Edmonton Notes for 9/20/2015

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• WestJet has announced it will launch non-stop service between Edmonton and London (Gatwick) in May 2016 for $299 CDN to London and £222 GBP to Edmonton. The flight will operate twice weekly from May 7 through October 22.
• The EndPoverty Edmonton task force released its strategy on Friday. “It contains 28 priority recommendations that task force members believe, working with the community and other orders of government, are a starting point to eliminate poverty in Edmonton.” Follow @endpovertyyeg on Twitter for updates. Here’s a recap of the launch.
• The Metro Mayors Alliance, made up of nine Edmonton-region mayors, has created an advisory panel chaired by former EPCOR President & CEO Don Lowry tasked with finding ways of keeping the Edmonton region globally competitive. The study will cost $600,000.
• The City announced it has completed 11 of the 23 action items in Edmonton’s Infill Roadmap. The remaining 12 actions will be completed over the next year. Also, the City was recognized for the Infill Roadmap at the APPI Awards.
• The public hearing on Uber this week had a huge list of speakers and caused quite a bit of tension as taxi drivers and Uber supporters met in Churchill Square before the meeting. Here’s a brief recap. The debate will continue on Tuesday.
• From Jennifer Rollins: An Open Letter on Domestic Violence in Edmonton.
• Courtesy of Pink Pencil Skirt, here is why Edmonton will be the coolest city in Canada by 2020.
• It sounds like the Edmonton Catholic School Board is a complete mess right now. “Tuesday’s meeting revealed the Edmonton Catholic board as hopelessly dysfunctional,” wrote Paula Simons.
• Kids are back in school so make sure you’re driving slowly around school zones! The City has implemented new markings, video cameras, flashing beacons, and other safety measures to enforce traffic safety around schools.
• The Oilers rookies defeated the Golden Bears in the 25th installment of their annual game. They had a record crowd of course, this being the season of McDavid and all. The all-time series now stands at 13-12 for the Golden Bears.
• The Oilers have signed defenceman Oscar Klefbom to a 7-year contract extension worth over $29 million.
• The University of Alberta has submitted a bid to host the CIS Women’s Basketball Championships in 2018.
• No doubt the evenings and mornings are cooler now. But colder weather doesn’t have to mean hibernation. Polished Plum invites you to embrace the colder months!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Downtown Sunrise

Upcoming Events

• There are still days to go for Visualeyez at Latitude 53!
• The Oilers preseason starts this week with home-and-home games against Calgary on Monday night, and on Wednesday against Winnipeg.
• Western Canada Fashion Week continues this week at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• Celebrate National Forest Week with Root for Trees at the John Janzen Nature Centre on Tuesday.
• It’s Alumni Weekend from Thursday through Sunday at the University of Alberta! The Alumni Awards take place on Thursday night at the Jubilee and Friday is Green & Gold Day.
• Alberta Culture Days takes place throughout the province from Friday through Sunday.
• One of the arts & culture events taking place is the Galleria Arts & Culture Showcase at the EPCOR Tower downtown, from 11am to 3pm on Saturday.
• Also taking place this weekend is the Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo.
• The Edmonton edition of Etsy’s Made in Canada Market takes place on Saturday at Latitude 53.
• The Eskimos host the BC Lions on Saturday afternoon.
• Saturday evening from 7pm to 4am is Nuit Blanche, an all-night contemporary art event taking place at venues throughout the downtown. Here’s a preview from I Heart Edmonton.
• Prior to Nuit Blanche you can check out Downtown Dialogues, an event discussing art & architecture as economic development.
• Sunday is Free Admission Day at City of Edmonton facilities!
• The Edmonton Bridal Expo takes place on Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Mid Autumn Festival, photo by IQRemix