Downtown Edmonton is changing. New restaurants, shops, and other developments are revitalizing the area and helping to discard the moniker of “Deadmonton”.
The Ice District, anchored by Rogers Place has been the largest piece of that changing landscape. Initially faced with public concern about its design and who would foot the bill, we’re now starting to see the area take shape and businesses are noticing the financial benefits of all the construction. Condominiums and businesses are popping up at a rate never seen before in the downtown core.
The Downtown Edmonton Community Arena is part of the development that fitness fans have been looking forward to since it was first proposed. While not exactly the same design as the initial renderings showed, there are still a number of great things the Community Arena brings to the area.
The arena will be used by a number of different groups, but the City has committed to ensuring that a minimum of eleven hours per week will be dedicated to programing for people living in the neighborhoods around the facility. “We are tailoring our programming to fit the area as there are many people who can walk to the arena from home, work or easily take transit,” says Jodi Tauber, Communications Advisor with the City of Edmonton
The programming being looked at includes:
- early morning fitness skate
- drop-in public skating
- community skate time for surrounding neighborhoods
- adult shinny hockey
The arena will also be the home rink for the MacEwan Griffins men’s and women’s hockey teams, and will be rented as a practice space for the Edmonton Oilers and Oil Kings. People will have a chance to watch practices from the pedestrian walkway that overlooks the Downtown Edmonton Community Arena.
Visit
The Neon Sign Museum
Not everything in the ICE District is shiny and new. Some, like the 104th Street Promenade, are dedicated to Edmonton’s heritage. The Neon Sign Museum is not so much a “museum” as it is a (literally) brilliant piece of outdoor public artwork. There’s no admission and you can view it 24/7. Each of the 20 signs — including a replica of the Princess Theatre’s sign and an original CN Railway logo — is accompanied by a placard illuminating its history and significance to the city.
Alex Janvier’s “Tsą tsą ke k’e”
Even if you don’t attend an Oilers game or a concert in Downtown Edmonton, take a spin through Rogers Place if only to admire “Tsą tsą ke k’e” (“Iron Foot Place”) by Denesuline artist Alex Janvier. Representing Edmonton’s history as a meeting place, the 45-foot diameter circular mosaic is characteristic of Janvier’s colourful modern abstract artworks, which decorate some of Canada’s most significant buildings including the Canadian Museum of History.
Museums, Art Galleries & Theatre
Not a hockey fan? Just beyond the ICE District’s peripheral edges, you’ll find the Art Gallery of Alberta, the new Royal Alberta Museum, the Winspear Centre and the Citadel Theatre.
Eat
JACEK Chocolate Couture
What started in a Sherwood Park basement has become an award-winning chocolate business with three boutiques, including one in th eDowntown Edmonton ICE District. Creations are timed to coincide with special events and seasons, so this is the place to sample the latest sweets on-offer. This year’s holiday collection features a spiced pear creation, while the new Soiree collection’s juniper bonbons finish with notes of rose. jacekchocolate.com
Little Brick Café & General Store
I’m cheating here, because Little Brick isn’t technically in the Downtown Edmonton ICE District. However, it’s only two kilometres away, making it the perfect brunch spot for your stay. Hidden in the residential neighbourhood of Riverdale, this little café is housed in an early 20th-century brick house. Seasonal and local are always on the menu, with eggs from Four Whistle Farms and produce from Lacombe County’s Gull Valley. Even if you’re not hungry, the general store is worth a visit for its small stock of local apparel and gifts, such as Amelia Nash totes featuring iconic Edmonton landmarks, and 35Ltd’s laser-cut wooden animal heads. littlebrick.ca
Pablo
Pablo just opened this this month and it’s soon to overtake Alchemy (see “Stay” below ) as the hottest cocktail lounge in the area. The Porn Star Royale — a vodka, Licor 43, passionfruit, mango and lemon creation — pairs perfectly with the vintage issues of Playboy adorning the tables. You’ll find this spot on Jasper Ave, with expert mixologist James Grant behind the bar. pabloyeg.com
Stay
JW Marriott
When this 346-room luxury hotel opened in August 2019, it became the spot to go in Edmonton for locals and tourists alike, owing to its restaurants, bars and high-end gym. I learned this the hard way. During my own stay, I decided to swing by the hotel’s speakeasy-style bar, Alchemy, for a nightcap. Clad in my Patagonia jacket and running shoes, I expected to have a quiet glass of wine and go to bed. Instead, I found a crowd of women in sequinned dresses, a bouncer and a very long wait to get in. Yes, at a hotel bar.
Rooms at the JW Marriott start at around $240 per night, but can you put a price on the joy of ordering “Cubes,” (one of the flavours), “served on a bed of ice cubes?” If you can’t find the joy in that, then I recommend a visit to the Downtown Edmonton ICE District to let your cold heart thaw out.
