Happy Halloween! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• City Council this week approved metal detectors and bag searches for Council Chambers at City Hall, and also voted to build a half wall with a glass partition to separate themselves from the public. The Journal’s editorial put it bluntly: “Our elected officials don’t belong behind glass.” Even worse, the decision was made in private. Councillor Mike Nickel said Administration has “been obstructionist” about releasing information to the public. I think less should be done in camera at Council but am reasonably happy with initiatives like Open City that are pushing the City to be more transparent with citizens.
• In other Council news this week, they voted to no longer sit on the Northlands board citing a conflict of interest.
• The proposed 2017-2018 Utility Budget calls for a rate increase of $1.90 per month for waste services and $1.00 per month for drainage services for typical residential customers. That’s less than was expected based on the three-year budget Council passed last year.
• Smart Bus Technology has now been installed on all 928 buses in the ETS fleet. That means you can get real-time route information for every bus in the city through an app, or in the Open Data Catalogue.
• You probably saw the New York Times feature on the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid. It’s really not about our city at all, but that ddn’t stop the inevitable “back on the map” comments. I’m with Stacey Brotzel on this one.
• The doors are finally open at the brand new Hyatt Place Edmonton on 96 Street in The Quarters. The hotel has 255 rooms and 32 suites.
• Fixing Edmonton’s back alleys could require a 1.27% tax increase. There are 1,175 km of back alleys in the City.
• Alex Prior is the new chief conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. At 24, he’s less than half the age of the 51-year-old Bill Eddins, who he is replacing.
• The YMCA of Northern Alberta has announced it will be closing its downtown Edmonton housing complex next year, forcing about 120 people to find new homes.
• Bernie Kollman has been appointed Board Chair with Travel Alberta for another year. Congrats Bernie! It’s great to have such a respected Edmontonian in that position.
• The City has released a new app called WasteWise, to help you sort your recyclables and trash. Get in in the app stores or at edmonton.ca/waste.
• Michael Ross has taken a look at gender quality during the last municipal election. “There was absolutely no chance of there being anywhere from 9-13 women on council, as 5 races were contested solely by men.”
• Thursday was Curb the Danger day in Edmonton to celebrate “10 successful years of intercepting and removing impaired drivers from Edmonton streets.”
• Eat Alberta is looking for new volunteers to join their organizing team. “Eat Alberta is a non-for-profit organization, run entirely by volunteers, based in Edmonton that focuses on helping Albertans learn about food through a mix of small events, classes, multimedia content, and our annual flagship Conference event.”
• Now that the food truck season is largely over, we’re thinking about 2017. You can help us plan – please fill out the quick What the Truck?! 2016 Season Survey.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Brick and the Blues, photo by Jeff Wallace

Upcoming Events

• Lots of Halloween events took place this week but there are still a few to check out – here’s Linda’s listing. And here’s a bonus Halloween post from Linda – how to make your own Snapchat filter costume!
• Edmonton’s NextGen is hosting a volunteer recruitment event on Tuesday at City Hall.
• The next Green Drinks event takes place on Wednesday at Yellowhead Brewery. The theme this edition is Good Business.
• Rodeo Week kicks off on Friday! The annual Chili Cook-off takes place at Churchill Square on Friday during lunch.
• Learn all about the historic Mercer Warehouse at L.I.T. on Location taking place on Friday afternoon.
• Head over to the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday for the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival.
• Method Man & Redman are performing at Union Hall on Friday.
• The Alberta Ballet’s Dracula takes place at the Jubilee on Friday and Saturday.
• Winter City Footie Fest takes place on Saturday at Churchill Square. Go cheer on FC Edmonton!
• The Eskimos host the Argonauts at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday.
• Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire are playing Rogers Place on Saturday.
• The Writer’s Union of Canada is hosting a YouthWrite Fundraiser on Sunday at Latitude 53 featuring Marilyn Dumont, Minister Faust, and others.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Elevate Food Fair opens in City Centre on Tuesday

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• The new Terwillegar Park Footbridge officially opened on Friday. “Construction of the $24.5 million Terwillegar Park Footbridge began in August 2014 and construction of the $3.5 million West End Trails began in July 2015.” The new bridge is one of the longest stressed ribbon footbridges in the world at 262 metres in length.
• The City is planning to reduce the minimum parking requirement for all low density residential units from 2 parking spaces to 1.
• Congratulations to the winners of Edmonton’s first Infill Design Competition! More than 80 submissions were received.
• A survey on draft updated regulations for the Mature Neighbourhood Overlay (MNO) is now online and will remain open until November 4. The review is action 17 on Edmonton’s Infill Roadmap.
• As the vacancy rate rises downtown, Councillor Andrew Knack wants to see if those empty spaces can be used in new ways, such as art studios or startup space.
• Edmonton’s 29th fire station opened Saturday in Lewis Farms. The $12.4 million project achieved a LEED silver rating.
• From the latest issue of Monocle: “The city formerly known as ‘Deadmonton’ has been reanimated – and its vital signs are good. With an entrepreneurial spirit that’s as strong as any, it seems the Big E is coming alive.”
• The Edmonton Police Service has received the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Human and Civil Rights Award for its Emerging Communities Framework. “Last fall, as Syrian refugees began to arrive in Edmonton, the EPS Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Section developed a plan to reach out to this emerging community.” That plan was developed into the framework.
• Uber Edmonton announced that uberX prices are now an average of 13% cheaper. You can sign up here.
• The Purrfect Cup will be Edmonton’s very first cat cafe! They have an Indiegogo campaign with a goal of raising $40,000 to make it happen.
• Brad Simons owns a recording studio called Velveteen Audio and he wants to use it to help Edmonton musicians succeed in Edmonton.
• The City is looking for input on the Heritage Interpretive Plan for the River Crossing Project in West Rossdale. There’s an open house scheduled for November 8.
• Feedback received by the Province as part of its Municipal Government Act Review has been summarized and posted online.
• A new pilot project called Incline to Include is taking place on Whyte Avenue until November 15. Accessible ramps have been installed at selected storefronts in an attempt to make Whyte Avenue an inclusive and accessible place for all.
• A number of Edmonton projects, including the Federal Building and the City’s new Edmonton Tower, are finalists in the 2016 Alberta Construction Magazine awards.
• Check out the latest renderings and floor plans for the Stanley Milner Revitalization project here.
• Liz Nicholls hsa the scoop on the end of the Douglas Udell Gallery which closed its doors on 124 Street this summer.
• Looking for an indoor trick-or-treat location for Halloween? Here are some options from Raising Edmonton. Plus, here are 9 haunted houses in Edmonton and area from Just another Edmonton mommy.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Skyline, photo by ALLEN QIAO乔谦之

Upcoming Events

• Enjoy fashion in support of the United Way and All In For Youth at the Art Gallery of Alberta on Monday evening.
• Startup Canada will present its Regional Awards for Alberta on Tuesday evening at The Westin Edmonton.
• Concert in the Dark takes place on Wednesday evening, supporting CNIB.
• The Oilers, fresh off a win in Winnipeg at the Heritage Classic today, host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
• The sequel to URBAN YEG’s For the People by the People takes place on Wednesday evening at Yellowhead Brewery.
• The Amiskwaciy History Series presents former UN delegate Ron Lameman on Thursday at the Stanley Milner Library.
• You can learn more about MacEwan University’s beekeeping project on Friday at lunch.
• The new Elevate Food Fare in Edmonton City Centre is launching on Friday afternoon!
• Check out ghost tours of Garneau and the University of Alberta at Halloween Haunt at Rutherford House taking place all weekend.
• The AGA’s latest Refinery event – Danse Macabre – takes place on Saturday evening.
• The City of Edmonton’s Planning Academy started this weekend and continues on Saturday with the second class on Urban Design.
• Halloween is on Monday this year. Don’t miss Linda’s Halloween event listing for Edmonton! And here’s another great listing from YEGDateNight.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Pedway Construction between Enbridge Centre and Manulife Place

The winter weather hit us hard this week! There’s still a fog advisory in effect for Edmonton and freezing rain is expected overnight, so drive safely tomorrow. On the plus side, temperatures are expected to hit double digits again by the end of the week! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice was among four who died in a plane crash this week. Here’s a statement from his family, a statement from Premier Rachel Notley, a statement from interim PC leader Ric McIver, and a statement from Mayor Don Iveson. The Journal’s editorial board wrote that “there was still a lingering sense that the 60-year-old had more to offer his province and his country.” Paula Simons wrote “I’ll always be sorry we never really had the chance to see what a Prentice premiership could have been.”
• The City says its winter roadway crews are “ready to plow into action.” You can check out the Major Roads Plow Map to see the progress of snow plows on major routes. Remember that sidewalks must be cleared within 48 hours of the end of a snowfall.
• City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to build a network of bike lanes downtown next summer. The $7.5 million grid will run along 100 Avenue, 102 Avenue, 99 Street, 103 Street, and 106 Street. It’s a start!
• This is bad news for downtown: the Province is moving 450 of its employees to other locations. That won’t help downtown’s growing vacancy rate, which currently sits at 13%. That figure should not be a surprise, given the large towers that are coming online now. Still, it would be nice to see the Government of Alberta lend its support.
• One of those new towers was Enbridge Centre, also known as the Kelly Ramsey Tower, which opened this week. “Enbridge Centre is downtown Edmonton’s first new Financial District Tower in 25 years.” Here’s a feature on James Ramsey, Edmonton’s Merchant Prince, from the Edmonton City as Museum Project.
• In case you missed it, this is a pretty amazing photo of Rogers Place (and here on Twitter) just before the first Oilers home game.
• Outside the bowl, it seems the beautiful Alex Janvier public art was covered up with garbage cans. Thankfully that didn’t last long and it is clear once again, hopefully for good.
• The City is reminding everyone to respect the rules for parking in business areas and residential neighbourhoods around Rogers Place.
• I’ve already commented on my issues with these two stories on Twitter, but here they are in case you didn’t see them: Tristin Hopper wrote in the National Post about the lack of parking at Rogers Place while Graham Hicks wrote in the Edmonton Sun about the impact of Rogers Place on downtown Edmonton’s nightlife.
• The Edmonton Public Library welcomed its first ever Illustrator in Residence this week, Dianna Bonder.
• More than 3,200 tickets were handed out during Operation 24 Hours this month, 2,645 of which were for speeding.
• Here’s a recap of the Alberta Open Data Summit from Troy Pavlek. “We have the opportunity to pave the way and shape exactly how we think a modern-era open city should look,” he wrote.
• The winners of the 2016 Edmonton International Film Festival were announced this week!
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo has been chosen to host a Canada 150 Celebration Garden.
• The next Municipal Election will take place a year from today, on Monday, October 16, 2017. Let the games begin!
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Premier Jim Prentice signing the City Charter framework agreement in 2014, photo by Government of Alberta

Upcoming Events

• This week is Small Business Week and also Edmonton Startup Week. There are dozens of related events to check out!
• You’ll need to stay caffienated to attend all of those events so you’ll be happy to know it is also Edmonton Coffee Week!
• LitFest continues this week at venues throughout the city. I’m looking forward to CANADALAND Live tomorrow night!
• The Oilers host the Hurricanes on Tuesday and the Blues on Thursday at Rogers Place. Sunday they are off to Winnipeg.
• Ready for Her: Edmonton is all about women in politics and it takes place Tuesday at the Lister Conference Centre at the University of Alberta.
• The Edmonton Career, Education & Settlement Immigrant Fair takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre on Wednesday.
• The next Capital Ideas Edmonton event takes place on Wednesday at the Edmonton Journal with the theme of running lean.
• Head over to City Hall at lunch on Thursday if you want to learn more about Edmonton’s Community Development Corporation.
• The next public meeting of the Edmonton Police Commission takes place on Thursday evening at City Hall.
• Chefs will be completing at the Gold Medal Plates on Thursday night at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• I hope you’ll join me and Karen on Thursday evening at the EPCOR Tower for Launch Party 7! We’re looking forward to showcasing Taproot Edmonton.
• Note the City Market Downtown has moved indoors now to City Hall for the winter.
• SkirtOberfest, a fundraiser for SkirtsAFire, takes place on Saturday at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Opening Night – Rogers Place, photo by Jeff Wallace

Happy Thanksgiving! I am back in Edmonton after a nice vacation to the Okanagan with Sharon. I’ll write something about that once I upload all of our photos. And once I warm up, as it was a bit of a shock to come back home and immediately have non-stop snow and below-zero temperatures!

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• In case you missed it: the City of Edmonton launched a redesigned website a couple of weeks ago. It’s responsive and features more self-service capabilities. I’m thrilled that all of my existing knowledge of the structure of the website still applies. Well done folks!
• The 2016 Vital Signs Report “focuses on social inclusion with a look toward newcomers in Edmonton.”
• Employment in the Edmonton region decreased by 8,500 jobs in August 2016, according to the latest Economic News newsletter from the City.
• The slumping economy is having an impact on charities, many of which are facing increased demand even as donations drop.
• Edmonton’s office vacancy rate rose slightly from July to September and that could be the start of a long-term increase according to a new report by real estate service firm Newmark Knight Frank Devencore.
• The Oilers made it official this week: Connor McDavid is the team’s newest captain. They also signed Kris Russell to a one-year contract.
• I think the recent upswing in positive tourism-related coverage of Edmonton has more to do with Travel Alberta and Edmonton Tourism finally doing something to cultivate attention rather than any major changes in our city, but I welcome it just the same.
• The City has provided $4 million in Cornerstones grant funding to Habitat for Humanity to build new homes for 75 families in the Edmonton area.
• For the second year in a row, the City of Edmonton has been named Canada’s most open city among 68 municipalities.
• Mayor Don Iveson has won the 2016 Urban Libraries Council Urban Leader Award for championing, promoting, and elevating Edmonton’s public library system.
• Congratulations to Phyllis Clark, Tim Fell, and Chris LaBossiere, who were appointed to the TEC Edmonton Board of Directors on September 29.
• “Pillars of the Community” is a piece of public art outside Rogers Place that features portraits of those who work at and use Boyle Street Community Services.
• The City is looking to develop programs to help reduce household food waste and they want your imput via an online survey that is open until October 11.
• The snow is here now, but if you’d like to enjoy the fall colors a little longer be sure to check out The Edmonton River Valley Panorama Project. Just beautiful.
• If you are ready for winter though, you’ll be happy to hear that the Edmonton Freezeway is expected to return with a possible expansion. Also, get prepared with 11 reasons to look forward to winter in Edmonton from I Heart Edmonton.
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Upcoming Events

• This week is Fire Prevention Week. Check the expiry date on your smoke alarms!
• Sir Salman Rushdie is speaking at the Chateau Lacombe on Tuesday.
• The Edmonton Oilers kick off their regular season on Wednesday evening at Rogers Place as they host the Calgary Flames. They finished the pre-season with a 5-3-0 record.
• Learn about Marketing for Creatives on Wednesday at the Made Local Society.
• LitFest starts on Thursday and runs for 11 days featuring more than 50 presenters. You can see the full schedule here.
• Thursday evening is the final 124 Street Grand Market of the year!
• This year’s Hoofbeats & Heartbeats Gala takes place on Friday at Fort Edmonton Park.
• The inaugural Alberta Open Data Summit takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Stanley Milner Library downtown.
• The City Market moves indoors to City Hall until the spring starting on Saturday!
• DECL is hosting an e-waste collection event on Saturday for downtown residents. Good idea!
• Head over to Transcend Coffee in the Mercer Warehouse on Saturday for the Edmonton Coffee Week-themed Cash Mob!
• The Edmonton Woman’s Show runs Saturday and Sunday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• Celebrate World Food Day on Sunday with the Edmonton Food Council at a screening of the new film SEED: The Untold Story.
• Edmonton Coffee Week runs a little longer than a week this year, from October 14-22.
• Get ready: Edmonton Startup Week and Small Business Week both run October 17-21!
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Premier Notley reads to students at McKee School during READ IN Week, photo by Premier of Alberta

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

• Congratulations to all those recognized in Vue Weekly’s 2016 Best of Edmonton! I am thrilled to have been named Best Local Affairs Blog again this year. Thank you!
• City Council passed the Edmonton Suicide Prevention Strategy this week. The advisory committee behind the strategy will now work on an implementation plan.
• The Mechanized River Valley Access project, better known as the funicular, is on schedule and on budget according to the City. Construction is expected to be completed next fall and the project actually consists of a few elements – the funicular, a staircase, a promenade and grass lawn, a bridge, an elevator, and a river lookout.
• Falling further behind schedule though is the new Walterdale Bridge, freshly delayed until the middle of 2017. Apparently it remains on budget thanks to daily penalties incurred by the contractor.
• The Downtown Community Arena officially opened its doors today. The $25 million project is located on the northeast corner of Rogers Place.
• Edmonton Made, a new pilot program “designed to profile and enhance local businesses and entrepreneurs” was launched on Monday by the City and EEDC. I missed the event but am hoping to get my hands on the Edmonton Made stickers this week.
• Alberta honored the 100 men and women who have died since 1876 protecting Albertans at the annual Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day ceremony today at the Alberta Legislature.
• I’m finding it difficult to get excited about redesigning our city’s flag. I bet most people don’t even know we have one. I like Dustin Bajer’s design but if we’re going to do anything with the flag, I think it should acknowledge Treaty 6.
• What should happen to the old Royal Alberta Museum building? Mayor Iveson thinks it could be a national museum for Canada’s Indigenous people.
• Bill Eddins has announced he will step down as music director for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra next June. He joined the ESO in 2005.
• From 5-10am this week all trips 30 minutes or under are just $3 or less with Pogo. Could be a good chance to try the local car sharing service? I’m a happy member!
• EPS is urging motorists to slow down on the High Level Bridge. A number of drivers have been caught going more than twice the speed limit in recent nights.
• The early bird deadline for the Caritas Dream Life Lottery is fast approaching! Get your tickets before September 29 for a chance to win. Proceeds support the Grey Nuns, Misericordia, and Edmonton General hospitals.
• Congratulations to members of the EPS Air-1 Crew on receiving two awards recently: the Captain ‘Gus’ Crawford Memorial Aircrew of the Year Award and the Tactical Flight Officer of the Year Award.
• The deadline for submissions for the City of Edmonton’s Canada 150 Legacy Projects application is October 17. “The committee will consider capital, cultural and social legacy projects (or a combination of these focus areas) and projects that will to help build and strengthen community over the long term.”
• For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Shedding Yellow, photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Upcoming Events

• The Oilers host the Flames on Monday evening at Rogers Place for the first pre-season game of the 2016-2017 campaign. I’ll be there!
• Alberta Boostr is holding another pitch event on Tuesday evening at NAIT! One of the companies pitching is Sugared & Spiced Baked Goods Inc. They have already raised an impressive $31,934 (as of Sunday evening) to help fund their new storefront.
• Have your say on the future of Whyte Avenue at a planning workshop on Wednesday evening at the Roots Community Building. You can learn more about the project here.
• The 2016 RISE Awards take place on Wednesday evening at City Hall.
• Thursday morning is the first of two workshops on strengthening public engagement.
• Pecha Kucha Night 26 takes place on Thursday at the Garneau Theatre.
• Head over to the Edmonton Expo Centre on Friday and Saturday for Edmonton Oktoberfest.
• Alberta Culture Days runs Friday through Sunday at historic sites, museums, and other locations around the province.
• Time is running out to visit the City Market Downtown – just two weekends to go!
• 104 Street is hosting a picnic on Sunday at Michael Phair Park to officially welcome the art installation by Destiny Swiderski.
• For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Alberta’s Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, photo by Premier of Alberta