Happy Family Day long weekend! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Construction on the Valley Line Southeast LRT is behind schedule but it’s unclear by how much. “It’s trending late,” said Adam Laughlin, the city’s deputy manager of integrated infrastructure services.
• Edmonton-based Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) is receiving $27 million from the Government of Alberta to expand its programs and open a new Calgary office. The funding is part of the $100 million announced by the Province “to attract more artificial intelligence-based high-tech companies to invest in Alberta.”
• The Government of Alberta is investing $200 million alongside $26 million from The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation to build the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre on land immediately east of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. The new centre is expected to be complete in 2024.
• Edmonton Global has received $2.3 million from Western Economic Diversification Canada to help attract foreign direct investment to the Edmonton region.
• The Eskimos signed former Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris this week. “Like many of the greats that came before him, Harris says he wants to win — and he wants to do it right now.”
• The Oilers had a busy couple of days! On Friday, they traded Cam Talbot to Philadelphia for Anthony Stolarz and yesterday they traded Ryan Spooner to Vancouver for Sam Gagner.
• A new report says people accidentally pushed the emergency stop button on the funicular 322 times last year and non-emergency breakdown response and repairs cost $112,641.
• The roof of the Citadel Theatre needs more than $4 million in repairs. It was installed 33 years ago, and the Citadel’s current lease expires in 2024.
• Montreal recently launched a financial assistance program to help businesses affected by major construction projects. Should Edmonton consider something similar?
• The Government of Canada announced $640,000 from the Enabling Accessibility Fund to help 10 Edmonton-area organizations, including Laurel Heights, “become safer and more accessible for persons with disabilities.”
• The University of Alberta’s nanoFAB facility has received a $3.4 million investment from the federal and provincial governments alongside Micalyne Inc. to make commercializing nanotechnology research easier.
• The $12 million Aurora Project will increase capacity at the TELUS World of Science through “through new exhibition spaces and redevelop programs that have a northern focus.” Construction began in October 2018.
• Have your say on how parking for new homes and businesses should be regulated – fill out this online survey by Feb. 24.
• The City is also looking for input on the future of waste management. In addition to drop-in sessions there’s an online survey open until April 15.
• The Edmonton Heritage Council is looking for expressions of interest to join the board of directors! The deadline to apply is Feb. 25.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Health Innovation, Music, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups.
• Council is off this week, so here’s a recap of recent decisions and a look at what’s coming up.

Investing in education, diversification in Edmonton, photo by Premier of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• The Edmonton Oilers are hosting an autograph session at West Edmonton Mall on Monday afternoon.
• Ice Castles Edmonton is on at Hawrelak Park.
• The Oilers host the Coyotes on Tuesday, the Islanders on Thursday, and the Ducks on Saturday.
• Nerd Nite Edmonton #47 takes place Tuesday night at the ATB Financial Arts Barn.
• Snoop Dogg & Friends are at Rogers Place on Wednesday evening.
• Terry Crews has been announced as a special guest speaker for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters upcoming event on Wednesday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• The next EPL/ECF Forward Thinking Speaker Series event features Dr. Safiya Noble speaking about Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism on Wednesday evening at the Chateau Lacombe.
• F*ck Up Nights YEG Volume 4 takes place Wednesday evening at The Aviary.
• The Alberta Health & Safety Conference takes place at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Thursday and Friday.
• The United Way’s Red Tie Gala takes place Thursday evening at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Learn about how arts and heritage participation rates reflect values at the Alberta Museum Associations event on Friday night at the Art Gallery of Alberta.
• Books2Buy runs Saturday and Sunday at EPL in Enterprise Square.
• The Colorguard Collective Edmonton Invitational takes place Saturday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• Edmonton’s NextGen presents Lunch MEAET on Saturday afternoon at the Edmonton Tower.
• The Coldest Night of the Year, hosted by the Bissell Centre, takes place Saturday.
• Fruit Loop’s February Fling takes place Saturday at Urban Tavern.
• Little Big Town is performing at Rogers Place on Sunday.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Swingin’ City Sundays at City Hall every Sunday in January and February.
• The Strathcona Community League is hosting Winterfest 2019 on Sunday afternoon.
• Plan your winter calendar with Taproot’s guide to festivals and events taking place in the Edmonton area this 2018/2019 winter season!

WD Canada announces $2.3 million for Edmonton Global

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If you can believe it, the temperature could be -6 C on Wednesday. That would be a welcome change! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• NAIT and the City of Edmonton announced this week that NAIT has acquired 13.27 hectares on the Blatchford development site as well as the City’s former Westwood Transit Garage, nearly doubling the size of the main campus. “The new land will allow the polytechnic to plan for future growth to meet the needs of students and industry partners for decades to come. A student residence is expected to be one of the first developments on NAIT’s Blatchford land.” The terms of the deal were not disclosed “because it could undermine ongoing negotiations.”
• Councillor Jon Dziadyk was planning to use $44,000 of taxpayer money to pay for his Executive MBA at the University of Alberta, but after a public outcry he apologized and said he’ll repay the $11,000 already spent. In addition to the cost, completing an MBA takes considerable time.
• Former mayor and Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel has been deemed ineligible to run as a candidate or serve as CFO in the 2019 election, apparently because of missed deadlines or improperly submitted paperwork. Mandel is challenging the decision, saying “we think this was a big mistake that was made and the court will correct it and we’ll move on.”
• TransEd, the company building the Valley Line LRT, has proposed temporary shutting down 95 Avenue to speed up construction, but many in the community are opposed saying local businesses would be negatively affected.
• In the latest episode of Speaking Municipally, Troy and I discuss Dziadyk’s flip flop, LRT stations as refuge from the cold, and business owners’ chilly response to closing 95 Avenue.
• The City of Edmonton is now considering replicating the Harbin Gate instead of resurrecting the old one, based on a recommendation from the Harbin design team. The new location for the gate will be on 97 Street at 101A Avenue, to commemorate where the original Chinatown was located. “The earliest the gate would be in place at the new location is October 2020.”
• Peters’ Drive-In is planning to setup shop in Edmonton near Gateway Boulevard and 51 Avenue. “The popular burger joint first opened shop in Calgary in 1962 by Gus Pieters, who immigrated from the Netherlands eight years prior.”
• Edmonton Transit has implemented mid-winter bus schedule adjustments. More than 30 schedules have been modified!
• “Maybe we have to start thinking about a life after oil,” says the City of Edmonton’s Chief Economist John Rose. He said Edmonton should focus on exporting brain power, technologies, and intellectual property.
• Michael Phair has been reappointed as chair of the University of Alberta Board of Governors for a second three-year term.
• The Edmonton Heritage Council is looking for expressions of interest to join the board of directors! The deadline to apply is Feb. 25.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Health Innovation, Music, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups. Here’s what you need to know about the discussions coming up at City Council.

Hoth LRT, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• Thursday, Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day. Sunday, Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. Monday, Feb. 18 is Family Day!
• The Silver Skate Festival is on at Hawrelak Park! Also there is Ice Castles Edmonton.
• EMP FEST is “an interdisciplinary Employment Festival” taking place at the University of Alberta all week long.
• Anita Sarkeesian is speaking at the Myer Horowitz Theatre on Monday evening about the costs of online harassment.
• The Struggle is Real Edmonton: Just Hit Pause takes place Monday night at Work Nicer Beaver House.
• The Alberta Regionals of the Canadian Improv Games run Tuesday to Saturday this week at the Wildfire Teen Improv Festival.
• Cirque du Soleil: Crystal starts Wednesday at Rogers Place and runs through Sunday.
• Learn about the Reconciling Edmonton project on Wednesday night at the Art Gallery of St. Albert.
• Edmonton Opera’s Valentine’s Gala takes place Thursday night at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Winefest runs Friday and Saturday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Terry Crews has been announced as a special guest speaker for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters upcoming event on Feb. 20 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Swingin’ City Sundays at City Hall every Sunday in January and February.
• Plan your winter calendar with Taproot’s guide to festivals and events taking place in the Edmonton area this 2018/2019 winter season!

Ice Castles Edmonton 2019

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Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Stay warm and safe out there! Crews are busy clearing snow, but the temperature isn’t going to improve anytime soon. It could be -34 C on Tuesday, with a wind chill of -46 C.
• Dale McPhee was sworn in as Edmonton’s 23rd police chief at a ceremony at City Hall on Friday. “Our crime rate has been far too high for far too long. We need to take this personally,” he said.
• EEDC said on Wednesday that it lost $375,000 in a “fraudulent financial transaction” and that it was working with authorities and legal counsel to try to recover the funds. The next day, Council’s Audit Committee voted to ask the City Auditor to audit EEDC this year rather than waiting until 2020 as previously planned.
• The casino at Northlands Park closed on Friday. It opened in 1996. The slot and gambling machines will be refurbished and used at Century Mile Entertainment Centre near the Edmonton International Airport when it opens later this year.
• The City of Edmonton is now enforcing the Animal Protection Act “on an interim basis” after the Edmonton Humane Society decided it would no longer be able to provide the service.
• New plans for the Imagine Jasper Avenue project include “wider sidewalks lined with plant beds and canopy trees, as well as seating areas and shelters at every bus stop.” Work is expected to begin this fall and will last into 2022.
• A new pilot project for separating organics will begin in April with 8,000 homes spread across 7 wards. “Just how waste separation might work in apartments and condos is still under discussion.”
• Edmonton was the answer to a question in a recent episode of Jeopardy. On the board for $1,200: “Found on the North Saskatchewan River, this petroleum and meat packing city was established as a fort in 1795.”
• In Episode 23 of Speaking Municipally we discuss the Commonwealth Walkway, open data and FOIP, and accessibility at LRT stations.
• According to Capital City Clean Up, about 45% fewer needles were found on public property by City crews last year compared to 2017.
• The deadline to nominate someone for the 2019 Mayor’s Awards for championing inclusivity is March 8.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Health Innovation, Music, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups. Here’s what you need to know about the discussions coming up at City Council.
• Heads up: another system-wide LRT shutdown is planned for Sunday, February 10. “Customers will still see trains running on the tracks, but will not be permitted to board.”

Ice Castles in 2017

Upcoming Events

• The YouthfulCities 2019 Urban Work Index will launch on Monday monring at TEC Edmonton.
• February 5 is Toque Tuesday!
• The Oilers host the Blackhawks on Tuesday and the Sharks on Saturday at Rogers Place.
• Wednesday is Winter Walk Day and Friday is Winter Bike to Work Day.
• The Local Good presents Green Drinks: Reconciliation on Wednesday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Justin Timberlake performs at Rogers Place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
• The North Central Teachers’ Convention takes place Thursday and Friday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• The Edmonton RV EXPO & Sale runs Thursday to Sunday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• The Silver Skate Festival kicks off on Friday!
• The Canadian Birkie Ski Festival runs Friday to Sunday.
• Pecha Kucha Night 33 takes place on Friday evening at the Royal Alberta Museum.
• Celebrate Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Pig” on Saturday starting at 11am in Chinatown (near Pacific Rim Mall).
• I’m really excited for How Nature Shapes Us on Saturday afternoon, a collaboration between Let’s Find Out and Taproot Edmonton.
• Terry Crews has been announced as a special guest speaker for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters upcoming event on Feb. 20 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Ice Castles Edmonton runs until March, weather permitting, in Hawrelak Park.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Swingin’ City Sundays at City Hall every Sunday in January and February.
• Plan your winter calendar with Taproot’s guide to festivals and events taking place in the Edmonton area this 2018/2019 winter season!

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Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• According to the latest employee engagement survey, 24% of City of Edmonton employees report being harassed at work and about 26% say they’ve witnessed harassment or descrimination taking place. That’s an increase from 2016. “I’m not happy with the results,” said city manager Linda Cochrane.
• This is How We Work is a new workforce initiative at the City of Edmonton that aims to ensure staff are “trained, productive and happy on their first day, their last day, and every day in between.”
• It finally happened! Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli was fired this week. “But ousting one or two employees or benching a player will not fix what ails this franchise,” wrote the Edmonton Journal’s editorial team. Also be sure to check out this incredible piece from Oilers Nation: Doing nothing would have been better than following Chiarelli’s plan.
• With more than 8.2 million passengers served, 2018 was the best year ever for the Edmonton International Airport. That’s a 5.8% increase over 2017.
• The results of the second Edmonton Women’s Quality of Life Scorecard were released on Friday. “After two years progress appears mixed, with improvements in some areas, little change in others, and ongoing areas of concern.”
• The City says making collision data available in the open data catalogue would violate provincial privacy laws, though Calgary is able to make their data available every ten minutes. I’ glad for Conrad Nobert’s work on this file, and I really hope Council pushes back.
• The Government of Alberta, in partnership with the City of Leduc and the Edmonton International Airport, is building a new $33 million interchange to connect 65 Avenue with EIA’s Perimeter Road. Somehow this interchange, which unless I’m missing something is a road for vehicles to travel on, is expected to generate “$600 million in investment growth” and “4,300 permanent, multi-sector jobs”.
• The Edmonton Shift Lab is now recruiting its 2.0 Core Lab Team to address the question, How might we create better anti-racism interventions that acknowledge everyone’s humanity and create behaviour change? The Lab starts in March and runs until September.
• The City has launched the Home Energy Plan program to enable homeowners to receive an extra 20% money back on home energy evaluations and retrofits.
• From the Government of Alberta: “Calgary-based Value Creation Inc…is on track to invest $2 billion in an upgrading facility in the Alberta Industrial Heartland, just east of Edmonton, which will create more than 2,000 construction jobs and another 200 full-time positions once the facility is up and running.”
• CBRE Canada’s Q4 2018 report says Edmonton’s office market has seen the highest demand since 2012 thanks in part to three “trophy” buildings. The downtown office vacancy rate was 18.2% at the end of 2018.
• Ryan Smyth’s home is on the market and it can be yours for just $7.75 million. Smyth and his family have moved to a suburb just outside Nashville.
• Council voted to keep going with the calcium chloride pilot until the end of the winter.
• Are you ready for electric scooters and e-bike share programs in Edmonton?
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Health Innovation, Music, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups. We’re back at it this week!

New interchange to create jobs, attract investment, photo by Premier of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• The Edmonton Career Fair & Training Expo takes place on Tuesday at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is hosting Your Future in Energy Efficiency on Tuesday afternoon.
• The FarmTech Conference runs Tuesday to Thursday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• RECOVER, Edmonton’s Urban Wellness Plan, is hosting a community workshop on Tuesday evening at Trinity Lutheran Church.
• Ice on Whyte‘s second weekend runs Thursday to Sunday in Old Strathcona.
• Carissa Halton is speaking at the St. Albert Public Library on Thursday evening about her book, Little Yellow House: Finding Community in a Changing Neighbourhood, and “what one of Edmonton’s oldest, most notorious neighbourhoods can teach us about community development and making our communities thrive.”
• The Arkells are playing Rogers Place on Thursday evening.
• The City is hosting an Imagine Jasper Avenue Information Session on Thursday night at Oliver School.
• ATB presents Tech on Tap: Disrupt or be Disrupted on Thursday evening at Situation Brewing.
• Flying Canoë Volant runs Thursday to Saturday at Mill Creek Ravine and La Cité Francophone.
• Rogers Hometown Hockey is at the Leduc Recreation Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• The 2019 Chamber Ball takes place Saturday evening at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Paul Brandt performs at Rogers Place on Saturday evening.
• Terry Crews has been announced as a special guest speaker for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters upcoming event on Feb. 20 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• Ice Castles Edmonton opened up in Hawrelak Park for the new year! It runs until March, weather permitting.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Swingin’ City Sundays at City Hall every Sunday in January and February.
• Plan your winter calendar with Taproot’s guide to festivals and events taking place in the Edmonton area this 2018/2019 winter season!

Inside Rogers Place

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Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• An investment of $2.5 million from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund will support the rebuilding of the Roxy Theatre. “This funding will support the construction of a new 14,639-square-foot Roxy Theatre, which will be rebuilt in its original location on 124th Street. The new facility will include a 200-seat black box theatre, an 80-seat studio theatre, a rehearsal hall and a gallery in the lobby. It will also be fully accessible for audiences and artists with disabilities.”
• J.C. Sherritt has announced he is retiring from professional football after spending eight years with the Edmonton Eskimos. “Just to get to call myself an Edmonton Eskimo for the rest of my life means a great deal,” he said.
• Council will be discussing the snow & ice program this week and there will be tough questions about the memo on calcium chloride that recently surfaced. “Councillor Scott McKeen, who reviewed the memo, previously said he plans to make an inquiry as to why city administration did not share it with councillors.”
• David Edey, who served as Edmonton’s City Clerk from 1997 to 2008, passed away on January 10. “David’s work paved the way for Council to do their best work,” said City Manager Linda Cochrane. “He was an unwavering supporter of staff and his community, always believing that a helping hand could make a meaningful difference.”
• The Hyatt brand is returning to Edmonton with a new hotel in the former Enbridge Tower (the one on 102 Street with the peaked roof).
• The suicide barriers that were installed on the High Level Bridge a few years ago are failing to prevent crisis calls according to a new Edmonton Police Commission report. “It’s very troubling that we still have these numbers,” said Councillor Scott McKeen.
• The new Edmonton Opera Centre is located inside a 22,000-square-foot brick warehouse in the northwest part of Edmonton. “The opera centre is also home to the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, set builds for Opera Nuova and rehearsals of The Singing Christmas Tree, among other groups.”
• According to Environment Canada, the rest of the winter is likely to have above normal temperatures.
• Information sessions on upcoming Neighbourhood Renewal work are taking place over the next few weeks at Royal Gardens, Highlands, Alberta Avenue, Inglewood, and Strathcona.
• The LRT will be completely shutdown on Sunday, January 27 to accommodate testing of the Thales signalling system. “Customers will still see trains running on the tracks, but will not be permitted to board.”
• The Edmonton Arts Council anticipates adding 11 new public artworks to the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection in 2019, five of which are by Edmonton-based artists.
• From Linda Hoang: 10 Vietnamese Edmonton Entrepreneurs Worth Following.
• Episode 21 of Speaking Municipally covers the bike share, calcium chloride, and everything else that City Council was discussing this past week. The latest Council Roundup has everything you need to know about the week ahead.
• Get the latest on Media, Tech, Health Innovation, Music, and Council with Taproot Edmonton’s latest roundups. We’re back at it this week!

High Level bridge and North Saskatchewan River, photo by rjbeeswax

Upcoming Events

• Chinatown Dining Week continues until January 27 with 8 participating restaurants! Here’s a feature on Chef Fuqing Qin who makes hand-pulled noodles at his restaurant Fuqing Lanzhou Noodles.
• Cybera presents The Nuts and Bolts of Data Science for Entrepreneurs on Tuesday at Startup Edmonton.
• The Oilers host the Red Wings on Tuesday evening at Rogers Place.
• Alberta Music is hosting Download YEG: The Art of Conversation on Tuesday evening at the ATB Branch for Arts and Culture.
• TEDxMacEwanU takes place on Wednesday at the Betty Andrews Recital Hall.
• The Edmonton Business Association is hosting its AGM & Luncheon on Wednesday at the Sawridge Inn with ATB Financial’s Todd Hirsch.
• Premier Rachel Notley is speaking at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday at The Westin Edmonton.
• Ice on Whyte kicks off on Thursday!
• The Alberta Student Leadership Summit runs Friday to Saturday at the Students’ Union Building at the U of A.
• Organic Alberta is hosting its annual central conference in Fort Saskatchewan from Friday to Saturday.
• The Edmonton Renovation Show takes place at the Edmonton EXPO Centre from Friday to Saturday.
• The Edmonton Pet Expo takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• EFCL is hosting Community Engagement 101 on Saturday at the EFCL offices.
• The Harlem Globetrotters are at Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon.
• The 5th annual South West Ski Fest takes place on Saturday in Blue Quill.
• Ice Castles Edmonton opened up in Hawrelak Park for the new year! It runs until March, weather permitting.
• The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Swingin’ City Sundays at City Hall every Sunday in January and February.
• Plan your winter calendar with Taproot’s guide to festivals and events taking place in the Edmonton area this 2018/2019 winter season!

Legislature Lights Segway Tour

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