Edmonton Notes for August 13, 2017

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• A proposed city charter was released Thursday that contains 38 regulations intended to clarify laws and improve efficiency. “What it actually talks about is positive benefit for generations of Calgarians and Edmontonians,” Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi told a news conference. Mayor Don Iveson said: “This agreement fundamentally changes the dynamic between our governments and establishes a more mature working relationship. Edmonton and Calgary are being entrusted with more flexibility, more accountability.” The draft is open for public comment until October 10.
• The Edmonton Metropolitan Region’s new regional economic development entity will be known as Edmonton Global. It was incorporated as a separate Part 9 not-for-profit company in June of this year.
• Here is my latest roundup of Edmonton Election news. We’re publishing it regularly right through to Election Day on October 16.
• Thanks in part to the record-breaking crowd at the Heritage Festival, the Edmonton Food Bank surpassed its fundraising goal of 50,000 kg of food.
• The City is looking to establish citizen working groups along the Valley Line West corridor and is hosting a series of public meetings over the next two weeks to select the representatives. “Public input has played, and continues to play, an essential role in shaping the Valley Line LRT, from the identification of the corridor in 2009, through the development of the concept plan, to the completion of preliminary design in 2013.”
• The Edmonton Folk Music Festival decided to evacuate the grounds on Thursday night due to high winds and safety concerns. Here are the refund procedures, if you were affected.
• Four Edmonton-area restaurants made the list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants for 2017: Alder Room, Cafe Linnea, Chartier, and Bar Clementine.
• With a 27-20 win on Thursday evening, the Edmonton Eskimos remain undefeated with a 7-0 record this season! Should the team change its name though? “What better moment for us to lead on a different field of play,” wrote Paula Simons.
• The Edmonton Prospects are playing Swift Current for the league title for the second year in a row. Go Prospects!
• The City of Edmonton’s Youth Council is now accepting applications for Edmonton’s Youth Poet Laureate. “This position invites poets to share their distinct and creative voice to Edmonton for a one-year term.” The deadline to apply is September 5.
• Edmonton’s NextGen is accepting presentation submissions for Pecha Kucha Night 29 until September 17.
• This is very exciting news: Red Bull Crashed Ice will be returning to Edmonton next year on March 9 and 10!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Bike Lane Construction, photo by More Bike Lanes Please

Upcoming Events

• Edmonton Ghost Tours is running a series of tours in Old Strathcona from August 14 through 31. They’ve also organized a few Haunted Pub Walks!
• The Edmonton Career Fair & Training Expo takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Tuesday.
• VA Angels is celebrating its history and unveiling its new brand and direction on Tuesday afternoon at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
• Movies on the Square is back on Tuesday evening with a screening of Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
• Thursday is Pixar Adult Access Night at the TELUS World of Science.
• The Edmonton International Fringe Festival kicks off on Thursday evening! Get prepared with Taproot’s #YEGFringe Daily Digest. Check out today’s edition here.
• The Edmonton Rock Music Festival takes place on Friday and Saturday.
• Head down into the river valley on the weekend for the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival.
• This year’s edition of the Edmonton Airshow takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Villeneuve Airport.
• Edmonton Ribfest takes place this weekend at Victoria Park.
• Also taking place Saturday and Sunday is the Edmonton Latin Festival and the Edmonton Marathon.
• The 88th and final running of the Canadian Derby at Northlands Park takes place on Saturday.
• Alberta Open Farm Days runs Saturday and Sunday throughout the province. The annual event “is about farmers and ranchers inviting their urban and rural neighbours to stop in for a visit to share stories, see demonstrations, and learn more about the farmers who grow their food.”
• Be sure to check out Taproot’s summer festival guide for even more great summer events!
• Save the date for the 2017 EPL Gala, an evening with Rex Murphy, taking place on September 14. All proceeds from the event will support the revitalization of the Stanley Milner library downtown.

Flow and Boundaries, photo by Jeff Wallace