People in Edmonton live interior lives. By which I mean, relationships and integrity are important. You don’t find as much posing or pretension as you would in a Toronto, or a Vancouver or, for that matter, a Calgary.

Whether or not that is true, Edmontonians are modest about their city. It’s a nice place to live, but it’s no Toronto (to quote a friend). The true gems of life in Edmonton are hidden below the surface. And they’re a bit hard to find out about because nobody is bragging about them.

For instance, we discovered a most wonderful little skating rink in Gariepy Park today. The ice surface follows a path that winds through a wooded area of the park. It’s cool because you can skate a circuit and there’s a larger area for beginners who want to stay close by.

It didn’t hurt that it was 4 degrees Celsius and sunny.

Here’s Ella skaing.