Westworld Alberta

advent atwitter SOME CHRISTMAS traditions are better left in the past. Take, for exam- ple, the 19th-century Christmas Side Hunt, in which participants would form teams and head out into the frosty fi elds to see who could shoot the most birds. Thankfully, in 1900 Frank Chapman, ornithologist, con- servationist and early offi cer of the National Audubon Society, suggested (this page top) A pine grosbeak, a bird species found in Alberta; (right) celebrity chef Susur Lee instructs up-and-coming chefs at Ernest's Dining Room; (below) performers from a previous Forte Musical Theatre production ham it up behind the scenes. that instead of shooting birds, people count them. And so began the Christmas Bird Count, the largest and longest running citizen-based science survey in the world. The day-long events now take place every year between December 14 and January 5 across North America, in more than 2,000 locales. Calgary's is one of the longest- running in Alberta – December 18 will mark its 52nd year. Calgary records an average of 60 to 70 species a year, almost three times the number found in more northern areas, such as Grande Prairie and Beaverlodge (counting on December 17 and 18 respectively). Rare birds found last year in Calgary included a tundra swan and black-backed woodpeckers. In addition to fi eld counters, the event involves backyard bird-feeder watchers across the province. So if you can tell the difference between a western grebe and a red-necked grebe (or you want to learn), grab a pair of binocu- lars and sign up for a Christmas Bird Count near you. –Tracy Hyatt bsc-eoc.org Chefs' Special ERNEST'S DINING ROOM at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology tends to fl y under the radar of Edmonton's foodie crowd, but this gem of a supper spot is worth seeking out. After all, this is where Canada's next culinary superstars are sharpen- ing their knife skills and building their creative chops. And thanks to the school's Chef-in-Residence program, these kitchen prodigies have trained under the likes of Susur Lee, David Adjey and Rob Feenie. Ernest's menus showcase local ingredients that change with the season. This fall, look for water- cress salad with Gull Valley tomatoes and Sylvan Star "Grizzly" gouda, among other contemporary creations. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, and dinners Tuesday through Friday (780-471-8676). In Calgary, head to The Highwood (403-284- 8615; ext. 2), the in-house dining room at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology School of Hospitality and Tourism. —Jennifer Cockrall-King *Win a Chef's Table for Six, including wine, worth $900, at Ernest's. AMARewards.ca/Contests musically inclined ARE YOU A GLEEK? Do you spontaneously break into song when you need to express how you're feeling? If so, grab a front-row seat at a Forte Musical Theatre Guild production this winter. The Calgary-based organization is the only theatre company in Canada dedicated exclusively to musical revues. The company stages one musical per season, often choosing productions that overturn Broadway conventions — easy-to- follow narratives, toe-tapping tunes and happy endings — and redefi ne audience expectations of the genre. This season's production is Jeremy de Bergerac (January 31 to February 11), about a student at an all-boys school who helps stage a pro- duction of Cyrano de Bergerac with the nearby girl's school. "It's as much a story about teachers as it is the students," says the theatre's artistic director, Joe Slabe, who wrote the production. One of the best parts of attending a Forte Musical Theatre Guild show is being inside the historic Pumphouse Theatre. Built in 1913, the brick structure was originally used to house water equipment. —T.H. fortemusical.ca; 403-244-0114 (bird) David Tipling/All Canada Photos; (chef) Jason Ness/NAIT Photography; (theatre) Forte Musical Theatre/Tim Nguyen, Citrus Photography WESTWORLD >> NOVEMBER 201 1 11

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