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…)
August 25 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton! Quite the busy day here, so let’s get right to things.
There’s a double-edged effect to revitalizing a business zone. Owners can charge more for rent and smaller, local, business can’t always afford to rent, and you get left with chain stores that sap the area of character. Building and property owners need to take more responsibility if they want to be part of character neighbourhoods, heritage districts, and promote local industries.
When if the downtown arena gets built I wonder what the spin-off costs to the City of Edmonton (and you and me as taxpayers) might be with Rexall Place and Northlands. There are costs there that are not part of the proposed $450-million arena pricetag.
Speaking of the downtown arena…it’s kind of tied into the entire downtown plan now. So, I guess, you either like the downtown arena getting a bunch of government cash or you hate downtown Edmonton.
Edmonton’s got the shortest commute (by a few minutes) in Canada’s largest cities. Startling: 85% of drivers have never stepped on a bus, streetcar, or train to get to work. That seems an almost impossible number to believe. People taking transit to work are riding buses and the like for about 44 minutes, compared to the Edmonton drive time of 23 minutes. BUT! Drivers are far more cranky about their commute.
Speaking of commuting to work…It was not your imagination, the Whitemud was worse than usual Wednesday morning.
Now that you’ve commuted to your office, let’s keep going. (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…)
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…)
Groundhog Headlines
It’s Groundhog Day!
Sounds like most of the rodents are predicting an early spring. Which is a good thing, since I don’t know if I could handle six more weeks of winter.
Wait…Balzac Billy saw his shadow? That means we have to wait seven more weeks for spring. Damn.
Now, let’s spend all day watching clips of the Bill Murray movie on YouTube. Do you think Josh Classen will get stuck reliving the same day in Balzac?
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Alberta Liberal leader David Swann is not going to lead the party into the next election. He’ll be stepping down as leader (but sticking around as an MLA) after the spring session. Conservative leader, and Premier, Ed Stelmach is also stepping down. Finance Minister Ted Morton stepped away from that portfolio to run for Stelmach’s job. Any other PC cabinet minister looking to become premier will also, likely, step down from their portfolio. Basically, by the time the spring session wraps up we’ll have a B-team leading the government and official opposition.
Oh, and don’t worry, NDP leader Brian Mason used Swann’s news conference to reassure everyone he’s not going anywhere. This actually leaves him as the only party leader currently in the legislature that says he’ll be running in the next election.
A new panel that’s supposed to look at ways to environmentally monitor the oilsands hit a bump when one member withdrew. Among her complaints: not enough scientists on the panel, too much secrecy.
In Edmonton… (more…)
What to do, what to do
Yes indeed, we’ve made it through another week.
Martin Kerr was out at the Beverley Farmers' Market. Maybe you'll see him at the first Downtown market of the summer, this Saturday.
So, let’s find you something fun to do.
Not to brag, but I bet, maybe even as you’re reading this, I’m having the most weekend fun of all. The dentist is yanking one of my wisdom teeth out.
Have fun with your non-pain pill related events, suckers.
If you’re an Edmonton politics fan you may already know the Alberta Liberal Party is holding their convention and AGM this weekend.
The Tallest Man on Earth is playing a sold out show at Brixx. He’s not actually that tall.
Everybody’s favourite band (to say) is playing the Avenue Theatre tonight. It’s Fucked Up.
More local, Saturday will see the first Joe Bird Award. It’s a bit of a celebration over at the Empress Ale House.
#YegHelp is this Saturday night. That’s a big fundraiser for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. There’s a fashion show too. Plus, I’ll link to most anything with a #Yeg in it.
Almost a #Yeg, the public teachers are hosting a tweetup tonight.
Maybe this will be the weekend you finally check out lawn bowling. Maybe.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the E-Ville Roller Derby girls are having a championship this weekend. Have you seen roller derby in E-town yet?
Of course, the summer blockbuster movies just keep on coming!
There’s a 2010 Alberta Comedy Spectacular being recorded for the CBC in St. Albert.
Ooh, and the Found Footage Festival is on tonight!
Meanwhile…over at Share Edmonton…
The Edmonton Energy return to the basketball floor!
There will be plenty of running and walking this weekend with the Community Action Dash and Enerflex MS Walk.
Don’t forget, the ESO is always a good choice. This weekend, they’ve got a wonderful soprano in, to sing Schubert.
And, I don’t normally look beyond the weekend, but I fear I’ll forget to mention A Night of Highwire Films, which is happening Wednesday. There!
