I mean, I'm not going to say this place is "as good as it gets", because we know that when people…read morecome here it typically isn't for anything good. No one wants to spend their day here, but I do find that there are ways to make your life easier. Courthouse 101 For starters: If you're in 365, 268, or 265 there are volunteers from the Elizabeth Fry Society wearing purple vests that are there to help YOU! Anything that you might need. They are also at the front desk on the provincial side. - Kiosks are there to help you - put your last name in and find your courtroom. If it doesn't show up, go to the information desk on the first floor. They will point you in the right direction. - Legal Aid offices are on the 2nd and 4th floors at the end. You may have better luck on the 4th floor as there are more people working there. - Emergency Protection Orders are on the provincial side in front of courtroom 268 - if you're unable to wait for an EPO at court you can go to any police station and file one. - Native Counseling is located on the provincial side in front of courtroom 356 - Law library is located on the second floor - There is a cafe in the basement (provincial) - Witness check in is typically located in front of courtroom 356 (provincial) - Traffic court is on the first floor in front of the doorways (provincial main lobby) - Queen's Bench is through the glass doors past the TV screens - EFry offers bus passes and snacks for those in need - office is on the 4th floor on the provincial side. Even though it is a daunting process, it doesn't have to me. I wholeheartedly recommend relying on those from the EFry Society if you are confused. Hopefully this helps a few people!

I was actually the first to review this outhouse on the weekend it opened, but my review was taken…read moredown. However, Paul's review is very thorough and I would only add one thing. The doors on the ladies stalls don't come down far enough to properly cover you when you are seated on the throne. I realize due to security, the patrons need to be visible at all times. I can pretty much see your undies when I'm walking or driving by. If you are going to use the toilet, wear pretty underwear at least.

I wonder if this is the first Yelp review of a public toilet building? Perhaps I am making Yelp…read morehistory here! The Whyte Avenue Public Washrooms were built in 2012 at a public cost of $536,000 to address concerns of inebriated bar patrons using public and private property to relieve themselves after leaving the bars. They initially were open 24 hrs/day but the hours have been scaled back a bit so they are now closed a few hours after the bars let out. They have been designed intentionally to have glass walls so that you can see into them which provides users with a sense of safety and also discourages any negative activity from going on inside. They also are only heated to +5C in winter and have no summer air conditioning to discourage people from loitering inside. Besides serving the after bar crowd the majority of users are the daytime shoppers and passer-bys. The public perception of the washrooms varies. Some people love them and some hate them. I'm sure the residents that live in and around the area like them especially if they are seeing less public urination around their homes and properties. Here is one article on the washrooms: http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=19372ecf-ec64-4e1b-b047-8591a41d261d Also, a local documentary film maker did a short film called iCup (get it..."I See You Pee) regarding the washrooms for an Air Canada En Route magazine film contest. Not sure how he did in the contest or if it is available online to view any longer. Personally I think having these public washrooms available is a good thing. I'm not a late-night bar patron on Whyte Ave much these days so my chance of using these in the nighttime is probably slim to none. I have stopped in during the day to use them once and felt fine using it. Facilities like these are more popular in Europe but I think we may see more of these cropping up in Canada. I think that Edmonton has probably been used as a testing ground on how to design one of these to operate in -30 to -40C temperatures. It will be interesting to see these become more popular in Canadian urban centres.

The service we received yesterday at Windermere registry was super-fast and excellent. The only…read morecomplaint is that all the employees spoke their native language to each other in front of the clients, so it was very unpleasant to hear. I think that if you live and work in Canada and the official language is English, you should use it, especially in public places like this.

The Sherwood Park & District Chamber of Commerce is a busy, active Chamber…read more They host a business networking breakfast every Thursday morning at 8 a.m. that is usually standing room only. I suggest showing up before 7:40 am as it will be hard to find a parking spot otherwise. The format is usually housekeeping items for a couple minutes, then Derek Pyne - who is the membership guru and runs the breakfasts - has everyone start doing introductions. The introductions are very quick - 20 seconds or so and the room is covered within the first half hour. The second part of the breakfast is a guest speaker that will speak for about 20 minutes. The speakers range from local and provincial politicians to developers, larger industry reps and small business owners. The meal part of the breakfast is usually boiled eggs, yoghurt, fruit, almonds and pastries etc. Overall, they are a friendly group that will welcome newcomers (and even give them a round of applause).

I will echo what Carla said in her review. It's a great organization to be a part of as a business…read moreowner. Weekly networking events that are free, so many opportunities to give back and it's great that there is an organization that supports and advocates for business in Sherwood Park and Alberta. They have spaces that are quite reasonable to rent if you want to hold an event. The only down fall is you have to bring in your own AV equipment. Also their "free" wifi is for Shaw customers only. The Chamber creates a fabulous community like atmosphere. I'm proud to be a member of this organization.

Sunday afternoon is the time to hang out at the library. I got lots of help with a couple of…read morespecific things. Very nice staff. Lots of parking.

I was there yesterday with my daughter and granddaughter and young girl that works there so rude …read more She's cleaning the toys and putting chairs back to their place and turns around with a stool in her hand and hit my granddaughter which isn't even 2 yet in the side of her head !! She apologized very fast without any sympathy or acknowledgement of what could have been so worse!!!! I notified the staff but I'm pissed !!! If you can't be a civilized person to work with the public and community and especially children then don't be there !!!

On Canada Place - you are full of so many things that take my money ;-)…read more Useful but inconvenient. Parking is atrociously expensive if you have to drive here. If you can LRT it, that's a good plan but I feel ya in the cold blizzard winter months, parking it is. At least Revel is located next door if you manage to come here in the late afternoon and can hit happy hour next door afterwards. Be prepared to wait for days, well more likely hours but it feels like days when you're needing help at the passport office. Immigration and citizenship are also handled here - spent many, many hours here but thankfully that's done! As well as taxes, yuck. There are pedways connected to many other spots here including the Shaw Convention centre. In the basement is a small food court but it's PRICEY - why? Why can't you just have a subway or something delicious and reasonable like that?

Excellent experience renewing my adult passport this morning. Got in line by 750 am. Individual…read moreservice workers were escorting people to their stations by 8 am. I received professional, friendly, efficient service and was on my way in less than half an hour! Wow!

Well, what can I say about Strathcona County hall? Most of my experience has been of the County…read moreCouncil meetings and they are interesting, to say the least. Lets start with the room and decor. The room is set up in a theatre half round with portable chairs sitting on tiered steps - kind of like a half round Roman coliseum. This seating arrangement provides a good sightline for all in attendance. The chairs are not the most comfortable, but I have certainly experienced worse. In airport waiting areas. Two big screens behind the Council members projects motions and presentations as they arise. The motions are sometimes so small as to be almost unreadable. I think whoever prepares them should consider using a minimum font size of 24. The council seats are flanked with an impressive array of flags to give it a properly ceremonial feel. The press area is located at the back of the room and has a ledge that enables media to sit with their laptops and plug them in. This would be something that might be considered for others in attendance. It is not just the press who bring their laptops or other technology to council meetings. Now, for the show. You definitely get your money's worth at these events. Admittance is free and the shows run every second Tuesday starting at 2 pm. They are quite long and will sometimes go until 8 or 9 at night. The players are 9 councillors, including the mayor. It is often easy to see the tension amongst the players as they jockey for position as the "top dog" or at least the "not bottom" dog on any given event. Witty barbs and not so clever snipes are often heard as the participants heat up on topics such as snow removal, art gallery guidelines and development plans. I think that maybe the crew could be provided a bit more direction as they seem to run amok at times. There are often guest appearances from various committee members and residents. These are often the pleasant parts of the show as all participants spend much time patting each other on the back. When administration guest stars, it is often a different thing. This is when the drama really heats up and the audience is often on the edge of their seats. Will the Mayor berate and argue with what is presented? Will Council find problems with the information they are given? Will administration show their true feelings or cover it behind tight smiles? The highest drama occurs when administration presents to Council and some members of council begin to disagree with the information while others don't. This is when you really want to get your popcorn out and settle in for a great show! When this happens, it is usually followed by a break that is called by the Mayor. This will give you just enough time for a washroom break or a quick run for a latte at the library coffee shop. Although I wouldn't recommend bringing small children or those easily offended, it is still good entertainment for your money.

My favourite library in the area…read more I enjoy the convenient location being a 5 minute walk away, the free underground parking and street level parking, the large spacious area spread across 2 levels, the architectural accents, delightful artistic mosaic pieces. Let's not forget there's actually a cafe inside the library! Who wouldn't enjoy curling up with a good book and a latte here? :) The strathcona library also has a bunch of programs available ranging from kids to adults, a decent size rack of books & movies on sale outside the main doors in the lobby, and lovely staff. Bonus: it's inside the Community Centre, which hosts a variety of different events throughout the year, such as farmers markets during the evening of a particular weekday during the spring & summer (Wednesday's I think?). Also! New Years in the Park is great! Free hot chocolate and they still lit fireworks this past New Year's Day (the -freezing day)

What can I say? we have the most incredible library in the history of libraries. No, really, I…read morethink we have a book on how we are the most incredible!! This lovely library opened in November of 2010 and I have been a regular ever since. There is something for everyone here. We have big tall windows to let lots of natural light pour in and cozy nooks to curl up in. There are plenty of plug ins for laptops and chargers as well as lots of comfy seating. There is an area with desks where you can plug in your laptop or there is another section that has computers you can use. There is free Wifi - that doesn't require a library card or anything else convoluted to use. The library is two stories and there is a coffee shop on the first floor, with the adult study area upstairs. The first floor houses the children's section with a great magical kingdom area. Speaking of kids (and adults who want to be kids) you can also check out a Wii and play it in one of the alcoves. Of course, the library also has the usual vast selection of hard cover, soft cover and e-books. DVDs, CDs etc. to check out. There are automated check out and return machines but if you have to go to the information desk, they are pleasant and helpful. I honestly can't think of one way they could improve on this place!