Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Had enough of the wind this week? Thankfully it seems to have died down this evening.
• It’s construction season! The City says that more than $157 million is being spent on special projects and $128 million is besting spent on arterial roads and intersections for a total of $285 million in construction projects. Work is underway in 96 neighbourhoods across the city.
• Due mainly to spending on last winter’s snowfall, the City is facing a $30.7 million deficit.
• The Telus World of Science is looking to the City to help fund a $285 million expansion. Mayor Mandel thinks the City should take a close look at the proposal.
• They don’t really bother me, but some people really get annoyed with those animated advertising signs that have popped up all over the city recently. The City is looking at the issue.
• On Friday, the City issued a statement on fire risk conditions, stating that they were monitoring the weather but were not considering a fire ban. Tonight, the entire Town of Slave Lake was forced to evacuate as fire engulfed the entire area.
• Stantec’s net income increased to $23.8 million in the first quarter, up from $16.3 million for the same period in 2010.
• The Charrette had a good entry on brownfield development recently, check it out.
• Apparently the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce isn’t on board with the City’s Way We Green plan.
• Are parking fines going up because of the province’s new license plate search fee?
• It has been recommended that the City spend $12 million over three years to replace Commonwealth Stadium’s 60,000 seats.
• The 2011 Edmonton Regional Joint Orthophoto initiative will see an airplane equipped with a special GPS camera snap high resolution shots of the capital region.
• Each day in Edmonton, 911 dispatchers handle about 1000 calls, 70% of which come from cell phones. The CRTC is setting up trials for SMS messaging for 911, but not here in Edmonton.
• The City is running out of space to store furniture, clothes, china, and other historic material, according to the Edmonton Heritage Council.
• Four new community-based crime prevention programs in Edmonton received $2.8 million in provincial funding this week. A partnership between the Edmonton Public Library and Boyle Street Community Services will receive $600,000 over three years.
• Three groups have been asked to submit proposals to develop the northeast section of Anthony Henday Drive.
• That’s one way to launch a new community: free helicopter rides were given for the grand opening of Granville. I guess “Edmonton’s newest community” could also earn the title of “Edmonton’s most unsustainable community”!
• A couple of older headlines, in case you missed them. The former Bank of Montreal building and old Odeon theatre, located at the corner of Jasper Avenue and 101 Street, are going to be demolished if the City grants the necessary permits. Over in Chinatown, a new highrise condo project has been proposed.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com. Speaking of, congrats to Jeff and Sally on being named Best Local Blog in Edmonton! You can see the entire Best of Edmonton results here.
• Vue Weekly also has some awards to share – check out the 2011 Golden Fork Awards here.
• Check out this awesome HDR photo of Edmonton by Ian McKenzie.
• The River Valley Trails Maps launch event takes place on Tuesday at the Muttart Conservatory.
• Transit Oriented Development open houses continue this week with the next installment taking place at the West End Christian Reformed Church on Tuesday evening.
• Edmonton Story Slam takes place on Wednesday evening at the Haven Social Club.
• The Downtown Edmonton Community League is holding its AGM on Thursday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Also Wednesday evening is Cultivate 2011.
• Friday night sees another poster show happening at Latitude 53, this one called “Where are we going?”
• Hip Hop in the Park is coming up on Saturday.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

It was a windy but lovely day Saturday for the City Market at City Hall. It returns to 104 Street this weekend!

Event posters!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Make sure you get out and vote tomorrow! You can follow the local election discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #yegfed.
• City Council this week approved the proposed $132 million arch bridge that will replace the aging Walterdale Bridge.
• Sharon has a good recap of the City Market’s decision to not proceed with the Mercer Warehouse as a year-round venue.
• Both the Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic school administrations are facing tight financial situations that will affect staff and students in September.
• Local singer Alyssa Reid has a hit song on the charts, but is known for her Bieber parody on YouTube.
• More recognition for DONOVAN Creative’s rebranding project for the Edmonton Public Library! They’ve won the IFLA International Marketing Award for 2011.
• Spring is here and that means the City is starting to clean our 4700 kilometers of roads. The operation which will remove about 180,000 tonnes of dirt and gravel is expected to take nine weeks. You can see the schedule here. Also – take the 15 to Clean Challenge!
• The arena news this week had to do with seat mortgages, an idea being pushed by Stadium Capital. Here’s the Katz Group’s statement on the proposal.
• Strathcona County Mayor Linda Osinchuk says that at any given time 40% of the beds at the Youth Emergency Shelter Society here in Edmonton are used by kids from Strathcona County, and she wants to explore building a shelter closer to home.
• Thursday, April 28 was the 100th anniversary of the first public demonstration of flight here in Edmonton.
• St. Albert ranks 18th on a list of the 25 worst commutes in Canada.
• The City released details this week about Water’s Extreme Journey, a new feature coming to the Valley Zoo this summer.
• Here’s a good article on Stantec’s recent success.
• EEDC released its annual report this week, which you can read here in PDF.
• Did you get up early this week to watch the Royal Wedding? There were lots of parties around the city, and an awful lot of tweeting for the middle of the night!
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• City and Dale is looking for contributors! You have until May 9 to make your submission.
• Nominations are now being accepted for Edmonton’s fourth Poet Laureate.
• The City of Edmonton is hosting a number of open houses highlighting the benefits of Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The first takes place on Tuesday evening at Avonmore Elementary School. Once again, this is an example of how NOT to do public involvement. These “open houses” are to provide information, but also for citizens to provide feedback. Will there be another opportunity? Who knows!
• The first ever Tweet the Arts Meetup takes place on Thursday evening at The ARTery. Register here!
• Also Thursday evening is Connections 2011, an opportunity to connect with City staff on programs and services. The venue change this year to City Hall is a welcome one.
• A public meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss a new proposed business area in Central McDougall.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

The signage went up on the EPCOR Tower this week. Understated!

Signs of spring! Photo by Morpheus_uk.

Hope you had an excellent long weekend! We sure had the weather in Edmonton to make the most of it. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton was ranked 9th in the Cities of the Future list of 405 cities in North and South America.
• Construction of a new 50,000 square foot cargo facility has started at the Edmonton International Airport. The project will cost $16 million and will open in 2012.
• Does the forgotten underground LRT station between Churchill and Stadium have a future after all?
• The City is targeting a $119 tax increase for 2011 for the typical homeowner.
• The big royal wedding is coming up in just a few days, and Edmonton’s own Greg Kureluk has gotten in on the action by scooping up katemiddleton.com. Sharon signed the City of Edmonton’s card at City Hall this weekend – you have until Friday to do the same.
• In federal election news, Conservative candidate Ryan Hastman has alleged that 550 names on the voters list in Edmonton Strathcona are invalid. If you have concerns about sign placement, the City of Edmonton is encouraging you to call 311. Are federal candidates willing to stand up for the interests of city voters?
• Is 104 Street living up to its full potential? David Staples says no. I agree that the section closer to 104 Avenue needs some work, and I hope the Downtown LRT Connector will be one of the things that helps.
• Whyte Avenue and Candy Cane Lane are in the running to be declared Canada’s Greatest Street. The winners will be announced May 16.
• Check your lotto tickets! A $33 million ticket sold in Edmonton has yet to be claimed.
• The Victoria Golf Course Driving Range opened on Thursday, and Rundle Golf Course opened on Friday. Spring is here!
• Lynda Steele said goodbye to Edmonton and Global News this week. Here’s her goodbye message.
• Downtown by design is within reach! Todd Babiak and the Journal are looking for your suggestions on “beauty interventions”.
• On Thursday, 28 recruits graduated from the Edmonton Police Service’s new training program.
• Edmonton has recorded 19 homicides so far this year, which is close to five times the number recorded at this time last year.
• Here is the 2011 Northlands Board of Directors. The AGM was held on April 18.
• There’s a high tech camera atop the Bell Tower downtown to allow biologists to keep track of a peregrine falcon known as E4.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Nominations are now open for Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 for 2011.
• A ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is taking place in Churchill Square on Tuesday evening.
• The 2011 Venture Prize Awards Luncheon is taking place this Wednesday at The Westin Edmonton. Get your tickets now!
• FC Edmonton is in action at Commonwealth Stadium on Wednesday evening against FC Toronto.
• International Dance Day Celebration is happening in Churchill Square over lunch on Friday.
• Saturday is the second annual Over The Top Swap, taking place at Telus Field.
• Get Ready in the Park 2011 is taking place at Hawrelak Park on May 7, to cap off emergency preparedness week, which starts May 1.
• A public hearing has been set for The Way We Green: May 11 at 1:30pm. You can read the plan here.

Photo by blokcout

Photo by Mark Iocchelli

You can keep up-to-date with local news and more during the week at Edmonton Etcetera. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The State of the City Report for 2010-2011 was released this week.
• Edmonton is one of eight Canadian cities to make McKinsey & Co.’s list of the top 600 cities. You can explore the report here.
• This year’s Donate-a-Ride Campaign raised enough funds to provide more than 80,000 transit tickets to Edmontonians in need. The program has distributed a total of 835,252 tickets worth $1.5 million over the last 15 years.
• Edmonton’s new Chief of Police, Roderick Knecht, will start his new role on June 1. City Council ratified his appointment this week.
• The winners of the competition to design five City parks were announced this week. It’s the first time the City has used a competition to solicit design concepts for infrastructure projects.
• I’m very happy to see the Federal Building finally getting some attention again.
• Construction on the north LRT is starting to ramp up, and that means changes and impacts on Kingsway Avenue, which the City has shared information on here.
• You wouldn’t know it based on this year’s disappointing 5-11 record, but the Edmonton Rush were nearly in the championship final last year. At least they finished the current season on a high note, defeating the Toronto Rock 18-14.
• The City has delayed closing Scona Road until May 3 due to the federal election.
• The Edmonton International Airport is looking for feedback on its new Master Plan for future development. You can email them by April 27.
• Residential speed limits were back in the news again this week, as a report on the speed limit reduction pilot made its way back to the transportation committee.
• City Council approved plans for a new $5.5 million recreation centre in Abbottsfield this week.
• Wendy Cooper has been named the first president and chief executive of Port Alberta. She was formerly chief executive of Consulting Engineers of Alberta.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Last week was National Volunteer Week! Thank you all volunteers!
• Earth Day has been cancelled in Edmonton. That’s the second time in three years.
• The Edmonton Public School Board is holding a series of School Closure Moratorium Committee meetings, and you’re invited.
• Coming up on April 29 – don’t miss the Tweetup Cleanup Challenge!
• Edmonton Next Gen and interVivos are hosting Candi(date) on Wednesday, a federal election forum.
• Creativity in the City sounds like a really interesting free lecture. It takes place Tuesday evening.
• The International Conference on Urban Traffic Safety started today and runs through Thursday.
• Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that you can vote for the Best of Edmonton 2011, SEE Magazine’s annual survey of local favorites. This blog is nominated in the best local blog category!

Nelson Webb captured this week’s return to snow quite well. Messy.

Great shot by SkepticRod.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• It was another big week for arena news. The City released the latest round of reports on Thursday, and held a media conference that you can watch here. Councillor Caterina questioned the arena construction timeline, while Paula Simons thinks its daft to tie all core revenue growth to the arena project. With the federal election underway, local incumbents and candidates had to weigh in on the issue as well.
• Speaking of the federal election, Dave has the rundown on the election races to watch in Edmonton.
• Preliminary figures indicate that the City of Edmonton posted a record surplus of $42 million in 2010.
• Edmonton made a bunch of lists this week: #8 on Canada’s Best Places to Live 2011 (St. Albert was #5), #4 on the Top 10 Family Vacations in Canada, and #6 on the Top 10 Entrepreneurial Cities in Canada.
• If you present a valid ETS ticket or monthly pass when purchasing admission at the Art Gallery of Alberta you’ll receive a discount equal to the cost of the transit fare ($2.85).
• Here are the Operation 24-Hours numbers for March. A total of 1135 speeding violations and 311 other violations were recorded during the 24 hours beginning March 28 at 7 AM.
• The City has renewed its subscription to Envista Enterprise ROW Coordination for two years. It’s an enterprise map-based coordination system for the public right-of-way.
• Remember, it’s all about awareness: power usage rose 1.01% during last weekend’s Earth Hour.
• Is the coming flood of office space downtown a golden opportunity?
• The City of Edmonton has appealed to the province to halt a new fee to search vehicle license places that could cost the cost $10 million in lost revenue from photo radar and red light tickets.
• Check it out: Old Strathcona rediscovered in an old fashioned film.
• Local radio station 95.7 The Sound changed formats last week to Lite 95.7 and negatively impacted the local music scene in the process.
• The Edmonton Police Service is holding an online town hall on Connect2Edmonton this week. Also: pharmacy robberies are apparently on the rise.
• Longtime Oilers play-by-play man Rod Phillips called his last game on Tuesday – number 3542, to be exact.
• Here’s a great article on the Never Ending Learning conference that was organized by The Learning Centre Literacy Association.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Hope you didn’t get too fooled on Friday. My favorites: The Sprawlette, State of the Edmonton Twitterverses, and a preview of the edmontonian on ShawTV.
• In case you missed it, we launched The Edmonton Champions Project on Thursday night.
• The Oilers are in action at home twice this week, on Tuesday against the Canucks, and on Friday against Minnesota.
• The City-Region Studies Centre is hosting a free lecture on community economic development on Tuesday evening at the Katz Centre on the University of Alberta campus.
• Designing Downtown is happening on Wednesday evening at the AGA. Should be a great event.
• The next interVivos event, Red Tape Diaries, takes place on Thursday evening at Devlin’s on Whyte.
• CityCamp is taking place on Saturday at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• That evening, the Rush are home to the Colorado Mammoth.
• Also Saturday is LogiCON, which brings together members of the scientific and skeptic communities. Get your tickets here.
• The next Alley of Light open house is set for Sunday afternoon at Enterprise Square.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

I started shaking my head as soon as I read the first few words of this article:

A new six-lane freeway being planned for southwest Edmonton could someday zip motorists from Anthony Henday Drive to the city boundary at 100 km/h.

That freeway would not be completed for another 40 to 50 years. Why plan for this now? It’s absurd. I can’t believe we’re spending resources on that when we could be building the LRT and removing the need for the freeway altogether.

I had fun at GalaGuru on Friday night! Check out Guru Digital Arts College here.

One of the features at the event: Invisible Art Gallery!

Love the toque!

I’m writing this using the excellent free wi-fi at the Edmonton International Airport. So glad we have this now. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The weather has been great this week – that means it’s pothole season.
• The City of Edmonton was recognized as a leader in accessibility this week by the Canadian Paraplegic Association, receiving the Percy Wickman Accessibility Award for the Terwillegar Recreation Centre.
• Edmonton’s faith communities have joined forces to formally pledge their support for Edmonton’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.
• Northlands and Junior Achievement Northern Alberta announced a new partnership this week that will help educate more than 16,000 students about being prepared for the work world.
• Contracting out snow removal would not result in proven cost savings, according to a city report.
• Apparently the cost of building a reconstructed movie theatre at Fort Edmonton Park is rising – an additional $2.8 million is required.
• Construction on Capital Boulevard, 108 Street between MacEwan and the Legislature, is set to begin in May.
• TOTEM is opening a new $20 million, 52,000 square foot store in Ellerslie, the second location that will apply for LEED certification.
• After six years, Tu Gallery on 124 Street is closing its doors.
• A new city report says the City needs to hire ten more transit peace officers to improve ETS security.
• Is Danielle Smith a friend or foe of Edmonton’s LRT expansion plans? David Staples thinks she has to do more.
• The federal government is contributing $1.5 million toward a new biomass heating system at Sherwood Park’s Centre in the Park. They’re also spending $3.5 million on a new genomics lab at the University of Alberta.
• Technology that stops ice from forming on roadways is being tested on the Anthony Henday bridge over the North Saskatchewan River in the southwest.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• The 2010 Annual Policing Plan Report Card is now available from the Edmonton Police Commission and the Edmonton Police Service.
• The deadline to nominate someone for the 2011 Mayor’s Awards is Friday, March 25.
• There’s another public information session on the Walterdale Bridge replacement scheduled for Tuesday evening at the TransAlta Arts Barns.
• Twestival is happening here in Edmonton on Thursday at. The event is supporting the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation. Get your tickets here!
• Western Canada Fashion Week kicks off on Thursday evening.
• The Edmonton Rush are hosting the Minnesota Swarm at Rexall Place on Friday evening.
• The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is launching its 60th season on Friday with a free lunchtime concert at the Winspear Centre. Don’t miss it!
• Calgary is in town on Saturday evening to take on the Oilers.
• Edmonton Water Week is taking place from March 21 to Saturday, March 26.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

This is what 105 Street looks like north of 107 Avenue now that the City removed a number of trees to make way for the North LRT extension.

There’s a beautiful mural on 107 Avenue, except that it is hidden most of the winter by snow!

This is the biggest puddle (aka mini-lake) I have seen, located at 104 Street and 103 Avenue downtown. You?

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton received the very exciting news this week that our city was chosen as the first Canadian city to receive a grant from IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge. Edmonton will receive up to $400,000 and access to IBM’s top experts to tackle strategic projects.
• City Council’s special initiative assignments were released this week. Their salaries and benefits are also online.
• Elephant specialist Dr. James Oosterhuis acknowledged this week that Lucy is showing some health improvements, but he remains concerned about her breathing difficulties.
• It sounds like last weekend’s Refinery was another big success for the Art Gallery of Alberta. But is it really an example of how our cultural institutions are changing?
• On Wednesday, the Edmonton Public Schools Board of Trustees became the first board in Alberta to pass a motion to develop specify policy to ensure all schools prevent harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ students and staff.
• Congrats to Weird Canada on being voted best music site by the listeners of CBC Radio 3! Check out the blog here.
• The Courtyard by Marriott was acquired this week by California-based MIG Real Estate. Terms were not disclosed.
• The LRT expansion is underway in Central McDougall, but some residents are upset that the City has chopped down a canopy of elm trees without much notice. Large boulevard elm trees are worth about $60,000 each.
• More bad news for the Oilers: Sam Gagner has joined Taylor Hall and Ales Hemsky in the pressbox for the rest of the season.
• SEE has a write-up on Lorne Humphreys, spokesman for Speak Up Edmonton, one of the organizations opposed to the downtown arena.
• Victor Mah, a well-known Edmontonian restaurateur, died recently at the age of 91.
• There’s another music festival coming up – Utopia is scheduled for June 17 and 18 in Hawrelak Park.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Edmonton Next Gen is running a Vibrant Communities Survey. Fill it out before March 20!
• The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Puck Surprise Online Charity Auction (LONGEST NAME EVER) is now on until March 22. Lots of autographed stuff up for grabs!
• The City of Edmonton posted a very basic video on the Community Revitalization Levy. I’m hopeful a more in-depth part two is on the way!
• Here’s a cool project from Jay Palter: YEG Mappuccino. He’s mapping his quest to find the best cappuccino in Edmonton.
• The deadline for nominations for the 2011 Mayor’s Awards is fast approaching! Nominate someone by March 25.
• Want to help create walking maps for Crestwood, Laurier Heights, and Parkview? There’s a workshop taking place on Thursday evening.
• The Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show takes place on Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Seedy Sunday is also taking place on March 20, at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall.
• Earth Hour is coming up on March 26. There will be family entertainment at City Hall starting at 7:15pm.
• The Oilers are back at home this week, hosting Phoenix on Thursday, and Colorado on Saturday.
• The Oil Kings are also at home twice this week, on Tuesday against Lethbridge, and Friday against Red Deer.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Sharon and I went to see Hunchback at The Citadel tonight. It was a great show, though Nevermore remains my Catalyst Theatre favorite. Hunchback runs until March 27 in the Shoctor Theatre.

The City Market is back downtown, in City Hall until it opens again on 104 Street.

Warm weather has returned! You know what that means. Photo by one42chrisp.

Don’t forget I post Edmonton-related items throughout the week at Edmonton Etcetera. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• It was another big arena-filled news week here in Edmonton, with the latest City Council meeting on the project taking place on Wednesday (check out the archived liveblog from The Charrette). Mayor Mandel implored his colleagues to just make a decision, feeling that the project has gone on too long.
• Here’s a really well-written article on the proposed downtown arena from Gary Lamphier. It’s getting difficult to find the good stuff, because the arena is so often in the news lately!
• The City Market announced this week that it will be open at City Hall for ten consecutive Saturdays beginning March 12. That’ll bring it to the summer season and its return to 104 Street.
• Taylor Hall is out for the season after injuring his ankle in his first NHL fight. By the way, have you seen the Oilers This Week page? Very nice.
• We’ve had some snow again lately. The City apparently spent more than half of its $42 million annual snow removal budget in January alone.
• Dr. Robert Wolkow and his research team at the National Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Alberta have won a place in the Guinness World Records for creating a microscope tip that’s only as wide as an atom. Very cool stuff.
• Scona Road will be closed entirely from May to November this year as the City works to rehabilitate sidewalks, gutters, and roadways.
• In a speech on Wednesday, Premier Ed Stelmach announced that the final leg of the Anthony Henday has been given the green light. Anthony Henday Drive Northeast will be Alberta’s single biggest construction project to date.
• Interesting article on public involvement here in Edmonton. Apparently there were about 380 consultations last year. There’s incredible room to improve. I hope the Centre for Public Involvement can finally get around to doing something now.
• The University of Alberta, MacEwan University, NAIT, and NorQuest College have all signed an agreement to share resources in the event of an emergency or disaster.
• Have you noticed an increase in the number of unexpected LRT disruptions lately? Councillor Iveson has made a formal inquiry into the issue.
• They may not be getting winter tires, but Edmonton Police are going to be receiving new snow pants after signing a contract worth $250,000.
• Here’s a great feature on Bretta Gerecke, a star of Edmonton’s theatre scene.
• The City of Edmonton’s Office of the City Auditor received top marks in an external audit. But who will audit the auditors?
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Capital City Clean Up is looking for Edmonton students to come up with a marketing campaign! The Dream Up a Clean Up contest is open until April 1.
• Passenger statistics at the International airport remained steady at 6.1 million in 2010. You can see the year-end report in PDF here.
• Be sure to check out my recap of Edmonton’s ninth Pecha Kucha Night.
• Queen of Tarts on 104 Street is now open! Enjoy!
• There are still five spots available in the new Arts Hub building on 118 Avenue.
• The 2011 California Wine Fair takes place on Tuesday evening. Check out Sharon’s blog for a sneak peek.
• Edmonton’s annual Coin Show and Sale is happening next weekend at Century Casino.
• Hunchback launched at The Citadel on Saturday. It runs until the 27th.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

A window on Edmonton that you don’t often see. Wonderful! By amber_rsm.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The five design concepts for the City Centre Airport redevelopment were released this week. You can check out the concepts in person or online. There’s a video playlist on YouTube here. I was absolutely shocked to hear that Councillor Tony Caterina is not impressed with the submissions!
• Ridership topped 76 million in 2010 for ETS, an increase of 7.8 million over 2009. The number of weekday boardings on the LRT increased to 93,600 from 74,400.
• The City of Edmonton has won an award from the Consulting Engineers of Alberta for the West and Southeast LRT corridor selection studies.
• Does Edmonton need a “snow boss” to make sure snow removal happens efficiently? How about a ban on overnight residential parking? Those are some of the things being considered as a part of a new policy for handling severe winter storms.
• Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) is exploring the possibility of a new office tower downtown, located mid-block on 102 Street north of Jasper Avenue.
• Grant MacEwan University has selected Dr. David Atkinson as its new president.
• City Council removed the ban on liquor ads on public transit this week. It is expected that the City will bring in an additional $1.37 million annually due to the ads.
• Of course the arena is still in the news. This time it is NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who says Edmonton needs a new arena.
• Nice article on Credo Coffee in VUE Weekly.
• Oiler rookie Taylor Hall scored his first NHL hat trick against the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday evening.
• Sutton Place Hotel general manager Richard Wong is joining Travel Alberta, and will open the corporation’s new office here in Edmonton.
• The open house was last week, but you can still have your say on the future of the Kinsmen Sports Centre. Fill out the online survey here.
• Former Capital Health CEO Sheila Weatherill was one of five new members appointed to Alberta’s health superboard this week.
• Check out The Charrette’s latest planning roundup.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Right on Cue, a networking opportunity for family businesses, is taking place on Tuesday evening.
• There’s a public meeting being held on Thursday evening to discuss a proposed neighbourhood in the Heritage Valley area.
• Amy Goodman is in town on Saturday at the TELUS Centre for the latest installment of EPL’s Freedom to Read event series.
• The Oil Kings are in action at home twice this week, on Wednesday against Calgary, and Saturday against Lethbridge.
• The Oilers also play at home twice this week, on Friday against St. Louis, and Sunday against Boston.

Art Burn at the Silver Skate Festival

Blue Bay Station by Kurt

Twilight Rush Hour by POD

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Residential grading completed late yesterday evening, but if you notice a section of road that still needs to be plowed, call 311. There are now giant windrows in most neighbourhoods, something the City says is “standard practice” across other major cities.
• City Council voted in favor of giving itself a 4.64% pay raise on Wednesday, a decision many disagree with.
• More turmoil in Alberta politics this week, as David Swann announced he’ll step down as leader of the Alberta Liberal party. Check out Dave’s Alberta Politics Notes for more.
• The South LRT extension to Century Park was named Alberta Construction Magazine’s 2010 winner in the Civil category.
• Expansion of the Shaw Conference Centre is a topic that never seems to go away. A new report says Edmonton needs double the conference space downtown.
• There’s another winter festival being proposed. I’d much rather see an improved Winter Light than competing festivals.
• This year is the 60th anniversary of the City of Edmonton’s Salute to Excellence. You have until Tuesday, February 22 to nominate an outstanding citizen.
• Here’s a great article on Jeff McElheran, a graffiti artist who is being paid for his art.
• John Connolly is the new publisher of the Edmonton Journal. It’ll be interesting to see if actually delivers on the “digital first” strategy.
• Former Edmonton MP Doug Roche has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
• Local radio station EZ Rock 104.9 FM has switched formats and is now Virgin Radio, a top 40 station competing with The Bounce and Hot 107.
• I’m not exactly sure why, but flex time at the City of Edmonton was in the news on Friday. Mandel doesn’t like the program, which has been in existence since at least 1982.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• There are lots of daily deals in Edmonton. Do you have a favorite?
• Great article on former Edmonton radio DJ Fearless Fred.
• Looking for something other than dinner on Valentine’s Day? Here are some alternatives.
• On Friday, the University of Alberta recaptured the world record for the largest game of dodgeball.
• The Oil Kings are in action at home on Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars.
• The Oilers have a busy week at home, on Wednesday against Chicago, Saturday against Ottawa, and Sunday against Anaheim.
• Meet the Media is taking place on Friday evening at Brewsters in Oliver.
• The Edmonton Rush host the Washington Stealth on Friday evening.
• I’m really looking forward to Startup Weekend taking place from Friday-Sunday.
• Also next weekend – the World’s Longest Hockey Game begins!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Look at those awesome snowballs! That was at Illuminations, which contained a preview of Yukigassen.

Happy Chinese New Year!