Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:
- It’s official: Capital EX will be renamed to K-Days, starting next year. K-Days received 38,762 of the 51,160 votes cast (a little over 75%). Northlands President and CEO Richard Andersen said: “We are looking forward to the opportunities the new name brings to the Fair. We will be working over the next couple of months to build the story for K-Days and that is probably the most exciting part for us!”
- It was a big week for local tech companies! Mitre Media announced that it has raised $8.6 million from iNovia Capital and a group of angel investors. The company publishes financial content and tools. Also this week, Upside Software was acquired by SciQuest Inc. for $22 million. Upside is the well-known developer of contract management systems.
- EPS Chief Rod Knecht received a nice write-up in the Sun this week. While I agree that his approach seems wise, I think too little time has passed to call it a success. Last year’s homicide was a major anomaly and the violence reduction strategy is going to take time to implement.
- A new questionnaire released on Tuesday asks for input on how much the Mayor and City Council should be paid. You can have your say here.
- Demolition of the Cromdale Hotel is now underway and is expected to take a month. Construction of the new Shoppers Drug Mart should begin in September with an expected opening in the spring of 2013.
- Federal regulators are reviewing Enbridge’s pipeline operations control room here in Edmonton after it was found that staff ignored repeated leak warnings.
- The Oilers officially signed Nail Yakupov to a three-year, entry level contract on Monday.
- The economic output for our province is as positive as ever. The latest forecast from the Conference Board of Canada shows Alberta leading the country with 3.8% growth.
- Want to speak at Pecha Kucha Night Edmonton #14 in the fall? The call for presenters is now open!
- Have you made your picks for Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton yet?
- Great post by Alex on the Edmonton Indy: Does the Indy do anything for Edmonton?
- The Muttart Conservatory is running a Shutterbug Photo Contest until September 15. There are great prizes for the winning photos!
- Some thoughts from Nadine on the Essence of Edmonton: Invent Your Own Awesome.
- Have you been enjoying the Olympics so far? Edmonton Olympians recall the thrills of competing on the world stage.
- To check out what local bloggers have been writing over the past week, check out recent Blog Post Headlines at ShareEdmonton.
- Edmonton’s newest music festival, Interstellar Rodeo, received rave reviews this weekend.
Check out a few more photos of Interstellar Rodeo here.
Here are some upcoming events you should know about:
- Tuesdays on the Terrace continues at the Art Gallery of Alberta. I took a large group of colleagues last week and we had a great time!
- Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series continues on Thursday evening.
- Join us on Friday evening along the lovely Victoria Promenade in Oliver for What the Truck?!, Edmonton’s food truck extravaganza! Check out the lineup and menu here. You can RSVP to the event on Facebook here.
- One of my favorite festivals of the year is back for the long weekend: Servus Heritage Festival runs Saturday through Monday at Hawrelak Park.
- FC Edmonton is back in action at Clarke Stadium on Saturday evening!
- For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.
