edmontonhappenings

Edmonton All in for the first CEBL Season

Labels: @CEBL @EdmontonStingers, @EdmontonExpo, @theedmontonmuse, #Edmonton Expo centre, #holdcourt, #weareteamcanada, ballers, Basketball Canada, Edmonton Stingers, FIBA, hoops, inaugeral season, Pro Basketball 1 comments

It was an announcement that caught a lot of people off guard, the Canadian Elite Basketball League is coming to Edmonton. It was announced in November that Pro Basketball and the Edmonton Stingers would be coming to Edmonton's Northlands Expo Centre starting May 10th, 2019. Then came the announcement of Kail Schofield (Some will remember him as the announcer for the former Edmonton NLL Lacrosse team, the Edmonton Rush) becoming Director of Business operations.

What stands out is the team is looking to make the game an entertainment package as well as a sports event, with the Ticket prices starting at 20.00 bucks a game for season tickets at 199.99 per seat for the season. Definitely priced for everyone. Single games will be slightly higher. This will be a high energy extravaganza, with a little Raptors energy, community events and fan involvement for a real entertainment experience.

The league has put some big names in place for its operations and management for example Western League Operations President and COO Lee Genier, former president of the NLL Saskatchewan Rush, as well as 19 years as Senior Vice President, Business Operations with the Calgary Stampeders, where the team earned 3 grey cup rings. In 2010 he joined the board of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton where in 2014 the organization brought home a gold medal from Russia. These types of credentials show the type of professional leadership the league is bringing on board to ensure its success.

Edmonton joins 2 other western division teams Fraser Valley Bandits and the Saskatachewan Rattlers, as well as 3 eastern division teams, Niagara River Lions, the Guelph Nighthawks and the Hamilton Honeybadgers. Already having partnerships with Spalding, New Era, Ticketmaster, the CEBL annoucned having partnered with basketball Canada becoming the national organizing body's official First Division pro league, putting the CEBL on the international landscape as well.

There are a lot of reasons this is a win-win for the league and Basketball Canada, First the league will be playing FIBA rules, and the league will be using Basketball Canada trained referees and officials, there will be mandatory Canadian content as well as a draft to occur in the spring of 2019.

The league is hoping to expand to include teams in every province. With the ties to Basketball Canada and the major partners, Basketball fans are in for a competitive season and maybe a few rivalries along the way.

Apparently Saskatoon has already set its sight on a rivalry with Edmonton! Will we see the billboards in each of the cities showing up before the games to rile up the crowds like in the CFL. It will be great to see pro basketball hit the Courts this May.

Tickets are now on sale for season tickets and group events. Seat map

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K-days 2018 - the Experiences Part III - The Pow Wow

Labels: @K-Daysyeg, #Edmonton Expo centre, #kdaysyeg, #YEG, indigenous, indigenous community, Indigenous Costumes, k-days, Northlands Expo Centre, pow wow, Six Nations 0 comments

There was one event that everyone who attends K-Days has to catch and that is the K-Days Pow Wow. The celebration of the heritage and culture by the various Indigenous Nations that exist in Western Canada is such an amazing sight. With dancing and costumes that would be envy of any culture the Pow Wow shows that a joint celebration is something to behold. But I think Pictures are the only way to tell the story......

Part I Part II Part III Pow Wow Part IV Entertainment

K-Days Entertainment

Labels: @K-Daysyeg, @theedmontonmuse, #kdaysyeg, #YEG, Beach Boys, Cheap Trick, Destroyer, Doc Walker, ECEE, Edmonton, fair, Hailey Benedict, KISS, Krissy Feniak, Live Entertainment 0 comments

K-Days entertainment this year was not up to the standards that have had people flocking to the stages at Northlands. Of the concerts we attended the concerts on the North Stage were more well rounded appealing to a number of different groups and genres. The South stage had groups from the baby boomer era's from the ICE Cube to the beach boys and Cheap Trick, with the Village People mixed in. Walk off the Earth, Marianas Trench, Billy Talent and Lil Jon. A number of the artists had appeared previously at K-Days.

The North Stage was much more varied, The unfortunates and 54-40, the Alberta Music Showcase, The Odds, Brent Butt (Comedy), Destroyer (KISS cover Band), Doc Walker (Country), The Headpins and PRISM, with a little Improv comedy and a silent Disco.

It is unfortunate the The EEDC currently running Northlands, and Northlands did not see a need to be varied on both stages and provide a varied entertainment experience for attendees. In all most of the artists existed before the target audience at k-days existed. Overall Opinion is that there was a lot of opportunity to reach and draw in people who may not attend the festival/fair.
When you consider fairs that are doing similar shows are providing a higher quality of entertainment for less cost. The PNE for example (https://www.pne.ca/events/month/) Dean Brody, The GooGoo dolls, Wilson Phillips, Marianas Trench Air Supply, Jann Arden and Chicago as you can see even though some are older groups or artists they are also a lot more varied in styles and slightly higher quality. The Shows at The Canadian National Exhibition we won't even compare as that is a completely different level of show.

Now having attended a number of the shows, I found the entertainment was good, just in a lot of cases dated.