Global network puts artisans — and region — on the map

Delavoye Chocolate Maker and Pieorgerie Polish Foods are raising the profile of urban and rural artisans in the Edmonton region with help from the ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society.

"I think (local artisanship is) not being seen as serious a field across the country, but in Edmonton, there are amazing places to visit and that make amazing food," said Delavoye proprietor Antoine Lavoie.

ÉCONOMUSÉE is a global network of makers who receive experience-building supports and accreditation through the Artisans at Work initiative. A portmanteau of the French words for economy and museum, the network was founded in 1992 in Quebec City and now has members in Canada, Europe, and Haiti. Chosen sites offer artisanal wares and visitor experiences.

Delavoye and Pierogerie were unveiled as the first Edmonton-region members in June, around the same time as the Taste of Place Summit. Francophone economic developer Parallèle Alberta helped make it happen with a 2025 grant of $573,000 from Prairies Economic Development Canada, but Parallèle had been working with ÉCONOMUSÉE to establish a network in Alberta since 2015.

"We signed our first partnership back in 2015, and they came over to Quebec," said ÉCONOMUSÉE's executive director Carl-Éric Guertin. "We trained them, we did scouting trips in 2016 or 2017 or so, and then we started to have members in Alberta." The network now counts 11 members in the province.

Delavoye's Lavoie spent about a year collaborating with ÉCONOMUSÉE on brand materials in English and French for his 124 Street chocolate factory. A French-speaker himself, he is very intentional about being described as a "chocolate maker," which to him is distinct from the French "chocolatier." The team landed on "torréfacteur de chocolat" as the right fit, which Lavoie said demonstrates ÉCONOMUSÉE's meticulous attention to detail and passion for telling authentic stories of artisanship.

Lavoie is also committed to detail and quality when making his ethically sourced products, collaborating with other makers he respects along the way. It doesn't leave a lot of time for tourism marketing, so outside help is vital.

"I think we're just in the day-to-day grind," he said. "It's important to also take the time to look at how we can expand, and make sure that we in Edmonton are recognized as a player in the game in the food industry in Canada."

ÉCONOMUSÉE's support complements other agencies such as Explore Edmonton and Strathcona County's Go Strathco. The latter is highlighting agritourism as a reason to spend time and money in the county.

At Pierogerie on Highway 14 in Strathcona County, Agnes Kulinska farms ingredients for pierogi (the plural Polish spelling of the dumpling), cabbage rolls, and other products, many of which are certified organic. She grew up farming in Poland and is showing people how and why she does it with a growing number of agritourism events.

"ÉCONOMUSÉE helped us build the farm experience," she told Taproot. But attracting visitors is a tougher sell for her than it is for Lavoie, whose intimate experiences tend to sell out months in advance. He's on a busy main street with foot traffic in a city of more than a million people; she's out in the country.

"(Most of our events are) in spring, summer, and fall, but I think our next step is to develop a program where we can get visitors in the wintertime," Kulinska said. "It's hard to get people from Edmonton to drive outside of the city, especially when it's cold and it's dark really early."

The next pierogi-making workshop with Kulinska is a Christmas-themed one on Dec. 19. It's $100 for a three-hour class and lots of pierogi to take home.

Pierogerie is among a growing number of vendors worth the drive, as evidenced by the Christmas in the Country events on Dec. 5, in which Kulinska will take part.

"There's a massive opportunity for agriculture and agricultural operators to tap into this market," Eiblis Doherty, Strathcona County's senior economic development officer for tourism, previously told Taproot.

And while ag in the region is big business — Farmfair International brought thousands to Edmonton this month and Alberta Open Farm Days lures lots of visitors to the country in August — this year has been quite literally a disaster. At least 13 municipalities in the province declared a state of agricultural emergency due to heavy rains, including Leduc County, Strathcona County, and Sturgeon County.

"We had to reseed cabbage about three times, and nothing grew for the first two months of the summer," Kulinska said, noting the potato yield was only 70% of Pierogerie's target, and no cucumbers survived for pickling.

But between ÉCONOMUSÉE, winter events, and new products such as chorizo pierogi in the works, it seems the sun is coming out for Pierogerie.

As for Lavoie? He's preparing for a busy Christmas season by announcing all his events for 2027 and opening subscriptions for Trio. A veteran himself, he is also fundraising for those affected by the CFB Wainwright disaster.

Guertin said he welcomes more Alberta artisans to join ÉCONOMUSÉE. Joining the network can be facilitated through tourism partnerships, but businesses can reach out directly and cover associated costs, so long as they meet the rigorous standards of the network. In general, it's best to wait until three years into operations so the network can see staying power, Guertin said.

But of course, there are exceptions: Delavoye opened roughly 18 months before joining. What advice does he have for artisans out there? Avoid flashes in the pan, and communicate a genuine story with what you make.

"In 10 years, I don't even know if people will know what Dubai chocolate is," he said. "But they'll know what a bean-to-bar chocolate is, because it's still being made like it's supposed to be."