Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

A Theme Song for Edmonton

Via Omar, I came across this intriguing “theme song” for Edmonton.

Does anyone know anything about it?

Headlines

• More ridiculous rhetoric from Alberta Premier Alison Redford on LRT funding this week. “At the end of the day, it’s not about me deciding whether the Southeast LRT is a priority for Edmonton.” Thing is, both Edmonton & Calgary have already decided that LRT is vital for their futures, and the reality is that having completed networks in both cities is vital for the future of the province too. But the cities can’t do it alone (or they would). When will the Province realize that?
• “We need to have a grown-up conversation and review about amalgamation.” That’s what Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO James Cumming said in a speech at the Realtors Association of Edmonton conference this week. The comments drew quite a bit of criticism. St. Albert mayor Nolan Crouse, who is also chair of the Capital Region Board, said “I think it’s totally off-side for him to be meddling in capital region business.”
• They’re back! Nominations are now open for the Edmonton New Media Awards, affectionately known as The Yeggies.
• Edmonton is starting to warm up to winter festivals, says The Local Good.
• EPS has released the Checkstop results for 2013: there were 1905 impaired driving charges and 848 roadside suspensions laid in 2013 by the Edmonton Police Service.
• Icelandair starts scheduled service from Edmonton this spring, and to celebrate they are hosting YEG Hunt, a ticket giveaway on the streets of our city. Watch for them starting January 21.
• This is neat: three solar lamps are going to be installed at the Stanley A. Milner library downtown to help those who suffer from a lack of sunlight exposure.
• Here’s another innovation from Edmonton Transit – you can now get bus schedule information via email. Simply send an email to ETSLive@edmonton.ca with your stop number in the subject line.
• Rough week to work for the Oilers organization (okay, okay, rough few years). First up, here’s an open letter to Mr. Katz at the Copper & Blue blog. “If your Pharmacy chain was consistently losing money, wouldn’t you reconsider who you had in your C-level positions?”
• Second link is from David Staples: “No National Hockey League team has won less often in the last six years, the Daryl Katz ownership era in Edmonton, than the Oilers.”
• Third we have a thoughtful piece by John MacKinnon: “And so, as the team struggles, the connection between the fans and the Oilers is not unlike the decrepit knee joint of an aged athlete, a bone-on-bone grating where the unkept promises of management meet the unrealized expectations of long-suffering fans.”
• The Edmonton Police Service conducts a bi-annual Citizen Survey, and the latest edition is happening right now via random phone calls. The results will be presented in late spring.
• Here’s a feature on Jaime Calayo, the graphic designer I linked to a few weeks ago that created the crests for each neighbourhood.
• I meant to link to this a while back. Tamara wrote a post about Make Something Edmonton at the start of the year, and it stirred up a bit of controversy.
• In case you missed it: lots of food news in Sharon’s weekly food notes!
• Speaking of food, the deadline to submit a favorite for the 2014 Tomato Top 100 is January 25, so get on it!
• Have someone to nominate for Avenue Edmonton’s annual Top 40 Under 40? Fill out the nomination form here!
• Nominations are also open for the City of St. Albert’s Community Recognition Awards. The deadline is February 15.
• As we approach the peak of the flu season, here’s an update from the Province: “nearly one million Albertans have been immunized at more than 1,800 locations, including pharmacies, doctors’ offices and influenza clinics.”

I love this photo of Jasper Avenue by David Sutherland

Upcoming Events

• Head over to Startup Edmonton on Monday evening for the next Edmonton Python Meetup.
• Justin Timberlake is in town with concerts both Monday and Tuesday evening!
• EEDC’s annual Impact Luncheon takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Tuesday.
• Wednesday is the 2014 edition of the Edmonton Whiskey Festival, supporting the MS Society of Canada, Alberta Division.
• After winning both their season and home-openers against the Colorado Mammoth, the Edmonton Rush look to make it three straight wins when Calgary comes to town on Friday night.
• The Edmonton Motorcycle Show kicks off on Friday and runs all weekend.
• Cool event taking place on Saturday evening featuring the Sailin’ On food truck and lots of great local music!
• Bridal Fantasy takes place on Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

There’s still a lot of snow out there!

Best in the world? No.

As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, National Geographic blogger Andrew Evans highlighted the City Market on his Best of 2013 list. Based on the response here in Edmonton, you’d think this was the first time we’ve ever received praise for something! People are losing their minds! Our market is fantastic (in the summer), but it’s not the best in the world, and anyway, that’s not what Andrew said. He said it was the best of all that he visited in 2013. There’s a difference.

Headlines

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The City of Edmonton has mailed 2014 assessment notices after assessing 352,891 properties throughout Edmonton. Most property values rose slightly from 2012 to 2013 – the typical single-detached home rose 2.5%, while condos, townhouses, and duplexes rose by 2.1%.
• This is a really surprising and impressive statistic: one of every ten jobs created in Canada over the past year has been created in Edmonton.
• Though many fees remain unchanged in 2014, fees at recreation and leisure centres are going up, as are rentals of arenas and sports fields.
• Last year, the City collected 3,000 tonnes of recycling material in the two weeks after Christmas. Let’s break the record this year! You can find out how to reduce your holiday waste here. Natural Christmas tree pickup will being January 9 and will run for three weeks (details here).
• Edmonton Public Schools has setup a site for discussion about how to manage space in growing neighbourhoods. The online survey is open until January 17.
• We’ve already had so much snow this winter, and it just keeps on coming. Will the City need to budget for snow removal differently? Don’t forget you can get information on parking bans and other snow-related news at the City’s website.
• You’ve gotta love “hat man” Bob Dunford’s enthusiasm for his job: “What better way to start a new year in our winter city than with a renewed focus on getting snow off our roads?”
• According to AHS, approximately 900,000 Albertans have received the flu vaccine this season. That’s encouraging as there have been more than 965 confirmed cases of the flu, and five deaths.
• The 18th annual Donate A Ride campaign kicked off on Monday. So far, over $1.8 million has been raised to provide transit tickets to low-income Edmonton families.
• The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society is opening a new location at 8001 102 Street, just two blocks from their old southside location. If all goes well, it’ll open this spring.
• Here are the latest Edmonton urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Journal has put together a searchable database of unclaimed bank accounts in the Edmonton area.
• Here is Edmonton Sun columnist Lorne Gunter’s wishlist for City Council in 2014.
• More exciting news for the 124 Street area: Remedy Cafe is planning to open its fourth location on the corner of 103 Avenue in April.
• Edmontonian Christy Foley is one of 1,028 people worldwide under consideration for the Mars One project, an initiative to establish a human colony on the planet by 2024. She’s just one of 75 Canadians still in the running.
• There’s a house up for sale at 5620 Whitemud Road that costs $12.5 million. Its tax bill is “somewhere north of $20,000”.
• From Omar, here are five bad Edmonton habits to break in 2014.
• Looking for a recap on 2013? I’ve collected lists and year-in-review articles here.

Upcoming Events

• The Edmonton Oilers host St. Louis on Tuesday and Pittsburgh on Friday. They’ll be looking to build on tonight’s 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
• The Edmonton Oil Kings host the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday.
• The first two public meetings for EPSB’s Space for Our Students discussion take place this week – on Tuesday for schools in the west, and Wednesday for schools in the north.
• The tenth Nerd Nite event in Edmonton takes place on Thursday evening at the Citadel.
• Head over to Latitude 53 on Friday evening for the opening reception for two new shows: We and Tarzan & Arab.
• My favorite winter festival returns this weekend! Deep Freeze takes place on Alberta Avenue on Saturday and Sunday.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Photo by profernity

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes!

Heavy Users of Service Project

A two-year initiative called the Heavy Users of Service project will “monitor some of the city’s most frequent users of social, medical, criminal and justice services with the goal of identifying and bridging gaps in service provision and treatment.” It was launched on Friday by EPS and is a collaboration between fourteen organizations. Here are a few quick thoughts on the project:

Headlines

• The winter storm watch from Friday has turned into a snowfall warning for the Edmonton area. Heavy snow is expected through Monday, as well as strong cold winds. Bundle up this week! Already snow is wreaking havoc, with a 21 vehicle pileup on Highway 16 about 60 kilometers east of the city. Also, the next dump of snow means that neighbourhood blading won’t be finished anytime soon.
• Speaking of winter, the City has setup a winter bike route maintenance pilot on 106 Street between 29 Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive. The pilot includes dedicated bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, and shared-use lanes.
• Another winter story that caught my eye was this one about the Winter Emergency Response Bus.
• Also, Mayor Iveson blogged about all the snow we’ve been getting. He says “there’s no such thing as a perfect snow policy.”
• In the latest episode of Mack & Cheese, we discuss the Edmonton region and the recent interest in regional governance. See also these changes to Bill 28 that the provincial government announced on Thursday.
• Edmonton’s collision rate has decreased by 9.2% in the last two years according to Allstate’s fifth annual Safe Driving Study. We’re still ranked 44th out of 50 Canadian communities though, and last in Alberta.
• Though the Oilers have been on an upswing lately, I still found it shocking that the value of the franchise has increased 78% in just one year to $400 million USD, according to Forbes. I suspect the Oilers would say the numbers are inaccurate, but assuming Forbes is consistent in its methodology from year-to-year, the relative increase or decrease is still interesting.
• Chris Jones has been named head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos. He was most recently with the Toronto Argonauts where he served as defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and assistant general manager.
• Here’s some good news for supporters of the Light the Bridge project – estimates now peg the cost at about half a million less than originally anticipated!
• Congratulations to the six Edmontonians recognized at the 2013 Salute to Excellence Citation and Performance Awards.
• Thinking about LRT funding? David Staples has summarized recent funding: the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. He says to expect disappointment.
• The winners of the Urban Design Awards were announced at City Hall on November 22. Great to see Dirt City, Dream City and the LIVINGbridge recognized! Oh, and also the Talus Dome!
• EPSB has ratified a new contract for the district’s teachers and principals. The four year agreement allows for small salary increases beginning next year.
• Heading out shopping? Don’t forget to lock your doors and keep your valuables out of sight.
• One of the most recent grant recipients from the EPCOR Community Essentials Council is the Edmonton Do Likewise Society. They run a community canteen program to service the needs of marginalized people in south Edmonton.
• Today was the DBA’s annual Jingle On Santa Claus parade. As usual it took place indoors, but that could change in future years. Maybe it could be done half and half?

The City Centre Airport is now officially closed. The lights on runway 12-30 went off just before 5pm on Saturday, November 30, with crews installing giant white Xs shortly after. I’ll have more on the closure in an upcoming post. In the meantime, you can check out a few more photos here.

Upcoming Events

• Phoenix is in town on Tuesday to take on the Oilers. Colorado visits Thursday, and the Flames take on the Oilers on Saturday.
• The Google Developer Group meets on Tuesday evening, while the Physical Computing Meetup‘s next event is Wednesday evening. Both take place at Startup Edmonton.
• Starting Thursday you can Celebrate the Season at the Alberta Legislature.
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo’s newest event called The Festival of Light kicks off on Friday. The artistic light installations will illuminate the zoo through December 15.
• This weekend is the Butterdome Craft Sale! The event kicks off on Thursday.
• Head over to Vacancy Hall on Saturday for the Mercer Collective Makers Market!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• It was nice and sunny out there today, which finally meant the residential parking ban could be lifted after being extended twice this week. The reprieve will no doubt be temporary though. Consider being a Snow Angel the next time it snows, and make sure you do what you can to make it safe for waste collectors. Oh and if this whole winter thing is somehow new for you, here’s a guide on how to survive it.
• The PC Party convention in Red Deer took place this weekend, and 77% of delegates voted not to hold a leadership review, a relatively strong show of support for Premier Alison Redford.
• Edmonton Transit launched its new ETS Live product this week, an online service that provides route maps and other bus schedule features, as well as live maps for routes 111 and 128 (which are currently part of the ETS Smart Bus pilot project). It’ll be great when this is finally rolled out to all routes!
• Stephen Mandel was awarded a Distinguished Citizen Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree by MacEwan University on Tuesday. The university will also establish a new annual scholarship in Lynn and Stephen Mandel’s name.
• By the end of September, the City had already spent $464,000 to deal with about 1,800 claims from people whose vehicles were damaged by potholes.
• Fall convocation took place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Alberta, and now the U of A is asking grads to share their stories via social media.
• The Government of Alberta has entered the RFP stage for the 19 new schools it itends to build throughout the province.
• ETS Stuff a Bus is back, and this year’s goal is to fill 15 buses with food. You can find the buses from Wednesday through Saturday at participating Save-On-Foods locations and transit centres.
• Top of the Pops: here’s a feature in Alberta Venture on the On the Spot Pop Up.
• A delegation of local business and community leaders visited Ottawa this week to “strengthen relationships with federal government leaders and to raise awareness about investment and entrepreneurial opportunities in Edmonton.”
• Councillors Tony Caterina and Amarjeet Sohi will serve on the 2013-2014 AUMA Board of Directors. Councillor Sohi will additionally serve on the AUMA Executive Committee. Outgoing President Linda McCulloch (Sloan) was recognized this week with the Lifetime Membership Award at the 2013 AUMA Convention.
• In case you missed it: St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse was re-elected Board Chair of the Capital Region Board. Here’s the PDF news release.
• You know those commercials for the “personal wipes” that are now being marketed? Apparently they are causing headaches for drainage crews in other cities, but not yet here in Edmonton. City drainage crews are worried that could soon change, however.
• Check out this music video by local singer/songwriter Jasmine Singh featuring the McKay Avenue School! It was shot entirely in Edmonton with local cast & crew.
• Have you seen Rapid Fire Theatre‘s attractive new website?
• This is impressive: Die-Nasty will put on its 700th performance Monday night!

The Dawson Bridge

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers host the Blackhawks at Rexall Place on Monday night.
• Head over to Startup Edmonton on Tuesday evening for UX Edmonton’s 2013 edition of PanEx.
• Also Tuesday evening is another Annexation Open House, this time at the Four Points by Sheraton.
• To mark the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, Cult Cinema presents Oliver Stone’s JFK at Metro Cinema on Tuesday.
• The ACE Ad Auction takes place at the Mercer Warehouse on Thursday evening.
• The Festival of Trees takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• This week is Black Friday. If you want an alternative, check out Green Friday at Carbon on 104 Street!
• I’m really looking forward to the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair, taking place at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Sunday is December 1, if you can believe it. Head downtown for the DBA’s annual Jingle On Indoor Santa Claus Parade.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

I’m a big fan of the snow piles for play downtown!

Each week my Edmonton Notes bring together a collection of what I think are interesting local stories, and events coming up in the next week. I generally put what I think is the most important or interesting story at the top of the list, and sometimes I’ll write a little more about it. I’d like to expand on that going forward, with an audio or video clip that provides a bit more information or additional thoughts. This week is the first attempt (so let me know if you have any feedback).

Evolving Infill Launches

This week’s highlighted story is the launch of the Evolving Infill project. It aims to advance residential infill in Edmonton’s established neighbourhoods, and will take place over the next few months. Here’s an audio feature on the Evolving Infill launch:

Headlines

• All day Friday I was surprised at the rain! It snowed a little during the day, but it was so warm it all melted immediately. That all changed Friday night as we got a massive dump of snow. I should know better by now, but I’m still amazed at how quickly it changed. Looks like winter is here to stay now. The parking ban that took effect this morning will remain until at least Tuesday morning.
• The names of the stops and other features along the Valley LRT Line were approved this week by the City of Edmonton’s Naming Committee. There are 11 stops in all, and names include “Quarters”, “Muttart”, “Bonnie Doon”, “Grey Nuns”, and “Mill Woods Town Centre”. Shocking, aren’t they? They may not be creative, but at least they’re accurate (unlike the ridiculous Fort Edmonton Park stop on the existing line). The two bridges will feature Cree names.
• With the City Centre Airport set to close at the end of the month, there have been questions about what will happen to the Alberta Aviation Museum. Now we know! The museum will continue to live on as it is, with a focus on telling Edmonton’s aviation history from 1911 to today. A new museum known as the Alberta Flying Heritage Museum will be built at the Villeneuve Airport on land donated by the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority, and it’ll focus on interactive exhibits with actual flying aircraft.
• An emotional vigil was held yesterday at Edmonton’s Seventh Day Adventist Church to pray for victims and loved ones affected by the typhoon in the Philippines. An estimated 3,600 people have died as a result of the storm, and millions have been left homeless.
• Congratulations to the newest group of 57 Best Bar None-accredited bars, pubs, clubs, and lounges honored at the 4th annual Best Bar None Awards.
• Imagine Edmonton in July 1983. Having trouble? Check out Raymond Biesinger’s illustrations that depict a very different Edmonton than the city we know today.
• Mike Vivian, a political science and human geography student at the U of A, has received a research award to study the pedway network. I started a series on the pedway in July (that I really need to get around to finishing).
• Apparently there’s a Cold War bunker in the west end, built in 1954 about three feet underground, that was sealed in the 1970s. Now “local museum officials” are working to restore it for a grand re-opening in the summer of 2015. Who knew?
• You’ll have to pay another $5 to fly out of the Edmonton International Airport after July 1 next year as the airport improvement fee is being raised again.
• The skinny office building wedged in between Beaver Hills House Park and Sobeys on Jasper Avenue could soon be home to a new restaurant with rooftop patios!
• Here’s a podcast featuring Edmonton band Headwind which just today launched the Headwind Bootleg Anthology DVD.
• Yet another reason the campaign against jaywalking is silly: “Pedestrians crossing the road with the right-of-way (e.g. at a marked crosswalk, an unmarked crossing at an intersection or at a signalized intersection with a walk sign) made up 65 per cent of all pedestrian injuries, including fatalities” in 2012.
• This is really cool! Starting next spring, the University of Alberta will offer a video game development program.
• From David Staples: “The Edmonton Oilers and Eskimos stink like never before, West Edmonton Mall is an afterthought for many of us, but the mood of the city is still high.”
• In case you missed it: my recap of the Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up.
• Here’s a pretty cool sunrise timelapse from Lincoln Ho:

Upcoming Events

• This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week, and the Startup City Luncheon kicks it off Monday at the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel.
• The first of the City’s Annexation Open Houses takes place Monday night at the RedTail Landing Golf Club. The second is Tuesday at the Nisku Inn.
• The Oilers host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, and the Panthers on Thursday.
• The next Capital Ideas event takes place on Wednesday: The Art of the Sale.
• Homeward Trust’s National Housing Day Luncheon takes place at The Westin on Thursday.
• Want to check out the hottest startups in town? Don’t miss Launch Party Edmonton 4, taking place at Startup Edmonton on Thursday evening.
• Hacking Health is coming to Edmonton! The three day event begins on Friday at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy.
• Friday evening is the Festival of Ideas event featuring Alanis Morissette and Margaret Atwood.
• I’m really looking forward to checking out All is Bright on 124 Street on Saturday!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Premier Redford addressed the 2013 AAMDC Convention at the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday

You can see previous Edmonton Notes entries here.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The 40th year of Farmfair International and Canadian Finals Rodeo wrapped up today at Rexall Place. A total of 88,521 guests attended over the five days of CFR that saw more than $1.47 million in prize money awarded.
• The controversial Terwillegar Towne project has been dropped by the Anglican diocese of Edmonton. Score another one for NIMBYism. I think David Staples is right on the money here: “I’d suggest no one neighbourhood is so special that it should be able to wall itself off from the rest of the city and its problems.”
• The University of Alberta will receive an immediate $14.4 million boost to its Campus Alberta grant thanks to the $50 million reinvestment in post secondary institutions that the Province announced on Wednesday.
• Six neighbourhood reconstructions were completed in 2013 for a total investment of $224 million: Canora, Capilano, Dovercourt, Windsor Park, Terrace Heights, and Woodcroft.
• We’re just a couple of weeks away from the full closure of the City Centre Airport! Incredibly, though the decision to close the airport was made over four years ago, some are still complaining about having to move.
• Regional issues are going to be big for Mayor Iveson and the new Council, especially since plans to annex land in Leduc County are proceeding. Leduc County’s mayor is unhappy with the apparent lack of communication.
• Upgrading drainage systems in the southeast could cost the City nearly $170 million.
• If you have ever been frustrated by the City’s aging maps site, you’ll be happy to learn they have a new version of the site in beta testing now. It promises support for modern browsers and an updated design.
• The ups and downs of the Oilers season as explained through animated gifs. Love it.
• It’s that time of year again! City Council will soon be discussing the 2014 Operating Budget, but before they do, you can have your say. How would you balance the budget?
• Several Edmonton Catholic schools are underutilized, costing the district $2.9 million to maintain. You can find out more and get involved here.
• The parking pilot around City Hall has been extended until January 2014. The new system is better than our old parking meters in every way. Enough with these silly pilots, let’s just get on with it!
• Here’s a timeline of Kavis Reed’s tenure with the Eskimos.
• How’s Movember going for you? I’m pretty surprised at how much the event grows every year – there seems to be a big increase in branded products and such this year. Women are looking to cash in too.
• From the University of Alberta: “A new landmark study estimates that University of Alberta alumni have collectively founded 70,258 organizations globally, creating more than 1.5 million jobs and generating annual revenues of $348.5 billion.”

Here are some upcoming events:

• Monday is Remembrance Day of course, with the big ceremony taking place at the Butterdome in the morning. You can see more Remembrance Day events here.
• The next Edmonton Python Meetup takes place on Tuesday night at Startup Edmonton. GameCamp Edmonton has its next meetup the following night.
• This year’s edition of The Taboo Naughty But Nice Show kicks off on Thursday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• The Oilers host the Stars on Wednesday and the Sharks on Friday.
• Well there’s no denying it now, winter has arrived. Might as well celebrate with the Premiere to Winter event on Thursday!
• Also Thursday is artsScene Edmonton’s next boardLink event.
• DECL is having the grand opening for its new space on Friday.
• Also Friday night is The Moustache Gala.
• Early heads up about three open houses the City is holding on its proposed annexation of land south of the City (including the Edmonton International Airport).
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later! We received our first big dump of snow this weekend. I’ve made an appointment to get my winter tires put on this week, and I suspect many of you have as well. The City is also preparing for winter on our roads with an impressive lineup of equipment and abrasive material (sand, salt, etc.). You can also check out the WinterCity Strategy here (and follow them on Twitter). I hope you got outside and enjoyed the snow!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• I hope by now you have changed all of your clocks back an hour. Take a moment and check your smoke detector batteries too!
• The proposed 2014 Operating Budget was released on Friday. It recommends a 4% increase for all civic operations, plus an additional 1.5% to continue the Neighbourhood Renewal Program. Administration will present the budget to our new City Council on Wednesday with a public hearing slated to take place on November 25.
• One of the more interesting stories to surface this week was about a proposed 71-storey building dubbed The Edmontonian. If built as envisioned at 10525 101 Street, it would be the tallest building in the west, and second in Canada only to the CN Tower. Here’s a quick thought I had about the building and how it relates to the Downtown CRL.
• In case you missed it, I wrote about the Swearing In of our new mayor and City Council.
• Congratulations to everyone recognized as part of Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 for 2013.
• I’ve been as disappointed with the Oilers so far this season as anyone else, but I was still saddened to hear about the abuse that head coach Dallas Eakins has to put up with while walking his daughter to school.
• A number of Edmonton Eskimos players were recognized for the 2013 Gibson’s Finest CFL Player Awards. We heard quickly on the news that some Esks had won an award, and Sharon remarked, “they gave them awards?!” Yeah, it was that kind of season.
• Speaking of the disappointing Oilers and Eskimos, here’s a great feature by the Journal’s Chris O’Leary. The two teams went a combined 3-15 in October.
• Looking for a fun read about what Edmonton could look like in the future? Check out Edmonton 2.0.
• Edmonton will be hosting Basketball Canada’s 2014 U15 and U17 Boys & Girls National Championships at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
• Tickets for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2014 will go on sale November 28. Edmonton is hosting seven matches during the competition.
• Due to construction on the lake at Hawrelak Park, the City is planning to create an 8000 square meter temporary skating surface so that Edmontonians can continue “Edmonton’s winter tradition of skating in Hawrelak Park.”
• I’m not even sure most Edmontonians are comfortable with 587, but now we have another new area code to look forward to! Alberta is adding 825 province-wide in 2016.
• Here’s an interesting look at land use in the downtown from Matthew Dance.
• Do you know a police officer who goes above and beyond their duties by serving as a volunteer? Consider nominating them for the 2013 Kiwanis TOP COP Award!
• St. Albert-Edmonton MP Brent Rathgeber will run as an independent in the 2015 election.
• Who said gaming was just for fun?! Congrats to everyone who participated in this weekend’s Extra Life Edmonton – the event raised $40,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation!
• Gotta love this: “When it comes to taking out the trash, Edmonton really is the City of Champions.”
• He promised us a weird story, and he delivered. Omar has the scoop behind the sudden closing of Plow & Harvest.
• Here are the latest Edmonton urbanism headlines.
• The November issue of Business in Edmonton magazine has a nice feature on Stephen Mandel.

Did you miss the River City Round Up kickoff party on Saturday at Churchill Square? Here are some of the sights and sounds of the festivities:

Here are some upcoming events:

• The 40th edition of Farmfair International continues this week at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Canadian Finals Rodeo kicks off on Wednesday at Rexall Place!
• Interested to learn more about what local developers are creating? Check out DemoCamp Edmonton 23 on Wednesday evening!
• Also Wednesday is the latest edition of Green Drinks Edmonton. The theme this time is #notinyeg. Here are five reasons you should attend.
• Cool event coming up on Friday at the Jubilee called The Enchanted Fall.
• The Mercer Collective Makers Market is back on Saturday!
• Saturday evening is the Edmonton Timeraiser, “a volunteer matching fair, silent art auction, and night out on the town.”
• Also Saturday evening is Latitude 53’s Fine Art of Schmoozy.
• Monday is of course Remembrance Day.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Calgary has white hats, we have yellow bandanas!

First snowfall this morning! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Well the results are official and soon your new City Council will be sworn in. The ceremony takes place at City Hall at 1:30pm on Tuesday, with the first Council meeting to follow immediately after.
• Our new mayor Don Iveson has been busy already, meeting with Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi and Premier Redford to get moving on rapid transit and the big city charter. Let’s hope that Kirk & Spock together can make some progress. Here’s a look behind-the-scenes of Iveson’s campaign.
• More on Iveson & Nenshi: Reasons The Rest of Canada Should Be Super Jealous of Alberta.
• If you haven’t already read it, take a few minutes and check out Omar Mouallem’s piece on the Molson Brewery site development. There’s more to the story than you’ve probably heard.
• Air Canada recently decided to ground the direct flight to London over the winter, but the story hasn’t died. Letters have been written, politicians have weighed in, and many Edmontonians have declared their distaste for Air Canada and its actions. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of the story.
• What have you been eating? The Journal wants to know. They’ve launched a new initiative called Gastropost Edmonton.
• The strip club that was to open beside the McLeod condo building has been rejected by the appeal board.
• More bad news from the Edmonton Indy bankruptcy – only a fraction of the money some local businesses are owed will be paid.
• A unique “thank you” event took place today, organized by the EPS Canine Unit. It was an opportunity for the community to meet a police dog and learn more about the protection work they do.
• Here’s a look back at READ IN Week 2013.
• Do you like board games? Then you’ll probably like the new Table Top Cafe. They have over 300 board games apparently! The cafe is located at 5716 75 Street.
• The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is now accepting applications for financial grants up to $5,000. The deadline for charitable organizations to apply is November 1.
• From Spacing Edmonton, here are the latest Edmonton urbanism headlines.
• Very cool news for my street: 104th has been selected as one of the Top 14 Great Places in Canada.
• Here’s our post-election #yegvote hangout:

Here are some upcoming events:

• The City of Edmonton’s Planning Academy is back in session. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the planning and development process in our city.
• After a mostly unsuccessful road trip, the Oilers are back home on Tuesday to host the Maple Leafs. The Red Wings are in town on Saturday.
• Thursday is Halloween! Trick-or-treat!
• Get your cowboy boots out of storage: Friday is the start of River City Round Up!
• MacEwan is holding its open house on Saturday at the City Centre Campus.
• Farmfair International kicks off its 40th year on Sunday!
• The Edmonton Heritage Council’s City & Memory Symposium takes place on Friday & Saturday at the Sutton Place Hotel.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

What’s left of the Kelly-Ramsey block!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed the turkey this weekend. I sure did – I was in too much of a food coma to post this yesterday.

Here are my latest Edmonton notes:

• Over the first five days of advance voting, 8,438 Edmontonians cast their ballot, up from 6,198 during the first week of advance voting in the 2010 election.
• Disappointing news for frequent travelers to London – Air Canada is grounding its direct flight over the winter. It’ll restart again on March 29.
• Looking for something to read? Why not a free copy of EPL’s Centennial Book, written by Todd Babiak!
• Interesting story about an architect and his family that chose Edmonton.
• The Province has reversed an earlier decision to force an external review the finances of the University of Alberta. Still, students and faculty are dealing with the realities of budget cuts. The Faculty of Science is looking to fill a $4 million hole in its budget.
• Mayor Mandel was recognized by the University of Alberta recently for his unwavering support of post-secondary institutions in our city.
• It’s not just Stephen getting all the recognition though. His wife Lynn was honoured this week with a surprise gala.
• The Edmonton Waste Management Centre is about to get a $10 million addition in the form of an organic waste processing facility.
• Looking for some ideas for a first date in Edmonton? The Wanderer has a list of 50.
• The City’s Planning Academy is back, with courses beginning on October 29.
• As if it wasn’t already late enough, the renovation of the Federal Building has now been delayed until next fall.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation announced this week the creation of the Alberta Social Enterprise Venture Fund.
• After nine seasons, Edmonton Rush favorite Jimmy Quinlan has decided to retire from playing but will serve as Assistant Coach for the 2014 season.
• The City of Edmonton has won three awards for its leadership in innovation and planning from the Alberta Professional Planners Institute. The TOD Guidelines, WinterCity Strategy, and Food & Urban Agriculture Strategy were all recognized.
• The Villeneuve Airport is lengthening one of its runways and is installing an ILS, which will allow medevac flights to land there as well as plans travelling at night and in bad weather.
• The EPS Canine Unit recently competed in the annual Canadian Police Canine Dog Trials. Maverick, Xeiko, Quattro, and Storm all finished in the top five. It’s some good news after the recent loss of Quanto.
• This has got to be one of the funniest and most popular local tweets of the year:

Here are some upcoming events:

• Advance voting continues this week from Tuesday through Saturday.
• Edmonton’s NextGen is holding two Candi{date} events this week – opportunities for nextgeners to speed date with candidates. Tuesday’s event is at the Robbins Health Learning Centre downtown and Wednesday’s event is at SUB on the U of A campus.
• CBC is hosting a mayoral forum at Centre Stage over lunch on Wednesday.
• This year’s edition of the Edmonton Comedy Festival runs Wednesday through Saturday!
• LitFest 2013 kicks off on Wednesday!
• The Downtown Business Association’s AGM & Luncheon takes place at the Westin on Thursday over lunch.
• Friday at lunch is the CPRS mayoral forum.
• The Eskimos host the Stampeders on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
• No more outdoor dates for the City Market Downtown, but you can find some of the vendors indoors at City Hall over the winter.
• Edmonton’s eleventh Homeless Connect takes place on Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Edmonton Woman’s Show takes place at the EXPO Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• Monday is Election Day! Make sure to get out there and vote!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The election is really dominating the headlines lately – you can see my latest #yegvote update here. The race is starting to heat up! You’ll be able to cast your vote as early as Tuesday when advance voting begins.
• Even though new voter identification requirements mean you need to have something with your name and current residential address, the City and service agencies are working together to ensure the homeless can vote.
• Another hot topic of discussion this week was the welcome sign prank. It’s unfortunate that some damage was caused to City property (estimates peg the amount at $14,000), but I have to admit it’s pretty funny.
• For the third year in a row, the City of Edmonton has received an AA+ credit rating from Standard & Poor’s.
• Vital Signs 2013 was launched this week by the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Social Planning Council. This year’s report focuses on Food Security.
• Student achievement results for EPSB were released this week. Growth in the five year high school completion rate continued with a 2.8% increase.
• The Parkland Institute released a report called “Wrong Turn” this week, calling the plans for a P3 to build the southeast LRT a mistake. Here’s what I wrote about the issue back in March.
• P3’s were also a major topic of discussion at the Province’s most recent economic summit.
• Have a library card? Great! Now upgrade it to a ME Card, which entitles you to borrow items from any library in Metro Edmonton.
• A voluntary buyout program at the University of Alberta will see 121 staff members, including 77 faculty members, leave next summer. It’s part of efforts to find $56 million over two years to deal with budget shortfalls.
• ETS commemorated 20 years of accessible bus service and 35 years of LRT operations at a celebration at City Hall this week.
• Employees at Superstore locations across Alberta went on strike at midnight, so shopping there will mean trying to get past the picket lines, at least until the strike is eventually resolved.
• Here’s a look at the Kelly-Ramsey block demolition currently taking place downtown. It’s fascinating to see the building torn apart.
• As the temperatures continue to drop, EPS is asking Edmontonians to winterize their homes against crime.

Benches have been installed on Jasper Avenue. Why some face traffic, I’ll never understand.

Here are some upcoming events:

• There are lots of forums this week, starting with the next mayoral forum at lunchtime Monday at the Shaw Conference Centre. The third and final mayoral forum organized by Edmonton Elections will take place on Thursday night at the Italian Cultural Centre.
• There will be lots of other opportunities to see the mayoral candidates though, including the Housing & Homelessness Forum on Tuesday at lunch, and the Your City, Your Vote forum on Tuesday evening.
• There are forums for Ward 2 and Ward 5 candidates Monday night as well. On Tuesday night there are forums for candidates in Ward 4 and Ward 10. Candidates in Ward 12 and Ward 6 will have their forums on Wednesday.
• Fruit Loop returns on Friday evening at the Yellowhead Brewery downtown.
• The Mercer Collective Makers Market is back on Saturday!
• Saturday is also the final outdoor date for the City Market Downtown – it’ll be in City Hall for the winter.
• There’s a cool new music festival taking place on Saturday and Sunday called Up+Downtown.
• Head over to Wunderbar on Sunday for Beer n’ Politics, yet another opportunity to chat about the municipal election.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

It’s probably time to update this map…