Edmonton Notes for 12/12/2009

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Cold enough for you this week? The cold temperatures have been especially hard on our city’s less fortunate. It’s minus 30 right now, but oddly, it’s expected to get close to zero by the end of the week.
• City Council unanimously passed the 2010 Operating Budget this week, with a tax increase of 5% (3% for services, 2% for neighbourhood renewal).
• The Edmonton Oilers did their first webcast this week. They integrated CoverItLive and Twitter, which I thought was rather interesting.
• Here’s the Edmonton Startup Index for December 2009.
• Congrats to Transforming Edmonton on the first two weeks of content!
• Local entrepreneurs take note – the deadline to express interest for the Leveraging Technical Expertise Locally is December 15!
• Original Fare has a new website!
• The Art Gallery of Alberta and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts announced a limited, two-stage competition for a public art commission on the City of Edmonton Terrace at the new AGA building. Also, tomorrow is the AGA’s last day at Enterprise Square!
• In case you missed it: all Edmonton Public Library events are now at ShareEdmonton!
• The latest Edmonton Snow Angels were announced this week!
• From December 21 until January 3, children 12 years and under receive free drop-in admission to any City of Edmonton leisure, sports, and fitness facility.
• Students at the University of Alberta are facing a 1.5% general tuition increase, and a rent increase for student housing of 3.8%. And more increases may be on the way.
• Edmonton Stories is running a Torch Relay Route photo contest. The contest opens on Monday.
• Taking place today from 1-4pm is the Edmonton Journal Book Fair and Writers’ Festival.
• Make It Edmonton is on today and tomorrow! You can see times and tweets on ShareEdmonton.
• Today at 5:30pm: the TckTckTck Vigil For A Real Deal at the Legislature.
• The annual ETS Christmas Lights tours start up tomorrow evening! You can see all times on ShareEdmonton.
• Coming up next week: Startup Drinks, The Handmade Mafia Twilight Market, and the Holiday Tweetup.