Get ready to engage for safer streets, better biking options, and a thriving community, with updates on projects like traffic calming, bike paths, and improved public spaces.
Community Safety
In support of our members and to benefit the neighbourhood, the Ritchie Community League is committed to sharing resources and tools with residents to help ensure a safe and healthy community.
Quicklinks:
Guide to positive interactions (pdf) and training video (50 min).
Residential Property Safety video (50 min) and guide using environmental design.
Lots of tips, guides, and help, including information in multiple languages, found on the Neighbourhood Enhancement Team’s website.
When to call 911
If you see a crime in progress or if you encounter a person who is violent towards you, call 911.
If you witness someone causing damage to property or someone watching a house, lurking around, etc. with the intention of monitoring someone.
When to call 211, option 3
If you see someone in distress, or behaving erratically
If you see a person regularly sleeping in public areas
If you witness aggressive panhandling
When to call 311
If you come across an encampment, tent or shelter on public or private property.
If you see people smoking in a non-smoking area.
Resources and actions
For community safety initiatives, the following resources and actions support community safety.
A printed version of this guide with directions on who to call in what circumstances will be available at league events.
On July 24, RCL hosted an introduction to personal safety while in the community…more workshops to come!
Watch the on-line presentation on how to have positive interactions who are agitated or aggressive (50 minute video).
Can’t do the video? Check out The Positive Interactions Guide.
RCL can work with the community safety liaison on assessments for areas that have negative interactions and strategies that foster position interactions. This can be for individual households or a public area. Contact inquiries@Ritchie-League.com for questions or interests.
The league is looking for an instructor to teach self-defense, with drop-in workshops this fall/winter.
We encourage everyone to talk to your neighbour, say hello when passing someone on the sidewalk, and keep an eye out for each other and one another’s property.
The Ritchie Public Market
Tuesdays from 3:30 - 7:30 pm
Hello Ritchie. Here we "grow" again!
The Public Market in Ritchie is here for a third season starting on June 6.
The Public Farmers Market operates from 3:30 to 7:30 pm every Tuesday until September 26.
As in the years prior, the market will host fruit, local veggies, artisan handicrafts, meats, seafood, etc. Let's not forget the food trucks that will be there as well. We look forward to having you visit us often this summer.
Questions about the market or any vendors wishing to join, can call Patrick at 780-913-2586.
See you at the Market!
Volunteer Opportunity
Would you like to help out at the Ritchie Public Market? We have a Ritchie Community League booth at the market and need volunteers to help run it. Sign up for your spot today.
Position Filled: Program Coordinator
DUE TO the Canada Summer Jobs grant REQUIREMENTS, Applicants must be aged 18-30.
APPLY BY June 23, 2023. THIS POSITION IS FOR 8 WEEKS, 35 HOURS/WEEK, starting in early July.
To apply, send your CV or resume to Nicole at vice-president@ritchie-league.com . Use the subject line: Ritchie Program Coordinator.
While we thank all folks for applying, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The COMMUNITY EVENTS & PROGRAMS COORDINATOR agrees to lead, execute, and support community events and summer programs for the Ritchie Community League (RCL). This includes developing marketing initiatives, collaborating with other volunteers and stakeholders, and organizing our summer programming.
RCL members value activities that bring people together and support inclusion. RCL will endeavour to create opportunities for all-age events and full-time programs.
EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS
Minimum 1 year of experience in program delivery, with a focus on children and/or youth programs
Experience in planning projects with multiple stakeholders is required
Experience with an Edmonton Community League is desirable
Experience with logistical coordination for events
Be willing to work variable hours with the occasional evening or weekend committee meetings.
The Community Events and Programs Coordinator position offers 35 hours per week at a $20 per hour rate of pay.
The New 2023/24 Ritchie Community League board!
Let's welcome the Ritchie board of directors for 2023/2024!
We've got an exciting year ahead of us.
Executive:
President: Carly Steiger
Vice-President: Nicole Ritchie
Treasurer: Yetayale Tekle
Secretary: Lisa Kercher
Directors:
Past-President: Avnish Nanda
Civics Director: Corina Ganton
Events Director: Robyn Kaulback
Hall Revitalization Director: Jeff Ollis
Volunteer and Memberships Director: Gary Ritchie
Fundraising Director: Bradley Lafortune
Director at Large: Dan Desnoyers
You can find more information about the board on the ABOUT US page.
Community League Bike Month Challenge
We've got some exciting news for this year's Community League Bike Month Challenge. Our pals at EFCL are taking over administration of the challenge! We've collaborated on a swanky new toolkit, and are looking to recruit even more leagues this year. The challenge starts June 1.
Are you a cyclist who wants to help Ritchie defend our title? Find - and join - the Ritchie United club on Strava.
You can also email your weekly totals to ritchie-united@ritchie-league.com each Sundays.
Do you want to bring the Bike Month Challenge to your community league?
Position Filled: Ritchie Hall Operations Manager
The Ritchie Community League is accepting job applications for the position of Hall Operations Manager
The Hall Operations Manager (HOM) coordinates the league’s facility rentals, including the RCL hall, and ensures the facilities are safe and clean. The HOM provides feedback and recommendations regarding rental inquiries, policies, and procedures as well as hall maintenance, repairs, renovations, and improvements.
The HOM is also responsible for developing a strong relationship with the board, key community partners and stakeholders, as well as long term renters, to support the league’s mission and vision.
The Hall Operations Manager position offers 15 hours per week, but hours will vary depending on the needs of the League and facility. The rate of pay is $22 per hour. The hours of work are flexible and can be negotiated. Occasional work from home is also an option.
If you are interested in this position, please email vice-president@ritchie-league.com with your resume (CV) and cover letter. Put "Hall Operations Manager" in the subject field of the email when you apply.
Deadline to apply: April 14.
Membership Value Survey
Proposed Strathcona Community Health Hub opening in west Ritchie
The Ritchie Community League expresses its support of the Boyle Street Community Services’ proposed overdose prevention site in west Ritchie on the condition that Boyle Street honours the commitments it has made to community residents throughout its consultation.
The drug poisoning crisis has impacted every neighbourhood in Edmonton, and Ritchie is no exception. Many in our community have witnessed overdoses in our streets and parks, or have had loved ones pass away as part of this crisis. An overdose prevention site in Ritchie could save lives and ensure that the health and well-being of the most vulnerable members of our community is maintained and enhanced.
The community has raised a range of concerns over the proposed site. From potential public safety impacts, to ensuring that those attending the site are provided the range of wraparound services they need to address their health and social circumstances.
Boyle Street has committed to addressing the community’s concerns in a comprehensive and ongoing manner, and that it will be responsive to any issues raised into the future. Boyle Street promises not only to be a member of our Ritchie community, but a good neighour, one who takes it obligations to its neighbours and community as whole in a proactive, devoted manner.
The league’s support of the site is contingent on Boyle Street’s fulfillment of the promises it has made to the community.
For more information on the proposed health hub, please visit Boyle Street’s website.
For further inquires and information on Ritchie Community’s League’s position, please contact our President Avnish Nanda at president@ritchie-league.com.
Ritchie Business Spotlight: Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn
If you’re craving an enormous plate of decadent pancakes or French toast, a delicious omelet or eggs Benedict, or a hearty serving of sausage, bacon, and eggs, may we recommend one of the best restaurants for breakfast, lunch, and brunch in Edmonton:
Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn
Why You Must Eat Here
It may be a family restaurant, or fall into the diner category of eating venues, but the German heritage of Barb and Ernie’s Old Country Inn is what sets them apart. On the menu you’ll find smatterings of German influence such as wiener schnitzel, bratwurst sausage, and potato pancakes. They even make their own condiments which have gained popularity with patrons over the years.
Although Barb and Ernie’s may strive for consistency and tradition, they also surprise with new offerings. To the delight of customers, they have experimented with breakfast specials like rouladen eggs Benedict, or the Christmas inspired French toast with pears, white chocolate and cranberries. Yummy indeed!
For those desiring a beverage of the alcohol variety, the restaurant offers traditional German beer along with brews from many of the local craft breweries that have popped up around the neighbourhood in recent years.
A Rich History in the Ritchie Community
Mango cream cheese crepes
Barb & Ernie’s is an Edmonton culinary institution! In operation since 1975, the restaurant gained notoriety in the 1980s through the talents and colourful personalities of its hosts, original owners, Barb and Ernie Feuchter.
Many in Ritchie have fond memories of breakfasts at Barb and Ernie’s, being greeted by Ernie and savouring the wonderful meals prepared by Ernie and Barb. Some of us also remember Ernie being quite a local celebrity in the 80s-90s through his appearances on cooking segments on local TV morning shows. (An annotated timeline of the history of Barb and Ernie’s restaurant appears on their breakfast menu. It is worth a read).
The tradition of excellence continues with second generation current owners, Thomas and Charlene Feuchter. Thomas, being the oldest of Barb and Ernie’s four children, grew up working in his parent’s restaurant. Together, he and wife, Charlene, honed their restauranteur skills as owners of Thomas’ Fisherman’s Grotto, a delightful “labour of love” for the couple, in the current location of the Blue Chair restaurant in east Ritchie. It was during this time that the couple began to raise a family, mingle with customers, and establish their own unique identity within the community. Thomas’ Fisherman’s Grotto operated for 12 years in Ritchie.
With Ernie suffering health issues in later years, the time was ripe in 2008 for Thomas and Charlene to take over ownership of Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn. To this day, the name of the restaurant remains the same, as well, the tradition of excellence. The vision and passion of the Thomas and Charlene, continues to endear the restaurant to existing and new generations of patrons.
Their Amazing Staff
Current owners Charlene and Thomas Feuchter
Integral to the success of Barb & Ernie’s is their manager, Chris Morris, who has been with the restaurant 41 years. Chris is the official greeter of every customer who walks through the doors, and Thomas and Charlene are quick to point out that her people skills are unmatched by anyone they have ever met.
Charlene and Thomas run the kitchen. So, how does a married couple work side-by-side, day-in-and-day-out? “It's something we still work on, but we are getting better the older we get”, says Charlene. She lovingly refers to Thomas as her "Connor McDavid" in the kitchen There is no one who can run a grill like him. On any given Sunday, Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn pumps out up to 400 breakfasts, accommodating swarms of hungry patrons. Pretty impressive for a restaurant where the kitchen and grill space the size of a regular home kitchen.
The majority of serving staff is under 20-years-old. Barb and Ernie’s have a history of hiring and developing the hospitality skills of their young wait staff, and that tradition has continued through the years. Charlene and Thomas take pride in admitting that their staff are like family. “We never forget them, and they never forget us. We have ‘kids’ who worked with us 10 years ago coming in to visit with their own kids now”. Even today, you will seldom find a more welcoming an enthusiastic serving staff then the young people working at Barb and Ernie’s.
Great Food and a Welcoming Vibe
For Barb and Ernie's Old Country Inn, their goal is to make you feel at home. Warm hospitality with quality comfort food, coupled with efficiency is what they strive for every day.
Barb and Ernie’s Inn has always been a place for patrons to gather, dine, and connect with one another. Few restaurants can boast of the large demographic that the Old Country Inn attracts, with customer relationships that span years and even generations. A common sight are the weekly groups of families, friends, retirees, and business partners meeting to enjoy the great food and service that Barb and Ernie’s provides. Food will always connect people. Barb and Ernie’s Old Country Inn is a stage for those connections. For Thomas and Charlene, it makes the work and challenge of running a successful restaurant business all worthwhile.
New Directions and Partnerships
Paul and Amsale Sumamo of Langano Skies
The Feuchters have recently decided to slow things down a bit, taking more time to enjoy family, and the fruits of their labour. The Old Country Inn may close after 2 pm, it’s created opportunity for another amazing family restaurant to offer take out service in the evening hours. Langano Skies Ethiopian Cuisine joined Barb and Ernie’s Old Country Inn this past October after closing their Whyte Avenue location. Thomas and Charlene are quick to admit that Paul and Amsale Sumamo have been a joy and pleasure to share space with. It was a natural fit. Langano Skies offers take-out Thursday to Saturday 4:30-9:00 pm and have also been doing special dine-in evenings once or twice a month.
Barb and Ernie’s are proud to be a part of the Ritchie community and the business community on Block 72 most notably, the What's New on 72 Block Party held on Father’s Day weekend highlighting all the great businesses, products, and services in the area. In January 2023, Barb and Ernie’s was honoured to participate in the successful "hilli for Charity event held at Longroof Brewing Co. for Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS).
Let’s continue to show Barb and Ernie’s our appreciation for being a valued part of the Ritchie community. If you haven’t visited Barb and Ernie’s yet, or it’s been a while, you might want to plan your next breakfast or brunch at the Old Country Inn.
Barb & Ernie’s Old Country Inn
9906 72 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 0Z3
Hours: Mon - Closed
7 am – 2 pm Tues - Fri
8 am – 2 pm Sat and Sun
Website: oldcountryinnedmonton.com
Phone: (780) 433-3242
Email: oldcountryinn@gmail.com
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More Ritchie businesses worth visiting are listed in out shopping guide!
Improvement Opportunity
Share your thoughts! how can we improve?
Parent lead playgroups
This program is for parents/guardians with kids ages 0-5 who are interested in connecting with other Ritchie (or adjacent neighbourhood) families.
Weekly meet-ups at the hall for ages 0-5, Wednesdays, 9 to 11 am (led by Hannah) except during July, August, spring break, and December/January holiday break.
There is no cost to drop-in but we ask that you consider purchasing a Ritchie membership, an affiliate membership or donate what you can.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIIES
For September 2023 onward, we are looking for a new program lead for the 0-5 year old playgroup.
Starting and hosting a different playgroup for a different age range.
CONTACT: Programs@ritchie-league.com