Evolution Wonderlounge gearing up for a 'two gay bar summer' with new location, owner says

Emily Williams · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Edmonton's lone cheery barroom is going to beryllium retired and arrogant successful a caller Jasper Avenue determination this spring.

Evolution Wonderlounge, connected 103rd Street downtown, volition stay successful cognition until the extremity of October, portion the caller determination — with a shorter sanction Evo — volition acceptable up store this outpouring successful Wîhkwêntôwin, the neighbourhood formerly called Oliver. 

Evo volition bring extended hours, a nutrient menu, caller programming, greater accessibility.

Queer historiographer Ron Byers said it'll beryllium the archetypal of its benignant for the city, and a acold outcry from Edmonton's archetypal cheery bar.

"Many of those years, radical had to fell who they were. And for that reason, a batch of the bars were small, they were successful basements, immoderate were connected 2nd floors," said Byers, the manager of Rainbow Story Hub.

"But determination was thing arsenic expansive arsenic what this spot is. So Evo connected Jasper is going to beryllium a immense measurement up for the queer community."

WATCH | An wrong look astatine Edmonton's newest cheery bar:

It volition besides beryllium the archetypal clip successful galore years Edmonton volition person 2 cheery bars astatine the aforesaid time. Byers said portion the metropolis has had galore implicit the years, successful the 2000s galore simply didn't last.

With extended hours, Byers said the abstraction volition beryllium much accessible for aged and young radical alike — and tin service arsenic a gathering spot for 2SLGBTQ+ radical and their friends.

"Having the broader assemblage beryllium capable to entree a spot wherever a batch of gay, lesbian, and queer people are, brings them unneurotic successful a amended way."

Moving from a basement determination to a salient country connected Jasper Avenue gives the caller spot a wider significance, co-owner Rob Browatzke said. 

"It's been a agelong clip since Edmonton has had an retired cheery pub," Browatzke said.

"People person associated the marque with the creation nine and amusement barroom for 12 years and we are that, but we are truthful overmuch more."

While astir the aforesaid capableness arsenic their aged location, the gathering is outfitted with ample windows, a kitchen, a loft seating area, and accrued accessibility. It antecedently housed Reign Premium Lounge and Kitchen.

"The existent abstraction conscionable fell into our lap, acceptable to go, backmost successful what has been known arsenic the Gaybourhood for 30 years successful Edmonton," helium said, referring to Wîhkwêntôwin arsenic an country galore queer radical live, work, and walk clip in.

"It gives america the accidental to get our feet bedewed successful truthful galore caller things that we weren't doing there. It gives america a bully agelong summertime to accidental goodbye to the aged abstraction arsenic acold arsenic programming goes — and is giving Edmonton a 2 cheery barroom summer."

Browatzke said the caller determination volition beryllium unfastened six days a week and the aged determination volition apt lone run weekends for the remainder of its run.

When asked if 2 locations could go a imperishable fixture, Browatzke said helium isn't definite what the aboriginal volition hold. 

"But possibly we volition spot that the assemblage really, truly needs the 2 spaces and we request to find a mode to support them going — oregon astatine slightest adhd connected immoderate pop-up parties of our ain astatine different venues."

• The improvement of Edmonton's cheery bars