The Pulse: May 30, 2023

Being listed as one of Edmonton's best places to eat brings in customers, but converting that advantage into repeat traffic is the key, say some business owners.

Edify (previously known as Avenue Edmonton) has been publishing its Best Restaurants list since 2012, and the Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink in Edmonton from The Tomato has been around since 2013.

"It's part of the reputation-building part of the business," said Jeff Nachtigall, co-owner of Sugared and Spiced, which was named one of Edify's best bakeries in 2022 and saw its lemon tart reach 52nd on the Tomato's Top 100 in 2023.

"Edmonton has lots of good bakeries that make good stuff. When people are making a decision, they have it in their head that we're one of the top ones."

When the bakery's peanut butter marshmallow squares made the 2022 list, "sales went up about 12% to 15% over the year compared to the year before," Nachtigall said.

Being featured on the cover of Edify as 2022's Best New Restaurant was a boon for Tryst, a St. Albert wine bar that focuses on sharable small plates.

"In March, the floodgates opened," said co-owner and chef Zach Eaton. "We had an immediate boost in our covers and sales. Our numbers for that month went way up, almost 50% more than the month before."

Tryst had "pretty good reach in St. Albert," but Edify helped bring people in from Edmonton, Eaton said. Though sales tapered off the following month, guests continued to refer to Edify into the summer, he added. "It was cool to be featured that year because some people were only starting to go back out after COVID," he said. "We were the first place they'd been to in two years."

Eaton recognized it was up to the Tryst team to ensure guests would return following that initial visit. "You have to capitalize on that surge and capture as many people as you can," he said. "But we're pretty decent at getting them to come back."

Goldie Hazrah, proprietor of Monsoon Bistro & Bar, had a similar view. Monsoon's Tandoori lamb dish placed second on The Tomato's Top 100 list in 2022, but Hazrah knew it was the overall experience that would lead to repeat customers.

"The Tomato was a gift to us, it did bring quite a few people in," said Hazrah. "But I always tell my staff — nobody comes for the food. You can go anywhere for food. You want them to feel welcomed because if you don't give them that personal touch, there's no point."

• Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party was projected to win a majority government at the conclusion of the 2023 Alberta provincial election. Shortly after midnight, with more than 1.6 million votes counted, the UCP was leading or elected in 51 ridings, which was fewer than the 63 seats the party won in the 2019 election. "It is time to move forward together as all Albertans, no matter who we voted for," Smith said during her victory speech in Calgary. The NDP was expected to take 36 seats, retaining its Official Opposition status with 13 more seats than the party won in the previous election. "As a movement, we have grown our support in every corner of this province," Notley said in her concession speech in Edmonton. Both Smith and Notley won their respective seats, the only provincial party leaders to do so.
• Edmonton remained an NDP stronghold following the provincial election. The party retained every seat it held in the city and flipped the riding of Edmonton-South West, where former deputy premier Kaycee Madu was defeated by NDP candidate Nathan Ip. The party also won the riding of Sherwood Park, where the NDP's Kyle Kasawski defeated incumbent UCP MLA Jordan Walker with 50.3% of the vote.
• The city announced that spring street sweeping, which started April 11, has been completed ahead of schedule. The city said crews cleaned more than 6,200 kilometres of streets and cleared debris and dust from roads, bike lanes, and major pathways. Crews will continue to do weekly maintenance on roads within Business Improvement Areas and other high speed roads over the summer.
• The Mustard Seed is asking for public donations to help fund outreach programs, hot meals, health care, employment services, affordable housing, and other essential services. The organization, which operates in British Columbia and Alberta, says it is seeing rapidly growing demand due to the ongoing affordability crisis. There are various ways to donate, including online monetary donations or gifts. Items urgently needed in Edmonton, including some clothing and hygiene items, can be dropped off at the Mustard Seed Community Support Centre at 10568 114 Street NW.
• HomeEd, the city's non-profit housing corporation, has acquired Miller Ridge Apartments in the Miller neighbourhood in north Edmonton for more than $20 million. According to a release, HomeEd plans to rent at least half of the 122 units at no more than 80% of average market rates. In April, HomeEd also acquired the newly constructed Rundle at Riverview Crossing with a plan to offer rent subsidies for at least half of the 248 households.
• The Federal Court of Canada has temporarily stayed a deportation order for Karamjeet Kaur, an Edmonton woman from the Punjab region of India who, according to authorities, unknowingly submitted a fraudulent admission letter five years ago as part of her student visa application. Earlier this year, Kaur was unsuccessful in fighting the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada's decision to remove her, with the board insisting it was her responsibility to ensure the letter was real. According to lawyers and activists who spoke to The Canadian Press, the board's decision could have implications for hundreds of other international students who reportedly received fake admission letters from the same immigration agent in India. Kaur's lawyer said her deportation could put her life in serious danger due to threats she has received and argued she should be able to remain in Canada until an application to stay on humanitarian grounds can be processed.
• Evolution Wonderlounge hosted a re-enactment of a night out at the iconic Edmonton gay bar Flashback, which opened in the mid-1970s and closed in 1992. The re-enactment was done for an upcoming documentary by screenwriter Matthew Hays about the people who built and frequented Flashback, the city's queer history and culture, and the anti-queer backlash the bar experienced in the 1980s. CBC's Radio Active also spoke to historian Ron Byers about his memories of Flashback. The documentary, titled Flashback, will launch at Canadian and international festivals in early 2024.

Episode 222 of Speaking Municipally welcomed the newly announced Northeast River Valley Park and looked at how the land, which had been privately owned, came into the city's possession.

On May 23, the City of Edmonton announced the 190-acre park at 17 Street NE and 153 Avenue NE. Amenities include a lake, a playground, picnic sites, and a 25,000-square-foot event centre. It will stay closed until late summer.

The property was previously owned by Our Lady Queen of Peace Ranch (Northern Alberta) Ltd., a non-profit organization that used it to help children and youth who faced physical, mental, or financial challenges. In 2007, the city gave about 21 acres of land to the organization.

The charity later ran into financial difficulties and in 2019, it suggested that the City of Edmonton take over the property, podcast co-host Mack Male found. The City also had the right of first refusal to purchase the land for $1, he said.

"That organization did sound like they were providing a pretty valuable service and something that a lot of Edmontonians could get behind," said podcast co-host Troy Pavlek. "But in that loss, we get a quite substantial gain."

Both Male and Pavlek agreed the park is a welcome addition to the northeast part of the city, given that the Horse Hill Area Structure Plan anticipates a population of 70,000.

The park is accessible via the River Valley trail network. But Pavlek noticed the frequently-asked-questions section of the city's webpage about the park notes only that it is a 25-minute drive from downtown Edmonton.

"That sounds like car culture in Edmonton at its finest," Male said. "We'll say that it's connected to trails and cycling. But really, we think most people are going to drive there."

The city has yet to decide on a name for the park, but residents and stakeholders will be able to provide input on a name later in the year.

Hear more about the park, as well as city council's decision to keep the Twin Brooks LRT station, the return of temporary water-bottle filling stations, and an update on the Healthy Streets Operations Centre on the May 26 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast.