Happy Mother’s Day! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The PATH (Providing Accessible Transit Here) program will offer Edmonton’s most vulnerable “better access to education, employment opportunities, and various social services” by providing free transit passes. This is a big deal, as transportation can be extremely costly.
• ETS reallocated over 50,00 hours in the fall of 2016, changes that “improved on-time bus performance” and contributed to better customer service. They are gearing up to make another big change this fall. You can see the full list of changes in PDF here. The other thing ETS is highlighting right now is “major improvements” coming to several transit centre locations, including the replacement of three of the oldest bus transit buildings at Belvedere, Castle Downs, and Jasper Place.
• I can’t believe the “City of Champions” debate is going to come up again, but some people just can’t let it go. “In the end, the Oilers didn’t win. But Edmonton sure did,” wrote Terry Jones. While that’s a fair statement, we don’t need some ridiculously nostalgic signs to celebrate that. Here’s what I wrote about the debate back in 2015. The Journal’s latest editorial gets it right: “to outsiders and residents alike, it’s the endless bickering about whether Edmonton should be called the City of Champions that says more about the place than any slogan ever could.”
• City Council has approved “an ambitious Sustainable Buildings Policy”. The policy sets a standard for energy efficiency that is “the most ambitious for a major Canadian city with a carbon intensive electricity grid like Edmonton and second only to Vancouver.”
• Edmonton’s office vacancy rate has nearly doubled in the past year, to more than 15%. Some predict it could rise to 20% in the next year as more new office towers come online. That’s still below Calgary, but it’s not great. It may create an opportunity, though. Calgary’s Strategic Group wants to convert the Harley Court building to rental apartment suites.
• Ward 5 Councillor Michael Oshry announced this week that he will not seek another term. “It has been my pleasure to serve the citizens of the ward and the City of Edmonton,” he tweeted.
• I am excited to see the new bike lanes downtown! While the public launch is slated for the end of August, I’ve already seen some of them in use. The city is running a survey right now to collect feedback.
• According to Edmonton’s 2016 Motor Vehicle Collisions Report, “collision injury rates in 2016 dropped to their lowest level in 15 years.” That’s great news, but we still have a long way to go to realize Vision Zero.
• The City recognized the contributions that community members made to the Council Initiative on Public Engagement at a special ceremony on Wednesday. You can meet some of them at the new Engaging Edmonton site. My profile is here.
• The Oilers are out of the playoffs after a great run! Here’s a recap video from the team. Two of my favorite Oilers stories from the past week: Meet the Oilers fan who celebrated with Zack Kassian and Tweet showing Alberta boy goes viral during Oilers game. Our fans are great!
• From OilersNation: Edmonton Oilers’ championship hopes for the next decade may rest on Leon Draisaitl.
• It sounds like Alexander Prior, the new ESO conductor, is off to a great start, even though he doesn’t fully takeover until September.
• Today was our kickoff to the food truck season in Edmonton! Here’s coverage from CBC and from Global.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton at Night, photo by Andrew Kennedy

Upcoming Events

• Hip Hop on the Park is back for another year and kicks off on Monday!
• Head over to Startup Edmonton on Tuesday evening for PanEx 2017. I am excited to be showing off Taproot Edmonton!
• Evolving Infill is holding a series of public engagement events this week.
• Thoroughbred Racing is on once again at Northlands!
• The Edmonton Jewish Film Festival starts on Wednesday at Landmark Cinemas in Edmonton City Centre.
• The Downtown Business Association’s spring luncheon takes place on Thursday at The Westin with a discussion on our new bike lanes!
• Get the lowdown on moving downtown on Thursday evening as a panel hosted by FRAMS discusses the new Royal Alberta Museum.
• The next Dark Matters event at the TELUS World of Science is coming up on Thursday evening.
• EPL is holding the Capital City Press Festival celebrating Albertan writing on Saturday at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre.
• Save the date: the 2017 Mayor’s State of the City Address is coming up on May 24.
• Be sure to bookmark Taproot Edmonton’s guide to summer festivals and events in Edmonton for 2017! There’s something happening every weekend!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Oilers Bronze, photo by Jeff Wallace

After a massive 7-1 victory tonight at Rogers Place the Oilers have forced a Game 7 against the Ducks. Exciting times!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton has been selected to host the 2018 Cities and Climate Change Science Conference next March. “The event promises to be a pivotal milestone in developing the global understanding of how climate change will impact cities and the role of cities in tackling climate change.”
• Our first What the Truck?! event of the season is coming up on Mother’s Day at Northlands from 12-7pm. We hope to see you there! Here’s the lineup and here is Liane Faulder on what’s new this year plus some tips for first-time attendees. We have also shared some details on our plans for the rest of the season.
• It has been so great to see the downtown bike network take shape over the last couple of weeks! Learn more about the project here.
• A few hundred people marched against safe-injection sites this weekend, but Rev. James Holland, who has led Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples on 96th Street at 108th Avenue for 22 years, is in favor of the sites.
• Andrea Burkhart will be EndPovertyEdmonton’s first Executive Director when she joins the organization next month. She has spent the last six years as founding Executive Director of ACTAlberta, the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking Alberta Association.
• FC Edmonton is running a contest for minor soccer teams to win tickets to an upcoming home match!
• CBC has a nice feature on Edmonton pop singer Ruth B. “I’m from Edmonton,” she worried. “How was anybody ever going to hear about me?”
• Another season of construction is now underway at Blatchford. “The work planned for the first part of 2017 includes installation of storm, sanitary and water servicing as well as piping for the district energy sharing system. Once the deep utilities have been installed, the project team can move forward with Stage 1 local road construction.”
• The City has extended the deadline for non-profit groups interested in leasing space at MacEwan West until May 18 at 4pm.
• Warmer weather means motorcycles will soon be a common sight on city streets! May is motorcycle safety month in Alberta.
• Today was the kickoff for the 30th anniversary of River Valley Clean Ups! Help keep one of our city’s best assets clean.
• Candace Makowichuk is the City of Edmonton Cemeteries’ artist-in-residence. Here’s an interview at the Latitude 53 blog.
• After originally announcing a date later in the month, City-owned grass sports fields are now open to all users as of Monday, May 8.
• The City is turning the alleyway between 104 Street and 105 Street just north of Whyte Avenue into a public plaza and now they’ve teamed up with the Old Strathcona Business Association and Edmonton Naming Committee to hold a contest to name the space. Submit your name to the Name That Alley competition by May 18.
• Nathan Fillion was in Edmonton this week and had some fun hiding signed t-shirts around the city.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• Capital Ideas bids farewell with a final event for members on Tuesday evening at the ATB Entrepreneur Centre in Edmonton.
• Head over to the Fantasyland Hotel on Wednesday afternoon for the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organization’s AGM.
• Game 7 goes Wednesday night! The Oilers are once again holding the Orange Crush Watch Party at Rogers Place. Game time is TBD, but tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday.
• Want to learn how to sell to the City of Edmonton? They’re holding a free 90 minute session on Thursday at City Hall to go through all the details.
• Another season of the 124 Street Grand Market kicks off on Thursday! This year they’re back to the original location at 108 Avenue.
• Evolving Infill will also be at City Hall on Thursday evening with a discussion on next steps.
• Startup Edmonton is celebrating five years in the historic Mercer Warehouse with a special event on Thursday evening!
• The Edmonton Gem & Mineral Show takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Councillor Michael Walters is launching his re-election campaign on Saturday morning at the Yellowbird Community League.
• The City’s annual Get Ready in the Park event is coming up on Saturday at Hawrelak Park from 10am to 4pm.
• The Edmonton edition of the Alberta Bike Swap takes place on Saturday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Sunday is our food truck kickoff at Northlands! Hope to see you there!
• Looking to get organized? Save the date: there’s a KonMari workshop coming up in Edmonton on May 27.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• City Council set Edmonton’s property tax rates for 2017 to reflect a 2.8% municipal budget increase. Taking everything into account, it works out to “a 3.3% overall increase for the typical single-family home and a reduction of about 2.6% to apartment buildings” while the “average overall increase to commercial and industrial (non-residential) property is 2.9%.” Tax notices will be mailed to all property owners on May 23 with the deadline to pay being June 30.
• Council voted 7-5 this week to approve the proposed 80-storey tower known as the Aldritt tower. Mayor Iveson voted against the project and wrote about his rationale. Councillor Walters also wrote about the decision saying the project is “out of scale with the river valley and out of sync with the Quarters’ ARP.”
• Councillor Ed Gibbons confirmed on Wednesday that after fifteen and a half years on Council, he will not stand for re-election in October which means we have an open race in Ward 4. “I leave council, but I remain a proud Edmontonian,” Gibbons said.
• I think as a community we messed up with the closure of Dollarama at Edmonton City Centre. Staff “received 3,000 calls from people wondering when the discount store would return,” according to a recent article. Lots of people shop there, from all walks of life, but the store is vital for those just scraping by. I’ll be very glad to see the larger store re-open.
• A total of $241,672 was raised during this year’s DONATE A RIDE campaign. “To date, the program has distributed nearly 1.4 million transit tickets valued at more than $2.8 million.”
• Tim submitted a FOIP request on MacEwan LRT Station and found it “was not designed or built to handle large crowds, despite being right next door to an arena and despite featuring prominently in the Ice District’s marketing campaign.”
• The City says the last steps in the Infill Roadmap were put into action in January, so they’re looking for Edmontonians to get involved in what comes next for Evolving Infill. Mayor Iveson says “our next big challenge is to deal with the cost and availability of infill.”
• Don Braid wrote recently that “Edmonton is crazed with excitement these days” while “Calgary is losing some of the old drive”.
• Edmonton is among the seven finalists for a global Intelligent Community of the Year award. You can check out some highlights on the City’s Instagram account.
• “Be a Good Fan” and “Make Good Calls” are a few of the messages the City has for fans celebration the Oilers playoff run. Remember there are parking bans and no-stopping zones in effect along Jasper Avenue and Whyte Avenue for both home and away games.
• Spring service changes for ETS went into effect today with frequency of service “reduced for post-secondary routes, school specials and 22 bus routes.”
• Urban Pedal Tours is a new business launching in May that will take guests on a 15-seat bicycle beer tour of downtown and Old Strathcona for $40 per seat. Cool!
• The City of Edmonton Youth Council is now accepting applications for youth between the ages of 13 and 23 by August 31. The deadline to apply is June 4.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is now accepting nominations for Edmonton’s seventh Poet Laureate.
• Looking for a great place to eat duck in Edmonton while the Oilers play Anaheim? Linda has the definitive list.
• Amazon.ca has expanded its free one-day delivery for Prime members to Edmonton and Calgary.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton – Oiler Country, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts takes place on Monday evening at City Hall. Get your tickets here!
• Amazing Agriculture returns to Northlands this week from Tuesday through Thursday.
• The Alberta Business Hall of Fame Gala is taking place on Wednesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Oilers host the Ducks at Rogers Place on Wednesday evening for Game 4 then they’re off to Anaheim for Game 5 on Friday night.
• Head over to the EPL Strathcona branch to learn more about 100in1Day at the workshop taking place on Wednesday evening.
• Public Information Sessions being held by the City to share improvements to public engagement start on Wednesday this week.
• The Gateway Association’s Mayors Luncheon 2017 takes place Thursday at the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel.
• The 2017 VenturePrize Awards are taking place at The Westin on Thursday evening.
• Northern Lands is taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre from Tuesday through Saturday.
• Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!
• Homeless Connect Edmonton returns to the Shaw Conference Centre on Sunday.
• Our first What the Truck?! event of the year is coming up on Sunday, May 14! Also, we’re making some changes for this season.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Oilers 2017 Playoff Scene, photo by IQRemix

Winter is back, but at least the Oilers are in to the second round! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The Oilers defeated the Sharks on Saturday to win the series 4-2. The Oilers are moving on to the second round and will take on the Ducks. Here is the best of round one from OilersNation.
• The Journal’s editorial board wrote against the proposal to spend $220 million to raise a portion of the Valley Line LRT which would have tried to save drivers maybe 30 seconds. Thankfully, Council voted against the idea. The proposal was pretty ridiculous but it was politically savvy to have this come up now.
• Edmonton Police have not named victims in 6 of the city’s 14 homicides so far this year, and Chief Rod Knecht is defending those decisions. “We are trying to do a better job of this,” he said.
• Dave has an update on the list of candidates planning to run in the municipal election later this year. “There are 179 days left until Edmontonians cast their votes to choose their next city council,” he wrote.
• The 2017 infill construction season officially kicked off this week. “Infill helps make the best use of our existing infrastructure and creates more housing options for Edmontonians and their families, which is important for the social sustainability of our City over the short and long term,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
• Councillor Andrew Knack says the City should look at setting a hard target for achieving Vision Zero. We were surprised to learn when reporting on this issue at Taproot Edmonton back in December that the City did not have a target.
• The Edmonton Eskimos are expected to announce this week that Brock Sunderland will be the team’s new General Manager.
• Work is underway to decide the location of the controversial northeast bridge over the North Saskatchewan River. One route would take the road right through valuable northeast farmland, while another would run through a mined-out gravel pit and land expected to be used for suburban development. Though the bridge apparently isn’t needed for 25-35 years, development is already planned for the area and everyone is jostling for land rights.
• Becoming Edmonton is a new documentary series that “explores the lived experience of people coming to Edmonton principally from First Nations reserves or as immigrants and refugees.”
• Some 22,000 years of history melted at the University of Alberta recently where a freezer containing arctic ice cores failed.
• The Delton Apartment, built in 1915 on 118 Avenue, has been designated as a Municipal Historic Resource.
• From Chris Chang-Yen Phillips: 5 Things I’ve Learned As Edmonton’s Historian Laureate.
• Paula Simons wrote about the new Royal Alberta Museum. It’s still months away from opening, but it is starting to look pretty good from the outside!
• The City of Edmonton’s Planning Academy is back with courses running at the Edmonton Tower from April to June.
• Startup Edmonton is looking for a new Program Manager to join the team!
• Are you playing the City of Edmonton Archives’ Canada 150 trivia contest? Here are the answers for the “buildings” set of questions. You have until Thursday to answer the next batch of questions on education.
• There’s still time to fill out the Edmonton Food Council’s annual local food survey. “Results will be used to track how Edmonton’s food system is changing over time and produce an annual local food system scorecard.”
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Cranes, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The 15 to Clean Challenge is underway and runs through May 7. The two-week long initiative is “designed to inspire Edmontonians to take 15 minutes to pick up litter in their community.”
• ECVO, the City, the United Way, and EndPoverty Edmonton are hosting a community roundtable dinner on Tuesday at the Santa Maria Goretti Centre to discuss Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
• Head over to the ATB Entrepreneur Centre on Wednesday afternoon for an Introduction to E-Commerce presented by Alberta Women Entrepreneurs and featuring Ashley Janssen!
• Let’s Talk Health is the next panel discussion in the “Great Ideas. Great City.” speaker series and it takes place at City Hall on Wednesday evening.
• The Downtown Edmonton Community League’s AGM is taking place on Thursday evening.
• Sailin’ On is holding a lunch pop-up at Earth’s General Store downtown on Friday!
• The Edmonton Cottage Life & Cabin Show takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Dig In, St. Albert’s Horticulinary Festival, takes place at the Enjoy Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• The spring edition of the Edmonton Woman’s Show is happening at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Rosies, the annual gala for the Alberta Film & Television Awards, takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday.
• Jimmy Eat World is performing at The Starlite Room on Saturday evening.
• Northern Lands is coming up at the Shaw Conference Centre from May 2-6.
• Our first What the Truck?! event of the season will take place on May 14 at Northlands! Hope to see you there!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Let’s go Oilers! Round 2 here we come!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City of Edmonton’s Naming Committee has approved the name for one of Canada’s first outdoor curated Indigenous art parks: ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞, pronounced (EE-NU) River Lot 11.
• There’s a major fight brewing over lot splitting in the Greater Hardisty area. Residents are signing restrictive covenants that would prohibit not just lot splitting but also duplexes, row houses, large daycares, and more.
• Farmer Doug Visser is “foregoing the potential for making millions of dollars in order to protect quality farmland and an old-growth forest from suburban growth while creating a permanent gift for Edmonton.” The 93 hectares of land are located in Horse Hill in Edmonton’s northeast.
• Edmonton remembered the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge today with a big event in Churchill Square.
• The Oilers played their final regular season game tonight and defeated the Canucks 5-2. Connor McDavid scored his 100th point and will win the Art Ross Trophy. They’re playing the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the playoffs!
• Team Canada won gold today at the 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship at Northlands!
• Ed Hervey was fired by the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday over “differences in philosophy” and an inability to agree to contract extension terms.
• The nominees for the 2017 Edmonton Music Awards have been announced.
• The old scoreboard in Northlands Coliseum is in “fair condition” and the City is looking for someone to take it off our hands, even for scrap parts.
• Here is Paula Simons on why the City should seriously consider combining the Edmonton Expo Centre and Shaw Conference Centre.
• This month marks the end of classes at the old MacEwan arts campus in the west end as the brand new MacEwan University Centre for Arts and Culture on 104 Avenue is set to open in September. As a result, the City is now accepting RFPs for non-profit groups who want to lease space at MacEwan West.
• From the Edmonton City as Museum Project: Mel Hurtig: A Legacy at the Intersection of Publishing and Politics.
• Do you want to present at Pecha Kucha Night 28? The theme is Canada’s 150th anniversary and all presentations must address this question: “what’s your idea for building a stronger, more inclusive, and more sustainable Canada?”
• Want to join the Edmonton Food Council? The deadline for applications is April 30.
• Brazilian actress and model Greice Santo has accused Daryl Katz of offering her “millions” of dollars and a movie role in exchange for sex. “Katz’s attorneys have accused Cipriani and Santo of attempting to extort $3 million from Katz as the price for keeping quiet,” says the Variety report.
• Warmer weather means that motorcycles are going to be hitting the streets so stay alert! “In 2016, there were 191 motorcycle collisions in Edmonton.”
• Thinking about running for office in the upcoming Municipal Election? The City has posted lots of information for candidates. Nomination Day is Monday, September 18.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice District, Edmonton, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers earned home ice advantage so games 1 and 2 will be at Rogers Place on Wednesday and Friday this week.
• Head over to the Reuse Centre on Tuesday afternoon for the first workshop on 100in1Day, which takes place on June 3 this year.
• Nerd Nite Edmonton #34 takes place on Wednesday at The Needle Vinyl Tavern.
• Thaw at the Shaw, featuring Sum 41 and Papa Roach, takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday evening.
• The Northern Lights Music Festival takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday.
• The Edmonton Poetry Festival takes place from April 16 through 23 at various locations throughout the city.
• Tickets are on sale now for the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts, taking place on May 1. The nominees will be announced this week.
• Heads up! The annual River Valley Clean Up is scheduled for May 7. Of course, you can take the 15 to Clean Challenge at any time!
• Save the date: Nerd Nite Edmonton is hosting its inaugural Speed Dating event on Wednesday, May 10.
• Have a great Easter long weekend!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Vimy 100 event in Churchill Square, photo by Dean Smith

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton Transit is looking to explore a partnership with Uber as part of its shift to develop express routes in the suburbs. I think this is a solid idea that is already being implemented elsewhere.
• Festival organizers are looking for $372,500 from the City to help pay for relocation costs during the summer of 2018 when Churchill Square is inaccessible for the Valley Line LRT construction. I hope Council doesn’t approve it. This seems like a cash grab from some established festivals who have known about this temporary inconvenience for years and yet have done little to plan for it. I’d rather see the money go toward supporting new festivals.
• A new report says there has been an increase in crime and calls for service in the immediate vicinity of Rogers Place since it opened but reports of violent crime have fallen. And much of that increase in calls was anticipated and “is due primarily to pre-emptive work by officers”. Here is Paula’s take on the new report.
• Did you find winter this year noisy? You weren’t imagining things – leaf blowers were out in full force!
• The City’s new infill compliance team released its first report this week which says they have issued 114 tickets so far. They made surprise visits on 416 residential building sites in their first year of operations.
• Edmonton songwriter Ruth B won Breakthrough Artist of the Year tonight at the Juno’s!
• The Oilers not only secured a playoff spot this week, they also took over first place in the Pacific Division. Expectations are growing at a hellacious pace, says Dan Barnes.
• OilersNation marked the 38th anniversary of the Oilers joining the NHL. “The Oilers, along with the New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets all merged from the WHA to the NHL, paying a $6 million fee.”
• In an effort to boost repeat visitors and to reach new audiences, students and youth under 18 can now visit the Art Gallery of Alberta for free.
• The south wall of Gene Dub’s 10-storey office tower on 104 Avenue across from MacEwan University will be covered in solar panels, the largest vertical solar wall in Canada.
• Construction has begun on the Encore Tower at 103 Street and 102 Avenue. It is slated to become Edmonton’s tallest condominium-only building at 43-storeys.
• Here’s the Gig City review of The Lumineers who played Rogers Place on Friday night.
• A new survey conducted by the City suggests there is a need for more public washrooms in central neighbourhoods.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers have three more games on the road before returning for their final game of the season on Sunday, April 9 against the Vancouver Canucks.
• The City of Edmonton is hosting an open house for the Heritage Interpretive Plan for West Rossdale on Monday at the new Edmonton Tower.
• 100.3 The Bear presents Weezer at the Spring Fling event on Tuesday evening at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Local Good’s next Green Drinks event takes place on Wednesday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Rapid Fire Theatre’s 2017 Bonfire Festival runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Citadel Theatre. You can get tickets here.
• The 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship continues at Northlands Coliseum through Sunday.
• Thursday is Global Meetings Industry Day and Edmonton’s event is taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre with guest speaker Alvin Law.
• Global Edmonton’s Woman of Vision Celebration Luncheon takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday.
• Electric Six is performing in Edmonton on Friday evening at The Starlite Room.
• Canada’s Vape Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Save the date! 100in1Day returns on June 3.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Photo by Jeff Wallace

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Mayor Don Iveson says both the provincial and federal budgets “are encouraging for Edmonton overall.” It sounds like phase 2 of the Valley Line LRT (west to Lewis Estates) is getting closer to reality. EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson says Budget 2017 “is unusually specific about the path forward” and “has significant positive implications for Edmonton.”
• Ward 9 councillor Bryan Anderson announced on Monday he will not run again. Here’s an exit interview with him. You can read his formal announcement here.
• TransCanada received a presidential permit from the U.S. State Department this week for the Keystone XL pipeline. Premier Rachel Notley said it will have an immediate impact on Alberta’s economy. “We know that, in the pretty immediate term, we’re probably looking at about 5,000 jobs just in Alberta, and probably over $1 billion, at least, in direct investment,” she said.
• The Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium has been designated as a Municipal Historic Resource and will soon be renewed in partnership with the TELUS World of Science. You can learn more about the redevelopment here.
• The Government of Canada announced a $125 million program for artificial intelligence research that will benefit post-secondary institutions in Montreal, Toronto, Waterloo, and of course, Edmonton. “Canadian universities train some of the best AI researchers in the world,” says Cameron Schuler, Executive Director of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), housed at the University of Alberta.
• Edmonton Police are setting up a new intelligence and investigations bureau that will aim to “create efficiencies by leveraging technology.”
• The High Level Bridge is being examined for possible modifications. One option would be to widen the sidewalks on the lower deck.
• Edmontonians are being invited to “light a candle for Canada” by making a charitable donation to support the development of three Canada 150 legacy projects.
• The City is looking to make it easier for Edmontonians to install solar panels on their houses, especially important now as the provincial government has committed $36 million over two years for a rebate program.
• Edmonton’s NextGen has a new blog post about the debate on city drainage. A public hearing to discuss EPCOR’s proposed takeover of Edmonton’s drainage services takes place on April 11.
• The Oilers have been posting some more in-depth content lately. Here’s a feature on the rookies Drake Caggiula and Matt Benning.
• Tunnel work on the first phase of the Valley Line LRT started a couple weeks ago and the team marked the milestone with a photo.
• EPCOR says yesterday’s Earth Hour resulted in a 2.3% decrease in energy usage compared with the same hour last week.
• Do you feel wanted here in Edmonton? Tim does. “In four years I’ve become part of a community of people who try to build Edmonton into a better city,” he writes.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Western Canada Fashion week got underway on Thursday and runs through April 1 at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Tuesday, the Sharks on Thursday, and the Ducks on Saturday. All big, important games as the Ducks, Sharks, and Oilers are tied atop the Pacific Division with 91 points.
• Wednesday is Art Night at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton is hosting a Spring 2017 Salon on Tuesday evening at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• Homeward Trust’s Indigenous Gathering takes place on Wednesday at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre on Kingsway Avenue.
• RISE is hosting a panel discussion called Actions & Words: 3 Years Since the TRC on Thursday at City Hall.
• Edmonton Griesbach MP Kerry Diotte has organized a town hall meeting on Thursday at the Boyle Street Plaza to dsicuss safe-injection sites.
• There’s a launch event for Walkable Edmonton taking place Thursday evening.
• The Edmonton Tattoo & Arts Festival takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• The 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship begins on Saturday at Northlands Coliseum.
• Head over to Rice Howard Way on Saturday for the Second Season Street Party.
• The Cannabis & Hemp Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• Go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather on a patio – March 30 to April 2 is Edmonton’s Winter Patio Weekend.
• Save the date: the City is hosting an open house on the Heritage Interpretive Plan for West Rossdale on April 3 at the Edmonton Tower.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Western Canada Fashion Week, photo by WCFW

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City of Edmonton and the Enoch Cree First Nation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to “build upon the strengthening government-to-government relationship for the social and economic benefit of current and future generations.” The Mayor posted some photos of the ceremony on Facebook. The agreement commits the two parties to a long-term working relationship and opens the door to an urban reserve.
• The City has declared a seasonal parking ban for all collector/bus routes starting at 7am Monday. You can learn more and sign up for notifications here.
• Edmonton is the first municipality in Canada to adopt the International Open Data Charter, “a global action network that aims to provide governments with best practice and principles to achieve international standards to open government.” Here’s the Transforming Edmonton post with more on the news.
• The Edmonton Police Service is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Here’s the 5th issue of the Legacy of Heroes Comic Book to mark the milestone.
• Councillor Michael Oshry has suggested the requirements to run for Council should increase to 100 signatures and a $1,000 deposit. Currently you need just 25 signatures and a $100 deposit. While I agree that debates and other events with dozens of candidates are useless, the solution cannot be to make it harder for people to participate in democracy.
• It’s March and we’re seriously talking about playoffs: “If everything goes as planned, the Oilers will be looking at their first postseason appearance since the windy days of Aught Six. There will be much rejoicing, and there will likely be a baby boom at the beginning of 2018. It’s been a tough decade.”
• If the Oilers do make the playoffs it’ll be happy times indeed, but happy enough to justify a 44% seat price markup for the first round? The increase jumps to 68% if they make the second round, 92% for the third round, and 188% for the Stanley Cup Final.
• On Tuesday Council will be debating the proposal to add a security barrier, metal detectors, and bag checks to security measures at City Hall.
• The Guardian did a feature recently on Lucy, the world’s coldest elephant. “Some argue Lucy is a well-adjusted Asian elephant who shares a deep bond with her keepers and trainers. Others say that – as the only elephant living in a Canadian city where the mercury at times drops to 20 below zero – she is the prisoner of a practice whose time has long passed.”
• Have opinions about Park and Ride? The City is running a survey to collect input until March 31.
• It sounds like there isn’t much support for a new City flag. Hard to get excited about something we never see. “You can’t capture the flag if you can’t capture the public imagination,” wrote Paula Simons.
• Habitat for Humanity Edmonton is preparing for its biggest build ever: 75 construction projects in one week.
• Here’s a Storify recap of the last Green Drinks event focused on the Green Economy.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Social workers make a difference for Albertans, photo by Premier of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• Downtown Dining Week is on through March 19 at restaurants throughout the downtown.
• The Oilers host the Stars on Tuesday, the Bruins on Thursday, and the Canucks on Saturday.
• A public meeting on the new Green Network Strategy called Breathe is taking place at City Hall on Wednesday.
• Mother Mother is performing at the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday.
• The Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show is on at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• Friday is of course St. Patrick’s Day! Enjoy your green beer everyone.
• BarnRaise Edmonton is a maker conference aiming “to collaborate and co-create viable solutions to social problems embedded in the community.” It takes place Friday through Sunday at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• EPL’s Whitemud Crossing branch is holding a Books2Buy event Friday through Sunday.
• On Saturday, the Shaw Conference Centre is hosting the 2017 Awards of Excellence in Housing Gala.
• The third edition of The Downtown Defrost takes place Saturday at Churchill Square. “We’ll be welcoming the changing of the seasons by dancing our hearts out in the square, warming things up and celebrating the springtime equinox.”
• Edmonton Seedy Sunday takes place Sunday at the Central Lions Recreation Centre.
• Head over to West Edmonton Mall on Sunday for Yeggers Instameet 11.
• Spring Break is coming up so here’s a list of things to do with kids in Edmonton from Raising Edmonton. Family Fun Edmonton also has some suggestions.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Paella by Sabor Divino

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Our mild winter has resulted in big savings for the City. In 2016 we spent $64 million less on operations than budgeted, “with 40% of that number due to a warmer winter and less expensive snow and ice control on the roads.” The money will be allocated to the Financial Stabilization Reserve. But don’t get too excited, winter is back.
• I’m absolutely in favor of construction fees and/or other solutions to prevent the unnecessary blocking of sidewalks. “I’m not convinced we’re really thinking about the impacts on pedestrians,” said Mayor Iveson. No doubt. I have been writing about this for years.
• On Wednesday, Mayor Iveson called for a relaunch of the City’s Vision Zero traffic safety initiative to do more for pedestrians. Here’s our deep dive on this topic from December.
• ICYMI: Be sure to check out Mel Priestley’s story on 104 Street and the impact of Ice District and other developments in the area.
• Fort Edmonton Park is getting nearly $48 million from the federal government for an expansion that includes the Indigenous People’s Experience. Construction is expected to continue through 2020.
• The Edmonton Public Library says there more than 260,000 active cardholders in 2016!
• Mayor Don Iveson on the need for more affordable and permanent supportive housing: “Across the country, housing is less affordable at every income level and this is having serious impacts on our nation’s prosperity, our productivity and our identity as a place of equal opportunity and inclusion.”
• I really hope something positive comes of the mistake that resulted in the loss of more than 1,000 paper hearts hung by Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton to honor residential school survivors.
• March is Fraud Prevention Month and the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council is “reminding consumers to think twice before signing a deal that’s too good to be true.” They’re sharing tips each week to help consumers recognize, reject and report fraud.
• The deadline to apply for the City of Edmonton’s Canada 150 Community Celebration Sponsorships is March 15.
• The City is also accepting firefighter applications online until March 31. “Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is committed to a competitive and inclusive hiring process in order to attract and retain outstanding employees to protect the life, property and environment of Edmonton.”
• Remember, if you’re heading downtown for a permit or license, the new Edmonton Service Centre in the Edmonton Tower is where you want to go. Here’s a tour of the new facility courtesty of SkyriseEdmonton.
• Also from SkryiseEdmonton, here’s a look back at Edmonton’s first post office.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge to Alberta Legislature, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Edmonton’s High School Culinary Challenge Awards Dinner takes place Monday evening at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• AUMA hosts the 2017 Spring Mayors’ Caucus on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• interVivos is celebrating International Women’s Day on Wednesday with #girlbossyeg at 99ten.
• Karen and I will be speaking about Taproot Edmonton at Nerd Nite #33 on Wednesday evening!
• The SkirtsAfire Festival gets underway on Thursday. The festival is “Edmonton’s only multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating and elevating the work of women.”
• The 12th annual ROOPH Awards recognizing outstanding organizations and people in housing takes place Thursday during lunch at the Westin Hotel.
• The next Dark Matters event takes place at the Telus World of Science on Thursday. The theme this time is “projectiles”.
• Downtown Dining Week kicks off on Friday! The list of participating restaurants and menus can be found here.
• This year’s Winter Warrior Challenge takes place on Saturday at The Ranch Golf & Country Club.
• Head over to the Edmonton EXPO Centre on Saturday and Sunday for the Mom, Pop & Tots Fair.
• Also taking place at the EXPO Centre on the weekend is the Edmonton Golf Show.
• Save the date: Eat Alberta returns this year on April 23!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton River Valley