The Jewish Federation of Edmonton discriminates against volunteers. Signed up to volunteer at the…read moreIsraeli pavilion at Edmonton Heritage Festival, (organized by the Jewish Federation of Edmonton), just as I had done last year. Was turned down as was told there was no need for volunteers; but the volunteer signup sheet still had plenty of volunteer spots available... Also, my spouse also signed up to volunteer but, unlike me, she didn't receive a rejection email. So I know for a fact that turning me down was targeted discrimination against me, and not a lack of the need for volunteers. Disgraceful!

The Jewish Community Centre serves many different functions. It houses the offices to several local…read moreJewish organizations, has a kosher snack bar, a daycare, and a gym. There used to be a swimming pool here but the costs to maintain it were not cost-effective. There also used to be a congregation that met here, but moved because the JCC was supposed to relocate elsewhere in the coming year. The building is getting older and its future is in question, but in the meantime lots of people from the Jewish community and beyond come here to work out and take part in fitness classes. The local Jewish historical archives are currently houses here as well, and I often come here to do research. I have also come here often to do volunteer work with one of the organizations.

The new park at the community league is INCREDIBLE. There was so many novel things to do here…read moreincluding a swing for adults and babies at the same time! Great trees around to run in and the park is filled with squishy tires instead of sand. It's a great place to play and if you get bored, there's another playground across the street! The community league itself has been renovated and looks amazing outsides the landscaping is gorgeous. Lots of events through the year as well.

When you first walk in, there's a large area for shoes and hooks for jackets. The hall itself…read moreisn't very large but they had a decent sound system for Zumba which is offered every Sunday morning. It's great the offer various programming for the community and people can walk to the hall. There are washrooms, benches, and hooks in the rink shake area off from the mall hall. There's also a kitchen that renters can use. This is a good place to rent for smaller events and come for community events!

Clean, but very small. It's in desperate need of some color and a sound system. I heard that they…read morehad one, but the event organizers weren't allowed to use it.

Only went here twice for a lap swim, the pool was too short and had too few lanes for lap swimming…read morethat I didn't want to go again. Since it's cheaper than some of the other fitness centres in Edmonton it might be a good choice for that but for me I preferred the Terwillegar or Peter Hemingway facilities. Changing rooms were fine, a bit dated. Staff seemed fine and the place was more relaxed than others. It's apparently closed for upgrades right now so I'm sure it will be a nice place to go to once that is finished.

The Edmonton Association of the Deaf is essentially the hub for Edmonton's large but sometimes…read moreunnoticed deaf community. I was first introduced to it's members during a sign language course I was taking where total immersion in one of their events was recommended to help further my learning. They organize quite a few social events within the community but also events reaching out to the hearing community to try and garner more interest in their causes and bridge the gap between the sometimes very different worlds. If choosing to attend one of their events it's important to remember not everybody can lip read and they generally prefer to use sign language as they are stuck using their voice so much already to interact with people who can hear so it's a good idea to have at the least a basic knowledge of ASL. Whether you are looking for resources for a deaf or hard of hearing family member,information about community events,or info on ASL and interpreting courses the Edmonton Association of the Deaf is an invaluable resource.

So apparently leaving a negative review gets you banned from booking with them ever again. Well,…read moresince I'm banned anyway, I guess I can just be honest about my experience with them. Last winter, I booked a holiday party for my team of healthcare workers at the hall. They confirmed my booking, so we started planning our holiday party. One week after they confirmed our booking, they emailed me to tell me they double booked the hall and cancelled my reservation. Understandably, I was upset. So I left a review saying I would not recommend them. I simply stated the facts, as noted above. I was totally willing to give them a second chance, so I attempted to book them 6 months in advance for our holiday party this year so there would be no chance for "double booking". To their credit, this time they were very efficient in refusing my request, stating because I left an honest review that I was not allowed to book their hall, even though they had no problem accepting my community league fees. There was a time when customer service was important, and if somebody screwed up, they would try to make it right. Apparently, according to Parkview Community League, their response to them screwing up is to blame the customer and ban them. So if you see a lack of negative reviews on this site, it's not because they provide a good experience, but more that they repress the truth and ban people for telling it.

I attended a large BBQ gathering on a Saturday and there was parking within a few blocks on the…read morestreet in the residential area. There's also a parking lot with one handicap stall very close to the hall. It was a nice and sunny day and the had tables set up for serving the BBQ burgers and hot dogs. It's a great outdoor place with seating and picnic tables, and close to a playground. There's the large field and room for bouncy castles. There were garbages but they were definitely getting full from the BBQ plates. Inside the hall was an open gym space and I also saw a kitchen. The bathroom had 3 women's stalls and due to the number of people, there was a line up. It's always great to use the community halls and have great spaces close to home that can accommodate events and parties.

I attended a wedding at this community league hall recently and the venue was perfectly sized for…read morethis particular event. The kitchen had a good number of features and the bathrooms were re-labeled to be gender neutral (not sure if only for the event or as a more permanent thing) which was stellar. The hall is accessible via an alleyway from the neighbourhood and has a small amount of parking nearby along with a nice little playground beside it. The mural on the building is a nice touch too.

Meadowlark Community League spans over three decades of community service and programs. What it is…read moremost known for is the skating in the winter. The ice is professionally hand made (not a common art, for sure!) and well maintained. There is supervision at the rink at certain times on weekdays and weekends. The Family Day celebration here in February is worth a visit, with horse-drawn carriages, skating, food, and fireworks to top things off in the evening. The skating rink was recently renovated. When a rink attendant is present, there are washroom and changing facilities. Skating is free to community league members, and I think there is a nominal charge for non-members. Support this community and have some winter fun outdoors!