Edmonton Notes for June 9, 2019

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Council approved three large mixed-use development projects at public hearing on Thursday. The old Edmonton Motors site in Oliver will have two 48 storey towers, the South Scona Parking Lot redevelopment will have three towers ranging from 15 to 20 storeys, and The Shift is a two-tower project on 106 Street at 36 and 40 storeys.
• I can’t wait for the sea of parking lots around 107 Street downtown to be turned into a new 1.25-hectare park. "It’s not often you get to build a major park in a major city," says David Holdsworth, a senior planner with the city’s urban renewal department. Though I’m not sure about the petition proposing "The Nathan Fillion Civilian Pavilion" for the park.
• The City has unveiled a shortlist of construction teams selected to participate in the RFP stage of the Valley Line West LRT project. One of them is SNC-Lavalin!
• The location of the proposed Edmonton Nordic Spa has been revealed: Fort Edmonton Park. Council will discuss the request to lease land this week.
• A parking stall at the Ultima Tower has sold for $45,000 according to real estate consultant Ryan Gillen.
• Pride Week in Edmonton runs June 7-16 and to mark the occasion, ETS has unveiled a colourful Pride bus. “This bus symbolizes the inclusive and welcoming culture we’re building at the City of Edmonton,” said Gord Cebryk, Deputy City Manager, City Operations.
• "We believed a fairy tale for decades, virtuously filling blue bags and setting them by the curb," says Elise Stolte. "We need a better solution, one that recognizes how much work recycling really is."
• No surprise here given the weather lately: Edmonton Fire Rescue Services lifted the fire ban on Thursday.
• Valley Line LRT construction will cause the intersection at 100 Street and 102 Avenue to be closed from June 10 until July 20. Buses will detour to 101 Street.
• In Episode 41 of Speaking Municipally we discuss the supplemental capital budget adjustment, crosswalks, waste management, and enterprise software projects.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Food, Health Innovation, Music, Business, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups.

After, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Indulgence 2019 takes place Monday evening at the Delta Edmonton South.
• Judas Priest performs Tuesday evening at Rogers Place.
• FC Edmonton has two home games this week: Wednesday evening against York9 FC, and Saturday afternoon against Cavalry FC.
• Improvaganza starts on Wednesday and runs until June 22.
• Pecha Kucha Night 34 takes place Thursday evening at the Garneau Theatre.
• City Hall School’s annual Citizenship Fair takes place Friday afternoon at City Hall.
• The Eskimos will host Montreal on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium for their regular season home-opener.
• The Edmonton Stingers host the Hamilton Honey Badgers on Friday evening at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• Saturday is the day to be downtown! Mercer Super Party is on outside the Mercer Warehouse, the Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market will be back on 104 Street, and DECL is hosting its annual pancake breakfast on 103 Street.
• The Edmonton Wildlife Festival takes place on Saturday at the Queen Mary Park community hall.
• ZooFest, in support of the Valley Zoo Development Society, takes place on Saturday evening at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
• The Edmonton Prospects host Fort McMurray on Saturday and Sunday at RE/MAX Field.
• Porkapalooza is at the Edmonton EXPO Centre grounds on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Mayor’s Pride Brunch takes place on Sunday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• St. Albert’s popular food truck event at the St. Albert Grain Elevator is back on Sunday afternoon.
• Shawn Mendes performs with special guest Alessia Cara on Sunday evening at Rogers Place.

Encore Encore, photo by Dave Sutherland