dhp999

By far the most popular tourist attraction in Edmonton is 'The Mall' - West Edmonton Mall, which is considered to be the largest shopping mall in the world. I've created a photo album depicting features of the mall as well as views around Edmonton with its winter snow cover at:
http://community.webshots.com/album/105642684Gwqrdi

Borealis

EXCELLENT photos dhp999!!!!!!!!!!!!

The winter shots around the U of A campus are especially pretty. When did you take the photos?? It hasn't looked so fresh and white in weeks!!

WEM (West Edmonton Mall) IS the largest shopping mall in the world, but I don't find that it is a particularly appealing place, and wouldn't take visitors there unless specifically requested to do so.

dhp999

I took the campus shots during the last blizzard a few weeks ago. In a couple of the shots you can see the snow slanting across the picture. The campus shots are actually my favorites in the album, though my Australian wife, who hates the winter, thinks that I am a bit crazy to find the snowy landscapes so attractive.
As far as the Mall is concerned, whenever we have relatives up visiting us from Australia, that's where they want to go to spend a lot of time, though the Legislature grounds are a close second. I think we locals tend to be a bit cynical about the Mall. Last week when I was there taking pictures I noticed the reaction of a couple of Japanese girls who seemed to be visiting it for the first time. When they first saw the wave pool, they actually gasped in amazement and were tremendously excited. Everyone that I've taken to the Mall has been very much taken with it and that's the thing that they always mention first when phoning home.

Flyboy

Excellent photos and they brought back great memories from our visit to Edmonton. As far as the mall, I am NOT a shopper but much to my surprise, I found it quite incredible and ended up spending nine hours there. Thanks for sharing your outstanding work!

Borealis

Oh it's not just locals that have a negative view of WEM.

On taking visitors from Europe to the Mall, I have heard a variety of comments, from a very noncommital "Oh how interesting. . . ", to "It's only a collection of shops and amusements", to outspoken observations, including criticism of the people in the Mall (Why is everyone in Canada so fat?), and the way they dress and behave (Don't the people here know how to dress - I wouldn't wear such sloppy outfits even when cleaning my house!!).

So instead of WEM, I show visitors Old Strathcona (Whyte Ave), & our beautiful river valley, Fort Edmonton Park (a little bit of local history), and of course the Legislature grounds and the U of A campus.

April

Who would have thought photos of a mall could be so interesting? Beautiful, bright & crisp outdoor shots as well. You could do a heckuva brochure on Edmonton, dhp999!

dhp999

Actually, Borealis, you might have noticed that quite a few of the pictures in my album are of the current Ice on Whyte display in Old Scona as well as of the University of Alberta campus under its winter snow cover. In addition to this album I have a number of other albums showing all the aspects of Edmonton that you have mentioned. It's just that I have found that for most people who have never been to Edmonton, the Mall is the only thing about the city that they know. It's the 'loss leader' that gets people here so that we can show them everything else that the city has to offer. Anyway, some of my other albums are listed below:
http://community.webshots.com/album/640424
http://community.webshots.com/album/22921892xgpHumfsHL
http://community.webshots.com/album/12855322jqALQEOeOp
http://community.webshots.com/album/41591749RHRKvC
http://community.webshots.com/album/41713465HnXzik
http://community.webshots.com/album/47324803TDNpEH
http://community.webshots.com/album/42166374fzFlsD

Scarlett

This is the mall with the dying dolphin?

Meesthare

Yup, that's the one. It would be kind of a scary place even without the dying dolphin. Which is not to take away from the excellent photography, dhp999 - the outdoor snow shots are gorgeous.