Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Congratulations to the 2010 inductees into the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame!
• The new Capital City Downtown Plan is nearing completion! You can see the final draft online here. It will be considered at a public hearing scheduled for June 21.
• Stony Plain Road will not be widened to make way for the LRT. In other LRT news, ETS expects about 100,000 people to ride the LRT every day this fall.
• A new $16.7 million Arctic habitat is now under construction at the Valley Zoo. It is expected to open in fall 2011.
• Over at Fort Edmonton Park, the historic Capitol Theatre is being recreated. It is expected to open in spring 2011.
• City Council voted on Wednesday to make it illegal for a motorcycle to be louder than 92 decibels while idling and 96 decibels while in motion. Oddly, Councillor Batty also wants to silence emergency vehicles.
• City Council also approved a plan to allow for a new eco-industrial park in northeast Edmonton, called the Horsehill Energy and Technology Park.
• Edmonton Stories is running a contest to promote the Honda Indy Edmonton. You have until June 28 to submit a story, which you can do here.
• An Edmonton man tweeted what was judged as “the most beautiful tweet in the world” by Stephen Fry.
• Don’t miss Vue Weekly’s Hot Summer Guide.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• The Edmonton Eskimos are playing host to the Calgary Stampeders tomorrow evening (on ShareEdmonton).
• FC Edmonton is playing its first exhibition game on Wednesday, against the Montreal Impact (on ShareEdmonton).
• Improvaganza kicks off on Wednesday evening (on ShareEdmonton).
• It’s World Cup time! You can keep up on all the matches on Twitter. Roughly 20 bars in Edmonton have been granted permission to open early to show the games live.

It was a beautiful, busy day at the City Market today! Al Fresco continues through the evening, with the movie starting at 10pm.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton this week became the first municipality in Canada to commit to making the city a more age-friendly one. You can read the Edmonton Seniors Declaration here. On Tuesday, the Creative Age Festival kicks off (on ShareEdmonton).
• Over $1300 was spent on drinks at Pecha Kucha 7 on Thursday evening, all of which is being donated to E4C.
• City Council will be discussing the West LRT again next week – most councillors don’t want to see Stony Plain Road widened.
• Edmonton Transit launched a new and improved Trip Planner this week, and is looking for your feedback (and bug reports).
• The City and the Province of Alberta have teamed up on a $4 million Cornerstones Plan investment to build affordable new homes.
• Edmonton received three environmental awards this week from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
• Here’s a recap of Youth Week.
• Michael Walters, lead organizer for the Greater Edmonton Alliance, stepped down this week. Look for a return in the political realm.
• Tickets for the Grey Cup sold like hotcakes when they went on sale this week, and it was announced that the Edmonton Journal will be the premier print sponsor for the event.
• On June 1, Mayor Mandel proclaimed June to be ‘Bike Month’ in Edmonton. You can learn more at the Bikeology website, and you can see event listings at ShareEdmonton. See also: Making Sustainable Transit Choices.
• The Empire Marble & Tile Co. building, constructed in 1919, is being redeveloped. The historic façade is being preserved partly by a glass “curtain wall”.
• Donovan Creative has won three international creative awards for its work on the Edmonton Public Library rebranding. Congrats!
• The Province of Alberta announced funding for new projects as part of the Safe Communities Innovation Fund, including $100,000 to iHuman to engage high risk youth in urban art and sporting events.
• A number of City of Edmonton employees were recognized this week for their efforts to make City operations greener.
• Edmonton Tourism now has a booth at the Edmonton International Airport.
• Geek Girl Dinners: A place for girl geeks in Edmonton!
• Looking for news on the upcoming municipal election? EdmontonPolitics.com is live!
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Startup Weekend is coming to Edmonton on June 25 (on ShareEdmonton).
• The New Pornographers are in town on Tuesday at the Edmonton Event Centre (on ShareEdmonton).
• Interesting political event happening on Wednesday: New Kids on the Political Block (on ShareEdmonton).
• Vitalize, the provincial voluntary sector conference, starts on Thursday (on ShareEdmonton).
• Don’t miss this event next Saturday: Al Fresco 104th Street (on ShareEdmonton).

Edmonton’s Food Bank showcased the winners in its Expressions of Hunger contest at City Hall on Tuesday, which was National Hunger Awareness Day. The works will be exhibited at a few locations around the city until July 7.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The Municipal Development Plan, known as The Way We Grow, was approved by City Council this week. It comes into effect immediately, replacing Plan Edmonton which has been in effect since 1998.
• I really like the City of Edmonton’s new public involvement website for The Way We Green.
• Effective June 1 rates for parking meters throughout the city are increasing 50 cents.
• Edmonton’s Timothy Dalby won first place in the coding competition at the Make Web Not War conference with his app Find-A-Home.
• The lineup for Edmonton’s Folk Fest was announced this week. Sort of related – Capital EX is dropping Ed Fest.
• Former Edmonton Sun columnist Kerry Diotte has sued the paper for $2.28 million, claiming he was demoted, humiliated, and pushed into depression. Oh and he’s also assembling a team to run for City Council.
• The newest exhibition at the Art Gallery of Alberta, TIMELAND: 2010 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art, features works by 24 emerging and established Albertan artists. It runs until August 29.
• A new temporary skateboard park opened in Churchill Square this week. It’ll remain until June 18, when it’ll be relocated to the McCauley Community League outdoor skating rink.
• The Freewill Shakespeare Festival is holding a foodie picnic contest.
• Construction is underway on an interchange at Rabbit Hill Road and Anthony Henday Drive. Here’s the news release from the province, which says it should be open to traffic by fall 2011.
• Don’t miss this letter from the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues to the Edmonton Public School Board, relaying concerns about school closures.
• Both the iPad and a second Apple Store (at Southgate) landed in Edmonton yesterday – it was iPad-demonium!
• Time is running out to nominate someone for Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 list.
• Good piece on local food bloggers in today’s St. Albert Gazette.
• The U2 concert that was going to take place on June 23 has been postponed to 2011.
• For more headlines from the week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Next week is National Environment Week, and the City of Edmonton wants you to give sustainable transportation a try by taking the Commuter Challenge.
• If you couldn’t make it to Make It today, don’t worry, it runs all day tomorrow too!
• Also tomorrow – Michael Janz’s kickoff BBQ! He’s running for Public School Trustee in Ward F.
• Pecha Kucha Night 7 is coming up on Thursday! I’m one of the ten speakers, so I encourage you to come! You can get tickets here. And I put a list of the speakers on Twitter here.
• Also Thursday – the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards (on ShareEdmonton).
• Movies on the Square is back! You can see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Friday, and Alvin & the Chipmunks the Squeakquel on Saturday.
• The summer festival season is about to get busy. The International Children’s Festival (on ShareEdmonton) kicks off on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Dreamspeakers Film Festival starts (on ShareEdmonton). And on Thursday, Nextfest starts (on ShareEdmonton).

It has been another very wet weekend in Edmonton. Here are a couple of photos of today’s City Market Downtown and the Highlands Street Festival:

You can see more photos here.

Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend so far, despite the cooler, wet weather we’re having! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• A project I have been working on with the Edmonton Journal is now live! You can see an interactive map of where Edmonton’s kids live and learn here. Check out Tuesday’s paper for Sarah O’Donnell’s story based on the data.
• The Northwest LRT Route Recommendation is now available – information sessions are being held in June.
• Also in LRT news – service is disrupted between Clareview and Churchill through Monday for repairs. Bus replacement service is operating.
• An app created by Edmontonian Timothy Dalby is a finalist in the Make Web Not War FTW! Competition. You can vote here!
• Edmonton Airports recently held its AGM at the Art Gallery of Alberta. The multimedia package for the meeting is now available, with speeches, videos, and more.
• On Tuesday the CommuniTEA Infusion van was launched at Churchill Square.
• Councillor Don Iveson helped launch the City’s next planning exercise, known as The Way We Green. He wrote about it here.
• Mill Creek Pool opened today! Other City pools are opening soon, details here.
• A controversial new marketing campaign launched this week – Recycling Blue Bins are singing the blues.
• Scott McKeen has a new conspiracy theory: City Hall secretly opposes even minor commercial development in the river valley.
• Planet Organic, which recently received bankruptcy protection, is set to be acquired by Catalyst Capital Group Inc.
• Great post by Dave on downtown.
• One of Edmonton’s busiest downtown street corners is about to get a splashy, $150 million makeover.
• The City launched a two-stage competition for the redevelopment of the City Centre Airport lands this week. From Alex: A Vision for the Edmonton City Centre Airport Lands.
• Most of the elm trees between 96 and 99 Street on Whyte Avenue were set to be chopped down, but now it looks like 50 more will be saved.
• In election news: here’s a great rundown of the Council races from Alex, and here’s a list of the EPSB Trustee Candidates. Daryl Bonnar became the first candidate to challenge Mandel for Mayor.
• The deadline to register for the Edmonton Community Challenge is June 1!
• The Municipal Development Plan, known as The Way We Grow, will be considered by City Council for third reading (and final approval) on Wednesday (on ShareEdmonton).
• Edmonton’s first meetup for BlackBerry developers is happening on Wednesday.
• Next Saturday is the Over the Top Fashion Swap at the Winspear Centre (on ShareEdmonton).

With a little sunshine after all this rain, flowers are going to grow like crazy! Here’s one I got from the launch of The Way We Green:

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• One of the bigger stories this week was the entrance to the Stanley Milner library downtown and its safety. I agree with EPL CEO Linda Cook – moving the doors is not the solution.
• Public urinals and toilets will be installed at seven locations on Jasper Avenue between 107 and 118 streets as part of a pilot that will run until mid-October.
• Local software company Matrikon Inc. is being sold to Honeywell International for $145 million.
• The City will reimburse property owners in “main street” commercial areas who revitalize their property to make them more attractive and pedestrian-friendly.
• Councillor Dave Thiele says he won’t be running again in October’s municipal election.
• Wednesday was the 3rd annual Festival Volunteer Fair, and it was a big success!
• Transportation GM Bob Boutilier says the City should create a separate board to run LRT construction.
• Congratulations to all of the Good Neighbour Award recipients for 2010!
• The province announced three new projects aimed at preventing and reducing crime, focusing on youth mentoring and community integration for new Canadians.
• Here’s the Edmonton Startup Index for May.
• The Edmonton Indy received a boost in funding this week from the provincial government. The money-losing event will get another $800,000.
• Here’s a write-up on the City’s plans to build part of Edmonton inside Second Life.
• It was the “best of” this week: here are Vue’s Golden Fork Awards, and SEE’s Best of Edmonton 2010.
• The latest information about the requirements for disclosure of campaign funds is now available.
• Here’s a great list of things to do in Edmonton this summer.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• The next Emerging Business Leaders event is Monday evening at Accent Lounge (at ShareEdmonton).
• Tuesday is the launch of the CommuniTEA Infusion Van, at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
• On Wednesday evening, the City of Edmonton is hosting a public meeting on the proposed arena and entertainment district (on ShareEdmonton).
• The Edmonton Public Schools Foundation is hosting a fundraising breakfast on Thursday morning (on ShareEdmonton).

Demolition of the old Mayfair hotel started this week. It’ll make way for the Mayfair Village:

Today marked the start of the City Market Downtown for 2010! More than 13,000 people had walked through by 12:30pm. You can see more photos here.

UPDATE: Completely forgot to mention this: the provincial government has publicly endorsed Edmonton’s bid to host EXPO 2017.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• One of the bigger stories this week was the Edmonton Arena District Open House, which I wrote about here. There’s a good roundup of articles at theedmontonian.com.
• Thousands of Edmontonians showed up at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park last Sunday to help with the River Valley Cleanup!
• A new winter festival was pitched to Council this week, and they balked at the $1 million price tag. Yet they’re happy to spend almost as much on Winter Light?
• Apparently the value of building permits issued in Edmonton for March were down significantly.
• There’s a naming competition underway for the downtown portion of 104th Street! The deadline to submit your suggestions is May 22.
• Congrats to Mari Sasano, who was honored by the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association with its media award.
• Michael Janz announced this week that he’s running for Public School Board Trustee in Ward F.
• The AGA wants you to help make a music video tomorrow for Mother’s Day (on ShareEdmonton)!
• MediaCamp Edmonton took place today, and went very well! You can watch our opening panel here. I’ll be writing more about it soon.
• The building at Whyte Avenue and 104th Street (with the Starbucks in it) is up for sale for $12.9 million.
• Check out the latest episode of The Unknown Studio – it features local musician Erica Viegas.
• The Edmonton Rush lost the NLL Western Final tonight, but they should be very happy with an amazing season. I’m very excited for next year!
• Tomorrow (Sunday) is Homeless Connect Edmonton 4 (on ShareEdmonton). I’ll be there helping out.
• Also tomorrow – the last day of the Muttart’s bedding plant sale (on ShareEdmonton).
• Wednesday is the 3rd annual Festival Volunteer Fair, taking place at City Hall this year (on ShareEdmonton).
• The Edmonton Energy play their first game of the season at home on Friday against the Tacoma Tide (on ShareEdmonton).
• Coming up next Saturday: #yegHelp (on ShareEdmonton).
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.

Police are cracking down on cyclists who use the sidewalks, with a focus on Whyte Avenue. Is this really the best they could do for signs?

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• City Council approved a tax increase this week that will add $149 to the tax bill for the typical $330,000 house (a 6.5% increase).
• The first year in Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness is being called a major success: more than 500 people who were formerly homeless are now living in a home of their own.
• Southgate Mall presented fashion shows at LRT stations yesterday. The Journal has a great photo gallery here.
• Timeraiser is looking for artists to participate in the second Edmonton Timeraiser. The deadline for applications is May 31.
• As you’ve probably already noticed, it’s construction season.
• City of Edmonton Transportation boss Bob Boutilier talked with the media this week about plans to fast track the construction of the NAIT, Southeast, and West LRT lines. The report goes to council on Tuesday.
• Something I’ve already written about is now official: the Future Shop store in South Edmonton Common has received its LEED certification.
• An update on the legal battle over the City Centre Airport.
• Planet Organic was granted creditor protection this week. Apparently the retailer has debt in excess of $31 million.
• Edmonton Sun columnist Graham Hicks has publicly announced that he’s retiring at the end of the year.
• This is pretty crazy: 80% of the Edmonton Oilers’ Foundation’s revenues in 2008 went to administrative costs.
• Have you voted for Vue Weekly’s Golden Fork Awards yet? Voting closes tomorrow at 5pm!
• There’s also SEE Magazine’s Best of Edmonton Awards. Voting for that one closes on Monday.
• Tomorrow is the River Valley Clean Up at Louise McKinney Park (on ShareEdmonton).
• Wednesday is the start of Technocon, a training conference hosted jointly by the University of Alberta and the City of Edmonton (on ShareEdmonton).
• Coming up on Thursday at the Art Gallery of Alberta is the Katz Group’s Open House on the proposed downtown arena (on ShareEdmonton).
• Next Saturday is MediaCamp Edmonton (on ShareEdmonton)! I’m very excited.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• It rained a little over the last couple of days, finally, but because of high winds and extremely dry conditions the fire marshal had issued a city-wide partial fire ban.
• The Katz Group started the week by submitting rezoning and other applications to the City for its proposed sports-entertainment district. You can download the documents here.
• The typical Edmonton homeowner will see property taxes rise by $149 this year, which translates to a 6.5% increase.
• Recaps from yesterday and today: Edmonton Public Library’s MP3 Experiment, and the South LRT Grand Opening. The Journal has more on the LRT here.
• I really like this idea – the City will try to stop the concentration of poverty in the inner city. Healthy neighbourhoods have a good mix.
• MacEwan president Paul Byrne, 63, announced that he’ll be retiring next spring from the role he took over in 1997.
• Congratulations to Transcend Coffee on the opening of T2 (the new Garneau location).
• Good write-up on FC Edmonton, the soccer squad that will join the NASL in 2011.
• The Edmonton Public Library launched its new branding this week. Spread the words!
• Northlands had its AGM recently, and issued this release outlining its major achievements throughout 2009.
• Making Sense of Social Media in Education, Government, and the Enterprise starts tomorrow and runs through Monday (on ShareEdmonton).
• Also tomorrow is the Edmonton Police Foundation Half Marathon (on ShareEdmonton).
• The final Connections 2010 event, your chance to connect with more than 40 City of Edmonton departments and services, happens Thursday evening at the Alberta Aviation Museum (on ShareEdmonton).
• The Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair runs next Saturday and Sunday (on ShareEdmonton).

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton Public School Board trustees voted to close five Edmonton schools this week. Parkdale, McCauley, Eastwood, Capilano, and Fulton Place will be closing at the end of June. Don’t miss Dave’s post on the decision.
• You can read the full text of Mayor Stephen Mandel’s 2010 State of the City address here.
• Ken Tingley was named Edmonton’s first ever Historian Laureate this week.
• City Council voted in favor of borrowing $108 million from future provincial construction grants to make up for a shortfall in the next two years.
• Edmonton International Airport is seeking works of art to display in the new Expansion 2012 terminal development.
• Interested in running in the next municipal election? The 2010 Edmonton Election Candidates’ Nomination Packages are now available.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is now accredited by The Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
• When you visit a festival this summer, you’ll be able to make an on-the-spot donation to charity rather than to a panhandler.
• Edmonton’s Biolithic Corporation won the 2010 TEC VenturePrize competition this week.
• Here’s the latest Edmonton Next Gen weekly newsletter. If you’d like to speak at Pecha Kucha 7, the deadline for submissions is May 1.
• Victoria’s Secret is coming to West Edmonton Mall in August.
• The Edmonton Oilers won the lottery and will select first in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft on June 25.
• Here’s the Edmonton Startup Index for April.
• Coming up on Monday is the Annual EEDC Luncheon, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Indira Samarasekera (on ShareEdmonton).
• Monday is also the kickoff for the Edmonton Poetry Festival, which runs until April 25 (on ShareEdmonton). Speaking of poetry, The Carrot is running The Great Poetry Giveaway this month!
• On Thursday, Earth Day, deVine Wines is hosting The Green Tasting (on ShareEdmonton).
• Edmonton’s International Beerfest runs Friday and Saturday at the Shaw Conference Centre (on ShareEdmonton).
• Registration is now open for MediaCamp Edmonton!

Rexall Place was packed (for a lacrosse game) yesterday for the Edmonton Rush game. They lost to Calgary in overtime, but won tonight in Washington!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Today was the official opening of The Centennial Garage, Edmonton’s largest bus garage. The $99 million project encompasses 7.1 acres and was built to the silver standard for LEED.
• City Council approved $100,000 this week to find ways to cut down on problem bars and nightclubs along Jasper Avenue.
• The City reached an agreement with the Edmonton Police Association this week. The average five-year constable will receive a 4.5% wage increase for each of 2009 and 2010.
• St. Albert mayor Nolan Crouse announced he’ll run for re-election in October.
• The City of Edmonton’s 2010 mosquito control program got underway this week.
• Edmonton-based Calder Bateman is one of the first ad agencies in Canada to officially adopt social media, hiring local guru Adam Rozenhart.
• Here’s the latest Edmonton Next Gen weekly newsletter.
• If you can, get outside and water a tree. This is apparently going to be a really difficult year for trees due to the lack of precipitation.
• Reg Cheramy was probably the first person in Edmonton to get an iPad.
• Edmonton is going to take a run at hosting the 2012 World Women’s Baseball Championships.
• Nice write-up on the effort to make 3D models of downtown and the U of A, led by Christian Nelson.
• Edmonton ranked number 5 on a recent national economic growth list.
• The Edmontonian did a great job of covering Western Canada Fashion Week. Click through for photos from the event.
• Finally: the White Pages will no longer be mass-delivered to customers in the Edmonton area.
• If you haven’t already, check out Edmonton’s people plan, The Way We Live, and then fill out the online survey. It closes April 12.
• A draft Master Plan Update for Fort Edmonton Park is available, and will be presented at the Community Services Committee meeting on April 19 (on ShareEdmonton).
• The Community Schools Coalition is hosting a rally for community schools on Tuesday evening (on ShareEdmonton).
• Coming up on Thursday is the Churchill Square Ideas Fair (on ShareEdmonton). It’s your opportunity to provide suggestions on how to improve Churchill Square.
• Also Thursday: the 2010 TEC VenturePrize Awards Luncheon.
• Coming up on the 15th is the first Connections 2010 event, part of the Great Neighbourhoods initiative.

Sharon and I checked out the Muttart Conservatory today! More photos available here.