New gay bar opening on Jasper Avenue

Jasper Avenue and wîhkwêntôwin is always been known as the heart of the gaybourhood in Edmonton.

This space in central Edmonton is now home to a second location of the popular 2SLGBTQ+ bar Evolution Wonder Lounge. The building on Jasper Avenue and 115 Street is called Evo, and it opens this week, while the current location on 103 Street remains open until the end of October.

Owner Rob Browatzke told CityNews that with this new location opening, Edmonton will have two gay bars running this summer for the first time in nearly a decade.

“It’s the first time since 2016 basically that there’s been a two gay bar summer. The community is very very excited. Everybody has really been wanting somewhere that they can hang out in the afternoons, they can have something earlier for people that don’t wanna just go out at 11 o’clock at night,” said Browatzke.

Queer historian Ron Byers says having this new location open in the heart of wîhkwêntôwin, formerly known as Oliver is highly significant to the queer community.

“This will be the first time that we’ve been so will be so visible in a structure that’s big and prominent and welcoming. We can’t define ourselves in basements or on second floors hidden away because we‘ve had to hide over the years,” said Byers.

Browatzke says the new location, which was previously home to Reign Premium Lounge and Kitchen, will open earlier in the day than the current location, with a full kitchen, new programming, as well as increased accessibility.

“It’s going to be very walkable. Obviously, 102nd Ave. has got the bike lane, so people can just bike and scooter here. I think it just makes the location so much easier to get to,” said Browatzke.

Evolution Wonder Lounge has been a target of vandalism in the past.

Police said a man was captured on surveillance video defacing the outside window of the bar during Christmas. In April 2024, a pride flag was removed from the front of the downtown bar and thrown into the garbage. In 2022, its front window was smashed multiple times.

“Being right on Jasper Avenue in a standalone building, I think that’s actually gonna take some of that away,” said Byers.

Browatzke adds, “We’re just hoping that any of the problems that plagued us in the past will stay 103rd Street and that this is very clean slate, fresh new start for us and for the”

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Browatzke said the new location will be open seven days a week, while the old location will operate only on weekends.