Tag: Meeting People

Edmontonians go out of their way to welcome and support new residents and citizens.

Related Stories

  • 100-Mile Diet - Ivor MacKay
    One-hundred-mile diet-wise, I grew up doing that in Nova Scotia. That’s the way we lived. When I started doing it in Edmonton, it created a greater sense of community with the surrounding area.
  • 3-Day Novel Contest - Gayleen Froese
    The 3-Day Novel Contest was an Edmonton thing. And I thought that was pretty cool. As an Edmonton writer it felt really good to be involved in the city that way.
  • A Big Giant Hippie Sport - Disa Brownfield
    It’s a good way to meet people. You don’t socialize just with your team. You talk to the person who’s marking you. That’s completely not normal in other sports.
  • A Night Closer Than Our Days - Maslah Abdirahman User submitted story
    We all sang the same song holding hands and hugging. The funny thing was when we left downtown after we saw the fireworks we still sang together with a lot of random people on the train.
  • A Place to Call Home - Amy Carter User submitted story
    The very first day of school I missed the bus, waited for 40 minutes, and was 20 minutes late for class. But it got better.
  • A Soul Awakening in Edmonton - Judy Wollman User submitted story
    A profound moment happened that got me off the street: my neighbor offered to give me some light. I was very skeptical, yet her place was filled with joyous, beautiful, spiritual energy, and I wanted to experience more.
  • A Strange Way of Growing On You - Riki Roy User submitted story
    We were living in Tanzania when our young son decided he wanted to do nanotechnology. I found that the University of Alberta would be starting this program. But where was this place called Edmonton?
  • All the Small Things - Liane Little User submitted story
    It's all of the small things, the good people, that make Edmonton what it is.
  • An Unusual Move - Roman Doshchak
    Obviously moving to Edmonton is a little bit unusual for someone who had it as good as I did.
  • Beautiful Way to Move - Miriam Hak User submitted story
    One of the coaches described speed skating as “a beautiful way to move”. It truly is. And it is extremely exhilarating – someone recently told me it’s the fastest human-propelled sport in existence today!
  • Block Party - Karina Hurtado
    There are lots of opportunities in developing neighbourhoods: room for new initiatives, for people to promote change. Working together we transform the area. We’re attracting community to this neighbourhood.
  • Book + Dog = Reader - Rachel Sentes
    I watched a boy – he was around 12 – who’d never seen this before. There were about 5 dogs in the room. His mom was pushing him. And he’s going “Ah no, too old for this.” Too manly, you know.
  • Bridging Generations with Language - Wei Wong Story has audio
    You kind of have to know where you come from. That gives you, I guess, your character ... If this program wasn’t here, I would not have been able to teach my kids any part of their culture really, myself, right?
  • Change - Alison Cairns User submitted story
    Gradually, as time passed, I came to be more comfortable living on my own, dining at a table for one, and going to movies without anyone to share my popcorn.
  • Coincidence? Maybe not... - Martin Galba User submitted story
    I couldn't find the location of the studio; the way the whole address system works was totally new to me. I was about to give up when something in the back of my mind told me to look one last time.
  • Edmonton is the Place to Bee - Shannon Lee Ladouceur User submitted story
    The big fat industrious bumblebee itself is Edmonton as a whole - as hardworking and cheerful with a buzz and purpose much like this city I have grown to love so much.
  • Embrace - Lisa Hill User submitted story
    I moved to Edmonton in 1984, from Rhode Island. I was very nervous about my big move, and the only person I knew was my new husband, who had been an Albertan all his life.
  • Everyday Champions - Kaitlyn Perrin User submitted story
    It wasn’t until I gave him my last toonie from my pocket and pointed him towards the next bus stop that I realized my wallet went with him on that bus.
  • Feels Like Home To Me - Rachel Foley
    It’s been a long time since I actually felt that a place is home. I stood there realizing, “Yeah, this is home, and they are my friends.” I’m going to be hanging out with them for years.
  • First Canadian Thanksgiving - Travis Groom User submitted story
    Everyone had the same idea that no-one should spend Thanksgiving alone. To my surprise, in support of me being American, they even offered to throw an American Thanksgiving in November.
  • First Snow in Canada - Michelle Ramos User submitted story
    I heard that Edmonton, Alberta has one of the coldest and longest winters, which is approximately half of the year. In my mind, that's absurd! Impossible!
  • For ETS and Edmontonians - Abayomi Charles Roberts User submitted story
    I was relieved to hear what seemed like a chorus of murmurs: "No problem, go ahead," from the other passengers.
  • From India to Edmonton - Ananda Majumdar User submitted story
    I have been an international student at Grant MacEwan University since 2008, after arriving from Calcutta, India. This was my second trip to Canada, so I was not fearful of coming to Edmonton.
  • Glimmering Moments - Stephen T. Berg User submitted story
    The conductor took as much time as needed and enthusiastically answered the copious questions of a curious and delighted child. My love for Edmonton comes to me through this glimmering minor moment.
  • Half a Lion - Ian Meier
    When I was still taking kung fu, I had the opportunity to take part in Edmonton’s Chinese New Year celebrations. The community all comes out and the streets are just filled with people.
  • Hello Neighbour - Ryan Middlemiss User submitted story
    She was the sweetest old lady who would babysit me. She would make me and only me cookies every weekend. No matter how busy she was, she would find time to make them for me.
  • Home - Wendy Jensen User submitted story
    My grandfather had been sent to a concentration camp for 6 months during the Second World War after helping the British army hide weapons on his farm. My father was only 4½ years old at the time of grandfather’s arrest.
  • I Am At Home Now - Justina Keewatin User submitted story
    As a mother, I felt we needed to be together somewhere that everyone would be comfortable and I thought Edmonton might be that place.
  • I Didn't Even Notice the Cold - Tita Francisco
    My favourite season is Edmonton winters because that’s when I can watch hockey. It’s my favourite sport. I'm a big fan.
  • I Wanna Be A Rock Star and Stuff - Hannah Karvonen
    RockerGirl Camp is for girls who wanna rock. But 10-year-old Hannah Karvonen Parsons wasn’t sure about going. “I was afraid that everyone was gonna be older than me and that I wouldn’t know anyone.”
  • In the Blink of an Eye - Nashtassia Esteban User submitted story
    Life can be so quick you don’t notice how much you've grown. But I must say: I'm lucky to have lived in Edmonton.
  • Living in #YEG - Alex G. Lee Story has video User submitted story
    This video is a combination of 10 interviews from new and old residents of Edmonton in different walks of life. I wanted a diverse sample space of opinions to show that Edmonton is truly a world class city.
  • Lottery Winners with Winter-Cold Noses - Bev Betkowski User submitted story
    As the human plaything of 3 cats myself, my heart warms when I see a news story about a rescued scrap of fur, and how the offers of a forever home pour in over the next few days.
  • Match - Melanie Braund User submitted story
    I found an advertisement in the newspaper for Match.com and figured I should just check it out since I was not finding Mr. Right in grocery stores.
  • Moving to Edmonton? - Jay Palter User submitted story
    Are you thinking of moving to Edmonton? If you are, I’m your man. I’m just a lifelong Torontonian who moved to Edmonton with my family last year. So I understand a lot of the questions and concerns you may have - the doubts and the fears.
  • My All-New Heaven On Earth - Jennifer Bataga-Salvador User submitted story
    I can’t say I am a nature lover for certain because that would imply so much depth and would be a tall claim, but the reservoir truly gives me an extraordinary feeling of sensitivity.
  • New Game Plan: Edmonton's Next Gen - Dianna User submitted story
    I came to Edmonton from Vancouver a few years ago to pursue my PhD. The program at the University of Alberta is world class and I was so excited. However, upon hearing I was relocating to Edmonton my friends were aghast.
  • Not a Hockey Game or a Pile of Rocks - Paul Balanchuk User submitted story
    I was born in this city at Edmonton General Hospital in 1966 and after 43 years considering what was a defining moment that I felt truly an Edmontonian?
  • One Common Thing - Lori Sharkey User submitted story
    Over 1000 people came. Young, old, able-bodied, wheelchair-bound; people of all shapes and sizes; people of all ethnic backgrounds. What did they all have in common?
  • Our Story is Far From Over - Jolanta Lapiak User submitted story
    Our story is far from over. There will be many more chapters to explore and to write.
  • Outdoor Culture - Shirley McCuaig
    I wanted to get back out West, where people like to do outdoor things. That’s how I ended up here.
  • People Can Live In Ice? - Joseph Florent Feulefack
    When I saw the snow, I remembered how we used to learn about the Inuit in my geography textbooks back in Cameroon. And I thought to myself, “So it’s really true. People can live in ice.”
  • Potluck - Nan Gai
    When I first arrived she helped me with the transition to this culture. To the community, and school especially. It saved a lot of time, because when you’re new to a country, sometimes you just don’t know what to do.
  • Purple City S'mores - Lisa Bromley User submitted story
    The security guards stopped by once or twice to see what exactly it was that we were up to. Each time we smiled sweetly and offered them a marshmallow, and each time they politely declined.
  • Reveling in the Edmorgasbord - Tamara Soltykevych User submitted story
    Tamara is an Edmontonian who stays here because of the wonderful cultural diversity found in our city.
  • Scooting Around Town - Igor Woroniuk Story has video
    I’m a visually inspired person, obviously, being an artist. The views in Edmonton really grab me. Standing on top of the river valley, you can see the whole city. Sunsets. The moon. Clouds sweeping through.
  • Spring Tryouts - Guillaume Petit
    Imagine 4 football players in a car driving 48 hours nonstop to get here for spring camp. It was a cheap way to go, only about $700 for the car, gas and everything between Quebec City and Edmonton.
  • Sunshine Sketches of a Beautiful City - Carolyn Hall User submitted story
    Looking for the best place on earth to live? Then focus your Google Earth search on north Edmonton and hone in on Beaumaris Lake.
  • The Future's Wide Open - David Long
    My plane touched down at the Edmonton International Airport on a chilly evening in December 2005. It was a world away from the gentle dusting of snow we’d get in Brighton, England, where I’m from.
  • The Girl in the Hat - Wayne Arthurson User submitted story
    My first thought (and one shared by many Calgarians if and when they have to move to Edmonton) was, Okay, I'll move to Edmonton, but I'll only stay here a couple years at the most.
  • The Jackrabbit Made Me Do It - Rebecca Szoladi User submitted story
    I got a crappy job, had no friends, and it was -35. I was miserable and really missed the Okanagan weather and the life I'd had there. I wondered what the heck I had done to my life by moving to this godforsaken place.
  • The People Make the City - Chris Brainerd User submitted story
    It's possible to look at Edmonton and simply see the sports teams with their championship legacies. Or just West Edmonton Mall, the river valley, and all the festivals. But those who only see these things are missing the most important aspect of the city – the people.
  • The Wild West - Dr. David Bressler
    Edmonton is a young city in a lot of ways. I don’t want to say it’s the Wild West, but it kind of is. There’s a lot of opportunity for people who are ambitious and want to try and do things and make an impact themselves.
  • The Years at TELUS Field - Alex Karen User submitted story
    Got my Sprite. Got my soft pretzel. And one of my favorite players, Valentino Pascucchi, is up to bat. This...this is the life.
  • Things I Must Do - Sandy Mowat Story has video
    Sandy moved to Edmonton with her husband. She is getting to know Edmonton with new friends and getting involved in the community by volunteering.
  • Three Gentle Men - Elise Vanovermeire User submitted story
    I always had this feeling like there was something or someone very important here, so I decided it was what was needed to be done, even though I was leaving all my friends back in Saskatoon.
  • Trees Like Crystal - Shantelle Henderson User submitted story
    When I stepped off the plane it was January 21, 1999 and it was -28. It was soooo cold my whole body went into shock till I got to my dad’s house. But that all disappeared the next day when it started to snow.
  • U of A Panda Bears - Anneka Baker Story has video
    Meet Anneka Baker. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario she came to Edmonton to play on the University of Alberta’s Panda Bears women’s basketball team.
  • Virtue Is Its Own Reward - LaVerne Quennell User submitted story
    The wallet contained several hundred dollars but he refused a reward. He represents what Edmonton is about.
  • We're Almost a Family - Anthony Matthews User submitted story
    It feels some days like we're almost a family, like somehow everyone here is contributing their part to making this city into something great, which is in no doubt the direction it is going.
  • A Bit of Italy in the Old Neighbourhood - Giuseppe Crudo
    Giuseppe Crudo thinks everyone should be in love. So that's why he named his charming restaurant Cafe Amore - a place with a lot of love going on.
  • A Love Of Place - Paul Morgan Donald Story has video
    I moved here without any plans and I found a really exciting theatre community that I could be a part of. When I was younger I thought I might move on eventually, but you develop roots. And just a love of place.
  • Azimuth - Murray Utas Story has video
    He had to go through certain workshops in case a young person was to disclose anything to him. He doubted that that would happen. After his first show, a young girl, 13, approached him. He was shocked.
  • Don't Diss Edmonton - Ava Karvonen
    Edmonton surprises people. Look at our TV industry. We have a really strong independent film community here. And we’ve got a really strong industry community here actively engaged in the arts business.
  • Engineering a Future - Jose Fernandez
    Jose had it tough when he first moved to Edmonton, but worked hard to overcome the cultural differences he faced.
  • Gauging Edmonton: A Mayor's Take - Stephen Mandel
    We’re elated that people have chosen this city, and we have to make sure they have good opportunity here. It’s hard to believe when you think about what someone has to sacrifice to move to a new country.
  • Last Wave to a Princess - Clif Chapman User submitted story
    Precision! Precision was a norm when planning for a royal escort. It was 1967, the early days of my tour in the Traffic Division of the Edmonton Police Service. I was enjoying myself astride a big honking Harley.
  • Ms. Edmonton 2005 - Leila Houle
    I'd never jigged before, and I don't think Mayor Mandel had ever jigged before, and here we are, jigging across the stage. It was quite an experience. And it was totally unplanned.
  • Pelón - Jorge Torres
    His nickname is Pelón, which means bald in Spanish. We call him that because he has a shaved head.
  • Setting Down Roots - Keith Blackie
    Years ago, my wife and I honeymooned in Canada. We took a bus tour across the entire, sprawling country, from East to West. We decided there and then that when our kids were school-aged, we’d leave the UK and settle in Canada.
  • The Ping Pong Table - Tom Dodd & Blaine Bertsch
    A ping pong phenomenon is sweeping through Edmonton’s Advanced Technology Centre’s start-up community. Blaine and Tom, the guys behind Fission Media, explain.
  • A Different Type of City - Brad Fossen
    I came here from rural Alberta. Back home it’s a different kind of life. I don’t want to say Edmonton’s like a small town, but it’s a different type of city.
  • A Memorable Journey to Edmonton - Catherine Zhou User submitted story
    Read some entries Catherine wrote in her diary during her stay in Edmonton. She was visiting from Chengdu in China's Sichuan province. Her friends call her Rabbit.
  • Carrying On Like Idiots - Jason Allsopp
    My first time trip to Edmonton was with an ex. We wanted to go to the water park at West Edmonton Mall. So we drove up from Calgary and stayed in one of West Edmonton Mall’s theme rooms.
  • Impact Edmonton - Grant Shepherd User submitted story
    Little did I know that 27 years later, I was going to marry one of the girls who rode at that stable. (I know - I am a fast mover for sure).
  • Magical Volunteer Army - The Magical Volunteer Army Story has video
    What does it take to become one of the world's best folk festivals? Blood, sweat, toil, and tears? Definitely. Volunteers? Absolutely. Watch 2 short videos to find out what keeps everyone coming back each year.
  • Meeting the Love of my Life at WEM...Who Knew? - Tammy Farkes User submitted story
    It was during my first visit to Edmonton that I met the love of my life. Back in April 1996, I was at the tail end of a vacation with friends.
  • My Fab Fringe Festival Experience - The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival User submitted story
    Edmonton is a wonderful place in summer for festivals. Read what the people we asked about their Fab Fringe Festival Experience said and check out what they had to say!
  • My Fab Fringe Festival Experience - Part II - The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival User submitted story
    Edmonton is a wonderful place in summer for festivals. Here's more what people have to say about their Fab Fringe Festival Experience!
  • My most memorable Edmonton Indy moment... - Story has video User submitted story
    We asked people to share their most memorable Indy moment for the Race to the Honda Indy Edmonton Contest. The response we got was fantastic. Check out the cool experiences racing fans have had in Edmonton.
  • Race to the Honda Indy Edmonton Winners - Honda Indy Edmonton Story has video
    Entrants from across Canada shared their memorable Edmonton/Indy moment for the chance to win an ultimate Indy prize package featuring a hair-raising ride in an Indy Pace Car.
  • Rent At The Jube - Christian Mena
    There’s something about the concept of coming to do a show like Rent in your hometown, at the Jubilee Auditorium, a place I’d never performed at. I mean I’d performed in that space but not on the actual stage.
  • Russian Literature: Cadence Weapon - Roland Pemberton Story has video
    I played a show in Charlottetown, PEI, and I met a girl with a hat on that said Republic of Alberta. I thought this was hilarious, so I asked her where she got it.
  • The Chengdu Visit - Ashley Chung User submitted story
    When the Chengdu youths arrived in Edmonton, there was a welcoming dinner. It was nerve wracking as I reluctantly made my way to sit amongst them. I was thinking of so many different things at once! Would they like me? Was my Chinese good enough?
  • The Rule of a Royal Dog - Matthew Tognet User submitted story
    Royal dog Cadence is refined in bearing and temperament, yet, as is the practice of tyrants, becomes agitated when his whims are not fulfilled.
  • We Shared a Secret Smile - Jacqueline Ashmore User submitted story
    Good old West Edmonton Mall. We looked at each other while it dawned on us what she was talking about. We shared a secret smile only Edmontonians can have.
  • With Both Feet on the Ground - Ellen Notbohm User submitted story
    What can you say when you land in a place you’ve never been and it feels like home? My week in Edmonton unfolded as if I were expected company. In a way, I was.

Brought to you by the City of Edmonton & Edmonton Economic Development Corporation