Edmonton Notes for May 27, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton Transit is making transit free for children 12 and under. “Effective June 1, children can ride any ETS bus or LRT free of charge if they are accompanied by a fare-paying adult. A family of four with two children will save $13 when they take a round trip.”
• Property tax notices were sent out this week. “A typical single-family home, assessed at $399,500, will pay $3,470 in property taxes this year, an increase of $62 a year or $5 a month compared to last year.”
• A three-month gap was all that separated Police Chief Rod Knecht from a contract extension. “It was a peculiar and messy ending for a police chief whose years in office were largely devoid of peculiar mess,” wrote Paula Simons.
• City Council has agreed to move forward with a new plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. It is expected to cost $67 million over the next three years “but would save $76 million within 12 years.” The plan does not involve carbon offsets and instead relies on buying green energy.
• The Edmonton Public School Board has voted unanimously to support an inclusive guideline for dress codes.
• Troy Pavlek has looked at the numbers and found that the year after the new bike grid opened there was a 92% increase in cyclists. “Every cyclist on the downtown bike grid is one less potential car driver being traffic,” he wrote.
• The City has launched a summer information campaign designed to help everyone share the road safely. “The Bike Education Street Team will be out this summer talking to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists about how to safely navigate the new protected bike lanes.”
• City Council has given approval to move forward with expropriation proceedings against nine landowners for the Valley Line LRT West extension. “The lands include dozens of businesses, including two block faces on Stony Plain Road.”
• The 93-year-old A. Minchau Blacksmith Shop building is at risk of being lost as the current owner has applied for a permit to demolish it.
• If ETS was to have a celebrity voice for stop announcements, Mayor Don Iveson would want it to be Patrick Stewart. “ETS employee Janis Noble has been the voice of the local transit system for the past 24 years, lending her golden tones to recording messages for BusLink, the LRT and smart buses.”
• The Edmonton Eskimos won their first pre-season game tonight, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders by a score of 35-12.
• From OilersNation (yesterday): “Thirty years ago today, the Edmonton Oilers started a Stanley Cup tradition.” This week the Oilers hired assistant coaches Glen Gulutzan, Trent Yawney and Manny Viveiros.
• The provincial government is accepting comments from the public as it decides what to do with the old Royal Alberta Museum building.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• The RISE Reconciliation Film Festival continues this week until Saturday.
• The Downtown Business Association is hosting a panel on the future of work at Yellowhead Brewery on Tuesday evening.
• I will be at City Hall on Wednesday evening for the Edmonton Heritage Council’s AGM.
• Nextfest gets underway on Thursday and runs until June 10.
• artsVest, a program that aims to spark sponsorship opportunities for small and mid-sized arts organizations, is taking place at the Prince of Wales Armouries on Thursday and Friday.
• Thursday evening is Servus Free Family Access Night at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
• Edmonton is hosting the Grey Cup this year and the CFL is kicking things off with the ‘Bring the Heat’ breakfast at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday.
• The Edmonton Craft Beer Festival takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• Bonnie Fest is back for another year at the Bonnie Doon Community Hall on Saturday.
• Elk Island National Park’s Bison Festival takes place on Saturday.
• This year’s Heart of the City Music & Arts Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Giovanni Caboto Park.
• Another season of the Foodie Bike Tour starts on Saturday. Sharon and I went last year – read about our experience here!
• The Residential Infill elective in the City’s Planning Academy takes place on Saturday at the Edmonton Tower.
• The Edmonton Oilers Locker Room Sale will take place from 11am-2pm on Sunday at Rogers Place.
• Plan your calendar with Taproot Edmonton’s 2018 guide to summer festivals and events! It includes 75+ happenings you can look forward to this summer in and around the city.

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