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

Headlines

• Bike lanes are what everyone is talking about this week now that three sections of the Downtown Bike Network opened on Friday afternoon. The majority of the network will open by July. Learn about how to use the network here and provide feedback to the City using this online survey.
• I saw a lot of people using the new bike lanes on Saturday and plenty of excitement on social media. Not everyone is in favor of the new lanes though, as according to CBC some motorists are upset with the changes. On the other hand, when are drivers happy about anything? The new rules will take some getting used to, but this bike network is a great thing for our city. And you know, a mass bike ride for infill awareness isn’t such a bad idea 🙂
• The other great thing about the bike lanes is that they make it safer to be a pedestrian, especially important as we are clearly still a long way from achieving Vision Zero. A woman and her dog were struck and killed in a marked crosswalk by a driver on Saturday.
• I am very excited for Edmonton’s first no-car event being organized for next summer by Paths for People. “It creates a bridge so all Edmontonians can go out an enjoy our streets,” said Anna Ho. They’re looking at using the High Level Bridge for the event.
• One year after safety barriers were installed on the High Level Bridge, the number of suicide attempts from the bridge has dropped by 50%, according to the City.
• Dandelions cramping your style? The City says it is “balancing safety, environmental, financial and social costs and benefits with new measures to address this year’s proliferation of dandelions.” They’re going to be applying two treatments of iron chelate, first in late June, then again later in July.
• Curious about Edmonton’s sister city relationships? Jacquie DuVal looked into the issue for Taproot’s latest story.
• It’s the debate that just won’t die. Two of NAIT’s marketing instructors have weighed in on the “City of Champions” slogan and signs.
• Some Edmontonians continue to protest against the proposed safe injection sites. “The city is hoping to open the new safe injection centres by next year.”
• EPS is reassuring citizens that Edmonton is “a safe city” has partnered with an associate professor at MacEwan University to study 196 homicides in the city between 2007 and 2012. “The research shows that in almost 75 per cent of cases, the victims knew their killers” and that “substance abuse was a factor in most cases and 84 per cent of the killers were ‘criminally active’ beforehand.”
• Aurora Cannabis held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for its new production facility near the Edmonton International Airport. “Once marijuana is legalized and the facility is running at full capacity, the company expects to produce more than 100,000 kg of marijuana per year.”
• It’s the end of the End of the World as we know it. The City has released new designs for the popular lookout point that aim to increase safety.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Downtown Bike Lanes are now partially open!

Upcoming Events

• This year’s edition of the Freewill Shakespeare Festival kicks off on Tuesday! A number of other annual festivals start this week as well, including the Summer Solstice Festival, The Works, the Found Festival, and the Edmonton International Jazz Festival.
• The City is hosting a public open house on Tuesday evening at the Old Timers Cabin to discuss PlanWhyte, a plan for the future of Whyte Avenue.
• Running for office in this year’s Municipal Election? Don’t miss an information session being held at the Elections and Census Office on Wednesday from noon until 2pm.
• Please join us on Wednesday night at the Sugar Swing ballroom for the first Taproot event where we’ll discuss urban planning ideas like a highline on the High Level and a “nature bomb” to one of our city’s busiest corridors. Get your tickets here!
• Wednesday is National Aboriginal Day and the City and its partners are hosting a series of events all week long.
• Make Music Edmonton takes place on Wednesday at venues all along 124 Street.
• The Yards is launching its summer issue on Thursday evening at CKUA Radio.
• The Foodie Bike Tour is back again on Saturday!
• Celebrate the 90th anniversary of Blatchford Field at the Alberta Aviation Museum on Saturday.
• Pets in the Park takes place on Sunday at Hawrelak Park!
• Symphony in the City takes place on Sunday at the Legislature grounds!
• Be sure to check out Taproot Edmonton’s guide to summer festivals & events for more upcoming events!

I’ve been in Seattle on vacation with Sharon for the last week! I’m still here actually, attending a Microsoft conference for the next couple of days. It was a nice break from the computer, but I’m ready to get back down to business.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton’s annual Pride Parade took place this weekend along Whyte Avenue. From the Journal: “For the first time in the event’s 37-year history, the region’s two-spirit community served as grand marshalls of the Edmonton Pride Parade.” Here’s more from CBC.
• Council decided to move ahead with plans for 30 km/h speed limits around all playgrounds and some sports fields and parks throughout Edmonton. The final vote is expected to take place in September.
• EPCOR is pitching a 60 hectare solar farm near the Cameron Heights neighbourhood. The farm would generate 12 megawatts of energy with only 5% anticipated lost efficiency “during the winter from snow cover.”
• The City is looking to establish a Coliseum ARP Community Stakeholder Committee to “provide advice and share insights about the development and potential implementation of this exciting, city-building project.” The deadline to apply is July 4.
• You can now borrow one of twenty AirBeam Air Quality Monitors from the Edmonton Public Library to test the air in your neighbourhood. “The handheld monitors can be put on hold and checked out from library branches for three week periods.”
• Edmonton is the first city in Canada to launch a voluntary Large Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure program (LBERD) “aimed at transforming Edmonton’s large buildings.” The program is part of our city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Should we upgrade Edmonton’s drainage systems to handle a 1-in-100 year storm? That would cost $2.6 billion, so some argue it might be cheaper to simply pay for disaster assistance after the fact.
• The Edmonton Queen riverboat has been renovated over the last year but is awaiting a permit from the City to fully re-open to the public. Apparently the application is “complicated and multi-jurisdictional.”
• A company called Aurora Cannabis is building a $100 million production and processing facility near the Edmonton International Airport that could make the Edmonton region a centre for Canada’s marijuana industry. The facility is expected to be complete and operational in time for the legalization of recreational marijuana in July 2018.
• Edmonton has made another list! This time Conde Nast Traveler included Edmonton in its list of the seven best places to visit in June 2017. As ridiculous as that sounds, at least Edmonton is getting included in these things now.
• Hangar 11 at the old City Centre Airport has made the National Trust for Canada’s list of the most endangered historic places in Canada. “Hangar 11 is listed on the city’s Inventory of Historic Resources, but is not protected by formal designation.”
• It looks like the first of a series of Chinatown tours was a big success this weekend! The next one is coming up on July 9.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Councillor Scott McKeen and Premier Rachel Notley, photo by Premier of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• Indulgence is taking place on Monday evening at the Delta Edmonton South.
• Improvaganza kicks off on Wednesday!
• The City is holding an open house on Thursday to discuss a proposed rezoning in Jasper Park that would allow for the development of up to nine row housing units.
• City Hall School’s annual Citizenship Fair takes place on Friday afternoon at City Hall.
• WWE Live returns to Edmonton on Friday at Northlands Coliseum.
• The Africa Centre is hosting its 2017 Africa Day Gala at the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday.
• Head over to 104 Street on Saturday for the Mercer Summer Super Party or to Highlands for the Highlandia Festival.
• ZooFest takes place at the Edmonton Valley Zoo on Saturday evening to raise funds for the Valley Zoo Development Society and the Zebra Child Protection Centre.
• We are having our first Taproot Edmonton event on June 21 discussing a couple of exciting urban planning ideas! It’ll be kind of like doing one of our stories, but live. We hope you can join us!
• Be sure to check out Taproot Edmonton’s guide to summer festivals & events for more upcoming events!
• The City has released some details for this year’s Canada Day celebrations. “It is anticipated that 300,000 people will attend the celebrations throughout the day.”
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Mayor Don Iveson, photo by Don Voaklander

I can’t believe it’s nearly June, but I am enjoying how green everything has become around the city! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Fifteen regional municipalities have voted to create a new entity “to promote the Edmonton Metropolitan Region to the world.” The budget for the first year will be $1 million and an organizational meeting is slated for June 8.
• The City has mailed your annual property tax notice. All taxes are due by June 30, 2017. “This year, a typical single-family home, assessed at $397,000, will pay $3,378 in property taxes.”
• If you missed Mayor Don Iveson’s State of the City address, you can read his remarks in PDF here. He officially announced he will seek re-election as mayor in the municipal election in October. “Edmonton is on the verge of something extraordinary and I’m inspired by the opportunity to make change ours,” he wrote.
• New data from Statistics Canada shows the median income plunging 15% in Calgary but surging 13% here in Edmonton to $88,900 (in 2015).
• The latest Taproot story looks at synchronizing traffic lights and why we so often run into red after red, as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
• MacEwan University president David Atkinson is stepping down in June and will take a year off before returning to teach English. “When I arrived here, there was a blue thing out on that wall that just said MacEwan and now it says MacEwan University.”
• An interim report from the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission proposes creating three new urban ridings (one each in Calgary and Edmonton, plus another near Cochrane) by consolidating rural ridings. “We have ridings drawn to disproportionately favour rural voters — and parties with strong rural bases,” wrote Paula Simons. Thing is, nearly 75% of Albertans now live in urban areas. The final report is expected in October.
• Hockey Canada and the City are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to pursue a new Hockey Centre of Excellence where Northlands Coliseum currently stands. But will it require a new building? It may be the most cost-effective option.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services installed dual-sensing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in approximately 250 homes this weekend. Last year firefighters responded to 107 fires in homes with missing or non-functioning smoke alarms.
• Burrow Cafe in the Central LRT Station is closed for equipment repair and a rethink as business has not been as brisk as other Elm cafes. I only ever make it in the afternoon, and when it’s open, the place is usually deserted. I always thought rush hour would be busier though.
• Sounds like the new Snow Valley Aerial Park is off to a strong start.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• This week is Reconciliation Week in Edmonton with events taking place all over the city. For instance, learn about the history of the segregated Charles Camsell Hospital on Tuesday at the River Cree Casino & Resort.
• Happy 1st birthday to Situation Brewing! They’re celebrating with brewery tours, dinner & beer pairings, and more on Monday evening.
• The International Children’s Festival runs Tuesday through Sunday.
• There are a series of pop-up events taking place this week to allow citizens to provide feedback on the new 20-year Recreation Facility Master Plan.
• Nextfest kicks off on Thursday and runs through June 11!
• Edmonton’s Foodie Bike Tours return for another year with the first opportunity taking place on Thursday.
• Also taking place Thursday evening is Pecha Kucha Night 28 at the MacLab Theatre.
• Head over to the Edmonton Expo Centre on Friday and Saturday for the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival.
• Park After Dark returns for another season at Northlands on Friday evening!
• Couple of big concerts coming up at Rogers Place: Def Leppard and Poison play Friday night, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill play Saturday night.
• Saturday is going to be an extremely busy day in the city! Here are some of the things taking place: Oliver Community Festival, 100in1Day Edmonton, Bonnie Fest, Root for Trees Fest, Afro Fest, Heart of the City Festival, and the Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids.
• To celebrate Environment Week, the City is offering tours of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre on Saturday and next week on June 6, 7, and 8.
• Be sure to bookmark Taproot’s 2017 guide to summer festivals & events in Edmonton!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Lifelines, photo by Jeff Wallace

Happy long weekend! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton startup Jobber has expanded to Toronto with a new office “to support the rapid growth of its global customer base.” Congrats to Sam, Forrest, and the team!
• The downtown office vacancy rate in Edmonton has nearly doubled in the past year to 15.3%. That compares to 23.9% down in Calgary.
• David Staples spoke with Councillor Michael Oshry about his decision to not seek re-election.
• Dave has updated his list of candidates intending to run in the 2017 Municipal Election. The list now includes school trustees too.
• Congratulations to the recipients of the 2017 Mayor’s Awards who were recognized for “making Edmonton a more inclusive city for persons with disabilities.”
• Now that we’re into grass growing season, the City is encouraging residents to go bagless and leave grass clippings on the lawn. I love the video they made to promote this! Don’t feed the grass monster!
• The Art Gallery of Alberta has announced that admission is free on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and hours have been extended to 8pm.
• Ledcor is donating $250,000 to the University of Alberta’s new David and Joan Lynch School of Engineering Safety and Risk Management.
• A public hearing will take place on May 29 to discuss new rules for residential development in Edmonton’s Mature Neighbourhood Overlay.
• The World Indigenous Nations Games are taking place at Enoch First Nation in July but organizers are still trying to secure $25 million in funding from all three orders of government.
• Heads up if you’re driving in Oliver: beginning Tuesday, May 23, 102 Avenue will be permanently closed to westbound traffic from 116 Street to 121 Street.
• Chad Huculak perfectly captured the meme-ories from the Oilers’ playoff run this season!
• Michael Jenkins, the city’s “bug guy”, says we can expect fewer mosquitoes and other pests this season thanks to the relatively cold, dry weather we’ve been seeing.
• Looking to enjoy a patio with your pooch this summer? Linda has a list of dog-friendly patios and markets in Edmonton.
• Edmonton’s Front Yards in Bloom program has kicked off for another season. “This year, citizens can nominate their neighbours’ yards in one of five categories: General, Edible, Natural, Public Spaces and Uniquely Canadian.” That last category was added to celebrate Canada 150.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• Opera NUOVA’s 2017 Opera & Music Theatre Festival started this weekend and runs through the end of June.
• Mayor Iveson will deliver his 2017 State of the City Address on Wednesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• On Wednesday evening at City Hall the Edmonton Heritage Council is hosting its 2017 AGM. See you there!
• Also Wednesday evening is Fresh MEAET, a micro-fundraising event in support of food & urban agriculture initiatives in Edmonton. Tickets are just $15.
• Martin Kerr is performing at the Winspear Centre on Wednesday evening!
• The TALES Storytelling Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday in Old Strathcona.
• MADE is hosting an event featuring Bryan Lee of Design Justice at the Chvrch of John on Thursday evening.
• The second annual In Her Shoes Gala takes place Friday evening at the River Cree Casino & Resort.
• The City Market Downtown returned to 104 Street this weekend!
• The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is hosting the Festival of Health on Saturday at the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy. Registration is free!
• IDEA is kicking off a speaker series on Saturday with an event called The Future of Infill in #YEG taking place at the Boyle Street Community League.
• Reconciliation Week kicks off on Sunday!
• Pecha Kucha Night 28 is coming up on June 1 and tickets are on sale now.
• Be sure to check out Taproot Edmonton’s summer festival & event listing for more great events!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Nagar Kirtan Edmonton, photo by Premier of Alberta

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

Headlines

• The PATH (Providing Accessible Transit Here) program will offer Edmonton’s most vulnerable “better access to education, employment opportunities, and various social services” by providing free transit passes. This is a big deal, as transportation can be extremely costly.
• ETS reallocated over 50,00 hours in the fall of 2016, changes that “improved on-time bus performance” and contributed to better customer service. They are gearing up to make another big change this fall. You can see the full list of changes in PDF here. The other thing ETS is highlighting right now is “major improvements” coming to several transit centre locations, including the replacement of three of the oldest bus transit buildings at Belvedere, Castle Downs, and Jasper Place.
• I can’t believe the “City of Champions” debate is going to come up again, but some people just can’t let it go. “In the end, the Oilers didn’t win. But Edmonton sure did,” wrote Terry Jones. While that’s a fair statement, we don’t need some ridiculously nostalgic signs to celebrate that. Here’s what I wrote about the debate back in 2015. The Journal’s latest editorial gets it right: “to outsiders and residents alike, it’s the endless bickering about whether Edmonton should be called the City of Champions that says more about the place than any slogan ever could.”
• City Council has approved “an ambitious Sustainable Buildings Policy”. The policy sets a standard for energy efficiency that is “the most ambitious for a major Canadian city with a carbon intensive electricity grid like Edmonton and second only to Vancouver.”
• Edmonton’s office vacancy rate has nearly doubled in the past year, to more than 15%. Some predict it could rise to 20% in the next year as more new office towers come online. That’s still below Calgary, but it’s not great. It may create an opportunity, though. Calgary’s Strategic Group wants to convert the Harley Court building to rental apartment suites.
• Ward 5 Councillor Michael Oshry announced this week that he will not seek another term. “It has been my pleasure to serve the citizens of the ward and the City of Edmonton,” he tweeted.
• I am excited to see the new bike lanes downtown! While the public launch is slated for the end of August, I’ve already seen some of them in use. The city is running a survey right now to collect feedback.
• According to Edmonton’s 2016 Motor Vehicle Collisions Report, “collision injury rates in 2016 dropped to their lowest level in 15 years.” That’s great news, but we still have a long way to go to realize Vision Zero.
• The City recognized the contributions that community members made to the Council Initiative on Public Engagement at a special ceremony on Wednesday. You can meet some of them at the new Engaging Edmonton site. My profile is here.
• The Oilers are out of the playoffs after a great run! Here’s a recap video from the team. Two of my favorite Oilers stories from the past week: Meet the Oilers fan who celebrated with Zack Kassian and Tweet showing Alberta boy goes viral during Oilers game. Our fans are great!
• From OilersNation: Edmonton Oilers’ championship hopes for the next decade may rest on Leon Draisaitl.
• It sounds like Alexander Prior, the new ESO conductor, is off to a great start, even though he doesn’t fully takeover until September.
• Today was our kickoff to the food truck season in Edmonton! Here’s coverage from CBC and from Global.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton at Night, photo by Andrew Kennedy

Upcoming Events

• Hip Hop on the Park is back for another year and kicks off on Monday!
• Head over to Startup Edmonton on Tuesday evening for PanEx 2017. I am excited to be showing off Taproot Edmonton!
• Evolving Infill is holding a series of public engagement events this week.
• Thoroughbred Racing is on once again at Northlands!
• The Edmonton Jewish Film Festival starts on Wednesday at Landmark Cinemas in Edmonton City Centre.
• The Downtown Business Association’s spring luncheon takes place on Thursday at The Westin with a discussion on our new bike lanes!
• Get the lowdown on moving downtown on Thursday evening as a panel hosted by FRAMS discusses the new Royal Alberta Museum.
• The next Dark Matters event at the TELUS World of Science is coming up on Thursday evening.
• EPL is holding the Capital City Press Festival celebrating Albertan writing on Saturday at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre.
• Save the date: the 2017 Mayor’s State of the City Address is coming up on May 24.
• Be sure to bookmark Taproot Edmonton’s guide to summer festivals and events in Edmonton for 2017! There’s something happening every weekend!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Oilers Bronze, photo by Jeff Wallace