Edmonton Notes for March 18, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton is an official Candidate Host City for United 2026, the joint Canadian, Mexican, and American bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The other two Canadian cities included in the bid are Montreal and Toronto. The Alberta government has said it will not provide financial support.
• Paula Simons on the ridiculous gondola idea: “They haven’t even legalized pot yet. I don’t know what all the rest of you have been smoking, but this is nuts.”
• The City released an update this week that increased the estimated price of the Valley Line LRT West from $1.8 billion to more than $2.2 billion. And that “does not include grade separation for 104 Avenue and 109 Street downtown.” With driverless vehicles and other technology seemingly just around the corner, would an expensive LRT line be obsolete before it even opens? Yes, argues Magnovate founder Dan Corns.
• Mayor Don Iveson launched a new campaign this week called #YEGCommute “to spark a conversation with Edmontonians about commuting around our city and the need to improve commuting options in Edmonton.” You can find the sharable graphics here.
• Taking up the challenge, Lincoln Ho has put together some interesting transit commute time maps showing “the fastest possible time taken by using our transit system.”
• The City’s 2017 Operating Budget has recorded a $31 million surplus thanks in large part to savings on snow removal. “The savings will go into the city’s financial stabilization fund, unless directed elsewhere by city council.”
• New data from Statistics Canada shows the median take-home income in Edmonton “was $82,000 for families and individuals in 2016, while the median income in Calgary was $67,700.”
• New figures from the Edmonton Social Planning Council show that Edmonton Food Bank use jumped by over 10,000 people from 2014 to 2017.
• The Edmonton Public Library celebrated its 105th birthday this week! “We couldn’t do what we do without the continued support of our customers – thank you #yeg!”
• Mayor Iveson’s campaign promise of free transit for kids under 13 could become a reality for “a few hundred thousand dollars”, something that Council will consider later this year.
• The inaugural Global Sports Impact Canada Index has Edmonton ranked second to Montreal for the top city in Canada for hosting sports events.
• Roberto Alomar wrote a letter to City Council earlier this month urging them to keep RE/MAX Field open. “The city is looking at several options for the area after the 2020-2021 mark; some of which include RE/MAX Field and some that don’t.”
• The Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport (what a mouthful) is opening on May 2 and retailers are looking for an estimated 1,300 workers.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Dismount and Walk, photo by More Bike Lanes Please (be sure to read the caption)

Upcoming Events

• The Leftovers Foundation is launching Leftovers YEG on Monday evening at Northern Chicken.
• Evolving Infill is hosting another drop-in Conversation Fair on Tuesday evening at the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre.
• Nerd Nite Edmonton #41 is happening on Tuesday night at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• Buildex 2018, Edmonton’s largest tradeshow for the construction, architecture, and property management industries, takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• This year’s edition of the Mac & Cheese Luncheon, hosted by the Inner City Agencies Foundation, takes place on Thursday at The Westin Edmonton.
• Hedley is performing at Rogers Place on Thursday evening.
• The 2018 Edmonton Home & Garden Show takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday to Sunday.
• Michelle Obama is speaking at Rogers Place on Friday afternoon.
• Also speaking in Edmonton on Friday, at MacEwan University, is Chad Michael Murray.
• Make It Edmonton is holding its spring show at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday.
• Ladies Learning Code is holding a workshop on Building a Web Store with Shopify and Liquid on Saturday at Startup Edmonton.
• A march in solidarity with the students of Parkland will take place at the Alberta Legislature on Saturday at 1pm.
• HempFest Cannabis Expo 2018 is taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday at Rogers Place. After the weekend, there will be just six games left in the Oilers season.
• The spring edition of the Pop Culture Fair takes place Sunday at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
• Earth Hour 2018 takes place at 8:30pm on Friday Sunday night!
• Save the date: the Edmonton Volunteer Fair is coming up on April 14 at West Edmonton Mall.

At the Cities & Climate Change Science Conference, photo by UCLG