Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton Transit is looking to explore a partnership with Uber as part of its shift to develop express routes in the suburbs. I think this is a solid idea that is already being implemented elsewhere.
• Festival organizers are looking for $372,500 from the City to help pay for relocation costs during the summer of 2018 when Churchill Square is inaccessible for the Valley Line LRT construction. I hope Council doesn’t approve it. This seems like a cash grab from some established festivals who have known about this temporary inconvenience for years and yet have done little to plan for it. I’d rather see the money go toward supporting new festivals.
• A new report says there has been an increase in crime and calls for service in the immediate vicinity of Rogers Place since it opened but reports of violent crime have fallen. And much of that increase in calls was anticipated and “is due primarily to pre-emptive work by officers”. Here is Paula’s take on the new report.
• Did you find winter this year noisy? You weren’t imagining things – leaf blowers were out in full force!
• The City’s new infill compliance team released its first report this week which says they have issued 114 tickets so far. They made surprise visits on 416 residential building sites in their first year of operations.
• Edmonton songwriter Ruth B won Breakthrough Artist of the Year tonight at the Juno’s!
• The Oilers not only secured a playoff spot this week, they also took over first place in the Pacific Division. Expectations are growing at a hellacious pace, says Dan Barnes.
• OilersNation marked the 38th anniversary of the Oilers joining the NHL. “The Oilers, along with the New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets all merged from the WHA to the NHL, paying a $6 million fee.”
• In an effort to boost repeat visitors and to reach new audiences, students and youth under 18 can now visit the Art Gallery of Alberta for free.
• The south wall of Gene Dub’s 10-storey office tower on 104 Avenue across from MacEwan University will be covered in solar panels, the largest vertical solar wall in Canada.
• Construction has begun on the Encore Tower at 103 Street and 102 Avenue. It is slated to become Edmonton’s tallest condominium-only building at 43-storeys.
• Here’s the Gig City review of The Lumineers who played Rogers Place on Friday night.
• A new survey conducted by the City suggests there is a need for more public washrooms in central neighbourhoods.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers have three more games on the road before returning for their final game of the season on Sunday, April 9 against the Vancouver Canucks.
• The City of Edmonton is hosting an open house for the Heritage Interpretive Plan for West Rossdale on Monday at the new Edmonton Tower.
• 100.3 The Bear presents Weezer at the Spring Fling event on Tuesday evening at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Local Good’s next Green Drinks event takes place on Wednesday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Rapid Fire Theatre’s 2017 Bonfire Festival runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Citadel Theatre. You can get tickets here.
• The 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship continues at Northlands Coliseum through Sunday.
• Thursday is Global Meetings Industry Day and Edmonton’s event is taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre with guest speaker Alvin Law.
• Global Edmonton’s Woman of Vision Celebration Luncheon takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday.
• Electric Six is performing in Edmonton on Friday evening at The Starlite Room.
• Canada’s Vape Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• Save the date! 100in1Day returns on June 3.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Photo by Jeff Wallace

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Mayor Don Iveson says both the provincial and federal budgets “are encouraging for Edmonton overall.” It sounds like phase 2 of the Valley Line LRT (west to Lewis Estates) is getting closer to reality. EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson says Budget 2017 “is unusually specific about the path forward” and “has significant positive implications for Edmonton.”
• Ward 9 councillor Bryan Anderson announced on Monday he will not run again. Here’s an exit interview with him. You can read his formal announcement here.
• TransCanada received a presidential permit from the U.S. State Department this week for the Keystone XL pipeline. Premier Rachel Notley said it will have an immediate impact on Alberta’s economy. “We know that, in the pretty immediate term, we’re probably looking at about 5,000 jobs just in Alberta, and probably over $1 billion, at least, in direct investment,” she said.
• The Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium has been designated as a Municipal Historic Resource and will soon be renewed in partnership with the TELUS World of Science. You can learn more about the redevelopment here.
• The Government of Canada announced a $125 million program for artificial intelligence research that will benefit post-secondary institutions in Montreal, Toronto, Waterloo, and of course, Edmonton. “Canadian universities train some of the best AI researchers in the world,” says Cameron Schuler, Executive Director of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), housed at the University of Alberta.
• Edmonton Police are setting up a new intelligence and investigations bureau that will aim to “create efficiencies by leveraging technology.”
• The High Level Bridge is being examined for possible modifications. One option would be to widen the sidewalks on the lower deck.
• Edmontonians are being invited to “light a candle for Canada” by making a charitable donation to support the development of three Canada 150 legacy projects.
• The City is looking to make it easier for Edmontonians to install solar panels on their houses, especially important now as the provincial government has committed $36 million over two years for a rebate program.
• Edmonton’s NextGen has a new blog post about the debate on city drainage. A public hearing to discuss EPCOR’s proposed takeover of Edmonton’s drainage services takes place on April 11.
• The Oilers have been posting some more in-depth content lately. Here’s a feature on the rookies Drake Caggiula and Matt Benning.
• Tunnel work on the first phase of the Valley Line LRT started a couple weeks ago and the team marked the milestone with a photo.
• EPCOR says yesterday’s Earth Hour resulted in a 2.3% decrease in energy usage compared with the same hour last week.
• Do you feel wanted here in Edmonton? Tim does. “In four years I’ve become part of a community of people who try to build Edmonton into a better city,” he writes.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Western Canada Fashion week got underway on Thursday and runs through April 1 at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Tuesday, the Sharks on Thursday, and the Ducks on Saturday. All big, important games as the Ducks, Sharks, and Oilers are tied atop the Pacific Division with 91 points.
• Wednesday is Art Night at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton is hosting a Spring 2017 Salon on Tuesday evening at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• Homeward Trust’s Indigenous Gathering takes place on Wednesday at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre on Kingsway Avenue.
• RISE is hosting a panel discussion called Actions & Words: 3 Years Since the TRC on Thursday at City Hall.
• Edmonton Griesbach MP Kerry Diotte has organized a town hall meeting on Thursday at the Boyle Street Plaza to dsicuss safe-injection sites.
• There’s a launch event for Walkable Edmonton taking place Thursday evening.
• The Edmonton Tattoo & Arts Festival takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday through Sunday.
• The 2017 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship begins on Saturday at Northlands Coliseum.
• Head over to Rice Howard Way on Saturday for the Second Season Street Party.
• The Cannabis & Hemp Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• Go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather on a patio – March 30 to April 2 is Edmonton’s Winter Patio Weekend.
• Save the date: the City is hosting an open house on the Heritage Interpretive Plan for West Rossdale on April 3 at the Edmonton Tower.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Western Canada Fashion Week, photo by WCFW

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City of Edmonton and the Enoch Cree First Nation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to “build upon the strengthening government-to-government relationship for the social and economic benefit of current and future generations.” The Mayor posted some photos of the ceremony on Facebook. The agreement commits the two parties to a long-term working relationship and opens the door to an urban reserve.
• The City has declared a seasonal parking ban for all collector/bus routes starting at 7am Monday. You can learn more and sign up for notifications here.
• Edmonton is the first municipality in Canada to adopt the International Open Data Charter, “a global action network that aims to provide governments with best practice and principles to achieve international standards to open government.” Here’s the Transforming Edmonton post with more on the news.
• The Edmonton Police Service is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Here’s the 5th issue of the Legacy of Heroes Comic Book to mark the milestone.
• Councillor Michael Oshry has suggested the requirements to run for Council should increase to 100 signatures and a $1,000 deposit. Currently you need just 25 signatures and a $100 deposit. While I agree that debates and other events with dozens of candidates are useless, the solution cannot be to make it harder for people to participate in democracy.
• It’s March and we’re seriously talking about playoffs: “If everything goes as planned, the Oilers will be looking at their first postseason appearance since the windy days of Aught Six. There will be much rejoicing, and there will likely be a baby boom at the beginning of 2018. It’s been a tough decade.”
• If the Oilers do make the playoffs it’ll be happy times indeed, but happy enough to justify a 44% seat price markup for the first round? The increase jumps to 68% if they make the second round, 92% for the third round, and 188% for the Stanley Cup Final.
• On Tuesday Council will be debating the proposal to add a security barrier, metal detectors, and bag checks to security measures at City Hall.
• The Guardian did a feature recently on Lucy, the world’s coldest elephant. “Some argue Lucy is a well-adjusted Asian elephant who shares a deep bond with her keepers and trainers. Others say that – as the only elephant living in a Canadian city where the mercury at times drops to 20 below zero – she is the prisoner of a practice whose time has long passed.”
• Have opinions about Park and Ride? The City is running a survey to collect input until March 31.
• It sounds like there isn’t much support for a new City flag. Hard to get excited about something we never see. “You can’t capture the flag if you can’t capture the public imagination,” wrote Paula Simons.
• Habitat for Humanity Edmonton is preparing for its biggest build ever: 75 construction projects in one week.
• Here’s a Storify recap of the last Green Drinks event focused on the Green Economy.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Social workers make a difference for Albertans, photo by Premier of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• Downtown Dining Week is on through March 19 at restaurants throughout the downtown.
• The Oilers host the Stars on Tuesday, the Bruins on Thursday, and the Canucks on Saturday.
• A public meeting on the new Green Network Strategy called Breathe is taking place at City Hall on Wednesday.
• Mother Mother is performing at the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday.
• The Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show is on at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• Friday is of course St. Patrick’s Day! Enjoy your green beer everyone.
• BarnRaise Edmonton is a maker conference aiming “to collaborate and co-create viable solutions to social problems embedded in the community.” It takes place Friday through Sunday at the Robbins Health Learning Centre.
• EPL’s Whitemud Crossing branch is holding a Books2Buy event Friday through Sunday.
• On Saturday, the Shaw Conference Centre is hosting the 2017 Awards of Excellence in Housing Gala.
• The third edition of The Downtown Defrost takes place Saturday at Churchill Square. “We’ll be welcoming the changing of the seasons by dancing our hearts out in the square, warming things up and celebrating the springtime equinox.”
• Edmonton Seedy Sunday takes place Sunday at the Central Lions Recreation Centre.
• Head over to West Edmonton Mall on Sunday for Yeggers Instameet 11.
• Spring Break is coming up so here’s a list of things to do with kids in Edmonton from Raising Edmonton. Family Fun Edmonton also has some suggestions.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Paella by Sabor Divino

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Our mild winter has resulted in big savings for the City. In 2016 we spent $64 million less on operations than budgeted, “with 40% of that number due to a warmer winter and less expensive snow and ice control on the roads.” The money will be allocated to the Financial Stabilization Reserve. But don’t get too excited, winter is back.
• I’m absolutely in favor of construction fees and/or other solutions to prevent the unnecessary blocking of sidewalks. “I’m not convinced we’re really thinking about the impacts on pedestrians,” said Mayor Iveson. No doubt. I have been writing about this for years.
• On Wednesday, Mayor Iveson called for a relaunch of the City’s Vision Zero traffic safety initiative to do more for pedestrians. Here’s our deep dive on this topic from December.
• ICYMI: Be sure to check out Mel Priestley’s story on 104 Street and the impact of Ice District and other developments in the area.
• Fort Edmonton Park is getting nearly $48 million from the federal government for an expansion that includes the Indigenous People’s Experience. Construction is expected to continue through 2020.
• The Edmonton Public Library says there more than 260,000 active cardholders in 2016!
• Mayor Don Iveson on the need for more affordable and permanent supportive housing: “Across the country, housing is less affordable at every income level and this is having serious impacts on our nation’s prosperity, our productivity and our identity as a place of equal opportunity and inclusion.”
• I really hope something positive comes of the mistake that resulted in the loss of more than 1,000 paper hearts hung by Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton to honor residential school survivors.
• March is Fraud Prevention Month and the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council is “reminding consumers to think twice before signing a deal that’s too good to be true.” They’re sharing tips each week to help consumers recognize, reject and report fraud.
• The deadline to apply for the City of Edmonton’s Canada 150 Community Celebration Sponsorships is March 15.
• The City is also accepting firefighter applications online until March 31. “Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is committed to a competitive and inclusive hiring process in order to attract and retain outstanding employees to protect the life, property and environment of Edmonton.”
• Remember, if you’re heading downtown for a permit or license, the new Edmonton Service Centre in the Edmonton Tower is where you want to go. Here’s a tour of the new facility courtesty of SkyriseEdmonton.
• Also from SkryiseEdmonton, here’s a look back at Edmonton’s first post office.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge to Alberta Legislature, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Edmonton’s High School Culinary Challenge Awards Dinner takes place Monday evening at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• AUMA hosts the 2017 Spring Mayors’ Caucus on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• interVivos is celebrating International Women’s Day on Wednesday with #girlbossyeg at 99ten.
• Karen and I will be speaking about Taproot Edmonton at Nerd Nite #33 on Wednesday evening!
• The SkirtsAfire Festival gets underway on Thursday. The festival is “Edmonton’s only multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating and elevating the work of women.”
• The 12th annual ROOPH Awards recognizing outstanding organizations and people in housing takes place Thursday during lunch at the Westin Hotel.
• The next Dark Matters event takes place at the Telus World of Science on Thursday. The theme this time is “projectiles”.
• Downtown Dining Week kicks off on Friday! The list of participating restaurants and menus can be found here.
• This year’s Winter Warrior Challenge takes place on Saturday at The Ranch Golf & Country Club.
• Head over to the Edmonton EXPO Centre on Saturday and Sunday for the Mom, Pop & Tots Fair.
• Also taking place at the EXPO Centre on the weekend is the Edmonton Golf Show.
• Save the date: Eat Alberta returns this year on April 23!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton River Valley

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• We increasingly hear about amazing and scary advances in artificial intelligence, but did you know Edmonton “is now viewed as a world leader in the field”? There is some truly incredible work happening at the University of Alberta.
• Slowly but surely, Edmonton businesses are embracing winter. “It’s part of a transformation taking place across Edmonton, the northernmost big city in North America.”
• I am absolutely in favor of charging construction companies a fee for on-street construction permits, so long as it applies to sidewalk closures as well.
• “The seven trustees on the Catholic school board oversee a $480-million budget and the education of 40,000 Edmonton children in Alberta’s fourth-largest school district.” And it’s a complete mess.
• Edmonton could soon have four safe injection sites, pending federal approval. This is great news. But a Journal editorial argues they “are not a silver bullet in the battle against substance abuse.”
• Is this real? The Oilers are “in such a good position that it would take a historic collapse to miss the playoffs,” writes Jonathan Willis at OilersNation.
• A new City report says 24% of all new housing last year was built in mature and core neighbourhoods. That’s up significantly from 2015, so let’s hope it continues.
• The City is looking at ways to make the North Saskatchewan River safer and quieter as it encourages more people to take advantage of the river.
• Paula Simons has the story of Joseph Lewis, Edmonton’s first black voyageur.
• The City of Edmonton and United Way are looking for an Executive Director for EndPovertyEdmonton. The deadline to apply is March 8. Here’s their blog post about the position.
• The results of the 2016 Litter Audit “show the average amount of large litter, such as food wrappers and cigarette packages, decreased from 11.6 items per site in 2015 to 11 items in 2016.”
• The City’s new service centre is now open at the Edmonton Tower downtown.
• Are more people really cycling in the winter? Maybe in the mild years, like this year. Is it a trend, though?
• There’s no denying the relatively mild weather is good news for gardeners, however! Dustin recently took a look at what grows here.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Intact Insurance Building, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The Alberta Gift Fair takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre through Wednesday.
• The next ATB BoostR Stage event takes place on Tuesday at the Shaw Theatre at NAIT.
• On Tuesday evening, EPL hosts A Conversation about Reconciliation at The Ramada on Kingsway.
• Head over to Yellowhead Brewery on Wednesday evening for Green Drinks: Green Economy.
• Thursday & Friday is the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The Body Soul & Spirit Expo takes place from Friday through Sunday at The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert.
• The Oilers host the Red Wings on Saturday at Rogers Place.
• The Harlem Globetrotters are in Edmonton on Saturday at Rexall Place.
• International Women’s Day is coming up on March 8 and there’s a rally taking place here in Edmonton on Sunday.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Pink Shirt Day, photo by Premier of Alberta

Have a fantastic Family Day tomorrow! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• We have seen plenty of crowds along our street and throughout the downtown this weekend as Garth Brooks kicked off his nine-shows-in-ten-days stretch here in Edmonton. It remains to be seen if the Brooks Bump really will help local businesses, though. Here’s more on the concerts from Gig City.
• And hey if you’re downtown for the Garth Brooks concerts, why not stop by the brand new Alley of Light Art Boxes? They’re located on the south wall of the Armstrong Block building.
• The Metro Line LRT finally started running at full speed today. It’s still not operating 100% as planned, but this is an important milestone.
• According to Dave Cournoyer, there are now 40 candidates running in the municipal election taking place later this year.
• Edmonton is among the seven finalists for a global Intelligent Community of the Year award, in part for “offering innovative programs through the Edmonton Public Library”. The winner will be announced in June.
• A partnership between the Edmonton Public Library and Edmonton Public Schools means more kindergarten students are receiving free library cards! “EPL has provided over 13,000 EPSB students with free library cards through the School Library Card program. Since this initiative began at the start of the 2016/2017 school year, 1,065 Kindergartners have signed up for their very own library card – a total of 59% of EPSB Kindergarten students. The goal is to reach 70% by the end of summer 2017.”
• Work on removing the Harbin Gate at 102 Avenue and 97 Street to make way for the Valley Line LRT will begin this week and is slated to be complete by April. Its new home is yet to be determined.
• A new report suggests the Edmonton Police Service is facing a $2.93 million revenue shortfall due to “a decrease in the volume of tickets paid and collected despite an increase of tickets issued by police members.”
• Five new “landmark sculptures” have been commissioned for Capital Boulevard in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
• Here’s the scoop on efforts to “remove, restore, and reinstall a 50-year-old, 1600 square foot, 10,000lb mural…created by Alberta artist Norman Yates in 1967.” It’s painted on a semi-loadbearing wall in the Stanley Milner library.
• The Oilers are in second place in the Pacific Division! In February!
• interVivos is looking for new board members. The deadline to apply is Tuesday at noon.
• The City of Edmonton is seeking input on a review of the Pedestrian Commercial Shopping Street Overlay. There are events taking place on Wednesday and Saturday this week.
• Looking for a new podcast? Check out The Well-Endowed Podcast produced by the Edmonton Community Foundation.
• The Ice Castles at Hawrelak Park have closed due to all the rain. They say to check the websites for updates, but the attraction seems unlikely to return this season.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Posing – Valentine’s Day, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Monday is Family Day! There are events happening all around the city, like the annual celebration at the Legislature. Here’s a listing of events from CBC.
• There’s still time to check out the Silver Skate Festival at Hawrelak Park! Wear your rain boots, though.
• Billy Talent is performing at the Shaw Conference Centre on Tuesday evening.
• Head over to EPL’s Whitemud Crossing branch on Wednesday evening for the latest installment of the Amiskwaciy History Series.
• Also Wednesday evening is Edmonton Opera’s Opera 101 for Elektra, taking place at CKUA downtown.
• If you’re interested in open data and technology, be sure to check out the next Beta City YEG Meetup on Wednesday at Startup Edmonton.
• The United Way’s 2017 Red Tie Gala takes place on Thursday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Startup Edmonton is hosting another Founders & Funders event on Thursday at the Mercer Warehouse.
• The second annual TEDxUAlberta takes place Saturday at the Citadel Theatre.
• Northlands is hosting a volunteer fair on the weekend at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Sunday is the 2017 Great Edmonton Book Swap taking place at The Aviary.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Flare, photo by Jeff Wallace

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The ceiling of the pedestrian walkway on the new Tawatinâ LRT bridge will feature 400 paintings by Métis artist David Garneau.
• Transcend Coffee is closing its Mercer Warehouse location as of February 26, blaming a lack of traffic from Rogers Place for the failure of the cafe.
• A new video series features Edmontonians sharing their experiences with infill. The videos are part of the Everyone’s Edmonton campaign from the City and can be watched on YouTube. They were recorded last year.
• The City is looking for input on the need for public washrooms in central areas of Edmonton. Fill out the survey here by February 8.
• Mayor Don Iveson has joined the big city mayors’ national fentanyl task force which aims to share best practices for combatting the opioid crisis while lobbying the federal and provincial governments to invest.
• Edmonton now has a Women’s Quality of Life Scorecard and the first version found “that Edmonton women are above or on par with Canadian women in the three indicators of finance and economy, education, and health and wellness” but we rank lower “in the two indicators of safety and leadership, and political empowerment and participation”.
• Yellow Pencil is the firm behind the City of Edmonton’s new website and they recently posted an interesting deep dive on the project.
• Our latest Taproot Edmonton story explores the value of putting Edmonton’s Indigenous past and present on the map by explaining why place names matter.
• Though fire destroyed the Italian Bakery last year, they’re bouncing back with a larger space on 118 Avenue and a new location in St. Albert.
• I had to miss the Cultivating Connections event this weekend but it sounds like there was lots of great discussion about sustainable food in Alberta. Be sure to check out the Edmonton Food Council blog for more.
• If you know a deserving Edmontonian who has “enhanced the quality of life in Edmonton through their participation in arts and culture, sports, or community service” then consider nominating them for a Salute to Excellence Hall of Fame Award. The deadline for nominations is February 16.
• Great to see this feature on City Hall School which an estimated 5,000 students have attended over the last decade or so.
• Edmonton’s NextGen has released the speaker lineup for the winter-themed Pecha Kucha Night 27, which takes place in a couple weeks. Get your tickets here.
• Make Something Edmonton recently launched a redesigned website.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Winter, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

• February is National Responsible Pet Ownership Month so the City has shared some responsible pet ownership principles.
• Tuesday this week is Homeward Trust’s fundraising event Toque Tuesday. Watch for volunteers selling toques at LRT stations, shopping centers, and other locations.
• The Oil Kings host the Broncos on Wednesday, the Pats on Friday, and the Hitmen on Sunday.
• Nerd Nite Edmonton #32 takes place on Wednesday at The Needle Vinyl Tavern.
• The Edmonton RV Expo takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday through Sunday.
• The Silver Skate Festival kicks off on Friday at Hawrelak Park.
• Also starting Friday is the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival with events taking place throughout the Edmonton region.
• The Oilers host the Blackhawks on Saturday at Rogers Place.
• The annual Hypothermic Half Marathon takes place in Edmonton at the Highlands Golf Club on Sunday.
• If you’re looking for things to do on Valentine’s Day, be sure to check out Linda’s post.
• Save the date for the Winter Cities Shake-Up Conference, taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre from February 16-18.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice Castles, photo by Bo Lu

Hoar frost and fog made for a very beautiful winter weekend here in Edmonton (minus the collisions I guess). I hope you had some time to enjoy it. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• A new poll from Mainstreet and Postmedia found increasing approval ratings for Mayor Don Iveson, while Council as a whole ranked dead last out of the 10 Canadian cities polled.
• Thousands of Edmontonians marched on the Legislature grounds on Saturday, one of the thousands of Women’s March on Washington events that took place around the world this weekend to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Alberta Premier Rachel Notley reconfigured her cabinet and split the human services department into two ministries this week.
• Population growth in Edmonton means we should have another seat in the Alberta Legislature, probably in the southwest, which would increase the number of local seats to 20.
• The City has shared an update on its Infill Roadmap. “The City has made significant progress on all of the 23 action items identified in the plan, with 15 completed and the remaining 8 in the process of being implemented.”
• City Council will consider letting Northlands defer payments on its Expo Centre loan until March 2018.
• Commonwealth Games Canada has not approved the City’s request to extend the “First Right of Acceptance” deadline to bid to become Canada’s candidate city for the 2026 games. So if Edmonton goes ahead with a bid, it may be in competition with other Canadian cities.
• Downtown Proud has five new cleaning carts thanks to a donation from the Building Owners and Managers Association. The crew does such a great job, I’m happy to see they’re getting proper equipment to help make the work easier.
• Compost heaps could be helping to attract coyotes to backyards in the city, according to a new study by the Urban Coyote Project.
• Local racer Stefan Rzadzinski defeated Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi and former F1 driver Scott Speed in the Race of Champions Nations Cup before being knocked out in a later round.
• Some daytime parking rates near Rogers Place have been reduced recently thanks to changes in the amount of construction and a resulting impact on demand.
• Cindy has decided she’s going to cook through the book Edmonton Cooks this year. That’s 75 recipes! I look forward to following along.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Frozen Raspberries, photo by Dave Sutherland

Upcoming Events

• There are 2017 Neighbourhood Reconstruction Open Houses taking place this week for Strathearn, Montrose, Kilkenny, Belgravia, and McKernan.
• The Edmonton Career Fair & Training Expo takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Tuesday.
• Hope to see you on Tuesday evening at CCIS on the University of Alberta campus for DemoCamp Edmonton 34.
• The first weekend of Ice on Whyte kicks off on Thursday at End of Steel Park!
• The Edmonton Renovation Show takes place Friday through Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Also taking place this weekend (Saturday & Sunday) at the Edmonton Expo Centre is the Pet Expo.
• The Oil Kings host the Prince George Cougars on both Saturday and Sunday.
• Startup Edmonton and the U of A’s Computer Engineering Club are hosting a 24-hour hackathon on the weekend.
• The 2017 Alberta Student Leadership Summit takes place on Saturday at the University of Alberta.
• Grab your skates and head over to City Hall on Sunday for Swing ‘n Skate Sundays.
• Save the date for the next Green Drinks event – February 1 at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Cultivating Connections, a forum on regional food systems, is coming up in Edmonton from February 3-5.
• Be sure to check out my Guide to Winter Festivals & Events in Edmonton! There are still lots of great winter events to come.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice Castles Edmonton