Prince Edward Island; photo courtesy of Tourism PEI/John Sylvester
By Carissa Bluestone
Winter is far from over, but if you plan to visit one of Canada’s most popular summer destinations this year, don’t waste any time snatching up the choicest hotels and tours. If you do, you may miss out on early-bird discounts or have to postpone your dream vacation altogether. (more…)
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
For travellers planning their summer trips in Canada this year, the regional editors of Where magazine have released their top picks for summer travel. The winners of Where Canada’s Best New Attractions for Summer 2011 represent the most exciting attractions – new, significantly improved, or celebrating major milestones this year. A diverse group of attractions from coast to coast, this year’s winners offer a wide range of activities and events suitable for any family, art lover, sports fanatic, nature lover or adventurer. Together, these attractions serve as the top must-see and must-dos for anyone travelling in Canada this summer. (more…)
A view of the Kootenays near Cranbook. Photo by That Angela
By Waheeda Harris
Modern day explorers still lust to explore the unknown – and for those wanting to point their car towards unchartered territories, the Crowsnest Highway from Alberta to British Columbia provides eye-catching views of the Rocky Mountains, historic places of interest and small town hospitality.
Modes of Transport
Highway 22 from Calgary is the way to get to the Crowsnest Highway via Turner Valley, which originates in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Although easily done by with four wheels, this old train route can be used by cyclists who will appreciate the wide highway shoulders through the mountains. Approximate driving time from Calgary to Cranbrook is four hours, 46 min and a distance of 379 km one way.
Roadside Attractions
It’s been 100 years since this rock slide happened, but the Frank Slide is still the main attraction of wee Frank, Alberta, located east of the Crowsnest Pass. When 82 million tonnes of limestone moved almost two kilometres in less than two minutes, the immense fields of rock are worth a stop to walk through the pathways (free admission). For those wanting an up close and personal experience of the Rocky Mountains, Fernie, British Columbia offers several trails for hiking and mountain biking. Adrenaline junkies will appreciate the wild ride of the Al Matador trail, (free access) which ascends 1200m in elevation as you navigate the single track. Make sure to point your camera lens at the Three Sisters, aka Mt. Trinity, a popular mountain of three peaks.
An hour west of Fernie, stop in historic Fort Steele, a former gold mining town that will transport you back to the 19th century. A ride on the steam train locomotive or a wagon ride will be a welcome late afternoon distraction from the road. Once you reach Cranbrook, spend time at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, featuring antique rail cars, train memorabilia and the restored Royal Alexandra Hall from the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Royal Alexandra Hotel, which had been located in Winnipeg.
Eats
Start your roadtrip with a hearty breakfast at the The Chuckwagon Café on Highway 22, part of the Cowboy Trail and less than an hour from Calgary in the rolling hills of Turner Valley. Located in a barn, the café serves up traditional eggs and pancakes that will make you feel like you can take on a day on the range. In Cranbrook, take advantage of the weekly Farmer’s Market held every Saturday morning for locally grown and made edibles and for a fine dining experience, make a reservation at Heidi’s, a favourite of the area. Their secret? The owners trained at the International Institute for Tourism and Management in Austria.
Sleep
If you’re lured to stay in the heart of the Rockies in Fernie, the Mt. Fernie Timberlodge ($385-449 per night) accommodates up to 10 travellers in an Alpine-style chalet. Weary from all that outdoor activity – guests can amble up a spiral staircase leading to the chalet’s treehouse with a hot tub with views of Mt. Fernie and Mt. Proctor. For the final rest stop in Cranbrook, forget the highway motel strip and kick it up a notch with a stay at the luxe Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort. Ask for the John Huber Express ($599.95 per night), choosing from the Naughton or Newcastle staterooms, with décor and amenities inspired by luxury railway travel of the past.
Read
The perfect accompaniment for the Crowsnest Highway, which lies along a former Canadian train route, would be the classic writing of mystery maven Agatha Christie. Three novels feature a train theme, and can be easily found in paperback or audio book: Miss Marple in 4-50 From Paddington, and Hercule Poirot in The Mystery of the Blue Train and Murder on the Orient Express.
Where is lucky to enough to have editions all over the country, so here at Where Ottawa, we rounded up the fun events and activities taking place in the different cities. Check them out if you’re on the road this weekend!
Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light takes place annually in Ottawa. Photo credit: Mike Alexander.
Ottawa kicks off the annual Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light, an annual competition that pits country against country in a battle between the best pyrotechnics in the world.
Funny guy Jerry Seinfeld takes a break from producing his TV show The Marriage Ref and heads to Calgary for a good old fashioned stand-up performance.
Halifax hosts its yearly Halifax Seaport BeerFest, which is expected to draw some 5,000 attendees who love their beer and cider.
Get over your fear of dancing in public with Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square in Vancouver.
Why are Canucks so attached to the outdoors? The exhibition Play > Nation, on view at the Design Exchange in Toronto, explores the notion.
Got young ones? Then a trip to the newly renovated, highly interactive Children’s Museum in Winnipeg is in order.
If you’re in Muskoka, put an exciting spin on date night with the dinner theatre production of the British farce Beyond a Joke, on now at the Gravenhurst Opera House.
Sizzling steaks at Sidecut in Whistler
The regional editors of Where recently unveiled their list of 2010’s best new restaurants across Canada.
1. Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie – Vancouver, BC; 604-688-087; www.bao-bei.ca
2. Sidecut (pictured) – Whistler, BC; 604-966-5280; www.fourseasons.com
3. Prime Steakhouse and Lounge – Victoria, BC; 250-386-2010; www.primesteak.ca
4. Charcut Roast House – Calgary, AB; 403-984-2180; www.charcut.com
5. Zinc – Edmonton, AB; 780-392-2501; www.zincrestaurant.ca
6. Habitat Restaurant – Canmore, AB; 403-678-8880; www.granderockies.com/habitat
7. Segovia Tapas Bar and Restaurant – Winnipeg, MB; 204-477-6500; www.segoviatapasbar.com
8. Enoteca Sociale – Toronto, ON; 416-534-1200; www.sociale.ca
9. Taste, the Restaurant at Touchstone – Muskoka, ON; 705-764-5353; www.touchstoneonlakemuskoka.com/taste.html
10. Town – Ottawa, ON; 613-695-8696; www.townlovesyou.ca
11. Fujiyama – Halifax, NS; 902-492-1133; www.sushifujiyama.ca
"A Clear Stratosphere" by Verna Vogel. Photo courtesy Kurbatoff Art Gallery
The hustle and bustle of urban life is what excites artist Verna Vogel. In a multi-step process, the Calgary painter first stitches patterns onto a canvas, then layers oil glaze on top (“A Clear Stratosphere,” pictured), in turn mimicking the way our cities are built up over time. See Vogel’s vibrant creations in Ecosystems at Kurbatoff Art Gallery (Feb. 3 to 17).—Kristina Urquhart
O Canada: our true and patriot love. Photo copyright Elenathewise/Fotolia.com
33,700,000 Population of Canada.
2 Canada is the second biggest country in the world, at 9,984,670 sq km (3,855,100 sq mi); Russia is the largest.
13 Number of Canadian provinces and territories.
6,416 Length in km of Canada-United States border (3,987 mi).
1867 The year colonies joined together to form Canada.
2 Number of official languages (English and French).
1980 “O Canada” was declared the official national anthem only 30 years ago.
3 The third time Canada has hosted the Olympic Games (Montreal in ’76, Calgary in ’88 and Vancouver in ’10).—Jennifer Patterson
Where editors from across the country have cast their ballots for the Best New Restaurants to open in Canada in 2009. From creative twists on traditional cuisines to stylish décors and high quality food for reasonable prices, these are the eateries you won’t want to miss from coast to coast.
Veneto Tapa Lounge, Victoria
Victoria’s best new restaurant takes traditional tapas to a whole new level. Led by chef Tod Bosence, the sophisticated, urban Veneto Tapa Lounge offers both a hip bar area and quieter dining room, ideal for enjoying Bosence’s creative dinner menu. Each entree is presented tapas style – those in the mood for beef, for example, will enjoy it three ways: veal ravioli with portabella mushroom ragout and roasted garlic cream sauce; marinated short rib with parmesan polenta cake; and New York strip roulade with spicy lobster stuffing and bordelaise sauce.
Cibo Trattoria, Vancouver
With London’s River Café alumnus Neil Taylor heading up the kitchen and ex-Lumiere general manager/sommelier Sebastien Le Goff in charge, it didn’t take long for Cibo to gain a solid reputation for its vibrant rustic Italian cuisine, thoroughly grounded in West Coast ingredients. Taylor’s dishes, which change by the week (if not the day), are constructed with uncomplicated—but wickedly exacting—flair.
Parker House Grill & Wine Bar, Calgary
Parker House is the kind of place where diners can experience high quality service, ambience and food, for a reasonable price tag. Chef Andrew Keen, known for his excellence in “forgotten fare,” has created a menu inspired by traditional New England comfort dishes with creative twists. For dinner, most entrees (with the exception of their steaks) sit in the mid-twenties range, while diners on a budget can try one of their thin-crust pizzas for as low as $12.88.
Creations Dining Room & Lounge, Sawridge Inn Edmonton South, Edmonton
Artful, delicious dining at Creations—the paint’s barely dry and the buzz is on for the eclectic Canadian fusion cuisine of Creations, the stunning new dining room and lounge in the atrium of the Sawridge Inn Edmonton South. Walls of fire, water, badlands hoodoos and a huge dreamcatcher treat the senses as menu items entice patrons to explore palate pleasers such as Sherried Beef Caprese.
Rustica Steakhouse, Canadian Rockies
Rustic has earned its place as one of the Canadian Rockies’ top restaurants for its elegant ‘mountain lodge’ atmosphere and uncompromising dedication to Canada Prime Beef. But it’s the cuisine of Caribbean-born Chef Stefan Mahon that keeps them coming back for more. Only the top 0.3% of beef in Canada earns Prime designation (a superior grade to AAA)—Stefan’s New York cuts, grand filet mignon and prime rib chops are prepared with a signature dry rub, seared under a 1500°F (815°C) broiler and presented on 500°F (260°C) plates with garlic butter.
Hermanos, Winnipeg
Winnipeggers are feeling the Latin heat thanks to the fiery flavours of South American cuisine at this year’s arrival of Hermanos Restaurant and Wine Bar. Set in a 5,500-square-foot warehouse in the Exchange District, fast lunches, tapas and mains are found on the mainly Argentinean- and Brazilian-influenced menu. The crispy fried empanadas are a must-try.
Raw Aura, Mississauga
Raw Aura, true to its name, offers a menu of entirely raw cuisine—the better to emphasize the natural and nourishing properties of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. In an intimate yet airy space, friendly staff dish out delectably fresh fare including a “peace wrap” bursting with avocado, tomatoes, carrots, kale, sprouts and hummus, and zesty lo-mein featuring noodles made of zucchini and golden beets.
Loire, Toronto
Loire, a self-described “casual gourmet” spot, well-situated along increasingly foodie-friendly Harbord Street offers fresh, seasonal dishes that could include chili- and cornmeal-crusted Lake Erie whitefish, grilled New York striploin and a succulent beef or lamb burger on challah bread. This intimate restaurant effortlessly straddles the line between relaxed neighbourhood fave and boldface fine-dining destination.
Teca, Muskoka
Overlooking Lake Rosseau is Teca, a fine Italian restaurant located within the luxurious Rosseau Resort & Spa. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Muskoka Lakes, find this decidedly urban dining room and a centrally located open kitchen that dishes up authentic rustic Italian fare. Tuck into freshly made pasta—from papperdelle and gnocchi to spaghetti and meatballs—or thin crust pizza made in a wood-stone oven, as well as veal chops, fish, striploin and rack of lamb.
The Grand Pizzeria & Bar, Ottawa
Nestled on one of the most auspicious corners in Ottawa’s bustling ByWard Market, The Grand Pizzeria is a popular addition to the downtown dining scene. Built in the late 17th century, this enviable location once housed The Grand Hotel. Today, it’s home to the perfect pizza pie. Traditional Italian appetizers (antipasti, salads) make way for the main attraction: authentic Napoletana pizza. The dough is created and hand-pressed by Master Pizzaiolo Pasqualino Oliveri, who placed first in the 2004 European Pizza Championship, among other honours.
Pipa Restaurant & Bar, Halifax
Chef Luis Gaspar and partner Victoria Dunham Gaspar are longtime veterans of Halifax’s dining scene. And when they decided to embark on a project all their own, they saw a glaring omission in the city’s dining scene. Specializing in Portuguese cuisine, with rich, filling and full-flavoured dishes. Pipa is the only restaurant of its type in Halifax, specializing in Old World and Brazilian dishes such as Moqueca (fish stew) and Feijoada (a stew of meats and black beans). Seafood dishes abound, including fresh grilled sardines.
Halifax
Roots-rock legends Blue Rodeo return to the Halifax Metro Centre on January 28, performing concert classics like “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” and “Diamond Mine,” along with their newest material.
Vancouver & Whistler
The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are almost here, and they’re bringing a lot more than just sports to Vancouver and Whistler. The Cultural Olympiad 2010 (Jan 22 – Mar 21) is the culmination of three years of Cultural Olympiads on the West Coast, and it features some of the world’s best artists, musicians, dancers, actors and performers. Vancouver highlights include Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and the Drum at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Jan 22 – 24), Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe at the Granville Island Stage (Jan 21 – Feb 6), and Steve Earle and Joel Plaskett at The Orpheum (Jan 23).
Whistler highlights include Canada’s first theatre of snow and ice, Nix (Jan 22 – Feb 27), Corb Lund at Whistler Village Square (Feb 19), and the Nunavut-based circus Artcirq at the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre (Feb 20).
Ottawa
During the Carleton Cup Triathlon on Jan 30, fearless participants—athletically inclined or otherwise—skate for nearly 7km up and down the Rideau Canal, run through the ByWard Market, then slide into The Aulde Dubliner & Pour House to pound back a drink. First one in gets the bragging rights, but the real winner is the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Led by controversial-yet-charismatic frontman Axl Rose, the newest incarnation of Guns N’ Roses will tour to promote Chinese Democracy, an album that was 15 years in the making. They stop into Ottawa Jan 31.
Calgary
Known for its memorable songs like, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” the Tony Award-winning musical, Fiddler on the Roof plays at the Jubilee until Jan 17. Throughout the month of January, One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo offers theatre-lovers innovative plays, skits and acts from around the world. Highlights include Kawasaki Exit, a play about the dark-side of Japanese social networking sites and The Pajama Men, a comedy duo who perform their act in their pjs.
Winnipeg
World-class men’s curling talent sweeps into Winnipeg for the BDO Canadian Classic Open Jan 20 – 24. Top names like Canada’s Olympic representative Kevin Martin and Scotland’s reigning World Champion David Murdoch are expected to participate.
Edmonton
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie, one of Canada’s most accomplished dance organizations, brings three brilliant performances to Edmonton Jan 20: In Paradisum; Soudain, l’hiver dernier; and Fifteen Heterosexual Duets, all choreographed by James Kudelka. Artistic Director Laurence Lemieux promises “an exhilarating voyage to the heights of paradise and the depths of the heart.” Edmontonians revel in the winter months at the Winter Light Festival. Every weekend brings a blizzard of family fun with many events such as ice carving, ice-skating, art shows and much more. On until Mar 12, free admission.
Canadian Rockies
The Olympic Torch Relay comes through Banff Jan 20 and the town is celebrating outdoors with live music. Watch as teams carve massive blocks of ice into glittering sculptures at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise during the Ice Magic Festival, Jan 22 – 24 (if you can’t catch the carving, admire the art until it melts away in a few months). Or hit up Jasper in January for ski lift ticket and hotel discounts, plus fun events like the polar bear dip, Taste of the Town, music and skating parties, Jan 15 – 31.
Toronto
Important figures of history continue to draw crowds in the present. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart looms large over the city on select dates between Jan 13 and 24 as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents the Mozart@254 Festival, its annual concert series commemorating the 1756 birth of the Classical Era’s greatest composer. This year’s program features guest artists including famed baritone Russell Braun, violinist Pinchas Zukerman and many others. Or, have an archeological encounter with the great rulers of Egypt, by visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario’s ongoing exhibit, King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs. The massive display showcases rare artifacts from the days of Khafre, Amenhotep IV, Rameses II and other significant monarchs, as well as more than 50 exquisite treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun. On until Apr 18.
By Ryan Duncan
Though Calgary natives Tegan and Sara Quin have been filling concert halls and dominating college radio with their punk rock attitude and folk pop sound, you might not have heard their music. They’ve played for audiences across the U.S., Canada and Australia, are performers in the 2010 resurrection of the all-female music festival Lilith Fair, and have just released their sixth studio album, The Sainthood.
We talk to Tegan about the double standards for female indie bands, working with DJ Tiesto, and being a gay role model.
THE NEW ALBUM
WC: There is an obvious change in your sound on The Sainthood, what inspired you to take a more pop approach?
TQ: When we first started we had to be very economical. Our first records reflected our band at the time, we had to record music to sell tour dates and hit the road.
Our style of song writing hasn’t changed, but our ability to adapt, change and add things has. Ten years, and several records later we are more confident and although it was not always intentional, we emulate the things we like to listen to. We are creating our image with every new record, and it’s important to create music that people can relate to–when I listen to music on the radio now it doesn’t reflect me or my friends. I grew up in the ’80s listening to Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper.
MUSICAL ARMAGEDDON
WC: What is the best part about performing at music festivals?
TQ: That depends on the type of festival. The concept of Lilith Fair is incredible. As a feminist it’s amazing to see a group of women taking over the main stage. We just got back from a festival tour in Europe, and although we had a lot of fun, it was pandemonium. Thousands of people, all kinds of weather and liquor—people get so fucking unhinged and crazy, it’s like Armageddon with music.
DOUBLE STANDARDS
WC: Do you think there is still a double standard for women in the music industry?
TQ: It has always been there. There is no shortage of indie rock boys, but the women tend to be unheard of. There are some amazingly talented and intelligent women out there, but they are still half naked trying to sell records. I used to wonder how we would ever make it, there was no way I was going to be able to put on high heels and sell sex in order to be heard. I mean, Beyonce’s a babe, I can’t compete with that.
We get lots of press and very little radio play. That is why I say we are the most famous band you’ve never heard.
WORKING WITH DJ TIESTO
WC: You and Sara are featured on Tiesto’s track “Feel it in My Bones.” How did your collaboration with Tiesto come about?
TQ: We first worked with Tiesto for the “Back in Your Head” remix, we ended up performing with him at a festival. His tour later brought him through Vancouver and he told us that he was going to be making a dance record featuring artists that weren’t in that genre. We are always up for experimenting with different kinds of music; it’s great to play for a different audience so we were in for that.
GAY ROLE MODELS
WC: How do you feel about your sexuality being a common topic in the media?
TQ: Well 10 years ago, the perception of society was to not talk about our sexuality, it was too “racy” for local press. But somewhere between 2002 and 2004 it seemed to be the only thing we were being asked about. We are both very proud to be role models, and if we are helping it to be ‘not as hard’ to be gay for our audience, what’s the problem? The fact is I have been criticized for not talking about it, and for talking about it too much, it’s weird, it’s not like wrote the article that I am being quoted in, you know?
HITTING THE ROAD
WC: How do you feel about being on tour?
TQ: I get nervous about heading out on tour because I love being home, but once I return, I miss the road; it’s a double edged sword. I have grown accustomed to touring, and nothing equals being on stage and playing our music, so in that sense, I have become dependent on it. Touring can be humbling though, it hits us when we hit a city we have never been to before, I mean I wouldn’t roll into Los Angeles, play one show, leave and expect that it’s going to explode all over the country. I am looking forward taking this record on the road. We have an epic tour planned taking us all over Canada, to America and Australia.
BRINGING THE SHOW TO CALGARY
WC: You have two sold out shows in Calgary. Has the experience of playing your hometown changed?
TQ: Playing in Calgary used to present me with a lot of pressure. We would have so many friends and family members to see, and we would have so little time to do it. This year we have two dates in Calgary, I am humbled by that. Putting together our own stage show is something I really like to do, I was in drama as a kid, and really liked putting on plays. That is where the passion for performing stems from.
Get into the holiday spirit with these yuletide events around Calgary
By Laura Pellerine
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Christmas, Calgary is brimming with events to take in—from old Ebenezer’s spiritual transition on stage, to metal guitar players rocking out to “Carol of the Bells.”
Day 1: Nov 18
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Get into the spirit early with this band’s fresh take on traditional Christmas songs. Combining rock, metal, R&B and classical music to create a unique sound, the orchestra is known for its original compositions, as well as reinventions of holiday classics like “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)”: a medley of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” During the show, you can expect to see pyrotechnics, exceptional vocal performances and long-haired guitar players headbanging to Christmas tunes. At the Saddledome, tickets $25 – $57.50, call Ticketmaster, 403-777-0000.
Day 2: Nov 22
Christmas All Through the House at Lougheed House
This National Historic Site was built in 1891 as the former home of Senator James and Isabella Lougheed. For the holidays, individual rooms get transformed into historical recreations of Christmas throughout the decades. After wandering through the rooms to the sound of carollers, visitors can have an antique photo taken with a Victorian St. Nicholas, or head outdoors for a sleigh ride around the grounds. Nov 18 – 22, tickets $10 – $15 at door, 707 – 13 Ave SW.
Day 3: Nov 28
Alberta Theatre Projects’ Toad of Toad Hall
Alberta Theatre Projects celebrates the holidays by offering a family themed show—in past years they’ve put on Robin Hood and Peter Pan. This year they’ve chosen Toad of Toad Hall, an adaptation by Philip Goulding from Kenneth Grahame’s popular children’s book The Wind in the Willows. The story follows the rich, but reckless, Mr. Toad as he runs from the law, while his friends Ratty, Badger and Mole are left behind to fight off the nasty Weasels. At the Epcor Centre, Nov 25 – Dec 27, tickets $25 – $51, call 403-294-7402.
Day 4: Dec 2
Christmas by Lamplight at Heritage Park
For a true old-fashioned Christmas experience head to Heritage Park. Their Christmas by Lamplight evening includes a three-course traditional turkey dinner in the Wainwright Hotel where you are greeted by costumed carollers as you enter the lobby. Afterwards, you can join in the carol singing at St. Martin’s Church and then hop onto a horse-drawn wagon for a cozy ride around the park. During the day, their Once Upon a Christmas event runs on weekends in November and December, and offers a similar experience with carollers and wagon rides, but also includes roaming theatre performances, a visit from Santa and a chance to wander through traditionally decorated historical homes. Christmas by Lamplight: Dec 2, 9, $39.95 (adults), for tickets call 403-268-8500; Once Upon a Christmas: Sat and Sun, Nov 21 – Dec 20, tickets $5 – $7.50.
Day 5: Dec 3
A Vinyl Café Christmas with Stuart McLean
It’s becoming a uniquely Canadian Christmas tradition to hear CBC’s master storyteller and best-selling author Stuart McLean tell stories of his beloved character Dave’s comedic attempts at cooking a turkey. After premiering in 1994, McLean’s often quirky and moving radio show, “The Vinyl Café,” draws 800,000 listeners each week. On this year’s A Vinyl Café Christmas Tour, expect to hear two new Dave & Morley stories, a few old favourites, and songs from Canadian musicians. At the Jubilee Auditorium Dec 3, 4, tickets $44.50 – $50, call Ticketmaster, 403-777-0000.
Day 6: Dec 5
Christmas with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
At the CPO’s Handel’s Messiah, a classic piece of music (which you may recognize from its “Hallelujah!” refrain), is performed with soloists as well as the CPO chorus. At key points in the oratorio the audience is invited to sing along and rise to their feet, a custom started by King George II. Things get a little sillier at the Sing-Along Messiah, where a costumed “George Frederic Handel” conducts a complete orchestral accompaniment. With beautiful music, comical stage antics and audience participation, this will be a fun afternoon for the whole family. At the Epcor Centre, Handel’s Messiah: Dec 4, 5, $19 – $85; Sing-Along Messiah: Dec 6, $19, call 403-571-0849.
Day 7: Dec 9
Deane House Murder Mystery Theatre
Exercise your holiday sense of humour with these two murder mystery shows. Fit for Death is a story of how overweight elves get put on a fitness routine and are worked out—“to death.” Meanwhile, in It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like … Murder, when Santa gets run over by a reindeer, camaraderie between the elves becomes ugly as they jockey over who gets to take Santa’s place. Fit: Nov 13, 14, 25 – 28, Dec 9 – 13; Beginning: Nov 19 – 22, Dec 2 – 6, 16 – 20. Tickets are $75 and include a four-course meal at the historic Deane House Restaurant, call 403-269-7747.
Day 8: Dec 12
Zoolights
Once the sun goes down, the Calgary Zoo gets transformed into one of Western Canada’s largest light displays with over 1.5 million lights in the shapes of zoo animals, holiday icons and even the Calgary Flames symbol. Kids can chat live with Santa Claus in the North Pole with “SantaVision,” or head over to specially designed plays areas like Snowball Alley and Snigloo, where they can make their own igloo. Be prepared to bundle up—it usually is cold, though you can warm up next to their on-site fire pits and sip hot chocolate. Nov 27 – Jan 3, 2010, $8 adults, $5 kids.
Day 9: Dec 18
Christmas in Wales at Rosebud Dinner Theatre
If you don’t mind the hour-and-a-half drive, head to Rosebud Theatre, situated in the hamlet of Rosebud in the middle of the prairies, and it will feel like you’ve stepped back to a simpler time. Their holiday show is Christmas in Wales—a tale of one adult’s reveries of an old-fashioned holiday celebration, complete with Welsh carols, snowball fights and family. Dinner is served buffet-style in the Mercantile Room, located a short walk along a dirt road from the theatre. For a more traditional feel, try to get a dinner spot at the Rosebud Country Inn, adorned with old-fashioned decorations. Here, they serve a turkey dinner with all the fixings: mashed potatoes, cranberries, plum pudding and carols from wandering musicians. Nov 6 – Dec 23, tickets $27 – $62.50, call 1-800-267-7553.
Day 10: Dec 22
Alberta Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Going to see Clara fight off the evil rat king in The Nutcracker has been a North American Christmas tradition since it was first performed by San Francisco Ballet in 1944. Alberta Ballet’s current production will mark the second year of the Edmund Stripe’s newly choreographed version. It toured last year around the world to sold-out audiences, and this year promises to be just as enchanting with beautiful hand-worked costumes and sets designed by the Emmy Award-winning Zack Brown. At the Jubilee Auditorium, Dec 18 – 26, tickets $27 – $106, call 403-245-4549.
Day 11: Dec 24
Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transition from a selfish miser to a humble do-gooder is brought to life by Theatre Calgary. The Broadway-sized set, period costumes and huge musical score help add a feeling of magic to the show. And perhaps best of all, Scrooge is played by Stephen Hair, a local award-winning actor, who has donned Scrooge’s top hat for 16 years. At the Epcor Centre, Nov 20 – Dec 27, tickets $32 – $75, call 403-294-7440.
Day 12: Dec 25
Skating at Bowness Lagoon
This quiet lagoon is set inside a 30-hectare river valley park in the heart of the northwest. Surrounded by snow-trimmed evergreens, this pond is a loop with bridges you can skate under. If you get cold, there’s usually a crackling fire pit on the ice. 8900 – 48 Ave NW, 403-268-2300, (or 311 in Calgary area).
Personal shopping guru Lisa Popplewell turns a fashion flunky into a well-dressed man
By Andrew Mah
Illustrator: Jef Miller
I’m standing in front of a three-way mirror wearing a new Paul Smith from London shirt. It’s nice—the fabric is perfect, soft yet crisp, and it fits like a million bucks ($295, actually). But on top of the classic blue and white vertical stripes is a generous multi-hued flower print overlay. I sense it’s quite fashionable, but I feel a bit awkward. I look like a field of daisies.
“It’s nice,” says my friend Laura. She repeats the opinion as I respond with a vague shoulder shrug and eyebrow frown. “No, really. It looks good on you.”
I’m not complaining mind you; it’s exactly what I’ve asked for. You see, we’re here in the Personal Shopping Suites at Holt Renfrew, and our personal shopper for the day is helping us both with a bit of a wardrobe refresh. I’ve asked Lisa Popplewell for, among other things, a bit more colour and flair. I’ve been told by lady friends that I have a tendency towards conservative (read: drab) fashions—lots of solid colours, a cool palette of blues, blacks and greys.
Apparently, I could use a bit of pop.
I’m no Andy Warhol though, and Lisa has already sized me up with Jedi-like fashion intuition. She and her demure assistant Kelsey Schiavon introduce me to a rack of clothes they’ve carefully selected based upon my desire to get some smart-looking new office and evening function-wear.
Besides the shirt and a bright purple tie, the rest of the rack is classic in appeal. She informs me that she avoided going too avant-garde to avoid overwhelming me. “To introduce colour, I usually start with something smaller—a pair of socks or a tie. That way, you’ve got it, but you’re not committed to it.”
Given my discomfort with a simple flower print shirt, it’s a canny observation, which isn’t too surprising. Lisa’s been in the fashion retail biz for 13 years, and the last five as a personal shopper for Holt Renfrew in Calgary. Not only does she have a love for fashion, but she enjoys the personalized service she can offer—the opportunity to “relate to people.”
“I love developing relationships,” Lisa says with an infectious smile and a barely contained energy that finds expression in expansive hand gestures. “Every day you learn more and more about people.”
Illustrator: Jef Miller
She gets to meet all sorts; her clientele ranges from high-powered execs to stay-at-home moms who show up in sweats; raging fashionistas who send her off to find that Prada dress on page 124 of Vogue, to fashion flunkies looking to be saved from paisley and polyester. She’s had a few celebs, from rugged sports stars to fashionable actors, but most of her clientele are ordinary people.
That’s fine by Lisa, who points out that the service they provide is about a lot more than knowing fashion—it’s the ability to listen to what people want and make them look good in the process. “Ultimately, you have to be inspired by the person,” she says.
She’s done well with me: as Laura and Lisa have a friendly confab over the curious resurgence of ‘80s-style bold shoulders, I try on a Gucci suit that I immediately fall in love with. Narrow lapels, slim design and it already generates a nice, crisp silhouette off the rack. I feel like it takes ten years off. Next, I try on a smart-looking sporty Prada marino wool zipper top cut in such a way as to hide my middle-aged gut bulge. Ingenious.
It’s Laura’s turn and she has presented Lisa with a challenge. Laura is a little over five foot, about ninety-something pounds and though she is in her mid-to-late twenties, she has either the misfortune or good grace of still being carded at bars. As a high-powered magazine editor, she’s constantly having to overcome first impressions that she’s younger than she is. So she tells Lisa that she’s looking for fashions that will assert a sense of mature professionalism without sacrificing her twenty-something feminine grace.
For her, Lisa has selected a black Theory suit jacket with a crisp white shirt (“I don’t think anyone can live without a great white shirt”). Laura confesses she’s not a “suit” girl, but as she looks herself over in the mirror, the initial patina of scepticism fades.
The winning factor seems to be the matching pair of skinny black pants—designed, Lisa points out, to give the outfit both the requested professionalism and a contemporary, youthful edge. “It’s something I wouldn’t have thought to do,” Laura says with an air of admiration.
Illustrator: Jef Miller
As Laura tries on a few more outfits, I realize with mild incredulity that I’m having fun. This is very different than those tortuous hours tagging along behind my (now ex-) girlfriend at the mall on the quest for the perfect pair of jeans—invariably involving cramped fitting rooms and the need to respond carefully to the question “Do these look good on me?”
The difference has something to do with the bright and spacious fitting rooms here at the Personal Shopping Suites, and the fact that the clothes are brought to you. There’s also the priceless benefit of being able to rely on an expert’s fashion advice. Even better—the service is free; though of course the temptation to buy in this kind of context is overpowering.
I turn back to the Paul Smith flower print shirt and now all three ladies are cooing their approval. I don’t know if it’s peer pressure or me coming to my fashion senses, but I think I’m beginning to like it.
SWEET SUITES
Holt Renfrew moves a block west from its old location, into new digs this October. Taking up the space that used to be Sears along 8 Ave and 4 St, the new Holts offers three floors and about 150,000 square feet of space, sporting a chic design by New York architects Janson Goldstein and a bunch of new brands.
The Personal Shopping suites expand into a 3,000-square foot space that features a waiting area with a big-screen TV, private washroom, complimentary beverage area and truly spacious fitting rooms. To book an appointment with a personal shopper, call Holt Renfrew at 403-269-7341 and ask for Personal Shopping.
Courtesy Rocky Mountaineer
1. Travelling by train with Rocky Mountaineer to Whistler or Calgary.
2. Gorgeous jewellery at The Crystalworks Gallery, which also stocks carvings and oversized minerals.
3. Getting our sugar fix with a caramel cupcake at the new downtown location of Cupcakes, at Robson and Thurlow streets.
4. Araxi in nearby Whistler. The restaurant is currently featured on Hell’s Kitchen, the TV show starring chef/tyrant Gordon Ramsay.
5. Watching the competitions at the 2009 World Police and Fire Games.
Courtesy World Police and Fire Games
6. Alsatian flatbread topped with cheese, bacon and onion at DB Bistro Moderne. Yum.
7. Screaming our heads off on rides at the annual PNE.
8. Grabbing tasty sandwiches-to-go at Cardero Bottega before a leisurely stroll to Stanley Park.
9. The view of downtown as you ride the SeaBus to the North Shore.
10. Reaping the seafood rewards of the West Coast at Coast Restaurant, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, A Kettle of Fish and Tojo’s.
11. Japadogs. These Japanese-style hot dogs are served with miso, mayo and flakes of seaweed, at the corner of Burrard and Smithe or Burrard and Pender.
12. Sitting on the sand at English Bay and counting the freighters waiting to sail out.
13. The two baby belugas at the Vancouver Aquarium.
14. Buying souvenirs for the 2010 Winter Games, coming here in just six months.
Courtesy Tourism Vancouver
15. Kits Beach, which Forbes Traveler magazine recently named one of the 10 sexiest beaches in North America.
Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw of Metric talk about the music industry, Virgin Fest, and the struggle to self-release their newest album, Fantasies
By Ryan Duncan
Photo: Justin Broadbent
Record sales are down, major record labels are announcing layoffs—the music industry as we knew it is in turmoil. Enter indie darling Emily Haines and guitarist Jimmy Shaw of Metric.
In 2003, Haines and Shaw—along with bassist Josh Winstead and drummer Joules Scott-Key—struck gold with their first release, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? The album earned the band a Juno nomination and played in heavy rotation on college radio stations across the country—and they haven’t looked back.
Two years later Metric released Live it Out, a sleek and sophisticated album full of synthesizers and lyrics that could have been torn from Haines’ journals. They toured their auspicious record relentlessly for several years, hitting countries all over the world and earning three Top 20 singles.
Before their appearance at Calgary’s Virgin Fest in August, Haines and Shaw talked to Where Magazine about their latest album, Fantasies, which debuted in April and reached #1 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
After their sophomore album, the band needed to regroup—but first they had to separate. Winstead and Scott-Key toured with their own band Bang Lime, Shaw built his own recording studio Giant in Toronto, and Haines took a sabbatical in Argentina.
“I just wanted to see things I had never seen, to force myself to regain the independence I had lost being constantly surrounded by people,” she says. “It was a serious challenge being alone and unknown in an unfamiliar city, working to learn the language and finding my own way. I highly recommend it for anyone who is sick of themselves, like I was.”
Shaw agrees that the four of them had to take a step back and look at themselves. “The record represents where our collected head space was at the time. We needed to take time to become human beings again. We needed to be able to call our friends, find an apartment and clear our heads. Countless bands rush into the studio and end up recording an album about the frustrations of recording an album. We had to get those emotions out of the way. It was very important for us to have the ability to dream and see the world differently, and get it out there.”
FANTASIES BECOMES A NIGHTMARE
The band nearly had a finished product, but while listening to the mix in Vancouver, it hit them: “This wasn’t the album we wanted to release” says Haines. “We bought all the rights back and since we were funding it ourselves, it was a very expensive decision.”
The band road tested their material, trying to find something they could release proudly. The ultimate trial was the “campfire test:” the songs had to sound great organically, even if it was just with one guitar and one voice.
“Live it Out was recorded in ten weeks, Fantasies took a year,” says Shaw. “We had times where the entire band would meet in Toronto and f@*k around, come up with ideas and chill out. This time Joules and Josh were involved in the process. Emily and I had been writing songs together for a very long time, but when we gave this opportunity to them, so many new things came out of it.”
“We were really confident about what was up musically. There was no one around to yell at us but ourselves. Yes there were times where we got frustrated and thought ‘F@*k! Why are we doing this on our own?’ We knew that no one wanted to hear a record from a band that wasn’t behind it. Knowing it was going to eventually work out was really our only obstacle, and our only saving grace.”
SELF-RELEASING
Metric’s decision to self-release Fantasies was a move that “just made sense” to Shaw.
“It wasn’t done out of some podium moral stance, it was what we decided to do after meeting with all the major labels. What they were offering us didn’t make any sense—it was straight math to us.”
“The labels are in such a dire situation, they offer what seems to be a large chunk of money to a desperate artist who is so excited about the money they don’t realize the relationship they are entering. Records are a bit of a lost leader now; the company comes in and takes a piece of merchandising, publishing and touring. It got to a point where we started to structure Metric Productions and it felt good. We wanted to show other bands that it was possible to invest in themselves, and that it wasn’t necessary to take the first offer of money from a label.”
THE LEAK
Weeks before the record was due to be released, the band was informed that the inevitable had happened—Fantasies had been leaked on the Internet.
”We were really pissed off,” Emily recalls. “We are pretty sure we know who is responsible for that, and he was someone in the music industry. Some people are just sloppy and don’t seem to realize that it isn’t 1982 anymore. We were relieved, however, to discover that the crack copy wasn’t of horrible audio quality.”
The band retaliated quickly, pushing their release date a week early, streaming the entire album on MySpace, and offering fans the chance to purchase Fantasies directly from their official site www.ilovemetric.com.
“It was obvious what we had to do,” says Shaw. “We were anticipating the leak for several months. As far as I know there hasn’t been an album that hasn’t leaked in three years. The label freaks out, and the irony is that it is always someone in the company, some intern or something that leaks it. What they fail to realize is that they are the only ones who have it.”
THE INTERNET
“The way people get music now has helped us,” says Haines. “Our business approach has changed. There is no old school record exec sitting between our fans and us. We didn’t need them to facilitate things that were unnecessary. We have a very unique and close relationship with our fans, and I didn’t want that to be tampered with.”
“The idea really came to us when we were playing a festival in Brazil. This is somewhere we had never released our music, never promoted ourselves, and yet there were ten thousand people dancing and singing our lyrics right back at us. Without the Internet, that never would have happened. Record labels fear the Internet only because they don’t know how to monetize it.”
LIFE ON TOUR AND VIRGIN FEST
Life on the road is sometimes exhausting for the quartet, but Haines is quick to explain the chaos.
“It is an intense schedule, it’s true. There are days when I look at the calendar and wonder if it is humanly possible to do what we are doing. The funny thing is, we started our own company and have set up our own releases around the world outside Canada, so we have nobody to blame but ourselves for the pace that has been set. When I feel like I can’t go on, I just remind myself of those days when I would sit at home waiting for my life to happen. No amount of jet lag is worse than that.”
Haines and Shaw first performed at the Virgin Festival in 2006, when they headlined in Toronto with Canadian “superband” Broken Social Scene. Now, three years later, Metric has become a festival staple.
“Being part of this festival feels really good,” says Shaw. “I am happy that it is catching on and going across Canada. You are going to need your energy for this, try to save your dancing abilities.” They both promise fans high voltage performances of “Twilight Galaxy” and “Stadium Love,” one song they promise will never be played acoustic—ever.
METRIC HEARTS CALGARY
“When we first started touring Canada we noticed right away that there was a particularly good vibe at the Calgary shows,” says Haines. “It felt like the audience was really getting the point of attending a Metric concert, which is to stop being self-conscious for an hour or so and actually enjoy yourself with your friends without worrying too much about what other people think. Our Calgary shows from the beginning were explosions of energy. We liked the feeling so we kept coming back.”
In early April, on the promo tour for Fantasies, they invited over a dozen freezing fans in from the cold and into the studio to sing with them as the “Calgary choir of love” during a live radio show. Late that evening, armed with a guitar and keyboard, they played an exclusive show at the intimate Grand Theatre—including an acoustic performance of “Gold Guns Girls.”
“All the gold and the guns and the girls/All the boys all the choices in the world/ I remember when we were gambling to win/Everybody else said better luck next time—is it ever gonna be enough?”
Acoustically, the song was reminiscent of Emily’s dreary solo record. “I really like the acoustic version, it has a completely different mood” she says. Shaw adds “it stirs something different up, and kind of changes the meaning all together.”
DEALING WITH FAME
As the band’s fame grows, does it cause a need for distance between the band and their fans? “I am pretty chill in my personal life,” says Haines. “I don’t walk around thinking, “Hey, I’m Emily from that band Metric!” I forget about it and go about my day. So sometimes it is a bit lame for me when I am just doing something really normal like riding my bike or grabbing a coffee or drinks with friends, and somebody starts freaking out and making everything awkward. It is way better if they behave in a way that allows me to interact with them as a human, not as an abstract idea of a human.”
“We are really not like Nickleback,” says Shaw. “We don’t get accosted by fans daily. The only time anyone recognizes me is when I use the company credit card, and someone asks me ‘what do you do for Metric?’ Emily has to deal with it a lot more—we’re talking gasping teenagers reaching for their camera phones.”
INDIE AT HEART
Critics question if mainstream exposure has allowed the band to stay true to their garage roots. “We still stand up for what we believed in all along,” says Shaw. “Sure, we have publicly and privately said and done things that appeared wrong, but the fans respond to it.”
“The idea of not wanting to be owned by some corporation resonates with everyone. The fact that we are still independent proves that success and major labels don’t have to go together. You don’t have to sing esoterically and play on a broken guitar to be indie. And you have to record in a sterile studio with a huge label to write pop-sounding songs. Personally and politically we are quite subversive in the way we think and act—but we can still release records with a pop sound.”
Metric has dismantled the usual barrier between band and fans, and achieved mainstream success while standing in the shadows of major record companies. With news of a collaboration between Emily and a Euro-Trance DJ, a tour taking them from Australia to Europe and back to Canada, and a home studio to experiment with, we are left to wonder: what is left to conquer, and is it ever gonna be enough?
An informal chat with DJ A-Trak, a Montreal native and champion DJ
By Ryan Duncan
Photo: Angela Boatwright
At the age of 15, Montreal-born DJ and turntablist, A-Trak (born Alain Macklovitch), became the first Canadian and youngest person ever to win the DMC World DJ Championship in 1997. Since then, he has started two successful record labels, created a commercial for Nike, captured the world’s three major DJ competition titles, and been invited on tour with hip-hop icon Kanye West.
In the midst of his 10,000 lb Hamburger Tour, A-Trak took some time to chat with Where about his next EP, last minute line-up changes, and his very first turntable purchase.
TOUR CHALLENGES
A-Trak’s cross-North American tour, 10,000 lb Hamburger Tour, kicked off in Tampa Bay, Florida earlier this month. Coming up with the show’s unusual name was not something he fretted over, “ I called it the 10,000 lb Hamburger Tour because the tour needed a name, and I didn’t have one,” he says.
Finding a name wasn’t the only challenge A-Trak encountered. Before the tour began, his supporting act, M.I.A. protégé Rye Rye, announced that she was withdrawing from the tour because she was pregnant. Luckily, a replacement was quickly found: electronic and hip-hop rapper Theophilus London. He joins Treasure Fingers as A-Trak’s supporting acts during their stop at Calgary’s The HiFi Club.
GLOBAL EXPERIENCES
A-Trak has played in venues around the world from London to Vancouver to Bangkok. Back in 2004, A-Trak was hired by Kanye West to become his official tour DJ, and he’s had a close working relationship with the hip hop star since.
When asked if international crowds react differently to his music he says that, “it’s actually trickier in America, the whole world is becoming one scene. It doesn’t matter to me where I am playing, what club or country I am in, that doesn’t phase me, it’s all about the event.”
Being an award-winning DJ has provided A-Trak the chance to try his hand collaborating on various other artistic projects. In early 2009, NIKE approached him to create a mix-tape for their NIKE + Original Run Series. The result? A sleek and upbeat 45-minute composition.
Photo: Angela Boatwright
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
He recalls purchasing his first set of turntables with the money he had received for his bar mitzvah. “I was 13 when I was first starting out, and it took a lot of negotiation with my parents,” he says. “They didn’t understand why I wanted to buy a turntable–but fast forward a few months later, and they became very supportive.”
INSPIRATION
When asked about his earlier influences A Trak mentions the DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince album He’s the DJ, I’m The Rapper. In early June of this year he shared the stage with Jazzy Jeff for a show in New York City. “It was fun, I’ve known him for a while,” he says. “He is forever young and forever relevant. One thing that really inspires me is his amazing ability to stay current.”
WORKAHOLIC
A-Trak owns two of his own record labels, Fools Gold, which focuses on club music, and Audio Research, which concentrates on indie hip hop. Running labels is nothing new to him, he and his brother started Audio Research in the late ‘90s. Being a part of an artist-driven label is important to him.
“There’s a trust between artists,” he says. “It fits the new reality of the industry and the culture. There’s so much connection now between image, the brand, and the artist. There’s finally a real community–largely connected to the audience knowing full well who is behind the music.”
Never one to rest, he also recently collaborated with DJ Armand Van Helden calling themselves Duck Sauce to create a 4 track EP consisting of a classic disco-house sound. He has already released singles “aNYway” and “You’re Nasty” to clubs worldwide and is anticipating a September release for even more new music.
His latest mixed CD, Infinity +1, which fuses hip-hop, house and electro influences, garnered glowing reviews from newspapers and music websites around the world. It features MSTRKRFT, Kid Sister and Dam Funk. “At this point I am happy to work with my friends, creating new sounds,” he says.
Between headlining tours and cutting studio albums he has very little downtime. “There’s always lots of editing to do, new talent to scout, new songs to cut,” he says. “It really doesn’t leave me with much free time.”
Lion King dance captain Kendra Moore on becoming a lioness, learning to sing, and returning to Alberta.
By Sally MacKinnon
At the age of five, Kendra Moore found her passion—one that has defined her life for more than three decades. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet came to her hometown of Edmonton, and when ballerina Evelyn Hart took the stage, Moore had a moment of pure clarity.
“I remember it exactly,” she says. “I just thought, ‘I want to do that.’”
This summer, Moore will come full circle. She is returning to Alberta not as a prima ballerina, but a dance captain in Broadway Across Canada’s presentation of Disney’s The Lion King. The musical is based on the 1994 hit movie, about a lion cub named Simba and his journey from exile to king of the jungle.
Moore teaches choreography—which has been set since the show’s inception in 1997—to members of the ensemble, the dancers performing behind main characters. She also takes over when a dancer is sick, injured or on vacation. That means at every performance she is backstage, ready to jump in as a gazelle, lioness or piece of the Serengeti.
Moore doesn’t find her duties stressful, even when she has to take over at a moment’s notice; her transformations give her the same serenity she discovered at five-years-old.
“There is something about it, expressing yourself through movement,” she says. “I’m thinking about nothing else. It’s more than just being in the moment.”
Vintage car hobbyist Ron Carey’s $5,000,000 collection breathes new life into Heritage Park
By Laura Pellerine
Antique car collector Ron Carey was 14 when he got his driver’s licence. “I lied about my age,” he admits with a sheepish grin. He’s quick to point out that “back then,” growing up on a farm in eastern Alberta in the ’40s, he would have only been driving on old back country roads.
He started driving a Ford Model A roadster (think open-cab mob movie cars) when he was 12, and a life long passion for cars was born. Since 1974 Carey has been purchasing and restoring vintage cars, trucks and gas pumps as a hobby.
In 2002 he approached Heritage Park Historical Village with the thought of donating his collection to the museum—not only did the park agree, they decided to build the Gasoline Alley Museum, a separate on-site building dedicated to displaying his antique cars and memorabilia.
As Canada’s largest living history museum, Heritage Park tells the story of the settlement of Western Canada with costumed interpreters and a recreated pioneer village. Carey knew his collection would be in good hands.
“It’s easy enough to sell these kind of cars, but then what? You spend the money and it’s gone. I wanted to give it to a place that would never go broke, so the items could never be sold off.”
Discover our favourite budget-friendly stores and restaurants, where you’ll find quality eats and merchandise for $20 or less.
EATING CHEAP
Weekend brunch at River Café
This idyllic café sits in the middle of Prince’s Island Park. Specializing in a regional, seasonal menu, they take the idea of Canadian cuisine seriously—the chefs even have their own garden. Brunch is a great way to experience the restaurant when you’re on a budget.
Cost: Most brunch dishes are listed at under $20
A cone from MacKay’s Ice Cream
It’s a bit outside of Calgary (in Cochrane) but this handmade ice cream in 15 flavours is worth the drive. This is a family-run business that has been serving its own ice cream since 1948.
Cost: $2.50 – $7.50
Country-style roast beef dinner at Smuggler’s Inn
A 7-oz.-cut of Alberta prime rib served au jus with fresh vegetables and red jacket mashed potatoes. Plus, a choice of soup, their own baked bread, and a trip to their long salad bar.
Cost: $18.95
The best ways to spend $20 in the city.
If you’re on a budget but still want to get the most out of your visit to Calgary, here are our favourite places to experience the city for $20 or less.
FAMILY FUN
The Creative Kids Museum
Telus World of Science Calgary
Calgary’s science centre has interactive exhibits on all the wonders of the physical universe, including energy, the environment, technology, outer space, and the human body. Inside, The Creative Kids Museum, gives young visitors a chance to become musicians, artists, stage actors, explorers and more.
Cost: $10 – $14.25
Butterfield Acres Children’s Farm
Get up close and personal with lambs, calves, bunnies, chicks and piglets. Kids can also take a pony ride, milk a goat or ride in a tractor-pulled wagon.
Cost: $9.99 – $12.99
Kart World
The half-a-mile long track at Kart World includes rides for adults and kids. The facility also has laser tag and a mini golf course.
Cost: $5.50 – $15 for a five-minute ride, mini golf $4.50 – $5.50
Calaway Park
This amusement park has 33 rides including its rollercoaster, The Vortex, which can be seen from the Trans-Canada Highway. Regular admission is more than $20 dollars, but if you arrive later in the day, you can save up to $17.
Cost: $16.95 after 2 pm; $14.95 after 4 pm.
From coast to coast Where Editors have chosen the best new or improved attractions in the country. From dramatic glass pyramids in the prairies to canopied aerial bridges in the rain forest to exploring the wonders of the ocean, these are attractions you won’t want to miss.
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre – Victoria, British Columbia
At the new Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, explore the wonders of the Salish Sea, the name given to the inside waters off Vancouver Island. Designed to appeal to all ages, visitors can chat with knowledgeable Oceaneers about the wonders of the ocean and enjoy “hands on/hands wet” experiences, surrounded by massive aquarium habitats showcasing hundreds of fish, invertebrates and marine plants.
Greenheart Canopy Walkway – Vancouver, British Columbia
Walking the nine aerial bridges of the Greenheart Canopy Walkway at UBC Botanical Garden is a unique experience; from high in the forest canopy, it’s possible to see unusual insects and birds. You don’t have to be a daredevil to enjoy this eco-attraction, which opened last year, but you can’t fear heights: the 308m (1,010ft) walkway tops out at more than 17.5m (57ft) off the ground.
Peak 2 Peak Gondola – Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler’s new $52-million Peak 2 Peak Gondola boasts the world’s longest unsupported lift span. State-of-the-art 28-person cabins travel a 4.4km (2.7mi), 11-minute journey between the two mountains, affording a spectacular view to all on-board.
Stoney Nakoda Resort – Morley, East of Canmore, Alberta
Nestled on the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies, Stoney Nakoda Resort offers Vegas-style gaming while the 111-room hotel boasts an indoor waterpark and meeting facilities. Along with a restaurant, café and sports lounge, guests can also catch live entertainment and dinner shows.
Gasoline Alley Museum at Heritage Park Historical Village – Calgary, Alberta
In the last year, Heritage Park Historical Village has expanded their size from 66 acres to 127 acres, and added five new attractions, including the Gasoline Alley Museum. The museum is made up of a $5 million collection of restored vintage cars, gas pumps and paraphernalia.
The Muttart Conservatory – Edmonton, Alberta
Four glass pyramids in Edmonton’s lush river valley make up The Muttart Conservatory, home to a spectacular display of flowers and vegetation. Newly expanded and renovated for 2009–with more educational program space as well as a gift shop and cozy cafeteria–it’s a memorable destination for all ages.
The West End BIZ Mural Tours – Winnipeg, Manitoba
The West End BIZ Mural Tours’ stunning outdoor mural galleries tell visitors about the West End, one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Stories about the area’s prominent people, culture and heritage are depicted, while tour guides share related facts and history.
Art Gallery of Ontario – Toronto, Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario has undergone a massive redesign by famed architect Frank Gehry completed in late 2008. An additional 97,000 square feet means striking visuals abound in both edifice and artwork: rooms devoted to the ambitious Thomson Collection–Canadian paintings, European objets d’art, First Nations works and much more.
Canada Aviation Museum – Ottawa, Ontario
When the Canada Aviation Museum opened at Ottawa’s Uplands Airport in 1960, it contained a small collection of aircraft owned by the Canadian government. Nearly 50 years later, it houses over 130 aircraft and artifacts celebrating aeronautical achievements. After some recent major renovations, the museum has emerged as one of the most esteemed institutions in Ottawa, and a major player on the world stage, even hosting the Genie Awards in April.
Murphy’s Cable Wharf – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Although Murphy’s has been a landmark on the Halifax waterfront for years, 2009 saw dramatic changes. The restaurant, store and tour operator is now known as Murphy’s Cable Wharf. The restaurant is now open year-round, and the $1.6-million facelift includes a catch-your-own lobster tank, an interpretive walkway along the wharf and a tank showcasing local marine life.
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Stay, Dine, Do
