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

Headlines

• Monday is Family Day, and the City of Edmonton is encouraging you to “turn off your devices and treat yourself to some face time with loved ones by pledging to share at least 2 hours technology-free.”
• A total of 3,721 residents cast a ballot in the Ward 12 Advance Vote this week. Election Day is February 22.
• Covenant Health issued “a fiery statement this week, in opposition to the Supreme Court’s rulings on physician-assisted death.” Paula Simons argues that if they aren’t going to obey the law, they shouldn’t get public funds to run public hospitals. I agree.
• Details are expected to be released this week for Vision 2020, the Northlands plan to redevelop the entire 160 acre site including Rexall Place. Council has seen the “Ice Coliseum” concept and Mayor Iveson called the plan “creative”. I’ve seen the plan too, and would describe it as ambitious. Realistic? Maybe not.
• Hundreds of newcomers to Edmonton, including many from Syria, were welcomed on Saturday at a big event at Rundle Park featuring Mayor Iveson, Oiler Andrew Ference, Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman, and many more.
• Nine new schools are slated to open in September 2017, and EPSB is looking for help naming each school. The deadline for suggestions is February 28.
• “From a single small power plant in 1891 to a power and water company in more than 100 communities today.” EPCOR is celebrating 125 years in 2016.
• This is pretty cool: “The City of Edmonton and Enoch Cree Nation announced the renaming of 23 Ave between Anthony Henday and 215 Street to Maskêkosihk Trail, pronounced ‘Muss-Kay-Go-See’.” There’s more in the news release here.
• From OilersNation: Could the Edmonton Oilers survive a $4MM drop in the salary cap?
• The University of Alberta’s Sexual Violence Review Group has released a report that contains 46 recommendations to enhance the campus community’s response to sexual assault.
• Avenue Edmonton’s Best Neighbourhood Survey is back for 2016. The survey closes April 30 and you can fill it out here.
• Here’s a feature on the energy downtown, including a video featuring Mayor Don Iveson racing the Big E.
• ICYMI: Here’s my look at what’s coming up at Council in the week ahead.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Stand With Ghosts, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• If you haven’t yet visited the Ice Castle at Hawrelak Park, you may want to do that soon! The warm weather means the castle may not be around for much longer. They wrote on Facebook: “We plan to be open through Silver Skate Festival. Beyond that remains uncertain, due to the changing weather conditions. We will stay open as long as we can.”
• Of course tomorrow is as good a day as any to visit, being Family Day! There are also activities at City Hall and at the Legislature.
• The Silver Skate Festival started on Friday and continues at Hawrelak Park through Sunday, February 21.
• The Oil Kings host the Tri-City Americans at Rexall Place on Family Day!
• The Wildfire Festival continues starting Tuesday at the Citadel Theatre.
• The Oilers host the Ducks on Tuesday evening, the Wild on Thursday, and the Avalanche on Saturday.
• EEDC is hosting an International Trade Seminar on Friday at the Mercer Warehouse.
• On Friday the Bellevue Social Club presents Old Wives & Gateway Boulevard.
• The Hypothermic Half Marathon takes place again on Sunday at the Highlands Golf Club.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Lunar New Year in Chinatown with Councillor McKeen, the God of Fortune

Happy Lunar New Year/Super Bowl 50! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Advance Voting in the Ward 12 By-Election starts tomorrow, Monday, February 8. Eligible voters who are unable to vote on Election Day (February 22) can cast a ballot at the Meadows Community Recreation Centre through Thursday this week. About a third of the 32 candidates running don’t actually live in the Ward.
• Edmonton gained about 1,000 new jobs last month, though the unemployment rate rose from 6.3% in December to 6.5% in January. Alberta’s unemployment rate rose to 7.4% during the same period, the highest rate since February 1996 and the first time it has been higher than the national rate since December 1988.
• Premier Rachel Notley announced a cabinet shuffle this week, adding six new ministers and making Health Minister Sarah Hoffman the Deputy Premier. Here’s the full list of cabinet ministers and changes.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Rachel Notley issued a joint statement after their meeting in Edmonton this week, which focused on “jobs and the economy, clean growth and climate change, and energy infrastructure and market access.”
• Mayor Don Iveson is the new chair of FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus, replacing outgoing chair Gregor Robertson, mayor of Vancouver.
• It’s great to such an increase in attractive architecture here in Edmonton! City Architect Carol Belanger has created a driving tour that you can take to check it all out.
• Starting today, ETS schedule changes for routes 8, 9, 39, 100, 117, and 125 took effect.
• UAlberta North launched on February 1 and replaces the Canadian Circumpolar Institute with a refreshed mandate.
• Sherbrooke Liquor Store has been chosen as Alberta’s best bottle shop at the RateBeer awards show.
• From The Local Good, here’s a recap of the winter-themed Green Drinks that took place recently.
• The Province is gathering input on Budget 2016. You can fill out the online consultation until March 4.
• The final regular season Oilers game at Rexall Place will take place on April 6 and to celebrate the team has invited “every player who has ever donned the Oilers sweater back to Rexall Place for a very special celebration of the franchise’s time in the building.”
• Designs for the planned $40 million expansion and renovation of the Telus World of Science are expected to be released this week.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Chinese New Year 2016, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

• Don’t forget you can still check out Ice Castles at Hawrelak Park!
• Head over to City Hall on Tuesday evening for the launch of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s 5th annual Top 30 Under 30 Magazine.
• The Creative Practices Institute is hosting a Relief Printing Workshop on Wednesday evening.
• It was not a great weekend for the Oilers as they lost 5-1 to Montreal on Saturday and 8-1 to the Islanders today. Their road trip wraps up Tuesday in New Jersey, then they return home to host the Maple Leafs on Thursday and the Jets on Saturday.
• The Edmonton RV Expo & Sale takes place at the Edmonton EXPO Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• Winefest Edmonton takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday.
• The Silver Skate Festival kicks off another year at Hawrelak Park on Friday! But due to the lack of snow, this year’s edition of the Birkebeiner Ski Festival has been cancelled.
• Friday is Winter Bike to Work Day! If there was ever a winter in Edmonton to do it, this is the year. Here’s a feature on winter cycling in Edmonton from Transforming Edmonton.
• The Oil Kings host the Lethbridge Hurricanes at Rexall Place on Saturday afternoon.
• Sunday is Valentine’s Day! Looking for a date idea? Check out Linda’s list of 30 ideas in Edmonton!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Rogers Place under construction

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Monday was Nomination Day for the Ward 12 by-election and when all was said and done, a record 32 candidates put their names forward.
• With that many candidates running, how is anyone supposed to break from the pack? Dave has some ideas.
• Edmonton is the first city in Canada to legalize ridesharing services like Uber. Here is my post on the news and why it matters. And here is a look at some data from a 2014 survey on taxis in Edmonton.
• The City of Edmonton announced a major reorganization this week, which takes effect on March 1. The big change is that the Transportation department has been broken up.
• In a guest post at the #YEGFILM blog, Christopher White writes that a report going to Council this week on Edmonton’s film industry will be “trumpeted as the culmination of deep consultation and reflection” but that characterization is “false”. He says EEDC “remains the best vehicle to build a better Media Commission.”
• The Province announced Friday it will not be increasing natural resource royalty rates. Dave rounds up reaction to the news here.
• Montreal architects Saucier & Perrotte have been asked to design the $180 million Lewis Farms Recreation Centre.
• Great to see some national coverage for local startup Localize, which aims to give consumers more information about their food through better labelling.
• Signs for new residential construction have been approved and will come into effect on April 1. The new signs should help residents better understand what’s happening in their neighbourhoods and who to call for more information.
• With Council’s recent approval, the Hulbert Block on Whyte Avenue (home to Block 1912) has been formally designated as a Municipal Historic Resource.
• A Royal Roads University Master of Arts in Environment and Management student is surveying Edmonton’s creative workers to examine their social characteristics and urban design preferences. You can fill out the survey here.
• The Accessibility Advisory Committee has put out a call out for nominations for the 2016 Mayor’s Awards. The deadline to nominate an individual or business is March 4.
• City Charter discussions continue. Mayors Iveson and Nenshi met with members of the Provincial government again this week.
• There are three days left to support the Pride Tape kickstarter! Learn more and make your donation here.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Transforming City, photo by Dave Sutherland

Upcoming Events

• Council is back to Committee meetings this week, with Community Services Committee on Monday, Executive Committee on Tuesday, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday.
• Edmonton Food Fight 7 takes place on Monday evening and features Doreen Prei vs. Steven Brochu.
• All-star Taylor Hall returns home for Oilers to host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Hopefully McDavid is back too!
• Wednesday is Winter Walk Day. Get outside and enjoy the mild weather!
• On Wednesday evening, head over to Yellowhead Brewery for the next Green Drinks. It’s winter themed!
• Laws of Luxury is hosting a speed dating fundraiser on Friday evening at Transcend in the Mercer building.
• The Flying Canoe Adventure takes place on Friday and Saturday! Check out the festivities at Mill Creek Ravine and La Cite Francophone.
• The City is hosting an open house on public engagement at City Hall on Saturday.
• There’s another Cat Yoga event taking place Saturday at the Edmonton Humane Society.
• The first of two Hypothermic Runs takes place on Sunday with the start at Highlands Golf Club.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Rain in Edmonton…in January!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• After 17 years at the Citadel Theatre, Artistic Director Bob Baker is stepping down. “Bob will transition to Artistic Director Emeritus of the Citadel in the summer of 2016, on a consultative basis, with continuing involvement in the Academy and direction of his celebrated production of Tom Wood’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol.”
• Jill Roszell is no longer the executive director of Fringe Theatre Adventures as the board decided not to renew her contract.
• Edmonton’s new transit boss Eddie Robar has been on the job for about three weeks now. He was profiled in the Journal and in Metro this week.
• The Edmonton Oilers became the first team in the NHL to use Pride Tape when they held the Skills Competition today at Rexall Place. You can learn more about the campaign here.
• The City of Kitchener in Ontario liked Make Something Edmonton so much they decided to adopt it for themselves. “We thought it was really compelling, and well aligned with what we’re trying to achieve in Kitchener, as it encourages people in the community to get involved to experiment and build,” said Janette MacDonald, an economic development analyst with the City of Kitchener.
• ICYMI: Here’s my story on the Postmedia merger of the Journal & Sun and the resulting job cuts.
• Have you heard the Edmonton Theme? It’s a kitschy ode to Edmonton sung by Annabelle Santos-Dookie from back in 1995. Omar wrote about it back in 2014.
• Edmonton could have a new micro-brewery if Polar Park Brewing Company is able to realize its vision.
• Here’s a recap from Mayor Iveson of his trip to China.
• The City launched a revamped Open Data Catalogue this week! “In five short years, the City of Edmonton’s Open Data Catalogue has evolved from humble beginnings of only 12 datasets to becoming a nationally recognized resource with nearly 1000 datasets available for download.”
• Five local restaurants made Open Table’s list of the 100 best restaurants in Canada for 2015: Hardware Grill, Harvest Room, The Marc, Sabor, Solstice.
• Congratulations to all the winners of the City Manager’s Awards of Excellence!
• The City’s plan to redevelop contaminated fuel sites has been recognized with FCM’s Sustainable Communities Award.
• Edmonton’s NextGen is now accepting submissions for presenters for Pecha Kucha Night 24, which will take place on March 3.
• Nominations are also open for the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame & Awards of Distinction.
• Last year, officials at EIA counted roughly 120 abandoned cars and trucks. Who knew?!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Arch Lift, photo by Dave Sutherland

Upcoming Events

• Monday is Nomination Day for the Ward 12 By-Election!
• This week is International Week 2016 at the University of Alberta!
• Tuesday should be an interesting day at City Council as they discuss Uber.
• Residents of Inglewood, Prince Charles, and Sherbrooke can participate in a Community Safety Conversation on Tuesday.
• The Ad Club of Edmonton is hosting a Creative Roundtable on Tuesday evening.
• Equal Voice Alberta North is launching YEG Parity on Wednesday evening at Mercer Tavern.
• The second weekend for Ice on Whyte runs Thursday through Sunday.
• You can learn more about Canada’s Response to ISIS and the Syrian Refugee Crisis at the Telus Centre on Thursday.
• The Edmonton Humane Society is hosting another Cat Yoga session on Saturday!
• Get out and try some skiing or snowshoeing at the Southwest Community Ski Festival taking place on Saturday at the Blue Quill Community Hall.
• The Oil Kings host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday and the Kootenay Ice on Sunday.
• MADJAM’s Global Game Jam 2016 takes place Friday through Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Rogers Place rising behind the warehouses

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Ever wonder why so many things in Edmonton and Alberta are named after Winston Churchill? Michael Hingston did, so he looked into and discovered a fascinating history.
• While we’re wondering about names, isn’t it weird that so many restaurants have numbers in their names? Lisa Wolansky explains them all, from Ampersand 27 to XIX Nineteen.
• The City says that an independent survey shows that 87% of Edmontonians who recently called 311 were satisfied with the experience. Last year, 311 fielded approximately 2.1 million calls from Edmontonians and more than 12,000 service requests have now been submitted through the mobile app.
• If you live in Ward 12 and will be unable to vote at the Advance Vote (February 8-11) or on Election Day (February 22) you can now request special ballots.
• Have you got a great winter drink idea? The 3rd annual Winter Signature Drink Competition is now underway. Submissions are being accepted until January 31, with online voting running February 1-10.
• If you’d like to test your home’s energy efficiency, you can now get a Green Home Energy Toolkit from the public library to do just that.
• Apparently six deals for new developments on contaminated old gas station sites have been signed, with four more on the way. Some of these sites have been empty for years though, so let’s not count our chickens before they’ve hatched, ok?
• Matthew Dance is looking for collaborators with technical skills to help transform the Naming Edmonton book into open data. Sounds like my kind of project! Speaking of open data, Edmonton’s initiative has been ranked #1 in Canada.
• A year after the Roxy Theatre burned down, headway is being made on plans to rebuild the theatre. It could cost as much as $7.5 million to do that.
• The Oilers have signed goaltender Cam Talbot to a three-year contract extension.
• This is kind of neat: the U of A’s Canadian Mountain Studies Initiative and Parks Canada are working together to produce a new MOOC called Mountains 101, launching next fall.
• The Edmonton International Film Festival is now a qualifying event for short films for the Academy Awards!
• Heads up: ETS cash fares are increasing as of February 1, 2016 by a nickel. The last increase came in 2013.
• I’m sure you’ve heard the back-and-forth between Kevin O’Leary and Rachel Notley. Let me just say her quip was amazing.
• Don’t miss Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi’s op ed: We’re finally going to stop subsidizing sprawl. I hope this rekindles debate here in Edmonton too.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Grant Notley Park, photo by lubna.780

Upcoming Events

• City Council is back at work this week! Community Services Committee meets Monday, Executive Committee meets Tuesday, and Transportation Committee meets Wednesday. Here’s my look at the major issues Council will need to deal with in 2016.
• Make Something Edmonton is hosting a Project Accelerator Grant Meetup on Monday night at the Yellowhead Brewery. This one is the winter edition!
• 100 Women Who Care Edmonton is hosting its Winter 2016 Meeting at Lexus of Edmonton on Tuesday.
• The Oil Kings host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday and the Everett Silvertips on Friday.
• Head over to the Edmonton Journal at lunch on Wednesday for the next Capital Ideas Edmonton event.
• On Wednesday evening, Hacking Health Edmonton is hosting a cafe event at Startup Edmonton featuring Dr. Denis Vincent.
• The next Dark Matters at the TELUS World of Science takes place on Thursday.
• Ice on Whyte kicks off on Thursday! It runs all weekend and then takes a break until the 28th.
• The Oilers host the Predators on Saturday night. The Oilers are currently last in the Pacific Division with a 18-23-5 record.
• Like yoga? How about cats? Then don’t miss Cat Yoga at the Edmonton Humane Society on Saturday! You can read about Linda’s experience here.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Late Night Ride on Transit, photo by IQRemix

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• You should have received your 2016 property assessment notice this week. The City says the most residential property owners will see a small increase in the value of their properties. A typical single-family, detached home is valued at $408,000.
• Have a natural Christmas tree to get rid of? The City will start pickup on Tuesday. If you live in a condo or apartment, take your tree to a recycling depot or Eco Station for free by January 30. Last year a total of 13,068 trees were collected for recycling.
• Edmonton’s Waste RE-solutions has signed a joint-venture agreement with the Chinese city of Lichuan to develop a waste processing facility.
• It seems the Edmonton Sun is running a campaign to get “City of Champions” back on Edmonton’s welcome signs (see also here, here, and here). I think removing “City of Champions” was the right thing to do. Here’s how our entrance signs came to be, and here are my thoughts on branding our city with signs and slogans.
• Taylor Hall will be the sole Edmonton Oilers player at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.
• In other Oilers news, long-time PA announcer Mark Lewis announced he will retire at the end of the season.
• Laurie Hawn, Tim O’Brien, and Micki Ruth have joined the Edmonton Police Commission for 2016.
• Reconciling Edmonton is a great post by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail. “Too often Edmonton’s story is presented as one of pioneers, homesteaders and settlement where Indigenous Peoples are relegated to the distant past.”
• Here’s an open letter titled My Name is Edmonton… written by Edmonton.
• Nominations are being accepted from January 11 to February 21 for the Edmonton in Bloom: Winterscapes program. “A winterscape can include snow, ice, lights, landscaping, ornaments, and winter-themed scenery.”
• Here are the finalists for this year’s Edmonton Music Prize. The award will be handed out on Tuesday.
• A privately run fertility clinic based in Burnaby, B.C. is planning to open a location in Edmonton this spring. It’ll be located in the redeveloped 9888 Jasper building.
• Want to give the city your feedback on the fares charged by taxis and Uber? Monday is your last chance to fill out the survey.
• Gas prices in Edmonton have been as low as 72 cents recently, “plunging to lows reminiscent of the 2008 recession.”
• Congratulations to Jobber on being nominated for the Canadian Startup of the Year award in the Techvibes Startup Awards! You can help them win by voting here.
• Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
• Have you checked out the new EPL website? I think it looks great. You can provide feedback here.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge

Upcoming Events

• You can learn about enhancements to Johnny Bright Sports Park at information sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday this week.
• Have you gone to see the Ice Castle at Hawrelak Park yet? Perhaps on Sunday, which is World Snow Day!
• Quikcard Minor Hockey Week takes place all week along at 20 different arenas in the Edmonton area.
• The Oil Kings host the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, and the Kamloops Blazers on Sunday.
• The Edmonton Whisky Festival takes place on Wednesday at the Delta Edmonton South.
• JCI Edmonton is hosting its Mentorship Launch & Networking event on Thursday at Our Parents’ Home.
• The Edmonton Motorcycle Show runs Friday through Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• You can get a sneak peek at Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon!
• The Oilers host the Flames on Saturday at Rexall Place. Here are all the details.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice Castle, photo by TimTaylorSmith

Happy New Year! Here are my first weekly Edmonton notes of 2016:

Headlines

• The Wanderer has collected a bunch of resolutions for Edmonton for 2016 from various leaders in the community like Mayor Iveson, Timothy Caufield, Bill Eddins, and more.
• It turns out that “Bob from Calgary”, the guy behind the most popular comment ever posted to the New York Times website, is actually “Bob from Edmonton”. You may know him on Twitter as @RJSCity.
• You’ve probably heard about the local guy who was charged more than $1,100 on New Year’s Eve for his Uber ride. I’ll just repeat what many others have said this weekend: there’s no cure for stupid. The only thing dumber than that guy complaining is that Uber decided to refund half his bill. Also, this is not a new or unique story.
• Dave reports there are now 25 candidates who plan to run in the Ward 12 by-election to replace Amarjeet Sohi. For context, there were 119 total candidates in the 2013 Municipal Election, and just 2 who challenged Sohi.
• The City of Edmonton has officially posted the City Manager’s job. According to CBC, both Ottawa and Vancouver are also looking to replace their city managers, so there’s competition. Boydon, an executive headhunting firm, has been hired to look for candidates.
• Want to join a civic board or committee? Applications for roughly 45 vacancies are being accepted until January 29.
• Ross Sheppard High School is currently undergoing a $45 million renovation project, the biggest ever for Edmonton Public Schools in terms of size and cost, and that means some students will be in a construction zone for their entire high school careers.
• From OilersNation: Why hasn’t Peter Chiarelli fixed the Edmonton Oilers defence yet? And possibly related: Trading the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick in 2016.
• Here are 20 questions with Sam Abouhassan, “tailor to the stars” who has been in business in downtown Edmonton since 1978.
• In the market for a new home? This 13,300 square foot custom-built West Edmonton home could be yours for a cool $7.5 million.
• The day we typically call “Ukrainian Christmas” is on January 7, so expect the festive atmosphere in Edmonton to continue this week! Apparently 2016 marks the anniversary of the start of 125 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada.
• Remember that you’ll now get three demerits in addition to a heftier $250 fine if you get caught for distracted driving.
• ICYMI: Here’s my 2015 year-in-review for Edmonton with links to a bunch of other 2015 lists.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton New Year 2016, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

• The Ice Castle is now open at Hawrelak Park! Remember it’ll open until sometime in March, weather-permitting. For a preview/review, check out Linda’s post.
• Catholic Social Services is hosting a thanksgiving and celebration event for Sign of Hope on Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Basilica.
• YEG Fitness is launching a print magazine and they’re hosting a launch party on Wednesday at MKT.
• This week the Oilers host the Hurricanes on Monday night, the Lightning on Friday night, and the Panthers on Sunday.
• Deep Freeze takes place on Saturday and Sunday all along Alberta Avenue! It’s a great winter festival, don’t miss it.
• The Edmonton Bridal Expo takes place on Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• From Raising Edmonton, here are 25 family-friendly things to do in Edmonton in January.
• For even more things to do this winter, check out my roundup of festivals & events here.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Skyline, photo by IndustrialAndrew

Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve been having a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season thus far. Sharon and I have really enjoyed a few days off, pretty much just watching TV and eating unhealthy food. Compared to her I’m definitely a scrooge, but I do really like this time of year. That said, I’m looking forward to not hearing Christmas music everywhere!

Edmonton’s FreezeWay, photo by Jeff Wallace

This is my final Edmonton notes of 2015, and it’s a light edition to reflect the holiday week:

• This week saw the official completion of the QEII and 41 Avenue SW interchange project. The $205 million project was “completed on time and on budget.” The Feds contributed $75 million, the Province invested $57.5 million, and the City paid the remaining $72.5 million. The interchange will certainly benefit the region, but it’s concerning that the City itself had to pay so much of it.
• Mayor Don Iveson will be in China and Hong Kong to start the new year. He is there “to promote business opportunities and sister-city ties, including taking in the 2016 Harbin International Ice Snow Sculpture Festival from Monday, January 4 to Thursday, January 14, 2016.”
• I haven’t been down to see it yet, but I’m excited to check out the new freezeway at Victoria Park. It has been all over social media this weekend!
• The Canadian Drone Racing League announced it is planning an upcoming tournament here in Edmonton! I wonder how many people received drones for Christmas and then promptly crashed them.
• Ralph Young’s term as Chancellor of the University of Alberta ends in 2016, which means the search is on for his successor. The new chancellor will be elected on May 6, 2016 and you can learn how to nominate someone here.
• It’s great that so many Edmontonians have stepped up to help Syrian refugees, but this is definitely a valid concern: “members of Edmonton’s Eritrean community are worried the response to the crisis in Syria means refugees from their homeland will be forced to wait even longer.”
• Sounds like 2016 could be a tough year for Edmonton’s economy with just 1% growth and an increase in unemployment approaching the national average.
• I can tell you the proposal I saw for turning Rexall Place into a six-sheet ice hockey centre was indeed intriguing. We’ll get an update in January on where Northlands is with its strategy work.
• Here’s what some of Rexall Places’s neighbours hope to see.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Tuesday, the Ducks on Thursday, and the Coyotes on Saturday.
• Connor McDavid isn’t back yet, but he is skating. But you probably already knew that, because McDavid is all anyone in Edmonton seems to talk about. That’s part of what makes the trailer for McDavid so interesting: “A portrait of a sports fan’s twisted infatuation with a new ‘generational player’. Edmonton, Alberta serves as the backdrop of how urban identity and the genuine spirit of sports fandom is corrupted by global capitalist branding.”
• And while we’re on the subject of hockey, this interview with Kevin Lowe was interesting, but mainly for this quote: “The good thing is (owner) Daryl Katz and I (believed) the team needed to be trending upwards or getting good by the time we go into the new building, and it looks like the master plan is unfolding as we hoped.” Haha, master plan.
• Ice Castles Edmonton will open in Hawrelak Park on December 30. Here are 9 things to know for a great experience. The attraction will be open until sometime in March.
• Looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve? Linda has the definitive list.
• You have until midnight on Sunday, January 3 to check out Candy Cane Lane.
• Because of Christmas and New Year’s, waste collection has been moved to December 28 and January 4. You can learn more about making your holidays waste-less here.

All the best in 2016!

Just five more sleeps until Christmas! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Council unanimously approved the End Poverty Edmonton strategy on Tuesday. “A coalition is building, and we are helping to incubate the movement,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
• According to Dave’s latest update, there are now 21 candidates intending to run in the Ward 12 by-election in February. He’s got a list of candidates here.
• Construction on the northeast leg of Anthony Henday Drive “has made significant headway this year” and is slated to complete in fall 2016.
• No word on where the funding might come from, but he $60 million building proposed by Boyle Street Community Services this week is definitely interesting. It would include housing, a hotel, a bistro, palliative care, and more.
• Despite the economic downturn, Edmontonians are still coming forward to help those in need this holiday season. Volunteer numbers were up for Santas Anonymous, the Christmas Bureau has reached 50% of its goal, and volunteer hours are up at the Food Bank.
• Phil has crowned a winner in The Great Edmonton Perogy Showdown! The top five provide a great list of places to check out!
• It was neat to see my name on this list of Edmonton’s top social media influencers and even better that someone else made the list for a change!
• EIA says that December 24 will be its busiest day of the year, so if you’re travelling or picking someone up, plan ahead and be patient.
• Here’s an introduction to the new Community Infill Panel from Transforming Edmonton.
• They also wrote about the Imagine Jasper Avenue project. You have until January 4, 2016 to fill out the survey.
• On January 1, the Province is adding three demerits to the $287 penalty for distracted driving.
• Good news Oilers fans! Connor McDavid has been skating here in Edmonton for the past week. Hopefully he’ll be back in the lineup soon.
• The Elephant & Castle location on Whyte Avenue is closing tomorrow. There’s a chance that a rebranded venture could open there in the new year.
• From Dave Sutherland, here’s an exclusive look inside Edmonton’s Ultima condos.
• I meant to link to this story last week: plans for condo towers in The Quarters at 95 Street and Jasper Avenue have fallen through, leaving a big hole in the ground. The City has taken possession of the land back and is already exploring other options.
• Apparently today was the annual Christmas Bird Count here in Edmonton. Four hundred people spent the morning counting!
• The City says that “waste and recycling volumes double in Edmonton” during the holidays, so be sure to dispose of things correctly. “Old electronics, strings of broken Christmas lights and any hazardous material should go to an Eco Station.” You can learn more here.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

101A Avenue, photo by Jeff Wallace

Stay safe this holiday season! The Province has a reminder about the numbers you can call or text to get help over the holidays,.

Upcoming Events

• Holiday events continue! Check out Celebrate the Season, Candy Cane Lane, Christmas Reflections, and A Christmas Carol among other great events!
• The Oilers return home to host the Jets on Monday.
• Don’t forget you have until December 29 to see the Magna Carta at the Alberta Legislature.
• Friday is of course Christmas, with Boxing Day to follow on Saturday.
• If you’re planning ahead, check out Linda’s roundup of great New Year’s Eve events!
• Want a sneak peek at Rogers Place? The City says to mark your calendars for 11am on Saturday, January 16, 2016.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice District – December 2015, photo by Jeff Wallace

Less than two weeks until Christmas, if you can believe it! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The first of the 25,000 Syrian refugees Canada has pledged to accept by February have arrived in Edmonton (they’re not the first Syrian refugees our country or even city have accepted, they’ve actually been coming for years). Here’s a statement from Premier Rachel Notley, and here’s a statement from Mayor Don Iveson.
• The brand new Victoria Park Pavilion is now open to the public! “Victoria Park Pavilion will serve as a centre for outdoor activities and skating, provide public amenities, and be a gathering space in the Edmonton River Valley.”
• The cost of the second phase of remediation at Blatchford was $1.3 million, far less than the $2.5 million that was budgeted.
• The City and the River Valley Alliance are looking for your input on the Touch the Water initiative. Fill out the online survey until December 22. The budget for the project is $10.4 million.
• With snow on the ground and freeze-thaw temperature swings causing icing conditions, both the City and the Province are reminding Edmontonians to be safe. Don’t be a Peephole Driver says the City, while the Province is launching its 2015-2016 Safer Winter Highways campaign.
• Here are six perspectives on how Downtown Edmonton is changing for good. The six-minute video was produced by the City, EEDC, and the DBA.
• Here’s a statement from Ed Hervey on the loss of Chris Jones: “I thank Chris Jones for his work over the last two seasons. This is an opportunity for him to grow professionally and I wish him well in his future endeavours.”
• Matthew Dance has taken a look at building permit data to examine the impact of gentrification in core neighbourhoods. Interesting stuff!
• The northeast corner of 108 Street and Jasper Avenue could look very different in a few years if the four residential towers planned by developer John Day and others go ahead.
• Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
• Coming soon to a shelf near you: Canyon Creek soups, which have been made in Edmonton since 1996! They’ve just done private label sales since they began, but now they’re gearing up for an expansion.
• The new director of operations for Edmonton’s Waste Management Centre is Dean Wyman. He comes to Edmonton from Guelph and starts his new role in mid-January.
• Donate A Ride will be accepting donations in January, the 20th year for the initiative! You can donate here.
• I saw Adam post this earlier in the week: Edmonton Mayor Song.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Hyatt Place, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Get outside and enjoy the holiday season with Candy Cane Lane and Celebrate the Season at the Legislature grounds.
• And while at the Legislature, there’s still time to check out the Magna Carta!
• Still have some Christmas shopping to do? Come down to 104 Street on Thursday for the annual Customer Appreciation Event.
• This year’s edition of the Edmonton Christmas Singing Tree starts Thursday at the Jubilee.
• Also Thursday is the Culture Collective’s Holiday Arts Market at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Christmas Reflections at Fort Edmonton Park starts on Friday. “Step back in time to a Christmas past. Celebrate winter the way Edmontonians did over a century ago.”
• If you’re shopping in Old Strathcona on Saturday, watch for the Horse-Drawn Sleigh Shuttle!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Central Station, photo by Dave Sutherland