Edmonton Notes for October 1, 2017

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• I don’t have much to say about the events of Saturday night, now being investigated as “acts of terrorism,” that hasn’t already been said elsewhere. Here’s the Journal article and here’s the CBC article. Here is Mayor Don Iveson’s statement and here is Premier Rachel Notley’s statement. There are more useful links in this megathread on /r/Edmonton. Sharon and I were home all night on 104 Street, having dinner with friends. We heard the fireworks at Commonwealth Stadium, presumably for Military Appreciation Night as the Esks lost their sixth straight game, and the usual sirens and revelers all night long. We hear sirens all the time downtown so most of the time I just tune them out, and Saturday night was no different. We didn’t realize anything had happened until we looked at Twitter late in the evening and read about the high-speed chase that took place down Jasper Avenue and ended just a few blocks away. I was up until about 3am watching the F1 race, and heard the usual random groups of revelers all night long, so evidently they didn’t know or care about the events of the evening either. And today? Just another day, as Omar has perfectly captured.
• Hundreds of Edmontonians gathered outside City Hall this evening to show support for victims of the attacks. “We stand together,” Iveson told the crowd. “All faiths, all cultures. We will not be divided.”
• The City has submitted an annexation application to the Municipal Government Board for land in Leduc County and Beaumont. “It is expected that a recommendation will be made by the end of 2018. The City and Leduc County have requested an annexation effective date of January 1, 2019.”
• On Monday, the shareholder group of Edmonton Global announced the company’s inaugural board of directors and board chair. John Day will serve as the organization’s first board chair. The first meeting is taking place on Monday, October 2.
• We received our Where to Vote notice in the mail on Friday.
• Check out Taproot Edmonton’s election microsite to find your wards, candidates, voting stations, and more all with just one click. Here is our latest Edmonton Election Update, a roundup of election-related news and events delivered to your inbox.
• Alberta’s minimum wage increased from $12.20/hr to $13.60/hr today, another step forward in the plan to raise Alberta’s minimum wage to $15.00/hr by October 1, 2018. According to the government, more than 292,000 Albertans earn less than $15 per hour.
• A new petition aims to give “Accidental Beach” an Indigenous name. “If Edmonton ends up keeping, maintaining and investing in the Accidental Beach, let’s create space for Edmonton’s Indigenous community to name it in accordance with local ceremony & protocol.” The goal is to get 500 signatures to take to City Council.
• All three lanes of traffic are now open on the new Walterdale Bridge, as is the west sidewalk. “Ahead of schedule” is a definite stretch, though. Quality spin indeed.
• Transforming Edmonton has a look at the River Crossing Heritage Interpretive Plan. “The River Crossing area in Rossdale is at the heart of our city and has borne witness to Edmonton’s evolution over the course of thousands of years.”
• ATB Financial and Boyle Street Community Services partnered last year to launch Four Directions Financial, which uses biometric identification technology to serve the underbanked. The community agency now has more than 500 clients.
• The [first edition of Gifted](https://www.edmontonmade.com/catalogue/, an annual collection of Edmonton Made products, is now available.
• Here is the updated listing for Cecil Place, home of the former Sobeys on 104 Street and Jasper Avenue. The space has been subdivided into five different units ranging in size from 715 sq ft all the way up to 5,450 sq ft.
• Yes, this really happened: “An Alberta judge has refereed a dispute over a pair of Edmonton Oilers season tickets.”
• Alberta Health Services has announced the 2017/2018 Influenza Immunization Program will begin on October 23. All Albertans six months of age and older can receive a free flu shot.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Biking in Yellow, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• Wills Week from the Edmonton Community Foundation, “a series of free presentations that help Edmonton and area residents learn the value of creating and maintaining an up-to-date will,” takes place at various locations around Edmonton all week.
• The Weeknd is playing Rogers Place on Monday night!
• Advance Voting starts on Wednesday and runs daily from 1-7pm through October 13.
• There are plenty of election events taking place throughout the city this week! Get informed about your candidates and ask them your questions! If you don’t want to go to a forum, consider one of Edmonton NextGen’s pre-forum events.
• Leadercast Women, “a unique women’s leadership experience featuring top female leaders who are powered by purpose,” is coming up on Thursday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Oilers kickoff the regular season on Wednesday evening at Rogers Place as they host the Flames. Game time is 8pm.
• What Comes Next? Political Afterlives of the TRC takes place on Wednesday at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. “This facilitated roundtable discussion brings together three outstanding scholars to engage with political challenges and possibilities emerging from the TRC calls to action.”
• The Bloom Festival takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• The Oil Kings host the Wheat Kings on Friday and the Silvertips on Sunday.
• Earth’s General Store is closing its downtown location on Sunday with a Thank You Sale.
• I hope to see you at Green Drinks: The Election on Thursday, October 12 at Yellowhead Brewery. The event is always popular, so be sure to get your tickets early!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

The End of The World Panorama HDR, photo by ALLEN QIAO乔谦之