Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• So much for being a winter city. Edmonton’s main tourist information centre has been closed since mid-December and won’t reopen until April. Edmonton Tourism plans to pilot mobile tourism kiosks though, to meet tourists in high traffic areas.
• Should we require new businesses to have parking? This could be a really interesting debate.
• Busy weekend for provincial politics in our city. The Alberta PC’s held a leadership debate while the Alberta Liberals launched their own leadership race.
• Most of Edmonton’s existing transit centres are “20th-century city building” according to Mayor Iveson. It would be great to see more integrated facilities that are friendlier to pedestrians.
• After nine months, the digital announcement boards are finally back online along the LRT. Let’s hope it’s for good, this time.
• According to a new study, Southgate Mall rounds out a list of top five malls with most revenue per square foot in Canada at $1,155/sq ft. “There is actually no question that Edmonton is a retail mecca,” said Diane Brisebois, president of the Retail Council of Canada who conducted the study.
• The University of Alberta is getting ready to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. “Over the next year, in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, we are proudly celebrating the people, achievements and ideas that contributed to the making of a confederation.”
• Team Blue handily won the 2017 Oilers Skills Competition today.
• The Province is seeking input as it prepares Budget 2017. You can share your comments here until February 3.
• If you want to learn how to produce your own solar electricity, mark your calendar for one of these upcoming workships hosted by the City and Social Energy Society of Alberta.
• YEGbyYouth is now accepting submissions for stories!
• The Toronto Blue Jays made a stop in Edmonton this weekend! Here’s a photo gallery from the event.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• Lots of hockey at Rogers Place this week! The Oilers host the Coyotes on Monday, the Panthers on Wednesday, and the Predators on Friday. The Oil Kings host the Victoria Royals on Thursday, the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday, and the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday.
• Of course the big hockey event taking place this week is Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week, which wraps up on Sunday.
• Opera 101 is coming up on Wednesday at CKUA. Learn all about Edmonton Opera’s upcoming production of Rossini’s Cinderella!
• The Edmonton Whisky Festival takes place on Wednesday at the Delta Edmonton South.
• DECL is starting a book club and the first meeting is Wednesday to discuss the first two chapters of Happy City!
• Dark Matters returns to the TELUS World of Science on Thursday evening. This edition’s theme is GAME ON!
• Briday Fantasy takes place Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• Save the date for the next Green Drinks, coming up on February 1.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City mailed property assessment notices this week and most properties will see “a modest decrease” in value due to the slowing economy. “Overall, the City’s total taxable assessed value decreased slightly from $172.3 billion in 2016 to $170.3 billion in 2017.” A typical single-family, detatched home decreased by 2.7% while the typical condo decreased by 2.3%.
• St. Albert mayor Nolan Crouse announced this week he is not planning to run again in October. “It has been said that one should leave the stage while the crowd is still clapping and while I am not certain if indeed the crowd is still clapping, I know it is my time to leave this stage.”
• Have a Christmas tree to get rid of? The City is collecting natural trees starting on Tuesday, January 10. They’ll be picked up for recycling within three weeks. If you live in an apartment or condo, you can take your tree by January 30 to an Eco Station or Recycling Depot. “In 2016, more than 12,000 trees weighing 137 tonnes were collected for recycling.”
• The latest “throw it at the wall to see if it sticks” move by Northlands is a longshot proposal to build a new horse racing centre near the Edmonton International Airport, despite saying last year it would get out of the business.
• ETS fares are increasing an average of 3% starting in February. AISH, U-Pass, and Route 747 fares are not changing, but monthly adult passes are increasing $2.75 to $94.25. “ETS operates 929 buses, 97 DATS vehicles and 94 Light Rail Transit vehicles on more than 200 routes and delivered over 87 million transit trips in 2016.”
• Edmonton’s new creative lighting pilot project will see the exterior of the World Trade Centre brightened in the coming months. The program provides up to $50,000 in matching funding and is intended “to support exterior creative lighting that enhances and highlights the visual presence of Edmonton’s historic resources, adding to our sense of place, identity and pride.”
• Sharon posted her 2016 review of food in Edmonton this week, Epicureous in Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hiring an artist-in-residence to work in Edmonton’s cemetaries. The deadline to apply is February 1.
• Gordon Kent has a good roundup of the ongoing development you can expect to see around town in 2017.
• Edmontonian Stefan Rzadzinski is looking to compete in the Race of Champions, which takes place in Miami later this month. You can vote for him to represent North America here! He’s currently got a big lead. You can learn more here.
• Elise reports that the Mill Creek Daylighting project could have major benefits for the local fish population.
• Whoa, wait a minute, an active NHL hockey player actually misses Edmonton?!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice District – Flag Wavin’, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers host the Sharks on Tuesday, the Devils on Thursday, and the Flames on Saturday.
• Mayor Don Iveson is speaking at the West Edmonton Business Association’s next luncheon on Wednesday at the Chateau Nova Yellowhead.
• And that evening you’ll find the mayor at the Citadel Theatre for Rapid Fire Theatre’s Mean Tweets.
• Nerd Nite is back for Year of the Nerd at The Needle Vinyl Tavern on Wednesday evening.
• The Motorcycle & ATV Show takes place Friday through Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• There’s a celebration of life potluck for Gail Hall taking place on Saturday evening in Pleasantview.
• Big winter weekend coming up! The Southeast Winter Fun Festival takes place near the Kenilworth Community Hall.
• Over on Alberta Avenue, Deep Freeze is on both Saturday and Sunday!
• Sunday is World Snow Day and you can celebrate at City Hall with Swing ‘n Skate Sundays.
• You can celebrate Lunar New Year on Saturday and Sunday at the Ice Palace inside West Edmonton Mall.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Alberta Legislature Grounds

Happy New Year! I’ve had a nice blogging break over the holidays, but I’m ready to get back into it.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Alberta’s new carbon tax took effect today, adding roughly 4.5 cents per litre to the price of regular gasoline. The Journal has a good overview of how the tax works and how to figure out what you’ll end up paying. “Around 60 per cent of households will get a rebate,” they note. CBC has an interactive calculator too. You can learn more about Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan here.
• Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman says the tax is all about the long game. Mayor Don Iveson thinks the tax will ultimately create more jobs for Edmonton. Paula Simons wrote last week that “a tax on carbon is a more efficient, rational, transparent way of encouraging behavioural change than many other more baroque forms of social and economic engineering.”
• Edmonton’s New Years baby this year was Joy Lol Duop, born at 12:01am at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.
• Here’s a 2 minute look back at 2016 in Edmonton from Urban YEG.
• Fish captured Edmonton’s arts scene in 2016, while Twyla wrote about the year in food.
• Our latest Taproot Edmonton story is a follow-up to last month’s feature on pedestrian deaths. What will it take to protect people from dying on Edmonton’s streets?
• Ken Cantor’s Primavera Development Group is buying the Brighton Block at 9666 Jasper Avenue. It’s a heritage building so it can’t be torn down without Council approval.
• The Dying Light Collective is raising money to open a community workshop. They “want to provide a space for the people of Edmonton to learn new skills and to pursue creative projects.”
• The City is reminding Edmontonians to “reduce, reuse and recycle this holiday season to help keep waste out of landfill.” They even created a hashtag to promote the #wastelessholidays.
• Four Edmontonians were appointed to the Order of Canada this week. In addition to being Canada’s 150th birthday, 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the Order of Canada.
• Mayor Don Iveson has floated the idea of naming Northlands Coliseum after Wayne Gretzky.
• The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) could be coming to Edmonton in 2017. OEG CEO Bob Nicholson is reportedly “negotiating with UFC owners WME-IMG to bring a pay-per-view (PPV) card to Edmonton.”
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• Ice Castles is now open at Hawrelak Park! It’s closed on Tuesdays, but otherwise should be open until mid-February.
• Fort Edmonton Park’s winter day camp takes place Tuesday through Friday this week for kids 6-10 years of age.
• The Oil Kings host the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday at Rogers Place. Then after one game away, they’re back at home on Sunday to host the Medicine Hat Tigers.
• The Best of YEG Fitness Awards are taking place on Wednesday evening at Central Social Hall.
• After a brief break, the City Market Downtown is back at City Hall on Saturday.
• Swing ‘n Skate Sundays is back starting this month! Check it out every Sunday at City Hall.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• Save the date: EEDC’s annual Impact Luncheon is coming up on January 10.
• From Edmonton Tourism, here’s a look at what’s coming up in January!
• 2017 is Canada’s sesquicentennial so stay tuned for a variety of Canada 150 events throughout the year!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Just a week to go until Christmas! While I hope it snows, this tweet pretty much sums up the weather right now. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The 2016-2018 supplemental budget adjustment was officially approved by Council this week. “The 2.9 per cent tax rate increase is down from 3.1 per cent originally proposed at the November 29 Council meeting.”
• City Council has approved the Winter Design Guidelines and a new policy aimed at “making Edmonton more comfortable and beautiful during the winter.”
• Yellowhead Trail is going to receive a $1 billion upgrade that will turn it into a proper freeway, but construction won’t begin until 2021 and won’t be complete for another 10 years after that.
• Don Braid on the big provincial rivalry right now: “The truth of 2016 is that Edmonton is not only running nearly everything, but that Calgary really needs the government to do it with exceptional skill and sensitivity.”
• The City is putting together a committee “operating at arm’s length” to “examine the opportunities and challenges of pursuing large-scale single and multi-sport events” for Edmonton. The group is expected to submit a report by June 2017.
• Councillor Bryan Anderson suggested at Council this week that naming officials reconsider the use of Indigenous names, asking “if we look through a usability lens, can we accomplish the same kind of acknowledgment with a more usable name?” He rightly received a lot of criticism for the remarks, including a petition asking him to change his name to something more usable.
• Scott Messenger wrote in The Guardian about West Edmonton Mall. Love it or hate it, the mall is still a big part of Edmonton.
• I haven’t read this one yet, but it came out around the same time: The American Dream Mall Is a Nightmare for New Jersey. It’s about the Ghermezians and the $5 billion project that has been in the works for 15 years.
• Here’s more on the EndPovertyEdmonton Action Plan that Council chose to support in the latest budget updates.
• ETS Stuff a Bus had another great year! “In 2016, 25,669 kilograms of food and $19,846 in cash were collected from participating Save-On-Foods, transit centres and on the LRT.” Now underway is the 2017 Donate A Ride campaign.
• Mayor Iveson looks like he’s having some fun in the latest Edmonton Tourism campaign! I look forward to seeing it unfold.
• The next Pecha Kucha Night is going to be winter themed and will take place on February 16, 2017. If you want to submita presentation you have until January 13, 2017.
• I missed the Best Bar None tour last month, so I was glad to see Jerry’s write-up. “If an establishment is willing to meet these requirements, then I think they are worthy of our patronage because they take our safety seriously,” he wrote.
• Make Something Edmonton was on CTV Edmonton recently to share some Edmonton Made gift ideas!
• Yesterday was the unique graffiti-themed send-off for the Stanley Milner library downtown. It will close on December 31 for upgrades that won’t be complete until 2020.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

City of Edmonton logo now up on the Edmonton Tower

Upcoming Events

• The warm weather might make a stroll down Candy Cane Lane or through the Legislature grounds to enjoy the holiday lights a little more comfortable!
• The longest night of the year is coming up this week! Wednesday, December 21 is the winter solstice. Be sure to share how you spent it with #YEGlongnight.
• Friday night at Metro Cinema there’s a Die Hard double feature! Best Christmas movie ever.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• Get a jump on your New Years Eve planning with Linda’s great listing of events!
• Save the date! The Ice Castle in Hawrelak Park will open December 30. Assuming this heat wave does’t last too long, that is.
• Sunday is of course Christmas. Happy holidays everyone!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Make Your Mark on Milner, photo by jasonwoodhead23

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The originally proposed 3.1% tax increase for 2017 has been trimmed by City Council to 2.85%, which includes 1.5% for neighbourhood renewal and 0.6% for the Valley Line LRT. The budget and tax increase will be finalized by City Council on Tuesday this week.
• One of the successfully funded projects was End Poverty Edmonton which will get $1.265 million next year and $1.178 million in 2018.
• City Council has approved the framework for a Renewable Energy Utility for Blatchford as well as $19.4 million to fund the initial stages of the system.
• Police chief Rod Knecht says he supports the plan for four safe-injection sites in Edmonton.
• It was incredibly cold this weekend so Edmonton Transit kept LRT stations open throughout the night for people to take shelter. More than 50 people did on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s also the Boyle Street Community Services warming bus stocked with hot meals and outerwear.
• The Grand Hotel at 103 Street and 103 Avenue has been completely renovated and will reopen on New Year’s Eve as the Crash Hotel with 25 rooms each featuring a different design. When the project is complete, there will be 71 rooms.
• Congratulations to Calder Bateman on being awarded a Grand Clio, “the highest honour from one of the world’s most prestigious international advertising awards”.
• The Edmonton Police have laid their first drone-related charge against a man operated an UAV “in a dangerous manner in downtown Edmonton in the area of 105 Avenue and 104 Street.”
• Here are five design ideas to cure Edmonton’s winter blues. I think looking at “sneckdowns” is a really interesting idea. Sneckdowns are “the patches of snow left untouched on the side of the road after a storm.”
• In less than an hour on Friday morning, Garth Brooks sold more than 51,000 tickets for his upcoming shows at Rogers Place. As a result, additional shows were added and he’s now playing five nights!
• YouTube has released its top trending videos of 2016 for Canada which includes Edmonton’s Ruth B with the song Lost Boy.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• I still haven’t made it down to the Legislature grounds to see the lights yet, but there are still a few weeks to go!
• Also open now for your holiday light viewing pleasure is Candy Cane Lane.
• Zoominescence: Festival of Light takes place on Monday night at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
• Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton (RISE) is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the release of the TRC Report on Thursday at City Hall. They’re also launching their very own Zine.
• This year’s edition of the Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree gets underway on Thursday at the Jubilee.
• Christmas Reflections kicks off on Friday at Fort Edmonton Park.
• This is really cool! On Saturday from 10am-6pm, you can leave your mark on the Stanley Milner library at the Graffiti Open House.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• Get a jump on your New Years Eve planning with Linda’s great listing of events!
• Tis the season for holiday parties, so please plan ahead and get to your destination safely.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

2016 Krampusnacht, photo by Robert

The deep freeze has arrived. After hovering just below the freezing mark for a few weeks, temperatures in Edmonton are dropping fast and are expected to be as low as -30 on Friday. On top of that, we’ve got some fresh snow which means City crews are clearing & sanding roads. Better bundle up and give yourself more time this week!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The City of Edmonton and Leduc County have agreed to collaborate on future growth with a reduction in Edmonton’s proposed annexation area. The Edmonton International Airport could still be included in the annexation but that “will be determined over the next several months through a collaborative exercise between Leduc County, the City of Edmonton and the EIA.”
• Preliminary numbers from the 2016 Homeless Count show a 24% decrease from 2014 even though Edmonton’s overall population increased 2.5% in that same period. Of the 1,752 individuals counted as homeless, 70% were identified as chronically homeless. Boyle Street Community Services said the numbers were too good to be true and “don’t reflect what we’re seeing on the ground.”
• Our latest Taproot Edmonton story is a rumination on what Edmontonians can do to make streets safer for those on foot. A big part of the problem is that when it comes to safety, we put “the same onus on drivers, cyclists and pedestrians when only one of those three has the power to kill.”
• I don’t see how anyone could consider the proposed $150,000 donation to Central McDougall from the Katz Group anything other than a straight up bribe to get their desired parking lot. Council will discuss the proposed on December 12.
• The provincial and federal governments have announced another $500 million worth of transit projects for Alberta, but Edmonton isn’t on the list. St. Albert, Strathcona County, Leduc, and other municipalities in the Edmonton region will receive funding, however.
• A new initiative called Women & Money aims to “address a variety of financial topics” through “social media, videos, events and activities.” It’s a volunteer committee associated with City Council’s Women’s Initiative.
• From The Yards: Meet Mrs. Hut: The Teacher Who Teaches “Downtown”.
• Edmonton has a new recording studio called Velveteen Audio. It took over most of the former Powersound Recording space and officially opened in October just north of Oliver Square.
• FC Edmonton announced on Friday that they’ve re-signed head coach Colin Miller to a multi-year contract extension. This was his fourth year with the club.
• Council will be looking at the idea of safe injection sites this week. A new report says the sites could be opened within three existing agencies.
• Three Edmontonians along with the UNITE HERE Local 47 were recognized in the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities Awards yesterday for International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• According to the stats, the Oilers are a much better team this year. Definitely more entertaining to watch when they have a decent chance to win every night! See also: The Edmonton Oilers With and Without McDavid.
• The Edmonton Police have a new mobile app called eCruiser that will enable officers to create electronic collision reports on scene. Electronic reports will be available to motorists here.
• Note that winter bus schedule changes took effect today for 12 routes!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

The Viewpoint, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The lights at the Legislature look great! Check them out until December 23, and note there are some new ones in the Federal Building plaza as well!
• From YEG Date Night: 10 Edmonton Christmas Lights Displays That Will Make You Feel Like You’re in a Winter Wonderland.
• TEC Edmonton is hosting another edition of the TEC Venture Angels Forum on Wednesday over lunch.
• interVivos is celebrating its 10th birthday on Thursday at Central Social Hall! The party runs from 7-10pm.
• Also Thursday is The Yards Winter Salon taking place at CKUA in the Alberta Hotel.
• Royal Bison returns for another weekend at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre, Friday through Sunday.
• Another season of Candy Cane Lane gets underway on Friday!
• Head over to the Valley Zoo on Friday for the kickoff of Zoominescence: Festival of Light. The event runs through December 18.
• The Carrot is hosting a Christmas Arts Bazaar on Friday and Saturday.
• The Oilers are on the road this week, but they’re back at Rogers Place on Sunday to host the Winnipeg Jets.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• Get a jump on your New Years Eve planning with Linda’s great listing of events!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Crossing the street after a game at Rogers Place

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• For the second time in as many months, a pedestrian was killed by an ETS bus in a marked crosswalk this weekend. This time it was a 13-year-old girl. Here is the statement from the City of Edmonton. Edmonton Police are investigating: “Police believe the ETS bus unknowingly struck the pedestrian; the bus did not stop and wait at the scene following the collision.” This has to stop.
• The City anticipates a surplus of $28.4 million in spending this year. The forecast surplus will be presented to Council on Tuesday.
• The Government of Alberta has approved Beaumont’s request to annex 580 hectares of contested Leduc County land. Mayor Don Iveson says, “we’re talking about 100 years worth of land for Beaumont, which is unprecedented.”
• Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, and Spruce Grove are joining the U-Pass program as of January 1, 2017. “Post-secondary students who live in the new partner municipalities will now have access to all partner transit services without having to purchase separate fares.”
• The Katz Group has purchased the MacDonald Lofts. “The 102-year-old building next to Boyle Street Community Services was named a historic site by the city in 2003.”
• Matt Gibbs, who is credited with the original concept for last year’s popular Freezeway, says the City has “steamrolled” him out of the project. A new version of the Freezeway will return this year, under the name IceWay. Now the mayor has asked for clarification for how the City gives credit for ideas like this one. While I think it’ll ultimately be a good thing for the City to explore this and perhaps set some consistent rules, it seems like this whole issue was blown way out of proportion. I’ll just leave this here.
• Here is an update on the new Municipal Government Act. Albertans are invited to share their feedback using this online questionnaire until January 31, 2017.
• Congratulations to Ian O’Donnell who will take over for Jim Taylor as Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association. He starts on December 8.
• David van Belle and Richard Van Camp are the 2017 Metro Federation Writers in Residence. Partners Edmonton Public Library, Fort Saskatchewan Public Library, St. Albert Public Library, and Strathcona County Library will each play host to a writer in residence over the next year.
• Here’s a feature on #bundleupyeg which is now into its fourth year of bringing winter clothing to our city’s homeless community. You can donate here.
• Congratulations to the 2016 Performance & Citation Award recipients. “Salute to Excellence is celebrating 65 years of honouring outstanding individuals and groups whose work in arts, culture, community service and sports has improved the quality of life in Edmonton.”
• Get ready for more bridge work on Groat Road – the City is planning to rehabilitate three bridges during the summer of 2018.
• From the Edmonton City as Museum Project: Edmonton’s South Asian Community.
• November is carbon monoxide awareness month – make sure you have a working CO detector on each floor and near every sleeping area!
• PSA: The skating rink at City Hall is already open!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Stop Kinder Morgan Vigil, Alberta Legislature, photo by 350.org

Upcoming Events

• The next installment of the Amiskwaciy History Series, which aims to “build awareness around the often untold Indigenous history of the Edmonton area,” takes place on Tuesday at the EPL Whitemud Crossing branch.
• The Oilers host the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, the Ducks on Saturday, and the Wild on Sunday.
• This year’s edition of the So This Is Christmas musical kicks off at C3 Church on Wednesday.
• Join Let’s Talk Heritage at City Hall on Wednesday evening for a look at the River Crossing Heritage Interpretive Plan.
• The Butterdome Craft Sale kicks off on Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Universiade Pavilion.
• Ready to enjoy the holiday lights at the Legislature? The kickoff is on Thursday and you can take in the grounds through December 23.
• Grab a blanket and head to a patio – the Winter Patio Kick-off takes place on Friday at venues around the city.
• The ever popular Luminaria takes place this weekend at the Devonian Botanic Garden.
• Head over to the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre from Friday through Sunday for the first of two weekends for the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair.
• Old Strathcona is celebrating the season with horse-drawn sleigh shuttles on Saturday from 1-5pm!
• Happy 9th Birthday to Smudge! You can help her celebrate at the Edmonton Humane Society on Saturday.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

CN Christmas Express, St Albert, photo by Jeff Wallace

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Gail Hall touched so many Edmontonians with her love of food and all things local, including myself and Sharon. Sadly, Gail died early Wednesday at the age of 65 after living with breast cancer for eight years. We’re going to miss bumping into her at the market or at Credo but will always remember what she taught us about eating local and cooking simply. Liane wrote a wonderful piece on Gail in the Journal this weekend.
• The proposed 2016-2018 operating budget adjustment holds the property tax increase expected in 2017 to 3.1%. That includes 1% for base budget programs and services, 1.5% for the Neighbourhood Renewal Program, and 0.6% for the Valley Line LRT. Council will receive the details at its November 29 meeting with a public hearing scheduled for December 8.
• Mayor Don Iveson has filed his papers to run in next year’s municipal election. Along with the mayor, 25 other Edmontonians have expressed interest in running for Council.
• Progressive Conservative MLA Sandra Jansen crossed the floor this week to join the governing NDP cacus. Her switch gives the NDP 55 of 87 seats in the legislature which resumes its fall sitting tomorrow.
• Slowly but surely winter is arriving here in Edmonton and our city’s love of winter is getting noticed. Check out the latest issue of Canadian Geographic Magazine!
• NIMBYism against turning an old church into a daycare in Westmount is just too much. Some residents appealed to the SDAB and lost so now they’re taking the issue to the Alberta Court of Appeal in January. “So what’s the basis for an appeal to our over-burdened Court of Appeal? Parking, of course.”
• The Eskimos lost their bid to advance the Grey Cup today against Ottawa losing 35-23 in an extremely snowy game.
• Connor McDavid scored his first career NHL hat-trick against Dallas on Saturday! You can listen to Jack Michaels call it on 630 CHED here.
• The Edmonton Police Commission and Edmonton Police Service have release the Third Quarter Report to the Community. Online crime reporting was launched in 2013 and usage continues to increase. So far this year, 6,122 online crime reports have been processed, a 61% increase over 2015. “By the end of the third quarter of 2016, property crimes increased by 14.6 per cent and violent crimes decreased by 2.7 per cent compared to the same time frame in 2015.”
• The latest economic update from the City says “employment in the Edmonton region was essentially unchanged in October 2016.”
• I love the idea of EDMojis – Emojis for Edmonton. Congrats to Sandra and Lucas on reaching their fundraising goal already! Here’s a feature on the project from CBC Edmonton.
• Bike Corrals in Old Strathcona are now going to be available throughout the winter. “Year-round bike infrastructure is an important step as the City provides more connectivity and options for cyclists.”
• On October 19, the City of Edmonton’s Disabled Adult Transit Service (DATS) set a record for the highest number of passengers in a single day, carrying 3,802 people to their destinations. Last year, DATS provided a total of 946,335 trips.
• The City of Edmonton has been recognized as a finalist for the 2016 Customer Experience Visionary Award from Vision Critical for its work on the Edmonton Insight Community. Congrats! The Insight Community is closing in on 6,500 members.
• More than 30 intersections are now safer according to the City of Edmonton thanks to recent upgrades made as part of Vision Zero. Upgrades included improvements to pedestrian crosswalks and more than 50 new driver feedback signs to tell drivers their speed, among other things.
• Here are the ten acts on the shortlist for the Edmonton Music Prize. Three finalists will be announced in mid-December.
• EPL has opened the call for book submissions for the 2017 Alberta Readers’ Choice Award. Authors can submit their titles until December 31, 2016.
• Eat Alberta’s first video is up and focuses on the Organic Master Gardener Program available in Stony Plain.
• From YEG Date Night: 5 places you need to eat Mac & Cheese in Edmonton.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton ATC, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers host the Blackhawks on Monday and the Coyotes on Sunday at Rogers Place.
• The 2016 National Housing Day Luncheon takes place on Tuesday at the new Hyatt Place hotel.
• Food blogger Karlynn Johnston has written a book about baking and is launching it at Audreys Books on Wednesday evening.
• The Festival of Trees kicks off on Thursday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Support the Edmonton Tool Library at their fall fundraiser taking place on Friday at the Bellevue Community Hall.
• There are quite a few holiday/winter markets taking place this weekend. Indie Handmade runs Thursday through Sunday at The Enjoy Centre. Make it Edmonton takes place Thursday through Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. And on Saturday you can check out Hand2Hand Christmas Market, Silver Bells Winter Market, and Shop the Hall.
• The Great Sweater Run takes place on Saturday Emily Murphy Park.
• Support adult literacy in Edmonton at An Afternoon of Jazz at Yellowhead Brewery on Sunday. Proceeds support the Learning Centre Literacy Association.
• Be sure to check out my Winter 2016/2017 Festival & Event Guide for even more holiday & winter related events!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.