Edmonton Notes for July 22, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• “Don’t like the weather? Wait ten minutes.” That pretty much summed up the weekend. Festival organizers with Taste of Edmonton, Interstellar Rodeo, and K-Days all faced challenges keeping guests safe thanks to the sudden changes in weather.
• Redevelopment planning is well underway for the Northlands site but K-Days will continue to be held there for at least the next four years after this one. “I think we’d be really challenged to find a different site that does what the Northlands site does for us today,” Mayor Don Iveson said.
• Nearly a year after Edmonton and St. Albert agreed to establish a regional transit commission, a number of other municipalities in the region including Parkland County and the City of Leduc have signed an MOU to join as well.
• Drivers in Edmonton are paying 36% more for gas than at this time last year. Pump prices are currently around 128 cents/litre compared to 94 cents/litre a year ago. According to GasBuddy.com’s Dan McTeague, “for an average driver using 60 litres per week, the hike equates to an additional $20 weekly — or about $1,100 more a year.”
• “Construction is expected to begin later this year on a new $65-million emergency department for the Misericordia Community Hospital that will triple the size of the current unit and add 34 new treatment spaces,” reports Keith Gerein in the Edmonton Journal.
• The latest federal cabinet shuffle moved Edmonton MP Amarjeet Sohi into the role of Minister of Natural Resources, which means he’ll be focused on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. “It will be built … that’s the commitment that we made to Canadians,” he said.
• The provincial government has put a new policy in place for events at the Alberta Legislature grounds. “Up until this spring, an Alberta government policy — which dates back more than 30 years — prohibited drinking and dancing on the provincial site.”
• The Edmonton Prospects have had 32,781 fans attend their home games so far this season, good enough for second place among attendance figures in the WMBL.
• I don’t know about you, but my Instagram feed has been full of photos of Okuda San Miguel’s new six-storey tall mural in Old Strathcona. Here’s a video feature on its creation.
• Edmonton Global has released its 2018 Strategic Plan focused on three main themes: collaboration, focus, and innovation. Read it in PDF here.
• City Manager Linda Cochrane’s contract has officially been renewed and extended until September of 2020.
• The Edmonton Eskimos released Terrell Owens from its negotiation list on Friday, which means the former NFL receiver can sign with any CFL team.
• Sustainable Food Edmonton has launched a new awards program known as the Golden Wheelbarrow Awards. Nominations are now open for all five categories.

North Saskatchewan River & Edmonton as seen from the ISS, photo by NASA Johnson

Upcoming Events

• It wasn’t a great weekend for two of Edmonton’s busiest summer festivals. Fortunately, both Taste of Edmonton and K-Days continue all week long!
• The launch of Wolf Pack YEG takes place on Tuesday evening at The Pint Downtown. Learn more about the monthly event series at StarMetro Edmonton. “Already in Calgary and Toronto, Wolf Pack talks aim to create a “brave space,” as opposed to a safe space, for the kind of conversations that men don’t usually have with one another.”
• The Bike Education Street Team and the Green Office Team are hosting a lunchtime tour of downtown’s bike network. Meet at noon on Wednesday at Edmonton Tower.
• It’s that time of year! The University of Alberta is hosting a series of Student Loan 101 Workshops to help students prepare for taking on loans. The first is Wednesday evening at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy.
• The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton is holding its first annual Christmas in July fundraising dinner on Wednesday evening at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel. Tickets are $150 each or $1,000 for a table of eight.
• The Health Collective YEG is hosting a pop-up event on Wednesday evening at 6537 111 Street.
• The Edmonton Corn Maze opens for 2018 on Thursday. This year’s design features an Edmonton Oilers player and logo.
• The City of Edmonton is hosting a public engagement session on Thursday evening at the West End Christian Reformed Church to gather input on converting Stony Plain Road to a one-way, westbound operation from 149 Street to 156 Street.
• Thursday evening is the final Lawn Summer Nights event of 2018 here in Edmonton.
• The ITU World Triathlon Edmonton runs Friday and Saturday at Hawrelak Park.
• Victoria Golf Course is hosting Ladies Golf Night Out on Friday. There’s one more opportunity coming up on August 24. The cost is $26/person which includes 9 holes of golf.
• Fruit Loop’s final event of the summer takes place on Saturday at Central Social Hall.
• 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.

Premier’s K-Days Pancake Breakfast, photo by Premier of Alberta

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