Edmonton Notes for January 7, 2018

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to keep warm through the mini deep freeze we had recently.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City mailed 2018 property assessment notices this week. “Between July 1, 2016 and July 1, 2017, a typical single-family, detached home in Edmonton increased by 0.6 per cent and is now valued at $399,500.” If you have a concern with yours, you have until March 12 to file a formal complaint. Property tax bills will be delivered in May.
• December was another strong month for job growth in Edmonton. “Since the start of 2017, Edmonton has seen consistent gains in full-time employment, particularly in the areas of healthcare, education and some service sectors.”
• Council has a very difficult decision coming up on how to best integrate LRT with traffic at 149 Steet and Stony Plain Road. “City officials say tunnelling an LRT line is generally 10 times more expensive than building at grade, while elevating track is three times more expensive.”
• That decision is one of five big decisions coming up for Council in 2018, according to Elise Stolte.
• Edmonton (alongside Calgary) is one of WestJet Magazine’s best places to travel in 2018. “Both Edmonton and Calgary have been making big investments in infrastructure and the arts, resulting in exciting openings and development.”
• From the Edmonton Journal, here are ten Edmonton business events to look for in 2018.
• The City will start collecting natural Christmas trees on Tuesday. “In 2017, 10,779 trees weighing over 115 tonnes were collected for recycling.”
• The odds of Calgary landing Amazon’s HQ2 have risen from 66-to-1 to 18-to-1, while Edmonton remains a “dark horse” at 100-to-1, according to Irish betting company Paddy Power.
• Earth’s General Store owner Michael Kalmanovitch has launched a petition asking City Council to ban plastic bags. Taproot did a story on the subject back in September.
• I have seen a number of advertisements for winter cycling recently. “Cycling in the winter is much like preparing for other outdoor winter activities, like skiing. With a few adjustments you can keep cycling through the winter.”
• Thirty new pickleball courts opened across the Edmonton area last year. Who knew?
• One of the ideas pitched for the Edmonton Project was a river valley sauna. The winning project will be selected by a panel of judges on March 6.
• Ward 1 Councillor Andrew Knack says that while Edmonton will be prepared for marijuana legalization in July, the City would welcome some additional time. “I don’t think it would be a bad thing,” he said.
• Wallace James Ogletree was Edmonton’s first baby of 2018! “His name comes from two characters played by British actor Daniel Radcliffe: Wallace from romantic-comedy The F Word and James after the titular hero’s middle name in the Harry Potter series.”
• If you’re looking for a good roundup of 2017 year-in-review items, check out Edmonton Quotient!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge, photo by Terry Lawson

Upcoming Events

• Thanks to the cold snap, the Ice Castles have opened in Edmonton. Check it out at Hawrelak Park (and be sure to check the website before you go).
• EEDC’s annual Impact Luncheon takes place on Tuesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• I like the idea of a post-New Years Eve party, and that’s what IABC is hosting at the Crash Hotel on Thursday night.
• The Edmonton Motorcycle & ATV Show takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday.
• NAIT and ABC Bees are offering a Level One Beekeeping Certificate course on Saturday and Sunday. “The 16 hour long intensive content will offer everything you need to know to begin beekeeping.”
• Deep Freeze, one of my favorite festivals of the year, takes place along Alberta Avenue on Saturday and Sunday.
• Fruit Loop’s first event of 2018 takes place Saturday evening at the Crash Hotel.
• Swing ‘n’ Skate is back at City Hall on Sundays!
• For more upcoming events, check out Taproot’s guide to winter festivals & events in and around Edmonton.