[Shodan]

Our city should warm up to the idea of a winter festival

Scott McKeen
The Edmonton Journal

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

So I walk out into the world. And in shocked tones I speak my feelings. Three choice words. Three words I cannot repeat here.

How can I be surprised at this turn of events, given centuries of scientific data? The world turns, after all. The sun rises and sets. The seasons change.

Yet once every year I step outside to curse the gods. I'm always shocked by winter's appearance. And its misconduct.

Past experience matters not to a shaved head exposed to Arctic air. What matters then is the lack of tuque. My kingdom for a tuque. To my missing tuque, three choice words.

Everywhere I went this week, Edmontonians complained as if winter was a new phenomenon. We chatted about the weather as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Which it is.

Everywhere I drove this week, people careened down snowy streets on their so-called all-weather tires. Tire installers know about our procrastination.

They know they'll be swamped after the first snow. They, too, speak three choice words.

Canadian Tire again sells a semi-load of shovels. Mittens and scarves and gloves fly off shelves across the city. I hunt for my tuque. I go buy another tuque.

Somewhere out there a man is puffed up with pride. He leans over and pull-starts his new, rackety snowblower. With that beefy snowblower, he blows powdery snow off his property and high into the air, where it drifts and settles onto the neighbour's sidewalk. His neighbour will now buy a snowblower, too. Call it karma.

On the elevator this week I met a woman bundled as if for a space walk. She was taking her Rottweiler for exercise. This grizzly of a dog could barely look at me. On his feet were colourful booties. Call it shame.

Every year I recommend a few things to newcomers. Get thee an underground parking spot, I say.

If not, then a brass-bladed ice scraper, available usually at Lee Valley Tools. Plastic scrapers might work in Vancouver. Here, they're comedy.

Then get thyself to the long underwear store. My preference is silk. Not just because it's silky, which it is. More importantly, silk underwear can be worn under your trousers at work. You won't overheat, though the ladies might if they get a glimpse of your silky leg.

Every year I also recommend Edmonton learn to embrace its essential winterness. How? By launching a big party, a winterfest. We need to celebrate our most abundant resource, snow and cold.

Other cities do it. But we could do it better -- or different. So says newly elected city councillor Ben Henderson, who is now in charge of the winter festival portfolio.

The winterfest idea has been kicked around the past couple of years. Henderson thinks back to the early 1980s, when the city challenged arts groups to come up with proposals for summer festivals. Seed grants were offered, and out of that effort came festivals like the Fringe, Folkfest and Street Performers.

We already have a few winter events, but Henderson wants to put out the same challenge again. He wants Edmonton transformed so that visitors are as excited about this city in winter as they are in summer.

A paradigm shift is needed. No more whining. No more hiding from the weather. No more pretending winter isn't going to come. Henderson says Edmonton must get over its winter denial. If we're to have a winter festival, says Henderson, the events must be -- egads -- outdoors.

Part of me agrees. The other part of me -- the shaved head part of me -- offers a different opinion. In three choice words.

© The Edmonton Journal 2007

Copyright © 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

[trueviking]

festival du voyageur is fun as hell in winnipeg...nothing like freezing your lips to the rim of a beer bottle while trying to sing alouette....

[brento79]

For claiming to be a festival city Edmonton is still pretty boring in the winter when it comes to activies like festivals.

[Coldrsx]

Ever since my move to Edmonton from Ottawa/hull and their amazing winter festivals, i cannot simply understand this cities general regard of winter. For a city that gets 5-6 months of winter, we seem to think it is the worst thing ever and that one of these days it will not come.

I have never been in a winter city that says "i hate winter" so much. People bitch and complain about it all the time but most do not go sking, tobogganing, snowshoeing, walks in the valley after a fresh snowfall.

I disgusts me how people treat/think of winter in Edmonton.

SHAME ON YOU

so let's make the best of it and absolutely embrace a winter festival, expand the silver skate at hawrelak, expand the birkibinder, have more outdoor activities from the city.

[brento79]

When do outdoor rinks open at the leg or at rundle or hawrelak?

[HomeInMyShoes]

^^Totally. After the first snowfall or maybe the second my friends and I would get together and have a barbeque in either Hawreluk or Emily Murphy park. Hotdogs, burgers, and hot chocolate off the fire and maybe some tobagganning (if there was a significant enough snowfall) or at least some snow frisbee action.

Serioulsy fun stuff. I love winter. Everyone in Canada should love winter.

[ExcaliburKid]

^ I would say after the last week of mid-minus teen temps, we should probably start seeing some outdoor facilities opening up. One would hope anyway....personally I cant wait to play some pond hockey! :D

[Mycroft]

Skating at Hawrelak Park doesn't typically open up until January...Here's hoping it opens up earlier with all of this cold weather though.

skating at the Leg and Victoria Park is usually open by the begining of December, and maybe even sooner this year :)

[Calgarian]

Calgary will have the winter festival, and all of you "Chuckers" can come down to ours. ;)

[240glt]

Yeah you can have it in May during the annual Victoria day blizzard!

[Calgarian]

Seriously though, every Canadian city should have a winter festival.

[Calgarian]

Yeah you can have it in May during the annual Victoria day blizzard!

haha, deal!

[Deepstar]

Calgary will have the winter festival, and all of you "Chuckers" can come down to ours. ;)

Calgary had tried a winter festival for several years, but never had any snow (Only one year, had any significant snow) at the time of the festival, so it didn't do too well.

[Calgarian]

Calgary's winters are far too unpredictable, this has to be the only city in the country where there's an equal chance of having +15 or -35 in the middle if january.

[Kevin_foster]

I suggest we have a "Northern Lights" (tm) festival:

- Mid Jan
- Telus Field with an outdoor stage - fri/sat/sun - similar to folk fest but perhaps something for everyone (have one night for teens/one for adults etc.). It doesnt matter if it's -30; you can have warming tents, heaters, beer gardens, etc. (how many times have you stood outside for 5 hours in -30 for the fireworks on new years? Many, I'm sure)
- Spread out over this area (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Edmonton,+AB,+Canada&ie=UTF8&ll=53.535385,-113.483405&spn=0.013952,0.047035&z=15&iwloc=addr&om=1)
- Skating on the river
- Winter Trade Show at the shaw (ski sports vendors, beer vendors, hockey equipment sales, snowmobiles, etc.)
- Fireworks included at night
- Maybe erect a giant ferris wheel at louise mckinney - have some small rides etc. for the kids :) (No kidding)
- Free Swiss Chalet for everyone (ok that could be stretching it).
- Outdoor Oilers game every year to earmark the festival. (mandatory)
- Get some decently large sponsors (go nation wide)
- Set up 2/3 tents outside of main concert venue for club-goers (i.e. temporary/modular clubs featuring things such as liquor served in glasses made of ice and bottles made of ice - no joke!)
- Have daytime activities - snow castle making, ice sculptures etc.
- Guided Snowshoing and Skiiing tours down the river valley
- Kick it all off with a Parade Down Jasper! on the Friday Morning!

Seems do-able.

Economically speaking, we could use the infamous Internet profit algorithm:

1. Boring Winter Days +
2. New Idea for a Festival +
3. ??????? =
4. Profit!

[feepa]

Calgary's winters are far too unpredictable, this has to be the only city in the country where there's an equal chance of having +15 or -35 in the middle if january.

Edmonton has similar type weather swings too. Its not as pronounce with the chinook... but I wouldn't agree with Calgary being the only city with an equal chance of that.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^I don't know. Ottawa's winter festival is nice, but it's prone to weather issues as well. Ice sculptures melting, poor snow conditions, not cold enough for decent (or sometimes any) skating on the canal. And sadly, winter in Ottawa is all about skating on the canal. Seriously. Something every Canadian should do some time.

St. John's apparently has one of the world's only weather-dependent civic holidays.

St. John's is home to North America's oldest annual sporting event, the Royal St. John's Regatta, which dates back to at least 1816. The event is considered important enough in the life of the city that the day of the Regatta (the first Wednesday with fine weather in August) is a civic holiday - one of the only weather-dependent holidays in the world.

If they can plan randomly like that, then other cities should be able to plan something for the first decent winter Saturday in January/February. Make the events easy without a bunch of advance sign up and go.

[newfangled]

I suggest we have a "Northern Lights" (tm) festival:

Easy on the (tm), man. :)

For anyone who hasn't seen this: Edmonton needs a new slogan (http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5794&highlight=)

[Kevin_foster]

Easy on the (tm), man. :)

For anyone who hasn't seen this: Edmonton needs a new slogan (http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5794&highlight=)

I tm'd it for you :tup:

[jeremy_haak]

- Skating on the river

Definitely. I think every Canadian city (with a river) should clear ice for skating. Some of my fondest memories from living in Ottawa were getting up early in the morning as the sun was rising and skating on the freshly flooded canal before the crowds showed up. Skating along a river or canal is far, far superior to skating around in circles.

[rapid_business]

Here is me editing your ideas to the way I see it.

I suggest we have a "Northern Lights" (tm) festival:

- Mid Jan
- Churchill Square - you can have warming tents, heaters, beer gardens, etc. (fireworks at night!)
- A couple hot food and beverage vendors = Swiss Chalet, here's your chance!
- Hawrlak will be the big venue for cross-country race, major skating, other activities, etc.
- Skating at city hall
- Winter Trade Show at the shaw (ski sports vendors, beer vendors, hockey equipment sales, snowmobiles, etc.)
- Maybe erect a giant ferris wheel at louise mckinney - have some small rides etc. for the kids :) (No kidding)
- Outdoor Oilers game every year to earmark the festival. (mandatory)
- Get some decently large sponsors (go nation wide)
- Set up 2/3 tents outside of main concert venue for club-goers (i.e. temporary/modular clubs featuring things such as liquor served in glasses made of ice and bottles made of ice - no joke!)
- Have daytime activities - snow castle making, ice sculptures etc.
- Guided Snowshoing and Skiiing tours down the river valley
- Kick it all off with a Parade Down Jasper! on the Friday Morning!

[Greco Roman]

festival du voyageur is fun as hell in winnipeg...nothing like freezing your lips to the rim of a beer bottle while trying to sing alouette....

Agreed. I love Le Festival. It definately helps you cope with winter, but also makes you appreciate the beauty of it. There is so much to do. Maple Syrup suckers (not to mention other food goodies), sled dog rides, musical entertainment (j'adore le jig du Riviere Rouge et d'autre chansons des Voyageurs!), the awsome snow sculptures across Winnipeg by international artists, historical tours of Parc Whittier, etc. It highlights the large francophone history and culture of the city. I miss it terribly.

Edmonton would be much more complete if it would create some sort of winter festival. Fort Edmonton would be a great place for such a gathering, similar to Parc Whittier in Winnipeg. Promote the city's winter culture (if there truly is one, which I wonder about sometimes). The Oilers are great, but I think a more family themed, affordable and accessible venue would be an asset to this city. Hopefully this will become a reality in the near future.

[Coldrsx]

^no kidding...not to mention that other than a couple of weeks, general winter weather here is very hospitable for outdoor fun.

[Shodan]

Winter festival needs city support

Gordon Kent
The Edmonton Journal

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

EDMONTON - A new major winter festival could get off the ground in 2009 if sufficient city support is available, Edmonton Arts Council executive director John Mahon says.

He'd like an event that brings people out of their homes in February, possibly drawing them to kiosks in the river valley for story-telling or aboriginal displays, as well as a central party venue that could be established in Churchill Square.

"It's not a festival in wintertime; it's a festival about winter," he said Tuesday following a budget presentation to city council. The first step will be to put together an organizing committee and come up with a concept for the festival, he said. Quebec City, Ottawa and Winnipeg already have major festivals, he said.

Although Mahon estimated staging an event over three or four days would cost about $400,000, he warned it would depend on good weather and should be slated to continue for three years to give it a chance to catch on.

"Those of us that have been around for a long time remember the (1960s) Mukluk Mardi Gras. My impression is that they eventually ran out of snow. With any festival, you roll the dice on the weather."

Mahon hopes one of the current winter events, such as the Silver Skate festival or Ice on Whyte, would be interested in expanding. Coun. Ben Henderson, in charge of city council's winter city initiative, said he wants a winter celebration to grow out of smaller events.

While Coun. Karen Leibovici wants more details before deciding whether to spend money on a new festival.

"I think this is an idea that's potentially supportable, but until I know what I'm supporting I would be reluctant to vote for $250,000 or $300,000 or $400,000."

© The Edmonton Journal 2007

Copyright © 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton desperately needs to embrace winter more than it "has"...again, i cannot get over how much people here hate winter, yet live in a winter city.

if you cant beat it, enjoy it

[ExcaliburKid]

"It's not a festival in wintertime; it's a festival about winter,"

I think thats something so crucial to this thing going ahead and becoming a mainstay. It cant just be a bunch of buskers and fireworks, this thing needs to be entirely winter-driven. I still think E-town should consider the Winter X-Games. Would be a good way to kick off an annual winter festival

[feepa]

A winter festival would be a great thing for this city. Something I think we should encourage the city to do