Winter City Strategy

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Not 'the city market', but a winter marketplace that works with them. It is FAR more humid there, -2C felt like -10.

Don't, please.

Their coldest day ever is ~10 degrees colder than our average January lows.

I'm familiar with the effects of humidity on winter temperatures having spent winters in Vancouver, Toronto & NYC.

(I won't stop pointing out the things you're not mentioning or overlooking, so really, the onus is on you to elevate & evaluate your own posts. I will, however, stop being even remotely genial & joking about it though, as you wish.)

[240glt]

My winter city strategy was to put up a 50' snow fence that bisects the back yard so that the dogs stay corralled away from the part that slopes down to the back alley. Hopefully it won't be such an ugly spring

I also followed a few of my neighbours lead and put some lights up in the big cedars and apple tree in the back yard as well. It's so dark there at this time of year, the lights in the back yard make it a lot more cheery and look really neat from the alley

[Daveography]

Noodle, is there anything other cities do that Edmonton should try, that you wouldn't shoot down outright?

I'm asking seriously. It's easy to shoot down ideas, but I'm curious if you have any ideas of things you like and that you think could work here.

[Threlc]

I would love to see more marketish options in Edmonton, although in any instance I think the biggest risk will always be taken by the sellers. For example there was one time speculation about booths in the Winter Garden. I would love there to be two or three kiosks available through a lottery type of system open in Ford Hall before events.

[urbanroo]

There's many cities just as cold as Edmonton that have major outdoor winter festivals and markets. Our sister city in China, Harbin, is much colder than we are and have a fantastic outdoor festival (average high temperature is -12.5 in January). Then, coldest of them all, is the fish market in Yakutstk (which even I think is pretty insane!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WulX4HG-J4A. In any case, let's not always react in knee-jerk fashion to new ideas with the "it won't work here, it's too cold" refrain. We can't innovate and lead until we've learnt from other cities and cultures.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

In any case, let's not always react in knee-jerk fashion to new ideas with the "it won't work here, it's too cold" refrain. We can't innovate and lead until we've learnt from other cities and cultures.

I think you all should realize by now that it's more knee-jerk reaction to anything Cold posts from his online harassment squad, or just trolling under the guise of "devil's advocates".

[Black Star]

Please......


Cold is a very valuable asset to SSP.


Settle down.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Santa spreads holiday cheer in Edmonton
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/santa-spreads-holiday-cheer-in-edmonton-1.3859342?cmp=rss

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Edmonton.

Dozens of parade floats brightened the city on Saturday as the annual Santa's Parade of Lights ushered in the holiday season.

Parade-goers huddled together in the snow, waiting for a glimpse of Santa. Some clutched letters addressed to the North Pole.

"I'm so excited for Santa," six-year-old Lexi Pratt said.

She held an envelope under a blanket, where it was shielded from the flurries of snow, as she waited to give it to Santa's elves.

Further down the street, 11-year-old Kelsey Merasty had her own wish ready. She recently moved to Edmonton from Saskatchewan and said she wants to go back home for the holidays.

"I love Christmas," Merasty said. "It's about seeing family and getting presents. But it's not about really getting, it's about giving presents."

Kevin Lorque, 11, is also new to Edmonton. He moved to the city from the Philippines last December, so he missed out on Santa's Parade of Lights, which is in November.

"It's my first time here and I've never seen a parade this big," Lorque said. "It's awesome."

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by Hallsy's Toupee

Santa spreads holiday cheer in Edmonton
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/santa-spreads-holiday-cheer-in-edmonton-1.3859342?cmp=rss

guaranteed that those 15,000 kids and parents enjoyed the parade a damn sight more than a winter city conference.

kudos to mrs. claus who inspired us and who shall remain unnamed and to richard skermer and dean and sue heuman who did the heavy lifting.

[feepa]

Originally Posted by Daveography

Noodle, is there anything other cities do that Edmonton should try, that you wouldn't shoot down outright?

I'm asking seriously. It's easy to shoot down ideas, but I'm curious if you have any ideas of things you like and that you think could work here.

I know I would personally attend the city market when its -25 C on a balmy January morning.
/s

[Coldrsx]

Sounds like the parade was very well done and attended this year, kudos to all involved... bigger and better next year!

Downtown was a hopping on Sat.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by feepa

I know I would personally attend the city market when its -25 C on a balmy January morning.
/s

Uh huh.

How about running it Nov 15-Dec 21 or something of that nature to coincide with the Farmer's market on Saturdays and perhaps at lunch once or twice during the week.

[240glt]

The nordic ski club completed the installation of their snow making infrastructure in Gold Bar park this past summer & they have started making snow this weekend. Hoping to be able to hit the trails very soon

[Coldrsx]

Excellent, looking forward to getting the old XCs out.

[feepa]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Uh huh.

How about running it Nov 15-Dec 21 or something of that nature to coincide with the Farmer's market on Saturdays and perhaps at lunch once or twice during the week.

I'd enjoy the city market just about as much on Dec 21 at -25 C as I would in January at -25 C. I'm sure all the vendors would enjoy it too, if not more.
I'm probably one of the more winter hardy people here and on C2E, regularly biking throughout the entire winter, but I'm an exception, not the norm. Vendors have money they need to make, and if I'm the exception, and the norm enjoys their comforts of a warm condo and inside climate controlled malls, how many vendors do you think are going to want to spend all day outside with diminishing to negative returns? The old scona market operates year-round indoors and is the most successful market in Edmonton. Surely their must be a reason for their success.

Think... for once.... Please!

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Uh huh.

How about running it Nov 15-Dec 21 or something of that nature to coincide with the Farmer's market on Saturdays and perhaps at lunch once or twice during the week.

Every time you come up with one of these schemes it becomes painfully obvious you've never worked or managed/scheduled any sort of retail/sales/service job.

[Coldrsx]

Well aware of logistics, retail job scheduling etc... point being that we aren't at a detailed level, more about could it happen, how would it happen, who would be involved.

[Albicaulis]

Early/late winter. Sheltered location (new Ice District?). Indoor areas to warm up if necessary. I think it would be do-able. We have other outdoor festivals that are relatively well attended, I don't think this is as far-fetched or ridiculous as some of the Negative Nancy's are making it seem.

[noodlenoodle]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Well aware of logistics, retail job scheduling etc... point being that we aren't at a detailed level, more about could it happen, how would it happen, who would be involved.

Wait, the weather (aka winter) & its impact on retail/sales/service businesses (aka a market) is too low level to be discussed at this juncture regarding a winter market?

Okay then.

[Coldrsx]

Popular skating path returns to Victoria Park

November 21, 2016

A popular skating path that opened in Victoria Park last winter as a pilot project is back for a second year and will be expanded. The Freezeway will reopen as the IceWay.

In 2016, the City of Edmonton is bringing the skating path back to Victoria Park under the new name to better reflect the recreational nature of the ice surface and to honour the original intent of the "Freezeway" being an ice path for commuters.

The idea of a Freezeway originated with Matt Gibbs, a landscape architect and former Edmontonian who envisioned a downtown “skate to work” ice path for commuters. Gibb's design, which was also his Master's thesis, won the top prize in the 2013 COLDSCAPES International Urban Design competition.

In 2015, the City of Edmonton, with Gibb's input, piloted the idea of the "Freezeway" at Victoria Park with a twist of being a recreational ice surface rather than a commuting ice surface. The resulting Freezeway pilot project, in Victoria Park, was a busy and popular spot in late 2015 and early 2016.

This year the ice surface will be expanded at the Victoria Park location, and the City is looking at the possibility of having a second site in the river valley as well.

The IceWay path starts off the existing Victoria Skating Oval, and there will be direct access between the Oval and the IceWay. Rubber mats will be placed between the two ice surfaces to encourage skaters to stop and look before moving through.

At times when the Victoria Skating Oval is closed to the public, for maintenance or use by the Edmonton Speed Skating Association, the IceWay will remain open but will not be accessible from the Oval.

Admission is free, and parking will be available in the Victoria Park main parking lot, Victoria Park east lot, and at the Victoria Golf Course.

Weather permitting, the City hopes to have the IceWay open early December 2016. Once the skating surface is ready, the IceWay will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Media contact:

Gayleen Froese
Communications Advisor
Citizen Services
780-423-3986