Media Monday Edmonton: Update #186

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

The 17th annual Corus Radiothon in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital takes place on January 19 and 20 from 5:30am to 6pm each day on CISN Country 103.9, 92.5 Fresh Radio, and 630 CHED. The initiative raised more than $1.3 million last year.
Back in May, Rogers cancelled all local third-language newscasts broadcast on OMNI Edmonton and other stations across the country. After a review, the CRTC has found that found that this did not constitute a breach of the license conditions. “However, the Commission acknowledges the concerns raised by many interveners regarding the quality of programming on the OMNI stations and the importance to them of local news programming in third languages.”
Here’s a feature on Alexandra Hryciw, social media specialists for the Shaw Conference Centre.
Episode 25 of the Seen & Heard in Edmonton podcast features Stacey Knopp, the woman behind yegwed.
This month’s mixed survey at the City’s Insight Community includes a couple of questions on media releases. You can subscribe to the City’s news releases or see the archives here.
Here is the latest Edmonton podcast roundup. The next podcasting meetup is Sunday, January 24 at Variant Edition Comics & Culture – RSVP here.
Local bridal consultant Tyrel Abbott has joined the cast of Say Yes to the Dress Canada. Season 2 premiered earlier this month.
The Edmonton Police are the fifth most followed local police account in Canada on Twitter. Marianne Ryan, commanding officer of Edmonton’s K-Division warned Edmontonians today to be careful about what they share online.
Look at what Rev Recluse found at the Blue Jar Antique Mall in West Edmonton! Very cool.

The local media interview Amarjeet Sohi, Sarah Hoffman, and Ben Henderson, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. I’ve really gotta learn how to use Snapchat. This video overview is a pretty good start.
Shaw Communications announced last Wednesday that it will sell Shaw Media to Corus Entertainment for $2.65 billion. “Alberta’s influential Shaw family, which spun off Corus in 1999, ultimately controls both companies through a family holding company, although they are separately listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.” The deal would put Corus’ share of TV viewership in Canada at just under 35%.
Postmedia posted a $4.2 million loss in its first quarter results, and is now aiming for cost reductions of $80 million by 2017, with $50 million of that implemented by the end of May.
BuzzFeed got its hands on an email from Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey sent to the Mayor of Ottawa, asking him for a meeting to “brief him” on something. That led to speculation of course that the Sun and Citizen are getting merged.
The owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com has donated all three via parent company Philadelphia Media Network to a new philanthropic organization called the Philadelphia Foundation. “It’s the first time since the 1970s that a major metropolitan daily has attempted to switch to nonprofit status, and thus the first attempted transition since the advent of the Internet.”
After 50 years in publishing, Penthouse magazine is ending its print edition.
4K is coming! TSN will debut 4K programming on January 20 when the Toronto Raptors host the Boston Celtics. You can also catch the Edmonton Oilers game on February 4 against the Ottawa Senators in 4K.

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Edmonton Notes for 1/17/2016

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

Ever wonder why so many things in Edmonton and Alberta are named after Winston Churchill? Michael Hingston did, so he looked into and discovered a fascinating history.
While we’re wondering about names, isn’t it weird that so many restaurants have numbers in their names? Lisa Wolansky explains them all, from Ampersand 27 to XIX Nineteen.
The City says that an independent survey shows that 87% of Edmontonians who recently called 311 were satisfied with the experience. Last year, 311 fielded approximately 2.1 million calls from Edmontonians and more than 12,000 service requests have now been submitted through the mobile app.
If you live in Ward 12 and will be unable to vote at the Advance Vote (February 8-11) or on Election Day (February 22) you can now request special ballots.
Have you got a great winter drink idea? The 3rd annual Winter Signature Drink Competition is now underway. Submissions are being accepted until January 31, with online voting running February 1-10.
If you’d like to test your home’s energy efficiency, you can now get a Green Home Energy Toolkit from the public library to do just that.
Apparently six deals for new developments on contaminated old gas station sites have been signed, with four more on the way. Some of these sites have been empty for years though, so let’s not count our chickens before they’ve hatched, ok?
Matthew Dance is looking for collaborators with technical skills to help transform the Naming Edmonton book into open data. Sounds like my kind of project! Speaking of open data, Edmonton’s initiative has been ranked #1 in Canada.
A year after the Roxy Theatre burned down, headway is being made on plans to rebuild the theatre. It could cost as much as $7.5 million to do that.
The Oilers have signed goaltender Cam Talbot to a three-year contract extension.
This is kind of neat: the U of A’s Canadian Mountain Studies Initiative and Parks Canada are working together to produce a new MOOC called Mountains 101, launching next fall.
The Edmonton International Film Festival is now a qualifying event for short films for the Academy Awards!
Heads up: ETS cash fares are increasing as of February 1, 2016 by a nickel. The last increase came in 2013.
I’m sure you’ve heard the back-and-forth between Kevin O’Leary and Rachel Notley. Let me just say her quip was amazing.
Don’t miss Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi’s op ed: We’re finally going to stop subsidizing sprawl. I hope this rekindles debate here in Edmonton too.
For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Grant Notley Park, photo by lubna.780

Upcoming Events

City Council is back at work this week! Community Services Committee meets Monday, Executive Committee meets Tuesday, and Transportation Committee meets Wednesday. Here’s my look at the major issues Council will need to deal with in 2016.
Make Something Edmonton is hosting a Project Accelerator Grant Meetup on Monday night at the Yellowhead Brewery. This one is the winter edition!
100 Women Who Care Edmonton is hosting its Winter 2016 Meeting at Lexus of Edmonton on Tuesday.
The Oil Kings host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday and the Everett Silvertips on Friday.
Head over to the Edmonton Journal at lunch on Wednesday for the next Capital Ideas Edmonton event.
On Wednesday evening, Hacking Health Edmonton is hosting a cafe event at Startup Edmonton featuring Dr. Denis Vincent.
The next Dark Matters at the TELUS World of Science takes place on Thursday.
Ice on Whyte kicks off on Thursday! It runs all weekend and then takes a break until the 28th.
The Oilers host the Predators on Saturday night. The Oilers are currently last in the Pacific Division with a 18-23-5 record.
Like yoga? How about cats? Then don’t miss Cat Yoga at the Edmonton Humane Society on Saturday! You can read about Linda’s experience here.
For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Late Night Ride on Transit, photo by IQRemix

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #185

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

Here is Seen & Heard’s blog roundup from last week. Remember under the new schedule blog roundups are published on Tuesday!
Welcome back to Global Edmonton’s Laurel Gregory, who was away on maternity leave and returned to work on Wednesday last week. Michel Boyer, who was filling in, has now left Global.
Remember the strange finger ads the Journal launched with its redesign back in September? Apparently they have gone national now and – surprise – no one likes them!
A documentary produced by Edmonton’s Oromo community in partnership with local journalist Paula Kirman is attracting international attention. The documentary “aims to bring awareness to human rights abuses in Ethiopia.”
Here is the second part of the Seen & Heard’s podcast on podcasting tech. And here is the latest podcast roundup.
This is pretty neat: Sandra Sperounes found the letter and cheque she received for her first paid assignment with the Journal, which she did when she was 10!
Congrats to Team Media who defeated the Oilers alumni 8-5 at Quikcard Minor Hockey Week.
Metro Edmonton covered the end of The Unknown Studio.
The iMEDIA Social Media Conference is taking place again this year, on March 11 & 12. You can check out the speaker lineup here and get your tickets here.
Adam is back with a new episode of Just Adam Minute! Subscribe and help him reach his new year’s goal of 1000 in 2016.
The Oilers Entertainment Group is looking for a Content Coordinator and “Reporter Oiler” to join the team. The deadline to apply is February 2.
I’m very happy to see that #YEG Music Magazine has launched a weekly #yegmusic roundup!

Global Edmonton setup an ice living room at Deep Freeze on the weekend

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. As long as it is treated as an attachment to the main tweet, like photos or videos currently are, I actually like the idea of Twitter launching support for up to 10,000 characters.
Do you work for a media org grounded in print? You’ll like this. Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, has put The New Republic up for sale four years after he bought it. “I underestimated the difficulty of transitioning an old and traditional institution into a digital media company in today’s quickly evolving climate,” he wrote.
iHeartRadio, an audio streaming service popular south of the border, is coming to Canada thanks to a new partnership with Bell Media. The service’s parent company, iHeartMedia Inc., owns more than 850 radio stations in the US and was formerly known as Clear Channel Communications.
Here’s a Q & A with Tyler Bleszinski, the co-founder of Vox Media who recently stepped down from the company. He shares some interesting insight on the fast growing company.
The hot topic over the weekend was Sean Penn’s interview published in Rolling Stone with “Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the notorious drug kingpin known as El Chapo.” Questions are being asked about how the magazine handled the interview, apparently giving El Chapo pre-approval. Here’s more on the issues from Poynter.

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Edmonton Notes for 1/10/2016

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

You should have received your 2016 property assessment notice this week. The City says the most residential property owners will see a small increase in the value of their properties. A typical single-family, detached home is valued at $408,000.
Have a natural Christmas tree to get rid of? The City will start pickup on Tuesday. If you live in a condo or apartment, take your tree to a recycling depot or Eco Station for free by January 30. Last year a total of 13,068 trees were collected for recycling.
Edmonton’s Waste RE-solutions has signed a joint-venture agreement with the Chinese city of Lichuan to develop a waste processing facility.
It seems the Edmonton Sun is running a campaign to get “City of Champions” back on Edmonton’s welcome signs (see also here, here, and here). I think removing “City of Champions” was the right thing to do. Here’s how our entrance signs came to be, and here are my thoughts on branding our city with signs and slogans.
Taylor Hall will be the sole Edmonton Oilers player at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.
In other Oilers news, long-time PA announcer Mark Lewis announced he will retire at the end of the season.
Laurie Hawn, Tim O’Brien, and Micki Ruth have joined the Edmonton Police Commission for 2016.
Reconciling Edmonton is a great post by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail. “Too often Edmonton’s story is presented as one of pioneers, homesteaders and settlement where Indigenous Peoples are relegated to the distant past.”
Here’s an open letter titled My Name is Edmonton… written by Edmonton.
Nominations are being accepted from January 11 to February 21 for the Edmonton in Bloom: Winterscapes program. “A winterscape can include snow, ice, lights, landscaping, ornaments, and winter-themed scenery.”
Here are the finalists for this year’s Edmonton Music Prize. The award will be handed out on Tuesday.
A privately run fertility clinic based in Burnaby, B.C. is planning to open a location in Edmonton this spring. It’ll be located in the redeveloped 9888 Jasper building.
Want to give the city your feedback on the fares charged by taxis and Uber? Monday is your last chance to fill out the survey.
Gas prices in Edmonton have been as low as 72 cents recently, “plunging to lows reminiscent of the 2008 recession.”
Congratulations to Jobber on being nominated for the Canadian Startup of the Year award in the Techvibes Startup Awards! You can help them win by voting here.
Here are the latest urbanism headlines from Spacing Edmonton.
Have you checked out the new EPL website? I think it looks great. You can provide feedback here.
For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Walterdale Bridge

Upcoming Events

You can learn about enhancements to Johnny Bright Sports Park at information sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday this week.
Have you gone to see the Ice Castle at Hawrelak Park yet? Perhaps on Sunday, which is World Snow Day!
Quikcard Minor Hockey Week takes place all week along at 20 different arenas in the Edmonton area.
The Oil Kings host the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, and the Kamloops Blazers on Sunday.
The Edmonton Whisky Festival takes place on Wednesday at the Delta Edmonton South.
JCI Edmonton is hosting its Mentorship Launch & Networking event on Thursday at Our Parents’ Home.
The Edmonton Motorcycle Show runs Friday through Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
You can get a sneak peek at Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon!
The Oilers host the Flames on Saturday at Rexall Place. Here are all the details.
For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice Castle, photo by TimTaylorSmith

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #184

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

Trent Wilkie wrote about the end of The Unknown Studio by interviewing Adam & Scott. Check it out to find out who their favorite guests were, most embarrassing moments, and more. And in case you missed it, here is the final episode of the podcast.
I don’t know how she did it, but Elizabeth Withey wore the same black dress (called “Laverne”) throughout 2015. And she blogged about the experience, of course. “Laverne is now on sabbatical in the closet, nestled among the other wintry frocks.” I love that it seems to have helped open her up to other challenges!
Danielle Paradis is the new Metro Edmonton columnist, replacing Omar Mouallem. Here is her first column.
After 35 years behind the microphone, Mark Lewis announced he will retire as the Edmonton Oilers PA announcer at the end of the season.
Andrea Ross is moving on from Metro Edmonton to join CBC Edmonton this month. Congrats!
The Journal announced changes to its subscription rates recently. Effective February 1, 2016, rates are going up by $2 per month for 5 and 6-day home delivery, and $1 per month for 2-day home delivery. “While we haven’t had a subscription price adjustment in over 18 months, we, like many newspapers worldwide, are forced to keep pace with the increasing costs of producing and delivering a newspaper in the current economic environment,” the notice in the paper read. No where in the notice is the word “increase” used, only “adjustment” and “change”.
Seen & Heard in Edmonton has announced a new schedule: podcast on Mondays, blog roundup on Tuesdays, podcast roundup on Wednesdays, and newsletter on Thursdays. You can now also like Seen & Heard on Facebook! And save the date for the next Podcasting Meetup, taking place on January 24.
Episode 23 of the Seen & Heard in Edmonton podcast features myself, Adam Rozenhart, and Scott Francis Winder talking about the technology of podcasting. Thanks for including me Karen!
The latest Life & Times features Tom Elsworthy, the former Edmonton Sun journalist who died on October 30, 2015.
Here’s another feature on the reality TV show being filmed at the Edmonton International Airport. Apparently it’s similar to a National Geographic Channel show called Ultimate Airport Dubai.
The Calgary Herald profiled Hugh Dempsey, who wrote for the Edmonton Bulletin early in his career and continues as editor for the Alberta Historical Review.

seen and heard
Thanks to Brittney for this photo of the last podcasting meetup

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

The rumor that Postmedia is going to close the Sun papers or merge them with the other dailies just won’t go away. I’ve already written about why I don’t think this is likely, but I do like the idea of the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun merging to become the Ottawa Citi-Sun.
Here are 15 memorable stories in Alberta film and TV from 2015.
In her latest social media notes, Linda links to the news that Politwoops is being revived.
It sounds like 2015 was a mixed bag for traffic growth for digital publishers. “The sunny days of hot growth for digital publishers are fading into a memory as many now face a long, dark winter.”

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Edmonton Notes for 1/3/2016

Happy New Year! Here are my first weekly Edmonton notes of 2016:

Headlines

The Wanderer has collected a bunch of resolutions for Edmonton for 2016 from various leaders in the community like Mayor Iveson, Timothy Caufield, Bill Eddins, and more.
It turns out that “Bob from Calgary”, the guy behind the most popular comment ever posted to the New York Times website, is actually “Bob from Edmonton”. You may know him on Twitter as @RJSCity.
You’ve probably heard about the local guy who was charged more than $1,100 on New Year’s Eve for his Uber ride. I’ll just repeat what many others have said this weekend: there’s no cure for stupid. The only thing dumber than that guy complaining is that Uber decided to refund half his bill. Also, this is not a new or unique story.
Dave reports there are now 25 candidates who plan to run in the Ward 12 by-election to replace Amarjeet Sohi. For context, there were 119 total candidates in the 2013 Municipal Election, and just 2 who challenged Sohi.
The City of Edmonton has officially posted the City Manager’s job. According to CBC, both Ottawa and Vancouver are also looking to replace their city managers, so there’s competition. Boydon, an executive headhunting firm, has been hired to look for candidates.
Want to join a civic board or committee? Applications for roughly 45 vacancies are being accepted until January 29.
Ross Sheppard High School is currently undergoing a $45 million renovation project, the biggest ever for Edmonton Public Schools in terms of size and cost, and that means some students will be in a construction zone for their entire high school careers.
From OilersNation: Why hasn’t Peter Chiarelli fixed the Edmonton Oilers defence yet? And possibly related: Trading the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick in 2016.
Here are 20 questions with Sam Abouhassan, “tailor to the stars” who has been in business in downtown Edmonton since 1978.
In the market for a new home? This 13,300 square foot custom-built West Edmonton home could be yours for a cool $7.5 million.
The day we typically call “Ukrainian Christmas” is on January 7, so expect the festive atmosphere in Edmonton to continue this week! Apparently 2016 marks the anniversary of the start of 125 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada.
Remember that you’ll now get three demerits in addition to a heftier $250 fine if you get caught for distracted driving.
ICYMI: Here’s my 2015 year-in-review for Edmonton with links to a bunch of other 2015 lists.
For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton New Year 2016, photo by IQRemix

Upcoming Events

The Ice Castle is now open at Hawrelak Park! Remember it’ll open until sometime in March, weather-permitting. For a preview/review, check out Linda’s post.
Catholic Social Services is hosting a thanksgiving and celebration event for Sign of Hope on Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Basilica.
YEG Fitness is launching a print magazine and they’re hosting a launch party on Wednesday at MKT.
This week the Oilers host the Hurricanes on Monday night, the Lightning on Friday night, and the Panthers on Sunday.
Deep Freeze takes place on Saturday and Sunday all along Alberta Avenue! It’s a great winter festival, don’t miss it.
The Edmonton Bridal Expo takes place on Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre.
From Raising Edmonton, here are 25 family-friendly things to do in Edmonton in January.
For even more things to do this winter, check out my roundup of festivals & events here.
For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Edmonton Skyline, photo by IndustrialAndrew

Edmonton in 2015

In last year’s recap, I wrote:

“I would like for Edmonton in 2015 to capitalize on the energy and momentum that we all can sense in our city. Maybe it needs a bit of structure, maybe it needs a bit of shepherding, or maybe we simply need to better define what “it” is, but whatever approach we take, we cannot let this opportunity pass us by!”

Looking back, I don’t think we succeeded in that. To me at least, 2015 very much felt like an “under construction” year and our city’s story may even be less clear and coherent than it was. The cranes mostly went up in 2014 or earlier and they’re nearly all still up, busily working to complete a growing list of projects. And while lots of energy was spent on defining what Edmonton is all about (or not about), it doesn’t feel like that work is over (maybe it never will be). I think there’s still a sense of optimism present in Edmonton, but it has certainly diminished compared with the past couple of years.

One Chance, photo by Jeff Wallace

I generally dislike when commentators wrap Edmonton’s transformation up with the Oilers, yet I find myself thinking along similar lines. For most, Rogers Place is a proxy for all of the physical change taking place in Edmonton while Connor McDavid represents youth and opportunity for the future. If all goes well, both will be unleashed in 2016. Will Edmonton?

I think 2016 will feel similar to this year, thanks in no small part to the economic downturn. But hopefully at least a few projects get completed successfully and perhaps we’ll even see a shift in our thinking.

For my recap this year I’ve decided to share some brief highlights and photos from 2015. Below that you’ll find a list of year-in-review articles and posts from around the web. I’ll keep adding to the list as I find more. Enjoy!

2015 in Review

Tonight’s fireworks will again be launched from the roof of the Stanley Milner library, so be sure to get to Churchill Square early to get a good view. Remember that ETS is free from 6pm to 3:30am tonight!

The year started off with some sad news, as the historic Roxy Theatre was destroyed by fire on January 13. Later in the month, Edmonton took another step forward in embracing winter by hosting the Winter Cities Shake-up Conference and Festival.

In February we dropped out of the running to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. There’s some speculation that we’ll put in a bid for 2026 instead.

In early March we successful hosted the Red Bull Crashed Ice finals which saw roughly 70,000 people downtown to take in the festivities. It was a big, flashy, confidence-boosting event for our city. Before the month was over though, #girdergate happened resulting in additional delays for the 102 Avenue Bridge over Groat Road. The project is now expected to be completed in 2016, assuming nothing else goes wrong.

Photo by Al Girard

Things got worse for the City in April when it announced that the Walterdale Bridge project would also be delayed until late 2016. When we weren’t talking about the provincial election in April, we were talking about Edmonton’s entrance signs. At the end of the month, the “City of Champions” slogan was removed, but a redesign was put off to another day.

On the sports front in April, the Oilers finally cleaned house with new CEO Bob Nicholson appointing Peter Chiarelli as President & GM. The Oilers also won the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, the fourth #1 pick in six years.

Of course the big story in May was the NDP victory and Rachel Notley becoming the 17th Premier of Alberta.

Rachel Notley being sworn in, photo by Premier of Alberta

On May 23, we had our first What the Truck?! event of the season, and it was bananas! So many people came out to enjoy the fantastic weather and unofficial kick-off to summer!

On June 5, the Edmonton Rush capped off an amazing tenth year in the NLL by winning the Champions Cup. Then in July, the team announced it was moving to Saskatoon. I’m still disappointed they couldn’t find a way to stay in Edmonton.

Sports fans also celebrated the kickoff to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 in June. Just over 53,000 fans packed Commonwealth Stadium to take in the opening match featuring Canada vs. China. And no surprise here – the Oilers selected Connor McDavid first overall in the NHL Draft at the end of the month.

Photo by IQRemix

There was sad news in June too. On June 8, Constable Daniel Woodall was shot and killed while executing an arrest warrant in the west end. He was the first EPS officer killed since Constable Ezio Faraone was shot on June 25, 1990.

In July, the Oilers unveiled the name of the area surrounding Rogers Place: Ice District, drop the “the”.

They also opened a presentation centre so that fans could get a look at what the inside of Rogers Place will be like when it opens in time for the 2016-2017 NHL season.

Lots of Edmontonians enjoyed the new Centennial Plaza at the redeveloped Federal Building throughout the summer, thanks in large part to the colorful fountains. It’s just too bad the space isn’t more winter-friendly. Maybe in 2016?

We also had some water activities with Slide the City on the weekend of July 18-19. Look what fun can be had when you close down a street!

The Metro Line LRT dominated the discussion in August, and it finally opened on September 6! It still isn’t working completely as planned, but it’s better than not running at all.

In early September, Mayor Iveson and City Council made the decision to fire City Manager Simon Farbrother. They said it wasn’t because of the bridge and LRT debacles, but that had to be a key factor. Change at the City continued throughout the fall, and there’s more to come in 2016.

We wrapped up our successful year of food truck festivals on September 11 with the final What the Truck?! event of the season. That day was also proclaimed food truck day in Edmonton to celebrate!

Also in September, our city came together to support Spider-Mable, probably the feel-good story of the year.

Justin Trudeau became our new Prime Minister in October, and in early November Amarjeet Sohi was named Minister of Infrastructure & Communities. It was a big loss for Council, but great news for municipal representation in the federal government.

Photo by Premier of Alberta

At the end of November, the Edmonton Eskimos won their 14th Grey Cup, defeating the Ottawa RedBlacks. Just over a week later, head coach Chris Jones jumped ship for Saskatchewan.

Eskimos win the Grey Cup
Photo by Edmonton Eskimos

Edmonton said goodbye to the current Royal Alberta Museum on December 7. The new building isn’t expected to open until late 2017, though construction seemed to progress swiftly this year.

And just a couple weeks ago, the EndPoverty Edmonton strategy was unanimously approved by City Council. There’s a lot of work still to do, but this is a positive step forward.

Other 2015 Recaps

Here are some other 2015 recaps I’ve found:

Top Stories of 2015 in Edmonton by Edmonton Journal
Year in Review by Edmonton Journal
2015 was a great year for Progressive Politics in Alberta by Daveberta
Rear End in View: Stick a fork in it by GigCity
Edmonton’s top 10 stories of 2015 by Global Edmonton
Hicks’ Weekly Dish: Food memories of 2015 by Edmonton Sun
Mayor looks back at highs and lows for 2015 by 630 CHED
CBC Edmonton’s most viewed stories from 2015 by CBC Edmonton
CBC Edmonton’s most viewed videos from 2015 by CBC Edmonton
City Hall in 2015 was dominated by frustrating, seemingly endless battles by CBC Edmonton
Edmonton’s top animal stories of 2015 by CBC Edmonton
Edmonton’s best restaurants 2015 by CBC Edmonton
Metro Edmonton’s Best of 2015: Photos by Metro Edmonton
Do you remember Edmonton’s 2015 cultural hightlights? by Edmonton Journal
15 Great Things of 2015 by U of A Alumni Association
Looking ahead and a sincere thank you by OilersNation
Auto thefts in Edmonton jumped by 13% in 2015 by CBC Edmonton
Police solved fewer murders in 2015 by CBC Edmonton
Top 10 most-read stories of 2015 by MacEwan News
The top 15 stories of 2015 by U of A ExpressNews
Graham Thomson: 2015 – The year in numbers by Edmonton Journal
Edmonton’s Best New Restaurant 2015 by WHERE Edmonton
Recounting some of the highlights of Vue’s 2015 headlines by Vue Weekly
Edmonton’s Best Restaurants 2015 by Huffington Post Alberta
Rough spots marked a tough 2015 for #yegarts by Edmonton Examiner
Goodbye 2015 by Tech Mommy
5 Things I Learned in 2015 by Danica LeBlanc
Goodbye 2015 by Marie a la Mode
Top Songs of 2015 by #YEGMusicMagazine
Top 10 Albums of 2015 by #YEGMusicMagazine
Top 10 Music Videos of 2015 by #YEGMusicMagazine
2015; My Year in Review by YEGfoodie
End of the Year at End of the Earth by GigCity
2015 a ‘very trying’ year for Edmonton-area police by Global Edmonton
Edmonton records 30 homicides in 2015 by Edmonton Sun
Edmonton’s homicide victims of 2015 by Edmonton Journal
A year in Edmonton food by Vue Weekly
Sifting through the theatre trends of 2015 by Vue Weekly
Top 10 moments that defined 2015 for me by Don Iveson
Epicureous in Edmonton: 2015 Year in Review by Sharon Yeo
Top 15 Yegventures Stories of 2015 by Lincoln Ho

Have a link to add? Let me know! You can check out my 2014 recap here.

I’ve been thinking about the year ahead for Edmonton and what it might look like. I’ll have more on that in an upcoming post. For now, let me say Happy New Year and all the best in 2016! Thanks for reading!

Edmonton Notes for 12/27/2015

Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve been having a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season thus far. Sharon and I have really enjoyed a few days off, pretty much just watching TV and eating unhealthy food. Compared to her I’m definitely a scrooge, but I do really like this time of year. That said, I’m looking forward to not hearing Christmas music everywhere!

Edmonton’s FreezeWay, photo by Jeff Wallace

This is my final Edmonton notes of 2015, and it’s a light edition to reflect the holiday week:

This week saw the official completion of the QEII and 41 Avenue SW interchange project. The $205 million project was “completed on time and on budget.” The Feds contributed $75 million, the Province invested $57.5 million, and the City paid the remaining $72.5 million. The interchange will certainly benefit the region, but it’s concerning that the City itself had to pay so much of it.
Mayor Don Iveson will be in China and Hong Kong to start the new year. He is there “to promote business opportunities and sister-city ties, including taking in the 2016 Harbin International Ice Snow Sculpture Festival from Monday, January 4 to Thursday, January 14, 2016.”
I haven’t been down to see it yet, but I’m excited to check out the new freezeway at Victoria Park. It has been all over social media this weekend!
The Canadian Drone Racing League announced it is planning an upcoming tournament here in Edmonton! I wonder how many people received drones for Christmas and then promptly crashed them.
Ralph Young’s term as Chancellor of the University of Alberta ends in 2016, which means the search is on for his successor. The new chancellor will be elected on May 6, 2016 and you can learn how to nominate someone here.
It’s great that so many Edmontonians have stepped up to help Syrian refugees, but this is definitely a valid concern: “members of Edmonton’s Eritrean community are worried the response to the crisis in Syria means refugees from their homeland will be forced to wait even longer.”
Sounds like 2016 could be a tough year for Edmonton’s economy with just 1% growth and an increase in unemployment approaching the national average.
I can tell you the proposal I saw for turning Rexall Place into a six-sheet ice hockey centre was indeed intriguing. We’ll get an update in January on where Northlands is with its strategy work.
Here’s what some of Rexall Places’s neighbours hope to see.
The Oilers host the Kings on Tuesday, the Ducks on Thursday, and the Coyotes on Saturday.
Connor McDavid isn’t back yet, but he is skating. But you probably already knew that, because McDavid is all anyone in Edmonton seems to talk about. That’s part of what makes the trailer for McDavid so interesting: “A portrait of a sports fan’s twisted infatuation with a new ‘generational player’. Edmonton, Alberta serves as the backdrop of how urban identity and the genuine spirit of sports fandom is corrupted by global capitalist branding.”
And while we’re on the subject of hockey, this interview with Kevin Lowe was interesting, but mainly for this quote: “The good thing is (owner) Daryl Katz and I (believed) the team needed to be trending upwards or getting good by the time we go into the new building, and it looks like the master plan is unfolding as we hoped.” Haha, master plan.
Ice Castles Edmonton will open in Hawrelak Park on December 30. Here are 9 things to know for a great experience. The attraction will be open until sometime in March.
Looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve? Linda has the definitive list.
You have until midnight on Sunday, January 3 to check out Candy Cane Lane.
Because of Christmas and New Year’s, waste collection has been moved to December 28 and January 4. You can learn more about making your holidays waste-less here.

All the best in 2016!

Media Monday Edmonton: Update #183

Small-ish update this week with the holidays fast approaching. Merry Christmas everyone! Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

It’s the end of an era. After more than six years, there’s just one more episode of The Unknown Studio to go. Adam and Scott experimented right to the end, broadcasting the final episode, which features Brittney Le Blanc, live on Mixlr. Watch for it in your feeds soon. And if you’re looking for a new podcast to listen to, check out The Expats.
ICYMI: Here’s a list of Edmonton’s top social media influencers. The local media did well both in terms of people and organizations. After the City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Journal, CTV Edmonton, and Global Edmonton are the top organization account influencers.
Speaking of influencers, Dave Cournoyer joined Ryan Jespersen on 630 CHED recently to talk about the past year in Alberta politics.
Another radio station? Not sure I agree with the CRTC that Edmonton can sustain another station, even if it would be targeting ethnic communities. There are currently 19 stations in the region. There’s more on the news here.
EIA is now the set of a reality TV show called Ultimate Airport, Edmonton. The Toront-based crew will be filming over the next three months to show the inner workings of the airport.
Here’s an interview with Beverley Theresa, Top Draw’s Social Media Strategist.
What do you think, did he pull it off successfully? Rob Christie in a Snuggie, that is.
One week down in the new Dinner TV studios! What do you think of the new look?
Congratulations to up! 99.3 FM on raising $427,411 during the radiothon in support of the Christmas Bureau.
If you’re looking to do some good this week, there are still a few days left to support the Edmonton Sun’s Adopt-A-Teen campaign. They’re looking to provide gifts to more than 8,600 teens aged 13-17.
As you know, I love the Shaw Fire Log. But I also love coffee. So yes, I am enjoying Transcend’s take on this!

Unknown Studio Ends

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

In her latest social media notes, Linda links to 76 viral images from 2015 that were totally fake. But I thought everything on the Internet was true?!
The Toronto Star is the latest newspaper to turn off comments on its website. As usual there’s a vague and specious promise to “engage with you in a more meaningful way” instead.
Shaw Communications announced last week it is buying WIND Mobile for about $1.6 billion. This could get interesting!
Here’s NYT Public Editor Margaret Sullivan on the Times’ coverage of the San Bernadino killers: “It involved a failure of sufficient skepticism at every level of the reporting and editing process — especially since the story in question relied on anonymous government sources, as too many Times articles do.”
Mashable is apparently being shopped to potential buyers with a price tag as high as $350 million. That may prove to be a bit rich, but there’s no question the site has a lot of value.
Sounds like things are going swimmingly for Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post. In October the newspaper (news website?) received more unique visitors than the Times for the first time ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Edmonton Notes for 12/20/2015

Just five more sleeps until Christmas! Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Headlines

Council unanimously approved the End Poverty Edmonton strategy on Tuesday. “A coalition is building, and we are helping to incubate the movement,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
According to Dave’s latest update, there are now 21 candidates intending to run in the Ward 12 by-election in February. He’s got a list of candidates here.
Construction on the northeast leg of Anthony Henday Drive “has made significant headway this year” and is slated to complete in fall 2016.
No word on where the funding might come from, but he $60 million building proposed by Boyle Street Community Services this week is definitely interesting. It would include housing, a hotel, a bistro, palliative care, and more.
Despite the economic downturn, Edmontonians are still coming forward to help those in need this holiday season. Volunteer numbers were up for Santas Anonymous, the Christmas Bureau has reached 50% of its goal, and volunteer hours are up at the Food Bank.
Phil has crowned a winner in The Great Edmonton Perogy Showdown! The top five provide a great list of places to check out!
It was neat to see my name on this list of Edmonton’s top social media influencers and even better that someone else made the list for a change!
EIA says that December 24 will be its busiest day of the year, so if you’re travelling or picking someone up, plan ahead and be patient.
Here’s an introduction to the new Community Infill Panel from Transforming Edmonton.
They also wrote about the Imagine Jasper Avenue project. You have until January 4, 2016 to fill out the survey.
On January 1, the Province is adding three demerits to the $287 penalty for distracted driving.
Good news Oilers fans! Connor McDavid has been skating here in Edmonton for the past week. Hopefully he’ll be back in the lineup soon.
The Elephant & Castle location on Whyte Avenue is closing tomorrow. There’s a chance that a rebranded venture could open there in the new year.
From Dave Sutherland, here’s an exclusive look inside Edmonton’s Ultima condos.
I meant to link to this story last week: plans for condo towers in The Quarters at 95 Street and Jasper Avenue have fallen through, leaving a big hole in the ground. The City has taken possession of the land back and is already exploring other options.
Apparently today was the annual Christmas Bird Count here in Edmonton. Four hundred people spent the morning counting!
The City says that “waste and recycling volumes double in Edmonton” during the holidays, so be sure to dispose of things correctly. “Old electronics, strings of broken Christmas lights and any hazardous material should go to an Eco Station.” You can learn more here.
For more recent headlines, check out ShareEdmonton.

101A Avenue, photo by Jeff Wallace

Stay safe this holiday season! The Province has a reminder about the numbers you can call or text to get help over the holidays,.

Upcoming Events

Holiday events continue! Check out Celebrate the Season, Candy Cane Lane, Christmas Reflections, and A Christmas Carol among other great events!
The Oilers return home to host the Jets on Monday.
Don’t forget you have until December 29 to see the Magna Carta at the Alberta Legislature.
Friday is of course Christmas, with Boxing Day to follow on Saturday.
If you’re planning ahead, check out Linda’s roundup of great New Year’s Eve events!
Want a sneak peek at Rogers Place? The City says to mark your calendars for 11am on Saturday, January 16, 2016.
For more upcoming events, check out ShareEdmonton.

Ice District – December 2015, photo by Jeff Wallace

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2015 in Review

Other 2015 Recaps

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