This blog is a year old today. A lot has happened in the last year, and I appreciate that people are reading this blog, reflecting on what I write about and challenging me to think harder about urban issues. It’s a nice way to stay connected to home while I spend time in Scotland. In… Read More
Post-awesome: a prairie movement
I started a tumblr blog about Edmonton’s post-awesome and beigecore architecture. Check it out here: http://postawesome.tumblr.com/
Grampian Summer
The servant’s quarters
It had never occurred to me, until a friend pointed it out, that Edmonton’s core has a front and a back. There’s the carefully pruned front yard that you approach as you cross the river from the South, with the gleaming towers, concrete corners and neon signs all glimmering above the North Saskatchewan on a… Read More
An end to crap architecture?
To follow up on my last post responding to the decision to demolish the former Bank of Montreal Building on Jasper Avenue, and to counter the idea that old buildings are unsalvageable, I’ve compiled some links and photos that illustrate just how well old (even ‘derelict’) buildings can be refurbished and recommissioned. The Bell Hotel, Winnipeg The… Read More
Another one bites the dust
My letter of concern regarding the recent decision to demolish the former Bank of Montreal Building on Jasper Avenue. I also forwarded this letter to the Edmonton Journal, who published it as a letter to the Editor here. —————————————————————————————————————————————————— Dear Members of Council, I was incredibly dismayed to read that the city will go ahead… Read More
River City
They call it River City. I dispute this after visiting Winnipeg with its two rivers winding their way through its prairie metropolis heart. It’s also a hard nickname to take seriously after living in Aberdeen, whose name literally means ‘between the Dee and the Don’ rivers, but I accept this moniker as a lazy shorthand… Read More
Seeking (wo)mentors–my response to Alberta Venture’s male dominated ’50 Most Influential People’ list
I was excited to see some familiar names on the list of Alberta Venture magazine’s ’50 Most Influential People’ and ‘Next 10’ leaders. However, I was immediately dismayed to note how few women are on both lists. A whopping 6 women made the top 50 list (if you count Laureen Harper’s inclusion alongside her husband)… Read More
North of north
Iceland feels like home. Wide open spaces, stunning skies, pick-up trucks, four X fours, and midnight sun. There are a fair number of abandoned buildings in Reykjavik. A hangover from the crash. Midnight solstice sun reflected in window. On the road to Akureyri. This extinct volcano has a neighbour that is grey-coloured. Their names translate… Read More
