What were your favourite things in the pages of Edify, and on our website, over the past year? From the Top 40 Under 40 to athletes to podcast hosts to chefs, Edmonton produced a wide swath of great stories through 2021.
These are the 21 most-viewed stories over the past 12 months. That’s 21-12. OK, not everyone is a Rush fan. We get it.
This year marked the 13th time we’ve honoured 40 fantastic Edmonton-and-area individuals for their contributions to the regions, whether it’s in the arts, business, medicine, philanthropy or city-building. It was a fine class this year, and readers crashed our servers when this feature went live on November 1.
If there’s one thing Edmontonians love to do, it’s to tour the home of Oilers star Connor McDavid and his partner, Lauren Kyle. At least virtually. Sure, it made headlines once again when Architectural Digest featured it in late 2021, but we toured and photographed the home back in the summer of 2020. And we still get hits from all over the world on this story and photo feature.
We created a field of 64 of the most-talked-about burgers in Edmonton, and asked our readers to vote for their favourites. We ended up with some heated burger brackets and, in the end, the OCB Burger from Odd Company Brewing was our readers’ choice as the best between buns in the city.
The 2021 Top 40 Under 40 class finished the year as the most-read online feature on the Edify site. But the 2020 class didn’t finish far behind. The popularity of these 40 notable people extended well into the next year.
Sometimes, it’s hard to put a finger on why a story from our vault continues to do so well. But this story of figure-skating champions Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, post-divorce, enjoyed yet another spike in popularity in 2021. Was it because of the enduring quality of the piece, or the fact that a huge surge of viewers found this story late in 2021, as Sale emerged as a vocal, public supporter of anti-vax personalities and causes?
You get knocked down, you get up again, get knocked down again, get up — and eventually redefine how popular a podcast can be across Alberta. That’s the story of Ryan Jespersen, who graced the cover of our May issue, while lounging in a bathtub. Was he wearing anything under the bubbles? We won’t tell.
This is another feature that endures, and shows the lasting power of magazine journalism. From 2013, we visited the Comrie family’s California home, where teenager Eric Comrie was in training, looking to pursue his NHL dream. Eric is now with the Winnipeg Jets, while his dad, Bill, continues as one of the most powerful businessmen Edmonton has ever produced.
In April, new University of Alberta President Bill Flanagan was featured in our magazine. With the university facing so many challenges, from COVID to budget restraints, this piece really spoke to our readership.
We might not be thinking of drinks and snacks on shaded patios when the snow is flying outside. But, over the summer, our guide to the best patios in the city was very popular with readers. Check it out now and dream of next spring, or at least the next day where it rises to about zero.
From a filmmaker focused on health innovation, to big-thinking home builders, to tech wizards looking to make social media a safer space for female candidates; these are some of the winners of our first Edifier Awards, which launched in January of 2021. These are community awards that recognize recipients of any age.
If Paul Shufelt isn’t the most famous chef in the city, he’s certainly the most outspoken. While other restaurateurs were buckling down during the pandemic, he made some bold decisions with his menus, launched new concepts and opened up new restaurants.
Does Edmonton love charcuterie boards, where the cheese and meat are cut to look like floral displays? Heck, yeah. The popularity of this story and the accompanying photos prove that.
The pandemic didn’t give us much of a chance to dress up for a big night out. We all got a bit too comfortable in ratty t-shirts and baggy sweatpants. So, in April, we decided to celebrate some of Edmonton’s best-dressed people. It was a hit.
Amarjeet Sohi won the mayoral race by more than a comfortable margin. But, as the campaign began to heat up, Edify made a pledge to profile all of the declared candidates — all in the name of democratic fairness.
In the fall of 2020, as we announced our rebrand to Edify, the story of Alex Archbold and his unique emporium of unusual items graced our pages and our website. Its popularity endures.
OK, since this story has remained very popular since it first ran in 2019, it’s clear that a lot of you hear the hum. Admit it.
What is it with Edmontonians loving food that looks like flowers? This home-based bakery, that makes cupcakes that, bunched together, look like beautiful bouquets, was another popular read.
Because of the way the pandemic affected the restaurant business, we decided not to go ahead with our Best Restaurants program in 2021. But, our 2020 list was still readily searched out. Have no fear, Best Restaurants will be back in March, 2022!
Opening a restaurant during a pandemic isn’t easy. Maybe that’s why so many of you gravitated to this story about a new pizza-and-burgers spot in Oliver.
Hey, we all need to get out and enjoy the winter, right? This primer, aimed at both beginners and those with some skiing skills, unveiled where to find the best trails in the area.
Veteran baker Ahmed Daoud opened up a new shop in Belgravia, Mood Café, and we couldn’t get enough of his tasty – and visually stunning — creations.
