Eddmonton is the dynamic capital of Alberta, located almost in the geographic center of the province. Remarkably, within a few hours of arriving there, I was able to personally meet with both a high-ranking city councilor and then the mayor of Edmonton – both of them Jewish!
The journey overland to get to Edmonton was equally remarkable. Alberta’s western edge touches British Columbia, their borders dramatized by the Canadian Rocky Moun- tains National Park. I made the trip using two luxurious trains similar to the Orient Express. The Rocky Mountaineer brought me there from Vancouver, BC, and VIA Rail carried me back. Both trains provide dome cars with arching windows, charming 1930s-style lounge cars and superb dining.
Before departing from Vancouver, I stayed a couple of nights at the Sunset Inn & Suites, in a vibrant West End neighborhood close to Stanley Park. This welcoming accommodation offers spacious furnished apartments, complete with fully equipped kitchens, for less cost than a good hotel. With a family in tow, it’s a perfect alternative. My rail adventure began aboard the Rocky Mountaineer’s Gold Leaf double-decker dome cars (there’s also less expensive single-deck Red Leaf service), climbing in a few hours past cascading rapids and rugged cliffs. From the train windows, we spotted grazing elk and deer, a few bears and shaggy mountain goats.
Rocky Mountaineer’s final destination is Calgary, but many passengers disembark at Banff. From there, we drove a rental car up Highway 93, stopping at spectacular Lake Louise, Columbia Icefield and Jasper National Park, with an overnight at Jasper’s popular Whistlers Inn. Much of Alberta is pure nature, but in the urban hearts of Calgary and Edmonton, glittering towers of glass, brick and steel take their place. From a distance, the city silhouettes rise like skyscraper forests above flat, grassy prairies that stretch for hundreds of miles. Through an Edmonton friend, I contacted Councilor Karen Leibovici, who suggested we meet at Edmonton’s most conspicuous landmark, the historic Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Built in 1915 by a railway company in classic French Chateau style, it was named after Canada’s first prime minister, John Alexander Macdonald. The Fairmont’s elegant Harvest Room restaurant made for a fitting backdrop to greet the councilor.
“There’s a modestly sized Jewish presence here,” Leibovici said, “but it’s influential. Even so, I’d prefer to think that my in- volvement in social work, being a labor relations officer, housing the homeless, being president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and my efforts to capture the 2017 World Expo for Canada’s 150th birthday were greater influences in my elec- tions.”
The Jewish presence may be modest, but it does include some heavy hitters. The Ghermezian family of Iranian Jewish origin have developed several of the world’s largest shopping malls, in- cluding the Mall of America in Minnesota and West Edmonton Mall, the first and second largest indoor shopping malls in North America.
“Actually, the one in Edmonton is more like a Disney park,” Leibovici said, “with dozens of amusement rides, a section resem- bling a quaint ‘European quarter,’ a full-size version of a Spanish galleon, and a giant wave pool and beach, open year-round.” Another powerful Jewish dynasty is the Katz family, who own one of the largest houses in Edmonton, the franchises for several professional sports teams, and more than 1,800 pharmacies in the United States and Canada, including Rexall.
“Daryl Allan Katz, with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, is quite the philanthropist,” Leibovici explained, “donating many millions of dollars to universities and hospitals.” Leibovici asked if I also wanted to meet with Edmonton’s first Jewish mayor, Stephen Mandel. “He’s since been re-elected twice,” she said. “In 1997-98, he was president of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton and a board member of the Beit Horim Society, a group dedicated to establishing a Jewish seniors residence.”
Of course I wanted to shake his hand! With one quick call, Leibovici arranged a meeting inside the stunningly modern Art Gallery of Alberta, located across from Edmonton City Hall in Sir Winston Churchill Square. After viewing the exhibits there, I grabbed an artfully designed lunch at their Zinc Cafe and waited for His Honor. Minutes later, Mayor Mandel bounded up the stairs, filled with ebullient energy. An active volunteer in the Jewish commu- nity, up to a few years ago, Mandel could also be seen on the ice or at baseball diamonds as a member of the Jewish hockey and baseball leagues, but a heart bypass operation a few years ago put a halt to those activities.
“There’s still so much to do here!” the mayor enthused, “especially for families. I’ve got two children with my wife Lynn. Enjoy history? We love going to Ft. Edmonton, to talk with pioneer fur traders and ride an authentic steam train. Like dinosaurs? At Jurassic Forest, there are life-size electronic tyrannosaurs and brontosaurs roaring in the woods.” Mandel’s family are members of the city’s Reform congrega- tion, Temple Beth Ora, where Rabbi Lindsey bat Joseph de- scribes the mayor as a longtime temple supporter who is “quietly generous without a lot of fanfare.”
Talk about friendly – Mandel even set me up to dine with local reality-TV celebrity Amy Quon at her Lingnan Chinese restaurant. Her family’s TV show, called “The Quon Dynasty,” ran for 13 episodes in 2011.
Before we parted, Mandel added one more bit of promo. “With so much land in the territories above us, people are amazed that Edmonton is the most northerly major city in Can- ada,” he said. “Even so, it’s also one of Canada’s sunniest loca- tions, which allows us to host more than 30 major festivals each year celebrating art, music, culture and sports.” From Edmonton, it’s a straight shot south 277 kilometers to Calgary, where the slender form of Calgary Tower, similar to Se- attle’s “Space Needle,” rises above the plain. Too soon, it seemed, I returned to Vancouver on the alternate VIA Rail line. The rhythm of the train rocked me to sleep as the darkening Canadi- an Rockies once again flew past my window.
Joseph Lieberman is a frequent traveler and freelance writer.
