Election Headlines
You know where we start today. The federal election!
The Conservatives have won a majority government. Basically, this is Christmas morning to those who have been hoping for this since the PC Party and Alliance joined forces last decade. (more…)
April 28 Edmonton Headlines
It’s time to clean up this city.
No, I’m not talking about sweeping changes, or tossing out a bunch of corrupt public officials, I’m just talking about street sweeping. Check the City’s schedule to find out when your neighbourhood gets a good scrubbing.
Speaking of public officials…you can check the donations to all councillor and mayoral campaigns from the fall election. I recommend you peek into the disclosure statements of a few fringe candidates, it’s much more interesting than seeing all the usual big names, companies, and developers who gave money to all the usual candidates.
Get ready to see your tax bill in the mail.
After city councillors heard a proposal to sell some of the seats in a new downtown arena (and I mean sell them, for hundreds of thousands of dollars), they decided to see what the Katz Group thought about the plan. I’m going to guess that will go nowhere since the Katz Group issued a statement later in the day saying “…such a scheme would sacrifice the Oilers’ long-term financial viability in order to fund arena construction costs. For this – and many other reasons – neither the Katz Group nor the NHL will support it.”
I don’t know how to read that without coming to the conclusion that the Katz Group cares more about the Oilers than Edmonton getting a new arena. That may sound like an obvious conclusion, but it’s one to keep in mind when considering the City of Edmonton may be paying for the majority of construction on what is supposed to be an arena for all of us, not just a private company.
The Kingsway Legion is coming down, to make way for an LRT line to NAIT.
We’re getting that new arch bridge to replace the old Walterdale Bridge.
An Edmonton grocery legend, with a last name instantly recognizable in Old Strathcona, is being remembered.
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SEE Magazine’s got a full election package today, including some explanations of who becomes Prime Minister and how election reforms might work.
Vue is asking if coalition governments are our future. I kind of hope so.
While this column calls for more aboriginal candidates in the federal election, I just think it’s interesting to note the many reasons aboriginal Canadians would want to vote – especially considering how recently they got the right to vote freely,
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Alberta Education’s looking at a new School Act. It likely won’t be passed until the end of the year or later, but includes changes to how the provincial government deals with school boards, when schools can be closed, bus transportation, the drop-out age, and bullying.
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I had no idea the distance of a mailbox from a home’s entrance was a rule for Canada Post. And what about mailboxes at the end of a driveway? Perhaps there are details left out of the story, but it also appears Canada Post has some wonky rules.
Bleeding Lead Headlines
The news don’t stop!
The English-language leaders debate went down last night. Leaders of the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, and Bloc debated and grandstanded in the hopes of winning over voters with their party’s ideas and platforms. Green Party leader Elizabeth May was relegated to an online chat because the “media consortium” running the debates couldn’t be bothered to include a national party with a million supporters.
Jumping off that Green Party snub (and noting the consortium has no problem including a regional party like the Bloc) New Democrat leader Jack Layton talked about bringing in proportional representation, which, looking at the map of blue Alberta will likely turn in on election day, is overdue.
There was a candidate’s debate over at the U of A for the hottest riding in Alberta – Edmonton-Strathcona. For two hours candidates (except the Liberal) answered questions on all the topics of the federal election, a few more on education (they were at the university), and took question after question from the audience.
It’s sometimes tough to know who the winner and losers are in a debate, but let’s just say Conservative Ryan Hastman did get taken to task by the widow of an Edmonton mayor.
Watch the debate over and over thanks to the power of the Internet.
And don’t forget about the losers in the election. There will be plenty of people running, and a lot of them know they won’t win.
Outside of the election, and around Edmonton… (more…)
March Lamb Headlines
I guess we should be happy that March decided to come in and go out like a lamb. I still don’t trust Mother Nature thought…
The Katz Group, and Oilers, are trying to jack up support for a new downtown arena with videos played in Rexall Place. Remember when the Katz Group brought that video with Morgan Freeman narration to City Council? They sure love videos. I’m not sure about that giant yellow font though.
I wonder if anyone will create a response video…
Speaking of the arena…we hear more from City administration on how to make it happen what documentation and information will be going to city councillors next week. You know, April 6, when the mayor says make a decision, regardless of whether questions are answered or we have a clear idea of how to pay for Katz’s new arena.
Oh, and here’s two really rich guys talking about hockey.
Alright, enough of that arena for today. (more…)
Monday Headlines
Hmm…let’s see…was there anything news worthy between our Friday Headlines and today.
Anything at all?
Oh!
Radio station The Sound flipped formats to Lite 95.7 – because nobody else ever plays Michael Buble. Stupid Sound, breaking my heart like that. Sonic started up just before I moved here, so The Sound was the first station that launched in Edmonton, in the six years I’ve been here, that I actually tuned into for more than a couple of songs. I get the impression from tweets that I wasn’t alone.
Makes me glad I donated to CJSR. I think I shall remember to donate to CKUA this year.
Don’t worry, we won’t be turning into the same old kind of media outlet anytime soon. Mostly because we’re not in it for the money. We’re in it for the community. And the pizza parties.
Oh…this just in…there was also a federal election call on Friday afternoon.
The Conservative government was found in contempt of Parliament and brought down in a confidence vote. Prime Minister Stephen Harper then went to the Governor General to ask that parliament be dissolved and an election called. We go to the polls May 2. This is actually quite a big deal since a country in the commonwealth has never found a government in contempt. Ever.
While Alberta is usually painted Conservative blue on election night maps there may be a few ridings to watch. We have New Democrat MP Linda Duncan in Edmonton-Strathcona. This will be her first election as the incumbent after beating, now-surrounded by controversy, Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer.
The NDP must feel this has opened up possibilities in our city, since leader Jack Layton was here on the weekend to kick off the national campaign (Stephen Harper will be near here Monday). Watch Edmonton-East, with Ray Martin up against long-time Conservative Peter Goldring, and Edmonton-Centre, where Lewis Cardinal will carry the orange banner against Conservative Laurie Hawn (and the Liberals may still have strength here).
There’s also an interesting race out in Edmonton-Sherwood Park, where the conservative vote (note the small c) will be split again between the party’s man, Tim Uppal, and the not-quite party’s man so he’ll run as an independent, James Ford.
The election is always a good time to take a look at riding inequality. It’s a problem we hear about provincially, with fewer voters in the rural ridings and more power coming with those votes, but there could be a few changes federally to balance things out.
Remember to read up and vote!
The City of Edmonton got into Earth Hour by darkening City Hall, the library, and Churchill Square.
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Wow. The City’s 311 phoneline is getting 100 calls each week about the downtown arena.
It’s going to be a long pothole season for the guys fixing the roads.
I actually didn’t think there were full-service gas stations anymore. Good for those guys.
Did you remember to turn down the lights on Saturday night, Edmonton? (That sounds much sexier than I meant it to.) Or were did you need the lights on, and computer powered-up to file an appeal of the City’s assessment of your home?
Rabbit Hill’s downhill bike park is done.
A couple of Edmontonians picked up Junos last night. The Edmonton Music Awards continue in our city at the Haven Social Club this evening.
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The question for Morinville parents is: Who wants public education?
The RCMP isn’t going anywhere. The federal police agency has another 20-year contract with the provincial government. That should just about do it for talk about an Alberta police force (at least for the next decade or so).
A bunch of U.S. mayors are speaking out against the oilsands.
Families should be notified of someone dying. They should be notified in fewer than 11 days.
Dandelions are getting a reprieve in Alberta this summer. More weeds and plants are now on the hit list though.
*****
Always nice to see people come together to help each other out.
March 24 Edmonton Headlines
That's not the kind of iced coffee I meant.
Good day, Edmonton. How’s this spring weather treating you?
Don’t forget to keep your sidewalks clear of ice and snow, which can vary depending on the time of day with our early spring weather. Even though it is still snowy, pothole repair is underway.
The U of A’s Campus Saint-Jean is getting nowhere with a new parking lot over in Bonnie Doon.
Speaking of parking…which makes me think of driving…we’ve got to get transit-oriented here in Edmonton. And then we have to stick with that.
Now that reminds me of my favourite comment on a transit story we were talking about yesterday. Somebody replied to this Journal column by saying drivers subsidized transit. Ha…ha…oh man, people believe that?!
Put up toll booths and then we’ll talk about which form of transportation is subsidized. I mean, come on…
And, get ready, because we might just be heading into a federal election. The mayor thinks that might mean more money for our LRT expansion.
Alright, I’m done talking about transit now. (more…)
Edmonton Headlines
Good morning and good budget, Edmonton.
Yes, the federal budget came down Tuesday, with much fanfare. The budget itself isn’t all that much to write home about (Do people still write home about such things?) but it’s the reaction of the opposition parties – that they likely won’t support this budget – that means something. That means we could see an election.
Yippee!
I guess it also means the opposition parties could take another shot at a coalition government, if they brought down the Stephen Harper Conservative minority. I kind of wish our parliamentary system could use all of its tools before sending people back to the polls for another minority government. Who knows, maybe the new Governor General would understand it’s a totally legitimate and legal way for our system of government to run.
But enough about coalitions…check out the budget!
While generally supportive (what else are you going to do when you’re both big C Conservatives) the Premier would have liked to have seen more healthcare money from Ottawa. Alberta’s one, lonely non-Conservative, Edmonton-Strathcona’s New Democrat MP Linda Duncan, isn’t a fan of the budget.
Meanwhile…back in Edmonton… (more…)
Internet and Coffee Headlines
The mayor thinks Edmonton should contract out more of its snow removal. This, as the City ponders buying more equipment to deal with snow. Hey, it’s totally an option. But…when there’s a big storm, don’t we always hear about how many of the “on-call” contractors don’t show up right away? Whatever we do heading into the end of 2011, it’s got to be different. I think it’s time to suck up the pride and copy ideas from other cities.
The mayor also wants more river valley money.
There are a lot of stories on the Scona Road construction today, but the Journal’s captures the neighbourhood feelings best. That’s my opinion, but I think people in Old Strathcona are more upset about a third lane coming off the James McDonald Bridge (the merge lane will be extended right up to Saskatchhewan Drive) than they are about six months of construction.
Sure, people are upset about the total closure (except some local access) of Scona Road, but work needs to be done. No, it’s the lack of consultation about the extra lane of traffic that’s most upsetting – as I’ve heard around the community. It also says, to me, that every time we take a step forward with LRT expansion and bus route improvements we take a step back by adding lanes for personal vehicles.
Edmonton’s police disciplinary process might need a tweak or two. One officer’s been winding his way through for eight years, to finally have the charges dropped.
The Edmonton Public School Board is the first board in Alberta to draft a policy on discrimination over sexual orientation.
Leaky roof? Sounds like you need an entirely new house. Or something.
You want more Edmonton news? Sure you do. (more…)
Women’s Headlines
Good morning to you, Edmonton. I hope you weren’t too adversely affected by the power outage in southwest Edmonton or the gas leak downtown Monday afternoon.
We are headed for single digits below zero, and, maybe, even above the freezing mark. Bring. It. On.
Edmonton’s motorcycle noise bylaw isn’t going anywhere. Police will be back out in the spring, testing the loudest motorcycles and handing out tickets to those that exceed the noise rules. A ticket had been thrown out of court, but the City says it will tweak how things are done and everything should be just fine (and legal).
The Edmonton International Airport is speeding things up.
The Villa Caritas has been under scrutiny for some time, but the mental health-facility for seniors is now open.
If you’re a student at the University of Alberta, you’ve got an election to vote in tomorrow or Thursday. The Gateway has broken down some of the election jargon for you.
Looks like Edmonton has the lowest gas prices in Canada (the provinces, anyway). We may not be so lucky with the price of beer.
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The Health Quality Council of Alberta wants to investigate why emergency rooms were so bad, why people had to wait so long for care in the Alberta health system. But the group has to be asked to investigate. The Alberta Conservative government isn’t asking. So, the Council is thinking about asking for changes to regulations that would allow it to investigate whenever it wants.
That comes as some hospital wait times are said to have improved.
Four men had to be brought into Edmonton by for medical treatment, one flown by STARS (the air ambulance) after a well explosion and fire near Edson that injured twelve.
*****
Global’s Trouble Shooter is being recognized for her, umm, trouble-shooting.
It’s International Women’s Day. So, show some respect.
And, I, for one, welcome our new(est) media overlords.
2010 Headlines (That’s news from this year, not more than 2,000 headlines.)
I’m hopping on that end-of-the-year story train. Above you can see a Wordle of our most-used tags. Ignoring the people noted (like me and Sally, Gregg Beever, Mack D. Male, etc…), and a few events venues, we can get a sense of what the heck we talked about the most.
And, for a change, it’s not just about ourselves.
Read on! (more…)
Sign of the times?
Municipal election signs bloom every three years.
Yesterday afternoon, I sat down with the Internet to catch up on the news. That’s right, I don’t only get my news in the mornings with the edmontonian – sorry Jeff. So what did I see? “No tickets issued to Edmonton election candidates“.
No tickets issued? Wait a moment… Haven’t I seen signs on the side of the road just this past weekend? I don’t want to name names…
But Lee Permann, have you taken any signs down?
If you run during an Edmonton election, you’re supposed to remove signs from public property by 10 days after the election. If you fail to do so, you receive a $250 ticket. Seems simple enough right? You park in a no-parking zone, you get a ticket. You litter, you get a ticket. You ride the LRT without paying, you guessed it – a ticket!
So why is the city not giving tickets to candidates who have littered our streets with election signs? (more…)
I think Edmonton is in good hands
I guess Dave's otter mug makes a cameo after all.
Just before the election, I was invited to a social media editorial board of sorts with Mayor Stephen Mandel.
Newspapers usually have an editorial board, which is a bunch of honchos and the opinion writers. Big names, and most big candidates in an election, will come through and sit with the editorial board for interviews. Kudos to the Mandel crew for reaching out to what can be a scattered blogosphere to talk with a few of us online journalists. Let’s hope this trend continues and we can do a larger “social media” editorial board next election.
Anyway…for more than an hour the mayor chatted with me, Dave Cournoyer, and Mack D. Male. Paul Mennier, from Mandel’s campaign team, was also in attendance.
LRT, downtown arena, neighbourhoods, community connections, local food, plebiscites, the tech community, third-party election campaigns, and the next police chief were among the topics. Notice I didn’t mention the airport. The Mayor said it was a dead topic, and none of the three of us interviewers could disagree, and didn’t feel like wasting our time talking about the same issue again. And again. I think the election results prove we chose our questions wisely, as most Edmontonians are ready to move on as a one airport city. (more…)
Wednesday Headlines
Would you believe I only finished the final election night waffle this morning?
Good morning, Edmonton.
Remember yesterday, when I mentioned we’d probably see a push for new election rules on third-parties? Yeah, that’s already begun. It’s not on the new legislative agenda, since MLAs are back on Monday, but there are three years to get new rules in place.
Or, and over at City Hall, one of two new councillors wants to talk airport plebiscite. No, I’m not kidding.
The Journal and Sun have pieces on the online discussion today.
In one week you can start calling to complain about election signs that are still up on public property.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Dirty restaurants face more scrutiny (There’s a link in this short story to health inspections.)
Hospital issue proved fatal to mayor’s re-election (I guess people in Strathcona County aren’t happy with their non-hospital hospital from the Alberta government.)
Last word reserved for voters (Mayors around the Capital Region were ousted by voters who questioned their direction. I guess you could apply that here in Edmonton and see most people casting a ballot like where Mandel and the gang are headed.)
School trustees focus on nurturing healthy neighbourhoods
Eating locally nourishes author’s body and soul (And on the prairies, to boot.)
from the Calgary Herald: Hydroelectric project nixed after First Nation band drops support
from the Edmonton Sun:
City pleased with Edmonton voter turnout (It’s higher than 2007, and more in line with our average.)
Edmonton doc takes reigns of College of Physicians and Surgeons
Beacon in the dark for city’s troubled
from the Globe and Mail:
Why the OECD tore a strip off Alberta (Savings? What’s that? Is that when we spend all the oil and gas money?)
from the Edmonton Examiner:
Edmonton Catholic Schools English students scoring above average
from CBC Edmonton:
Cleaning company apologizes to workers (All the overtime, for all of the temporary foreign workers, was accidentally not paid out. The money may now be coming, but the courts may decide in a lawsuit if this was an oops or something that only got paid out after it came to light.)
The results are in: web-based show in top 3
Edmonton — Monday, October 18 Edmontonians chose their new city council and school boards. Monday night they chose a new way to watch election results.
With only CTV and Shaw dedicating primetime television hours to Edmonton’s 2010 election, Edmontonians tuned into “the edmontonian celebrates democracy.” A production of theedmontonian.com, the web-based show featured a mix of election results and analysis with the insight and comedic talents of many of the city’s brightest online, and independent journalists.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the show,” said Jeff Samsonow, Editor-in-Chief of the edmontonian.
“The show had been planned for months, but we had no idea Global, CBC, CityTV, and Access would stick with their regular programming on the city’s biggest local news night.”
“We are proud to have been there on election night. Without any dancing celebrities,” Samsonow continued, in an obvious reference to CTV’s one-hour show which made way for the popular “Dancing with the Stars.”
In the 8-9pm hour “the edmontonian celebrates democracy” was the city’s third highest-rated election show. 9-10 it was the second most popular, as CTV went back to regular programming.
“This was a big day for Edmonton,” said show producer Sally Poulsen. “This election showed Edmonton was ready to keep building LRT, redevelop the City Centre Airport, and become a city that can embrace its urban, creative side.”
“Since 100 Edmontonians chose our show over Hollywood programming we have another reason to celebrate October 18, “Poulsen continued.
Those behind “the edmontonian celebrates democracy” also thanked the City of Edmonton for providing polling data as it became available. ShareEdmonton.ca put the data into easy-to-understand results and was the key to ongoing updates during the show.
“Because the results were available to all, people don’t just need us to tell them who’s winning. Anyone can read you stats all night. We wanted to provide election and political information with large doses of humour,” said the Editor-in-Chief.
The good vibes have the crew behind the online show in a great mood the day after but Samsonow is left wondering what it will lead to.
“Do you think we can borrow one of those local television frequencies if Edmonton stations aren’t using them for Edmonton programming?”
—–
For more information:
Jeff Samsonow
Editor-in-Chief
the edmontonian
Fakey McFakerson
Fake Press Releases
fake@fakepressreleases.com
Election post-mortem
Jeff: Whatta we got?
Medical Examiner: Looks like an election campaign. Found this morning by a neighbour. Probably beaten to death about midnight.
Jeff: I guess this *puts on sunglasses* was its exit poll.
Good day, Edmonton! How’s the day after election 2010 treating you? If you’re lucky, as I am, you’re enjoying leftover Eva Sweet Waffles. I think the secret ingredient is magic.
Well, more people voted this time out, than in 2007, so that’s a nice touch. Mandel is back as mayor. All sitting councillors won their seats back. Two new faces join council in open wards 3 and 11.
Rather than going through each ward, and each school board ward, I’ll mention, what I think, the three big stories I see out of yesterday’s vote. (more…)
And now…an election day message from Trent Wilkie…
Have you voted yet?
If you have not, Trent’s got a great tip for you before you head to the voting booth. (video above)
After you’ve marked your ballot, head home, put the kids to bed, crack open a case of beer, order pizza, and watch our election show (I’m giving you a lot of things to do here).
Trent will be there. I’ll be there. All of your friends will be there.
Or, at least, all of your friends will be watching. Maybe invite your friends over to watch.
8pm. Right here at theedmontonian.com. It’s gonna be off the hook.
Time to celebrate democracy
The 2010 Edmonton municipal and school board elections are upon us. In mere hours we shall have a new city council, public school board, and Catholic school board. And it’s all thanks to you.
Well, it’s thanks to you if you vote. Which you better do.
Once the polls close, tonight at 8pm, we should all put our feet up, grab a drink, and toast this amazing, democratic process. Whether your candidates win or lose, it’s a great day to be able to safely walk into a polling station and select a group of people you want to run your city. And great days deserve celebrations.
So, at 8pm, as the votes are being tallied, we ask that you join us here at our website as the edmontonian celebrates democracy.
We’ll be joined by many friends, including Saturday Night with Samsonow band leader Pepe Duenas, Unknown Studio ruffian Adam Rozenhart, CJSR’s Makin Whoopee co-host Colin MacIntyre, Mostly Water Theatre’s Trent Wilkie, blog contributors Gregg Beever, Paul Poulsen and Deja Sprinfield, Edmonton’s Twitter King, Mack D. Male, plus *Hollywood celebrities, and local candidates. And we’ll be fueled by delicious Eva Sweet Waffles, with a great soundtrack of Edmonton bands.
We’ll talk election, politics, Spaceports, voting, whatever’s on Pepe’s mind, and we will be updating live results as they come in, and roaming around campaign parties and headquarters.
We’re also pleased to report we’ll be one of only 3 live “TV” shows you can watch Monday night. (The quotation marks are for our web-based show, as CTV and Shaw are actual television stations.) We guarantee, however, to be funnier than the other 2. …and we’ll probably be the only ones broadcasting to your computer, so you can still PVR all your favourite Monday shows.
See you at 8pm!
*Hollywood celebrities may not be as advertised
Election Day Headlines
GO VOTE!
Edmonton saw its first "Rock The Vote" event last night at the Pawn Shop. I hope this free event becomes a staple of election eves in the city.
Here’s a handy tool to find your voting station.
We’ve got about two more days chock full of election stories, so let’s get to this.
Advance voting turnout (of which I was a part of, for the first time) was double that of the 2007 election. Get out there and vote so we totally kick last election’s ass.
Both the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun are endorsing Stephen Mandel as the best option for mayor. Digital age or not, the two daily papers’ choice usually holds some weight.
If you were on the fence about Mandel and Dorward, may I point you in the direction of the tactics of an Envision Edmonton petition leader who was helping the Dorward campaign. He turned out to be the fake blogger that was trying to stir things up over the City Centre Airport.
Hey, I doubt Dorward knew what was going on, but sometimes it’s the company you keep. And when you’re backed by a group that is single-minded in its focus sometimes rules and decorum get tossed out the window.
Also, I wonder if the Seattle Times and Mandel decide to sue if we’ll still be hearing this “prank” defence in court.
Oh, and back to voting now…everybody gets a chance to vote. And if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.
from the Edmonton Journal:
Northlands’ new CEO unlikely to give up Oilers without a fight
Stelmach gov’t voted down life-saving bill (Should teachers, and school staff, have more first-aid and medical training?)
Techies map out future Beyond 2010
from the Calgary Herald: Tories vow to boost child welfare program
Edmonton’s shopping malls garner international acclaim
from the Edmonton Sun:
Edmonton optometrist heads eyeglass donation charity
from 630CHED/iNews880:
Four Edmonton companies listed among Canada’s top 100 employers
Remember to vote.
Then remember to be back here at 8pm for our live election show.
Stephen Mandel was among the politicians at Rock The Vote. I wonder if he'll be in our election show tonight...
And now…an election day message from Edmonton’s first mayor…
Then tune into our election night show. the edmontonian celebrates democracy at 8pm, right here at theedmontonian.com.
You can also hear more from Mayor McCauley, and other former Edmonton mayors, in the Ghost Mayor podcasts.
Election events
Alright, so the election itself isn’t until Monday, and you’ve got no excuse not to vote so I’m hammering on the election.
Advance polls are open at City Hall today and tomorrow. You can also vote at polling stations in your actual ward Saturday. Find out where.
To celebrate all of this democracy you can Rock the Vote, Sunday, at the Pawn Shop. Sunday night’s lineup of local talent should show that Edmonton’s younger voters can get energized.
The Taboo Sex Show…naughty but nice…is back at Northlands. If you’re going, stop by The Traveling Tickle Trunk booth and say “Hi” to that great crew.
LitFest is here! That’s Edmonton’s non-fiction festival.
Saturday is the second annual Timeraiser. That’s where you bid on auction items with your volunteer hours.
If you like beer, and your kidneys, you should check out Sha-Bam, which is an event of beer, arts, and The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Northern Alberta chapter.
Wunderbar’s got a couple of good shows this weekend. Tonight it’s Warning to Avoid and The Mystery Ponies. Tomorrow night it’s The Party Martyrs. All good times.
If you’re in the mood for something bluesier, try Bombchan at The Common. That’s not to be confused with The Edmonton Commons. The Journal really hates it when you try to play shows in their lobby.
October is the scariest of months…as detailed in Gregg’s latest movie previews…But it also means Scarecrow Festivals, Howl-O-Wiener Roasts and the Boo at the Zoo. And it’s not even Hallowe’en weekend yet.
There’s also an Olde Time Fair at Churchill Square and Handmade Mafia at the Orange Hall.
And, since I really want to annoy you with talk of the election (Monday, October 18, vote, vote, vote) we’ll be doing a live show once the polls close.
So, at 8pm, curl up with your laptop, throw the Macbook on the bar for all to see, and let us entertain you for an hour or so, with one of Edmonton’s few live election night shows. More details to come…I’m just lazy…
Down the stretch Headlines
Decisive. Fair. Boobs and butt.
The mayor is talking about expanding economic development and defending all the city spending under his watch. He had some more defending to do at last night’s well-attended mayor forum.
Stephen Mandel’s main challenger says he’s got a cheaper model for recreation centres the city should adopt.
We are into the final weekend of the campaign (yay!) so all candidates are giving it their final ounces of energy.
This is a story about the City Centre Airport not really being an issue for university students. But the key part, to me, is that there should indeed be polling stations on campus. It’s a community just like others. And the easier you make it for people to vote the more likely they are to vote.
Does anyone else remember anything about this “downtown arena?” No? I guess we can blame Envision Edmonton, just a little, for distracting the debate then.
Speaking of the airport, and Envision Edmonton, that group will be in courts in February. No, they’re not charged with assaulting a dead horse, as this is about them challenging the rejection of their plebiscite petition.
You know we love a good misspelled sign.
And…and… (more…)
Electioneering with the edmontonian: The Basics of City Hall
Before you cast your vote, Edmonton, I want you to take a long hard look at this:
This is a picture of me from junior high school. I think its relevance is clear.
Junior high school is the time when many of us were first taught about how City Hall operates. But junior high is also the time when many of us are preoccupied with discovering the world of being a teenager. I, myself, was preoccupied with things like “Does the boy I like like me back?” or “I wonder what will happen to Jason and Maria on the next episode of Northwood” or “I hope my mom buys me one of those sweet Generra Hypercolor shirts.” And of course, the obvious, “Am I pulling this look off?”
Somehow, with all of those thoughts rattling around my 13-year-old brain, I seem to have checked out of my Social Studies class; more than 15 years later, I’m kind of lost for any of the municipal government specifics. But what I do remember with great clarity is my Social Studies teacher from Ecole Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School (or ESBCHS), Monsieur Marc Halun.
M. Halun, or simply “Halun,” as many of the students called him, was revered by kids, because even as a tween, you could tell he knew his stuff and was really dedicated to teaching.
Now I know what you’re thinking. As a 30-year-old adult working for a blog, I should obviously bother a man I knew nearly two decades ago who must have nothing better to do than explain basic facets of democracy to me for the second time around because INTERNETS.
And that’s exactly what I did. (more…)
Curious top 10
This week I took a little break about writing about sex.
…I said writing, not thinking!
So, while the hamster in my head never stops running its laps, here are the top ten things that rocked my socks off this week.
#1 The Chilean miners being rescued. Who didn’t watch this with a box of Kleenex? What a wonderful day. Hopefully this brings to light mining safety problems, and what goes on around the world. Mining is a dangerous job, period. This is not a first time occurrence, nor sadly will it be the last, but perhaps there might be a push though for more stringent rules now when it comes to this field.
#2 Ginger juice!
It's people! Ginger juice is (ginger) people!
For those of us who suffer from extreme laziness when it comes to cooking, your prayers have arrived. I usually just use it to make tea, but you can do anything with it. Even voodoo (OK maybe not voodoo). $4 a bottle at Planet Organic.
#3 The Royal Alberta Museums opening of “The Wizard of Oz” exhibition this week.
A quick tip, on Saturday and Sunday admission is half-price between 9 and 11.
Cheap date.
#4 The “Pro-smoking” campaign that came out of Nova Scotia. Can we say “genius?!”
#5 “Soul Science” by Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara. This contemporary take on west-African music has been playing non-stop on my iPod.
Final 5 after a quick Soul Science break… (more…)
An election alliance
It has come to our attention that Edmonton television stations Global, CBC, CityTV, and ACCESS will not be providing a live election show, Monday, October 18.
They may have screen-crawls and the odd update in a commercial break.
So, since we here at the edmontonian plan to be live on the web when polls close at 8pm, we saw two choices.
We could make fun of Global, CBC, and the gang of local broadcasters for not doing a show on what is about the biggest night of Edmonton news, for the next three years. Or we could offer our services to what is clearly a collection of cash-strapped television stations.
In this age of collaboration, where traditional news providers are struggling to make their way in the digital world, we extend our hand to Edmonton’s beleaguered news broadcasters.
We’ll be live, at 8pm, Monday night. We’ll have live election results, analysis, reports from the field, and Pepe. And since some local TV stations can’t find a way to bring news of the election to the people, as it’s happening, we’re offering our program, “the edmontonian celebrates democracy,” to them.
If you know anyone at Global, CBC, CityTV, or ACCESS let them know they can broadcast our show through their airwaves. It might just save local TV.
p.s. I’m really quite serious. If you’re at Global, CBC, CityTV, or ACCESS, and have been losing sleep because you just couldn’t think of a way to put together a live election night show, e-mail me and we’ll see if we can partner up.
