Edmonton Notes for 1/9/2011

All week I post interesting Edmonton links, photos, videos, and more at Edmonton Etcetera. Check it out!

Have you dug yourself out of all the snow yet? Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Alberta Venture’s latest list of the fastest growing companies features an all-Edmonton top three.
• Here is my roundup of 2010 year-in-review articles for Edmonton.
• You can now get bus route and stop schedule information by sending a text message to 31100.
• Two Edmontonians are behind a new documentary that unlocks “the mystery of humankind’s migration into the Americas”.
• Some sad news for Edmonton’s music scene: Brent Oliver, a well-known musician, promoter, and former club owner, is moving to Winnipeg.
• Oil Country, meet “The Oiler”.
• Lucinda Chodan was named the new editor-in-chief at the Edmonton Journal this week.
• The host of CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM is moving on – Ron Wilson delivered his final morning broadcast on Friday. He’s now responsible for daily story assignment for all CBC News Edmonton platforms.
• Edmonton is getting a new comedy festival in October!
• The Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre is back in business! You can read about the completed upgrades and maintenance work here.
• There have been quite a few store closures lately, including the Gap at City Centre.
• Chris Mooney is the new president of the Realtors Association of Edmonton.
• It sounds like Japanese Village is opening another location in South Edmonton.
• Apparently Edmonton’s head-office sector continued to shrink in 2010.
• Cleankeys is a local company that has been very successful at making an easy-to-clean computer keyboard. Great story!
• Here’s how to look hot in winter shorts in Edmonton.
• SEE Magazine has an article on Building Our City Core.
• This letter discussing the recent back-and-forth between the Somali community and the police is worth a read.
• Rio Terrace, Parkallen, Sherbrooke, Fulton Place, Capilano, and West Jasper Place are the neighbourhoods that will be either starting or finishing the neighbourhood renewal program this year.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Making room for a downtown arena, from Chris.
• Here are the Digital Media People to Watch in Alberta in 2011 according to Techvibes.
• Edmonton Next Gen is looking for presenters for Pecha Kucha 9, scheduled to take place in early March.
• Here are some great photos of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, taken by Douglas Dollars for the organization’s 60th anniversary.
• January 14 is the submission deadline for two art project RFPs: Beverly Entrance (PDF), and Engineering Services Building (PDF).
• Quick plug for @sarahjanet – Daddy and Baby Time is starting again on Wednesday at the EPL Strathcona Branch.
• The Kootenay Ice are in town to take on the Oil Kings on Wednesday.
• Ice on Whyte starts on Thursday! You can see all dates and times on ShareEdmonton here.
• I’m looking forward to this event on Saturday – Meet, Tweet and Greet with EPL Writer-in-Residence Marty Chan!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Have an item I should include in my weekly notes? Let me know!

It’s both a great sunrise, and a perspective on downtown you don’t often see.

My favorite ice sculpture today, part of the festivities at Deep Freeze 2011. More photos here, and here is Sharon’s great recap.