EAT ME

Atlantic Trap and Gill

Edmonton’s south side is slated to lose a bevvie of imported local colour come March. The Atlantic Trap and Gill, a pub that caters to the Down Home diaspora, is closing its swinging doors.

There were tell-tale signs, more modest crowds and modest price increases. Word has it that there are not enough homesick Maritimers left in town to keep the business going. This reflects the flat-lined state of Alberta’s oil patch, and perhaps improving career prospects along Canada’s east coast. The timing of the legislated increase to the provincial minimum wage was likely inopportune.

Located a few blocks south of the midpoint of the Whyte Avenue entertainment strip, the Trap always had a neighbourhood feel. The stand alone building is a converted automotive garage that backs onto streets of squat, walk-up apartments. The décor is ocean pedestrian, fishing nets and buoys augmented by Moosehead and Alexander Keith’s beer signs, St. John’s antique kitsch, the walls and pillars papered with snapshots of regulars past and present. The long tables are communal; the live music kitchen party.

The menu is cheesier than a loaded donair, replete “wit” regional pronunciation and slang; no doubt a “big arsed” bastard to proofread and spell check. Because atmosphere affects publicly prepared and purchased food, the Trap’s fish and chips are arguably the best in the city. The hefty burgers are garnished with traditional toppings and condiments leaving no “fuckin’” space for a precious, apple-smoked-bacon-infused aioli. The sweetly sauced Halifax donairs are a chronic belcher’s delight.

The Trap was never a big game destination. The televisions are old and small by current sports bar standards. The pool tables are no longer the colour of money. The dart boards are decorative. The men’s room, “the shitter,” is problematic for particularly persnickety patrons. One can only speculate about the condition of the food prep area.

So, in five weeks or so Old Strathcona will lose a little bit of its character, become a little more generic. The window of an independent business on a busy streetscape already strip mauled with chain store and franchise signage will be papered over.