Edmonton Notes for December 17, 2017

Hard to believe Christmas is just a week away! This will likely be my last Edmonton Notes of the year – thanks for reading along. See you in 2018!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• This weekend was likely the final opportunity to visit Northlands Coliseum, with one last hockey game and some emotional goodbyes as part of the farewell.
• Local elves helped deliver toys to more than 24,000 children in need in our city this weekend as part of the 62nd annual Santas Anonymous campaign.
• The Mayor’s Economic Development Summit took place this week at NAIT with “discussions centred on sectors such as artificial intelligence, logistics, advanced manufacturing, health innovation, green building technologies, food and agricultural technology.”
• A proposal from the City to replace the City Hall pool with granite and much shallower water was met with quite a bit of pushback from both citizens and Councillors. The issue will be discussed in the new year.
• The latest Taproot Edmonton story takes a look at the issue of food waste.
• On a related note, the City is once again promoting its Wasteless Holidays campaign. “Create memories not garbage!”
• EEDC is supporting Airbnb-style “space matchmaking” service Thisopenspace “that connects people to empty office and retail spaces.” Local listings are set to launch in January.
• The City is inviting Edmontonians to submit ideas “that use technology and information to improve livability and opportunities for the City and its people” as part of Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge.
• The results of the 2017 Capital City Cleanup Litter Audit show “a continued trend towards less litter on Edmonton’s streets” with a 35% reduction in large litter and 26% reduction in small litter compared to last year.
• Flair Airlines has added daily flights between Edmonton and Toronto, with direct flights running multiple times a week between Edmonton and Vancouver, and Edmonton and Kelowna.
• The City has installed new signs to help cyclists turn from a protected bike lane into the street.
• Metro News did an end-of-year interview with Mayor Don Iveson on the Metro Line LRT, Northlands, Accidential Beach, and more.
• Speaking of the mayor, he’s running a photo of the year contest. You’ve got until December 31 to enter!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

View from the funicular

Upcoming Events

• Zoominescence continues at the Valley Zoo until the end of the month.
• Fort Edmonton Park’s Christmas Reflections is on now until December 23.
• Christmas at Bob’s, located at 7421 108 Street, is on until January 7. It’s a great spot to see Christmas lights!
• Candy Cane Lane is on until January 2 along 148 Street between 92 and 100 Avenue.
• This sounds like a lot of fun: Metro Cinema is hosting a Quote-A-Long screening of Die Hard on December 23.
• Shumka’s Nutcracker, “Clara’s Dream”, takes place at the Jubilee on December 29 & 30.
• This year, the New Year’s Eve fireworks are taking place at the Federal Building near the Legislature, and they start at 9pm.
• Be sure to check out Taproot Edmonton’s guide to winter festivals and events for more!

A final look at Northlands Coliseum, photo by Jason Woodhead