2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Take a few minutes and complete the City Market Downtown’s survey on a potential winter market!
The Toronto Star is reporting that Postmedia has cut a number of jobs across its daily newspapers, including up to 20 positions at the Edmonton Journal. In other local media news, longtime 630 CHED personality Gord Whitehead is retiring and did his last show this week.
Upcoming exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Alberta feature Burtynsky, Matisse, Gaugin, Münch, and Picasso, as well as new works by Albertan artist Laura St. Pierre. You can learn more about the fall lineup here.
Here’s a good catch-up post on the upcoming election.
ETS is gearing up for a busy fall season on the LRT – there could be over 100,000 riders per day. It also announced the completion of the Meadows Transit Centre on 17 Street at 40 Avenue. And a reminder: the LRT is not operating between Churchill and Clareview stations until Tuesday while ETS completes upgrades and maintenance.
The Edmonton Waste-to-Biofuels project is the world’s first industrial scale municipal waste-to-biofuels facility. Along with partner Enerkem, the City of Edmonton broke ground on the $80 million facility this week.
I really like the idea of more licensed buskers for Jasper Avenue, but the recommendation to extend the hours for bars to 4 a.m. seems misguided.
Ulf Ranhagen of Sweco, one of the finalists in the competition to redevelop the City Centre Airport lands, is excited about the project which he says will have a green focus.
The City is introducing a solar-electric pilot program with a total budget of $200,000 to issue rebates to home and business owners that install solar panels.
If you know someone between the ages of 7 and 18 which a love for film, encourage them to check out the Be Idle Free Video Contest! Here’s a great preview.
Interesting post in the ongoing debate over whether or not Oilers bloggers should be credentialed just like the mainstream media.
The University of Alberta has named Sangita Sharma to the new Chair of Aboriginal Health position. Also on the topic of the U of A, here’s a great profile of President Indira Samarasekera.
Doors open to 18 new schools in Calgary and Edmonton – news release and backgrounder is here.
Techvibes has launched localized news streams. You can see Edmonton’s here.
The Edmonton Police Service has successfully maintained its CALEA certification, something it has done ever since 1988. The program measures EPS against more than 450 international standards
A million dollar skateboard park is in the works for the Fulton Ravine near Capilano Mall.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Symphony Under the Sky started last night and runs through Monday.
Tonight in Churchill Square – Toy Story 3!
The 22nd annual T.A.L.E.S Storytelling Festival starts tomorrow at Fort Edmonton Park.
I think we should make next Sunday “walk day” here in Edmonton! There are at least four taking place that day.
ETS is hosting an open house on the West LRT extension on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Country Music Week Edmonton kicks off on Thursday with the big awards show taking place on Sunday.
The Calgary Stampeders are in Edmonton next Friday for the second half of the Labour Day Classic.
On Saturday, The Handmade Mafia returns to Orange Hall!
The Kaleido Family Arts Festival starts on Friday evening and runs all weekend on Alberta Avenue. Don’t miss it!

Edmonton’s bid for Expo 2017 was on display in Shanghai this week. Here’s the new video:

The City Market featured a petting zoo today!

I’ve started noticing more and more signs and billboards around town for the election, like this one for Mayor Mandel who is hoping to win a third term.

Edmonton Notes for 8/28/2010

It’s the last weekend of August, and it certainly feels like it with the very cool wind. Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

The deadline for the City’s Apps4Edmonton competition was last night at midnight. Roughly 84 ideas and 323 apps were submitted at last count. Check them out!
Envision Edmonton delivered boxes of signed petitions to City Hall on Thursday (you can see it on YouTube here). The group claims to have gathered more than 90,000 signatures. Verification will happen over the next couple of weeks, and is expected to cost about $100,000.
In other ECCA news, closing the airport could save the City up to $200 million when it builds the northwest LRT line. One of the finalists in the design competition, BNIM Architects, called the redevelopment a “stunning opportunity for North America.” The final environmental report is expected to arrive late next week, but so far the amount of contamination is being described as “very minor”. Former City Councillors Michael Phair and Patricia Mackenzie applauded Council’s decision to redevelop the airport lands.
Homeward Trust received more than $12.9 million from the federal government this week, part of the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
By the end of September, the 23 Avenue interchange will be completely accessible to traffic.
Earlier in the week, everybody seemed to be talking about the dinosaur bones that were found during excavation at the Quesnell bridge project.
Fifteen Edmonton communities are scheduled to get new sidewalks and roads over the next five years.
Here’s a nice write-up of the downtown survey at iheartedmonton.com.
The City of Edmonton and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 DATS reached an agreement this week that provides a 4.5% general wage increase for 2010.
Stantec shows no signs of slowing down, acquiring San Francisco-based Anshen + Allen this week.
With the school season approaching, the City is reminding you to brush up on bike safety!
The Edmonton Police Service raised $41,854.86 for Special Olympics with its Free the Fuzz fundraiser at Walmart.
Private developers won’t be forced to pay for public art after a proposal was killed at Executive Committee this week.
Jack Michaels will be the voice of the Edmonton Oilers this season on 630 CHED.
The Oilers aren’t the only pro sports team in Edmonton looking for a new home – FC Edmonton wants a new stadium.
Local NAIT grad Corbin Tomaszeski will be the chef to impress on Food Network’s new reality show Dinner Party Wards
Edmontonians magazine, which shut down in June, is being brought back to life by the controversial Cedar Publishing Corporation.
Sharon wrote about the North Edge Outdoor Night Market. Hope to see more of this on 107 Avenue!
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Fort Edmonton Park’s 37th annual Harvest Fair takes place tomorrow!
Also tomorrow is the grand opening of the Jackie Parker Recreation Area. It is 3-4 times the size of a normal neighbourhood park.
East Meets West wraps up tomorrow in Little Italy with the Viva Italia Via Edmonton festival.
Movies on the Square is back on Friday with How To Train Your Dragon. On Saturday they’re showing Toy Story 3.
Also on Saturday is Sonic Boom 2010.
Symphony Under the Sky kicks off on Friday evening!

It was another wild week of weather here in Edmonton. Dark clouds!

Edmonton Opera had a “flashmob” at the City Market today.

Here’s a taste of the North Edge Outdoor Nite Market…from the hay ride!

Edmonton Notes for 8/22/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

It was a smoky week here in Edmonton, as we felt the effects of forest fires in BC. Air quality was listed as poor until Friday, when it started to improve. You can see smoke forecasts for BC and Alberta here.
Edmonton Airports released updated briefing notes on the City Centre Airport this week. CBC found closing the airport is likely to be a financial boon. The Journal pointed out some of the inaccuracies with Envision Edmonton’s views on medevac, and found that the group’s list of donors will remain private. Over at the City, officials continued to prepare to receive the signatures. Scott McKeen wrote about how public debate should not be a mudslinging free-for-all.
Alex has a nice roundup of the local election races.
Some love for the Edmonton tech scene this week! Local startup Beamdog was also profiled.
The number of commercial properties sold in Edmonton in the first half of 2010 was 161, worth $754 million. That’s up from 120 worth $547 million in the first half of 2009.
Where is Edmonton going? Interesting column in the Examiner.
Congrats to the Edmonton Capitals who won their third straight game last night over the Calgary Vipers.
According to CBC, the neighbourhood crime maps that the Edmonton Police Service makes available are intentionally incorrect. Just another reason why the crime maps are not open data.
Sadly, it seems as though Bistro Praha will not be reopening in the near future.
More money is flowing into Edmonton for nanontechnology research from the federal government.
Community leagues want to sell ad space inside the boards of outdoor hockey rinks.
For completeness: there was a bit of controversy in the local theatre scene this week.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
The Fringe wraps up today! There are some holdovers, though.
Saskatchewan is in town on Saturday night to take on the troubled Edmonton Eskimos.
Maybe Saturday should be football day in Edmonton! Miami FC will also be in town, to take on FC Edmonton.
The North Edge Business Community is hosting an Outdoor Nite Market on Friday.
Don’t forget there are great activities happening for lunch all week at Churchill Square.

Here’s the smoke as it appeared downtown on Thursday afternoon.

The Treasury had its grand opening on Thursday evening. Signs for the new bar & eatery first appeared over a year ago.

Edmonton Notes for 8/14/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

It may not be illegal, but it’s certainly unethical as far as I’m concerned: Envision Edmonton is paying “volunteers” to collect names for its petition. It shifts the reason for signing from supporting the campaign to supporting a worthy cause, like a community league. Oh, and to City Council, don’t be bullied into thinking you need to support a plebiscite in order to support democracy. That’s just ridiculous.
Congratulations to local startup Empire Avenue on the big news: they’ve raised $200,000 in funding from a group of angel investors, including Boris Wertz, whose other local investments include Nexopia.
Some election news this week: there’s confusion over the new provincial rules regarding the campaign contributions, and on Tuesday about 40 City employees took part in an election dry run.
The Edmonton International Airport announced this week that a new 189-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel will open in the fall of 2012 at the northeast end of the airport.
Groupon, the website that features a daily deal, is now available in Edmonton.
Is an urban planning school coming to the University of Alberta? Apparently the U of A is the only major university in Canada without a planning school.
The Communitas Group received a $481,000 federal grant this week to build an “eco-minded affordable-housing” project at 129th Avenue and Fort Road.
Here’s a puff piece by Gary Lamphier on TEC Edmonton.
Apparently the economy is taking a toll on local hotels, with occupancy rates dropping more than 6% since last year. The Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe was sold for $47.8 million this week.
Fringe Theatre Festival fans can now find the best shows on their phone in seconds, thanks to a prize-winning entry in the City’s Apps4Edmonton competition.
The Edmonton Journal’s two Capital Notebook writers are heading back to school!
Happy 40th Birthday to Southgate Mall!
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
FC Edmonton, which handily defeated the Victoria Highlanders 7-1 on Wednesday, is hosting the Spokane Spiders on Sunday at Foote Field.
Looking for something to do for lunch on Monday? Check out Live at Lunch at Churchill Square.
The Fringe, which started on Thursday, runs through August 22nd. Don’t miss it!
I’m really looking forward to artsScene’s Summer Patio Party & Behind-the-Scenes at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on Thursday!
The annual Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival starts on Friday at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.
Next Saturday marks the 81st Run for the Daisies! The Canadian Derby runs at Northlands Park all day, with coverage on TSN starting at 3pm.

Another busy day at the City Market Downtown! Sharon’s 14th market report of the season is here.

Edmonton Notes for 8/7/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Runway 16/34 at the City Centre Airport officially closed early Tuesday morning.
The five finalists in the City Centre Airport design competition were announced on Friday.
The results of the Jasper Avenue survey are in – people want more activity downtown.
Edmonton-based Investopedia, founded in 1999, was scooped up by online marketing company ValueClick for $42 million this week.
Last weekend’s Heritage Festival was a big success, though the Edmonton Food Bank unfortunately did not reach its goal. Think about them the next time you see a donation bin!
Online food ordering & delivery service DeliveryTown.ca is now available in Edmonton. The currently support more than 100 food delivery and takeout locations.
Edmonton’s Eddie tourist bus is no longer running, at least not until EEDC can figure out how to make it more popular and sustainable.
Fill the Stadium for the Stollery, an annual fundraising football game between the Edmonton Police and Edmonton Fire Rescue services, raised $11,797 for the children’s hospital.
The Edmonton Opera announced that Mary Phillips-Rickey is stepping down as the general manager by the end of October. They are currently searching for a new CEO, part of a large restructuring.
Edmonton Stories wants to know how you get around town! They’re running a contest from August 9 until September 3. Enter your submissions here!
ETS will provide weekday morning and afternoon peak period service between the City of Leduc, Nisku Inn, the Edmonton International Airport, and Century Park LRT Station starting August 30.
Election news is heating up as we get ever closer to October. Dave wrote a good piece on social media and the election.
Speaking of the election, Don Koziak announced he’s making another run at the Mayor’s chair. By trying to stop LRT expansion.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Tomorrow at Alley Kat is Slow Food Edmonton’s Beer and Boar BBQ. Should be fun, assuming the weather holds out!
Don’t miss lunch time in Churchill Square for the rest of the month! Live at Lunch on the Square starts on Tuesday.
FC Edmonton plays its next exhibition game on Wednesday, against the Victoria Highlanders.
The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival starts on Thursday and it’s bigger than ever with more than 1200 performances of 230 shows by more than 500 artists from around the world. Frequent fringer and double fringer passes sold out in less than 24 hours, the first time that has happened in the festival’s history!
Thursday is also the final Rooftop Patio party at Latitude 53.

The annual Cariwest parade took place downtown today:

Edmonton Notes for 7/31/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Mosquitoes swarmed the city this week, both day and night. City pest management officials say that after two years or record low mosquito levels, we’re back to normal.
City Council came up with 140 questions for the Katz Group, Northlands, and City Administration related to the proposed downtown arena. You can download all the questions in PDF here.
Tons of City Centre Airport news this week: Envision Edmonton was booted from Taste of Edmonton and Capital EX after fairgoers complained. On Thursday evening they unveiled a proposal for the lands but without cost figures. A few MLAs and Enbridge joined their cause, as did Danielle Smith, which got Mayor Mandel pretty upset. It was also revealed that taxpayers could be on the hook for almost $1 million to hold a plebiscite on the issue. And don’t miss this: Economics fuel pilot’s desire to close City Centre Airport.
The Edmonton Corn Maze is now open for 2010! This year’s design features Edmonton’s Food Bank.
More than $72 million has been saved and more than 4 million tonnes of materials have been recycled since the City’s aggregate recycling program began 30 years ago. Great story.
You can now surf the web for free at the Edmonton International Airport! They launched free wi-fi on Friday. EIA was also in the news for providing a sneak peek at Expansion 2012, which is on time and under budget.
Local social media startup Empire Avenue officially launched this week. Chris has a good write-up on why EAv is a must-watch.
Mayor Mandel was profiled in the National Post yesterday.
New walking maps for eight north-central communities were made available this week. Get out and walk!
Thinking of running for City Council? You might want to attend an event on August 11 to learn more about the new rules for campaign contributions and expenses.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
The Heritage Festival is trying to be 100% green this year. The annual event runs through Monday.
The Edmonton Eskimos finally won a game last night! And then fired GM Danny Maciocia this morning. Their next home game is Friday, when the Toronto Argonauts are visiting.
Cariwest kicks off on Friday, as does Animethon.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival starts on Thursday (on ShareEdmonton).

Summer is for eating outside!

Edmonton Notes for 7/25/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz spoke to City Council on Wednesday in what was surely one of the most anticipated meetings of the year. While he committed another $100 million to his proposed downtown arena project, the Katz Group also made it clear that the Oilers will not play in a renovated Rexall Place. Shortly after the meeting wrapped up, the Why Downtown? website launched opposing the project. Also, don’t miss Don Iveson’s post on the meeting.
Scott Dixon won the Honda Indy Edmonton today!
As soon as the Indy has cleared out, Edmonton Airports plans to close one of the two runways at the City Centre Airport. Also ECCA-related this week, National Post reporter Kevin Libin suggested that there was a backroom plot to close the airport, before the issue ever got to Council. Take that with a grain of salt – Libin references just three emails out of who knows how many were sent in the months leading up to the final decision. It’s easy to jump to conclusions without any context.
Edmonton International Airport is now ranked as the most efficient small airport in Canada, fifth in North America.
The City launched its Have a Heart-Give Smart campaign this week, aimed at encouraging Edmontonians to donate spare change to service agencies rather than to panhandlers.
Edmonton is joining the fight against the elimination of the long-form federal census. This report, which recommended that Mayor Mandel send a letter expressing the City’s concerns, was discussed and approved by Council this week.
The temporary parking lot at Century Park LRT station is saving the City millions of dollars per year, which can now be spent on infrastructure projects. Shouldn’t it be placed into a “future LRT projects” fund instead?
The Association of Edmonton Convention Hotels issued a letter supporting the Edmonton Indy this week, calling it an “investment in the future of the city”. You can read the letter in PDF here.
What was once an old gravel pit in Hermitage Park has been transformed into the City’s first wetland built exclusively for stormwater treatment and river protection.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
Both Taste of Edmonton and Capital EX are in full-swing now, of course. Get out and enjoy!
The 5th annual Edmonton Chess Festival starts on Wednesday.
Don’t forget about Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series! It happens every Thursday at 5pm.
The BC Lions are in town to play the Eskimos on Friday night. It has been a very painful start to the season, but this have to get better right?
The 35th annual Heritage Festival starts Saturday in Hawrelak Park!

FC Edmonton played Portsmouth FC on Wednesday in the second annual Edmonton Cup game. I was at the game, along with 8792 other Edmontonians. Unfortunately, FC Edmonton lost in penalty kicks.

The annual Capital EX Parade took place on Thursday morning. The list of winning entries is available here. My favorite was the WestJet float:

Edmonton Notes for 7/17/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

The number of passengers riding ETS increased by 6.9% from January to May compared to the same period in 2009. The increase from 2008 to 2009 was just 2%.
The City received 33 responses to the request for potential bidders for the City Centre Airport lands redevelopment project. About 25 of them were led by a local firm or include a local partner.
Enjoy making videos? You might be interested in entering the Be Idle Free Video Contest, which is accepting submissions until September 30.
Even though I don’t like them, I can understand why Council decided against doing anything about the sports figures along 118th Avenue.
Council discussed a proposal this week to raise sewer and garbage rates by 6% next year.
Here’s the Edmonton Startup Index for July.
The City of Edmonton is reminding drivers to keep their eyes peeled for motorcycles this summer.
Northlands launched the Monster Burger this week. The 1kg burger feeds six and will be available at Capital EX for $39.50. If you can finish it by yourself, it’s free!
Sharon visited the Valley Zoo recently, and wrote a great post about it.
Local social media startup Empire Avenue was featured in The Journal today.
Production of eight one-hour episodes of the TV drama Blackstone began this week here in Edmonton. The series will premiere on APTN and Showcase early next year.
Here are the winners of the Edmonton Stories Indy contest!
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
There are more than 30 ideas posted in the Apps4Edmonton contest!
Next Friday is Red Friday. Wear red to show your support for troops based in the Capital Region.
The July meeting for Emerging Business Leaders is on Monday evening.
Portsmouth is in town to take on FC Edmonton on Wednesday evening at Commonwealth Stadium!
The annual Capital EX Parade takes place late in the morning on Thursday (on ShareEdmonton).
SkeptiCamp Alberta is happening next Saturday at ETLC (on ShareEdmonton).
Friday is going to be a busy day. It’s the start of the Honda Indy Edmonton, Taste of Edmonton, and Capital EX!

City Market Downtown

Edmonton Notes for 7/10/2010

Here are my weekly Edmonton notes:

The new Capital City Downtown Plan was approved by City Council this week. It forecasts the number of people who live downtown will double from about 11,000 presently to 24,000 over the next 20 years.
Also approved this week was the city’s first long-term people plan, known as The Way We Live. It’s a 10-year, strategic plan that sets directions, establishes priorities, and guides decisions about services that contribute to the health, safety and well-being of Edmontonians.
ETS officially launched its new Trip Planner, Bus Stop Schedule Search, and Route Schedule Search tools this week.
Olympic champion Kevin Martin is Northlands Grand Marshal for the Capital EX Parade and the Honda Indy Edmonton.
The City is considering a proposal from Montreal-based Octane Racing Group to run the money-losing Indy race here in Edmonton.
The first installment in a new Journal series called The Sweet Spot talks about Churchill Square.
Jeff has another great election roundup at EdmontonPolitics.com.
Great post from Chris on the debate that just won’t go away. I like his use of the word nostalgia when discussing the City Centre Airport.
The city could mark the 100th anniversary of the Edmonton Public Library system by renovating the exterior of the Stanley Milner branch downtown.
Planning a birthday party for your kids? Here are ten reasons to choose the Art Gallery of Alberta.
Edmontonians will be able to pay for guaranteed parking at four LRT lots starting in September.
Congratulations to I Heart Edmonton, one of my favorite local blogs, on a great first year!
I have never liked the giant bat at 97 Street and 118 Avenue. It seems resident don’t either, and there’s a push to get rid of it and the rest of the sports streetscape features.
Good article in Vue Weekly: Time is ripe for urban farms.
Have some cool pictures of Edmonton? Send them to Brittney!
Both Megatunes locations will close at the end of the summer. Stock is on sale for 25% off until then.
The ongoing downtown arena saga was written up in the National Post today.
For more headlines from the past week, check out theedmontonian.com.
If you’re looking for something to do on Thursday evening, consider Latitude 53’s Summer Rooftop Patio Series!
SOSFest is this weekend, and the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival started yesterday as well. You can see all festival dates and times here.