Edmonton Notes for August 18, 2019

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• E-scooters have arrived in Edmonton. Bird launched its scooters on Friday, and Lime followed suit this weekend. The City shared some of the rules for e-scooters in a recent blog post. I tried the Bird e-scooters this weekend. Lots of fun, and I think they’ll fill an important gap in transportation infrastructure in our city.
• There were just 44 short-term rental listings in Edmonton in 2014, but now there are more than 2,400, prompting the City to look at ways to regulate the market and apps like Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway.
• The City says it is leading the charge on home solar energy, offering solar installation rebates through the Change Homes for Climate – Solar Program which includes an incentive rate of $0.40/watt.
• Edmonton’s first Jollibee, which some refer to as the McDonald’s of Filipino food, opened on Friday. The first 50 people to spend more than $25 at the location were promised a free bucket of chicken a month for a year, which is why so many people lined up early.
• Apparently we’ve reached peak mosquito season, though counts this year are lower than average. We have last month’s rainfall to thank for boosting the population, even if it is lower.
• Edmontonians have been scammed out of nearly $685,000 in gift card fraud already this year. Police described the scams as "the unfortunate gift that just keeps giving."
• Five new access points have launched along the North Saskatchewan River. The docks and launches were installed at Whitemud Park, Laurier/Buena Vista Park, Dawson Park, Hawrelak Park, and Capilano Park.
• The Edmonton Prospects have pitched a plan to transform RE/MAX Field and the surrounding area. They’d like to add a microbrewery, restaurants, a public market, and more.
• The City was sentenced to a $325,000 penalty following a 2016 workplace fatality. "The penalty includes a creative sentence of $240,000 which is intended to provide additional safety training for municipal workers in Alberta, especially those working underground."
• Separately, the City is seeking the dismissal of a $5 million lawsuit related to the 2017 death of boxer Tim Hague.
• Renovations planned for the Confederation Lounge inside the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald have been put on hold until at least March to allow time for changes to the controversial updates.
• New stats show the funicular had 151 stoppages in the first seven months of the year, which is down significantly from the 334 stoppages during the same period last year.
• Speaking Municipally is back! We recently celebrated our first anniversary. Our latest episode covers everything we missed over the last few weeks while on summer break.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Food, Health Innovation, the Region, Music, Arts, Business, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups.

e-scooters have arrived

Upcoming Events

• The Fringe Festival continues until Sunday!
• The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market is hosting The Fringe Mini Market from Tuesday to Thursday this week!
• Edmonton’s 11th International Conference on Urban Traffic Safety takes place Wednesday to Friday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• ArtTourYEG: Churchill to McKinney takes place on Wednesday at lunch. Meet at the northwest corner of Churchill Square.
• The next UrbanYEG Meditation Series takes place on Wednesday evening at Kinsmen Park.
• Mode Made 2019, "Mode Models International’s annual must-attend summer event," takes place Wednesday evening at Allard Hall.
• The FAVA FEST film and video arts festival runs Thursday to Saturday at the Orange Hub.
• 104th Party in the Park is being held on Friday night at Beaver Hills House Park with proceeds going to support The Mustard Seed.
• Zoobrew 2019 takes place Friday night at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
• The Edmonton Blues Festival runs Friday to Sunday at Hawrelak Park.
• Friday is Military Appreciation Night at Commonwealth Stadium as the Eskimos host Winnipeg.
• YEG Talks 2019, a 24 hour slo pitch game in support of mental health, starts on Saturday night at RE/MAX Field.
• The new-ish Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Society is hosting a YEG Chinatown Walking Tour on Sunday. Meet at the new indoor location of the City Market.
• I am very much looking forward to Open Streets Edmonton which takes place from 10am to 3pm on Sunday along Jasper Avenue downtown. Hope to see you there!
• Festa Italiana is happening on Sunday at Giovanni Caboto Park.
• The Alberta Gift + Home Market starts on Sunday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• Check out Taproot Edmonton’s summer festival & event guide for 2019 for more upcoming events!

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