Happy Long Weekend! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:
Headlines
- So can we talk about the weather for moment? We’ve had some epic summer storms recently which have led to flooding and all kinds of craziness like a geyser shooting up from a parking lot. Then today, on the 29th anniversary of the Black Friday Tornado, Environment Canada issued a weather advisory for funnel clouds (fortunately nothing came of it). Oh yeah, we’ve also had our hottest year days of the year according to Edmonton Weather Nerdery and it’s all downhill from here. On the other hand, when it has been nice over the last week, it has been really nice.
- The City says that the drainage pipes beneath Whitemud Drive were built to handle a one-in-five-year storm, which is why we saw it flood this week for the third and fourth times since 2000. Improving the drainage could cost millions of dollars.
- A membership survey conducted by the Edmonton Police Association suggests 80% of EPS officers agreed they work in “a toxic culture of blame and fear.” They have called for an independent, third-party assessment of the force’s culture as well as Chief Rod Knect’s leadership.
- Employment in the Edmonton region decreased by 9,500 jobs in June 2016. Employment has grown by 2.4% in Edmonton year-to-date, four times the national average.
- Perhaps another sign of the trouble economy at the moment: Edmonton’s Food Bank has collected less tha half its donation goal at the Heritage Festival with just one day to go.
- Here’s a Transforming Edmonton feature on the new High Level Bridge suicide barriers. “The barriers mark the beginning of something much bigger – a city that has taken an epidemic very seriously and is dedicated to drastically reducing the number of suicide attempts and deaths in our community.”
- There’s still no timeline to fix the LRT arrival signs. They have been broken since April.
- Total attendance for K-Days this year was 803,087, the second highest ever after 2005.
- ETS is adding solar panels to 40 new bus shelters across the city. The new panels include high efficiency LED bulbs that turn on at night.
- NewLeaf Travel‘s first flight from EIA departed for Hamilton on Friday.
- Congratulations to the Golden Bears tennis team on capturing their second national title in three seasons.
- A new Bicycle Repair Station sponsored by Steam Whistle and the Old Strathcona Business Association was installed on Friday next to the bicycle corral at 8224 104 Street. It’s the third station in Edmonton.
- Did you know that Edmonton has an accessory truck? Find Accessory Insanity at an upcoming event to buy jewelry, purses, hats, wallets, and more.
- The Oilers did not have a single captain last season but that won’t be the case on opening night in October as head coach Todd McLellan confirmed “we will have a captain.”
- If you’d like to learn a little more about zoning, check out this new PDF from the City. It’s an accessible yet informative introduction to the topic.
- Pecha Kucha Night 26 is scheduled for September 29. If you’d like to speak, you have until August 24 to submit your presentation.
- For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.
Edmonton River Valley
Upcoming Events
- There’s still one more day of the Heritage Festival to go!
- Movies on the Square returns to Churchill Square on Tuesday evening with a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- Rock’n August kicks off on Tuesday in St. Albert.
- This year’s edition of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival gets underway on Thursday.
- Animethon 23 starts on Friday at MacEwan!
- Also starting Friday is Cariwest. The parade takes place Saturday starting at noon.
- Head out to the Villeneuve Airport on Saturday and Sunday for the Edmonton Airshow.
- Save the date: Alberta’s Open Farm Days is taking place on August 20 and 21.
- Also, our next What the Truck?! event takes place on August 20 at the Edmonton Ballpark (TELUS Field). Here’s the lineup!
- July might be over, but Edmonton’s summer festival season is not! Check out my full listing here.
- For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.
Edmonton K-Days Exhibition 2016, photo by IQRemix
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