Edmonton

May 17, 2026 • Place

The other World Trade Centre

May 13-17, 2026

Edmonton is easily dismissed. Even locals have a chip on their shoulder about “Deadmonton” – the dearth of cultural attractions, the interminable winter (snow was still visible in mid-May), the endless repetition of highways and strip malls.

And yet the locals remain – and more keep coming. As my Edmontonian friend quipped, “Edmonton used to be a big small city, now it’s a small big city.” Indeed, Edmonton is the only major city in Canada more than 100 km from the US border. Yet ironically, it has a surprisingly American feel: giant malls, mega churches, gun culture, chain everything.

But after several days in E-Town, I was surprised by flickers of beauty just below the surface:

The enveloping chorus of spring birdsong around a stormwater pond
The checkered coat of the magpie and flick of its long tail feathers
The way the West Edmonton Mall looks like a defunct airplane hangar from the outside, but is the closest thing to Disneyland North on the inside
Mennonites in their traditional garb chatting to each other in low German
The striking glow of evening light reflecting off the high rises
Grand views of the river valley from the Confederation Lounge at the Fairmont
The tamarack: a tree that looks just like a conifer with needles and cones, but is a decoy. It actually sheds its soft needles and survives the winter by dehydrating its own cells.
Edmonton may seem bland on the surface, but that’s a decoy too. There’s a resilience and earnestness to the people that may not easily found elsewhere.