Edmonton Notes for June 21, 2020

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton has now surpassed Calgary in active cases of COVID-19 with 238 of Alberta’s 534 active cases in the Edmonton zone. There were just 44 active cases in the Edmonton zone at the start of June.
• The public hearing on policing will continue on Monday and Wednesday as about half of the registered speakers are still awaiting their turn. Some speakers have called for an overhaul of the City’s anti-racism advisory committee.
• City Council agreed to pick Indigenous names for the new wards that will be in place for the 2021 election. They’ve asked for the names to be ready in early September.
• A number of construction projects are on time or ahead of schedule, though the Valley Line LRT is still delayed, reports CBC.
• Recreation facilities will start to reopen in Edmonton on July 2 though the City warns "there will be necessary and significant changes to how the public will use the facilities and the overall operations."
• Timed ticket sales were brisk as the Valley Zoo reopened to visitors at 50% capacity on June 15.
• The first seven spray parks opened this weekend, and the City says all 25 across Edmonton will open in the next two weeks. Locations will be cleaned bi-weekly.
• Edmonton’s Bündok and Biera made Daily Hive’s list of Canada’s 100 best restaurants of 2020.
• Journal columnist Keith Gerein speculated on what may happen in the 2021 civic election. "Should Iveson decide to seek a third term, he would be the presumptive favourite and would undoubtedly scare off some would-be contenders — though the race is still likely to be more competitive than the landslides Iveson won in 2013 and 2017."
• "Edmonton has everything going for it but location, location, location," reports Sportsnet regarding the NHL hub city bid. "We know, Edmontonians don’t want to hear this."
• WestJet announced its July schedule, with all routes originating in Edmonton bound for Canadian destinations.
• The Polaris Prize long list includes two Edmonton bands: nêhiyawak and Wares.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Food, Health Innovation, the Region, Music, Arts, Business, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups.

Upcoming Events (June 22-28)

The vast majority of upcoming events have been cancelled or postponed. If you’re unsure, just stay home – especially if you’re feeling sick.

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