Page 8 - 03_April-2025

EDS
THE MORE
THINGS
CHANGE …
“C’mon, I’ll show you the place,” said Orville
Chubb.
About five steps behind the receptionist, there it was,
the home of a brand-new city magazine called Avenue.
A desk faced the east wall for the art director, who
doubled on those duties for Odvod Media. A glass
partition created a sliver of an office for the editor-in
chief. Squashed in-between, a desk for me, the managing
editor, facing a window that overlooked construction
on the site of the old Sidetrack Cafe.
The magazine that has evolved into Edify was
launched in modest circumstances by a skeleton
squad. Steered by the late, deeply missed optimist and
publisher Chubb, it was imagined into existence by Trudy
Callaghan, whose indispensable support included keep-
ing Odvod afloat.
As with any startup, we were propelled far less by
paycheques than by passion. I’d grown up reading
Toronto Life like a bible, discovering who was who,
doing what to what in that city, while memorizing
every restaurant, theatre and art show review. I was
thrilled to give Edmonton something similar.
We’ve all jogged several blocks in the 19 years
since — except Trudy, who strides, never jogs. But the
magazine that proposed to excite Edmontonians with
surprising stories about all that we are accomplishing
here, with stylish photographs and with fresh, timely
details about our pastimes — its principles persist.
This month, its theme is redevelopment in all its
guises. Putting the finishing touches on Steven Sandor’s
edits, I’ve been amazed to read of Barry Johns’ nifty
new blueprint for infill, an audacious baseball-driven
8 EDify. APRIL.25
housing complex in Spruce Grove, a historic store I just
gotta visit in Namao, and much more. As Edify begins
its own redevelopment (with a new, yet-to-be-appointed
editor), I believe it’s the sheer vigour of Edmontonians
that motivates us to record and frame their triumphs —
beautifully, in a magazine. That’s as fun now as on
Day One.
Helen Metella
Guest Editor