Edmonton Notes for 12/21/2014

Just a few more sleeps until Santa comes! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The rumors started swirling last weekend and they were confirmed mid-week: Danielle Smith and eight Wildrose MLAs crossed the floor to join the PCs. The unprecedented move has been called all kinds of things, including an issue of character. Will we see a snap election now?
• It finally happened: the Oilers fired head coach Dallas Eakins on Monday. He has been replaced by GM Craig MacTavish and interim head coach Todd Nelson of the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, the team the Oilers are ending their affiliation with at the end of the season. OilersNation posted a collection of quotes from the news conference, including this incredible MacTavish quote: “There’s blood all over my hands.”
• All the best to Edmonton Rush GM and head coach Derek Keenan who is stepping away from the team for personal family reasons. Here is the official roster for the 2015 Edmonton Rush.
• In case you missed it, Uber launched in Edmonton this week. Elise has been covering the launch also. Here’s a collection of questions on the new service she put together.
• EPS has launched a new awareness campaign called “Make Your Move” that “urges the public to get involved and interrupt behaviors that may lead to sexual violence.”
• From Spacing Edmonton, here are the latest urbanism headlines.
• The 19th annual DONATE A RIDE campaign launched this week. You can contribute using envelopes on ETS buses, at City Hall, or online.
• This is pretty cool: there’s now an electric car charging station at Southgate Shopping Centre. Someone with a Tesla showed up 20 minutes after it was announced.
• The City of Leduc is seeking nominations for the 2014 Citizens of Distinction Awards. The deadline to nominate someone is January 9, 2015.
• From the National Post: Why are so many god-awful Christmas movies filmed in Edmonton?
• Ugh, the Metro LRT Line to NAIT could be delayed again.
• The City has posted a series of tips on recycling and reducing your waste during the holidays.
• Want to be a presenter at Pecha Kucha Night 21, scheduled for March 5, 2015? NextGen is now accepting submissions.
• Here’s a recap from Make Something Edmonton on the Sound, Light & Motion event.
• Here is the latest WinterCity Blizzard newsletter. The deadline to enter the 2nd annual Winter Signature Drink competition is December 31.
• In the latest episode of Mack & Cheese, we discuss bike lanes, Uber, and falling oil prices.
• For more headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

WEM Pedestrian Bridge by Kris Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• Did you share something for #yeglongnight?
• You’ve still got a few days left to Celebrate the Season at the Alberta Legislature! You can also check out Candy Cane Lane.
• The final performance of A Christmas Carol will take place on Tuesday.
• The Oilers host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday evening.
• The Oil Kings host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday.
• Be advised both the City Market Downtown and the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market are closed on Saturday and will return on January 3.
• You can check out Frostival in McCauley on Saturday however!
• The Edmonton Resilience Festival is coming up in February, and they’ve just announced the workshop lineup!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

The newly redeveloped pocket park on 104 Street