A Fond Farewell

As time goes on, so must we. A huge thank you for your continued patronage = )

Author

Jonah Chabaniuk
March 10, 2026

Greetings friends.

When I was young boy, an older fellow once recommended I strive to enjoy each moment, because few things are everlasting & all things eventually come to pass.

I started writing this letter almost two years ago after finding myself annoyed by the lack of community spirit present in Edmonton proper, especially post 2021. Having grown up in a small faming community near Edmonton, I’ve not only seen but experienced the power of community connection and wished to bring some of that magic into my now home-town.

Despite a busy career and limited time as it was, I set out to create a no-cost community resource promoting Edmonton’s vibrant arts & festivals scene while serving regular folks (like myself). Initial editions featured a full rundown of bands by venue as well as events, but it was cumbersome to research each band (mainly for genre) so I soon integrated all listings into the giant list you’ve seen up until now.

Unfortunately, as it often occurs, life is only getting busier & throwing together this letter each week has become increasingly more challenging. As such, I’ve decided it’s time to hang up my boots & see if our little community-at-large can continue fighting the good fight on our own accord.

So, I’ve decided to close out with a few things:

  1. I had decided early on that I didn’t want to advertise on this letter, mainly due to the small advertising budgets of (most of) the companies I’d prefer to feature. Good people who support community, local efforts & aim to serve far beyond only themselves. As I’ve done a fair bit of business with these folks and trust them, I’d like to give them a shoutout. Whether you choose to utilize these companies at any time is up to you. Please note that this list is not exclusively all knowing, but just a collection of companies I’ve encountered and continue to.

  2. I will post a full run down of where I source my events. Just the links.

  3. I recently opened a substack newsletter with the intent to share the occasional story. Creative writing is a hobby & if you’d be interested in reading my poetry or thoughts, i’d be happy to have you. I will put a link below.

  1. My favourite local businesses:

Heartland Floral Farm: Though you’ll be hard pressed to get this admission from the source, Janna (owner) is both a skilled gardener & master florist. If you’re getting married, celebrating an occasion or what have you, you’ll want to give this community focused gal a shout.

Kind Ice Cream: Great people behind the scenes. A solid mission & objective. Some of the best ice cream around. I can be spotted there often (LOL).

JOWO Plumbing: Which is a small plumbing company servicing Edmonton, Sturgeon County & Westlock County. John (owner) has done a number of jobs in my home. He has a keen eye for detail & stands behind his work. 780-901-4277

Nordic Tile: Older Czech guy who’s been laying tile for 50+ years. He did some tiling work in my house during several renovations. Best pricing I found anywhere (by a long shot) & a great quality of work. Old school work ethic. Jaroslav: 780-916-2096

Obli’s Auto Repair: An honest mechanic who handles all makes & models but especially European cars. They’ve only been around for a couple years but Obli serviced my spouse’s Volkswagen vehicles before he struck out on his own & he’s absolutely a class act who serves his community and always goes the extra mile.

Sheri Grier (Realtor): Sheri has helped me purchase and sell several properties & aside from her realty partner (Ashley) I am strongly disinclined to work with anyone else. For fair pricing and top-tier realty services, Sheri is my go to & I highly recommend her services. 780-700-1125

Dynamite Barbershop: AJ (owner) is a multigenerational barber and is very VERY passionate about cutting hair. His prices are very reasonable and the cuts are top notch. I reside a long ways away from St. Albert and won’t go anywhere else.

Goodbrand Auto: Josh Goodbrand has been fixing things on my vehicles since before he was self-employed. Now established 20 minutes NE of Edmonton in Gibbons Alberta, he is highly skilled, honest and community oriented.

Halfords: I’ve been buying my knife sharpening supplies from these guys for years. This place is run by great people who serve their community & go above and beyond with customer service. They also sell some cool stuff! Worth a look.

Mud, Sweat & Gears: I’ve purchased most of my bikes from MSG. Paul (owner) is very community focused, often organizing group rides and clubs. Great guy and great service.

Wildman Disc Golf: A true man of the disc, Matt (owner) is more than just an online disc golf store. I regularly catch Matt on city DG courses giving free lessons & leading adaptive groups. Great guy, super fun game & a good place to patronize.

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra: Needing no introduction, our local pro-level orchestra is more than just suit & tie affair. Catch their summer show series, often free or by donation to a great cause & enjoy the best music out there under open skies.

Firehouse Subs: This is the only chain I would’ve approached. After doing a fair bit of work in their restaurants & talking to owners, I learned about their commitment to funding local fire squads. Further, I recently learned that a local volunteer fire squad did indeed receive a large grant from FHS. So they walk the walk & I support that 110%

Residential Air Conditioning & Furnace work and Commercial Refrigeration Service Work: This is my trade and though I don’t do “side work” too often these days, feel free to reach out at [email protected] if you want a cut-rate quote. If I am unavailable (which is often the case), I’ll connect you with any one of the handful of honest, trustworthy refrigeration mechanics I know.

  1. The Master List:

Facebook also has a great listing of events.

  1. Personal Thoughts:

As I mentioned above, I recently opened a substack letter but have yet to post within. When time allows for it, I will be sharing short stories, poetry and personal thoughts on an infrequent basis. If you’d like to join, feel free to subscribe here. Many thanks for your patronage.

Alternatively, this is that link in full: https://proseandconnotations.substack.com/

Closure:

And folks, there you have it. Nearly two years and 2400 subscribers later, we’ve done a good number to revive our city once referred to as “Deadmonton”. The question now… can we keep it alive?

Thanks for your continued readership and efforts at making this community focused project come alive. From the bottom of my heart, it means a lot and I’m stoked we were able to share in this time & space together.

As always, I hope you all have amazing weeks as we quickly roll into Spring here. Enjoy the heat of summer & the beauty of fall before taking to the skating trails & ski hills once more.

Catch ya out there = )

Jonah

P.S. I will keep this publication alive, albeit dormant, in the event I have more time in the future and can continue posting. Feel free to unsubscribe if concerned, but please note that your data is secure here. I will not be selling email addresses (you wouldn’t believe how many people have inquired), nor will I be automatically adding your email to other publications I write. Beehiiv takes robust security measures to ensure security of user data, and as such, your info is safe here. Until we meet again… adieu = )