Edmonton Notes for September 23, 2018

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City has installed pedestrian scrambles at 104 Street & Jasper Avenue and at 105 Street & 82 Avenue as part of a year-long pilot project. “Pedestrians can cross the intersection in every direction, including diagonally, at the same time while all vehicles are stopped temporarily.” Here’s a cool photo of the 104 Street intersection.
• The 2018 Grey Cup Festival will kick off on November 21 with more than 50 ticketed and free events. “Organizers estimate the economic impact of the game and four-day festival could be anywhere between $80 million to $100 million.”
• Montreal-based Communauto, “the oldest and largest carsharing organization in Canada,” has acquired a controlling stake in Pogo Carshare. “As part of the partnership, in the coming months Pogo Carshare will increase the number of vehicles and lower pricing on longer trips to make carsharing even more attractive for Edmontontians to use.”
• City Council accepted Westrich Pacific’s modifications to its tower known as “The View” and approved the project for two small lots in the Grandin area of Oliver.
• When cannabis is legal in October you’ll be able to smoke it outside – as long as you’re at least 10 metres away from doors or windows.
• The City has unveiled four concepts for future redevelopment of the Exhibition Lands. Fill out the online survey by September 30 to share your feedback.
• There were 68 collisions across Edmonton on Saturday between 9am and 5pm as the snow continued to fall. “Four incidents resulted in injury, police said, but did not elaborate on how serious the injuries were.”
• The City is looking for its next Indigenous Artist-in-Residence. “The program is open to Indigenous artists of various mediums, including, but not limited to, music, performance, visual and material art, as well as media and literary arts.” The deadline to apply is October 19.
• Darnell Nurse has signed a two-year contract worth $3.2 million USD per season with the Edmonton Oilers. “Nurse had said he wouldn’t participate in training camp without a new contract.”
• December 4, 2018: that’s the new deadline for Thales to get the signalling system working for the Metro Line LRT.
• Council is off this week, so the latest Council Roundup has a recap of recent decisions. Also, check out episode 7 of Speaking Municipally for a discussion about the news in municipal politics from last week.
• ICYMI: I participated in a Facebook Live engagement session on the new City Plan. You can see the recording here. Check out one of the drop-in engagement sessions to share your thoughts.

Upcoming Events

• Mayor Iveson and Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross are speaking on Monday about “the importance of renewable energy in meeting economic, social and climate change goals” at The Road to 100% Renewables.
• The Gotta Minute Film Festival starts Monday and runs through September 30.
• Roundhouse is celebrating Changemaker Week all week long with a series of free events.
• The University of Alberta’s Alumni Awards 2018 will be celebrated at the Jubilee on Monday evening.
• MacEwan’s Office of Sustainability has organized an Urban Beekeeping Bike Tour for Wednesday evening.
• interVivos is hosting a Mentorship Mixer on Wednesday evening at The Almanac.
• The Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society (FRAMS) is hosting a field trip to the Aga Khan Garden on Wednesday evening.
• Edmonton Shift Lab is hosting How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race on Thursday at the hotel in the Quarters (formerly called Hyatt Place).
• This year’s Play the Fool Festival, “Edmonton’s festival of clown-theatre and physical comedy,” runs Thursday to Sunday.
• OtherWise is a new variety podcast and they’re hosting a launch party on Friday night.
• Alberta Culture Days are being celebrated Friday to Sunday.
• There are still a few listings left on Taproot Edmonton’s 2018 guide to summer festivals and events! It includes 75+ happenings this summer in and around the city. Stay tuned for our winter guide later this year!

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