My Edmonton Etcetera blog got a little more official this week, with a new domain name: http://edmontonetc.ca/ (Tumblr has been experiencing downtime today)

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton Public School Board trustees voted 7-2 in favor of a two-year moratorium on school closures. The motion was introduced by vice-char Sarah Hoffman.
• I think a lot of people in Edmonton were feeling pretty good about themselves, after a very successful Grey Cup. Here’s a cool time lapse video of the Grey Cup from Ryan Jackson.
• Edmonton’s bike routes are now available on Google Maps.
• Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was in the news this week, blasting the feds for their decision on EXPO 2017. You can see the final notice to EXPO 2017 newsletter subscribers here.
• Could a ticket surcharge be part of the solution for funding LRT expansion? Funny, I don’t recall a toll or other surcharge on roads being proposed to fund road expansion.
• Congratulations to EPCOR CEO Don Lowry, Alberta’s Business Person of the Year for 2010.
• Former mayor Bill Smith added his voice into the chorus of people talking about the proposed downtown arena, saying “I do not understand.” The responses to Council’s questions were released this week in preparation for the December 10 council meeting.
• On Tuesday, a judge unsealed court documents related to Mayor Mandel’s lawsuit against Nathan Black. Also: Airco Aircraft Charters suffered another legal setback this week.
• The search is still on for a permanent replacement for outgoing police chief Mike Boyd, but it has been decided that Deputy Chief David Korol will fill the post in the meantime.
• Edmonton’s Silver Skate Festival received a shot in the arm this week, with the Government of Canada announcing funding of $35,900 for the festival.
• Congrats to everyone who participated in Movember in Edmonton this year. Over $20 million was raised across Canada! You can see photos of the Edmonton Movember Gala here, and photos of the MoCupcakeYEG challenge here.
• This is an interesting way to promote Edmonton – Sasquatch Gets Friendly With Edmonton Locals, Explores Popular Edmonton Attractions.
• An entrepreneur in California is cashing in on the antics of former AHS CEO Stephen Duckett with eatingmycookie.com. You can get a pin for $4.99 that reads “I’m eating my cookie.” On a related note, here’s a great photoset from Dave of Saturday’s Rally for Public Healthcare.
• FC Edmonton’s head coach is off to Japan, and he took an assistant with him as well. The club is set to announce a replacement tomorrow.
• Mayor Mandel wants to revive the idea of the local comedy festival, with $50,000 in funding coming from the City.
• You can now purchase reserved parking stalls at the Clareview, Belvedere, Stadium, and Century Park LRT Stations for $42 per month. The project begins January 1.
• Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, the Inner City High School has a new home.
• Here’s the final video installment in the City of Edmonton’s Heads Up campaign. You can take the campaign survey here.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• Free lunchtime concerts at City Hall are taking place this week!
• On the agenda for the special Transportation & Public Works Committee meeting on Wednesday: Southeast LRT Concept Plan, West LRT Concept Plan, and the Downtown LRT Connector Concept Plan.
• The Oilers are in action at home three times this week! Tuesday against Anaheim, Friday against Tampa Bay, and Saturday against Vancouver.
• Kelowna is in town on Saturday to take on the Oil Kings.
• The official light up of Candy Cane Lane is happening on Friday night!
• Another sure sign that Christmas is almost upon us – the Butterdome Craft Sale kicks off on Thursday and runs through Sunday.
• Next Saturday the Winter Market on the Square returns!
• Also Saturday, the Handmade Mafia are at it again.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

We’ve had some great weather recently, and lots of sunshine!

Fantastic shot of Whitemud Drive by Darren Kirby.

Impressive, isn’t it?

Today was the big day – the 98th Grey Cup took place at Commonwealth Stadium, and the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the second year in a row. You can see my recap of the kickoff party here, and my recap of the parade here. My photos of the festival are here.

I’m still posting Edmonton-related stuff throughout the week at Edmonton Etcetera.

Here are my weekly notes:

• The other big news this week was of course the federal government’s refusal to support Edmonton’s bid to host EXPO 2017. It was top of mind all week for many Edmontonians, especially as it became increasingly clear that the security budget wasn’t a strong reason to deny support.
• It’s not a done deal yet, but the Indy looks set to return next year after City Council agreed on Friday to a $3 million deal. There is some fundraising still to be done, and the feds have already said they’re out.
• Councillor Tony Caterina was released from hospital on Wednesday after suffering a minor stroke. He’ll be participating in meetings via telephone.
• With the proposed downtown arena consultation now finished, the City reported that more than 300 people participated in open houses and that the online questionnaire was completed 28,979 times.
• On Friday, City Council endorsed a board to oversee construction of future LRT projects.
• Congratulations to the more than 100 Edmontonians recognized at the Salute to Excellence Citation & Performance Awards.
• I haven’t written anything about the Stephen Duckett cookie debacle, but I quite liked Paula’s take on the issue.
• Here’s a nice profile of the Boyle McCauley Health Centre.
• The groundbreaking ceremony for phase 1 of the Boyle Renaissance project took place this week. The $42 million project includes affordable housing, a Family Resource Centre, a daycare, and other facilities.
• GlaxoSmithKline donated $5 million to the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at the University of Alberta.
• EFCL is looking for help with some new functionality for its website.
• Lightside Photography is continuing with its 30 Days of Edmonton series – here’s a profile of Duchess Bake Shop.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• November has almost come to a close, and that means Movember is finishing up. The MoCupcakesYEG Challenge is taking place Monday night at Transcend Garneau.
• There are two information sessions on the West LRT taking place this week, one on Monday evening at the Fantasyland Hotel, and one on Tuesday at MacEwan’s City Centre campus.
• Also Tuesday evening is an information session on the 170 Street Planning Study.
• The Festival of Trees kicks off on Thursday the Shaw Conference Centre.
• There’s a public forum for The Way We Green on Thursday.
• The lights at the Alberta Legislature will be on for the season following the official light up on Thursday evening.
• The Oil Kings are in action at home twice this week – Wednesday against the Prince Albert Raiders, and Friday against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
• Friday night is the Let it Snow: Art Sale & Silent Auction to fundraise for the University of Alberta’s BDes and BFA final grad shows.
• The Oilers are home to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
• Neat event taking place Saturday evening – Barista Jam at Transcend Coffee.
• Two great markets return on Saturday: The Handmade Mafia, and the Winter Market Downtown.
• Next Sunday is the Alley of Light open house at Enterprise Square. My post about the project is here.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Sharon and I joined a bunch of other Twitter volunteers at the Santas Anonymous warehouse on Friday evening.

City Hall, all lit up for the Grey Cup festival kickoff.

Look at that, an event in the space behind the library! Why can’t we have more of those?

Though we definitely had some help from the milder weather, it was great to see so many people downtown this week.

Throughout the week, I’m blogging Edmonton-related photos, videos, quotes, links, and more at Edmonton Etcetera. Check it out.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• In case you missed it, we launched a new initiative called The Edmonton Champions Project this week. I wrote about it here. Watch for more on the project in 2011.
• The results of the 2010 Homeless Count were released on Monday. The number of homeless people living in Edmonton dropped 21% to 2421.
• With the temperature dropping, the City is reminding you to stay off the ice!
• Two more arena open houses took place this week, and the Oilers started phoning people encouraging them to fill out the online questionnaire. That action wasn’t received very well by Edmontonians. More on the proposed downtown arena here.
• At a luncheon this week, Mayor Stephen Mandel urged the business community to help Edmonton achieve its goals of hosting EXPO 2017, fighting homelessness, and redeveloping the City Centre Airport.
• It was a great week for the local film industry! Trevor Anderson’s The High Level Bridge won best live action short film at the American Film Institute’s awards, and Rosie Dransfeld won a Gemini for Broke.
• A new comedy show called E-Town will be part of the lineup on APTN starting next year.
• PCL CEO Paul Douglas said this week that Edmonton has one of the weakest construction markets in North America right now.
• An anonymous family has stepped up to purchase Edmonton’s historic Molson House.
• The University of Alberta is the first university in Canada to have a campus page on Foursquare!
• Thirty-eight of Edmonton’s top clubs, pubs, bars, and lounges were recognized this week at the Best Bar None Awards. The overall winner was Union Hall Nightclub.
• Congrats to the Shaw Conference Centre, for earning the Recycling Council of Alberta’s 2010 Corporate Leadership Award.
• The student paper at the University of Alberta, The Gateway, turned 100 years old this weekend.
• Update on the Alberta Hotel development. It’s coming along!
• On July 1, the City launched the Washing Machine Rebate Program, to encourage Edmontonians to purchase energy-efficient, front-load washers. That program was supposed to end on December 31, but has been so popular that it won’t last that long!
• The accrediting bodies that oversee the quality of medical schools in Canada and the United States have given the University of Alberta med school a solid A.
• You can now follow Capital Power and EPCOR on Twitter.
• Congrats to the winners of the 7th Annual Vehicle for Hire Driver Appreciation Day Awards (longest name ever!).
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• They big event this week is the 2010 Grey Cup Festival. You can see the full listing of events on ShareEdmonton, and you can subscribe to an iCal of all the events here. The kick-off party takes place on Wednesday evening at City Hall.
• The 2010 National Housing Day luncheon takes place on Monday at the Delta Centre Suite.
• AUMA’s annual convention takes place this week at the Shaw Conference Centre. The event kicks off on Tuesday morning.
• Green Drinks Edmonton is back on Wednesday evening.
• Also Wednesday evening: Girl Geek Dinners, trivia edition!
• There are two Southeast LRT information sessions taking place this week: Wednesday evening and Thursday evening.
• The Everyone’s Downstream conference starts on Thursday.
• For those of you interested in open data, the Open Spatial West workshop is taking place all day on Thursday at Enterprise Square.
• One of my favorite holiday events – the Wrapping Tweetup is happening on Friday evening!
• Next Saturday is Food4Fines, where you can get up to $25 in library fines wiped out in exchange for a food bank donation.
• The Oil Kings are in action at home on Wednesday against the Calgary Hitmen, while the Oilers are home to the Avalanche on Thursday and the Sharks on Saturday.
• It’s craft fair season! Make It Edmonton starts Thursday, The Handmade Mafia takes place Saturday, the Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair takes place Saturday & Sunday, and the Shop Till You Drop Expo takes place Sunday.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

The stacks were removed from the EPCOR plant on Friday. Here’s a video of the third stack being removed.

It might be cold outside, but you’ve got to admit, winter can be really beautiful.

I’ve been experimenting with another Edmonton-focused blog this week. I call it Edmonton Etcetera. As I come across Edmonton stuff online, I post it there. I see it as sort of in between Twitter and this blog. Check it out (here’s the archive of recent entries) and let me know what you think – I’ll write more about it later.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• The proposed 2011 Operating Budget would see a 3% tax increase for civic services and 2% to continue the Neighbourhood Renewal Funding Program. Council will discuss the budget until December 7 (and later if required).
• The Government of Canada announced an investment of $452,914 in the Grey Cup this weekend under the Marquee Tourism Events Program.
• I hope this doesn’t result in the lost of even more money, but it seems Council has decided to try to save the Indy.
• It’s not finished yet, but the end is in sight for construction on the Quesnell Bridge. Water-proofing and paving will happen next year.
• The City has won two Awards of Merit from the Alberta Professional Planners Institute for its Residential Infill Guidelines and its Secondary Suites program.
• The latest litter audit shows a 29% reduction in litter on city streets, and a big drop in the number of cigarette butts too.
• On both Monday evening and Tuesday evening, the LRT will be running on a 20 minute frequency from 8pm until end of service, while crews continue to upgrade the overhead power system.
• Canada’s first independent wine store, Edmonton’s own The Wine Cellar, celebrated its 25th birthday on Friday.
• EEDC reports that membership in the Edmonton Capital Region Tourism Partnership program has grown by more than 50% in the last year.
• Great post from Avnish on the anti-racism campaign and surrounding controversy.
• Here are the 2010 Christmas Checkstop Statistics for Week 1.
• Congrats to the Alberta Aviation Museum for winning a national award from the Canadian Aviation Preservation Association.
• You’ve got until Tuesday at noon to enter the 2010 Grey Cup Contest from EEDC.
• A new mobile carrier is gearing up to launch in Edmonton. Mobilicity will announce details on Tuesday.
• Surprising no one, the Edmonton Eskimos fired coach Richie Hall on Friday.
• Very thoughtful post from Alex: 15 Steps to a Better Edmonton.
• Congrats to the Edmonton Food Bank for being among 36 Canadian charities named as a “Top Pick”.
• Want to setup a free wireless hotspot at your business? Request one online from Edmonton-based Mesh Canada.
• Candy Cane Lane officially opens at 7pm on Friday, December 10.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• CFR wraps up today. It has certainly been an eventful week!
• Homeward Trust is hosting a conference on homelessness this week, called The Road Home.
• EEDC’s annual Economic Outlook Luncheon takes place on Tuesday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• There are two more downtown arena open houses this week: Monday evening, and Wednesday evening.
• The Oilers are in action at home this week, on Wednesday against Chicago and on Friday against Phoenix.
• Also Monday evening: an open house for the Boyle Renaissance & The Quarters redevelopment plans.
• Coming up on Wednesday – Launch Party 2. You can check out the preview here.
• The Oil Kings host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday.
• The 2010 Festival of Ideas kicks off on Tuesday.
• Next Saturday is the AGA’s Refinery party. Don’t miss it!
• Exposure: Edmonton’s Queer Arts & Culture Festival started Friday and runs until Sunday.
• Are you a fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead? Check out Edmonton Zombeers tonight!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

We’ve had great weather for November, and more than a few beautiful sunrises too.

Houses around the city are getting ready for the holidays!

If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit, check out the Green & Gold themed tree in Churchill Square.

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Goodbye, Edmonton Indy. That was the big news this week. Almost immediately an “anonymous business group” contact the media to say they were trying to save the race, but unless they’re going to pay for it, I think we need to let this one die. As Paula wrote: “That’s some $16 million in public funds to date — to subsidize an international pro sports event — with Octane holding out its hand for $10.2 million more from the city. And what exactly did we, the public, get for our money?” Here’s the official City of Edmonton statement on the issue.
• ETS is proposing a new automated stop announcement system, known as “Smartbus technology.” The $3.4 million program would be tried out on 50 buses. I think this is long overdue – let’s get it done!
• The City of Edmonton launched a new anti-racism campaign this week which itself has come under fire for being racist.
• Edmonton was recognized at the 16th Annual Communities in Bloom Awards last weekend, winning an outstanding achievement award and five out of a possible five blooms in the Circle of Excellence category.
• Merge Magazine is calling it quits after just eight issues.
• Since the Best Bar None program launched in June, 63 of Edmonton’s 330 pubs, clubs, bars, and lounges have applied for accreditation, and 38 have received it.
• There are more than 65 comments on the Q&A post with Bob Boutilier. Lots of great information on transit/transportation in Edmonton, don’t miss it. His team is wrapping up “the biggest year we’ve ever had in construction” – about $450 million will be spent this year on road construction.
• The first C-Line buses left empty from Century Park, but service picked up after that. Officials are happy with the start.
• Here is Sharon’s recap of the 20th Annual Chili Cookoff, organized by the Downtown Business Association.
• More than four months have passed since the house explosion in Lago Lindo, and only now has the City been given permission to start cleaning it up.
• Some good news for local development firm CrazedCoders – their games brand, Fluik Entertainment, has chalked up 841,000 downloads in the past six months.
• Jerry Aulenbach is the latest celebrity chef at Delux Burger Bar, and he launched his Double Bacon Foursquare Burger on Friday evening. Looks tasty!
• November is Shop Local First Month!
• “We are losing one of Edmonton’s serious power couples, who happen to be wonderful people to boot.” That’s Graham Hicks writing about Norm Lipinski and Lynda Steele, who will be moving to BC next year. Global says Lynda will remain with the station until the end of August 2011.
• Graham is getting a big sendoff himself!
• The City’s Office of Traffic Safety and the Edmonton Police Service are reminding Edmontonians to keep their heads up to help prevent collisions.
• Congrats to Edmonton-based Canadian Western Bank for being named to the 50 Best Employers in Canada for the 5th consecutive year!
• Great collection of Edmonton Street Photography.
• Do you know an Edmonton Police Service officer who goes above and beyond by volunteering in the community? Nominate them for the 2010 Top Cop Award by December 10.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• The Cosmopolitan Music Society is hosting a concert tonight honouring our past and present Canadian Armed Forces personnel.
• Tomorrow morning is the 6th Annual Breakfast with the Guys, taking place at the Sutton Place Hotel.
• Farmfair International continues this week, with Canadian Finals Rodeo starting on Wednesday.
• There are walk-throughs of the Old Cycle Building on Alberta Avenue continuing through tomorrow.
• Tuesday during the lunch hour is the Reimagine Tower Renewal Summit.
• There are two open houses taking place this week on the proposed downtown arena – Tuesday evening, and Wednesday evening.
• Thursday is Remembrance Day of course, and the big Butterdome ceremony will start at 10:30 AM. You can find additional Remembrance Day events here.
• Next Saturday is an event called Literacy in a Resource Economy, benefiting the Learning Centre (I’m on the board). If you’d like to buy tickets ($25 each), let me know!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Beautiful sunrise from last Monday!

Phenomenal photo by Darren Kirby.

Happy Halloween! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

• Edmonton’s new City Council was officially sworn into office on Tuesday. New photos and contact information are now online.
• Congratulations to the 2010 Avenue Edmonton Top 40 Under 40!
• Mayor Stephen Mandel filed a $500,000 lawsuit this week against Nathan Black, the Envision Edmonton volunteer that pretended to be a journalist.
• Transit service between the City of Leduc, Leduc County Office, Edmonton International Airport, and Century Park Transit Centre starts on Monday! Edmonton Transit has been contracted to provide the service.
• The City of Edmonton released an online questionnaire on the proposed downtown arena this week, and thousands of Edmontonians have already submitted their thoughts. It only takes a few minutes! You can learn more here.
• A new whitepaper is available for The Way We Green, and the City is looking for your feedback. There are two public forums being held – one on Wednesday, and one on Thursday.
• Local entrepreneur-investor Kevin Swan has joined venture capital firm iNovia Capital as a principal. He’ll be working in the Edmonton & Calgary offices.
• The ATCO/Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction raised $202,000 this week!
• On Wednesday, the City’s new $13.2 million Animal Care and Control Centre opened in the west end at 13550 163 Street.
• Looking for a fun volunteer opportunity? Check out the Deep Freeze Festival!
• The City of Edmonton is now online in Second Life.
• Sarah O’Donnell has another good story on the “demographic quake” that has hit Edmonton classrooms, and it is accompanied by a couple of map visualizations.
• A new set of awards for Edmonton-area musicians is about to launch. The Edmonton Music Awards will happen online, but there might be an actual awards show next year.
• You can get tickets for Launch Party 2 (on ShareEdmonton), coming up on November 17th, here.
• Winter is fast approaching, and that means the waste collection schedule is switching to every eight working days. You can find your schedule here, or you can use one of the open data apps from the Apps4Edmonton competition.
• For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
• November is Family Violence Prevention Month, and the City is hosting a launch event tomorrow at West Edmonton Mall.
• ICE: The Tech Conference runs from Monday through Wednesday this week at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• The City is hosting an open house on the Capital City Downtown Plan on Monday evening.
• On Tuesday you can attend an open house on the Downtown LRT Connector.
• The Be Idle Free video contest winners will be announced at City Hall on Wednesday evening.
• Farmfair International starts on Thursday.
• Leave your lunch at home on Friday: it’s the Downtown Business Association’s Annual Chili Cook Off at Scotia Place!
• The Oilers are in action at home twice this week: Tuesday against the Canucks, and Friday against the Red Wings.
• RebootAlberta 3.0 is taking place in Edmonton next weekend.
• Next Saturday is The Handmade Mafia!
• Also next Saturday – the second year of FITC Edmonton!

Mayor Mandel and new Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi met with Premier Ed Stelmach on Thursday.

Local fashion blog The Edmonton Vestiary has posters!