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Lindork’s Lists #65 – 124 Street Bingo, Indigenous art, Explore Edmonton on Vespas, and more!
Newsletter for May 19 – 25 2021
Please note: Alberta has restrictions in place to address COVID-19. I do encourage you to try and support local businesses during this time, if you’re able, but do so in a safe way. Wear masks, sanitize regularly, avoid crowds, keep at a distance, shop alone, take-out / eat outside, choose digital options if avail and stay home if you are sick.
As well, some deadlines may have passed for time-sensitive food/event recommendations. If you are a newsletter subscriber, you would get first dibs before deadlines pass.
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Partake in Support 124 Street Bingo!
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Meuwly’s and 124 Street have launched #Eat124Street BINGO! Can you fill all 16 squares?! From “something brunchy” at Blue Plate Diner or chai from Remedy Cafe—share progress for chances to win prizes, complete all squares for a chance at an ultimate prize valued at over $1,000.
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Cheer on the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL playoffs
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Our living room gets loud during Oilers games as Mike is a mega fan, lol. I admit I’m a total bandwagon hopper once the Oilers get into the playoffs. Maybe this will be their Stanley Cup Year! The Oilers’ first NHL playoff game against the Winnipeg Jets starts Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by games all week and hopefully for a long time to come!
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See Mamanaw Pekiskwewina | Mother Tongues: amiskwacîwâskahikan art
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Check out Mother Tongues, a celebration of ancestral languages of Treaty 6 featuring seven art pieces all over downtown amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton). Part of the #DTSpark festival but are around until Sept. 18.
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Tune into Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids
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Edmonton’s Concrete Theatre is putting on a digital production of Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids this weekend (May 22 & 23). Tickets are $20.
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Float down the Pembina River
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Make a reservation to go tubing down the Pembina River just west of Edmonton! Their season officially opens this weekend. Do a full service tube rental, shuttle and parking, or just park. Distanced, outdoor, water fun!
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Got an Edmonton area event, virtual event, or something coming up you think my readers would be interested in knowing about? Let me know!
Food To Try This Week
Support local restaurants with take-out/pick-up orders! Review current Alberta COVID-19 restrictions here.
Place a custom order with Blossom Cakery (5677A Riverbend Rd.)
Thanks to Edmonton poet laureate Nisha Patel for sharing about Blossom Cakery in Edmonton’s Riverbend neighbourhood. They made a custom Pokemon cupcake order for her birthday and I cannot handle how adorable they are! I’ve got to try it!
Pack a picnic with the help of Toast Culture (11965 Jasper Ave.)
47 designated picnic sites across Edmonton have been approved to allow alcohol consumption and Toast Culture have put together a Patio/Park Picnic Pack for 2-6 people that includes sammiches, snacks, and of course alcoholic bevvies to celebrate the new pilot project!
Grab some burgers at Fox Burger’s new food truck (various locations)
Congrats to the folks of Fox Burger for launching a food truck for the season! Slinging “burgs and good times.” Watch their Instagram for locations and you can also book them for your safe outdoor gatherings.
Stop by Greens Eggs & Ham Family Farm at Bountiful Market (3696 97 St.)
Mary with Green Eggs & Ham Family Farm reached out to ask for a shout-out. They’re a 10-acre farm selling all sorts of produce and greens and they’re a vendor at the south Edmonton Bountiful Farmer’ Market.
Grab a make-your-own-donair kit from Alberta Donair
Also at the Bountiful Farmers Market: find Alberta Donair, who sell make-at-home donair kits using all sorts of Alberta products, beef, wheat, veggies, etc. Thanks to Diane for this recommendation.
Ate something amazing recently? Want to show some love to a struggling restaurant? Have a take-out suggestion? Let me know to include in this newsletter.
Small Business Spotlight
In this week’s Small Business Spotlight, I’m shouting out to Quench Plant, a new Edmonton-based start-up with a newly-launched Kickstarter campaign! Their product helps notify you when your plant needs water!
In less than 24 hours they were backed by over 300 people (plant people, ya’ll are wild lol), raising more than $24,000 (their goal was $12,000). Check out and support their Kickstarter!
New on the Blog
On my never-ending mission to find things to do in Edmonton (and these days, outdoors and safely), I’m writing about wheelin’ around the city on VespaYEG rentals! Check out my blog post for Everything You Need To Know About Riding Vespas.
If you decide to book, you can get 10% off using my code LINDORK10.
(I’ll get a small commission on all bookings!)
Now Public: Q&A with Fertility Awareness Educator Chloe Skerlak
Every other Sunday, I profile a new “interesting person” in a Q&A series just for paid newsletter subscribers. Then a month later, I release that Q&A publicly on my blog. My second Q&A of the series is now live on my blog if you’d like to read it, with Chloe Skerlak, an Edmonton-based Fertility Awareness Educator.
To get the full Q&A, plus a Q&A every other Sunday, access to exclusive paid subscriber-only giveaways, and to support the work I do, upgrade!
Interesting on the Internet
Usually only my newsletter subscribers get my ‘Interesting on the Internet’ content via email.
But I wanted to share this week’s section publicly:
#FreePalestine
“Interesting” isn’t the right word to use here, but I’ve been seeing a ton of posts online regarding the violence in Palestine right now.
I shared some posts in support of Palestine about a week ago on my Instagram Story and while the response was overwhelmingly positive, I did receive a few messages (very few—like, three), from Jewish Canadians asking me to consider the other side of it, and understand that the conflict is quite complicated and that overly simplified pro Palestine messaging, was dangerous and anti-Semitic.
Those messages I received were respectful messages, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the subject, but my gut feeling at the time was and still that, although yes aspects of the conflict are certainly complex and long-standing, and can’t fully be conveyed in a few social media slides, the CURRENT violence occurring, is not complex. Children are dying. Families are being forced out of homes. One side has advanced military weaponry (Israel). One side has the financial backing and support of the United States and other powerful nations (Israel). Does this absolve atrocities that Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, have done to Israelis, certainly no. Is being pro-Palestine, being anti-Semitic? I believe it isn’t. I don’t believe the actions being made against Palestine = blaming all Israelis nor do I believe the actions made by Hamas against Israel = blaming all Palestines.
I don’t think taking a stance against violation of human rights is complicated.
What I suppose IS ‘interesting’ is that *this* time around, with this particular violence, there is TikTok—showing uncensored videos of bombings. There is an Instagram movement—making widespread education and rallying of support much easier and accessible than ever before. This tweet summarizes that thought well:
if you’re tired of seeing posts about the Israeli apartheid, you’re missing the point. it is only because of social media saturation that even the tiniest shift in discourse is made possible (you can now utter the word Palestine on cable)
— bobuq بابک (@bobuqsayed) May 17, 2021
As I increasingly use my platform to raise awareness about social issues, as I support the Black Lives Matter movement, as I call for police reform, as I cry out over injustices for Indigenous people, as I find tangible ways to fight back against anti-Asian hate, and other race-based hate, it would be extremely disingenuous for me to be silent about what’s happening in Palestine right now.
I also want anyone who is Jewish and following me to know that wanting Palestine to be free, and children to not be attacked, and families not to be forced from their homes, does not mean that I am anti-Jewish.
With that, here are some posts that better reflect my feelings on the matter:
I get it's complicated as an interpersonal or historical statement but is it complicated when it comes to disproportionate and durational in-plain-sight human rights violations by a nation-state of international consequence with exponentially more resources and military strength?
— Beyhan Farhadi, PhD (@BBFarhadi) May 15, 2021
John Oliver says the truth here: Israel is an Apartheid state, committed war crimes, and the “both sides narrative is bogus#GazaUnderAttak #ApartheidIsrael #GenocideinGaza pic.twitter.com/qu7FKuYYDJ
— علي الوذين (@alwoozain) May 17, 2021
Spend 1 minute of your weekend watching this @AliVelshi clip on Palestine.
— Zain Velji (@zainvelji) May 16, 2021
Sharp. Direct. Powerful.
Standing in solidarity with Palestinians doesn’t mean being anti-Jewish. It simply means not supporting the Israeli government in their occupation.
This shouldn’t be awkward. https://t.co/JnmKIbx0wi
Just as acknowledging institutional racism and colonialism as part of my history doesn’t make me anti-Canadian, pointing out crimes that are perpetuated against Palestinians doesn’t make me anti Semitic. Genocide is wrong.
— Darren Markland (@drdagly) May 16, 2021
I hate the fact that we can’t even grieve the ethnic cleansing of our people in peace because we have to pour all our energy into convincing everyone else that it’s wrong
— dula lipa (@dulapalooza) May 18, 2021
View this post on Instagram
As Canadians, this is one tangible way we can support Palestine:
Use this website to send an email to all Canadian federal leaders on Canada's insufficient response to the war crimes in Palestine. It will only take you a minute. https://t.co/NhElIIRJPn
— Dr. Muna Saleh 🇵🇸 (@DrMunaSaleh) May 19, 2021
There is much more out there to absorb, but this email will get truncated the more I add, lol. I do recommend following locally, @DrMunaSaleh, for more updates. She’s also listed other accounts:
Many tweeps are recommending others to follow me for updates about Palestine. I appreciate the expressions of support, but please follow and amplify Palestinians who are in Palestine right now 👇🏼 https://t.co/4xF0iooAL1
— Dr. Muna Saleh 🇵🇸 (@DrMunaSaleh) May 17, 2021
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