Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:
Headlines
- Lots more Northlands news this week. Chris LaBossiere resurfaced the suggestion that Northlands and EEDC merge. Then Northlands CEO Tim Reid threatened that this year’s K-Days could be the last, if Northlands doesn’t find a way to generate new revenue. Extortion doesn’t seem like a good strategy to get what you want from City Council, but the truth is Northlands has no leverage. Both Paula Simons and Graham Hicks wrote about the threat.
- Watching the 2016 Rio Olympics? Here are 10 northern Albertan athletes competing at the games and here’s a feature on three Edmonton competitors.
- The Edmonton Police Service has laid its first charge under Quanto’s Law. Also known as the Justice for Animals in Service Act, Quanto’s Law took effect last summer, named after the Edmonton police dog who was stabbed to death a few years ago.
- Mel Hurtig passed away this week at the age of 84. “He didn’t just prove that Canadian writing mattered,” Paula Simons wrote. “He proved you didn’t have to be from Toronto or Ottawa or Montreal to be a real Canadian, that Edmonton was as Canadian as anywhere else.”
- Five life-size human sculptures made of tape appeared on the new suicide barriers on the High Level Bridge. The City took them down immediately and considers it an act of vandalism.
- Folk Fest had a great weekend. Here’s a feature on festival founder Terry Wickham.
- Flying a drone? “Edmonton Police Service Air 1 pilots are asking users of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be mindful of flight regulations and potential risk to the police helicopter, after a recent near-miss.”
- The Local Good has published a new feature on co-working for makers in Edmonton.
- From the Edmonton City as Museum Project: The Cowboys in the Sky: The Story of Edmonton’s Ironworkers.
- The Edmonton Oilers have hired Gretzky as the club’s new Assistant General Manager. No, not that Gretzky, his brother Keith.
- Speaking of Wayne Gretzky, his statue was removed from Rexall Place this week. It will now be refurbished before finding a new home at Rogers Place in the fall.
- New payday loan legislation took effect in Alberta on August 1. The lowest maximum borrowing rate was reduced from $23 for every $100 borrowed to $15 per $100, among other changes.
- Construction has begun on the new 66-storey Stantec tower in ICE District! “This is a massive gesture of confidence on the part of Edmontonians to have the audacity to build a building like this,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
- For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.
Summer Sunset
Upcoming Events
- The Edmonton Community Foundation and Skills Society Action Lab are launching the Edmonton Shift Lab on Tuesday at McCauley School.
- Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton is holding its first AGM on Tuesday at the Stanley Milner Library.
- ATB Financial’s Chief Economist Todd Hirsch is speaking at the Mosaic Centre on Tuesday evening about the Future of Alberta.
- Movies on the Square is back on Tuesday evening with a screening of Angry Birds.
- The next event in the #YEGparity Speaker Series takes place on Wednesday evening.
- The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival gets underway on Thursday! The festival runs through August 21 at venues throughout the city. For previews, check out After the House Lights.
- On Thursday evening the Latitude 53 Summer Patio Series continues!
- Also Thursday evening, the Eskimos host the Montreal Alouettes at Commonwealth Stadium.
- Workshop Eatery is hosting A Garden Party on Thursday evening to raise money for the Canadian Culinary Fund. We saw their garden a few nights ago and it certainly looks impressive.
- The Edmonton Rock Music Festival gets underway on Friday at Hawrelak Park.
- On Saturday morning you can help with the 3rd annual river valley food forest planting over at MacKinnon Ravine Park.
- This year’s Edmonton Latin Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Churchill Square.
- For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.
Animethon 23, photo by ceasol
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