Laura Cunningham-Shpeley is all about community. As executive director of Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, she helps foster community and advocates for community leagues in the city. She first got involved as a community league volunteer when her family moved to Ritchie, and now brings her background in social work to her community league work.
Cunningham-Shpeley loves a patio like any good Edmontonian, but no outdoor space inspires as much pride as the Hawrelak Park’s Community League Plaza — in any season.
“This plaza tells the 100-year story of community leagues across the city,” she explains. “It was such a great experience to see all of the work and effort that went into the project, and to be part of the storytelling and history that makes the plaza so special. It’s much more than just a space.”
Opened in November 2020, the plaza “provides a gathering area with shade and rest near the lake in the summer and warmth around the fire in the winter,” says Cunningham-Shpeley.
The plaza is a tribute to a century of community leagues in our city — a uniquely Edmonton phenomenon that Cunningham-Shpeley is proud to steward.
If there’s anything to be gleaned from this series: we Edmontonians love food and we love being outdoors. When we’re not slurping noodles or lingering over brunch, we’re taking scenic strolls, stopping at dog parks and snapping pictures at river valley vistas. Delve into this year’s list of Edmontonians’ favourite things — with best-loved picks from a variety of noteworthy locals who span the arts, business, sports and non-profit realms — to help build your own summer bucket list. And if you can’t make it beyond your backyard, you can at least follow this foolproof formula and enjoy something tasty in the sunshine.
