Writer Jodie McKague used to work from a 104th street studio inside the Great Western Saddlery Building, a converted warehouse with a horseshoe logo tanned into its bricks from its former life as a leather store. She still savours its history and that of the surrounding warehouse district: Birks & Sons jewellery building, Phillips Lofts and others built during Edmonton’s first economic boom, before the Great War gave the city its first bust.

Now, for two days each May, the 32-year-old urban enthusiast shares her knowledge through free tours, introducing people to 104th Street shop owners and artists at work in their studios, and telling stories about architecture and local successes, like how the once humble farmers’ market became a popular attraction.

It’s a “Jane’s Walk,” a global initiative launched in 2007 that invites volunteers to show off the best of their neighbourhoods — on foot — and inspire community involvement to make cities more sustainable.

…Continue to reading this article on Avenue Edmonton