Where My Heart Is
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By Teresa Fisher
What can I say about Edmonton? I was born and bred here. I used to think that I wanted nothing more than to leave and explore the world. Well, I still do - the exploring part that is. I spent a good part of 2007, traveling through Australia and New Zealand. As much as that adventure/trip changed my life and made me want to travel more, it also made me realize that Edmonton is home. I have to say that coming home, to Edmonton, is comforting. And home is a really great place to be.
Why? I’d have to say the atmosphere and the people. I find that although Edmonton is ever growing and ever expanding, it still has a “small-town” feel that very few, if any, other cities have. Some of my favourite spots include Whyte Avenue and downtown. I have always been fascinated by the world’s city centres – to me they represent the heart and soul. This is so true for Edmonton. We have a core that is fantastic. Going for walks at the Legislature grounds, shopping in City Centre, studying at Stanley L. Milner Library, and taking in festivals like the Street Performers and A Taste of Edmonton are always high on my to-do list each year. All this in the heart of the city. Not to mention all the wonderfully diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars that can be found.
Of all the places that I have been to around the world, home is where my heart is. In the summer of 2008, I got to share my home with some friends from overseas. They were only here for a short time, but in that time, I got show them some of my favourite spots. We went walking downtown to the Legislature grounds, and visited some used bookstores along the way. I also took them down Whyte Avenue for drinks at some of the many nightspots there. One of the most fun times was our trip to West Edmonton Mall. A girl’s favourite sport is shopping and we played hard! One of the things that my friends really wanted to do, was have their picture taken with a Mountie. Although we couldn’t find any human Mounties to pose for our picture, we did find Mr. Moose, who proved to be a good sport.
What else can I say about the place that I call home? We have some of the best, if not the best, sports fans in the country – if not the world. The attendance and intensity at the home games of our hockey team, the Edmonton Oilers, is a testament to that. Fans paint their bodies in the hometown colours, don the hats and the jerseys, make banners, and create enough crowd noise that has been likened to a 747 taking off into flight. Don’t believe me? Look up the team’s 2006 Stanley Cup playoff run. The excitement and energy of the hockey season brings the city together. Whether people are at home enjoying the game or at one of the city’s many sports bars or pubs. It’s hard not to become affected or infected. A night in Edmonton during a playoff run turns even a rival’s blood blue and orange.
That’s what Edmonton is to me. Infectious. Vibrant. Phenomenal. Home.
Located in Sir Winston Churchill Square, Taste of Edmonton offers a taste of Edmonton’s finest restaurants. Throughout the festival there is Aboriginal Day, musical entertainment and a family pancake breakfast. It’s a great way to spend a sunny summer afternoon!
Learn more about Taste of Edmonton and meet some cool people in the video below.
Giuseppe Albi (wearing the hat) is the General Manager of Taste of Edmonton
Orysia Wozniak (blonde hair) is from Taste of Ukraine Restaurant.
Miles Quon (black t-shirt) helps run The Lingnan Restaurant with his family.
