Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The provincial budget was unveiled this week and it included $1.5 billion in LRT funding for Edmonton which means the Valley Line LRT West will go ahead as planned. “This means the Government of Alberta recognizes the importance of public transit in building a prosperous city,” said Mayor Don Iveson in a statement. On the other hand, Edmonton’s share of MSI funding will drop “by $61 million this year and hold at that lower rate until a new deal is negotiated.”
• The Winspear Centre received $13 million in funding in the provincial budget, to support its planned expansion. The centre now has “about 50 per cent of the estimated $53 million needed for the completion project.”
• The Edmonton Galleria project was “suspended” this week. “It’s a mess,” wrote Paula Simons, wondering what will happen to the “deluxe pedway to nowhere.” I wrote about why I thought Council was wrong to support the project back in 2014.
• City Council has voted to permanently close the Coliseum, which means it’ll likely be demolished. This was the right decision, long overdue.
• “The new epicentre of Edmonton’s downtown? It’s located in what used to be a rundown area of cheap buildings and dusty parking lots,” says David Staples in a piece on the JW Marriott Edmonton which has topped out at 56 storeys.
• The City of Edmonton has taken over the Boyle Street Plaza from the Boyle Street Community League citing mismanagement. As of August 31, the YMCA will take over operations.
• Congratulations to Edmonton’s 2018 Hall of Fame inductees! The Salute to Excellence induction ceremony will take place on June 11 at the Winspear Centre.
• Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht is thinking about extending his contract, which is set to expire on October 31, 2018. He first took over as chief in 2011.
• EPSB is looking for a new high school in the Meadows at a cost of $79 million as part of its new capital plan.
• The Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall will be Alberta’s largest casino by the time construction is finished in August. “The casino will have capacity for 32 gaming tables, eight poker tables, 850 slot machines and about 2,000 customers, including restaurants.” It is replacing the old Palace Casino.
• With his term as historian laureate coming to an end this month, Chris Chang-Yen Phillips reflects on his role.
• You’ve probably seen the advertisements for Vision 2050, which is an update to the City’s strategic plan. There are a series of workshops taking place this week, plus you can fill out the online survey until March 30. Here are some of the other open surveys the City is currently running.
• Here are the finalists for the City’s HealthHack competition. “The finalists have until April 16, 2018, to work on their prototypes. Winners will be announced on April 20, 2018.”
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

E-Town, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• Outgoing EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson will “reflect on his tenure with EEDC and discuss the challenges facing the Edmonton Business Community” at a lunchtime event at NAIT on Tuesday.
• Tuesday night is Fan Appreciation Night at Rogers Place as the Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
• The City is hosting an orientation session for the Vacant Lot Cultivation Pilot Project on Tuesday evening at the John Walter Museum.
• Nancy Southern, CEO of ATCO, will be recognized at this year’s annual Canadian Business Leader Award dinner on Wednesday.
• Edmonton Opera is hosting Opera 101: Staging Don Giovanni during #MeToo on Wednesday evening at CKUA.
• LIGHTS is performing at the Winspear Centre on Thursday evening.
• Roll Call is “a place for people who are just getting into speaking to share their ideas and get comfortable with speaking in front of crowd” and they’re holding an introductory speaking event on Friday morning at Homestead Coworking.
• Video Games Live is taking place the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Friday evening.
• Easter Hoppenings takes place at the Muttart Conservatory on Sunday.
• The next Green Drinks, Farm to Fork, is coming up on April 4.
• The Global Edmonton Woman of Vision luncheon is coming up at the Shaw Conference Centre on April 6.
• Happy Easter!

Downtown Library March 2018, photo by jasonwoodhead23

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Edmonton is an official Candidate Host City for United 2026, the joint Canadian, Mexican, and American bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The other two Canadian cities included in the bid are Montreal and Toronto. The Alberta government has said it will not provide financial support.
• Paula Simons on the ridiculous gondola idea: “They haven’t even legalized pot yet. I don’t know what all the rest of you have been smoking, but this is nuts.”
• The City released an update this week that increased the estimated price of the Valley Line LRT West from $1.8 billion to more than $2.2 billion. And that “does not include grade separation for 104 Avenue and 109 Street downtown.” With driverless vehicles and other technology seemingly just around the corner, would an expensive LRT line be obsolete before it even opens? Yes, argues Magnovate founder Dan Corns.
• Mayor Don Iveson launched a new campaign this week called #YEGCommute “to spark a conversation with Edmontonians about commuting around our city and the need to improve commuting options in Edmonton.” You can find the sharable graphics here.
• Taking up the challenge, Lincoln Ho has put together some interesting transit commute time maps showing “the fastest possible time taken by using our transit system.”
• The City’s 2017 Operating Budget has recorded a $31 million surplus thanks in large part to savings on snow removal. “The savings will go into the city’s financial stabilization fund, unless directed elsewhere by city council.”
• New data from Statistics Canada shows the median take-home income in Edmonton “was $82,000 for families and individuals in 2016, while the median income in Calgary was $67,700.”
• New figures from the Edmonton Social Planning Council show that Edmonton Food Bank use jumped by over 10,000 people from 2014 to 2017.
• The Edmonton Public Library celebrated its 105th birthday this week! “We couldn’t do what we do without the continued support of our customers – thank you #yeg!”
• Mayor Iveson’s campaign promise of free transit for kids under 13 could become a reality for “a few hundred thousand dollars”, something that Council will consider later this year.
• The inaugural Global Sports Impact Canada Index has Edmonton ranked second to Montreal for the top city in Canada for hosting sports events.
• Roberto Alomar wrote a letter to City Council earlier this month urging them to keep RE/MAX Field open. “The city is looking at several options for the area after the 2020-2021 mark; some of which include RE/MAX Field and some that don’t.”
• The Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport (what a mouthful) is opening on May 2 and retailers are looking for an estimated 1,300 workers.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Dismount and Walk, photo by More Bike Lanes Please (be sure to read the caption)

Upcoming Events

• The Leftovers Foundation is launching Leftovers YEG on Monday evening at Northern Chicken.
• Evolving Infill is hosting another drop-in Conversation Fair on Tuesday evening at the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre.
• Nerd Nite Edmonton #41 is happening on Tuesday night at the ATB Financial Arts Barns.
• Buildex 2018, Edmonton’s largest tradeshow for the construction, architecture, and property management industries, takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• This year’s edition of the Mac & Cheese Luncheon, hosted by the Inner City Agencies Foundation, takes place on Thursday at The Westin Edmonton.
• Hedley is performing at Rogers Place on Thursday evening.
• The 2018 Edmonton Home & Garden Show takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday to Sunday.
• Michelle Obama is speaking at Rogers Place on Friday afternoon.
• Also speaking in Edmonton on Friday, at MacEwan University, is Chad Michael Murray.
• Make It Edmonton is holding its spring show at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday.
• Ladies Learning Code is holding a workshop on Building a Web Store with Shopify and Liquid on Saturday at Startup Edmonton.
• A march in solidarity with the students of Parkland will take place at the Alberta Legislature on Saturday at 1pm.
• HempFest Cannabis Expo 2018 is taking place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Oilers host the Kings on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday at Rogers Place. After the weekend, there will be just six games left in the Oilers season.
• The spring edition of the Pop Culture Fair takes place Sunday at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
• Earth Hour 2018 takes place at 8:30pm on Friday Sunday night!
• Save the date: the Edmonton Volunteer Fair is coming up on April 14 at West Edmonton Mall.

At the Cities & Climate Change Science Conference, photo by UCLG

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• In looking back at the Cities and Climate Change Science Conference that was held in Edmonton this past week, Mayor Don Iveson says “cities are where invention happens.”
• Scott Croxall finished fourth in the Red Bull Crashed Ice event here in Edmonton this weekend, but that was enough to put him on top as the Ice Cross Downhill World Champion. “This season marked the 14th year for the Ice Cross Downhill Championships, as athletes from 17 different countries descended upon the downhill track at Edmonton’s Louise McKinney Riverfront Park in front of an enthusiastic crowd.”
• Some VIPs were given a tour of the Raymond Block this week, the new building going up at the corner of 103 Street and 82 Avenue. Remedy Cafe is opening it’s seventh location in the building! Other tenants include Five Guys, Blaze Pizza, 7-Eleven, and Miniso. The building is slated to open in the fall.
• Edmonton’s Brenda Lucki has been named the RCMP’s new commissioner, “the first woman to take on the top post permanently.” She’s a 32-year veteran of the force.
• A new report says bus rapid transit to Griesbach and beyond would cost nearly as much as a full LRT line.
• In discussing Alberta’s economic recovery, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Janet Riopel says “things on the ground appear to be still as much of a struggle as ever.” She cited “increases to minimum wage, small business tax changes and property tax increases as barriers to growth.”
• Gene Dub has donated a $3-million building in the McCauley neighbourhood to Pregnancy Pathways. “Capital Region Housing will operate the building, while Pregnancy Pathways will offer the necessary supports.”
• The winner of the Edmonton Project is an eight-car, 3.2-kilometre-long gondola over the river valley.
• The City and the University of Alberta are working together on a pilot technology called “connected vehicles”. “Vehicles with the technology will be able to inform each other about road conditions, how long a green light will last or when pedestrians are about to cross the road.”
• City Council will be discussing the creation of its first LGBTQ2 advisory committee this week. “If approved, council will be asked to approve a draft terms of reference, a bylaw to allow for the committee and funding of about $100,000 to run it.”
• The Edmonton Ski Club has secured $1.1 million in grants from the City and the Province to ensure it can keep running over the next few years while the Valley Line LRT is built.
• You have until March 27 to fill out the City’s survey on the Edmonton Downtown Public Places Plan.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• The High School Culinary Challenge Awards Dinner takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Monday evening.
• VA Angels Edmonton is hosting its March 2018 Forum on Tuesday afternoon at the Royal Glenora Club.
• There’s a 2029 Arts & Heritage Engagement Session taking place at the Art Gallery of Alberta on Tuesday evening. You can see other upcoming engagement sessions here and be sure to check out some of the initial stories.
• ECVO is holding a Board to Board Networking event on Tuesday night at the Varscona Hotel.
• Startup Edmonton and the Undergraduate Association of Computing Science (UACS) are holding a Computing Science Industry Mixer on Wednesday afternoon at the Centennial Centre for Inderdisciplinary Science.
• DemoCamp Edmonton 40 follows immediately after the mixer in CCIS L2-200!
• Evolving Infill is hosting a drop-in conversation fair on Wednesday evening at the Chateau Louis Hotel.
• The 2018 Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen Show is at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Thursday to Sunday.
• CPRS Edmonton is hosting a lunchtime event on PR and the news media on Friday at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel.
• Edmonton’s NextGen presents Pecha Kucha Night 30 at NAIT’s Shaw Theatre on Friday night.
• Latitude 53 is hosting Music in the Dark on Friday night. “Prepare to be blindfolded and swept away to a world of harmony and dissonance!”
• CBC Edmonton is holding an open house on Saturday.
• Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, so enjoy all the green!

Crashed Ice Finish Line, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The new YEG Culture Map website launched this week, “to celebrate our past and build our 10-year community plan for Edmonton’s Arts and Heritage.” On the website there’s a map where you can place a lobstick. “Rooted in Indigenous tradition, lobsticks were used to mark significant locations.”
• At Open Data Day on Saturday the City launched HealthHack, a competition in support of Edmonton’s Smart Cities Challenge that invites “proposals on improving our four health indicators of mental health, physical health, social health and economic health.” Submissions open March 5 with proposals due March 9.
• There were 168 Fentanyl-related deaths in Edmonton last year. Here are all the numbers behind the impact of opioids in our city.
• It took longer than promised to arrive, but the snow did eventually fall this weekend. As a result, a seasonal parking ban has been declared on collector roads and bus routes starting Monday, March 5.
• So much for being a winter city: our new funicular can’t handle the cold and snow! Since opening on December 9, it has been “out of service for three days due to extreme cold or blowing snow, challenges not foreseen during the design.” Right?! I mean, who could have foreseen weather in Edmonton!
• City Council approved the permanent closure of the Coliseum this week. “One of the options is to demolish the Coliseum, which could cost the city between $15 million and $25 million. It costs about $1.5 million annually to keep the facility heated, lit and secure.”
• Former mayor Stephen Mandel was chosen as the new leader of the Alberta Party. “Mandel does not have a seat, but said he has no plans to seek one until the 2019 election.”
• City Council voted to remove the temporary restriction on combative sports events, effective immediately. The ban had been in effect since December 9, 2017.
• The City is seeking comments on a proposed land use framework for cannabis retail stores. Comments will be accepted until March 21, 2018.
• A five-foot tall paper lantern that changes colors based on the Air Quality Health Index will be installed at City Hall this summer.
• Council began discussing a wide-ranging new policy “covering everything from accepting gifts, to negotiating on behalf of council without permission, to rules of decorum in meetings.” Should they be on their phones during meetings?
• The Province announced this week that it will spend up to $1 billion to spur construction of partial bitumen upgraders.
• City crews have filled nearly 5,000 potholes since the start of the year, getting a head start on the more than 400,000 that will be filled in 2018.
• Matthew Dance: Releasing open data on road collisions could save lives.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• Edmonton is hosting the Cities and Climate Change Science Conference this week at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Avenue Edmonton will celebrate its Best Restaurants list for 2018 at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Monday evening.
• The Local Good is hosting Green Drinks: YEG Climate on Wednesday night at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Thursday is International Women’s Day. There are plenty of events celebrating the day, such as interVivos’ #girlbossyeg.
• This year’s SkirtsAfire Festival takes place from Thursday to Sunday.
• eHUB’s next Spark pitch event takes place on Friday night in HUB Mall.
• Red Bull Crashed Ice takes place in Louise McKinney Riverfront Park on Friday and Saturday.
• Head over to The Mercury Room on Saturday afternoon for a panel on green onion cakes recorded live for the Let’s Find Out podcast.
• The Alberta Cheerleading Association’s Cheerleading Championships take place on the weekend at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• The 2018 Mom, Pop & Tots Fair will take place at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Saturday and Sunday.
• Also at the Edmonton Expo Centre on the weekend is the Edmonton Golf Show 2018.
• TEDxUAlberta 2018 takes place Sunday afternoon at the ATB Financial Arts Barn.
• Edmonton’s NextGen presents Pecha Kucha Night 30 on March 16 at NAIT. The event will feature past presenters for encore presentations, and tickets are on sale now!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Initial community engagement sessions for the successor to The Art of Living, Edmonton’s arts & heritage plan, are starting this week and run through March. “The new 10-year Arts & Heritage Plan will be unique to Edmonton, and will provide strong recommendations that will infuse the arts into every aspect of the civic landscape.” A new website for the plan is launching on Tuesday.
• “Healthy City” is Edmonton’s theme for Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge. “The Healthy City theme has the potential to address challenges such as reducing the incidence of disease, increasing social inclusion or reducing homelessness or related issues.” You can submit your ideas at the new Healthy City project website. Proposals are due to Infrastructure Canada on April 24.
• The City is replacing Edmonton’s three oldest bus transit buildings this year, thanks in part to funding from the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. “Work is currently underway at Belvedere and Jasper Place, and construction for Castle Downs will begin in March.” The work should all be completed this fall.
• Paula Simons on the Valley Line LRT West: “The plan for a massive interchange at 149 Street and Stony Plain Road is one of those trial balloons that needs to be popped immediately. Preferably with a rocket launcher.”
• The Edmonton Police Service unveiled its new $5.9 million Air 1 helicopter on Friday. “Because the new Air 1 is better, stronger, and faster than our previous helicopters, we can provide a greater level of safety and support across the city,” said Greg Preston, acting police chief.
• Hello, Let’s Eat! is “a pilot project that encourages Edmontonians to connect over a meal.” You can apply to host a community meal at no cost for groups up to 24 people.
• Mayor Don Iveson has launched a lobbyist registry. Anyone who wants to meet with the mayor’s office to discuss financial interests or policy changes will now have to register.
• Grass, leaves, and yard clippings may be banned from curbside pickup in Edmonton if proposed changes are approved by Council.
• A new report from Stantec says “there is a general risk of committing new LRT lines to a 100+ yr. old bridge that has suffered serious corrosion and section loss prior to 1994, with some further deterioration since.” Apparently the concrete foundations can no longer carry the weight of LRT trains.
• The Marc’s Patrick Saurette is the new board chair of Restaurants Canada.
• The Oilers traded Mark Letestu to the Nashville Predators for Pontus Aberg. They also sent Brandon Davidson to the Islanders for a 3rd round pick. With the trade deadline looming, apparently seven teams are calling about Patrick Maroon.
• Ten new ETS buses will be outfitted with retractable shields in a pilot project aimed at reducing assaults on drivers.
• Finance Minister Bill Morneau will once again wear Edmonton’s Poppy Barley shoes when the budget is unveiled on Tuesday.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Bike Lane Ice Capades, photo by More Bike Lanes Please

Upcoming Events

• The Alberta Spring Gift Fair takes place at the Edmonton Expo Centre until Wednesday.
• The City is hosting two more engagement sessions for the Centre LRT Study on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
• There are also a series of drop-in events for the Downtown Public Places Plan.
• The Oil Kings host the Tigers at Rogers Place on Tuesday afternoon, the Hitmen on Friday night, and the Pats on Sunday.
• The Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention is at the Shaw Conference Centre on Thursday and Friday.
• The Yards is hosting its Spring 2018 Salon & AGM on Thursday evening at CKUA.
• The Oilers host the Predators on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday.
• The New Earth Expo is making its first stop in Edmonton on the weekend, taking place at the Edmonton Expo Centre from Friday to Sunday.
• If you like cars, check out Edmonton World of Wheels at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The event runs Friday to Sunday.
• The Alberta Business Awards of Distinction take place on Friday at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel.
• A rally for International Women’s Day takes place on Saturday afternoon. Gather at Corbett Hall at 1pm.
• Open Data Day takes place Saturday at the downtown branch of the Edmonton Public Library. The event takes place from 9:30am until 4pm.
• Save the date! Green Drinks: YEG Climate takes place on March 7 at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Heads up! Red Bull Crashed Ice Edmonton takes place in Louise McKinney Riverfront Park on March 9 & 10.

Old Bank of Montreal, photo by Jason Woodhead