Edmonton Notes for March 26, 2017

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Mayor Don Iveson says both the provincial and federal budgets “are encouraging for Edmonton overall.” It sounds like phase 2 of the Valley Line LRT (west to Lewis Estates) is getting closer to reality. EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson says Budget 2017 “is unusually specific about the path forward” and “has significant positive implications for Edmonton.”
• Ward 9 councillor Bryan Anderson announced on Monday he will not run again. Here’s an exit interview with him. You can read his formal announcement here.
• TransCanada received a presidential permit from the U.S. State Department this week for the Keystone XL pipeline. Premier Rachel Notley said it will have an immediate impact on Alberta’s economy. “We know that, in the pretty immediate term, we’re probably looking at about 5,000 jobs just in Alberta, and probably over $1 billion, at least, in direct investment,” she said.
• The Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium has been designated as a Municipal Historic Resource and will soon be renewed in partnership with the TELUS World of Science. You can learn more about the redevelopment here.
• The Government of Canada announced a $125 million program for artificial intelligence research that will benefit post-secondary institutions in Montreal, Toronto, Waterloo, and of course, Edmonton. “Canadian universities train some of the best AI researchers in the world,” says Cameron Schuler, Executive Director of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), housed at the University of Alberta.
• Edmonton Police are setting up a new intelligence and investigations bureau that will aim to “create efficiencies by leveraging technology.”
• The High Level Bridge is being examined for possible modifications. One option would be to widen the sidewalks on the lower deck.
• Edmontonians are being invited to “light a candle for Canada” by making a charitable donation to support the development of three Canada 150 legacy projects.
• The City is looking to make it easier for Edmontonians to install solar panels on their houses, especially important now as the provincial government has committed $36 million over two years for a rebate program.
• Edmonton’s NextGen has a new blog post about the debate on city drainage. A public hearing to discuss EPCOR’s proposed takeover of Edmonton’s drainage services takes place on April 11.
• The Oilers have been posting some more in-depth content lately. Here’s a feature on the rookies Drake Caggiula and Matt Benning.
• Tunnel work on the first phase of the Valley Line LRT started a couple weeks ago and the team marked the milestone with a photo.
• EPCOR says yesterday’s Earth Hour resulted in a 2.3% decrease in energy usage compared with the same hour last week.
• Do you feel wanted here in Edmonton? Tim does. “In four years I’ve become part of a community of people who try to build Edmonton into a better city,” he writes.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Western Canada Fashion week got underway on Thursday and runs through April 1 at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Tuesday, the Sharks on Thursday, and the Ducks on Saturday. All big, important games as the Ducks, Sharks, and Oilers are tied atop the Pacific Division with 91 points.
• Wednesday is Art Night at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton is hosting a Spring 2017 Salon on Tuesday evening at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• Homeward Trust’s Indigenous Gathering takes place on Wednesday at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre on Kingsway Avenue.
• RISE is hosting a panel discussion called Actions & Words: 3 Years Since the TRC on Thursday at City Hall.
• Edmonton Griesbach MP Kerry Diotte has organized a town hall meeting on Thursday at the Boyle Street Plaza to dsicuss safe-injection sites.
• There’s a launch event for Walkable Edmonton taking place Thursday evening.
• The Edmonton Tattoo & Arts Festival takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• The 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship begins on Saturday at Northlands Coliseum.
• Head over to Rice Howard Way on Saturday for the Second Season Street Party.
• The Cannabis & Hemp Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• Go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather on a patio – March 30 to April 2 is Edmonton’s Winter Patio Weekend.
• Save the date: the City is hosting an open house on the Heritage Interpretive Plan for West Rossdale on April 3 at the Edmonton Tower.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Western Canada Fashion Week, photo by WCFW