What a hot weekend! Edmonton had a heat warning in effect for most of it, but Environment Canada says “there will be some relief from the heat on Monday.” There’s a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for tonight, too.
Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:
Headlines
- The City and Homeward Trust released Edmonton’s Updated Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness this week. “The updated plan sets priorities to 2026” and “is founded on three key goals: eliminating chronic and episodic homelessness by 2022; preventing future homelessness; and developing an integrated systems response to homelessness.” The report calls for an extra $30 million per year to fund operations and homeless interventions, in addition to more spending on housing.
- DeepMind has opened its first ever international AI research office right here in Edmonton in collaboration with the University of Alberta. “Our hope is that this collaboration will help turbo-charge Edmonton’s growth as a technology and research hub, attracting even more world-class AI researchers to the region and helping to keep them there too.”
- Connor McDavid signed an eight-year, $100 million extension with the Edmonton Oilers this week. That contract will have an average annual value of $12.5 million.
- Edmonton builder Sandy Mactaggart died this week at the age of 89. Paul Simons wrote that his passing “should be an occasion for us to reflect on how different Edmonton might have been if he had not adopted this city and made it his home.”
- I missed my update last week, so I wanted to link to this: Edmonton and Leduc County reach agreement on annexation. They’ve also signed a cooperation accord with the City of Leduc “to form a new partnership aimed at helping the EIA reach its full potential as a key economic driver” for the Edmonton region.
- Vix Technology has won the contract to develop the Smart Fare system for the Edmonton region. “Customers will be able to use their credit cards, debit cards, other compatible smart cards and smart devices.” It’s still going to take until at least 2020 until we see this, though.
- Up to 40,000 eligible Edmontonians can now begin applying for a subsidized monthly ETS transit pass at a rate of $35/month. It’s part of a pilot program called Ride Transit that will run through 2018.
- Edmonton’s latest rebranding discussion caused quite a stir at Council this week. “EEDC and city officials believe the words that describe Edmonton are: inventive, open, courageous and co-operative.” Jason Markusoff called us the Land of 1,000 rebranding efforts in Maclean’s. David Staples wrote in the Journal that our city’s “new strategy to market itself to the rest of the world is perfect for us, even if takes some getting used to.”
- Global has a recap of the 2017 Growth Monitoring Report that was released this week. “The report offers a snapshot of growth, demographics, land use and development, development patterns and trends, non-residential growth and housing in Edmonton.”
- The City’s new ambassador program “has exceeded expectations so far,” according to a new Journal article. I’m downtown all day every day, and this is the first I’ve heard of them, nor do I recall seeing them on the street.
- Walk Edmonton has released a new map of the Central River Valley. Get out there and enjoy!
- For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.
“Firebrand Glass” on Capital Boulevard
Upcoming Events
- The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival is underway at Churchill Square!
- Fresh MEAET is a fundraising event for local food projects and it takes place on Tuesday evening at the ATB Entrepreneur Centre.
- The City is hosting a public engagement session on the Centre LRT Study at the Bonnie Doon Community League on Wednesday evening.
- Lawn Summer Nights takes place on Thursday evening at the Commonwealth Lawn Bowling Club.
- Head over to Northlands Park on Friday evening for Park After Dark.
- Matchbox Twenty and Counting Crows are playing Rogers Place on Friday, the latest stop on the A Brief History Of Everything Tour.
- Progress Alberta is hosting an event called Stop carding in Edmonton! on Saturday at the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science at the U of A.
- Put your dancing shoes on and head over to the Legislature on Saturday for Dancing in the Park with Toy Guns Dance Theatre and Let’s Swing Dance.
- If you’re interested in urban agriculture, don’t miss the Northlands Urban Farm Tour on Sunday at 9:30am.
- For more great summer events, check out Taproot’s listing of happenings.
- For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.
The future Valley Line LRT tunnel down from The Quarters
MasterMaq's Blog 