Growth and Grind – Page 3 – Family | People, Leadership, Health and Wellness

22Oct 2018 by Matt Edwards 2 Comments

Give back, stand up, have courage. Thanks Mom.

A question was posed to a team member network at work about the woman who inspires you. There are so many women I'm honoured to have in my life today but there was one woman who started it all: my mom. My mom was a single mom who raised my sister and me from when I was 4 to when I was almost 13 (it was around then when she met my step-dad). As I look ahead towards Christmas, one thing really sticks out is that we always had food, presents, and family at Christmas time. Growing up I never had this sense that we went without; my mom found a way to keep us from ever having to worry about that. Now, with a family of my own, I…

21Aug 2018 by Matt Edwards No Comments

Old Pulteney Scotch Tasting – 12yo vs Navigator

Old Pulteney 12yo Region: Highlands Age: 12 years ABV: 40% Nose: Bananas, salty air, lemon wafersPalate: Heavier than expected on the tongue, coats it with honey and spices, not that salty early on.Finish: Spices come later into the medium-length finish and I’m left with a brine - almost medicinal - in the back of my throat.Overall: The nose sets the stage but the taste doesn’t really deliver for me. The honey is nice but I’m left looking for more to follow from the nose. Old Pulteney Navigator Region: Highlands Age: NAS ABV: 46%Nose: Clean, crisp sweetness with iodine notes. A wee bit of vanilla with a woody apple in there.Palate: Woody notes with the sweetness of honey. A little tingly as it sits nicely on my tongue.Finish: Spice as the…

02Jul 2018 by Matt Edwards No Comments

The Arran Malt – Amarone Cask Finish

I tasted this two weeks ago at the Father’s Day scotch open house at Vines in Riverbend. It was one of my top two that I purchased because it was unique, damn delicious, and an incredible price. I opened my bottle this evening to revisit the whisky and I’m still blown away. Nose: Dark fruits and chocolate. Palate: Rich cherry, peppery spices, and heat. Finish: A slow, tongue-coating, spicy and dare I say “dry” finish. Overall: At 50% ABV, this is incredibly smooth. With water it coats your tongue more, you lose a bit of the heat, you pick up a bit of oakiness, and the finish lingers. Holy balls, I better be careful.

28Jun 2018 by Matt Edwards 1 Comment

Be a courageous ally

Where I work we talk about changing people’s lives for the better and doing what other banks won't do. We have 10 standards that guide and set the expectations for how we interact with each other and our customers. Recently, we announced an 11th standard (which is a big deal): Courageously be yourself and a true ally for each other. We also have a team member network called Ellevate whose goal is to influence the advancement of women in the workplace by bringing awareness of the reality women face every day, creating a supportive and engaging environment for women, and inviting men to be active allies. I'm part of the men's allyship committee (which is about 60% men and 40% women in case you were wondering) and - in the…

20Jun 2018 by Matt Edwards No Comments

You inspire others more than you know

A story was run recently in the Sherwood Park News about Hal Souster, the athletics director of Bev Facey High School, who is retiring after more than 30 years of teaching. I had the privilege of being in Mr. Souster’s phys ed class in grade 10. Up to that point I hated gym: I wasn’t as good at sports as other kids, I had no confidence, and I’d pretty much written off phys ed (electing to only take the mandatory minimum 3-credit class for my high school diploma). Then Mr. Souster showed me that sports and phys ed aren’t just about ability, they’re about team work, attitude, and heart. And he made sure our grades reflected that (I got my first 80% ever in gym in his class). I doubt…

19Mar 2018 by Matt Edwards No Comments

How cool are your jeans?

How cool your jeans were is one of the ridiculous things - amongst many - that I remember from my teenage years. I think everyone growing up in the '90s remembers the pursuit of brand-name jeans: Guess, Levi's, B.U.M. Equipment, and Bugle Boy are a handful of brands I can remember. You could easily tell who had Guess jeans by the red-outlined, white triangle on the back-right pocket. Wearing Guess jeans was probably the biggest deal among the girls, especially red ones (why red mattered, I'll never know). Among the boys, I vividly remember the great debate about the colour of the tab on a person's Levi's jeans. Yes, a folded piece of coloured ribbon was the make or break for a person's social standing. If a kid at school…

06Feb 2018 by Matt Edwards No Comments

The Ridiculous Ardbeg Tasting

The Edmonton Scotch Club held an Ardbeg scotch tasting on Saturday, February 3. It was the first time I'd been to an official club event. The last tasting I went to with some of the club members was the Millstone tasting at the Keg 'n' Cork (which was great by the way). For this tasting, we started with the first four whiskies, took a brief intermission, and finished the last four. It was an incredible night and my hat's off to Travis and the rest of the club for putting on a hell of an event. Notes and a few pics from the night are below. Kildalton Age: NAS ABV: 43% Nose: Light and sweet, I get caramel and vanilla. Palate: Soft on your tongue, there's a subtle smoke amidst…