta takes its place as third anchor in the downtown arts district.

31 MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASUREThe annual Edmonton and Area Corporate Challenge brings together employees from 160 local companies.

32 SPOILED WITH CHOICESA limitless array of educational options awaits students and parents.

EDMONTON BUSINESS 22 Diversity Yields Resilience

Edmonton’s strong business blend keeps the economy going strong.

26 Biz Briefs

27 Economic Profi le

®

EDMONTON, ALBERTA

2009-10 EDITION | VOLUME 4

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 1

www.edmontonstories.ca

www.edmontonscountryside.com

www.greateredmonton.org

Explore its landscapes, cultural offerings, food and fun.

See its downtown, neighbourhoods, parks and attractions.

Experience the history, hot spots and local happenings.

Now Showing in Our Video Gallery

Sit back and enjoy a preview of Edmonton amenities.

Edmonton is rated L for Livability

imagesedmonton.com

Turn the pages of our

Digital Magazine

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LIVE LINKSHot links allow users to quickly link to other sites for additional information, and an ad index allows you to easily locate local advertisers in the magazine.

SEARCH AND YOU SHALL FINDAn easy-to-use search function allows you to fi nd specifi c articles or browse content by subject.

A DIGITAL TOOLBELTTools allow you to customize the look and function of the magazine on your desktop as well as print individual pages or save the magazine for offl ine reading.

MORE OF THE SAMEAnd that’s a good thing. Inside, you’ll fi nd the same award-winning photography and compelling content as in the printed magazine.

SHARE WITH A FRIENDE-mail individual stories using the pop-up text window.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 7

Enduring Event Marks 25 YearsThe Subway Coronation Triathlon is all about endurance, for the amateur

and seasoned competitors, as well as the event itself. The triathlon marked

its 25th year in May 2009 and is one of the oldest urban triathlons in

Alberta. The event features a challenging course that runs through

Edmonton’s Coronation Park area and includes a 1-kilometre swim in Peter

Hemingway Pool, a 26-kilometre cycle on Groat Road and an 8-kilometre

run along Groat Road and Mackinnon Ravine.

The Subway Coronation Triathlon is officially sanctioned by the Alberta

Triathlon Association, and individuals or teams may register to participate.

Do the FringeFans of theatre, welcome to the home of the oldest and largest

fringe theatre festival in North America and the second largest in

the world after Edinburgh. Performances for the 10-day Edmonton

International Fringe Theatre Festival are held in numerous venues

throughout the vibrant Old Strathcona area, the city’s theatre district

that is home to many renowned theatre companies, including the

award-winning Catalyst Theatre. Old Strathcona has been voted

one of the five best shopping districts in the country by Pure Canada

magazine. Founded in 1982 and modeled after the Edinburgh Fringe

Festival, Edmonton’s festival celebrated its 28th year in August 2009.

Convene GreenThe largest convention facility in Alberta has taken a few simple steps

in hopes of making a big impact in terms of environmental stewardship,

and now it is asking convention planners to do the same. The Shaw

Conference Centre’s 2008 efforts resulted in 110 metric tonnes of organic

waste diverted from the landfill to the city’s composting plant and 25

tonnes of cardboard recycled. The centre also has created a guide called

Simple Steps for convention planners who want to make their events

environmentally friendly. In the heart of downtown Edmonton‚ the centre

boasts award-winning architecture and world-champion chefs. Its newest

section‚ Hall D‚ offers unmatched views of the Saskatchewan River Valley.

Bank on ItThe financial services industry

is a key source of strength and

influence for Edmonton. An

excess of $135 billion already

is being managed here by some

of the nation’s largest players,

including services such as

investment management,

insurance, banking and credit

unions. Edmonton Economic

Development Corporation has

identified the financial services

industry as one of Edmonton’s

advantages, recognizing it as a

key growth area and a building

block for the city’s long term,

sustainable growth.

8 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Almanac

POPULATION (2009 ESTIMATE)Edmonton: 782,439

Greater Edmonton: 1,081,275

LOCATIONEdmonton is in central Alberta,

with British Columbia and the

Rocky Mountains to the west,

Saskatchewan to the east and

Montana to the south.

BEGINNINGSEdmonton, named after a town

in England, was incorporated

as a city in 1904 and became

Alberta’s capital in 1905.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONEdmonton Economic

Development Corporation

4th Floor, World Trade Centre

9990 Jasper Ave.

Edmonton, AB

Canada T5J 1P7

Phone: (780) 424-9191

or (800) 661-6965

Fax: (780) 426-0535

www.edmonton.com

Edmonton At A Glance

Fast Facts Edmonton is a leader in the

TV and film industry. More than 150 shows and movies have been produced in the city’s studios over the years.

Multiculturalism is encouraged and nurtured here, and one significant advocate for immigrants is the Edmonton Mennonite Centre, which provides many programs and services and works to shape public policy.

Discover and explore the real Edmonton by reading stories about living, working and visiting here at www.edmontonstories.ca.

Understand Alberta … and the WorldExplore the Royal Alberta Museum to discover the natural and cultural

heritage of the province. The provincial museum opened in 1967 and today has

more than 10 million objects organized into the categories of life sciences, earth

sciences, human history and collections services. These items are showcased

throughout three galleries: Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, Wild Alberta

and The Natural History Gallery. The museum is best known for its collections

of early fur trade artifacts and religious vestments and implements, and its live

invertebrate gallery – the first of its kind in western Canada.

Big Lake

PARKLAND COUNTY

STURGEONCOUNTY

STRATHCONA COUNTY

LEDUCCOUNTY

Cooking Lake

Nor

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aska

tche

wan

Riv

er

Wabamun Lake

Isle Lake

Stur

geon

Riv

er

Sherwood Park

Gibbons

Bon Accord

Morinville

Spruce Grove

Wabamum

Devon

Calmar

Thorsby

Leduc

Beaumont

Fort Saskatchewan

New Sarepta

Bruderheim

St. Albert

Warburg

LegalRedwater

Stony Plain

City of Edmonton

Pigeon Lake

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21

15

28

28

38

2

37

60

16

14

216

2

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39

21

759

770

Alberta

Edmonton

British Columbia

Yukon Territory

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundlandand Labrador

What’s Online eTake a virtual tour of Edmonton, courtesy of our award-winning photographers, at imagesedmonton.com.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 9

10 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

F ood for thought: Residents here can expect a diversity of foods and experiences that are exclusively Edmonton, thanks to an array of local restaurant owners who are known for putting all

of their energies and talent into their establishments. Now, a private local company has united many of these

business owners and is helping trumpet their collective cause. Original Fare was founded in 2005 to encourage people to dine locally.

“I thought that if we could work collaboratively, we could hopefully make independent restaurants a little more well known – and sustainable – in Edmonton and its immediate surrounding area,” says Jessie Radies, founder of Original Fare as well as owner of The Blue Pear restaurant in Edmonton. “My background is in franchising and working for large multi-national companies, so I know the advertising tricks for helping those restaurant chains succeed. So when I started Original Fare, the goal was to make that kind of group

INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE DINING LOCALLY

FareSTORY BY KEVIN LITWINPHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN McCORD

Jessie Radies is the owner of The Blue Pear restaurant and also is the founder of Original Fare, a group that encourages people to dine locally. Left: Raspberry Almond Cake from Leva, an Original Fare member

Thee Well

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 11

marketing work for local independents.”Each of the member restaurants pays Original Fare a

monthly fee, and that money goes toward year-round advertising, as well as to the operation of the organization’s Web site, www.originalfare.com.

Brady Weiler is the owner and operator of Pipestone Food Co. Ltd. in Wetaskiwin, which is an Original Fare member. Weiler says Pipestone Food offers local fare with gourmet flair and specializes in steak, chicken and seafood – plus

bison and elk dinners. For Weiler, the Original Fare marketing effort has been a success, and it boils down to strength in numbers, he says.

“It sort of evens the playing field for little guys like us, to be able to market ourselves at a higher and more noticeable level,” Weiler says. “It’s a great way for independent restaurateurs like myself to let people know who we are, what we’re about, and how to find us.”

When people dine at these establishments, they are not

“One thing that the group advocates is purchasing local and organically grown products whenever possible.”

12 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

only investing in a distinctly local dining experience, but also benefiting many businesses down the supply chain. Weiler explains that Original Fare also advocates among its members practices that promote sustaining Edmonton’s business base, giving preference to local vendors first.

“We have been doing a very brisk business, and I must give a lot of credit to Original Fare for much of our increase,” he says. “One thing that the group advocates is purchasing local and organically grown products whenever possible. I would say that 80 percent of the products I use at Pipestone are local. Even the stationery we buy is made in Edmonton.”

Restaurants within Edmonton that are current members of Original Fare are Accent Restaurant & Lounge, Blue Plate Diner, Culina Highlands, Culina Millcreek, Il Forno, Jack’s Grill, Leva, Parkallen Restaurant, Red Ox Inn, The Blue Pear, The Dish, Upper Crust Cafe & Caterers, Von’s Steakhouse &

Oyster Bar, and Wild Tangerine.Besides Pipestone Food Co. Ltd., members outside of

Edmonton are Eco Café in Pigeon Lake, and The Glens Grill at Montgomery Glen Golf & Country Club in Wetaskiwin.

“The only stipulation to joining Original Fare is that a restaurant must be locally owned and independent, meaning that the owner is able to make all of the decisions for their particular establishment,” Radies says. “This is the most successful marketing plan I could have ever been involved with. I just could never do it by myself – I needed 16 other restaurants to help me. And they certainly have.”

Patrons line up at Leva, a member of Original Fare, a group of local independent restaurants with the common goal of providing original, diverse, authentic dining experiences that you just can’t get anywhere else.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 13

RESIDENTS LOVE THEIR MANY GREEN SPACES

Edmonton boasts 150 kilometres of paved trails.Right: Joggers tackle the steps at Whitemud Park.

E dmonton residents know that greens are good for you, and they treasure the city’s parks, trails and a greenway system that is the envy of many other metropolitan areas.

Even as the city continues to grow, smart planning that requires developers to donate 10 percent of any new development to the city for a park ensures that the green system will prosper along with the city itself.

So, just how big is big, when it comes to a parks and trails system? Edmonton has 896 city district and neighbourhood parks, 150 kilometres of paved walking trials, 338 playgrounds, more than 70 golf courses, 92 tennis courts and more than 309,000 ornamental trees lining its parks and boulevards.

Among these is a 48-kilometre stretch known as the Ribbon of Green, which includes dozens of major parks. All this, and more, gives the city the distinction of having the most urban parkland in North America, 22 times the size of New York’s Central Park.

Most of the walking trails in the parks system spin out from the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, and those

STORY BY JOE MORRIS

UrbanPlayground

14 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

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What’s Online eSee the variety of outdoor recreation afforded by Edmonton’s parks in this quick video at imagesedmonton.com.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 15

Edmonton residents enjoy to the fullest having the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

who use the trails are only limited by their preference of topography.

“I like the accessibility the whole trail system gives,” says John Stanton, owner of The Running Room, who, along with his clients, is an avid trail-goer. “It has paved trails, grassy trails and pebbled gravel areas, so that runners, walkers, cyclists, people in wheelchairs and, in the winter, skiers and snowshoers, have access to the system. There are even portions of the trail where horses are permitted, so it makes it an all-inclusive system throughout our city.”

Stanton and other running enthusiasts also laud the trail system’s connectivity, which ensures that once on, a user doesn’t have to get off and cross through, over or under major thoroughfares and other obstacles to reconnect with their chosen route.

“You can get on the trails through various feeder ravines throughout the river valley and go up into almost every community,” he says. “You don’t have the gaps that some cities have; it’s fully integrated. That’s a huge advantage for everyone who uses the trail.”

The city of Edmonton has several hundred employees who maintain the parks and trails, but the citizenry pitches in as

well, recognizing and preserving the value of the system. An annual event, Clear the Trails, raises funds to clean and restore the trails and adjacent areas, as well as provides for ongoing maintenance year round. Efforts such as these certainly help, and the city provides some $45 million per year toward maintenance, as well as another $60 million for capital improvements and additional land purchases.

“The way they’re operated really does allow people to come most any time,” Stanton says. “Edmonton has become quite an active city. Part of the reason for that is this trail system. They’re free, people feel safe, and whether you’re a walker, runner, cyclist or horseback rider, you can use them. People are out there all the time.”

“Edmonton has become quite

an active city. Part of the reason

for that is this trail system.”

16 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 17

Welcome to the PartyEDMONTON BOASTS A CALENDAR PACKED WITH MORE THAN 30 FESTIVALS

Many large North American cities host, perhaps, six or seven major cultural festivals each year. Edmonton hosts

more than 30. That is why Edmonton is known as The Festival City, welcoming 2 to 3 million people to this array of interesting events each year. The celebrations take place during just about every month of the year and focus on everything from dance, film, music and theatre to the visual arts and sports and recreation. An initiative called Edmonton Festival City was launched in spring 2003 to begin marketing the Alberta capital as a preferred destination for leisure travel, business travel and film production. As a result, visitors now spend more than $1 billion during the calendar year.

And yes, festivals occur even in the coldest of months, because Edmontonians embrace winter. For example, Ice on Whyte takes place in January with chainsaw and chisel wielders turning blocks of ice into works of art. Meanwhile, the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival whooshes into town

each February to welcome Canada’s top competitive cross-country skiers. As for live music, the city hosts attractions such as the Labatt Blues Festival, Symphony Under the Sky, Yardbird Jazz Festival and the world-renowned Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Among live theatre, dance and film fests are the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, the Festival of Dance and the Edmonton International Film Festival. Yearly visual arts celebrations include the Works Art & Design Festival and the VisualEyez festival of performance art, while family fun activities include the International Children’s Festival, Edmonton’s Capital EX summer exhi bition and the Santa Claus Parade.

Other annual events staged throughout the city include the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival, the Edmonton Heritage Festival and the rough-and-tumble Canadian Finals Rodeo. According to Edmonton tourism officials, more than 12,000 community volunteers help make the festivals a success each year.

A host of special events keeps Edmontonians celebrating year round. For a calendar, visit www.edmonton.com.

18 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Portfolio

TU Gallery is among seven member art galleries that participate in the biannual 124 Street Gallery Walk.

Gallery Walk Showcases124 Street Art

Beauty meets the eye throughout a 12-block area just west of

Edmonton’s downtown core district.In this district, an annual 124 Street

Gallery Walk takes place each year on a spring weekend in mid April, then once again in the fall on a weekend in mid October.

The Gallery Walk was initiated in 1981 to attract more people to downtown Edmonton, and the organized art stroll was the first of its kind in Canada. The event specifically promotes seven galleries, focusing especially on works by Canadian artists.

The walk is ideally set along 124 Street, which is in the centre of a vital business community known for its many quality restaurants, clothing shops, entertainment venues and bookstores.

The participating art destinations are Agnes Bugera Gallery Inc., Bearclaw Gallery, Electrum Design Studio, Peter Robertson Gallery, Scott Gallery, TU Gallery and West End Gallery.

Although the spring and fall walks are specifically organized, the galleries encourage other types of group walks throughout the year and will happily assist in the planning. Those individualized walks can be scheduled for schools, conventions or other specific groups.

And besides 124 Street, all of Edmonton continues to serve as a haven for up-and-coming artists, as well as established painters, sculptors and photographers. In fact, more than 60 public art exhibits and new art galleries in the Edmonton area were scheduled to open in 2009 alone.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 19

Assisting employers to maximize their workforce potential and helping immigrants to become fully

integrated in the regional labour market.

www.eriec.ca#200, 10209 97th St. Edmonton, AB T5J 0L5

P (780) 497-8866 F (780) 497-8806

Old Strathcona Farmers Market

Almost Out of Bison Meat?

Running low on organic kelp or cabbage? What about natural

clover and alfalfa honey?The Old Strathcona Farmers Market

features a variety of fresh, locally grown foods, along with a selection of homemade crafts. The appealing market is situated in a renovated 19th-century building on 83 Avenue and is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More than 130 of the finest food producers, artisans and growers bring their goods each week to Edmonton’s only year round, indoor farmers market. Besides delectable food items, the market exudes an atmosphere of festivity and community.

The slogan for the longtime attraction that first opened in 1983 is “We make it, we bake it, we grow it, we sell it,” and the natural food is sold at the very height of its harvest time.

And because the market specializes in 100 percent local products, it is both sustainable and environmentally friendly in the sense that the food doesn’t have to travel far from the producer to local tables.

Items for sale include Alberta-grown meats, bison and poultry; ethnic and gourmet foods such as wild petal jelly and Saskatoon jam; and home baked selections such as royal cakes and sesame bagels.

There are also plenty of unusual arts and crafts items, along with plants and gardening supplies. As for fruits and vegetables, there is the typical selection and not-so-typical offerings such as serviceberries and purple sprouting broccoli.

What’s Online eJoin Edmontonians as they shop at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market in this quick video at imagesedmonton.com.

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Portfolio

Change Is in the Air at EIA

It helps to have good connections, and the Edmonton International Airport

(EIA) is taking that to an elevated level.The airport is a critical transportation

hub for all of northwestern Canada and currently serves more than 6.4 million passengers a year. However, a current expansion project will allow the airport to accommodate 9 million passengers a year once the construction initiative is completed in 2012. And by the way, the cost of that current construction initiative is a formidable $1.1 billion but is expected to be a more than worthwhile investment.

For the third year in a row, EIA is the fastest-growing airport in all of Canada, with the busy airport leading the country in percentage of passenger growth from 2006-08. As a result, the expansion project was initiated in order to further serve the growing number of passengers.

One of the specific construction upgrades will be adding new gates, boosting the number to 30 from the current 17. In addition, there will be expanded restaurant offerings, more retail and office space, and a new passenger concourse.

Parking also will be expanded, and new technology will be added to help passengers move through the airport as efficiently as possible. That technology will include allowing passengers to self-tag baggage and check baggage at multiple locations throughout the entire terminal.

Edmonton International currently features more than 50 non-stop flights to destinations in Canada, the United States, Europe and Mexico, including daily non-stop service between Edmonton and London-Heathrow Airport. – Stories by Kevin Litwin

Edmonton International Airport’s expansion will add a new passenger

concourse and 13 gates, plus more restaurant and retail offerings.

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 21

DiversityYields

22 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Business

STORY BY BETSY WILLIAMS

STRONG BUSINESS BLEND KEEPS ECONOMY STRONG

Edmonton Research Park, a division of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, houses more than 55 companies and more than 1,500 employees.

ResilienceW ith enviable environmental and energy

assets, a strong and diverse economy, excellent transportation arteries and an unmatched quality of life, Edmonton sits

at the top of the global economic mountain.Leading Edmonton’s economic and tourism efforts is

the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), which is concentrating on three strategic areas: driving change through leadership, creating economic growth through innovation and enhancing Edmonton’s global stature and recognition.

To achieve goals in these areas, leadership is key, says EEDC chairman Randy Ferguson.

“We want to create a balance with our board and get the right people around the table,” Ferguson says.

Members are selected through a skills matrix, which provides representation through a cross-section of industry, arts and culture.

Facilitating innovation, research and cooperation is the hallmark of the EEDC. Partnerships are yielding results. For example, the working relationship between the EEDC-managed Edmonton Research Park and TEC Edmonton (a business accelerator that is a joint venture between EEDC and the University of Alberta) has led to public/private research investments exceeding $500 million, Ferguson says.

“The purpose is to commercialize the technology,” Ferguson says. “We can achieve that goal by bringing together mentoring, entrepreneurship and financing and working closely with the government, post-secondary and private sectors.”

The Edmonton Research Park has been a success since it

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EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 23

Research is conducted at Innovotech™, one of the many innovative companies at Edmonton Research Park.

began in the mid-1990s, says EEDC President and CEO Ron Gilbertson, and a 90-acre expansion is in the works. The park is home to more than 55 companies engaged in advanced research in medicine, biotechnology, software, petroleum research, cold climate engineering, nanotechnology and clean energy. These companies employ more than 1,500 workers.

When it comes to economic development, Edmonton takes a “tortoise and the hare” stance, he says.

“We’re more the tortoise, with a steady approach,” Gilbertson says. “We have quite a diversified economy, one of the strongest in the world. When one sector takes a downturn, other sectors are doing well, so we don’t get the ‘boom-bust’ economy that regions with one major employment sector have.”

With an energy-rich economy as Edmonton’s base, the EEDC has identified six diverse areas that are gaining strength: advanced technology, education and research, energy/petrochemicals, financial services, health and tourism.

Despite the global economic downturn, Edmonton is still winning the race when compared to other cities its size.

“Four years ago, we were seeing investments of about $4 billion here in Alberta,” Gilbertson explains. “Last year it was $20 billion. So it may go down this year, but when you look at where we were four years ago, it’s still quite high, despite slowing down by $10 billion or so. There are countries with a million people that would be happy with those numbers. I like to say we’re going from a Mercedes to a Cadillac, while most people in the world are driving Chevrolets.”

The innovative efforts are paying off. Edmonton recently ranked third in the world on a global prosperity scorecard produced by Calgary Economic Development using research by the Conference Board of Canada, beating out economic powerhouses New York, Paris, Shanghai and Chicago, among several others.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Gilbertson admits. “The strength of our economy is significant, but our quality of life is the one thing that keeps coming up. Our income is above average, our schools are the best in North America and health care is publicly funded. Whether you work as a lawyer or at McDonald’s, you get great health care. We have the full meal deal.”

24 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Business

“We’re more the tortoise, with a steady approach. We have quite

a diversifi ed economy, one of the strongest in the world.”

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 25

Biz BriefsScorecard

BUSINESS AT A GLANCE

$85,749Expenditures

per household,

Edmonton ($1,000)

$184.52009 major projects

(billion), Edmonton

Service Area

$2392009 major

projects (billion), Alberta

Source: Statistics Canada, Alberta

Finance and Enterprise,

Edmonton Economic Development

Corporation

INNOVOTECH™Biz: health technologyBuzz: Innovotech™ is a product development company focusing on the development of solutions to medical, agricultural and industrial problems caused by microbial biofilms. Innovotech™ has developed bioFILM PA™, the first in-vitro diagnostic tool designed to help physicians fight resistant biofilm diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, pneumonia and others.www.innovotech.ca

ALL WEATHER WINDOWSBiz: window and door manufacturerBuzz: All Weather Windows started here in 1978 with nine employees. Founders Harry Buhler, Gord Wiebe and Henry Banman, grew the business from a single 10,000-square-foot facility into Canada’s largest privately owned window and door manufacturer. The partners say they’ve built their reputation and business one customer at a time.www.allweatherwindows.com

EPCOR UTILITIES INC.Biz: utilitiesBuzz: EPCOR Utilities Inc. builds, owns and operates electrical transmission and distribution networks, wastewater and water treatment facilities and infrastructure in Canada. EPCOR has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers nine years running and is one of only 10 companies recognized as Canada’s Most Earth-Friendly Employers.www.epcor.ca

PTI GROUPBiz: accommodations and servicesBuzz: PTI Group is a fully integrated supplier of remote site services providing temporary and permanent workforce accommodations, food services, facility management, environmental services, and other services to resource industries worldwide. Capabilities range from providing highly portable fire-line camps to 5,000-person oil and gas base camps.www.ptigroup.com

BUSINESSES – BOTH LARGE AND SMALL – THAT HELP DEFINE

EDMONTON’S ECONOMIC CLIMATE

26 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Business

REAL ESTATE

Pre-Owned Housing Statistics

$304,430Average Residential Selling Price

GOVERNMENT OFFICES

City of Edmonton(780) 496-8200

Province of Alberta(780) 310-0000

(toll-free within Canada)

www.gov.ab.ca

Canada800 O-CANADA

(780) 622-6232

www.canada.gc.ca

ECONOMIC RESOURCES

Edmonton Economic Development Corp.9990 Jasper Ave.

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1P7

(780) 424-9191

(800) 661-6965

www.edmonton.com/eedc

Downtown Business Association10121 Jasper Ave.

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4X6

(780) 424-4085

www.edmontondowntown.com

INDUSTRIAL SITES

Edmonton Research Parkwww.edmonton.com/

researchpark

DISTANCE TOOTHER CITIES

Calgary, 294 kilometres

(184 miles)

Jasper, 362 kilometres

(226 miles)

Banff, 404 kilometres

(252 miles)

Vancouver, 1,159 kilometres

(720 miles)

Seattle, 1,263 kilometres

(785 miles)

Salt Lake City, 1,727 kilometres

(1,073 miles)

Denver, 2,057 kilometres

(1,278 miles)

Minneapolis-St. Paul, 2,037

kilometres (1,266 miles)

TRANSPORTATION

Edmonton International AirportP.O. Box 9860

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2T2

(780) 890-8900

www.flyeia.com

Edmonton Transit System(780) 496-1611

www.takeETS.com

Local StreetsCity maps are available

from www.edmonton.ca

and the Edmonton Transit

System.

Pedway SystemAn extensive system

of pedways (above- and

below-ground) connects

most major downtown

buildings to the

underground transit.

Taxis Taxi fare from the airport to

downtown approximately $50.

VIA Rail12360 121 St. N.W.

Edmonton, Alberta T5L 5C3

(888) 842-7245

www.viarail.ca

MORE ONLINE

imagesedmonton.com

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.tools and links to resources.

E OOOOOOO

BUSINESS CLIMATEOil and other natural resources are Alberta’s primary industries,

and Edmonton companies are benefiting by supplying these

projects with workers, supplies and services. Further growth in

non-resource based industries, such as software development,

technology and biomedical research, continues to diversify

Edmonton’s economy.

EDMONTON

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 27

Business | Economic Profile

28 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

It is just what the doctor ordered: 112 private beds and state-of-the-art surgical suites dedicated solely to women’s health-care needs.The Lois Hole Hospital for Women will open in 2010 on

the campus of Royal Alexandra Hospital. It will occupy five of the seven stories in the new $215 million Robbins Pavilion patient tower that has been added to Royal Alexandra.

The tower will also include a rooftop Ted & Lois Hole Healing Garden that will be accessible to patients, staff and visitors.

“We have long offered women’s services here at Royal Alexandra, but we have pretty much outgrown our current space,” says Selikke Janes-Kelley, director of women’s health for Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Lois Hole Hospital for Women. “Now we will be able to consol idate the majority of women’s health programs and services that are located throughout the Royal Alexandra Hospital property – all into one brand new building.”

The ground floor of the new tower will be used as an ambulatory clinic, while inpatient care for Lois Hole Hospital will be featured on the second through fifth floors. Meanwhile, the C.K. Hui Heart Centre will occupy the first floor of the tower, while the sixth floor has yet to be assigned.

This new women’s hospital for Edmonton and the surround ing region will specialize in gynaecology, ante partum, post partum, labour and delivery. It also will provide gynaecologic oncology treatment related to ovarian, uterine

and cervical cancers, but not breast cancer.There also will be teaching and research space for the

University of Alberta’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

“So, besides new and expanded space for treatment and services, the hospital will encourage the discoveries of new technology by supporting increased research, education and innovation,” Janes-Kelley says. “Helping to identify new and better ways of treating women will be what this new hospital strives for.”

The hospital is named after the Honourable Dr. Lois E. Hole, former lieutenant governor of Alberta from 2000-05 who passed away in 2005.

“This will be a medical centre where, when women walk through the doors, they’ll know they are entering a special place – a place designed with their unique needs in mind,” Janes-Kelley says.

Alberta Health Services oversees Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, and AHS also now has Rutherford Health Centre under its medical umbrella. Rutherford Health Centre opened in January 2009 to better serve residents of Rutherford and southwest Edmonton.

In addition, AHS opened the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute on the U of A campus. It is a centre for complete cardiac disease care and serves all of western Canada and beyond. – Kevin Litwin

New Hospital Puts Ladies FirstALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES’ LOIS HOLE HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN OPENS IN 2010

Lois Hole Hospital for Women

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 29

Health & Wellness

Edmonton’s Sir Winston Churchill Square will solidify its place as a local, regional and national arts

hub with the opening of the new Art Gallery of Alberta in January 2010. The gallery will join two existing, high-profile destinations there: the Citadel Theatre and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. By adding visual art to the theatrical and musical offerings

on the square, the area becomes more complete, says Allan Scott, chairman of Art Gallery of Alberta’s board of directors.

“We’re right there with the other cultural f lagships that surround the square and that have been tremendous assets for years,” Scott says. “They are phenomenal venues, and we’re ready to take our rightful place there with them.”

It’s been a long road to the new site, beginning in 1924 when the Edmonton Museum of the Arts was established. A permanent home in the Edmonton Public Library followed a few years later, and then a series of five moves took place over the ensuing decades. The new facility, designed by architect Randall Stout, will have 85,000 square feet of gallery space for national and international exhibitions, as well as a restaurant, event space that will be available for public rental, and a gallery shop that Scott says will become a destination in its own right.

And with the opening – and the near-complete building – looming, people are beginning to take notice.

“The citizens are suddenly realizing that they have an iconic piece of architecture growing before their very eyes,” Scott says. “It’s starting to take its final shape as opposed to being just a construction project that’s hard to interpret.”

The arts community from around the corner and around the world is also on alert, adds Oksana Gowin, marketing and communications manager.

“The art community is beginning to see how incredible this structure is going to be and what Randall Stout has done,” Gowin says. “People are also seeing just how much a part of our community it’s going to be.”

In the world of real estate, not to mention tourism, location is everything. The gallery’s prime spot is a key reason for its success. And in more general terms, artistically speaking, having all three major institutions literally within a block for each other will only further galvanize what is already a thriving downtown arts district, Scott predicts.

“We hope that we can be that last catalyst for some urban renewal in the area,” he says. “The city has plans for the area directly east of us, which has residential space as well as retail and restaurants. In areas like that, art galleries have led the way.”

– Joe Morris

Cultural Success, SquaredART GALLERY OF ALBERTA BECOMES THIRD ANCHOR IN DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT

30 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Arts & Culture

C’mon, employees. We can beat Telus. We can beat the University of Alberta. Win, win, win.

The Edmonton and Area Corporate Challenge is a two-week sports and recreation extravaganza that involves companies competing against each other in 22 different events. The focus is on participation, sportsmanship and team building, and the event always occurs during the last week of May and the first week of June.

“The games began in 1992 with a handful of local businesses competing, and today there are 160 companies and more than 18,000 athletes involved each year,” says Liane Cournoyer, manager of the Edmonton and Area Corporate Challenge. “It’s an Olympics-style competition that has evolved into one of the largest annual amateur sporting events in Canada.”

The 160 participating companies are broken up into six competitive divisions, based on the number of employees.

Participating companies range in size from those with 100 employees up to those with 3,000, such as Telus and the University of Alberta.

The 22 sports competitions include badminton, basketball, bocce, darts, golf, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball and a 10km road race.

“In order to get the most enjoyment out of the games, we recommend that participating companies have a mini-mum of 50 employees on their team,” Cournoyer says. “All events take place in the evenings and weekends, and there are more than 40 different competition venues throughout Edmonton.”

The top three finishing companies in all six divisions – and in all 22 sports – receive gold, silver and bronze medals. Therefore, a total of 396 team medals are distributed at the conclusion of the games.

“The slogan of the Corporate Challenge is, ‘Where work comes to play,’ with the main goal being to promote health and wellness,” Cournoyer says. “Our hope is that employees will continue with a well ness and fitness lifestyle once the games are over. Indeed, many actually do sign up at clubs and gyms to continue their healthy living.”

All sports are co-ed, and each company can play as many sports as they like. The only stipulation is that partic ipating businesses must be based in the city of Edmonton or the four surrounding counties of Leduc, Parkland, Strathcona or Sturgeon.

“The Challenge is an excellent two-week celebration that promotes the lifestyle that Edmonton is all about: health and wellness, a progressive attitude and camaraderie,” she says.

– Kevin Litwin

Mix Business With PleasureEMPLOYEES FROM 160 AREA COMPANIES COMPETE IN ANNUAL SPORTS CHALLENGE

Dragon Boat racing at the Edmonton and Area Corporate Challenge

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EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 31

Sports & Recreation

With its open boundaries and variety of specialized fields of study, the

Edmonton Public Schools system gives parents and children an amazing, and growing, range of opportunities.

By letting parents choose a school, limited only by space and programming issues specific to certain locations and fields of study, the entire system is avail able regardless of where a family lives. And then there’s the roster of special-education and alternative programs, which range from aboriginal education to entire facilities dedicated to the sciences and the arts – and just about everything in between. The end result is a system dedicated to advancing its students’ inter ests wherever possible and allowing for great latitude while doing so, says Edgar Schmidt, superintendent.

“Open boundaries and programs of choice have been hallmarks of our school jurisdiction,” Schmidt says. “We believe that if the community supports different types of programs, that we should provide them, given space to provide it and provision under the School Act. These decisions, made by boards over the years, have brought worldwide acclaim to Edmonton Public Schools, as well as significant support and approval by parents and the local community.”

So much so, in fact, that six new schools will open in September 2010. The system, which has around 80,000 students, has gotten praise for its diverse programming, which allows every stu dent a chance to find his or her niche and prosper.

“Students learn in different ways, and one way to support various learning styles and approaches is to offer delivery of instruction that more closely aligns to student’s ways of learning,” Schmidt says.

– Joe Morris

Spoiled With ChoicesPARENTS AND STUDENTS ENJOY A LIMITLESS ARRAY OF EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS

Dance students practice at the Victoria School of Performing & Visual Arts.

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32 IMAGESEDMONTON.COM EDMONTON

Education

Ad Index 2-3 EdmontonEconomic dEvElopmEnt corporation

32 EdmontonoilErs HockEyclub

20 EriEc

19 GrantmacEwancollEGE

4-5 GrEatErEdmonton GrowtHtEam

28 matrixHotEl

30 nait-corporatE

communications

28 norquEstcollEGE

c4 princEton

ExEcutivEsuitEs

21 univErsityofalbErta

7 wEstEdmontonmall

31 worlEyparsonscanada

visit ouradvertisersEdmonton Economic Development Corporation www.edmonton.com/eedc

Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club www.edmontonoilers.com

ERIEC www.eriec.ca

Grant MacEwan College www.macewan.ca

Greater Edmonton Growth Team www.edmonton.com

Matrix Hotel www.matrixedmonton.com

NAIT-Corporate Communications www.nait.ca

Norquest College www.norquest.ca

Princeton Executive Suites www.princetonsuites.com

University of Alberta www.ualberta.ca

West Edmonton Mall www.wem.ca

Worley Parsons Canada www.worleyparsons.com

©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

questions answers

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r . o r g

SNAPSHOTA vibrant prairie city located near the center of the province of

Alberta in western Canada, Edmonton is Canada’s fifth-largest city,

and the Edmonton metro area is the sixth largest in the country.

The provincial capital, Edmonton offers a wide variety of places

to go and activities to enjoy at any time of the year.

EDMONTON

CLIMATE OVERVIEW

Edmonton experiences four

distinct seasons. Snow cover

characterizes winter from

November through mid-

March. Summers are generally

dry and sunny. With about

2,300 hours of bright sunshine

per year, Edmonton is one of

Canada’s sunniest cities.

-19 CJanuary Low Temperature

-8 CJanuary High Temperature

9 CJuly Low Temperature

22 CJuly High Temperature

EDUCATION

Public education is free in Alberta to all Canadian citizens and residents until the age of 20. Attendance is mandatory from the age of 6 until 16. Students may attend public, separate (Catholic or Protestant), Francophone, charter schools or private schools. For a list of schools and other information, visit imagesedmonton.com.

LOCAL UTILITIES

ATCO Electric10035 105th St.Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2V6(780) 420-7310, 800-668-2248

ATCO Gas10035 105th St.Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2V6(780) 424-5222

Direct Energy

Regulated Services-Electric

P.O. Box 2427

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2V6

888-420-3181

Direct Energy

Regulated Services-Gas

P.O. Box 2427

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2V6

866-420-3174

Enmax, (877) 571-7111

EPCOR

P.O. Box 500

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3Y3

800-667-2345

MORE ONLINE

imagesedmonton.com

More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

m

E OOOOOOOOOOO

Community Profile

EDMONTON IMAGESEDMONTON.COM 33

www.princetonsuites.com