Looks like the snow we received this weekend is here to stay! Be careful on the roads – it’s slippery out there. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Fantastic news for Edmonton this week: KLM is adding a new route between Edmonton and Amsterdam! Service begins on May 5, 2015 with 3 weekly flights, and will increase to 4 weekly flights on June 22. “KLM will be the first and only airline in continental Europe to connect Europe to the city of Edmonton.” Here’s the news release from the Edmonton International Airport.
• Farmfair International and the 41st Canadian Finals Rodeo both wrapped up at Northlands today. Combined attendance was 181,565.
• The Journal did a feature on how ETS uses data analytics for transit safety and they called it Moneybus.
• And we wonder why good people don’t want to run for office – look at what Councillor Andrew Knack had to deal with this week.
• Paula Simons asks if the proposed $7.2 million police helicopter is a need or a want. I’d say it’s a want.
• A tax break of 1.5% could be in sight by 2018 if Council decides to remove the special levy for neighbourhood renewal.
• Snow and colder weather doesn’t just mean hockey is back – it also means lacrosse is getting closer! The Edmonton Rush get back to work on November 21 with training camp for the 2015 season.
• Alberta’s custom Support Our Troops license plates raised more than $220,000 for military families in our province.
• It has been two months since the 30 km/h speed limit around school zones was adopted, but it seems people still aren’t getting the message. Slow down!
• Elise says the page view metrics don’t suggest there is much support behind the “Save the Footbridge” campaign. I am eager to see the new LRT line go ahead, so I’d rather see the campaign focus on something more constructive than changing the route (which has already been decided). I want to make sure the pedestrian experience on the new bridge is a good one!
• LRT is definitely the focus of our next capital budget, but some groups are concerned that the $1.8 billion in spending isn’t as transparent as it should be.
• Kyle at Spacing Edmonton says our city has got a fever, a fever for tall buildings. Brad Ferguson says Edmonton is growin’ on up.
• Do you find those digital billboards distracting? The City does test the brightness, but if you want to complain, call 311.
• On November 10, 1974 the Edmonton Oilers opened the “magnificent new coliseum”. I wonder what they’ll hand out at the first game in 2016 in the new barn?

The new Hyatt Place Hotel under construction, by Dave Sutherland

Upcoming Events

• Tune in on YouTube on Monday morning for the first city building summit, with Mayor Iveson and other local leaders.
• Tuesday is of course Remembrance Day. The annual ceremonies at the Butterdome and at City Hall both get underway just after 10am.
• The Council initiative on public engagement has two workshops this week: Wednesday morning at the Commonwealth Rec Centre, and Saturday morning at the Lister Conference Centre.
• Nerd Nite has teamed up with the Faculty of Education for a special event on Wednesday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• On Thursday, the Old Strathcona Foundation is celebrating its 40th anniversary at the Roots on Whyte Community Building.
• The Relish Food on Film Festival gets underway on Thursday evening at the Garneau Theatre.
• Get ready to raise the roof! The kickoff for the 2014-2015 campaign takes place on Thursday at Cafe Bicyclette.
• The Oilers host Ottawa on Thursday night and the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night at Rexall Place. On Friday night, the Oil Kings host the Saskatoon Blades.
• Check out Churchill Square on Saturday evening for the annual Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up.
• Also Saturday night: Shadow Play Refinery at the Art Gallery of Alberta!
• On Sunday, the Edmonton Eskimos host the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium in the Western Semi-Final. Go Esks Go!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Chili Cook Off!

I hope you put your extra hour today to good use! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The proposed 2015 Operating Budget and 2015-2018 Capital Budget have been released and will be discussed by Council this week. The operating budget proposed a municipal property tax increase of 5.3%.
• After 18 years in charge of the Edmonton Public Library, CEO Linda Cook has announced that she will retire in mid-2015 (pdf). She says she is most proud of the implementation of free memberships in March 2013.
• On Friday, Northlands announced the formation of an Arena Strategy Committee, tasked with delivering a recommendation on the future of Rexall Place by April 15, 2015. I am looking forward to serving as a member of this committee, and will be writing much more about the subject in the months ahead!
• Former mayor Stephen Mandel easily won the by-election in Edmonton-Whitemud on Monday. Now the real work begins.
• In case you missed it: Avenue Edmonton introduced the Top 40 Under 40 for 2014 this week!
• According to Maclean’s annual university rankings, the University of Alberta is the fifth best university in the country. That’s the same spot as last year and the year before.
• Bad news Oilers fans: Taylor Hall will miss 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain as a result of his crash into the net during last night’s game against Vancouver.
• Ken Bautista is the new Director of Entrepreneurship at EEDC! He’ll also remain as CEO of Startup Edmonton, which was acquired by EEDC earlier this year. Congrats my friend!
• Though some work is still underway, the City has wrapped up the majority of its road construction work for 2014. Some of the major projects completed include the 63 Avenue reconstruction and neighbourhood reconstructions in Argyll, Delton, Grovenor, King Edward Park, and North Glenora.
• This is pretty neat: a new barrier between homes and traffic in Mill Woods is a living wall. Like everything, the current wall is a pilot project; a decision about its permanence will be made next year.
• Apparently the area of our city that is home to the most crime is called Delta Zero, and it’s right where the new arena is going. Will that development help or hurt?
• A business case for the Smart Fare project was first completed in 2003, but it could take until 2019 before transit riders see any changes. And that’s only if Council funds it in the upcoming budget.
• It’s official: Chinatown and Little Italy are together no more, at least not as far as the BRZ is concerned. Starting January 1, 2015, Little Italy will no longer be part of the BRZ.
• In their latest episode, The Unknown Studio interviewed Malissa Sekela, a local cosplayer.
• I am glad to hear the first 100 Men YEG event went very well! Congrats to Cary and all involved.
• November is National Novel Writing Month, and here in Edmonton a group called the Literary Ninjas are providing support.
• Blatchford could be home to a bike sharing program if the City has its way.
• Mayor Iveson wrote this week about the important role of surplus school sites. “Thanks to demographic and density shifts in our neighbourhoods (as once again shown in the recent municipal census data), we need to be creative with how we revitalize mature communities (where our population is dropping) and encourage a better balance of growth between the perimeter and the core of our city,” he wrote.
• Lorne Gunter argues that City Council is “horribly fearful of being seen as northern prairie rubes” and jumps at whatever is trendy. He says they need to worry less about being hip, and instead “worry about ordinary Edmontonians.”
• Thoughtful piece from John Richardson on Edmonton: Acting As If.

Edmonton in November by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Farmfair International us underway at the Expo Centre!
• Head down to Churchill Square for lunch on Tuesday – it’s the 24th annual Chili Cook Off!
• Canadian Finals Rodeo gets underway on Wednesday at Rexall Place!
• City Council’s initiative on public engagement is hosting a series of workshops this month. The first takes place on Wednesday at the Ritchie Community Hall.
• Also Wednesday is the next Green Drinks event with a focus on shopping local!
• On Thursday, the United Way is hosting its Round Up Breakfast at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Saturday night is when Edmonton’s 6th Timeraiser takes place, this time at Boyle Renaissance Plaza.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Poppy Barley‘s “Edmonton Oxford” – can’t wait to get my pair!

After three great weeks away, Sharon and I are back in Edmonton! We had a wonderful time and will be sharing many photos and blog posts in the weeks ahead.

Don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time ends at 2am on Sunday, November 2 – your clocks go back an hour that night!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Raise a paper cup to Edmonton’s coffee shops. I’m so excited to go try all the new cafes this week – Burrow, Transcend Mercer, and Credo on 124th Street!
• Tuesday marked one year since Council was elected. CBC talked to the first-time councillors for their thoughts on how things have gone..
• Six years ago, making BrightNights environmentally friendly was a big deal. This year, the City is going to ask Edmontonians to keep the lights on longer, to help celebrate winter. Is it better to be green or well-lit?
• A new report recommends a $106 million upgrade for the Kinsmen Sports Centre. The upgrade would include a new lobby, expanded fitness center, a widened pool, and more parking.
• Council has approved a motion for a full smoking ban on Churchill Square. The fine will be $250 for smoking in the square when the bylaw has passed.
• DHL has invested $2.1 million in a new facility at the Edmonton International Airport which “will help DHL Express meet the growing demands of international shipping customers.”
• Make Something Edmonton has launched the Project Accelerator Grant, which will award up to $1500 to worthy ideas. They are accepting applications until 5pm on Monday, November 3.
• Have you checked out the recently updated Edmonton 311 app? It now offers 28 reporting options, including the ability to take a photo of a service issue to report geocoordinates.
• Don’t forget there’s also the Edmonton Insight Community, if you want to provide feedback to the City on a wide variety of surveys.
• The proposed drainage and waste utilities budgets have been released. Utility rates are proposed to increase 6.4%.
• According to a new police commission report, the Edmonton Police Service wants to add 400 employees over the next five years in order to keep up with increased population.
• Congratulations to the winners of the City of Edmonton’s Small Business Eco Challenge Awards. Manasc Isaac Architects took home the prize for businesses with 51-100 employees.
• Via Linda, I learned about GozAround, a new social network for volunteering that was started right here in Edmonton.
• Sensors are being installed along Anthony Henday Drive as part of smart city transportation system being tested here in Edmonton.
• Congratulations to chef Blair Lebsack and everyone at RGE RD on making the enRoute list of top new restaurants for 2014! Chef Lebsack took second place at the Gold Medal Plates on Thursday – Westin chef Ryan O’Flynn took first.

The first of two beautiful shots by Jeff Wallace that I wanted to share

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers host the Canadiens on Monday night, the Predators on Wednesday, and the Canucks on Saturday.
• We’ll find out who the Top 40 Under 40 for 2014 are on Thursday at the big celebration taking place at the TELUS World of Science.
• Friday is the day for costumes and candy! Happy Halloween!
• This looks interesting: there’s a Steampunk Monster Ball taking place on Saturday evening!
• The Eskimos host the BC Lions on Saturday night.
• On Sunday, FC Edmonton hosts the Atlanta Silverbacks at Clarke Stadium.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

In this photo, Jeff Wallace captures the local tribute to WO Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo

Just a week to go until Sharon and I are married and on a plane to Asia! Can’t wait. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Big week of provincial news. It’s being touted as a big change, but is it really? The new lineup of provincial ministers was unveiled this week, with former mayor Stephen Mandel serving as Alberta’s new Health Minister (he says he’s up to the challenge). You can also see the list of deputy ministers and other senior staff appointments. Later in the week, mandate letters for each cabinet minister were released. And then on Thursday, the Alberta Legislature was prorogued. The first sitting under Premier Prentice will begin November 17.
• Mayor Iveson thinks the mandate letters highlight numerous shared priorities between the Province and the City. There’s a lot of optimism coming out of the mayor’s office with respect to the Prentice leadership.
• Oh yeah, Prentice also cancelled the license plate redesign.
• The City was talking about bike lanes again this week, announcing that 83 Avenue and 102 Avenue are the top ranked locations for new bike routes. They’re hosting open houses on October 29 and 30 to discuss design options for the two routes.
• Our city’s growing population has prompted calls for a review of the ward boundaries, which could mean new City Councillors. I didn’t realize there’s a bunch of empty space at City Hall intended specifically for that purpose that has been unused since the building opened in 1992.
• We need more land for sidewalks along 104 Avenue if we want to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, says consultant Mark Reid of Urban Strategies. Shocker. You can learn more about the 104 Avenue Corridor Plan here.
• Leslie Chivers explains why Edmonton needs a Wolverine statue.
• Dr. Susan Minsos has been named MacEwan University’s 22nd writer in residence.
• Apparently a smart card plan for ETS is moving ahead. Awesome, but what does this mean for the proposed regional system?
• I had no idea the University of Alberta Golden Bears football team had not won a game since November 3, 2010. They took victory against the Regina Rams by two points on Saturday.
• In other U of A news, the institution’s endowment fund has now surpassed $1 billion. In her State of the University address, President Indira Samarasekera said the U of A has “transformed our university to the benefit of the public we serve.”
• In the 2014-15 QS World University Rankings, the U of A lands in the 84th spot, up from 96th last year.
• Here’s a recap of E-Town 2014 from Beverley Jackman.
• Omar asks if the two revitalizations in The Quarters can co-exist. Does it have to be developers vs. artists?
• Wondering what “Urban LRT” is and how it differs from Edmonton’s existing LRT lines? The Transforming Edmonton blog explains it.
• Londonderry Mall is the latest shopping centre to get a makeover. The $130 million project is already underway.
• Behind-the-scenes with Oilers captain Andrew Ference. Great thoughts on leadership and community involvement.
• Edmonton’s NextGen has unveiled the presenter lineup for Pecha Kucha Night 20, taking place on October 2.
• Hundreds of Edmontonians took part in the People’s Climate March today. Marches took place all around the world in an attempt to pressure leaders meeting in New York to discuss the issue.

Lovely fall colors downtown, photo by Grant C

Upcoming Events

• Western Canada Fashion Week is underway and continues through Saturday at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• At a public hearing on Monday, City Council will consider the request to close 103 Street between 103 Avenue and 104 Avenue for the arena district, among other things.
• Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular starts on Wednesday evening at Rexall Place.
• The Edmonton PHP User Group meets on Thursday at Startup Edmonton.
• The seventh annual Alberta Culture Days kicks off in Edmonton with a free concert and block party on 104 Street on Friday night!
• Also Friday evening, the Eskimos host the Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium.
• The Edmonton International Film Festival officially kicks off on Friday at the Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre.
• The Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo takes over the Expo Centre this weekend!
• Saturday is National Learn to Code Day!
• On Sunday, Social Media Breakfast Edmonton is hosting a field trip at Rundle Park! You can read more about it at The Local Good.
• Get out and enjoy some of that other football on Sunday when FC Edmonton hosts the NY Cosmos at Clark Stadium.
• Also that evening, the Oilers host the Blackhawks in another pre-season game.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Western Canada Fashion Week

Once again I have been curating articles, blog posts, and news releases on my ShareEdmonton page. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter with a free account here. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• What a week for provincial politics, especially from an Edmonton perspective. Former mayor Stephen Mandel, his chief of staff Patricia Misutka, and former Liberal MLA Mike Percy all took on roles for premier-designate Jim Prentice. Mandel is involved in the transition team, while Percy will chief of staff and Misutka will be principal secretary. Prentice will be sworn in as premier tomorrow, but he’ll still need to win a by-election to become an MLA.
• As if that wasn’t enough, Premier Dave Hancock announced he’s resigning, not just as premier, but from his post as MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud too.
• Jim Prentice and Mayor Don Iveson met at City Hall on Tuesday to have “the first round of a very grown up conversation,” according to Iveson.
• In case you missed it, here’s my recap of a business event that took place this week called Edmonton in a New Light. Are we as a city finally starting to shed some of our humble nature?
• There’s an awful lot of “unknown” and “in planning” in this list, but it’s still a good preview of some of the great things to come for Edmonton over the next six years.
• City Council on Wednesday approved a multi-year budget policy, which means annual operating budgets will become a thing of the past. A new three-year budget will start next year.
• We had our first taste of winter with some snow on Monday! It’s the snow’s fault that the City is projecting an $11 million deficit too.
• All City of Edmonton outdoor pools are now closed for the season. Worst opening to a public service announcement ever: “It is time to say goodbye to summer.”
• Looking to become an urban beekeeper in Edmonton? Look no further than Dustin Bajer’s list of six things to get started!
• The Capital Region Board has committed to finding a strategy to preserve agricultural land around Edmonton.
• Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
• From AEG’s David MacLean, why Edmonton should embrace services like Uber.
• In order to provide adequate flood protection for at-risk neighbourhoods, Edmonton may need to pay up to $50 million per year for the next 50 to 100 years. Yikes.
• Local game developer Rocketfuel Games has created a “modern political cartoon” called Aura of Power. In the game, a red-headed character named Alison tries to get to the Skypalace while wasting taxpayer money. Funny!
• You can now nominate businesses and individuals for the Edmonton Journal Readers’ Choice Awards.
• Edmonton’s growing population has home builders working “flat out” to try to meet demand. There’s a lot of demand for trades workers too.
• Are the Oilers losing because there’s too much focus placed on prospects? OilersNation digs into that question.

I haven’t seen this bumper sticker yet, though it has been around for years. Photo by Grempz.

Upcoming Events

• The next YEGRB Meetup takes place at Startup Edmonton on Tuesday evening.
• Head over to the Edmonton Journal on Wednesday at lunch for the next Capital Ideas Edmonton event, called Family matters: How to run a business with loved ones.
• On Wednesday evening there’s a hackathon taking place at Startup Edmonton for the EPL’s digital local music project.
• Also Wednesday evening, the City is hosting an open house on three alternative concepts for the 104 Avenue corridor.
• Nerd Nite #15 takes place at the Citadel Theatre on Thursday evening.
• The next CreativeMornings Edmonton event takes place on Friday morning.
• I’m looking forward to checking out Park(ing) Day on Friday. Parking stalls along 101A Avenue and 97 Street will be transformed into temporary art installations!
• Saturday is Community League Day in Edmonton! There are events taking place all over the city, so get out and meet your neighbours!
• All weekend long the University of Alberta is celebrating Alumni Weekend 2014. Don’t miss Green & Gold Day on Friday!
• Sunday is the UN’s International Day of Peace. The local celebration is taking place at City Hall.
• Also Sunday, FC Edmonton hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Clark Stadium.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Boats in the water at City Hall for the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival

This week I have been collecting links to articles, news releases, and blog posts using the new curation functionality at ShareEdmonton. You can see my links here. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Mayor Iveson blogged about the City’s relationship with the Province on Wednesday, saying that the Province treats cities “like children”. He says we’re long overdue for “a grown-up conversation” with the Province.
• No surprise here: Jim Prentice handily won the leadership race for Alberta’s PC Party. Plus, Dave takes a look at 20 years of Alberta by-elections.
• Calgary’s Joe Ceci and Edmonton’s Michael Phair collaborated to write a three-part series on municipal governance. Here’s part two, and here’s part three.
• The Katz Group is looking to buy a block of 103 Street in order to build an underground parking garage. The street would stay open to drivers most of the time, but could be closed for special events.
• The City and Leduc County met last week to discuss the proposed annexation. They agreed the meeting was “amicable” and will meet again at the end of October.
• Communities lose out when children are not present, says Alex Zabjek. Couldn’t agree more! Mixed use and a mix of people is the way to go.
• Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton!
• Classes for the next Planning Academy session start on September 23.
• Edmonton is now growing faster than Calgary. Which is only marginally interesting – both cities are growing incredibly quickly.
• Want to watch the Edmonton Oilers on TV this season? You’re going to need seven channels to do so.
• Seven University of Alberta faculty members were included in the 2014 Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled by Thomas Reuters.
• The City is recognizing the efforts of Capital City Clean Up volunteers. Nice work everyone!
• Should Edmonton cut back on less used bus routes and use those resources to create a network of high frequency routes instead? In a word, yes.
• Artist in residence Jennie Vegt has been capturing City Council and its work in a series of paintings on display at City Hall. A final exhibition will take place this winter.
• For more headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Jim Prentice wins the leadership of Alberta’s PC Party, photo by Dave

Upcoming Events

• The week kicks off with the latest Make Something Monday event at Startup Edmonton. This week’s theme is YEG Food.
• There’s still one opportunity to attend a Blatchford open house, on Tuesday evening at the Chateau Nova Hotel & Suites.
• On Wednesday, City Council will be discussing options for a Municipal Land Corporation, they’ll get an update on the City’s finances, and they’ll look at multi-year budgeting, among other things.
• The E-Town Festival is back, taking place on Thursday and Friday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Alberta Avenue comes alive on the weekend with the 2014 edition of the Kaleido Family Arts Festival!
• We hope to see you at Churchill Square on Friday night for our final What the Truck?! event of the year! You can see the menus here.
• The Eskimos host the Alouettes on Friday at Commonwealth Stadium.
• Hawkers Market moves to Latitude 53 on Saturday, with special guests The Nulls.
• The City is hosting another Big Bin Event this weekend, at the Southwest District Yard.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Tour of Alberta 2014, photo by IQRemix

Happy long weekend! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton’s population is now 877,926. In case you missed it, here’s my overview of the 2014 Municipal Census results.
• There have been so many athletes in Edmonton this week for the World Triathlon! Hometown favorite Paula Findlay finished 15th in the Elite Women’s final, a strong finish considering she has been dealing with injuries.
• It was another big week for downtown! Stantec unveiled its new headquarters, a 62-story building to be located in the heart of the new arena district. And then we finally got some additional details on what else will be in the district. Be sure to check out the website for more.
• I’ll have more on this soon, but a perception survey conducted by the Downtown Business Association found that 62% of respondents have a positive outlook for downtown.
• Congratulations to the Fringe on another record-breaking year! The festival sold 118,280 tickets to 211 indoor shows, with attendance to the site dropping a bit to 665,750.
• Here’s an awesome feature from the Journal: 40 things made or invented in Edmonton.
• I was very disappointed to hear that the province has initially rejected a proposal for a regional transit smart card. “I’m quite hopeful that they’re going to reconsider,” said Mayor Iveson. The project wouldn’t be able to move forward without the Green Trip funding.
• From Spacing Edmonton, here are the latest urbanism headlines for August 25-31.
• Heads up! ETS fall service changes take effect today. Basically that means kids are back in school and regular service on all routes has been restored.
• And speaking of back to school, school zones around elementary schools come into effect on September 2. You’ll need to slow to 30 km/h between 8am and 4:30pm. You can learn more about the change here. There’s even a Transforming Edmonton post about it.
• Okay, lots of back to school news. Kids are being encouraged to BYOD – bring your own device. Elementary schools now have video surveillance cameras installed. Be prepared for long bus rides!
• The Oilers have agreed to terms with Justin Schultz on a one-year contract.
• Should Council take another look at the proposal to save the old Walterdale Bridge?
• Will Edmonton welcome Uber? Omar takes a look at the complicated issue.

97 Street Night Market

Upcoming Events

• The closing ceremonies for the 2014 World Triathlon Grand Final take place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Monday evening!
• It’s Country Music Week in Edmonton! The festivities run from September 4 through 7, with the awards show taking place at Rexall Place on Sunday!
• The Open Government Tour makes a stop in Edmonton on Wednesday evening at the Union Bank Inn.
• The Tour of Alberta comes to Edmonton this week! Stages 3, 4, and 5 take place in and around Edmonton. The finish line on Sunday will be at Churchill Square.
• Saturday is CornFest at Beaver Hills park!
• It’s battle of Alberta time on Saturday as the Eskimos host the Stampeders at Commonwealth Stadium.
• Have some large materials to get rid of? The City’s next Big Bin Event takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Kennedale.
• Heads up: the next Make Something Mondays event is scheduled for the 8th and is focused on food.
• We hope to see you on Friday, September 12 in Churchill Square for our final What the Truck?! of the season!
• The date for the annual Oilers rookies vs. Golden Bears game has been set: September 17 at Clare Drake Arena.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Symphony in the City, see more here

Well that was a busy weekend! Both the 97 Street Night Market and the ImMACulate Garden Party were fun, thanks to everyone who attended! For Sharon and I, there’s now just one big What the Truck?! event before our September wedding. Check out some engagement photos we took with Moments in Digital Photography here.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• United Airlines is ending flights between Edmonton and New York as of October 24. The flight to Newark began in May 2013. EIA says we shouldn’t be too concerned, because United Airlines is “heavily invested in Edmonton” with other routes.
• The Great Neighbourhoods Capital Program is investing $15 million in 18 neighbourhoods this year. Stony Plain, Jasper Place, and Alberta Avenue are among the areas receiving upgrades.
• Whyte Avenue could become car free on Friday and Saturday nights at least for a few hours if a new pilot project goes ahead. You can fill out a survey on the idea here.
• 2015 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Edmonton Rush, and the club has announced a logo contest with the winning logo featured on all team jerseys next year. Hard to believe it has already been 10 years!
• On Tuesday the Oilers announced that the entire roster of the 1984 Stanley Cup Champion team will reunite on October 10 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our city’s first Stanley Cup victory. Tickets sold out in less than one hour.
• Here’s a look at EPCOR’s service by the numbers. For example: “There are about 55,000 wood power poles in Edmonton, of which we inspect 11,000 each year. So, each pole is checked every five years for rot, damage, splitting or physical damage.”
• Justin Trudeau was in Edmonton speaking to supporters recently. David Climenhaga says you shouldn’t dismiss him.
• Four more bus routes are getting Smart Bus technology: 3, 10, 11, and 112. By the end of November, about a third of Edmonton Transit’s fleet will be equipped with the necessary technology.
• The C-Line has been replaced with an expanded and rebranded Leduc Transit service, which begins regular operation on September 2. The City of Leduc will pay 65% of the operating cost, with Leduc County contributing the remaining 35%.
• Officials from the rideshare app Uber reportedly met with City officials this week. Apparently Edmonton’s $75 minimum fare for limousine rides (enacted to prevent limos from competing with taxis) is currently preventing Uber’s expansion to Edmonton.
• Could Whyte Avenue be getting a late-night food truck alley? The idea has been proposed.
• This is a fun read: Avenue Edmonton sent correspondent Omar Mouallem to the year 2033 to report on the future of commuting.
• Also, Omar says the Walterdale Bridge preservation plan deserves a fair review.
• Here’s an interview with mayor Don Iveson about transforming Edmonton.
• From Linda, here are the top 26 Edmonton Instagram users you should follow!
• The Fringe wrapped up today and organizers are hopeful that great weather over the final weekend could put the final numbers over last year. We should know early this week! You can read about the holdovers here.

Edmonton City Centre, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

• The World Triathlon Grand Final comes to town on Monday! The event runs through September 1. Here are the road closures and detours you need to be aware of.
• The 2014 Canada 55+ Games kick off in Strathcona County on Thursday.
• On Thursday evening, the Telus World of Science is hosting Dark Matters. The theme this time is Aliens & Cowboys.
• Friday is Bacon Day at LUX. The fifth annual event raises money for YESS.
• In place of Symphony Under the Sky this year, the ESO is hosting Symphony in the City at Churchill Square! Disney in Concert takes place on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Celtic Colours with The McDades takes place on Sunday evening. All concerts are free!
• The 2014 edition of SONiC BOOM kicks off on Friday and runs through Sunday at Northlands.
• The first ever Edmonton Reggae Festival takes place on Saturday at Louise McKinney Park from noon until 10pm!
• FC Edmonton hosts Minnesota United FC on Sunday at Clarke Stadium!
• Save the date for our final What the Truck?! of the year – our biggest ever, with 25 trucks, on September 12 at Churchill Square!
• From Frugal Edmonton Mama, here are 21 end of summer family friendly Edmonton activities!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

2014 Fringe Performers Parade, photo by Robert