Lomography

Sir Winston Churchill Square
written by dirklancer on November 29th, 2008 (1 vote)

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Sounds like a location in the UK, non? Well, our fine Canadian city does have a fairly British sounding name… Sir Winston Churchill Square is nearly smack-dab-in-the-middle of the “Festival City”, and many of our festivals and other events are held here. Whether it’s to watch a family movie on a three-storey inflatable screen, or to take in the International Street Performers Festival, this is the place that Edmontonians gather to soak up culture.

The square, which was somewhat controversially nearly completely paved over several years ago, is surrounded by many of Edmonton’s cultural and civic institutions. City Hall is across the street to the north, and the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library across the street to the south. Flanked on all sides by the currently-under-construction Art Gallery of Alberta, the Francis Winspear Centre (music hall), the Citadel Theatre, and the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), the square is the centre of the city in many respects.

My favorite parts of the square however, are not it’s connection to the many institutions, but a couple of smaller things. The strangely comforting life-size statue of Lunchbox Joe, a permanent fixture, sitting on a bench and enjoying a break from his labour, and the monolithic representation of the square’s namesake, an imposing Winston watches over his wards. Another thing I enjoy about this spot, especially as a shutter-happy lomographer, are the many perspectives and vantage points that can be found in the various levels and corners.

If you find yourself in the city of Edmonton, just look for the middle of it all and you’ll find yourself in Sir Winston Churchill Square.

http://www.edmonton.ca/Churchill_Square_Self_Guided_Tour.pdf
http://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/attractions/downtown/sir-winston-churchill-square.aspx