Last year, “Confetti Fridays” brought the community into Michael Phair Park every Friday of the summer to enjoy live music, drag queens, and DJs.

This successful event series was rooted in the celebration of diversity and inclusion and was created as an initiative to bring vibrancy to Edmonton’s downtown. The series was hosted by Michael Phair – Alberta’s first openly gay city councillor and a long-serving 2SLGBTQ+ advocate– in the downtown park named after him.

This year, the event series is coming back as “Confetti Fourdays” and kicks off Edmonton’s Pride Month festivities. The series aims to bring the same energy and inclusiveness with free live performances over the lunch hour but will instead run consecutively from June 4-7 before Michael Phair Park closes for construction for the remainder of the summer.

Date: June 4-7
Time: Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Michael Phair Park

This year’s performance lineup is as follows:

June 4th, 12-1pm: DJ Kris Harvey
June 5th, 12-1pm: D’Orjay the Singing Shaman with Bramwell Park
June 6th, 12-1pm: Brasstactics
June 7th, 12-1pm: Pheromone Killz and Stretcher H
June 7th, 4-7pm: HAPPY HOUR BEER GARDENS with DJ Mr. Kou

An addition to this year’s event is an extension of Friday’s programming into an after-work happy hour. From 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on June 7th, people can continue enjoying Confetti Fourdays into the evening with live music from DJ Mister Kou and El Quetzalito Food Truck.

Learn to bead! 🔴

Anishinaabe community member Roxanne Mckenzie will offer a cultural perspective on beading while walking you through the beadwork of your choice: a beaded red dress which honours the memories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls or a beaded strawberry (O-day’min) representing where we live and the ward of downtown.

Two in-person sessions to choose from. Snacks, drinks and supplies included.

🗓️ February 3 or 17
⏰ 1 – 3 pm
📍 DECL Space, 10042 103 St
$10

This program is supported by the City of Edmonton Neighborhood Micro Grant.

Space is limited. You must register to attend.

Our annual party of the season is back! Celebrate the holidays with fun, friends and neighbours. We will have door prizes, a cash bar, food, music and more!

 December 14
 7–10pm
 10042 103 Street

Consider bringing new warm clothing or socks to donate to the city’s most vulnerable.

Mark your calendars for Games & Pub Night 

Come celebrate Halloween with family-friendly activities at DECL!

We will have a wide selection of games to play, candy and a cash bar.

DECL members get one free beverage of their choice (there will be alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available).

Feel free to come in costume or as you are.

 Friday, October 27
 7 PM
Theme: Halloween

Save the date for FREE corn & concerts 🌽

CornFest is right around the corner. Come celebrate our community in the heart of the neighbourhood.

📍 Alex Decoteau Park
🗓 September 9
⏰ 11am – 3pm

This family-friendly event is timed perfectly to renew your DECL membership. REMINDER: they expire at the end of this month.

CornFest is more than just corn:
🌽 Food trucks
🌽 Games
🌽 Live performance by Pure Octane.
🌽 Balloon art
🌽 Glitter tattoos

Consider bringing a non-perishable item if you are able. We are collecting for the Edmonton Food Bank, so please check out their website for the items most in need.

PLUS plan to stay a while because the Edmonton Mural Festival is having a party in the same park from 3pm – 8pm, featuring concerts, live mural art, a beer garden and more.

Party in the heart of the city with Edmonton Mural Festival and DECL on September 9!

Come to our anniversary party 🥳

Hey members! It’s DECL’s 20th anniversary and we would love to see you at our place.

🗓️ Thursday, July 20
⏰ 6 – 10 PM
🎤 Short set of speeches at 7 PM
📍 DECL space – 10042 103 Street

🍻 Show your membership at the door because current DECL members will get 1 free drink ticket (beer, wine and non-alcoholic options)

🥪 Sweet & savoury food options from some of our fave downtown restaurants (some gluten & sugar free options)

🗺️ Family-friendly interactive scavenger hunt activity, with local business gift card prizes awarded to winners (drawn & communicated after the event)

👀 We cleaned out our office recently and found some cool stuff. Come see and we might even be giving away a thing or two (we’re talking DECL history!)

Are you a downtown resident but not yet a member? Get your 🆓 membership at Credo Coffee (104 Street location only).

We hope to see you there!

A Message from your Safety Chair 

The nails and screws sticking out of the broken wood boards along the sidewalk bothered me every day. On Jasper Avenue, this stretch of sidewalk was passed hundreds of times a day, including by myself. At first, I didn’t do anything about it. I would think about the company who owns the business (a parking lot) and I would wish for them to do something about it, and then I would continue on with my day. The next day, I would repeat the same routine. Weeks and months went by in that way. And then, one morning, I sent an email to the Manager of the parking lot introducing myself and kindly asking if the broken boards and nails could be removed. I received a thoughtful reply that maintenance had been notified and the nails will be removed, as well as some thoughts about safety on their lot.

Feeling encouraged by this response, my thoughts went to a forgotten sign pole that had been broken off but never retrieved by the City, laying next to the sidewalk near Corona LRT Station. I had submitted a 311 request for the removal of the pole, but the request had been closed without action. So I submitted a new 311 request. 

A week later the pole was gone, and the nails removed. 

Downtown can be a difficult place to live and visit. When we see a broken window or abandoned object we start to feel unsafe. These things by themselves do not pose a threat, but when we see them we’re reminded of the larger systemic issues that they represent – houselessness, poverty, the ongoing drug poisoning crisis – and Downtown starts to feel unsafe and hopeless.

Once I started taking more intentional responsibility for the space I was in, my thoughts about that space changed and I felt myself caring more about where I was. I tend to walk between home and work so I’ve started carrying a trash-picker with me on my walks, picking up pieces of garbage as I go. The garbage I’m picking up is not just for me but for everyone else who uses the space. I start to notice others doing small actions and try to stop and chat, perhaps making a connection with someone in the area. It seems like the more we can know and understand about each other, the more Downtown will feel safe. Many of the challenges will still exist, but it would be balanced by people caring about each other (Wow that reads very corny, but I’d like to hope there’s some truth in that!)

Is there a particular spot in Downtown that makes you feel unsafe or that needs attention? Is there another area that does feel safe – what makes it that way? Please email me at safety@decl.org and let’s keep finding ways to care about the place we live in.

Jesse Orjasaeter is a social worker living and working Downtown. Jesse is the Safety Chair of the Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL).

Join us for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL). This year we’re pleased to welcome you back in person at our community space (10042 103 Street)!

Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Registration 6:30 p.m.
Meeting 7:00 p.m.

We are pleased to welcome Puneeta McBryan, Executive Director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association as our special guest speaker. We will also have updates from other partners and organizations Downtown.

This event is open to all Downtown Edmonton residents and DECL members. To find out if you live in the boundaries of Downtown, check here. Memberships will be available at the door, please bring a proof of ID and home address with you.

The purpose of this meeting is to review the business of the league over the past year, including 2022 financial statements. Light refreshments will be served, there will also be a cash bar available.

We will also be electing the position of President and any vacant board of director positions:

• Alex Decoteau Park Community Garden Director
• Various Committee Chairs
• Directors-at-Large

If you’re interested in being a board member and want to find out more, please email us at info@decl.org for more information.

You must be a member currently living Downtown to vote, however membership is FREE. Get your membership online at efcl.org or at our AGM.

Administrator, Downtown Edmonton Community League
(Part-Time, 24 month contract)

The Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL) has an opportunity to hire a part-time Administrator to join our diverse and passionate team!

This is a brand-new role, so our successful candidate with have ample opportunity to make it their own while actively contributing to the betterment of our Downtown Edmonton community.

What you’ll do:

While no two days or weeks will be exactly the same, a typical day or week might include work such as:

• Attending, and actively contributing to, monthly DECL Board meetings and other meetings and conversations related to DECL community involvement
• Managing communications for DECL including:
  • designing and maintaining the website
  • writing and distributing the monthly email newsletter
  • responding to general email box inquiries
  • managing social media accounts as requested
• Contributing to community events and programming including:
  • planning
  • securing venues and supplies
  • communicating with related parties
  • ensuring appropriate licenses and permits are in place
  • promoting activities
  • volunteering on event days
• Speak positively of the league and assist in developing and maintaining positive relations among the board, committees and communities to enhance the league’s mission.
• Managing the DECL leased space including supervising during programming, pre- and post-event cleaning and appropriately managing maintenance issues as necessary, including but not limited to:
  • Overseeing access to the community hall
  • Supervising building maintenance and repair
  • Managing rental to members and non-members (screens and approves renting groups or individuals)
  • Regularly reviewing condition of facilities
  • Maintaining up-to-date building maintenance records.
  • Advising league on necessary maintenance and upgrades.
  • Obtaining estimates for maintenance, repair and upgrade work.
• Monitoring city council meetings and motions for items related to downtown vibrancy and development and communicate any necessary action to appropriate Board member(s)
• Strategizing and collaborating with the Board to extend DECL’s reach to groups that are currently less involved than they would ideally be (e.g., newcomers, seniors, students)
• Actively help build league capacity by identifying and applying for grant and funding opportunities
• Active involvement with events, meetings, communications and other matters related to the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy
• Advocating for projects that improve Downtown, including identifying new opportunities, representing DECL at meetings or events if required, supporting the creation and distribution of requests and responses to requests for input from the Board
• Promoting volunteerism at events, on the website and in communications
• Participate in the development of the league’s organizational plan, annual review and budget.
• Prepare and present required reports at board meetings.
• Assist in the preparation of any/all reports as requested, including monthly and annual reporting
• Additional and variable administrative support of the DECL Board as requested

Skills and experience that support success

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, using both oral and written communication
• Exceptional organizational, prioritization and follow-up skills
• Tact, diplomacy and the proven ability to handle sensitive or confidential information appropriately
• Confidence to approach other community group leaders, local businesses, vendors etc in the spirit of building mutually beneficial relationships
• Experience with planning and executing events, both with and without external partners/vendors, is an asset but not mandatory
• Personal connection to the Downtown Edmonton community coupled with a strong desire to support and facilitate post-Covid recovery and additional enhancements/improvements over time

Contract Details

• Part-time, average 20-25 hours per week
• 24-month contract
• Competitive annual salary based on experience ($30,000—$37,500)

Application Process

Contract Posting Closing Date: March 7, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. MST
Anticipated Start Date: Negotiable

Apply to:

Please send your cover letter and application to:

Email: info@decl.org
Website: www.decl.org

NOTE: We thank all applicants for their interest however only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Our Holiday Mixer is back! Come celebrate the season with your DECL Board, Downtown neighbours, partners and supporters! Light refreshments and beverages will be served, cash bar available.

Thursday, December 8, 7-10 p.m.
DECL Community Space, 10042 104 Street NW

If you wish, bring some holiday baking to share. Donations of warm clothing and new socks will be used to decorate our Christmas tree and donated to Boyle Street Community Services.

If you still need to get your FREE 2022-23 DECL Membership, we will have them available at the door.

Cheers,
Your DECL Board