Edmonton Notes for 11/2/2014

I hope you put your extra hour today to good use! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The proposed 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2018 Capital Budget have been released and will be discussed by Council this week. The operating budget proposed a municipal property tax increase of 5.3%.
• After 18 years in charge of the Edmonton Public Library, CEO Linda Cook has announced that she will retire in mid-2015 (pdf). She says she is most proud of the implementation of free memberships in March 2013.
• On Friday, Northlands announced the formation of an Arena Strategy Committee, tasked with delivering a recommendation on the future of Rexall Place by April 15, 2015. I am looking forward to serving as a member of this committee, and will be writing much more about the subject in the months ahead!
• Former mayor Stephen Mandel easily won the by-election in Edmonton-Whitemud on Monday. Now the real work begins.
• In case you missed it: Avenue Edmonton introduced the Top 40 Under 40 for 2014 this week!
• According to Maclean’s annual university rankings, the University of Alberta is the fifth best university in the country. That’s the same spot as last year and the year before.
• Bad news Oilers fans: Taylor Hall will miss 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain as a result of his crash into the net during last night’s game against Vancouver.
• Ken Bautista is the new Director of Entrepreneurship at EEDC! He’ll also remain as CEO of Startup Edmonton, which was acquired by EEDC earlier this year. Congrats my friend!
• Though some work is still underway, the City has wrapped up the majority of its road construction work for 2014. Some of the major projects completed include the 63 Avenue reconstruction and neighbourhood reconstructions in Argyll, Delton, Grovenor, King Edward Park, and North Glenora.
• This is pretty neat: a new barrier between homes and traffic in Mill Woods is a living wall. Like everything, the current wall is a pilot project; a decision about its permanence will be made next year.
• Apparently the area of our city that is home to the most crime is called Delta Zero, and it’s right where the new arena is going. Will that development help or hurt?
• A business case for the Smart Fare project was first completed in 2003, but it could take until 2019 before transit riders see any changes. And that’s only if Council funds it in the upcoming budget.
• It’s official: Chinatown and Little Italy are together no more, at least not as far as the BRZ is concerned. Starting January 1, 2015, Little Italy will no longer be part of the BRZ.
• In their latest episode, The Unknown Studio interviewed Malissa Sekela, a local cosplayer.
• I am glad to hear the first 100 Men YEG event went very well! Congrats to Cary and all involved.
• November is National Novel Writing Month, and here in Edmonton a group called the Literary Ninjas are providing support.
• Blatchford could be home to a bike sharing program if the City has its way.
• Mayor Iveson wrote this week about the important role of surplus school sites. “Thanks to demographic and density shifts in our neighbourhoods (as once again shown in the recent municipal census data), we need to be creative with how we revitalize mature communities (where our population is dropping) and encourage a better balance of growth between the perimeter and the core of our city,” he wrote.
• Lorne Gunter argues that City Council is “horribly fearful of being seen as northern prairie rubes” and jumps at whatever is trendy. He says they need to worry less about being hip, and instead “worry about ordinary Edmontonians.”
• Thoughtful piece from John Richardson on Edmonton: Acting As If.

Edmonton in November by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Farmfair International us underway at the Expo Centre!
• Head down to Churchill Square for lunch on Tuesday – it’s the 24th annual Chili Cook Off!
• Canadian Finals Rodeo gets underway on Wednesday at Rexall Place!
• City Council’s initiative on public engagement is hosting a series of workshops this month. The first takes place on Wednesday at the Ritchie Community Hall.
• Also Wednesday is the next Green Drinks event with a focus on shopping local!
• On Thursday, the United Way is hosting its Round Up Breakfast at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Saturday night is when Edmonton’s 6th Timeraiser takes place, this time at Boyle Renaissance Plaza.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Poppy Barley‘s “Edmonton Oxford” – can’t wait to get my pair!