Edmonton Notes for 6/30/2013

Hope you have a wonderful Canada Day tomorrow! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton’s new Poet Laureate is Mary Pinkoski, Canada’s top female slam poet. She’ll serve a two year term.
• Could Stony Plain Road become Edmonton’s Market District? That’s what the local BRZ wants to see happen. Apparently Edmonton is one of just a few Canadian cities without a public market (whatever that means).
• Dorian Wandzura is the City of Edmonton’s new General Manager, Transportation. He’s currently the Deputy City Manager and COO at the City of Regina (but he was born in Edmonton). Bob Boutilier’s last day with the City will be July 31.
• No surprise here: while 11.3% of us take public transit to work, a whopping 82.8% of us commute in vehicles, and just 7.8% as passengers.
• The latest traffic collision statistics were released this week. The number of overall collisions dropped from 2011 to 2012, but there were more fatalities.
• Sounds like the City has sent additional roadway equipment and personnel down to Calgary to help with the cleanup!
• Well Friday was an interesting day! A bunch of locals, including the mayor, misinterpret a column in the National Post and both embarrassment and hilarity ensues. I wrote about it here.
• Here are some thoughts from Stand Up for Edmonton organizer Emerson Csorba on the liberal arts and 100,000 students.
• My favorite theatre in the city, the Empire Theatre at City Centre, will soon be rebranded as Landmark Cinemas has bought it and 19 other theatres from Empire. I hope they don’t screw it up.
• The Oilers selected Darnell Nurse with their 7th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft today. He’s the son of former CFL receiver Richard Nurse and the nephew of former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb.
• In other Oilers news, Justin Schultz has been named to the 2012-2013 NHL All-Rookie Team and Keith Acton was appointed as an Associate Coach. Oh and Jason Gregor went one-on-one with Craig MacTavish.
• University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera has been named as a 2013 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winner.
• Clare Drake, the most successful coach in the history of Canadian university hockey, has been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
• Joseph Doucet is officially the new dean of the Alberta School of Business. He has been the interim dean since Mike Percy stepped down in 2011.
• There’s so many construction projects still underway that you may not even notice that two are now complete. The 66 Street connector between Anthony Henday Drive and 195 Avenue and the interchange at Whitemud Drive and 17 Street are both finished.
• Want to win an iPad? The City is running a competition to help promote the State of the City report. Midnight tonight is the deadline for the first round, but a second iPad will be up for grabs in the fall. You can learn more at the Transforming Edmonton blog.
• In case you’ve missed it – the Journal is looking for 50 things that define Edmonton.
• If you’re looking for some election news, check out the first #yegvote Hangout that we held on Thursday. Many more hangouts to come!
• Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
• This is an awesome distraction: Edmonton Disrobed. “Photographs of garments that the people of Edmonton have curiously discarded in public.”

Midnight Ride by Chris C.

Here are some upcoming events:

• There are dozens of events taking place tomorrow for Canada Day. The weather is going to be beautiful too, so get out there and enjoy! Just make sure to celebrate responsibly.
• Monday and Tuesday are the final days for this year’s edition of The Works.
• Head over to The Common on Tuesday evening for Spacing Edmonton’s Zombie Wall event.
• The Historic Festival & Doors Open Edmonton kicks off on Tuesday!
• Every Wednesday is another opportunity to check out Late Night Wednesdays at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
• If you haven’t visited in a while, check out the 124 Street Grand Market on Thursday evening!
• Mercury Opera is hosting an event called Operation Remedy on Friday night, with proceeds benefiting Alberta flood relief. Get your tickets here.
• The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival kicks off on Friday in Churchill Square!
• Make Something Edmonton’s Brand Camp runs all day Saturday.
• Saturday night is the big kickoff for the JLS Night Market, located at 102 Avenue on 106 Street.
• Bring your pet down to Hawrelak Park on Sunday for the 2013 edition of Pets in the Park.
• This year’s Savour Strathcona takes place from 4pm to 8pm on Sunday!
• Also continuing in Hawrelak Park at the Heritage Amphitheatre is the Freewill Shakespeare Festival.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Sketchy parkade that totally has me wishing for new Matrix sequel to be shot here in Edmonton! Photo by Dave Sutherland.