Edmonton Notes for May 6, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Air Canada launched non-stop daily flights between Edmonton and San Francisco this week. “This new route highlights Air Canada’s confidence in the Edmonton Metro Region and our community is pleased to work with them to add more flights to more places,” said Tom Ruth, President and CEO of Edmonton International Airport.
• Mayor Don Iveson and a large contingent of local entrepreneurs and business leaders took the flight to San Francisco on a trade mission. There, EEDC unveiled its participation in the brand new Canadian Landing Pad, “which is providing desk space in a San Francisco co-working space to Canadian companies looking to do business, network and make connections in Silicon Valley.”
• “Enough is enough,” said Mayor Iveson. The Metro Line LRT deadline that City Council set came and went on April 30, so the City has issued a Notice of Default to Thales, the contractor of the Metro Line CBTC signalling system. “This is a process within the contract,” said Adam Laughlin, the Deputy City Manager of Integrated Infrastructure Services. “It is frustrating. We, along with Edmontonians, are frustrated. Today is an important step but it is not the final step.”
• Beg buttons are the absolute worst, and now the City is going to be reviewing them starting this summer.
• The stretch of road along 107 Street NW between 120 Avenue NW and 123 Avenue NW has been named Hugh Bolton Way, in honor of the well known Edmonton volunteer, philanthropist, and retiring Chair of EPCOR’s Board of Directors.
• Project Welcome Mat, a trial solution “crafted out of community engagement and research” to improve urban wellness in Boyle Street has opened at Boyle Street Community Services Centre.
• Holryood’s contentious Holyrood Gardens project “remains just that.” The latest designs did not impress upset residents.
• Edmonton will be one of six cities included in the new Canadian Elite Basketball League launching in August 2019. Our team, which doesn’t have a name yet, will play at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. “The CEBL plans to have fans help pick names for each team.”
• The naming rights for the Shaw Conference Centre are set to expire on December 31, so EEDC is accepting submissions until May 25 for a new naming deal. Shaw bought the naming rights for 20 years in 1997 at a cost of $5.5 million.
• City Council’s Urban Planning Committee approved an $8,100 startup fee for “each recreational cannabis store, cultivation facility and cannabis processing facility.”
• The Development Incentive Program is back, and the City is encouraging property owners with empty or underused sites to apply by June 15.
• “Are you passionate about parking?” No, but I know there will be some get-off-my-lawn types who will jump at the opportunity to help the City “crowdsource information about how on-site parking allocated for apartments, condos, townhouses and businesses is being used.”
• EPCOR is expected to submit a rezoning application to turn part of Gold Bar Park into a parking lot, and a community organization called the Save Gold Bar Park Alliance has cropped up to oppose it.
• Be advised that starting today, “the first major traffic shift takes effect to accommodate preparation work for the next phase of construction on the Groat Road Bridges and Road Renewal project.”
• The Premium Outlet Collection at EIA is now open and the airport is encouraging travellers to “give yourself extra travel time” due to increased traffic.
• A transit link between Edmonton and Enoch is a “no-brainer” according to Michelle Wilsdon, an Enoch Cree Nation councillor. Edmonton councillor Scott McKeen said it would be “a minor act of reconciliation.”
• Who knew? Pinball machines increasingly popular with Edmontonians, reads a recent CBC Edmonton headline.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

JW Marriott Hotel and Stantec Tower, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• RECOVER, Edmonton’s Urban Wellness Plan, is hosting a prototype showcase on Tuesday evening at Allard Hall, MacEwan University.
• Poppy Barley is launching its Summer 2018 collection on Wednesday evening at their Southgate store.
• ECVO’s AGM will take place on Wednesday afternoon at the Royal Glenora Club. Guest speakers Graham Thomson & Brookes Merritt will share their perspectives on Alberta’s political landscape.
• Cannabis Let’s Talk Alberta, in partnership with REACH Edmonton and the City of Edmonton, is hosting a cannabis information session at The Orange Hub on Wednesday evening.
• Beverley Theresa will be discussing #OwnYourBrand on Wednesday evening at 99ten, part of the NextGen Speaker Series.
• The Edmonton Heritage Council is hosting a workshop for creators on Wednesday evening at the Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre.
• The 2018 Edmonton Real Estate Forum takes place on Thursday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• I love the idea behind ATB Financial’s tech time event, taking place at the Entrepreneur Centre on Thursday evening. “There are 2 kinds of people in this world: 1. Those who know how to use their electronic devices effectively and 2. Those who don’t. This session is for BOTH OF YOU!”
• The 124 Grand Market’s season opener takes place on Thursday night at 108 Avenue and 124 Street.
• SpotlightYEG, hosted by the City of Edmonton Youth Council, takes place at City Hall on Friday evening and will be exhibiting art pieces to promote mental health and/or stigma reduction.
• Humanities 101 is celebrating its 10 year partnership with Community Service Learning on Friday afternoon at the University of Alberta.
• The Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair returns to the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Get Ready in the Park takes place on Saturday at Hawrelak Park.
• Sunday is Mother’s Day, but the City Market is celebrating on Saturday at City Hall! The first 150 mothers will receive $5 in market bucks, a handcrafted chocolate, and a potted pansy.
• Child Friendly Edmonton and the City of Edmonton are hosting a Mental Health Week Block Party on Saturday at Wilbert McIntyre Park in Old Strathcona.
• Save the date: Connections Through Collections – The Future of Museums is coming up on May 17 at Allard Hall, MacEwan University.

LRT Construction at the Harbin Gate

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