Edmonton Notes for January 21, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Given all of the change going on at Northlands, it was no surprise to learn that President & CEO Tim Reid resigned on Friday. He is going to become President & CEO of the Regina Exhibition Association. His last day at Northlands will be March 5.
• Graham Hicks wrote about EEDC’s departing President & CEO, Brad Ferguson. “He can ride off with his head held high,” he wrote. “What Ferguson did in his five years – which is the average time on the job for his four predecessors – was to find and define Edmonton’s soul.”
• Both men shared a nice exchange on Twitter. “Relentless energy and focus…thank you for your contribution,” Ferguson wrote to Reid. “Thanks for your continued professional support and personal friendship,” he replied.
• Amidst discussion about BRT vs. LRT, Mayor Iveson says “rail is imminent to the west.” If major financial commitments for the Valley Line West LRT from the provincial and federal governments come through, it’s very unlikely that Council would change its mind and go for BRT instead. That said, I think there’s clearly room for both BRT and LRT in Edmonton.
• Toronto was the only Canadian city to make the shortlist for Amazon’s HQ2, but EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson says the Edmonton bit was still worth it. “This was a proposal that brought our whole community together in very short order,” he said.
• Council is set to approve an additional $6 million for a new park in The Quarters this week. “The name of the new park, Kinistinaw, is a nod to the heritage of the area. 96 Street used to be called Kinistino Avenue, an anglicized version of the Cree words ‘we three.'”
• The cold snap that took place earlier this month resulted in 191 collisions in nine hours. Doug Jones, deputy city manager for city operations, says the City needs to be clear that when it gets really cold, the usual methods of improving road conditions don’t work. “We don’t have a solution,” he said. Aside from, you know, equipping your vehicle properly for winter, slowing down, and driving more carefully.
• City Council will discuss this week whether to put forward a bid to host some of the games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to Edmonton Tourism, “the economic impact of hosting the event is estimated at $208 million.”
• Liane Faulder wrote about the growth of food delivery apps like SkipTheDishes and Foodora here in Edmonton.
• The new CanSkate@School program is a learn-to-skate program funded through a partnership between the City of Edmonton and the Oilers Entertainment Group. The partnership fund “was kick-started by a $1 million contribution from the EOCF and Katz family as part of the facility development agreement.”
• The Katz Group wants City Council to allow it to open a new liquor store that is just 20 metres away from an existing store, far closer than the 500 metre minimum distance required by the current rules.
• A topping-off ceremony for the new JW Marriott hotel in the Ice District is expected to take place within the next few weeks. The hotel is slated to open in January 2019.
• The City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Mayor’s Awards. The deadline for nominations is March 9.
• Some are predicting that 2018 will be a breakout year for Edmonton’s tech scene, which has experienced “significant growth” in AI, health, and entrepreneurship in recent years.
• The Edmonton Oilers have hired Paul Coffey as a skills and development coach, the latest former player to join the organization. Somewhere I picture Daryl Katz chanting “gotta catch em all!”
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

22nd Century, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• Chinatown Dining Week is on all week long at five different restaurants in the Chinatown area! Here are the menus.
• The new Michael Phair School, located at 9407 211 Street NW, is having a grand opening ceremony on Monday evening!
• Share your thoughts on the Metro Line Northwest LRT Extension project on Tuesday at the Castle Downs YMCA.
• The Edmonton Career Fair and Training Expo takes place on Tuesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The City is hosting Evolving Infill workshops on Tuesday and Thursday this week.
• You can learn more about the Valley Line West LRT project on Wednesday evening at St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
• The Alberta Party Leadership Race Debate takes place on Wednesday evening at the Lister Conference Centre.
• Dark Matters is on at the TELUS World of Science on Thursday night.
• Ice on Whyte is back for two weekends in Old Strathcona. The first runs Thursday through Sunday.
• The Edmonton Renovation Show is at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Also taking place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on the weekend is the Edmonton Pet Expo.
• The 2018 Alberta Student Leadership Summit and Student Sustainability Summit are both taking place on the weekend at CCIS on the University of Alberta campus.
• The Edmonton Digital Arts College is hosting the local edition of Global Game Jam 2018 all weekend.
• The 2018 Chamber Ball takes place on Saturday night at Rogers Place.
• Learn how to start a podcast with Karen Unland of the Alberta Podcast Network on Saturday at CKUA!
• For more upcoming events, check out Taproot Edmonton’s guide to winter festivals and events!

Incline Mobile Obelisk, photo by Kurt Bauschardt