Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• It’s official: Capital EX will be renamed to K-Days, starting next year. K-Days received 38,762 of the 51,160 votes cast (a little over 75%). Northlands President and CEO Richard Andersen said: “We are looking forward to the opportunities the new name brings to the Fair. We will be working over the next couple of months to build the story for K-Days and that is probably the most exciting part for us!”
• It was a big week for local tech companies! Mitre Media announced that it has raised $8.6 million from iNovia Capital and a group of angel investors. The company publishes financial content and tools. Also this week, Upside Software was acquired by SciQuest Inc. for $22 million. Upside is the well-known developer of contract management systems.
• EPS Chief Rod Knecht received a nice write-up in the Sun this week. While I agree that his approach seems wise, I think too little time has passed to call it a success. Last year’s homicide was a major anomaly and the violence reduction strategy is going to take time to implement.
• A new questionnaire released on Tuesday asks for input on how much the Mayor and City Council should be paid. You can have your say here.
• Demolition of the Cromdale Hotel is now underway and is expected to take a month. Construction of the new Shoppers Drug Mart should begin in September with an expected opening in the spring of 2013.
• Federal regulators are reviewing Enbridge’s pipeline operations control room here in Edmonton after it was found that staff ignored repeated leak warnings.
• The Oilers officially signed Nail Yakupov to a three-year, entry level contract on Monday.
• The economic output for our province is as positive as ever. The latest forecast from the Conference Board of Canada shows Alberta leading the country with 3.8% growth.
• Want to speak at Pecha Kucha Night Edmonton #14 in the fall? The call for presenters is now open!
• Have you made your picks for Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton yet?
• Great post by Alex on the Edmonton Indy: Does the Indy do anything for Edmonton?
• The Muttart Conservatory is running a Shutterbug Photo Contest until September 15. There are great prizes for the winning photos!
• Some thoughts from Nadine on the Essence of Edmonton: Invent Your Own Awesome.
• Have you been enjoying the Olympics so far? Edmonton Olympians recall the thrills of competing on the world stage.
• To check out what local bloggers have been writing over the past week, check out recent Blog Post Headlines at ShareEdmonton.
• Edmonton’s newest music festival, Interstellar Rodeo, received rave reviews this weekend.

Check out a few more photos of Interstellar Rodeo here.

Here are some upcoming events you should know about:

• Tuesdays on the Terrace continues at the Art Gallery of Alberta. I took a large group of colleagues last week and we had a great time!
• Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series continues on Thursday evening.
• Join us on Friday evening along the lovely Victoria Promenade in Oliver for What the Truck?!, Edmonton’s food truck extravaganza! Check out the lineup and menu here. You can RSVP to the event on Facebook here.
• One of my favorite festivals of the year is back for the long weekend: Servus Heritage Festival runs Saturday through Monday at Hawrelak Park.
• FC Edmonton is back in action at Clarke Stadium on Saturday evening!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The downtown arena was discussed at Council this week, and once again the project took a small step forward. The $450 million budget was reaffirmed and the project team will now be moving to the detailed design phase. In other words, not much has changed. If this is “all part of the process” as officials from both the Katz Group and the City like to say, then can we maybe have the steps in that process published upfront from now on? I mean, it would make this whole charade a lot less entertaining, but then at least we could focus on the issues instead of getting ourselves into a tizzy because Council is talking once again about the arena. It would probably help the Councillors too, and might save them from asking questions that they have already asked. Two years ago. Oh yes, it was that kind of a day at Council on Tuesday.
• Speaking of Council, here’s the latest Council Roundup from the City. Of note is the new image and reputation task force which will be co-led by Maureen McCaw and Chris LaBossiere.
• Congratulations to Brad Ferguson, the new President and CEO of EEDC effective August 1, 2012. I think he’s going to do great things in the role.
• Here’s a great feature on the City Centre Redevelopment in the Globe and Mail. “Faced with the prospect of an empty site in the middle of the city, with 300 acres of land ready to be developed, a lot of municipal governments would have seen nothing but dollar signs. Edmonton pictured families.”
• Answer the question “Why Edmonton?” and then tell Adam about it with a video, post, or something else. It’s an effort to “get down to the essence of Edmonton.”
• Edmonton Transit has released ETS to Go, a new mobile website for the Trip Planner, Bus Stop Schedule, Saved Locations, and alerts.
• I feel like I have already written about this, but a new press release from the Government of Alberta says that construction on the final leg of Anthony Henday Drive is underway with a scheduled opening in the fall of 2016.
• Edmonton’s NextGen is working with EEDC to search for an EEDC/NextGen Youth Intern. Unfortunately the deadline to apply has already passed, just three days after that post.
• The market for downtown office space is heating up, as the vacancy rate dropped to 7.8% from 8.5% last quarter.
• The annual Capital Ex Parade took place on Thursday, with the City of Edmonton unveiling its entry titled “Us” on Wednesday. What did you think? I saw a lot of mixed reaction online!
• EPS rolled out its new Specialized Traffic Apprehension Teams (STAT) this week and announced that their first target will be Edmonton’s 100 Worst Drivers.
• It was pretty much down to the wire, but the Oilers and Sam Gagner have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $3.2 million.
• Your next visit to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Eskimos will probably be a little more comfortable – new seat installation is underway!
• Which community garden is your favorite? Vote in Sustainable Food Edmonton’s 2012 Community Garden Awards.
• The third and final task in the Edmonton Community Challenge is a photo scavenger hunt!

I love this shot by Cam Braaten.

Here are some upcoming events to check out:

• We announced the next What the Truck?! on Friday. Join us on August 3 in Oliver along the beautiful Victoria Promenade!
• Taste of Edmonton and Capital Ex continue all week. Don’t forget that Saturday is the last day to cast your vote in the Name Your Fair contest.
• This week is the final one for Fork Fest Summer 2012.
• The annual Premier’s Capital EX breakfast takes place on Tuesday morning at the Legislature grounds.
• Looking for something to do Tuesday night? Check out the AGA’s Tuesdays on the Terrace.
• Head over to Latitude 53 on Thursday evening for the next edition of the Summer Rooftop Patio Series.
• The next Social Media Breakfast Edmonton takes place on Friday morning at the Startup Edmonton space.
• All weekend long, enjoy Edmonton’s newest music festival in Hawrelak Park: Interstellar Rodeo.
• Get into the Olympic spirit on Sunday with the Edmonton Valley Zoo Summer Animal Olympics.
• Want to take in some baseball this week? The Edmonton Prospects are in action at Telus Field on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Congratulations to Helio Castroneves, winner of the 2012 Edmonton Indy.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The results of the 2012 Municipal Census were released this week and Edmonton’s new official population is 817,498.
• After tons of hot weather recently, the last few days have been very wet. The storm on Thursday resulted in more than 40 emergencies, 2 fires started by lightning, and at least 20 rescues of drivers and passengers stranded on a very flooded Whitemud Drive. There was a rainfall warning in effect all day today, though the rain is expected to taper off into Monday morning. All the rain today has meant another round of floods!
• Dr. Lorne Babiuk, Lyle Best, Bill Comrie, and Dr. Lorne Tyrrell are among the latest Edmontonians honored with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubiliee Medal in recognition of their outstanding service and citizenship.
• An update on the arena was released this week, with the issue set to be discussed by City Council on Tuesday. Looks like the project is going to cost significantly more than the budgeted $450 million.
• Here’s a relatively rare interview with Daryl Katz. “You’ve seen our plans,” he said. “It’s nothing short of miraculous.”
• The average price of a detached bungalow in Edmonton increased 5.1% year-over-year to $327,857 in the second quarter according to the latest Royal LePage House Price Survey.
• A new interchange at Highway 2 and 41 Avenue SW is expected to cost $205 million and is slated for completion in 2015.
• Think the traffic in Edmonton is bad? Think again. We rank 23rd in a new report that looks at the most traffic-clogged cities in Canada or the United States.
• The final six names in the Name Your Fair contest were released this week. My guess is that K-Days is going to win, even though that’s probably not the direction we should be going.
• A couple of recent posts from Councillor Iveson worth reading: Investing in Neighbourhood Renewal, and Station at 40th Avenue Feasible, But Shelved.
• How does Edmonton stack up as a beer town? Vue investigates.
• You might have to pay to park downtown after 6pm if Council agrees with the recommendation made by Executive Committee this week.
• Looking for a family doctor? The Primary Care Network has a new online tool to find one.
• What’s in a name? Gig City says Edmonton doesn’t have a clue.
• The City is working on a new Master Plan for Buena Vista/Sir Wilfred Laurier Park, and they want your input. Fill out the survey here before August 3.
• Food for thought: Edmonton needs more Graffiti.
• Edmonton on Edmonton: some of the city’s finest reflect on their most memorable artistic experiences.
• In case you missed it on the weekend: Food, agriculture and the battle over Edmonton’s growth.

I love that people take photos of this all over the place.

Here are some upcoming events:

• Check out Zumba on the Square, Mondays and Fridays during the lunch hour.
• Fork Fest Summer 2012 runs this week and next at restaurants around the city.
• Don’t miss Tuesdays on the Terrace at the AGA!
• Head downtown on Thursday for the Capital Ex Parade!
• Also Thursday, it’s the start of Taste of Edmonton in Churchill Square.
• Looking for something to do Thursday evening? You have a ton of choices – here are three: 124 Grand Market, Highlands Farmers Market, Latitude 53 Summer Rooftop Patio Series.
• Racing fans get ready – the Edmonton Indy kicks off on Friday!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton was rather smoky on Friday as smoke from northern forest fires rolled into town.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• On Friday, Mayor Mandel signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and Dialog with Grand Chief Cameron Alexis and Vice-Chief Stanley Lagrelle of the Treaty No. 6 First Nations to strengthen professional ties between the First Nations and the City.
• Scientists are fairly sure they have at long last discovered the elusive Higgs boson, which some are calling one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the last 100 years. It turns out the University of Alberta had a hand in the project – three U of A professors helped in the development, design, and construction of equipment for the ATLAS particle detector.
• Did you enjoy the hot weather this weekend? Better get used to it! Temperatures will be around 30 degrees for the next week. Records will fall!
• Possibly my favorite quote of the week. Councillor Bryan Anderson on Windermere: “I certainly accept the fact that this is a poorly planned neighbourhood.” He made the comment reacting to a battle over the construction of a new mosque.
• Could smart parking meters finally be on the way for Edmonton? A new report was released this week that shows the City is looking to adopt a system similar to Calgary’s, where motorists can pay by cellphone and even be alerted when their time is about to expire.
• Council passed a draft policy this week that would enable community leagues to ask the City to review speed limits on roads inside their districts. It could lead to a patchwork of speed limits across the city.
• Here’s the latest City Council Roundup.
• Capital EX is coming up – you can check out some of the new food-related features here.
• Today was the celebration of 100 years of history on Whyte Avenue – the Commercial Hotel was the focus, but the amalgamation of Strathcona and Edmonton, as well as the 100-year anniversaries of Tipton Block, Hulbert Block, and the Douglas Block were also celebrated.
• A new mural honoring the Famous Five has been put on the side of The Wall – the Melcor parkade at 10027 102 Street.
• Ryan Smyth signed a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers at a cap hit of $2.25 million per season.
• A new campaign is underway in Seattle to attract workers to Edmonton and Northern Alberta. From the news release: “To put Alberta’s economic growth into context, around $193 billion of major investments are underway or in the works, equivalent to 211 CenturyLink Fields or 175 Hoover Dams.”
• New statistics show that Edmonton added more than 10,000 full-time jobs in June, which caused our unemployment rate to drop from 4.9% in May to 4.4% last month. Here is Paula Simons’ take on the economic boom.
• Tossing cigarette butts on the ground can result in a $250 fine, and there’s an enforcement blitz now underway.
• The new public washrooms located at the corner of Whyte Avenue and Gateway Boulevard opened on June 29. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No word on when permanent public washrooms are coming to Jasper Avenue, but Council has approved $35,000 to keep the temporary ones operating until November.
• A new hotel is being constructed in The Quarters at 96 Street and Jasper Avenue. It’ll be 12 stories tall when completed in the spring of 2014.
• Also slated to open in 2014 is the new Clareview Community Recreation Centre and Clareview Library. The $115 million project will feature an aquatics centre, fitness centre, gymnasium, two hockey rinks, the library, a multicultural centre, and more.
• The boat launches at Capilano Park and Laurier Park are now open to the public.

North LRT to NAIT Construction, looking south on 105 Street. Photo taken by Sharon!

The Fort Edmonton Footbridge finally had its grand opening celebration today with a Block Party on the Bridge. We didn’t make it in time for the festivities (what kind of block party lasts two hours) but we did enjoy walking through the area!

Here are some upcoming events:

• The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival kicked off on Friday and runs for the rest of the week in Churchill Square!
• The Freewill Shakespeare Festival continues at Hawrelak Park.
• Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series continues on Thursday evening.
• This weekend in Old Strathcona you can catch the 17th Annual Whyte Avenue Art Walk. It runs from 10am to 5pm between 100 Street and 108 Street.
• The Blue Bombers are in town on Friday night to take on the Eskimos.
• Sharon and I are looking forward to the Park after Dark Tweetup which takes place on Friday evening at Northlands Park.
• The next Handmade Mafia event is scheduled for Saturday at Orange Hall.
• Also Saturday is the Capital Power Go Kit Derby, part of Race Week Edmonton celebrations.
• On Sunday the Valley Zoo is celebrating National Zookeeper Week with a Summer Celebration from noon until 4pm!
• FC Edmonton is in action on Sunday as they take on FC Tampa Bay.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Sunset, July 7

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

• Three guards with G4S Cash Solutions were shot and killed during an armored car robbery early Friday morning on the University of Alberta campus, and a fourth victim remains in critical condition. The accused triple murderer Travis Baumgartner was caught attempting to cross the border and remains in RCMP custody. I don’t normally highlight crime stories, but there’s a lot of angles to this story, and it has generated a lot of coverage. I’ll have more on that tomorrow.
• A new report shows that development in older neighbourhoods in 2011 was the highest it’s been in 10 years. The southeast and southwest sectors of the city have the most development underway.
• The City is looking for your input on priorities and the cost of civic services. Tomorrow is the last day to fill out the online questionnaire.
• Which local executives make the most money per year? Canadian Western Bank’s Larry Pollock and former Brick CEO Bill Gregson led the pack with total compensation of just over $3 million each last year.
• Well that didn’t take long: First & Jasper is now fully leased!
• Congratulations to experimental filmmaker Kyle Armstrong and hip-hop artist Mitchmatic who were among the winners of this year’s Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artists Awards.
• Edmonton’s French Quarter has applied for a business revitalization zone and hopes to become the next trendy, walkable shopping and restaurant district in our city.
• A proposal to charge a sliding fee for waste management based on how much garbage you throw out has been trashed.
• Sharon first noted the arrival of frozen yogurt establishments to Edmonton back in 2009. Now, three years later, it’s probably time to call it a trend.
• The Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre received a national award for being a historic modern landmark.
• Shaw Conference Centre sous chef Serge Belair won the Canadian Culinary Federation’s chef-of-the-year challenge at its recent annual conference in Halifax. Congrats!
• Felt Up, an Edmonton-based web series, won an award at last week’s Banff World Media Festival.
• The Journal has analyzed 896 complaints filed against bus and LRT drivers in March. The results are pretty interesting. “There were 19,571 comments about ETS operators in 2011. That’s in line with industry averages and a small fraction of the 80 million passengers that were carried…”
• Have you noticed EPS officers on bicycles lately? They’ll be out and about more regularly now that the weather is warmer.
• Nice to see City Council being more positive about the 311 service, which was recently ranked as the #1 medium-sized call centre in Canada and the United States in terms of service quality and cost efficiency.
• The City is going to reconsider building park-and-ride lots along the new LRT routes because of demand. Fine, but let’s build safe, clean, well-lit, and attractive parking lots please!
• He’s back! Craig MacTavish is rejoining the Edmonton Oilers as senior VP of hockey operations.
• Here is Sharon’s latest City Market Report.
• Alberta Municipal Affairs is looking for feedback on the Local Authorities Election Act. You have until July 31 to participate in the online consultation.

Beautiful long exposure blue hour of the West Henday by Darren Kirby.

Here are some upcoming events to note:

• The Bikeology Festival continues with a couple of events this week, including Bikey Movies, Mocktails on the Bridge, and on Saturday a Bike In Movie at Victoria Park!
• Also continuing this week is Improvaganza, with shows at the Varscona and Garneau theatres.
• The Salute to Excellence Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on Tuesday evening at the Winspear Centre.
• Thursday is National Aboriginal Day. The official commemoration takes place at Canada Place.
• The Works Art & Design Festival kicks off on Thursday. Don’t miss the Opening Night Celebration at Churchill Square!
• The Eskimos host the BC Lions on Thursday evening at Commonwealth Stadium.
• The Edmonton International Jazz Festival gets underway on Friday.
• On Saturday, the EPS West Division is holding a Community Safety Fair at Belmead Park.
• Head over to the Myer Horowitz Theatre on Saturday evening for the Philippine Arts Festival.
• Also taking place Saturday is ZooFest, the Valley Zoo Development Society’s annual fundraiser.
• The next edition of the very popular Refinery series takes place at the AGA on Saturday evening. The theme this time is The Automatiste Revolution.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep wins the Women’s 100m Hurdles at the Donovan Bailey Invitational Track Meet.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• I guess summer is officially here now – the City’s outdoor pools officially opened on Saturday!
• More data from the census was released this week by Statistics Canada, and it shows that Edmonton is a young city, with 31% of residents between the ages of 25 and 44. Check out Edmonton’s profile here.
• The City’s environmental strategic plan, known as The Way We Green, was recognized with the 2012 Environment Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators.
• Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths reiterated that the province will not put money directly into the new downtown arena, but hinted that increased MSI funding could be used for the project.
• Adult sex toy company PinkCherry has released its annual rankings of Canada’s sexiest cities, and Edmonton came in at number two just behind Toronto and ahead of Calgary.
• I guess this story was inevitable: the “bath salts” drug that made headlines in that strange Miami zombie incident has apparently been popping up in our city too.
• Here’s a bizarre story from the past week – there was a moose loose in the city’s west end on Tuesday morning! Actually there were four, and they were safely caught, tranquilized, and then released by wildlife officers. I love that CBC made a map.
• Edmonton City Centre launched a rebrand this week with the world’s largest photo booth. Good news on a big vacancy in the mall too: “the former Gap location in City Centre West will be taken up by an expanded Urban, Le Chateau and a third fashion store.”
• The City is adding new data collection cameras to streetlights at intersections. There are currently 30 in operation.
• Want to join the City of Edmonton Youth Council or know someone who might? The application form is here.
• Edmontonian Kayla Patrick is one of three finalists in the MuchMusic Cover contest. She gets to attend the MMVAs, where the winner will be announced. Good luck Kayla!
• Ever wonder why there are now so many spray parks in Edmonton? It’s because new AHS requirements for wading pools require a circulation and filtration system, which costs about $500,000. The cost of converting to a spray park? $200,000.
• Congratulations to Councillor Karen Leibovici on being named the new president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). She succeeds Berry Vrbanovic, Councillor for the City of Kitchener in Ontario.
• The Edmonton chefs competing in the annual Gold Medal Plates competition have been announced!

Skyline Sunset by Gina Blank

Here are some upcoming events:

• Want to learn how to sell to the City of Edmonton? Workshops taking place on Monday will help you do exactly that.
• On Tuesday evening the 2012 Capital Awards Gala will take place at the TransAlta Arts Barns. “Mix and mingle, and see the very best work of Edmonton’s professional communication’s community.”
• The next three public presentations for the downtown arena design take place this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
• Wednesday is Clean Air Day! Head down to Churchill Square for the celebration.
• City Hall School’s Citizenship Fair takes place on Wednesday afternoon at City Hall. Don’t miss it!
• I’ll be down at Hawrelak Park on Wednesday evening for Pecha Kucha Night 13!
• The inaugural Highlands Outdoor Farmers’ Market runs Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm.
• Both the Creative Age Festival and Open Sky Music Festival kick off on Friday.
• Okay folks, Saturday is basically Super Saturday for the downtown area. DECL’s Pancake Breakfast and the City Market kick things off in the morning. TEDxEdmonton runs all day at the Citadel. Starting at noon, the Pride Parade will wind its way through the downtown core. The big kickoff celebration will take place in Churchill Square immediately afterward. Bikeology’s Heritage Bike Ride takes place later in the afternoon. Al Fresco will get going in the afternoon and will kick into high gear when the market ends. After such a busy day you’re bound to be hungry, so stop by What the Truck?! for dinner!
• Also Saturday over at Rundle Park, it’s River Day!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.
• Also, be sure to check out my guide to 40+ summer festivals and special events!

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the EPS Canine Unit:

Whew, big entry this week. Can’t believe it is already June!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmontonians are fired up about Century Hospitality’s newest restaurant – most are upset that the name of the new place, MKT, is too similar to downtown’s existing MRKT.
• If you have thoughts on the new downtown arena designs, now is the time to share them. You have until June 10 to attend a public presentation, view the display at City Hall, and complete the online survey.
• Graham Hicks takes a break from food to share the fascinating story behind the Quesnell Bridge expansion.
• This is a good idea: LRT Bike Art. The idea is to combine public art with bicycle parking. Here’s some further information on the campaign.
• I’m quite happy that we’re starting to imagine what the City Centre Redevelopment could be! The notion of a street-level garbage chutes that connect to an underground vacuum collection system is pretty intriguing.
• Financing for the final leg of the Anthony Henday ring road has closed, which means construction can begin in June with an expected completion date of 2016. German construction giant Hochtief will design, build and operate the road over 34 years for a total of $1.81 billion.
• Council has decided that the Southeast LRT will be constructed as a public-private partnership (P3). Mayor Mandel will be writing to Premier Alison Redford to ask for support, and the City will be applying to the federal P3 fund as well.
• I think the gaming industry in Edmonton is stronger than most people realize. Gaming technology from our very own 3D Interactive will be used to redo SYSTEM 21, the most widely recognized well control e-learning system for the global oil and gas industry. Even better, 3DI has partnered with local firms Christie Communications and Yardstick Software to make it happen.
• The Citadel Theatre is entertaining redevelopment proposals that could include constructing something on top of the indoor garden.
• The Old Strathcona Business Association is beginning a branding effort and has a survey online for you to provide input. Let them know what you think about the future of of Old Strathcona!
• The federal government announced this week funding of $50,000 in support of construction of the Victoria Cross Memorial Park Monument.
• Sharon has a great recap of the first week of the new 124 Street Grand Market.
• The presenters have been announced for Pecha Kucha Night 13. Looks like a great lineup!
• Thanks to the rain last week, everything is starting to look nice and green! You have until June 28 to nominate someone in the Front Yards in Bloom competition. The winner will be announced on August 9.
• In case you missed it a couple weeks ago: the largest Living Wall inside any airport terminal has been unveiled at the Edmonton International Airport. I think it looks amazing!
• Have you received your property tax notice? If you don’t get one by June 1, contact the city at 311. The deadline for paying taxes on all properties is June 30.
• A quick follow-up to my post this week on food trucks: Drift will be staying in their spot on 108 Street until further notice.
• The City held its Food in the City food and agriculture conference this weekend. Sounds like it didn’t take long for the issue of land use in the northeast to come up.

LRT Expansion by Hugh Lee

Here are some upcoming events:

• The May edition of Emerging Business Leaders is tomorrow night and features Dave Mowat, President and CEO of ATB Financial.
• The grand opening celebration for the newly renovated Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre takes place on Tuesday afternoon.
• On Tuesday evening head over to the Santa Maria Goretti Centre for the first public presentation on the downtown arena design.
• AccelerateAB takes place all day Wednesday and Thursday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The first Southeast to West LRT Preliminary Design Open House takes place on Thursday at the South Edmonton Alliance Church. This one focuses on the Mill Woods Town Centre to Whitemud Drive leg of the route.
• Don’t miss Truck Stop in Old Strathcona on Thursday evening, our final one in May! The lineup and menu will be posted soon on our website.
• Also Thursday evening is the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards Gala.
• If you’re in the 124 Street area on Thursday night, check out week 2 of the new 124 Street Grand Market.
• I’m really looking forward to Meet the Media Tweetup 2 on Friday evening. I missed the last one but heard it was a great event!
• The Handmade Mafia returns to Orange Hall on Saturday!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Federal Building Construction by Mike Friel

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Danielle Smith is “open to pressing the reset button” on her relationship with Mayor Mandel. After hearing that Smith intended to have Calgary Mayor Nenshi act as a peace broker, Mandel indicated he didn’t think that was necessary and said she should just pick up the phone and call him.
• Is Mill Woods misunderstood?
• Edmonton’s 311 call centre has been recognized as the #1 medium sized call centre in North America. 311 handles over 160,000 calls per month.
• Results for the 3rd year of A Place to Call Home: Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness are in. Nearly 1800 Edmontonians are now housed in 1,237 units, 150% of the Plan’s target for the first 3 years.
• Edmonton has been named one of six official host cities for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. All games will take place at Commonwealth Stadium, and the schedule should be announced early next year.
• The Edmonton Police Foundation is now accepting nominations for the Harry Hole Community Policing Award. The deadline for submissions is 4pm on June 4, 2012.
• Good news magazine fans – Hub Cigar should reopen later this month!
• EPCOR President and CEO Don Lowry announced this week that he intends to retire effective December 2013.
• Northlands President and CEO Richard L. Andersen has signed a contract renewal and extension that will keep him with the organization through December 2017.
• The Eskimos unveiled new jerseys this week. The most notable change is the new green road helmets and pants.
• London-based Just-Eat, the world’s largest online meal take-out and delivery ordering service, is coming to Edmonton this year.
• Avenue Magazine takes a look at some of Edmonton’s power couples.
• Congratulations to NAIT Landscape Architecture student Em Poole on having her design for the green space adjacent to the TELUS House selected as the winning design. TELUS is investing more than $20 million in the buildings over the next two years.
• St. Albert city council voted this week to start proceedings on its third annexation of land from Sturgeon County in the last eleven years.
• Edmonton will soon be home to a Blo franchise, a business dedicated exclusively to “the art” of blow-drying hair.
• Why are Edmontonians bothered by people leaving the city? “We are Edmonton the impermanent, Edmonton the unsettled. We arrive in droves, we leave in droves. The pace of change is more rapid than in many other places, and that can be unsettling, even unwelcome.”
• Here’s a neat look at the LRT tunnel crews are working on as part of the North LRT to NAIT extension.
• Here is the City’s latest Council Roundup.

One of the giant mining machines that was on display in Churchill Square this week.

Here are some upcoming events:

• The Handmade Mafia and Startup Edmonton are hosting an event for “crafty entrepreneurs” at the Mercer Warehouse on Tuesday evening.
• The Way We Green Speaker Series continues Wednesday at lunch with Mark Stumpf-Allen talking about composting.
• Thursday is the Chamber’s Spring After Business Mixer at Waterloo Ford.
• Also Thursday is our second Truck Stop of the month! Come check out the food trucks at McIntyre Park in Old Strathcona from 5pm to 9pm.
• If you’re downtown that evening, check out Startup Edmonton’s Grand Opening Party in the Mercer Warehouse.
• The Oil Kings host Portland on Thursday night in game five of the series.
• Guru Digital Arts College is celebrating ten years on Friday at the AGA with Gala Guru TEN.
• The Muttart is holding its annual bedding plant sale from May 10 to 12.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

A great shot of the supermoon by Ian McKenzie.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmontonians got a peek at the designs for the new downtown arena this week! After a couple images leaked to the Journal, the City made four new images available and says more will be released for the Council meeting next month. While the design was called everything from a steak to a kidney to a comma, Daryl Katz says an oil drop was the inspiration.
• Starting today, the new “Route 747” bus between Century Park Transit Centre and the Edmonton International Airport entered service. The route runs 7 days a week, from 5am to 12:30am, with buses leaving every half-hour during peak hours and every hour during off-peak times. The cost is $5 for a one-way ticket, and buses have wi-fi on them!
• More positive news for First & Jasper – Public Works & Government Services Canada has leased 41,000 square feet of space over four floors! At this rate the building is going to be full before the old BMO building is finished being torn down!
• Property taxes to cover municipal programs and services in 2012 will increase $7.25 a month, or 5.1%, for the typical Edmonton household.
• Arts on the Ave has put out a call for artists and designers to participate in the 12foot12 challenge! Submissions are due May 15.
• The Supreme Court of Canada has decided it will not hear an appeal on a court case regarding Lucy the Elephant, a decision the City of Edmonton welcomed on on Thursday.
• I haven’t heard yet how the Elements Music Festival went this weekend, but last week event organizers were saying that they were being asked to spend $145,000 on security and that it was unlikely the event could happen again in the future. Sandra Sperounes makes the case for such events in this blog post.
• EEDC’s new board chair is Peter Silverstone, and its newest board members are Jagdeep Bachher, JoAnn Kirkland, and Tracey Scarlett.
• The City Archives has launched its first virtual exhibit, which features Ella May Walker, an artist, musician, and author who was a key advocate for preserving and promoting Edmonton’s history.
• Melcor announced last week that Brian Baker will take over from Ralph Young to become the new President and COO. Young will continue as CEO.
• Speaking of Ralph Young, he was elected on Friday by the U of A board of governors as the university’s next chancellor, the honourary head of the university.
• Edmonton and Jasper have signed a memorandum of cooperation with Shanghai, China to jointly promote travel between Alberta and Shanghai.
• Apparently this is a big deal: visit centre ice at Rexall Place right now and you won’t find the Oilers logo, you’ll find the Oil Kings logo instead!
• Pretty crazy (in a good way) that this happens in Edmonton: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, conducted the largest equipment auction in Canadian history this week, selling more than CA$108 million of equipment.
• ProCura Real Estate says it is ready to begin construction on a new 21-storey tower in Century Park this summer, but it won’t look like the original plans.

We have certainly had some wild weather recently, everything from sunny and warm to this:

But I guess that’s Edmonton for you!

Here are some upcoming events to note:

• Tomorrow afternoon the City is running an economic development workshop, part of the public consultation process for The Way We Prosper.
• The Sage Awards will be handed out on Tuesday during lunch at the Sutton Place Hotel!
• The Slow Food Canada National Meeting & Conference takes place right here in Edmonton this week from May 3 to May 6.
• On Friday the Art Gallery of Alberta is hosting Art on the Block, a fundraiser to support the presentation of AGA exhibitions and education programs.
• The Handmade Mafia is back on Saturday at Orange Hall!
• And not far away on Saturday and Sunday is Royal Bison!
• Taking place all day Saturday the Fantastyland Hotel is iMedia 2012, a social media conference for western Canada. I’m on the panel at lunch!
• On Saturday afternoon, the Edmonton Public Library is running an event called Downtown Stories. I’ll be speaking in the afternoon about some of the ways our downtown is changing.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton!

Due to construction of the North LRT to NAIT, the LRT is running on a slightly different schedule until September 1. Also, about one third of the Churchill Square LRT platform will be blocked off during that time. Here’s an overview of the North LRT to NAIT, including helicopter footage:

Sharon and I were out at the Shaw bright and early this morning for Edmonton’s eight Homeless Connect. We volunteered to do pre-registration and registration.

There were an awful lot of volunteers there today, which is great! The event didn’t seem as busy as past ones in terms of clients, however.