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 in 2014

I think it’s safe to say that 2014 was an exciting year for Edmonton. One measure of that? Look at all the construction cranes! There are about 18 cranes up currently in Edmonton’s core (city-wide there are 39 cranes up), and by the summer of 2015, that’s expected to grow to at least 30. There are projects big and small underway in Edmonton – everywhere you look, things are changing.

Of course, cities are about more than buildings, and it’s the people that truly made 2014 a great year for Edmonton. Whether it was coming together to tackle the incredible challenge of ending poverty in a generation, getting engaged in a community initiative or Make Something Edmonton project, or simply moving here and being counted, Edmontonians did some incredible things in 2014.

Below you’ll find monthly recaps from the past year. What I decided to do was read back through my Edmonton Notes for 2014 to pick out the highlights from each month. Below that, you’ll find links to all of the other Edmonton-related lists and reviews that have been popping up around the web. And finally, you’ll find some links to 2015 resolutions and goals for Edmonton. If I have missed a link, let me know!

January

There was a lot of economic news to start the year as we learned that one of every ten jobs created in Canada throughout 2013 was created in Edmonton. Potholes were also being discussed thanks to lots of snow and warm weather. Two other topics seemed to dominate the discussion in January: Premier Redford’s unwillingness to step up to the plate on LRT funding, and the ongoing lack of success for the Oilers. At the end of the month, Northlands President & CEO Richard Andersen announced his resignation.

Notes: January 5, January 12, January 19, January 26

February

The big announcements this month were related to the arena: the guaranteed maximum price was met enabling construction to begin, and the City and the Katz Group reached an agreement on a new civic office tower in the arena district. Ground was broken on the new Royal Alberta Museum, the Neon Sign Museum opened, the EPL Makerspace opened, and in anticipation of the High Level Bridge lights, ATB lit its downtown tower whenever Team Canada scored at the Sochi Olympics. The Mayor launched a social media campaign to build support for LRT funding called #yeg4LRT. Controversial topics discussed included the proposed Galleria, including a $40 million pedway, and bike lanes.

Notes: February 2, February 9, February 16, February 23

March

After lots of pressure, the Province finally agreed to commit the necessary funding for the Valley Line LRT extension. The Redford government delivered its Throne Speech, but faced increasing scrutiny over the travel expense scandal and later “penthousegate”. Just a couple of weeks later, Premier Redford resigned and Deputy Premier Dave Hancock was sworn in as interim premier. Construction on the downtown arena began on schedule, but the City announced that the opening of the Metro Line LRT to NAIT would be delayed until the end of 2014. Edmonton was named Canada’s Earth Hour Capital City for 2014. University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera announced she would not seek a third term. Mayor Iveson hosted a Symposium on Poverty to kick off his new task force to eliminate poverty in Edmonton. The month closed with the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Alberta national event.

Notes: March 2, March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30

April

The City announced plans to bid on hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 2014 municipal census began this month, with online collection for the first time ever. Potholes were again in the news. Ryan Smyth played his final game. City Council reluctantly agreed to support the Galleria project to some extent, and the U of A made its support for the project clear. The Downtown CRL was officially approved by the Province.

Notes: April 6, April 13, April 27

May

Mayor Iveson called on the federal government to develop a national housing plan. Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason announced plans to step down. Work began on the Molson Brewery site, and Walterdale Hill was closed to accommodate construction of the new Walterdale Bridge. Plans to demolish the Paramount Theatre were announced and then shelved. Door-to-door collection for the municipal census took place throughout the month. The Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup. Council pushed ahead with the Blatchford redevelopment, and the U of A announced plans to create a land trust.

Notes: May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25

June

The federal government added another $150 million to the Valley Line LRT extension, and the new Kingsway/Royal Alex Transit Centre opened (for bus riders). The Edmonton Public Library was named the 2014 Library of the Year, the first Canadian library to receive the award. TEC Edmonton was named Incubator of the Year by Startup Canada. The City released its four-year Bike Lane Infrastructure Plan and the Blatchford redevelopment plan was approved by Council. The City broke ground on its new office tower in the arena district. Former mayor Stephen Mandel and his wife Lynn were inducted into the City of Edmonton Hall of Fame. The Oilers brought in Bob Nicholson, traded Sam Gagner, and selected Leon Draisaitl in the draft. The world’s first industrial-scale facility to produce biofuels from municipal solid waste opened in Edmonton. At the end of the month, the new Edmonton Insight Community launched.

Notes: June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22, June 29

July

On Canada Day, the High Level Bridge was lit. Alongside the excitement of that project, there was lots of downtown-related news in July! Stantec announced it would stay downtown, Brad Lamb announced the Jasper House and North condo projects, and Earth’s General Store opened on 104 Street. The 102 Avenue Bridge over Groat Road closed, and Walterdale Hill reopened. The City announced plans to move ahead with electronic parking meters, replacing all 3,000 existing ones. The idea of an outer ring road resurfaced. The Province launched new license plate options and encouraged Albertans to vote online. They also announced support for Edmonton’s Commonwealth Games bid. Council approved a pilot project for urban beekeeping.

Notes: July 6, July 13, July 20, July 27

August

The census results were released, revealing Edmonton’s population has grown to 877,926. Stantec unveiled its new 62-storey tower in the heart of the arena district. The Art Gallery of Alberta celebrated its 90th anniversary. Alison Redford resigned as MLA for Calgary-Elbow. United Airlines announced it would end its flight from Edmonton to New York. Mosquitoes attacked Edmontonians. The Oilers got on board the analytics trend hiring blogger and stats guru Tyler Dellow. The 2014 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup took place in our city, and the Fringe Festival celebrated another record-breaking year. Uber met with the City, Smart Bus technology expanded to another four bus routes, and the Province rejected a proposal to fund a regional transit smart card. Council approved a backyard hen pilot project.

Notes: August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31

September

Jim Prentice won the leadership of the PC party, and interim premier Dave Hancock announced his retirement. The Alberta Legislature was prorogued after the new lineup of cabinet ministers was unveiled. The license plate redesign was cancelled. Slower speed limits around elementary schools took effect. The upcoming park at 105 Street and 102 Avenue was officially named after Alex Decoteau, Canada’s first aboriginal police officer. The City announced it aims to acquire 40 acres of land from Sturgeon County. We got our first taste of snow this month, but it didn’t last.

At the end of the month, I married my best friend!

Notes: September 7, September 14, September 21

October

The Oilers hosted a 30th anniversary celebration of the 1984 championship team. Avenue Edmonton unveiled its latest Top 40 Under 40. Three new independent coffee shops opened in the core, including Burrow in the Central LRT Station. Council approved a full smoking ban on Churchill Square. Former mayor Stephen Mandel easily won his seat in the Edmonton-Whitemud by-election. The RFP for the Valley Line LRT was released and ETS launched a brand new Control Centre. The proposed 2015 operating and capital budgets were released. Edmonton Public Library CEO Linda Cook announced she would retire in mid-2015 after 18 years leading the organization.

I was away most of the month in Asia on my honeymoon!

Photo by Jeff Wallace

Notes: October 26

November

Northlands kicked off its Arena Strategy Committee, tasked with making a recommendation on the future of Rexall Place. The City became the first municipality to receive the Most Admired Corporate Culture award. KLM added a new route between Edmonton and Amsterdam, with service beginning in May 2015. David Turpin was named the new president of the University of Alberta. Mayor Iveson hosted a City Building Summit, to put pressure on the Province to better support Edmonton’s rapid growth. NorQuest launched its largest fundraising initiative ever. Janet Riopel was named incoming President & CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, and Johanna Ko became the first ever student trustee on the Edmonton Public School Board. The month closed with our first big snowfall of the season.

Notes: November 2, November 9, November 16, November 23, November 30

December

The other big political story of the year took place just a couple of weeks ago: Danielle Smith and eight other Wildrose MLAs crossed the floor to join the PCs. At the municipal level, Council approved a 5.7% tax increase in approving both the 2015 Operating and 2015-2018 Capital budgets. City of Edmonton CFO Lorna Rosen announced she would be leaving her position to become Alberta’s deputy minister of education. After saying no changes were on the horizon, the Oilers fired head coach Dallas Eakins. The team finished 2014 dead last. The new Meadows recreation centre and public library opened in the south east. Uber launched in Edmonton, and was immediately branded “bandit taxis” by the City.

Notes: December 7, December 14, December 21

Other 2014 Recaps

Here are a collection of other year-in-review articles and posts. I’ll keep adding to the list as I find more:

2014: The Year in Review by Edmonton Journal
2014 Year in Review by University of Alberta
12 Days of #YEG by Kick Point
Our best photographs of 2014 by Edmonton Journal
Our favourite stories of 2014 by Edmonton Journal
Top 10 sports stories of 2014 by Edmonton Journal
Top 14 nostalgia shows of 2014 by Gigcity.ca
Edmonton’s top 14 stories of 2014 by Global Edmonton
2014 Year in Review by CTV Edmonton
What was the best Edmonton concert of 2014? by Edmonton Journal
Eight Edmonton frets of 2014 by Gigcity.ca
2014 Year in Review: The Top 10 Business Stories in Edmonton by Edmonton Commerce News
Test your Edmonton cultural cred in our 2014 quiz by Edmonton Journal
The top 14 stories of 2014 by University of Alberta
Edmonton’s Top 5 court stories of 2014 by Edmonton Sun
A look at some of the patterns of 2014’s theatrical offerings by Vue Weekly
A look back at the highs and lows in the queer community in 2014 by Vue Weekly
The year in Edmonton dance, as remembered by dancers by Vue Weekly
Top Edmonton eats of 2014 by Vue Weekly
Edmonton food 2014 review and 2015 preview by Vue Weekly
Top 10 Edmonton records of 2014 by Gigcity.ca
Edmonton People, Places and Things of 2014 by Gigcity.ca
Edmonton’s best eats 2014 by CBC Edmonton
Best Edmonton Theatre Photos of 2014 by Edmonton Sun
Wildrose defections capped tumultuous year in Alberta politics by Global Edmonton
Edmonton’s hottest civic issues of 2014 by CBC Edmonton
Top 10 Posts for 2014 by MasterMaq’s Blog
Top 10 moments in Alberta Politics in 2014 by daveberta.ca
Recap: My Top Posts of 2014! by Linda-Hoang.com
Best Edmonton songs of 2014 by Edmonton Sun
Thank you 2014! Hello 2015! by Gluten Free Edmonton
The Year that Was/Will Be by OnBeer.org
The year 2014 in review by Edmonton Examiner
The 10 most viewed projects of 2014 by Make Something Edmonton
CBC Edmonton’s top news stories of 2014 by CBC Edmonton
GDB 38.0: Good riddance 2014 by OilersNation
What we discovered in 2014 by MacEwan University
2014 Recap: Your Impact in 17 Photos by BGCBigs
thank you, #YEG, for an amazing 2014! by yegwed.com
2014: Looking Back & Thinking Ahead by Little Miss Andrea
Onstage in Edmonton, 2014 by EJ Entertainment Blog
2014 in review by curious arts
Edmonton’s reach in the digital space: three examples from 2014 by Breanne Fisher
Epicureous in Edmonton: 2014 in Review by Only Here for the Food
Top 40 of ’14 City stories by Transforming Edmonton
Top 14 Videos Published in 2014 by Lincoln Ho YEGventures.ca

The Mayor did a series of year-end reviews with the local media. He told the Edmonton Sun he is “pleased” with how the effort to end poverty in Edmonton has come together. He talked about the property tax debate, arena district, transportation, and more with Global Edmonton. He told CBC Edmonton that being called “your worship” is awkward.

If you’re looking for lists beyond YEG, check out Gawker’s List of Year-End Lists or BuzzFeed’s Best of 2014.

Looking ahead to 2015

Here are some resolutions and other lists for Edmonton in 2015:

5 New Year’s resolutions Edmonton should get behind by Metro Edmonton
Three Edmontonians to watch in 2015 by Metro Edmonton
Tait on Eight: Make the new year about sharing by Edmonton Sun
Alberta politics: Wildrose fallout the story to watch in 2015 by CBC Edmonton
What a year 2015 has been in Alberta politics! by Daveberta.ca
2015 Resolutions for the City of Edmonton by The Wanderer Online
#yegfilm in 2015 by #yegfilm
Five things to look forward to in Edmonton 2015 by Edmonton’s NextGen

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!

Have I missed anything? Let me know and I’ll add a link! You can take a look at my 2013 recap here.