Edmonton Notes for September 18, 2016

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• This ad has got to rank near the top of bad ideas from the City of Edmonton. Encouraging pedestrians to wear reflective tape? Really?! Why not encourage the people operating large weapons to slow down and pay attention? This ad is another example of our city’s car-oriented perspective. The onus should be on the driver, not the pedestrian. What a ridiculous ad. Troy wrote about this too.
• Earlier in the week, the City launched a new mobile app to warn drivers of school zones, speed-limit changes, and high-collision locations. It did not receive a warm welcome. Once again, here’s Troy.
• Sounds like the FISE World Series Edmonton event that took place in Hawrelak Park this weekend was a big success! The event will return to our city in 2017 and 2018.
• The Province is looking for input on the Big City Charters being developed with Calgary and Edmonton. Two information sessions will be held in Edmonton on October 3 and 4.
• The City is being sued for more than $3 million over a death at the 2014 World Triathlon championships. The victim’s “widow and two daughters are suing the city for negligence, arguing there were not enough competent spotters or lifeguards.”
• The City has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of pet licensing. “The fine for having an unlicensed cat or dog in Edmonton is $250 and failure to display a pet’s licence tag could result in a fine of $100.”
• Here’s a timelapse of the construction of Rogers Place – 80 seconds of 4K video. Pretty cool to watch it rise up.
• The Oilers announced the roster for the 2016 Rookie Camp and Young Stars Classic earlier this week. The Rookie Camp wraps up on Wednesday.
• A safety blitz focused on commercial vehicles this week resulted in more than 40% failing inspections. “There were 502 violations noted by inspectors and 111 provincial statute violation tickets issued for a variety of commercial vehicle infractions, including overweight loads, faulty equipment, load dimensions and load securement.”
• The only Canadian-led experiment at the Large Hadron Collider celebrated its first published results this summer. MoEDAL is led by University of Alberta professor James Pinfold.
• Tickets are on sale now for Pecha Kucha Night 26, taking place on September 29.
• Interesting thoughts about the stories we’re losing along with the Cloverdale Bridge.
• Here is part 3 of ECAMP’s look at Edmonton’s Italian Community, this time from 1949 to the present.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Harvest Moon, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Western Canada Fashion Week continues this week at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• If you want to learn more about Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy, head down to City Hall on Tuesday for lunch.
• Drake plays Rogers Place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week!
• The next Capital Ideas Edmonton event takes place at the Edmonton Journal on Wednesday.
• DemoCamp Edmonton 32 takes place on Thursday evening at CCIS on the U of A campus. We’re going to be demoing Taproot!
• Only a few market weeks left – don’t miss the 124 Street Grand Market on Thursday evening!
• Martin Kerr is playing his first big concert on Thursday at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. Only a handful of tickets left!
• The Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo kicks off on Friday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• September 22 to 25 is Alumni Weekend at the University of Alberta. Friday is Green & Gold Day, so wear your colors proudly!
• The Eskimos host the BC Lions on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
• Petite Nuit takes place Friday and Saturday evenings at Beaver Hills House Park downtown.
• Head over to the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday for the big Etsy Made in Edmonton market.
• The next Big Bin Event takes place Saturday and Sunday at the City’s Southwest District Yard.
• The second annual Festival of Faiths takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Stanley Milner Library downtown.
• I hope to see you at Churchill Square on Sunday for our final What the Truck?! event of the season! You can check out the truck lineup and menus here.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

FISE World Series Edmonton, photo by IQRemix