I don't know if it's a story so much as an observation. I'm writing from far away from Alberta, at the moment, and the things I miss about the place are oddly sharpened by the separation.
Inside Edmonton and Calgary, there are urban neighbourhoods where local businesses and local people come together in a way that is traditional and authentic, and completely Alberta. I'm thinking of the corners of Old Strathcona and Oliver, in Edmonton, and the Kensington and Inglewood neighbourhoods in Calgary. Entrepreneurs take a risk on baking bread, or opening a small restaurant using local food, or making children's clothes, and their neighbours support them. Soon, they're thriving.
Oddly, this is the most "conservative" spirit in Alberta, even though these neighbourhoods are considered to be the most progressive. Every other corner of the province - urban and rural - has been taken over by chains.
I miss these real places and love them and I do hope that when I return they are still alive – and spreading.
-- Todd Babiak
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