How do you get around the city? The City of Edmonton wants to get you out of the car and has many initiatives in place including new LRT lines and bike lanes. But what about right now? We looked at the City of Edmonton’s 2016 Census results to get a feel for how our city moves.

As you can see, we are a city that drives. Even in central Edmonton, over half the people get around by driving. That said, you can see how the LRT line increases transit use along the line.

It will be interesting to see what happens to people’s commute choices as more LRT and bike options become available. We can’t wait to see what the numbers say about the new downtown bike network.

So, are we a well-off city with a manageable population that makes driving convenient and the costs associated with it are within our budgets? Are we a bad example of urban sprawl making dedicated transit solutions impossible and we’re being forced to drive? Is it poor transit planning or an unwillingness to invest in infrastructure that could affect this balance? Or are we just an oil city that prefers the comfort and independence of a vehicle?

Let us know what you think.

More on Edmonton’s commuting preferences to come.

Love your space but want to make it feel more like your own? Try adding texture to your walls and get an instant feeling of personalization.

 Whether you’re renting, renovating, or the proud new owner of a home, here are some simple ideas to help make your space your TruHome.

Get Your Wallpaper On

Fashion designer Bridget Smatlan of Fridget Apparel brings her design skills off the runway and into your home with her custom wallpaper installation service Tops Wallcovering. The savvy designer has an eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to using correct adhesives and surface preparation techniques. If done correctly, wallpaper can add an instant boost and focal point to any room.

Art for the Commitment-phobes

Looking for a more low-profile way to give your walls a little je ne sais quoi ? Edmonton-based Oliver Apt. designed a series of magnetic frames to hold your beloved art, music posters, and prints. The Prof. Prints series retails for $30 CAD and comes in three sizes and the choice of white ash or walnut finishes. Each kit includes countersunk holes to screw directly to the wall, as well as gold and white twine for hanging.

Plaster on the Warmth

Who says green living can’t be fashion-forward too? High Street’s Carbon Environmental Boutique proudly carries the American Clay line of natural earth plaster. These non-toxic plaster finishes come in a wide selection of earthy-tones, and can be applied on traditional wall surfaces – adding warmth and texture to your living space.

Hang Some Modern Nostalgia

Macramé is back in a big way, and nobody knows how to use it better than interior designer Julie Adams from Of Quartz Interiors. Check out her website and sign up for one of her plant or wall hanging workshops to make your own macramé work of art. You can also purchase ready-made wall hangings from her online shop.

Finnish with Fabric

Sometimes the simplest solutions can make a big (and memorable) impact. This is definitely true when it comes to using textiles as art. If you want a temporary solution to add colour and texture to any size of wall, try framing fabric and watch how it instantly transforms a space. We are especially in love with the selection available from Finnish design company Marimekko.

This weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day, and all of us @TruHome would like to recognize the important roles mothers play in our lives. Mothers are as diverse as the places we call home. So whether your mom was a working mom, a homemaker, a world traveller, a nurturer, a logician, a sophisticated lady, a warm hug, a corporate powerhouse, the life of the party, or a little bit of all; one thing is true – she is worth celebrating.

To mark this special occasion, we asked Edmonton blogger Rachel Jones @Edmomton if we could share her roundup of favourite Edmonton mom bloggers. Be sure to check out Rachel’s other posts to learn more about what’s happening for moms in YEG. You can also follow Edmomton on Facebook & Instagram.

If you are a mom or mom-to-be looking to buy or sell a home, give TruHome team member and#yegdt resident mama Elisse Moreno a call. You can also  check out listings in these great Central Edmonton neighbourhoods: Downtown |  Oliver | Queen Mary Park | Garneau | Strathcona | Ritchie

Since starting Edmomton, I’ve discovered sixteen local mommy blogging mavens: Carole, Sarah, Christine, Dajana, Lori, Jennifer, Teela, Hannah, Orane, Lindsay, Kimberly, Kristina, Marisa, Athena, Chelsey, Jessica and Krysta.

 

Some have built huge followings over the years, and some are fairly new, breaking ground with some punchy material. Get to know them through their writing.These moms share intimate, brutally honest, funny, useful, trendy, on point, brilliant, sweet and straight-forward stuff. They reveal the honest truth about motherhood. They provide answers to questions. They share exciting ideas. They’re creative and wonderful. 

 

I bet you’ll love them as much as I do.

 

-Rachel Jones

In no particular order, here are my Top 16 Local Edmonton Mom Bloggers:

1 | Carole Anne Devaney – My Writing Space

If you watch Global News on weeknights at 6 o’clock, you’ll recognize Carole Anne. She co-hosts and is a well-known anchor in Edmonton. She became a momma in 2014, and just announced her second pregnancy on her new blog, where she shares “the good, bad, and the ugly” about her life as a working mom. In 2009, she moved from Ottawa to Edmonton to become a reporter with CBC, and never looked back. Her blog has been 5 years in the making, and is a cheerful, poignant read about new motherhood. I love her newest post, Dear Trolls.

Follow Carole Anne on Facebook & Instagram.

2 | Miss Sarah – Many Unexpected Detours

Sarah Chan is an incredible and spirited person — she’s a piano teacher, volunteer, community leader, gala organizer, mom of Dexter (7) and Alice (4), and wife to Mayor Don Iveson. She lovingly refers to her clan as the “Chiveson” family. As a long-time personal blogger, Sarah shares details about the projects she’s working on, her passion for biking, what’s going on in her family life, and her current social advocacy efforts. If you read her blog, you’ll get know her better, and learn a little bit about what she’s involved with in our community.

Find Sarah on Instagram & Twitter.

3 | Just Another Edmonton Mommy

I adore Christine — the down-to-earth momma of three who was born and raised in Edmonton, loves this city, and puts her heart into her blog. She shares tips, recipes, date night ideas, and anything cheap, free, or feasible for all sorts of like-minded families. Living locally is her specialty. One of my favourites is her list of 72 cheap and free things to do with kids this summer, here in YEG. She supports local charities and loves sharing the funniest little tidbits on her kids. Christine embodies what it’s like to be a momma in Edmonton.

Find Christine on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

4 | Edmonton Mama

Lori Godin is a pro at saving money, traveling, finding the best shopping deals, sharing simple life hacks, and simple tips on “momming” (as she calls it). Lately, I’ve loved reading about her thoughts on parenting during camping versus at home and how much screen time kids should really have during the summer. She’s an excellent writer with a flair for sharing funny stories and travel recommendations. Lori also authors Raising Edmonton.

Follow Lori on Facebook & Instagram.

5 | All Kinds of Lovely

Dajana Fabjanovich is certainly that — lovely. Her twin boys, Luka and Oliver, were born in February of this year. They are Dajana’s  beautiful IVF miracle babies who have spent a lot of time at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and Stollery Children’s Hospital. They are now strong and healthy and growing quickly! Her blog is a charming one to read backwards, tracking life events and favourite things. Dajana has been writing for a while on food, fashion, travel and decor — but most recently, her posts are all about motherhood. Lovely.

Find Dajana on Facebook & Instagram.

6 | Bitchin’ Housewife Lifestyle Blog

Jennifer lives up to her blog namesake. She writes a witty, fun lifestyle blog all about health, nutrition, fitness, self-care, motherhood, and combining it all. On her site, she said that “we give so much of ourselves to our jobs, families and people around us, that sometimes we forget to centre ourselves.” She right, and she provides reminders weekly on her “Self Care Sunday” posts that I love to take inspiration from. You rock, Jen. Keep it up! You inspired me to paint my toenails, wax my moustache, and put on a face mask tonight.

Keep up with Jennifer on Facebook & Instagram.

7 | Night Owl Mommy

Teela is an adorable new mommy blogger here in Edmonton. She journals her DIY projects, fun ideas, crafts with her sweet daughter Harper, and anything she finds off Pinterest that’s fun and spunky. The pictures she shares are beautiful, colourful and light-hearted. She is currently crossing things off a summer bucket list and adventuring around the city. I love her blog and her style — so happy, sweet, and positive! Follow her as she chronicles the happier side of life.

Find Teela on Facebook & Instagram.

8 | The Momoirs

How cool is Hannah? Probably the coolest. She is momma to two of the cutest, cheek-pinchable boys, teaches yoga, and is a self-proclaimed wine lover. The best part — she loves to swear, is very honest, and fully exposes her true self on her blog. Through her raw, funny, and sometimes emotional writing, you can empathize with her and relate to her experiences — like her most recent post: That Time I Almost Became Famous. Hannah, thank you for being so real and up-front with the truth. We all love your posts.

Hang out with Hannah on Facebook & Instagram.

9 | Orane Boucher

Orane is a very unique and trendy momma, blogging about her life with her husband and son, and sharing many beautiful photos through Instagram. She’s originally from Paris, so has a flair for fashion, make-up, and the finer things. However, she acknowledges that life is not perfect, and pictures can be an artificial representation of life — making her authentic as well. I’ve loved reading her recommendations on rainy day activities with toddlers, where she pulls advice from her mama side.

You’ll love Orane’s aesthetically-pleasing Instagram feed.

10 | Modern Mama Edmonton & Area

Lindsay  MacDonald is the Director of Modern Mama in Edmonton and blogs frequently about weekend activities here in the city. She’s my go-to for new ideas. As the mom of two boys and one little lady — Henry, Oliver, and Elliot — she is constantly busy and having fun adventuring around the city. Lindsay teams up frequently with Leah Doyle, Director of Modern Mama in St. Albert and North Edmonton. These wonderful women are actively involved in the community, hosting annual events, partnering with businesses, talking on the local news, and finding ways to engage new and expectant mommies.

Find Lindsay on Facebook & Instagram.

11 | Inspired by Lynne

Kristina Lynne is the new momma behind the local blog, Inspired by Lynne. (FYI, Lynne is her middle name.) Kristina is self-described as an interior designer, house flipper, and lover of books and the arts. She has a obvious talent for design and the way she translates that on her blog is genius. I love reading her fashion articles, as well as taking a look through all home decor tips.

Find Kristina on Instagram.

12 | Stream & Stone

Marisa is a local blogger that covers the important topics of feminism and motherhood. She is the proud mom of a young little boy and is raising him with a sense of respect and balance. What I love about her is how honestly she writes, talking openly about sexism, how it appears in culture and society, and how things need to change. On the topics of food and body image, she can describe her experiences in a way that relates to almost anyone that’s struggled with the two.

Follow Marisa on Instagram & Facebook.

13 | The Salty Almond

Athena Raypold is a local freelance writer who is momma to precious little Fitz. He just celebrated his first birthday! I love reading through Athena’s blog The Salty Almond, linked above — she writes delectable posts on various restaurants in Edmonton and their food offerings. Most importantly, Athena just launched her own freelance writing business and is working on a number of projects. One is particular is on motherhood; it’s called Becoming.

Find Athena on Facebook & Instagram.

14 | Confessions of a Real-Life Mom

Chelsey Borys is the Director of Mommy Connections, Edmonton North & St. Albert. She writes a hilarious, down-to-earth blog of her own, all about her daily life with two little ones. This Hippy Yogi Momma describes her messy, nightmarish life, that she wouldn’t trade anything for. She’s got wine and chocolate handy in case of a bad day. She loves her coffee, her yoga, writing about delicious recipes, and sharing great resources around Edmonton (like the Reuse Centre). Chelsey also just launched the very first Dad & Baby Program in Edmonton. What a trend-setter. Love you, Chelsey!

Find Chelsey (Mommy Connections Edmonton North & St. Albert) on Instagram & Facebook.

15 | Grace & Champ

Jessica Christensen-Holt is the fabulous mama of twins behind the local blog Grace & Champ. It’s reminiscent, sweet, and real — all about mom life with twins. She intends to share it with her son and daughter when they grow up. They can read and laugh, and appreciate the Barfageddon they put their momma through. I loved her post about The Kindness of Seniors, where she wrote about a lovely older man (with a cane, carrying groceries) asked if he could help her. This was the one and only time she’d ever had the offer! For her, being a mom means bringing her family together, enjoying the moments that matter, and not trying to be like everyone else.

Keep up with Jessica’s posts on Facebook.

16 | Krysta’s Little World (Life As I Know It)

Krysta Larson-Tieppihs writes a tear-gerking mommy blog about life’s sweet moments. I first met her when we were both pregnant, about 6 months along. Krysta was about to have her second daughter, Briley, little sister to her first, Aralee. I’ve recently discovered her serious mommy-blogging and photography prowess. She is a former world-traveling Flight Attendant turned Stay-at-home Mom, who sees motherhood as her greatest adventure yet. Aralee just turned three and started preschool. She also takes killer photos of each milestone. So cute and creative!

Follow Krysta on Instagram.

*Photo of Rachel Jones courtesy of Mike Isaak Photography

Spring is just around the corner, making it the perfect time to start preparing your two-wheeled beauty for a few months of glorious bicycle bliss.

Join the Network

If you are an avid cyclist, you will already know that construction is underway for a $7.5-million bike network that will provide seven kilometres of separated lanes for cyclists in downtown Edmonton. When complete, the Downtown Bike Network project will be similar to bike networks found in Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal or other major Canadian cities.

Edmonton Bike Swap

Looking to buy, sell or donate a bicycle?  Be sure to check out the Alberta Bike Swap, Saturday, May 13 from 2:30 – 4 PM at Northlands Edmonton EXPO Centre. This annual event is a perfect opportunity to sell a bike that’s been taking up space on your balcony or collecting dust in the garage, and an awesome opportunity to get a great deal on a new-to-you bicycle inspected and ready to ride off the lot.

Tune-up for Spring

If it’s a spring tune-up that you need, you’ll appreciate the friendly service at MEC’s Bike Shop, located in Oliver. Tune-up packages range from basic to premium, or you can choose individual bike services and repairs. This is also the place to check out for unique bicycle storage solutions for your house or condo.

Hands-on Help

More of the DIY-type? Then you are going to love the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters (EBC) fully-equipped, volunteer-run community bike workshops at BikeWorks North and BikeWorks South. For a small hourly fee, you will have access to specialty bicycle tools needed to repair and maintain your bicycle, as well as access to friendly  mechanics on hand to answer any questions you may have.

Choose Your Ride

When it comes to shopping for a new ride, Edmonton is home to a variety of of bike shops geared for all levels of cyclists. Garneau’s Redbike is the place to go if you are looking for function and European style. They also have a number of group rides you can sign up for on their website. Western Cycle and Revolution Cycle carry a wide selection of mountain bikes, scooters, and road bikes. MEC and United Cycle offer bikes and other sporting accessories at multiple price-points. Also be sure to check out Velocity Cycle at the new Ritchie Market.

Thinking about moving to a cycle-friendly neighbourhood? The TruHome team can help you choose the best options when it comes to condos and homes in Edmonton’s Central communities. Be sure to explore these great Edmonton neighbourhoods: Downtown |  Oliver | Queen Mary Park | Garneau | Strathcona | Ritchie

Take your inner artist for a walk on the wild side with ArtTourYEG, a cool initiative that lets users explore Edmonton’s vibrant art scene via Google Maps. The online tours are easy to use and are divided up into three separate experiences, all located within some great central neighbourhoods: Jasper Ave, The Quarters, and City Hall to Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.

Simply click on the icons on the interactive map, follow the directions on foot or using public transit, and learn more about the works of public art by reading the detailed descriptions provided on the online maps. According to the the website, users are invited to:

“Uncover the stories behind our love of quirky steel sculptures, tributes to over-the-top personalities, and sculpture we almost threw away.”

Explore Edmonton from the lens of Indigenous pre-settlement landscape to our modern day cityscape. From cubism to neon signs and art inspired by Picasso, this is a fun and unconventional way to view Edmonton’s controversial art found in the heart of the city.

Innovative art tours and urban exploration – two more reasons why Edmonton is the place to call your Truhome.

It wasn’t so long ago that the birth of a child meant trading in an urban lifestyle to gain some of the advantages of raising a family in a single-family home. Today however,  Edmonton is experiencing a major rise in the number of young families and urban professionals choosing to trade in square footage for the chance to live in dense, walkable neighbourhoods – close to work, grocery stores, cafes, daycares, and cultural activities.

Downtown, Oliver and Queen Mary Park are a few neighbourhoods on the North side of the river popular with parents and expecting couples. Here you will find easy access to schools, outdoor pools and spray parks, LRT stations, community gardens, farmers markets, galleries and museums, as well as active community leagues and major sporting facilities.

One of the barriers families face in finding a home in core urban neighbourhoods however, is the large supply of adult-only buildings. Not only do adult-only restrictions limit choice for families looking to buy in desired neighbourhoods, they also significantly decrease the pool of potential purchasers for buyers since CMHC will not insure mortgages on age-restricted buildings.

The Child-Friendly Housing Coalition of Alberta (CFHCA) is an nonpartisan organization formed in 2016 to specifically address some of the issues related to age-restricted buildings in Alberta. They are hosting a Community Launch Party on April 8, 2017, 1-3pm at the Hendrix in Oliver.  If you have always dreamed of raising your family Edmonton’s core, this event is a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and industry leaders on hand to answer any questions you may have. Click here to access your invitation.

The TruHome team can help you navigate the best options for your family when it comes to  family-oriented condos and homes in Edmonton’s Central neighbourhoods.

Be sure, to explore these great Edmonton neighbourhoods: Downtown |  Oliver | Queen Mary Park | Garneau | Strathcona

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays where some are very excited about bringing some extra “romance and spice” to the day, while other’s see it as a commercially charged day. Either way, it is a reminder to celebrate time with those we love. Here are a few of our favorite places  and ways we like to celebrate the day (With the day falling on a Tuesday this year -there is a lot of flexibility in choosing a different date, weekend before/weekend after).

 Create Memories:

We couldn’t resist booking a Family mini session photoshoot to mark the occasion. Our son Harrison is now 7 months old and it seems like time is flying by. What better way to track his growth, while getting super sweet family pictures to enjoy for years to come. We are using Rhona Haas Photography this time, however, there are many amazing Edmonton photographers such as our lovely friends at: Photography By Oksana, Pause Photography, Katya Nova (who travels between the Dominican, Edmonton and other regions of the world) and Nino Roy.

Pamper Yourself:

Valentine’s Day provides a great reason to get pampered. Stay at home, take a lovely bubble bath with a glass of wine and unwind or head to the spa for some relaxing treatments. For the couples, treat yourself to a couples massage. You can find Yelp’s top Spas by review here. Looking for the perfect bottle of wine, be sure to check our Devine Wines, one of our go-to favorites on 104th Street in Downtown Edmonton.

Indulge Yourself: 

Who doesn’t need another reason to go check out that new high end restaurant or vacation in the city at a local boutique hotel. I certainly love any reason to indulge a little. One restuarant that has been on my “must try” list is Uccellino, crafted by Daniel Costa who is also the creator of Corso 32 and Bar Bricco. Love breakfast, the brunch at The Fairmont Hotel in the Empire Ballroom is a wonderful experience – you will leave feeling satisfied and full. For an overnight experience, the Union Bank Inn has a year round Romance Package . Another choice is to experience Fort Edmonton Park with a 5 Course Dinner and an Overnight Stay.

Excite Yourself:

For the sports enthusiast, take advantage of the Edmonton Oiler’s playing against the Arizona Coyotes. This game is marking an exciting chapter for the Oilers. They will be hosting, You Can Play Night becoming the first host in the league celebrating both the game and diversity as part of their “Hockey Is For Everyone Month”. As per their discussion with GlobalNews Edmonton:

Teams across the league will be holding You Can Play nights in an effort to show their support for the LGBTQ community and show young players that hockey is a safe and welcoming environment.

In a news release, the Oilers said, “In the spirit of inclusion, it’s even more fitting that our You Can Play Night falls on Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and affection.”

“As leaders in the community, on Feb. 14 the Oilers will bring attention and awareness to Hockey Is For Everyone month during You Can Play Night to help ensure that hockey truly is for everyone,” Oilers Entertainment Group Vice-Chairman Kevin Lowe added.

All I can say is, way to go Oilers and be sure to watch out for our TruHome Ads appearing at every Oiler’s game this season.What can I say, we are big fans.

Flowers, Chocolate, Bling:

I get the typical Dozen Red Roses, however, I much prefer a more unique arrangement (besides, the prices of roses skyrockets this time of year). Zocalo in McCauley (Little Italy) always offer gorgeous, unexpected options. The shop also sells a beautiful selection of other gifts and not to mention yummy coffees. For the chocolate lover, Jacek never disappoints and offers absolutely beautiful packaging to protect their sweet treats. For another option, Loblaws City Market in the Brewery District offers a great selection of gourmet goodies. Last but not least, there is always the option of some bling. For high quality, Birks is always a favorite. Holt Renfrew also offers a nice selection.

Whatever you decide to do this Valentine’s Day, be sure to spend it with those you love and remember that the TruHome team is here to help you make some of the biggest lifestyle decisions there are – where to call home.

Roses are red, violets are blue. Looking for a new home? We’ll find one for you!

How many violations does an Edmonton restaurant need to receive for you to stop going there, or do you even care?

In our province, Alberta Health Services is in charge of monitoring and regulating restaurants to ensure they comply with the public health legislation and standards in Alberta.

While each restaurants violations are tracked online at www.restaurantinspections.ca, it is unlikely that you as a consumer are visiting this website prior to go out to eat each time. More than likely, you probably have never even visited it.

At present time, we often do not consider the risks involved with eating out and that these risks may be far greater at certain establishments then others. How risky is eating out? Are certain restaurants worse or better? Or more so, do I even want to know? Perhaps, ignorance is bliss…until one day, your kneeling over the toilet bowl experiencing a terrible case of food poisoning.

According to a recent poll by Open Data Edmonton, 43% of people do want better access to the Restaurant Inspection data. This indicates that access to this type of data is important to the public.

At TruHome, we are all about enhancing our clients (and the people of YEG) lifestyle through more open and transparent data. We also, just happen to be curious folks who ask a lot questions…..which is why we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the restaurant inspection data.

Through Alberta Health Services, restaurants may encounter 4 different types of inspections:

• Initial / Approval – an inspection performed before a restaurant opens or if there is a new owner to determine if the facility will be able to prepare food safely and complies with applicable legislation.
• Monitoring / Routine – an inspection performed without notice to ensure food is being handled safely and complies with applicable legislation. Restaurants usually have 1 to 3 monitoring inspections per year.
• Risk Management / Re-inspection – an inspection performed to ensure that unsafe practices and violations noted in previous inspections have been corrected.
• Demand / Complaint – an inspection performed to follow up on complaints from the public or another agency alleging an unsafe condition or violation.

In our Edmonton Restaurant Inspection visualization, we felt that critical violations would be the most important measure for #yegfoodies, as this really touches on public safety concerns. Through our visualization, we soon discovered that while some Edmonton restaurants had virtually no violations, others obtained over 53 in the last 3 years alone (2014-2016).

According to the AHS:

Monitoring inspections are conducted unannounced and are considered “complete” inspections, meaning the inspection involves Environmental Health Officers observing and documenting compliance under fifteen categories:

1. General Sanitation/Structure
2. Water Supply – Public or private supply
3. Sewage System – Public or private
4. Food Handling Practices
5. Cold Food Storage/Display
6. Hot Food Storage/Display
7. Staff Hygiene
8. Equipment and Utensils (Condition/Storage/Display)
9. Dishwashing Equipment
10. Washroom (Public & Staff)
11. Dry Goods Storage
12. Pest Infestation/Control
13. Safe Food Certification
14. Sanitation Procedures/Pest Control Record
15. Valid Food Handlers Permit

It makes us wonder, will the knowledge of the number of violations a restaurant has received impact your decision to eat there? Or more importantly, is there a better way that the province or the city of Edmonton can communicate a restaurants track record more openly to the publicly?

The city of Toronto has taken significant steps to making their inspections more transparent. The Toronto DineSafe program grades each restaurant through a colour coded system:

• Green for Pass
• Yellow for Conditional Pass
• Red for Closed

These grades are required to be visibly posted at each restaurant. Since, implementing this program, Toronto went from 78.2% of restaurants passing to 92.4% by the end of 2012. According to the Food Service Packaging Institute: “In 2010 DineSafe won the Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for providing outstanding food protection services – the first time an organization outside the United States has won this prestigious award.”

Based on this, it does show a direct correlation of how accessible data has improved the quality of the restaurant industry in Toronto.

Can Alberta restaurants improve and reduce the number of violations? How can, we as a province move forward and be recognized as a leader in this capacity?

At TruHome, we believe in opening up the data, but, more specifically on the how the data is communicated to the public. How do you think Restaurant Inspection data should be displayed (online or off)?

When we designed our Edmonton Building Age Map and wrote about Edmonton’s Urban Sprawl, we did not anticipate all the feedback and thoughts we would receive from Edmontonians and other great people through Twitter. Rather than just keeping the conversation there, we thought it would be useful to further share some of the thoughts and ideas here. Keep the #yegurbansprawl conversation going, by further sharing your thoughts on this heated topic.

• @adgelessness – “We have city’s to manage and service those effects to satisfy our choice of lifestyle.”
• @salcomm – “So many thoughts on sprawl. #1 dense suburbs still car centric. #2 Amenities in power centres, strip malls separated by big roads. #3 Neighbourhoods pw.o. alleys have to demolish hses and add more driveways crossing sidewalks to densify. #4 people still leaving to breed in the burbs. Weak connection between high density builds & less sprawl or affordability. Suburbs may be dense but still very car centric. Amenities a drive away across big roads. Street design 60yrs old. First, [we need to] stop building new developments using failed patterns.”
• @tstewarts – “My thoughts are we need to start building up.”
• @RobMeekel – “There’s a few things I’d say, first of all “urban sprawl” is designed as a negative term. No matter what side of an issue there’s usually more to it than people know and/or want to share. All cards on table needed. Which is OK if you are from that point of view but greater density has its own set of negative issues, conversation needs balance. Building codes have not kept up with Higher density, we now build zero property line 4 feet apart wrapped in combustible plastic siding. One house starts on fire its guaranteed that surely neighbouring properties will too, older 50s & 60s residential driveways were barriers. Smaller streets, more people, cars stacked on top of each other create streets its dangerous for children to be out on. In #YYC we have issues with 2nd scary suites (catch my POV?) people who buy R1 to live don’t want them, but property investors (which I am too) wanna buy on the low end and have re-zoned for profit (rentals). It doesn’t help that #yyc for years neglected to have sufficient multi-unit & multi family requirements in new residential areas. So when rental is tight (boom years) they use it as excuse to “need” more rental re-zoning. This leads to anger amongst property owners with different views. I don’t want anything but R1 where I live, my biggest investment was by choice in R1. My other properties (by specific choice) have been zoned multi from the start.”

These are all great points. The key to enhancing our city is conversation to allow for new possibilities to emerge regarding the needs of Edmonton’s urban planning.It is up to all of us to design and build places we love living in and our proud of! By re-looking at design concepts for urban planning and shifting our perspectives, we will find the right balance between “urban vs. suburban” “growing up and out” and making this city of ours even greater.

“It All Starts With One Can”

It all starts with a mission of creativity and giving back to the community to “feed and inspire the world – one can at a time”. This is exactly what Canstruction is all about:

Canstruction^® is a unique charity which hosts competitions, exhibitions and events showcasing colossal structures made out of full cans of food. After the structures are built, the cansculptures^® go on display to the public as a giant art exhibition. At the end of the event, all food is donated to local hunger relief organizations.

Recognized for our commitment to innovation, hunger relief  and collaboration, our work has helped raise nearly 40 million pounds of food since 1992.  Canstruction^® events are hosted in over 150 cities around the world including North America, Australia, South America, Europe and Asia.

This week Canstruction Edmonton is being held with the sculptures on display from May 8 – 18, 2016 at the University of Alberta Enterprise Square. We have been informed there will be 11 teams participating and that 5 of them will be star wars themed. Admission is virtually free, however, they are asking everyone to provide a non-perishable food item or a monetary donation for the food banks.

Looking to get involved and participate next year? Here are 4 good reasons to consider:

1. It’s for the food bank. People are in need.
2. Be part of your community. Join the fun and enjoy all the CANsculptures!
3. Challenge your creativity and skill at bringing your vision to life!
4. Finish with a tangible work of art and a life experience!