Susan McGee has spent much of her life in Edmonton in and around the city\u2019s core, raising her family first in McCauley then Spruce Avenue and W\u00eehkw\u00eant\u00f4win, where she lives now. She spent 13 years (nine as executive director) with the Downtown Development Corporation, which exists to ensure that the Edmonton region enjoys the benefits of a vibrant, prosperous and attractive downtown. Her projects included the Downtown Farmers\u2019 Market and the Arts District. Today, she\u2019s a resident of W\u00eehkw\u00eant\u00f4win and the CEO of Homeward Trust, a non-profit that aims to prevent and end homelessness; she\u2019s continuing to invest in the city\u2019s core both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n
She makes a point of regularly dining at local institutions. \u201cEdmonton has a fabulous food scene with many newer spots, but my go-to list includes places that have been around a long time,\u201d she says, mentioning Sorrentino\u2019s and Rigoletto\u2019s. \u201cIt helps with decision fatigue to know what I\u2019m going to order.\u201d At Rigoletto\u2019s Cafe she opts for the Chicken Parm. In the 1990s, she\u2019d go to the Rice Howard Way location and tuck her infant daughter under the table, still sleeping in her baby bucket car seat. McGee is drawn to these restaurants not only for the food, but for the feeling of being part of a community.<\/p>\n