Edmonton Notes for June 19, 2016

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• City Council has decided to explore the possibility of transferring the Drainage Services Utility to EPCOR. A third party consideration and full report will be back to Council in late October for review.
• In the latest issue of The Yards, Celia Shea examines the Living Bridge three years after it started. “It is one the city’s finest examples of urban intervention, but it is not without its controversies.”
• Former mayor Stephen Mandel received an honorary doctor of laws degree this week at the University of Alberta.
• Douglas R. Stollery was sworn in as the University of Alberta’s 21st Chancellor. You can read his convocation address from June 15.
• Construction has begun on the $186 million ETS Northeast Transit Garage located at the corner of Yellowhead Trail and Fort Road. “With more than 500,000 square feet (the equivalent of 10 football fields), the future garage will replace the 55-year-old Westwood Transit Garage.”
• The City of Edmonton Youth Council is now accepting applications for new members. There are 12 vacancies for the upcoming term and the deadline to apply is July 17.
• Jason Foster reports that the City is working on a bylaw change similar to one recently passed in Calgary that could make it easier to open a small craft brewery.
• The Edmonton Oilers announced their 2016-2017 pre-season schedule this week. They kick off the season on September 26 with home-and-home games against Calgary.
• Although the east sidewalk on the High Level Bridge is reopening this week, congestion could still be a problem as the new barriers have reduced the width of available space from 2.8 meters to 2.3 meters.
• IKEA announced it is investing $28 million in Alberta with expansions at both its Edmonton and Calgary locations. Construction begins in July and is expected to be complete by next summer.
• Here’s an update from Matthew Dance on the Naming Edmonton project: “We have geo-coded all of the names in the dataset! Thank-you to those who have contributed time and effort to make that happen!”
• The Edmonton Food Council is looking for four new members to be part of the team starting in September. Join us!
• If you’re looking for co-work space in Edmonton, check out this post from The Local Good.
• Congratulations to the recipients of the 2016 Salute to Excellence Awards!
• Here’s a great recap of the #100in1Day activities that took place around Edmonton a couple of weeks ago.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Weekend Strolling, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

• Monday is the longest day of the year! There’s a big celebration planned at the Mosaic Centre. You can of course share your day using #YEGlongday on social media.
• This year’s Summer Solstice Festival starts Monday and runs through June 28 at various locations.
• There’s an open house taking place Monday evening about the proposed surface parking lot north of Rogers Place. Councillor McKeen is skeptical.
• Tuesday is National Aboriginal Day! There are events happening throughout the city, including a festival in Borden Park from 11am until 9pm.
• Improvaganza continues this week at the Citadel Theatre. Saturday is the final day!
• This year’s Freewill Shakespeare Festival starts on Tuesday at Hawrelak Park with performances of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Romeo and Juliet.
• The Works Art & Design Festival kicks off on Thursday at various locations downtown but with Churchill Square as home base. The Golden Summer Gala takes place on Friday at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.
• Head over to TEC Edmonton for lunch on Thursday to hear about the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Alberta Report.
• Latitude 53’s Patio Series continues on Thursday evening!
• The Found Festival takes place from Thursday through Sunday in Old Strathcona at Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park.
• Friday is the kick off for the 2016 Edmonton International Jazz Festival.
• The Eskimos host the Ottawa REDBLACKS on Saturday evening at Commonwealth Stadium!
• Doing some spring cleaning? The City is hosting another Big Bin Event on the weekend at Rexall Place.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

New Pedway Bridge connecting Manulife Place & the Kelly Ramsey Building