Edmonton Notes for September 15, 2019

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Let’s densify! Let’s build transit-oriented development! And if you’re City Council, let’s also let NIMBYism win and vote against sensible new developments like the one proposed for Glenora. Sigh.
• Council also provided initial approval for more than half a billion dollars worth of borrowing to finance some major construction projects like the Lewis Farms Rec Centre, Stadium LRT Station upgrades, Terwillegar Drive Expressway, and new electric buses.
• The City has launched "11 of Us", a new public awareness campaign aimed at reducing suicide in Edmonton. "The campaign’s name is taken from the number of Edmontonians who attempt or die by suicide everyday."
• The goats are gone from Rundle Park. Now researchers will evaluate the GoatWorks project, which launched as a pilot in 2017 "as an environmentally conscious method of weed control in natural areas and parks."
• A new Chamber of Commerce survey suggests that Edmonton needs to do more for businesses in order to be competitive with locations outside the city.
• In Oilers news, the team has unveiled new third jerseys and said that it is unlikely that McDavid will play in the pre-season.
• Advocates are asking officials to hold off on evicting the homeless from the dozens of tents lining the streets of the inner city. “We’ve seen it, over the last few weeks, really build up,” explained the Bissell Centre’s Scarlet Bjornson.
• Urban Planning Committee approved a recommendation to update the Zoning Bylaw to include tiny homes, which are usually less than 400 square feet in size.
• A team of "intrepid questers" won a golden key and $2,000 worth of gift cards for City attractions and rec centres on Saturday, part of the launch of the Edmonton Commonwealth Walkway.
• The Gateway says Justin Trudeau’s stop in Edmonton "was lacklustre, to say the least."
• Construction of the Valley Line Southeast LRT is slipping further behind, according to a new City report. The line is supposed to be complete in December 2020.
• Environment Canada says there were 55 days of rain in Edmonton through the months of June, July, and August this year. So yeah, it was a wet summer.
• In the latest episode of Speaking Municipally we talked all about the climate emergency with special guest Chris Gusen.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Food, Health Innovation, the Region, Music, Arts, Business, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups. This week each roundup will have a Covering Climate Now section as part of our participation in Covering Climate Now.

Cyan Memories, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers will start the preseason this week with home games on Monday against the Jets, Thursday against the Canucks, and Friday against the Flames.
• The Business Link will deliver its first-ever Report to the Community on Monday afternoon.
• eHUB and the Student Innovation Centre at the University of Alberta are hosting SPARK 2019 on Tuesday evening at CCIS. The event "connects students, with centres, initiatives and entrepreneurs to learn about different innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities on campus."
• I am looking forward to serving as a judge at the Falling Walls Lab UAlberta on Wednesday evening at the TELUS Centre.
• The United Way of the Alberta Capital Region is hosting its 2019 campaign kickoff on Thursday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Edmonton Women in Finance are hosting Champions for Change: Why Inclusion & Diversity Matter on Thursday afternoon at the Royal Alberta Museum.
• Learn to start a business on Thursday afternoon at MacEwan’s Roundhouse with the Start a Business 101 workshop for beginners.
• Alumni Weekend runs Thursday to Sunday at the University of Alberta. The 25th annual Alumni Awards will kick things off on Thursday evening at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
• The Eskimos host the Tiger Cats on Friday evening at Commonwealth Stadium.
• FC Edmonton will host York9 FC on Saturday at Clarke Field.
• Timothy Caulfield is speaking about being healthy and happy in the age of anxiety on Saturday afternoon at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. It’s part of the 2019 Alumni Weekend!
• Eat North is hosting its next Prairie Grid Dinner focused on the theme of innovation and the technological evolution of culinary practices over the past century on Saturday evening at CKUA.
• Workshop Eatery is hosting the Bacon Day Collaboration 2019 on Saturday evening.
• Tickets are now on sale for the #boombagsYEG SUPER SEWcial, scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Ritchie Community Hall.
• Check out Taproot Edmonton’s summer festival & event guide for 2019 for more upcoming events!

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