MacEwan Journalism’s downtown community news site
Volume VI
No. 5, April 3, 2023
Could tragedy strike here?
A recent fire in an Old Montreal building killed seven, revealing the dark side of short-term rentals. A local Airbnb Superhost and a realtor talk about whether the grim fate could strike Edmonton, too.
Our Queer city
Edmonton’s reputation for being something of a hostile place for LGBTQ+ people might be a little overstated, but we still have a way to go before our city truly can be called Queer friendly.
Love is Hell; Ryan Adams was divine
Our reviewer briefly met Ryan Adams after his riveting performance at McDougall Church, in which he blew the audience away with his songs and ad-libs. The only thing the singer-songwriter had to say on the record was, “It’s cold; go inside.”
Mural, mural on the wall
Whyte Avenue is known for its bars, restaurants and nightclubs, but it’s also home to creative murals scattered throughout the neighbourhood. Check out this art for a fun, free activity instead of wasting your life watching Tiktok videos.
When the worst happens
It may have been almost 40 years since the last big disaster hit Edmonton. But, with climate change sparking tornadoes and wildfires all around us, we can never be too ready for the bad stuff. Here are a few tips about how to prepare for the next disaster.
Boyle Street boiling point
Editor’s Notebook: After a battle with local businesses and the zoning board, Boyle Street Community Services will move into a new location on 107th Avenue. The larger space should help alleviate the issues that already affect the area.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Ethan LaPerle
Photo editor: Kieran Fong
Copy chief: Isaac Lamoureux
Contributors: Gwyneth Bignell, Kieran Fong, Taylor Harrison, Isaac Lamoureux, Theodora MacLeod
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 4, March 20, 2023
Where the kids are all right
Despite spring-break camps in Edmonton being expensive and out of many people’s price range, most are already sold out. For parents looking to make a last-minute booking, the options are running out.
Jesus saves on Jasper
Getting to know the street preacher known for proselytizing around Edmonton. Behind the megaphone and obnoxious signs is a person telling us how Jesus came to save the sinners – whether they want to be saved or not.
The Naked truth
In 1996, Bob Ligertwood decided to open Naked, one of the first cyber cafes in the city. For 26 years, he fought to keep the doors open and the community safe – and he says he’s not ready to give up yet.
Life at the scene of the crime
Our reporter writes about a complex that once seemed cozy and charming, but is starting to look a bit like a combat zone, in which residents have come to write off loud noises as car backfires or fireworks – hoping that those noises aren’t gunshots.
Music you can feel
The ESO teamed up with the long-dormant Winspear organ for a magical display of musical virtuosity, greatly augmented by the massive, wall-shaking instrument, which had been on ice for the two years of the pandemic.
Getting crafty
Editor’s Notebook: Why doesn’t the downtown have more makerspaces? People who live in the city core are, by virtue of their location, strapped for space. More hobby spaces are needed for those of us who like to make things that make a mess.
When a protest is the highlight …
You know the Juno Awards show is losing its entertainment edge when a climate demonstrator can steal the show simply by taking her shirt off and letting Avril Lavigne swear at her.
City of memories, city of mystery
The search for a story in the silence of the dead leads to Jason Adson Powell and his head-turning headstone at Edmonton Municipal Cemetery – a human-size angel mounted on a pedestal. Who was the man who inspired such a memorial?
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Taylor Harrison
Photo editor: Kieran Fong
Copy chief: Ethan LaPerle
Contributors: Gwyneth Bignell, Kieran Fong, Isaac Lamoureux, Ethan LaPerle, Theodora MacLeod
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 3, March 6, 2023
Raising the Dead
Fans of the Grateful Dead are getting ready to to gather this month for the second Dead Ends Live festival, which celebrates the music of the apparently immortal California rock band.
Playing hot potato with the homeless
O’day-min Coun. Anne Stevenson says she wants to see Edmonton’s downtown come back to life, but some of her constituents wonder what that means for other parts of the ward.
15 minutes to madness
The idea of a city in which every amenity and need is within a quarter-hour’s walk seems fairly harmless – yet the conspiracy industry has already turned it into a sinister plot to limit our freedom.
Befriending Magpies 101
Whether you regard them as nothing more than noisy flying garbage cans or the geniuses of the bird world, magpies are a fact of life in Edmonton, so we might as well learn to like them.
Leaving women in the dark
Editor’s Notebook: In the debate over whether to stay on Daylight Time year-round one possible complication has been overlooked: the effect of dark streets on women’s safety.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Theodora MacLeod
Photo editor: Kieran Fong
Copy chief: Taylor Harrison
Contributors: Gwyneth Bignell, Kieran Fong, Taylor Harrison, Isaac Lamoureux, Ethan LaPerle,
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 2 February 13, 2023
The return of the voice
A legacy of hoops and hope
Hearts, candy & flowers … and Romans, cynics & sex shops
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You’re flying solo on a day when everyone is pledging their love to a significant other. Or you’re just an incurable cynic who is so fed up with the whole romance song and dance that you could scream. We have some Valentine’s Day suggestions for you.
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When we talk about Valentine’s, we talk about love, and romance … and dodge the fact that, in the end, it’s also about sex. Our reporter takes a trip to the South Side to see what this time of year brings to the little shops of pleasure.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Gwyneth Bignell
Photo editor: Kieran Fong
Copy chief: Theodora MacLeod
Contributors: Kieran Fong, Taylor Harrison, Ethan LaPerle, Isaac Lamoureux, Theodora MacLeod
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 1 January 30, 2023
