September 6 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton, and welcome back to the work week.
How do you commute to work? Is speed your choice? Cost? Convenience? (There’s also a video.)
Here are some updates on Edmonton’s transportation network.
All this commuting stuff comes with the end of the Journal’s summer series on the suburbs. Living on the Edge looked at everything from commuting, to density, shopping, churches, who’s moving to the ‘burbs, and what’s working well out there.
If you followed the series at all, or are about to dive into it, there’s a survey you can fill out. I’d suggest filling out the survey if you appreciate long-form, in-depth reporting like Living on the Edge.
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Wow. Could it really be?
Could the old Esso (Imperial Oil) lot at the corner of Whyte Avenue and 105 Street finally be moving toward sale? After more than a decade is the contaminated land finally going to be ready for new development? It’s a miracle!
And it’s a good reason why the City of Edmonton needs more and tougher rules for contaminated lots, or “brownfields,” and owners who would let properties sit vacant for more than a couple of years. (This one has sat empty and dirty for 13 years.)
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Edmonton Police are going to start using black and white cruisers.
Alberta festivals, including a couple of Edmonton big ones, are getting some federal funding.
News on new beers after the jump. (more…)
Hang Up and Drive Headlines
I guess, more accurately, that headline should “Hang up, put down the sandwich, don’t do your hair and makeup, shave before you get into the car, stop tweeting on your iPad and drive.” Yes, Alberta’s new distracted driving law takes effect today. It’s a $172 ticket, so keep your eyes on the road.
Alberta is not the first province to have this kind of law.
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Edmonton councillors will talk about the community revitalization levy (CRL) in October. This is the tax zone that’s supposed to help fund the downtown arena downtown revitalization projects. I hope it goes through and we finally see something productive happen on 104 Street, at 109 Street, at the old Canada Post property, with LRT expansion, and…what? That stuff is already happening?
Are you sure? I mean, how can it happen without an arena?
Speaking of LRT…Engineering design is to begin on Edmonton’s expanding LRT system.
Edmonton’s deficit for the year is improving.
One community in each of Edmonton’s five police divisions is going to get a little more policing. This is part of a new crime reduction strategy from the Edmonton Police Service. The EPS, by the way, is stretched thin trying to solve this year’s extra homicides.
I’m a little boggled on this one. Three Edmonton newsrooms (the Sun, CTV, and CHED/iNews) have a story today on a fatality report being released. Yet, CBC had it two weeks ago. Just a strange delay.
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This school year will be the first for public education in Morinville. Which sounds really weird when I read that back. (Today is the first day of school for most students.)
A new way to move patients through the University Hospital faster will likely be applied at other hospitals after successful wait time reductions. We’re also performing more surgeries in Alberta.
Being the start of a new month all the monthly magazines are out with new issues. Alberta Venture’s got a look at the Slave Lake fire.
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The photocopiers were flying, more textbooks are likely to be required, and more online links will be provides, because the University of Alberta’s getting out of its copyright agreement with Access Copyright. (Also, check out that new Gateway website! They’ve also got a refresher on top U of A summer stories.)
U of A students are depressed, not getting exercise, and not eating enough fruits and vegetables. But they’re not doing as many drugs as you may think.
The U of A’s Faculty of Arts is cutting some language classes to save money.
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Libraries are not just “warehouses for books” anymore.
And that library story probably has a tie-in to this one about Blockbuster closing their remaining Canadian stories. (Locally, you can still find movies at Videodrome and The Movie Studio.)
August 31 Edmonton Headlines
Old and new co-exist for just a little bit.
Good morning, Edmonton. We were so close to making it to September before really having to think about fall…but that morning chill is reality.
Edmonton’s city council wants a little more time for the municipal election and spending rules for third-party advertisers (like Envision Edmonton campaigning to keep the City Centre Airport open, during the 2010 election).
I’m yet to be won over by the idea of Edmonton’s open boundary school system, so I agree with the sentiment of kids going to their local school.
Pregnant homeless women have a new service just for them at Boyle Street.
We were just talking about naming things around the city the other day, and now a stretch of train tracks is getting a new name.
Edmonton’s Alley of Light should be among our first moves to beautify, and occupy, the many unused and forgotten spaces around out city.
An Edmonton author is set to release her new book this weekend. Yay for Edmonton writers!
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Nobody likes how the Alberta government is protecting our province’s rivers. Except maybe the Alberta government. And people who own water licenses.
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Hey, companies and businesses, jump into social media already.
August 30 Edmonton Headlines
I stumbled upon this dance floor at Churchill Square last night. Downtown is not dead!
Good morning Edmonton. I’ve got to say, I’m totally into this summer weather we’ve been having lately. It feels so good.
You know, you’d think people creating ads would take some time to think about what they were doing. But, I guess, some businesses still have to learn about social media the hard way. And by “hard way” I mean doing something that’s not all that thought out and being lambasted by people far and wide.
Hey, advertising doesn’t always work. Sometimes things get lost in translation or execution; that’s totally fair. And if something falls flat, or offends, you can apologize and explain that it wasn’t your intention. Then everyone can move on.
But then, you get businesses like Fluid Salon, which doesn’t really apologize, blames the rest of us for not “getting” their “art” and not doing enough to end domestic violence (again, you and me, not them) and you can’t help but wonder what is going on…
Also, I don’t think I saw the “media” talking about boycotting your salon so much as regular people.
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Sidenote: This is a good example of news and objectivity. Newsrooms are covering the story, but their headlines offer items like “a campaign for a local hair salon is raising eyebrows” and “ad being called ‘disgusting.’” That leaves a lot of room to say glorifying domestic violence might not offend everyone, or shouldn’t. By way of clarifying that point I offer a fake headline of ”Certain neighbours don’t like new condo plan” which is a totally acceptable place for objectivity because it’s going to be a subjective decision-making process.
If newsrooms, and the humans working in them, expressed that this was unacceptable (which I think they’re doing by non-objectively choosing to cover the story) they’d be saying to the audience that they are a part of the community and want the best for Edmonton. That’s not to say you can’t get the salon owner’s take on the ads and issue.
A couple of journalists did express actual human emotions about the ads on Twitter (and in opiniony places like blogs), but we need to see that become part of news coverage. Your audience knows you’re humans, knows you have reactions and emotions, and it’s ok to show that. It might even make stories better. Leaving room for people who might welcome domestic violence in ads, or who don’t think the moon landing happened, doesn’t make you fair and balanced, it lets down your audience.
Balancing that journalism criticism, is this story from Fish Griwkowsky in the Journal. He’s writing about local filmmaker Trevor Anderson and it says at the end of the story that the two know each other and work together. That doesn’t make the story about Anderson’s new movie any less interesting. More of this please!
I promise to keep the journalism discussions at a minimum in the rest of today’s Headlines. (more…)
August 29 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton!
When school resumes in the Edmonton Public School Board, junk food will not be back in class. Jamie Oliver would be so proud.
Perhaps talking about Edmonton being a big city will be the way to get Edmonton Transit to create some late-night, or 24-hour transit. It’s overdue, so let’s make it happen!
It sort of feels like Mayor Mandel has given up on his “no more crap architecture” stance when quoted about the Royal Alberta Museum designs. People have been panning the four choices for our new museum since they were unveiled by the provincial government. I’ll admit I don’t mind one of them, but nothing is really wowing me.
Cynical folks would say Mandel is backing off criticizing because he wants the provincial government to find $100-million for a downtown arena. But, hey, he could just like the designs.
Speaking of the downtown arena… “…if the same amount of money that might go into pro sports facilities could be spent on something else with a bigger impact, that’s where the money should go.”
$100-million could go a long way toward a lot of things.
Question: How can everybody love downtown without a downtown arena? Do these people hate nice things?!
Alright, before I get all riled up about the downtown arena, let’s move on. (more…)
August 19 Edmonton Headlines
Look at the difference in road top. Smooth!
Welcome to the end of the week, Edmonton.
Since the daily news media loves talking about crime, building it up to levels not actually seen here (or in most cities, for that matter) the Edmonton Police Service is hitting YouTube with new videos to talk about crime officers are seeing on a regular basis. This is great. Not that it won’t come with a little bias from the EPS, but that it helps force the crime debate to get real.
The City of Edmonton is changing things up for snow removal this winter. Neighbourhoods will continue to be bladed with 5cm of snowpack (down from 10cm in previous winters), there will be parking bans on bus route (and elsewhere if it really snows), and you’ll be able to see when your neighbourhood will be cleared on a new website.
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Now, this could just be like the last provincial election when news media were predicting a breakthrough for the Alberta Liberals, but I’m getting the sense from coverage of the Progressive Conservative leadership race that Gary Mar and Alison Redford are the frontrunners. Ted Morton didn’t even get a mention in this story from Medicine Hat’s debate. Sounds like the Mothership really is down.
While some may say Mar’s idea of private healthcare gets shot down on principle alone and won’t get a fair discussion, I say talk about how many more doctors and medical staff you’ll hire before you create two levels of care. If you don’t hire more staff, buy more diagnostic machines, and open more clinics, you aren’t creating more healthcare space, you’re simply splitting it in two.
If you can’t make it out to the leadership debates, you can hit up videos on the Edmonton Journal’s website which will answer some frequently asked questions.
Meanwhile…outgoing PC leader and premier Ed Stelmach seems determined to find a way to throw in $100-million for Edmonton’s downtown arena. This, after PC leadership candidates asked him to stop announcing projects that are going to cost them money, or have to be pulled back off the table by them.
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The Alberta government is worried about environmentalists. Oh, did I say Alberta government? I mean oil and energy executives.
Do any of these designs for the new Royal Alberta Museum (to be built behind City Hall, beside the CN Tower) float your boat? I don’t mind the first one from EllisDon, but none are blowing me away.
Alberta won’t be getting its own police force for at least 20 years. The RCMP’s getting a contract renewal.
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Excellent commentary from Vue Weekly on suicide. Too often mental illness is hushed up, but we need more mental health and mental illness awareness, not less. It gets extra points for going after the news media and police policies of not reporting openly on suicides. If there’s a fear of others copying that, why do murders and violent crimes not get the same silence?
Spinning off that, PC leadership candidate Rick Orman wants to have more treatment of mental illness and addiction in our jail system.
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A dentist is offering free treatments to people without dental insurance.
We are falling very much in love with our smartphones and tablets. I wonder if the CRTC can stay relevant in the digital age.
August 11 Edmonton Headlines
We sure are!
Good Thursday to you, Edmonton.
The police chief and mayor revealed a little more detail on where Edmonton is going in new crime-fighting and crime prevention programs. They’ll need help from the provincial government to fund some of the ideas. They could probably also use some help from the courts and parole systems to ensure the worst, and repeat, offenders don’t get out as often as they sometimes do. But crime prevention is really going to be the long-term key.
Among the items: more social workers and social assistance, more enforcement in high-risk neighbourhoods, trying to get tougher laws, or punishments, for knives and “edged weapons,” domestic violence awareness.
It all sounds good, but money and the actual projects and help will have to come through for anything to improve beyond our current state. (And, a reminder, we are currently seeing decreases in crime right across the country. Mack’s got a new look at some homicide numbers too.)
Just a quick, cynical, side note: If the mayor wants money, because that’s what help from the provincial government will be tied to, for programs both provincially and city-run, would he be willing to give up the downtown arena $100-million request? That kind of money could get a lot of people off the street, build-up mental health treatment, increase social assistance, and create crime prevention activities and programs.
A unanimous city council vote on a sports stadium? I guess that’s what happens when the city isn’t paying and the new stadium is privately financed.
Duncan Kinney has been crunching the numbers on Edmonton’s deal, because it doesn’t sound like anything is working or making lots of people happy with the current plan.
Arena-free from here on out (today anyway). (more…)
July 21 Northlands Headlines
Not yet.
Good morning, Edmonton. You know a day with downtown arena stories is going to be a busy day. So, dig in.
Among the news and notes from City administration’s answers to Councillor Ed Gibbons:
- Daryl Katz’s $100-million for the arena is more like $80 or $90-million, with the rest covering management over decades
- The City (you and me) will likely have to put up the money, probably borrowed, to cover the $125-million that will eventually be paid back through a ticket tax (that’s you again, if you go to anything at the arena)
- Katz Group and Oilers financials are yet to be fully opened up to City Council
- There’s nothing binding Daryl Katz to spend $100-million in development around the arena
- A community rink would be fully paid for by the City (why don’t we just build a couple of community rinks on the parking lot and call it a day?)
- The arena will cost more than $450-million when you factor in “soft costs” like design, street lights, LRT, transit, that community rink, sewers, and a bunch of other stuff I’m not smart enough to think of.
Northlands isn’t backing down. The non-profit agency wants to keep running Rexall Place if there’s a downtown arena. That likely doesn’t bode well for you and I making back any of the tax money council wants to throw into the downtown arena. There could be too much competition for arena events in a city Edmonton’s size.
On Northlands: They wanted council approval of $770,000 for new seats at Rexall Place. They got that. It’s money already in the Northlands budget, but anything over $750,000 needs a look by city council.
There were questions about Northlands’ finances (sure, councillors, I just happened to bring our audited statements with us to a meeting for a seat rubber-stamp…) and I suspect councillors will have an easier time to see the money details of Northlands than the Katz Group. Also, with council members sitting on the Northlands board, at least a few folks in City Hall yesterday should know how the non-profit is doing with cash.
Even a downtown arena fan thinks Daryl Katz could be the guy making all the wrong moves, and asking for too much money, on the deal.
Whew. That’s a lot of Northlands and arena talk. How about we shift gears for the rest of today’s Headlines? (more…)
#MackAttack Headlines
Happy Twitter Birthday to Edmonton’s first tweeter, Mack Male! Five years I go I wasn’t even on Facebook.
Now on with the news!
We were talking yesterday about a push to lock up your car.
All that rain slowed down road construction. Thanks a lot, rain.
My guess is that plan B to find $100-million for the downtown arena involves a whole lot of busking by Mayor Mandel. Meanwhile…at our current arena…new seats may or may not happen…
David Staples makes a good point in his latest column in favour of government money for a downtown arena. The Alberta government shouldn’t put so much money into horse racing. (I’m pretty sure that was his point, anyway.)
Ethan Allen is moving downtown. Wait. After a downtown arena is built, right?
No more downtown arena after the jump. I promise. (more…)
July 7 Edmonton Headlines
You might have seen these eye-catching "posters" for the No Longer With Us campaign to promote Housing First. (Click for more details.)
I think I’m starting to like “today’s date-Edmonton Headlines” as my go-to title. I reserve the right to insert puns.
If you get caught on the LRT without transit fare, or put your feet on the seat, or give drivers the stink-eye (that one may be made up), you’ll be facing a larger fine. Now, with the most important problems solved, if Edmonton Transit could just increase service to the most populated and busy areas of the city, get GPS on the buses, and keep things clean we’d see the monthly cost be a deal compared to personal vehicles.
Festival organizers are looking to the City for a little help in killing mosquitoes. That would mean breaking out the chemicals to “fog” parks.
The river valley is getting money that was supposed to go to other park projects. Go river valley go!
The footage is grainy, but Edmonton Police hope it will help them catch a downtown groper.
A landmark that used to sit outside of CFRN TV is on its way to the new Royal Alberta Museum. Speaking of that new museum…give the provincial government a little input, would you. Oh, you can’t?
You might have heard about a Sun News Network item on some Edmonton artists’ housing this week.
The Bestest of Edmonton? You’ll have to make the jump to find out. (more…)
June 27 Edmonton Headlines
Click on the photo for a better look at what people want to see at this old gas station site.
Hello, Edmonton!
Police are meeting with people from the central neighbourhoods which have seen the majority of homicides this year.
The Edmonton Transit System will not be installing safety shields on buses, to ensure drivers have interactions with passengers. Trust me, the customer service of some of those drivers doesn’t need a shield to be hindered. The idea for the shields came after driver Tom Bregg was beaten. I hope ETS will keep looking at safety options.
Edmonton needs more flexibility when it comes to dealing with older buildings, and their owners. The Bank of Montreal building on Jasper, at 101 Street, is slated to be demolished. If the previous owners had been forced to take better care of an aging building, maybe the new owners wouldn’t be readying the wrecking ball. And maybe we can accept a 48-year-old building that has some personality instead of holding fast to the 50-year rule for historical designation.
Speaking of owners who could do a better job…could there really be hope for the abandoned gas station at 105 Street and Whyte Avenue? Really?!
Can you believe there’s still lots to get to? Believe it! (more…)
June 24 Edmonton Headlines
The river is high and fast. And kind of cool to look at.
Edmonton Transit is serious about making things better.
Not necessarily their service or routes, but fining people more for putting their feet on seats. Or eating on transit property. (WHAT?!) And not paying fares.
I shall take this time to repeat my oft-made comment about installing turnstiles in the LRT stations. A little more money right now, but you’d make more from everyone who currently skips onto the train without paying, which is, let’s be honest, really easy and without much consequence. Then security officers could focus on transit station and trouble spots more.
You might not have to move to Chicago, and live near Wrigley Field, to see a ball game from your home. Speaking of new neighbourhoods…think the City Centre Airport lands could be one of the next great communities around? And surplus school sites could continue to be built up as places to live.
As an add-on to the story about TELUS putting $20-million into fixing up and expanding one of its two towers (Ha! Lord of the Rings pun.) at 100 Street, ATB is sticking around Edmonton’s downtown.
The next stop for Edmonton garbage is into the Mr. Fusion.
More police officers are being sent to 107 Avenue neighbourhoods to try and stem the violent crime in that area.
A pair of Edmonton police officers may be looking at internal investigations, at least, after a judge tossed out one of two charges against a man who took a beating during an arrest.
The use of Twitter is being credited with finding a missing Edmonton boy. And folks say social media and the Internet are time-wasters…
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, saving money is for suckers.
In the aftermath of a criminal case against an RCMP officer, the Alberta government is being asked to review the crown’s work in court.
In Ottawa, the Supreme Court of Canada just gave the crown attorney more power in plea bargains by saying the deal could be changed or yanked after agreement with the defence.
The U of A has its first-ever female neurosurgery graduate. The first in 50 years of the program.
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Canada Post, I have just about forgotten you existed.
June 23 Edmonton Headlines
Hey, you, uh, got $50-million the City of Edmonton can have, to keep the 2012 tax hike at 4.5%? There may be a cut or two (or three) if more money isn’t found. I know you have it in coffee cans buried in the yard!
Meanwhile…the City announced $56-million to get the east Jasper redevelopment moving along…
And there will be a new statue in, or around, Churchill Square.
If I’m reading this story on the downtown arena correctly, Councillor Ed Gibbons will meet with the City Manager to ask a list of questions but that meeting would happen outside of a public meeting. Weird. (Or I’ve got it wrong.)
The chair of the Edmonton Public School Board wants longer-term funding from the provincial government, to allow a little more stability in school board budgeting.
TELUS is putting in $20-million worth of work into one of its two towers on 100 Street, and also a bit of green space right beside the plaza.
100 years of flight in Edmonton, the City Centre Airport, and aviation are being talked about and celebrated this week.
Speaking of the City Centre Airport…we know who will be designing a neighbourhood planned to take over the land. The Charrette has a further look at the design plans.
As soon as I saw that police had made an arrest in a Whyte Avenue stabbing my brain started to try and guess at the story. There hadn’t been any homicides recently. Could it be the Dylan McGillis killing from four-and-a-half years ago? A homicide I covered when still working the daily news beat? Yes! Edmonton police have made a long-awaited, long sought-after arrest.
The homicide was among the violence that sparked some change on Whyte to try and attract more live music, more street life (and not just drunk people eating pizza street life), and campaigns to enjoy a night out without violence.
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There are more nurses being hired in Alberta, but a lot of them aren’t working full-time. This is, essentially, a good news story though.
The Alberta government is spending some money educating you about carbon capture and storage. Whether we’ll ever end up building the systems to trap carbon emissions underground is another story.
Canada’s western premiers are talking disasters and disaster funding. Our premier (still Ed Stelmach until fall, when Progressive Conservatives choose a new one) wants more foreign workers, and to get them here faster.
Speaking of leadership races…Bill Harvey is running to lead the Alberta Liberals. I know…NOW you’re excited about that race.
Alberta author Robert Kroetsch died in a car crash this week, and is being remembered for his literary contributions to Alberta, Edmonton, and Canada.
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Canada’s approach to asbestos is very “do as I say not as I do” since we won’t be doing a whole with the known cancer-causer but will gladly export it. I guess The Daily Show cares more than our federal government.
June 22 Edmonton Headlines
I am digging all this blue sky!
Potentially good news for those hoping the provincial government will help pay for a new downtown arena in Edmonton as Red Deer lands some cash.
Ah, the irony of building and refurbishing schools while the school boards look at cutting teachers and staff. This is why we stopped calling it the Alberta Advantage, right?
Castrol Raceway is expanding. While they aren’t planning to host the Indy anytime soon it probably bodes well for the race sticking around this area when it can’t run at the City Centre Airport anymore (We’re supposed to find out today who won the design contract for the new neighbourhood going there.)
A group of Edmonton students have caught the attention of chef Jamie Oliver, currently on a food revolution in Los Angeles (on TV at least, they might be done filming). The Westglen students are kicking the sugary-milk habit.
I feel like we could keep going. Yeah, there’s lots more. Let’s keep going. (more…)
Rainy Rain, Rain Headlines
This puddle will be large enough to swim in by the end of the day.
Well, it’s sure not dry around here anymore.
But, after a few days of (seemingly) non-stop rain, it is staring to affect some lower-lying areas of Edmonton, and puddling up on other roads.
There are so many options on how to keep older schools open, even if they aren’t 100% used for schooling, as we try to fill-in our oldest neighbourhoods. One key will be the City of Edmonton, school boards, and Government of Alberta actually getting together to plan things out.
Our city’s 26th homicide of the year has the mayor trying to figure out how to keep people from killing each other.
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Alberta’s political parties are spending lots of money, but we don’t know what it’s going to. I bet it’s really good cheeses.
The Progressive Conservative leadership race, to be Alberta’s next unelected premier (you get a few of those in dynasty governments) is officially on. Edmonton will host one of the leadership debates.
You’re looking at an auto insurance hike this year. The final numbers won’t kick in until November.
U.S. and European organizations want an independent group to oversee the new oilsands land use plan.
Former Alberta premier Ralph Klein made an appearance at the opening of a park named in his honour.
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The federal government’s cabinet ministers have new powers today allowing them them to pull unsafe items off store shelves.
Canada Post isn’t back to delivering regular mail, but people waiting on government cheques should get those.
Canada’s western and northern premiers are meeting this week. Disaster planning and assistance, and selling to Asian markets, look to be on the agenda.
Paula Findlay is unstoppable. (Keep your Denzel jokes to yourself, Gregg and Sally.)
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I’m going to throw my two cents at Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau. He thinks the CRTC needs to regulate Netflix and YouTube to keep Canadians watching Canadian programs (and, I presume, American programs the big networks have spent so much money on). I think he, and all the media companies, need to produce Canadian programs to keep Canadians watching. Crazy, I know. Spend billions of dollars on homegrown productions, instead of Hollywood programming I can always watch on an American channel or online, and you basically force me to watch Canadian TV shows.
Mid-June Headlines
Caught The Absurd Heroes, and others, at Wunderbar last night. Wunderbar is the place to be.
Good morning, and welcome to the halfway point of the halfway month.
Teacher and staff cuts are looming at both of Edmonton’s school boards. The Edmonton Catholic School District has 180 jobs on the block for the 2011-2012 school year, while the Edmonton Public School Board’s proposed cuts include more than 300 positions.
Edmonton’s new police chief is adding officers to the homicide unit – a move no chief would want to make. He also seems to understand that police-public relationships and prevention are keys to improving the crime rate. It’s just, right now, Edmonton has the highest homicide rate in Canada. :(
The Yellowhead is going to become a freeway. In 30 years. So, to speed that up, one councillor thinks the Alberta government should take over the road.
Victims of domestic violence are being remembered and honoured with an Edmonton street named for them and their plight.
If you’re walking down 108 Street and feel like there are fewer trees, you’re not crazy.
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The interesting thing, to me, in this story about Alberta’s lowest wage earners, is that a lot of them aren’t teenagers working at fast food places.
The Alberta government wants you to get some exercise. They could start setting the example by using their own pedway route to get in shape.
Our province is also trying to deal with higher rates of sexually transmitted infections.
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Canada Post’s rotating strike has become a full-out shutdown as the crown corporation has locked-out workers. As soon as one of the courier companies starts offering letter mail at a cheap price Canada Post is toast. The strike was already affecting charities that depend on mailed-in donations.
Meanwhile…Air Canada’s service staff strike may be over soon, if the federal government steps in.
Poverty as urgent as SARS. While SARS may already be a dated term, that headline calls a lot of attention to what needs to be done about our poorest.
The case of the missing front lawn has been solved.
Hey, anybody seen our ammonia silver nitrate?
June 14 Edmonton Headlines
Better late then never, and all that.
The City of Edmonton could be making its way toward a smoking ban in more public places, including parks and playgrounds.
The University of Alberta is investigating a dean of the medical school after he lifted parts of another doctor’s speech for a convocation address. While it certainly wasn’t a paper or report, it’s going to be interesting to see how the U of A deals with this, since you know they’ve got to be tough on students who plagiarize.
I understand that book publishers gots to get paid, but are they really going to get rich on the back of libraries like those in Edmonton and in St. Albert?
Is Edmonton’s younger generation picking up the garden trowel?
We love to shop. Or live to shop. Or do a lot of shopping.
An Edmonton boy is off to the U.S. National Braille Challenge.
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It appears Alberta’s opposition parties agree on more things than they might think. Will they use that to their advantage to defeat the long-ruling Progressive Conservatives though?
Meanwhile…in the Hall of Integrity…the outgoing Alberta Liberal Leader wants the province to have an Integrity Commissioner to watch over the government’s actions and provide a safe place for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing and waste.
Will car insurance go up or down? Up or down?
Stop moving all of your crazy Medicine Hat plants to Edmonton.
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The consequences of indifference.
Heading out of the country this summer? Telus is going to save you some money by cutting their high roaming fees.
If you’re worried about whether you’re being scammed, there’s an app for that. (Although, wouldn’t it be hilariously ironic if the app cost thousands of dollars?)
You ever come home to find your lawn gone?
Air Canada’s got itself a service staff strike. So, keep that in mind when trying to book tickets (and keep it in mind when other Air Canada staff are grumpy).
June 9 Edmonton Headlines
I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to watch my stereo.
It’s a nice little Thursday in Edmonton, with just enough stories to entice and engage, but not so many to be a frighteningly long list. So, let’s do this.
Canada Post is scaling back mail delivery. I hope you got all those books from Amazon already.
Contractors, the construction crews that work on roads, are among those scratching their heads at the Mayor’s idea to halt major road work in Edmonton for three or so years. This spin-off story to the Mayor’s proposal has me thinking about three years of only minor road work and pothole repairs. What if Edmonton comes out of the three-year moratorium to find a lot of big crews are booked on other projects? That could increase the cost the City pays in labour – you know, supply and demand and all that.
Edmonton rents are the fifth highest in the country, according to an annual survey of two-bedroom apartment rates.
If parents of Edmonton’s Catholic students say their schools need casino money badly, that’s a problem tied into Alberta education funding. The parents may be in a fight with the Edmonton Catholic School District (and their faith?) over the use of gambling money to support their kids’ education.
Speaking of Catholic Schools…all the fun of closing schools shouldn’t be left to the public board…
All this talk of downtown arenas, we sometimes forget there’s a major project proposed for east Jasper.
There are 18 kilmometres of new bike lanes and routes going in this summer. It’s still going to be a scary ride for some cyclists though.
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The Alberta New Democrats want the RCMP to look into allegations of healthcare line jumping.
The New Mexico “Amigos” were in Alberta looking at potential energy partnerships. Maybe they can teach our government a thing or two about saving royalties “…meant for the future generation.”
A massive forest fire continues to burn north of Fort McMurray. It’s one of the largest in Alberta’s history.
The headline of this story (Dancing pits Fort Sask., Alta. pastor vs. saloon led me to believe it was going to be a very “Footloose” kind of story. At least it’s got half-naked people.
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Once Lowe’s opens in Edmonton you can finally start building me a new deck.
June 1 Edmonton Headlines
Welcome to Bike Month, Edmonton. Get out there and ride!
The City is going after “tags” in this summer’s anti-graffiti campaign. That’s exactly what they should be targeting; wipe out gang tags, not listen birds and street art.
630CHED/iNews880 looked at what the Capital Region’s cities and municipalities would be asked to chip in, if the downtown arena was viewed as a regional project. I’d rather they chip in to build a more regional transit system if we’re asking them for money.
Edmonton’s taxes and utilities aren’t the most expensive in the country. But we’re on our way!
A handful of Edmonton community projects are up for your vote in a new program from The Keg. So get online and vote!
Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital is sending home a little girl, after two years at the hospital. Two. Years. Speaking of hearts…researchers at the University of Alberta are trying to prevent heart damage from some cancer treatments…
Operation Red Nose is looking for a non-profit partner for a winter 2011 return to Edmonton.
The Journal’s look at Edmonton bakeries continues, with a taste of Poland at Baltyk Bakery.
Sidney Poitier is coming to our city.
You think Edmonton’s got a lot of news, wait until you see what else is going on around this place. (more…)
May 31 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton. Today, it seems, is all about Alberta news. But, that will tend to happen when you’ve got the provincial seat of power in your downtown.
A couple of Edmonton-specific items are in the news though:
Northlands still doesn’t know what to do about the fact they’re being told asked to leave the arena business.
Mayor Mandel isn’t going to a meeting of the Big City Mayors, saying they don’t get anything done.
Now…about that Alberta stuff… (more…)
May 30 Edmonton Headlines
Welcome to the end of May/beginning of June, Edmonton.
Make sure you let the City know what you think about urban agriculture. Especially if you want some chickens or bees around. Speaking of urban agriculture…Boyle Street’s getting its first community garden. Man, those things are popular.
Progress and freeways, vs. nature and fewer interchanges. Not a story that ever goes away.
Does Edmonton need a safe injection site? A conference about injection harm-reduction is on our city this week.
Edmonton Indy party tent: 2006-2010 – we’ll miss you, old friend. And the tent jokes that could have been.
A century-old church in Old Strathcona is in need of some serious repairs.
You ever just walk around the city?
Edmonton is losing six of its Blockbuster video stores. We’ll be getting some Targets though, if that helps at all.
An Edmonton-area salesperson has been banned by the Alberta Securities Commission.
St. Albert wants to limit the length of time RVs can stay in Wal-Mart parking lots. I had no idea this was a thing Wal-Mart encouraged.
More? Could there possibly be more to talk about?
You bet. (more…)
Edmonton Headlines
Parking rates are going up. (Click for details.)
Well, Edmonton, we made it through the short week. Now its five-day weeks for a month. But it’s the weekend now, so that’s something.
While this story may be about Garneau residents trying to keep bars from spilling off of Whyte Avenue, I like the part about the City’s planning and development department keeping closer tabs on what’s happening with business licenses.
The Edmonton Sun says Councillor Karen Leibovici should not be voting on downtown arena deals, because her husband is an executive with a Katz pharmacy chain.
An inner city crisis team is touting its successes on the streets of Edmonton.
The Edmonton International Airport has shifted from “stopping the Calgary habit” to getting Edmontonians to “Unite for More Flights.” Essentially, the EIA’s new campaign to get people to fly out of Edmonton is centered on the fact more people flying from here could mean more flight options.
A couple of missing men in uniform have been found. It’s not clear what happened to an EPS officer reported missing, and it’s a sad end to the story of a missing soldier.
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Teachers are going to be cut because of tight education budgets, and the fight to get the Alberta government to pay for better education is on.
Slave Lake residents – those with homes to go back to anyway – are returning to the town after a devastating wildfire.
A couple of front-runners in the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership (or, Premiership) race are talking about new rules and changes to improve government transparency.
As northern Alberta burns, southern Alberta is soaked.
Alberta’s only non-Conservative MP, Edmonton-Strathcona’s Linda Duncan, is going to be in the NDP’s shadow cabinet.
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Former Edmonton Eskimo quarterback Jason Maas is retiring from football.
Long Tuesday Headlines
How was that long weekend for you, Edmonton? Ready to kick things off with some downtown arena? Of course you are.
There are people upset about the downtown arena decision, including some councillors who feel the vote came out of nowhere and was forced upon them in a private meeting. Can’t wait for the instant revitalization of an arena? Perhaps look at some smaller projects and initiatives that would do a lot. Northlands is broke. That’s probably not going to help their arguments in all of this.
The downtown LRT connector through Chinatown (specifically, along 102 Avenue) continues to be a point of contention.
I’m not sure if more police on the street will help prevent crimes of passion; murders that happen between family or friends, but Edmonton sure needs something different. We had homicides 22 and 23 last week and on the weekend.
An Edmonton doctor is working on some really big stem-cell research which could help improve the lungs of prematurely born children.
Smaller, independent restaurants are a little shocked at how much it costs to get a Heart and Stroke Foundation checkmark on their menus.
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With the Slave Lake fire occupying much of our news space the last couple of weeks, it’s good to have a little historical context and look back at one of the biggest-ever…
Meanwhile…evacuees are looking at what remains of their town…finding new places to call temporary home…and landing some relief money from the Alberta government…cool, rainier weather is helpful in fighting forest fires…many people have been opening their wallets to help…And Slave Lake resident, Cousin, was at Hip Hop in the Park this weekend, representing his hometown…
Sometimes a story like the current fire happens, and you’re the guy steps away from the big one…This weekend the Edmonton Journal put out a special insert on Slave Lake.
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Alberta teachers are being asked to accept five-years of fixed salary increases. And these one wouldn’t be tied into average weekly earnings (as the most recent deal was).
Another day another report questioning the health risks of the oilsands.
It only took a couple of years, but the Alberta government is finally rolling out a campaign to try and educate people about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), of which we are tops in Canada. Meanwhile…in other health news…The Calgary Herald wants the provincial government to fund fertility treatments.
Alberta’s film and television industry is trying to remain a big deal. (Hey, next weekend is the Rosies.)
Don’t forget that we’re getting a new Premier of Alberta this year (whether there’s a general election or not). Well, look at that. And that too.
Service Alberta’s got a couple of consumer warnings about a pair of contractors.
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If you’re hearing about the massive tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri (among the deadline in U.S. history – in an already busy tornado season) wondering what you can do, you can always look online for ways to help.
Alright, let’s end things on a good note, with this story about Catholic Social Services and the Rotary Centre for New Canadians, and this one about a U of A student picking up a prestigious scholarship.
May 20 Edmonton Headlines
Good Friday to you, Edmonton. Start with the downtown arena? OK!
The downtown arena is going to need money from the provincial and/or federal governments. While the provincial government says they won’t give money to a private business, I wonder if that’s not why the potential deal has the City of Edmonton owning the land and building, so it could be argued it’s a public facility. The ask better come quick, since a couple of potential Conservative premiers are ruling out the money.
The spend-crazy NDP don’t want tax money to go to the Katz Group’s new Oilers home. Because they hate the Oilers? Edmonton? Freedom? What’s with everyone wanting questions answered on this thing? Just get excited already. And, I’m sure school boards considering cutting teachers and staff to balance their budgets would agree, the Alberta government should fund the arena.
Does the arena herald a new era for downtown Edmonton? I would have argued 104 Street, a centralizing MacEwan University campus, LRT connections to the west and southeast, Capital Boulevard, and 109 Street’s makeover were doing that already.
OK, that’s the arena, now let’s see what else is going on. And there really is other stuff going on. (more…)
