Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:
Headlines
- After 17 years at the Citadel Theatre, Artistic Director Bob Baker is stepping down. “Bob will transition to Artistic Director Emeritus of the Citadel in the summer of 2016, on a consultative basis, with continuing involvement in the Academy and direction of his celebrated production of Tom Wood’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol.”
- Jill Roszell is no longer the executive director of Fringe Theatre Adventures as the board decided not to renew her contract.
- Edmonton’s new transit boss Eddie Robar has been on the job for about three weeks now. He was profiled in the Journal and in Metro this week.
- The Edmonton Oilers became the first team in the NHL to use Pride Tape when they held the Skills Competition today at Rexall Place. You can learn more about the campaign here.
- The City of Kitchener in Ontario liked Make Something Edmonton so much they decided to adopt it for themselves. “We thought it was really compelling, and well aligned with what we’re trying to achieve in Kitchener, as it encourages people in the community to get involved to experiment and build,” said Janette MacDonald, an economic development analyst with the City of Kitchener.
- ICYMI: Here’s my story on the Postmedia merger of the Journal & Sun and the resulting job cuts.
- Have you heard the Edmonton Theme? It’s a kitschy ode to Edmonton sung by Annabelle Santos-Dookie from back in 1995. Omar wrote about it back in 2014.
- Edmonton could have a new micro-brewery if Polar Park Brewing Company is able to realize its vision.
- Here’s a recap from Mayor Iveson of his trip to China.
- The City launched a revamped Open Data Catalogue this week! “In five short years, the City of Edmonton’s Open Data Catalogue has evolved from humble beginnings of only 12 datasets to becoming a nationally recognized resource with nearly 1000 datasets available for download.”
- Five local restaurants made Open Table’s list of the 100 best restaurants in Canada for 2015: Hardware Grill, Harvest Room, The Marc, Sabor, Solstice.
- Congratulations to all the winners of the City Manager’s Awards of Excellence!
- The City’s plan to redevelop contaminated fuel sites has been recognized with FCM’s Sustainable Communities Award.
- Edmonton’s NextGen is now accepting submissions for presenters for Pecha Kucha Night 24, which will take place on March 3.
- Nominations are also open for the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame & Awards of Distinction.
- Last year, officials at EIA counted roughly 120 abandoned cars and trucks. Who knew?!
- For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.
Arch Lift, photo by Dave Sutherland
Upcoming Events
- Monday is Nomination Day for the Ward 12 By-Election!
- This week is International Week 2016 at the University of Alberta!
- Tuesday should be an interesting day at City Council as they discuss Uber.
- Residents of Inglewood, Prince Charles, and Sherbrooke can participate in a Community Safety Conversation on Tuesday.
- The Ad Club of Edmonton is hosting a Creative Roundtable on Tuesday evening.
- Equal Voice Alberta North is launching YEG Parity on Wednesday evening at Mercer Tavern.
- The second weekend for Ice on Whyte runs Thursday through Sunday.
- You can learn more about Canada’s Response to ISIS and the Syrian Refugee Crisis at the Telus Centre on Thursday.
- The Edmonton Humane Society is hosting another Cat Yoga session on Saturday!
- Get out and try some skiing or snowshoeing at the Southwest Community Ski Festival taking place on Saturday at the Blue Quill Community Hall.
- The Oil Kings host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday and the Kootenay Ice on Sunday.
- MADJAM’s Global Game Jam 2016 takes place Friday through Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
- For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.