Edmonton Notes for 9/4/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Take a few minutes and complete the City Market Downtown’s survey on a potential winter market!
• The Toronto Star is reporting that Postmedia has cut a number of jobs across its daily newspapers, including up to 20 positions at the Edmonton Journal. In other local media news, longtime 630 CHED personality Gord Whitehead is retiring and did his last show this week.
• Upcoming exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta feature Burtynsky, Matisse, Gaugin, Münch, and Picasso, as well as new works by Albertan artist Laura St. Pierre. You can learn more about the fall lineup here.
• Here’s a good catch-up post on the upcoming election.
• ETS is gearing up for a busy fall season on the LRT – there could be over 100,000 riders per day. It also announced the completion of the Meadows Transit Centre on 17 Street at 40 Avenue. And a reminder: the LRT is not operating between Churchill and Clareview stations until Tuesday while ETS completes upgrades and maintenance.
• The Edmonton Waste-to-Biofuels project is the world’s first industrial scale municipal waste-to-biofuels facility. Along with partner Enerkem, the City of Edmonton broke ground on the $80 million facility this week.
• I really like the idea of more licensed buskers for Jasper Avenue, but the recommendation to extend the hours for bars to 4 a.m. seems misguided.
• Ulf Ranhagen of Sweco, one of the finalists in the competition to redevelop the City Centre Airport lands, is excited about the project which he says will have a green focus.
• The City is introducing a solar-electric pilot program with a total budget of $200,000 to issue rebates to home and business owners that install solar panels.
• If you know someone between the ages of 7 and 18 which a love for film, encourage them to check out the Be Idle Free Video Contest! Here’s a great preview.
• Interesting post in the ongoing debate over whether or not Oilers bloggers should be credentialed just like the mainstream media.
• The University of Alberta has named Sangita Sharma to the new Chair of Aboriginal Health position. Also on the topic of the U of A, here’s a great profile of President Indira Samarasekera.
• Doors open to 18 new schools in Calgary and Edmonton – news release and backgrounder is here.
• Techvibes has launched localized news streams. You can see Edmonton’s here.
• The Edmonton Police Service has successfully maintained its CALEA certification, something it has done ever since 1988. The program measures EPS against more than 450 international standards
• A million dollar skateboard park is in the works for the Fulton Ravine near Capilano Mall.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Symphony Under the Sky started last night and runs through Monday.
• Tonight in Churchill Square – Toy Story 3!
• The 22nd annual T.A.L.E.S Storytelling Festival starts tomorrow at Fort Edmonton Park.
• I think we should make next Sunday “walk day” here in Edmonton! There are at least four taking place that day.
• ETS is hosting an open house on the West LRT extension on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
• Country Music Week Edmonton kicks off on Thursday with the big awards show taking place on Sunday.
• The Calgary Stampeders are in Edmonton next Friday for the second half of the Labour Day Classic.
• On Saturday, The Handmade Mafia returns to Orange Hall!
• The Kaleido Family Arts Festival starts on Friday evening and runs all weekend on Alberta Avenue. Don’t miss it!

Edmonton’s bid for Expo 2017 was on display in Shanghai this week. Here’s the new video:

The City Market featured a petting zoo today!

I’ve started noticing more and more signs and billboards around town for the election, like this one for Mayor Mandel who is hoping to win a third term.