The Pulse
Oct. 27, 2026

The founder of Love Pro Wrestling is bringing his carnivalesque promotion to an unusual place — the Art Gallery of Alberta — as part of his mission to attract new audiences to the spectacle.

"One of my biggest goals for 2027 is to branch out and bring pro wrestling to where people would never really expect it," Spencer Love told Taproot. "When you see the best of the best in professional wrestling, which I believe we've got, you're going to fall in love with it — no pun intended."

Love Pro Wrestling brings The Joy of Grappling to the AGA on Nov. 7. The mêlée, whose title is inspired by Bob Ross's The Joy of Painting, is taking place in conjunction with two exhibits: Sports! The Art of Competing, a group show curated by Lindsey Sharman and Alaynee Goodwill-Littlechild, and Kim Parrent: Ring A Ding Dong Dandy, featuring portraits of stars of Stampede Wrestling. (Parrent spoke to Love Wrestling's Pluggo about the upcoming show.)

Love's fandom began not with Stampede Wrestling, whose heyday was a little before his time, but rather with a chance encounter with a different outfit.

"I didn't grow up watching professional wrestling," he said. "My first real impact with it was when I was 18. I was walking down Whyte Ave., and I saw a poster for the Prairie Wrestling Alliance … From there, I just tried to go as often as I could to the local, independent shows."

Love's own promotion started with fan content; he never imagined himself as a chaotic-good version of Vince McMahon. "It's very much been a case of falling up," Love said, "from going to shows, starting to write my own blogs, to interviewing, to media, to now running bi-monthly shows here at the Rec Room."

Love Pro Wrestling events began in October 2021, solidifying a regular cadence by March 2022. At first, it was a labour of love (pun absolutely intended) while he worked in marketing for the Sherwood Park Crusaders. Love later worked at a car dealership, but departed this year and made the wrestling promotion his full-time job.

"Part of the expectation for us at the car dealership was we had to make 40 cold calls a day — I don't necessarily care about cars; I couldn't tell a V6 engine from a V8 tomato juice," he said.

He's now transferring that sales-grind mentality into his true purpose, realizing he could "make 10 calls a day or send 10 emails, but about something I'm passionate about," he said. "Not just people on a call sheet, but foundational Edmonton community members."

That has led to collaborations with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Purple City Music Festival, and Winterruption, among others, plus sponsorships from Booster Juice, Sea Change Brewing Co., and Farrow. Love recently extended the catalyst agreement with The Rec Room in south Edmonton through 2027; the next main-season show there is an Ernest-inspired Halloween brawl on Oct. 30.

• The Islamic Family and Social Services Association and Build Edmonton Homes broke ground on Diamond of Dunluce, a 96-home project in northwest Edmonton designed for larger and multigenerational families. The development is expected to open in 2028 with two- to five-bedroom homes. Three-quarters of the units will have rents 20% to 50% below market rates.
• Beverly Bridge in northeast Edmonton fully reopened after rehabilitation work staged over two years, including deck and girder repairs, barrier replacement, and waterproofing. The City of Edmonton said all lanes and sidewalks are open, but minor repairs in 2027 could require brief lane closures.
• A judge dismissed Dwayne Cardinal's application for summary judgment against the City of Edmonton over its disposal of his encampment belongings in July 2024. In a written decision from Oct. 16, applications Judge Lorne Smart ruled that disputed facts and potential defences required a trial, rather than deciding whether the City was liable. Cardinal appealed the decision, his lawyer said.
• Edmonton Islamic Academy will receive $10 million from the Alberta government to help build a new $80-million elementary school, part of $25.8 million in provincial grants for six projects at five independent schools across the province. The funding comes from a three-year, $90-million pilot program that covers up to one-third of eligible construction costs. Jason Schilling of the Alberta Teachers' Association criticized the move, saying public money should go to the public system.
• The Alberta Utilities Commission approved a 920-megawatt natural-gas power plant intended to supply a data centre in Sturgeon County. Heartland Power Generation LP will build and operate the plant, with construction expected to begin this quarter and finish in late 2027. The approval covers only the power plant; the data centre requires municipal approval.
• The Alberta government said construction was complete on the Enoch maskêkosihk Recovery Community, with an opening expected in December. The 75-bed addiction treatment centre, owned by Enoch Cree Nation, will offer Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients up to a year of treatment at no cost. The province contributed $35 million to construction and will provide operating funding.
• Beaumont's Community Circle Thrift Centre will close on Oct. 27 after the sale of its building. Board chair Paul Heide said rising costs had made finding an affordable replacement location difficult. The centre also serves as a hamper pickup depot for the Leduc & District Food Bank, which said it was finalizing an alternative location in Beaumont.
• Shane Getson resigned as MLA for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, citing personal and family reasons. He had represented the riding northwest of Edmonton since 2019. His departure leaves the United Conservative Party with 46 seats in the legislature.
• Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was named the NHL's First Star of the Week after recording six goals and three assists in three games, the team said. He scored twice in each game, extending his goal-scoring streak to six games.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Arts Exchange: Media Training for Arts Organizations; The Art of Getting Noticed starting at 6pm at Arden Theatre
• Mole Masterclass starting at 6pm at La Morenita Cafe
• Writer Gatherings starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• "Wheetago War Stories" Book Launch with Richard Van Camp starting at 7pm at Audreys Books
• Yaga starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre
• Iron Matron: 2for1 Tuesday starting at 7:30pm at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by Olivia Menard starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 6: 37th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase at Westin Edmonton
• Nov. 12: Startup TNT: Top 5 Finale Night at Citadel Theatre
• Nov. 15: Along the Way at All Saints Anglican Cathedral

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

Need a hint for 4-Down? Here you go.