Monthly Archives: December 2021

Pathway to Sanity

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Pathway along the oh-so-urban Sarcee Trail

For decades, I drove along Sarcee Trail in southwest Calgary, oblivious to the people walking, running and cycling along the parallel pathway. And why would I notice, given a nearby gym and beckoning mountain trails to satisfy my exercise and alpine spiritual needs?

Then Covid struck, and my world shrunk, along with everyone else’s. Now, nearly two years into the pandemic, I’ve walked and run along that pathway and nearby streets a couple of hundred times.

I’m sure the powerline’s not affecting my brain

For one thing, that’s meant not having to jump in my car and drive every time I want to exercise or hit the trails. For another, it’s meant learning to appreciate the urban beauty of pathways and walkable neighbourhoods, despite overhead power lines and the steady hum of nearby traffic. So here’s a year of pathway photos, mostly on or near Sarcee Trail. Incidentally, all the shots are from my camera that also happens to make phone calls: the iPhone 12 Pro. Best $1,400 I’ve spent.

Summer poppies
Batallion Park
One of Calgary’s great, overlooked attractions: the skies
Neighbourhood blossoms
Fall leaves
Early winter along Glenmore Reservoir
Walking wear for winter deep freeze
Winter follows me indoors

Taking advantage of fresh snow
Nose Hill
Sarcee sign
Sarcee car wash
Shopping cart in the Elbow River
Wolfe and the Sparrows statue
Clouds

If it’s a Food Made in Canmore, Rusticana’s Likely Got It

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A sampling of the locally produced foods in Canmore’s Rusticana Market + Deli

On the rare occasion when I used to enter Rusticana in downtown Canmore, I never viewed it as anything more than a glorified convenience store.

But on a recent tip from my sister, I discovered this 40-year-old corner store has been rebranded as a market and deli—a well-curated space for finding all sorts of locally produced foods.

Uprising Craft Bakery has you covered

Like sourdough breads and other baked goods from Uprising Craft Bakery. Fresh sausages and splendid frozen tourtieres from Valbella Gourmet Foods. Coffee beans from Banff Roasting Company and Mountain Blends. Fresh pasta from Canmore Pasta Co. Frozen samosas from Mad Dog Café. Hand-made chocolates from Le Chocolatier. Gourmet sauces from Bow Valley BBQ. Frozen pizzas from Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. Cookies from Bare Bistro. Raw foods from Hear Me “Raw”. Healthy prepared meals from An Edible Life. The list goes on and on.

Obviously, the mountain town of Canmore (population 15,000) is a great food and restaurant place, arguably the pound-for-pound champion in Alberta. Now, thanks to Rusticana, it’s getting easier to pick up a lot of these great products in one stop.

Rusticana Market + Deli
2, 801 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta
Daily 6 am-11 pm
403-678-446

Olds, Alberta Barbecue Joint Filled the Pit in my Stomach

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Brisket burnt ends sandwich at The Pit in Olds, Alberta

When you’re in the heart of Alberta’s cattle country, you might expect beefy restaurant offerings beyond steaks and burgers.

Slow-roasted barbecued brisket, for example, would seem a natural. But beyond a few outliers, like Calgary’s award-winning Tool Shed Brewing, there isn’t an abundance of barbecued beef or, for that matter, pork or chicken.

So, it’s nice to find The Pit, serving in-house smoked meats in Olds, an hour’s drive north of Calgary. The Pit does the full slow-cooked roster: pulled pork, pulled chicken, Montreal-smoked meats and brisket sandwiches.

The Pit owner Kevin Stromsmoe

What caught my attention was a brisket burnt ends sandwich, stuffed inside a glossy bun with house slaw and BBQ sauce. To clarify, the ends aren’t literally burnt. They’re just the bits trimmed from the smoked brisket. While a tad chewier, they are certainly a more flavourful delicacy.

It was definitely a three-napkin job getting all this messy goodness past my cheeks and down the eagerly awaiting hatch.

Where the meats are smoked

The Pit
870-6700 46 Street, Olds, Alberta
Wednesday to Saturday 11:30 pm-7 pm, Sunday noon to 7 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday
403-559-3748