Fall 2023

FROM THE EDITOR

Summer’s fading rays signal a time for us to shake ourselves out of the slumber that came with the season. For most families, that means getting kids prepped for school while adults shift into gear for the post-vacay job commute. In short, the fall marks a time when folks get a bit more serious about their daily lives.

Understandably, the change of seasons never registered on the minds of devastated residents of Maui’s west-coast town of Lāhainā, which was obliterated by a massive wildfire that’s so far killed more than 100 citizens and crippled its otherwise lucrative tourist industry. It stands to reason that holiday excursions to such a destination may be controversial, although Maui’s residents wouldn’t likely reject those prospects. We weigh those pros and cons.

Kâkesimokamik, the idyllic, healing garden monument on Red Willow Trail recognizes an equally distraught issue, namely the atrocities committed by the federal Residential School system against our indigenous community. Discover hidden meanings in the installation and its history.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a chat with writer-in-residence Tololwa Mollel, an inside look at what the St. Albert Pottery Guild is up to, interesting teas being brewed around town (page X), summer harvest recipes, and a chronicle of St. Albert Trail.

Finally, it might be best to consider that although many of us might bemoan the end of summer, a big-picture perspective of more serious matters faced by others worldwide might temper that sentiment.