February 24 Edmonton Headlines
Yeah, that’s right, it’s time for the provincial budget. Expect some cuts.
Sticking with Alberta stuff…
It’s a strange day when the NDP and Wildrose Alliance agree on something. This time it was leadership campaign spending – a debate on it at least.
Alberta’s farmer’s lost the most money last year.
Does Alberta’s court system need more Legal Aid money? The lawyers think we’re in need.
This is becoming a good place to buy a home. Maybe a new boom can adjust that…
Back in Edmonton… (more…)
Edmonton February 10 Headlines
Again with the melting and the ice and the slipping?!
Good morning, Edmonton. There’s a little action on the downtown front, about LRT and arenas, the Shaw Conference Centre, so it seems renewing the core is still a big deal. Hey, Envision Edmonton’ due back in court today. Yay?
Let’s roll! (more…)
Your favourite place = train ride
You love Edmonton. And you think there are some pretty sweet places to visit in this city. So tell the world (or, at least Canada) about your favourite places and get into a draw for some Via train action.
Great Places in Canada is a contest put on by the Canadian Institute of Planners (which sounds pretty legit), which aims to find all the most-loved cities, towns, landmarks, and public spaces (like parks) in this great country.
Edmonton’s already well-represented with the University of Alberta, 
Candy Cane Lane, our 1-year-old Art Gallery of Alberta, Ada Boulevard (often used in TV movies), Old Strathcona, the Muttart Conservatory, and Whyte Avenue. Anyone who nominates a place is entered into the draw.
Oh, and there will be judging of the favourite places, so get voting.
I’m also curious as to your favourite places, Edmonton or otherwise. So drop me a comment and tell me what’s cool.
Edmonton Headlines
Let’s do this.
The Alberta Conservatives stole the thunder of another provincial politician again. Earlier this week it was the Premier stepping down, knocking the first Alberta Party MLA out of the news cycle. Yesterday, when ousted Tory Raj Sherman held a news conference to remind everyone he’s an independent MLA (hey, you may say it was a waste of a news conference, but it got covered, so…), Finance Minister Ted Morton resigned so he could run to be our new Premier.
Shit just got real, yo.
Speaking of the provincial government, they’ve shelved plans for a hospital in Calgary.
They’ve also appointed a former oil executive to lead a group that will monitor oilsands environmental monitoring. Because science.
Meanwhile…a new oilsands project gets the green light. Because money.
And in Edmonton… (more…)
January 27 Edmonton Headlines
I’m no weather scientist, Edmonton, but I believe today is our last reprieve from winter. I have enjoyed the warm weather for its warmth. I will enjoy our return to winter for the ease of knowing which coat to wear and if I should put on boots.
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Imagine up-to-the second information on where a bus is. ETS is almost ready to start going there. It’s good to see Brian Gould writing about transit again. He’s talking about fares, and fare hikes today. Bombardier likes the smell of new LRT expansion in Edmonton.
Don’t forget you’ve got to keep your sidewalk sanded/salted just like you’ve got to shovel it. Edmonton Police want you to stop calling them about abandoned snow cars.
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry is being investigated over research/teaching time.
The U of A is also thanking South Campus neighbours for their concern, but pushing ahead with plans for more parking spaces and other stuff people are complaining about.
With NAIT looking at saving some money, one program has been saved, with another offered less regularly.
Now, this is a Walterdale Bridge design I think we can all get behind. You wouldn’t even need to go all that fast to get across the river.
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With the Premier saying he won’t run again, let’s check in with Vue, SEE, and The Gateway. Vue’s got an editorial, as does SEE, The Gateway’s also going the opinion way. SEE’s also looking at the other big item of provincial news this week (I know, I had already forgotten it in all the Stelmach stuff too), the Alberta Party’s first MLA.
With all of that going on, the Conservative caucus met down in Calgary to talk about our next provincial budget. There will be cuts.
Death on the farm. Why Alberta won’t protect farm workers, like it does every other type of employee, is beyond me.
The Wildrose Alliance is talking about debt forgiveness for students who stay in Alberta to work.
Snow-buried Headlines
We asked for basement apartment pictures of all our snow. Liam will have more to report if he ever digs out.
Good morning, Edmonton. The top story today puts Edmonton into international news coverage.
A suicide bombing in Iraq has reached to Edmonton. Investigations have led police and the FBI to an Edmonton man with alleged connections to the group behind the bombing.
Now, news from our city that won’t be read in New York or London… (more…)
1/11/11 Headlines
Another big dump of snow and you won't even be able to see people walking on the sidewalks.
That weekend snow storm has people complaining, including the police union which still wants snow tires. Some school buses are also canceled for the week.
The federal Conservatives were announcing money to make more room at Edmonton’s prison, among others across the country. But do we need bigger prisons?
The Edmonton Police Service is charging one of their officers with theft.
The University of Alberta’s got an interesting story about grades right now. A professor has been asked to resign after his department lowered students’ marks.
Still at the university, The Gateway’s looking at LRT expansion.
There’s an advisory in Edmonton about a strain of meningitis.
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Nearly six year later, an inquiry into the shooting deaths of four RCMP officers, near Mayerthorpe, is underway. The inquiry began with information on how many times the Mounties were shot, and what happened to lead the officers to the farm where they would be killed.
The Northland School Division is getting a decade to clean up its act and improve student performance.
The provincial Conservatives aren’t ready to go back to the Legislature just yet.
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A University of Alberta paleontology researcher has identified a new flying reptile that roamed before man. Dragons!
And a St. Albert pet store is not going to sell cats and dogs anymore. They’re going to adopt them out.
December 17 Headlines
It’s not your imagination (or your blind anger at how your tax dollars are spent) the City of Edmonton isn’t getting the help it needs, from private snow removal experts (or, Mr. Plows), indeed they are behind in clearing streets.
We were talking, not too long ago, about the cost of winter tires keeping people from putting them on their cars. Edmonton police officers feel that.
The City wants you to steer clear of “bandit cabs.” They’ve got reminders on what a legitimate, licensed, taxi should have.
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The Journal’s rolling out its year-end interview with Mayor Stephen Mandel in chunks. Yesterday we heard about how he thinks the arena decision will be made in the spring. Today he’s talking about Northlands and the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation becoming one. (Which might just take Northlands out of the arena business, if you ask me.) David Staples has some of his own thoughts on the talk with Mandel.
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There’s a fight brewing between neighbours and the U of A, over its South Campus plans.
Outside of the city… (more…)
December 13 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton.
Here’s a radical prescription for the healthcare system: more doctors and more illness prevention (good food, exercise, etc…).
Remember when I said (on Friday I think) that all this new healthcare spending from the governing Tories smelled like election spending? That election smell is drifting to Sherwood Park.
A couple has earned a hard-fought tax rebate on a home they built to accommodate wheelchair. There are some interesting points in this story about people choosing to live at home and the costs to the taxpayer (vs. costs of putting people into care centres).
The Alberta government is looking at 911 fee from cellphones. Quick cell sidenote: While I’m locked into a contract right now, I’m really happy to see more companies offering cell service.
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Edmonton is going to toss its hat into the ring to host some games in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup – though the Mayor’s not a fan.
Northlands was at City Hall Friday, talking about the downtown arena with city council. I don’t really feel like talking a whole lot of about the downtown arena this morning, call it arena fatigue. So, here’s another item on the arena you should read: Northlands needs to offer funding.
Now, an apology. (more…)
Business Closing Headlines
We'll miss all your sweet sales, and your lovely window displays.
Good day, Edmonton. I’ve got more business-closing news to report from Whyte Avenue today. (Recently it’s just been bars.)
After eight years on the avenue, most recently between Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard, Nokomis Clothing is closing. Make sure you send them out with a bang, Edmonton. Buy everything they have, buy all the local and Canadian-designed clothes. Do it, do it!
We’ll miss you, Nokomis.
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We’re still waiting on city council to approve the 2011 budget. They didn’t finish the job yesterday, but it should be finalized Thursday. It was first predicted with a 5% tax increase, and that will likely be as high as it is. It might even come in at 4%. (Though some other fees, like water, are also being increased.)
Money is the bottom line of the budget. But sometimes you need to think beyond just the last few pennies and try to build an Edmonton that’s more than bricks and pavement.
Epcor’s not paying the City of Edmonton as much, in dividends, as was promised for the Goldbar waste water treatment plant. I’m sure that was something people warned against before it happened…
Transit fares are going up (of course). But the real problem I have with the increase is the amount. Fares will be $2.85. Who carries dimes?
This is a new take on the NIMBY argument (not in my backyard.); the LRT can’t run through Chinatown on its proposed course because of bad Feng Shui.
After the jump we’re going to talk about healthcare. Because we don’t do that enough. (more…)
Chilly Monday Headlines
It’s a good thing Colin invented the Long John Index. Otherwise we’d be even colder this morning.
I bet the Alberta Progressive Conservatives feel a chill this morning. In fact, it’s probably a chill they can’t shake.
A new poll from the Calgary Herald has those governing Tories neck and neck with the Wildrose Alliance, in the minds of decided voters. There was also that big healthcare rally on Saturday at the Alberta Legislature. It’s never good when hundreds of people are rallying for better decisions than your government can make.
Graham Thomson doesn’t think the Tories can win against “folk hero” Dr. Raj Sherman. They’ll take the quieter days outside of the Legislature now. Essentially, the Tory government would rather ride out political storms than work tirelessly to fix them.
Maybe when they do get back to legislating, they can work on some workplace safety laws and protections for farmers. So Alberta can, you know, catch up to every other province in the country.
Last week, former education minister David King began a petition to have the provincial government stop funding separate schools. Over at the Sun, Andrew Hanon compares the two kinds of schools and finds, yeah, it might be time to go with one public system.
We’ve got a baby boom putting pressure on beds in obstetrics departments.
Liberal MLA Kevin Taft is still fighting the good fight over irregularities and other nasties in the last provincial election.
It’s going to be a busy week at Edmonton City Hall… (more…)
December 2 Edmonton Headlines
It's Christmas, motherf***ers!
Good morning, Edmonton.
We’ve got an interesting idea from a former Alberta education minister today. David King wants us to consider turfing the publicly-funded Catholic and Protestants school boards. That would save the provincial government a bunch of money, and people could still go to private versions of the schools if they wanted a religious education. I didn’t realize Alberta was one of only a few provinces to pay for separate systems.
I’m not saying members of the University of Alberta’s Students’ Union don’t deserve raises, but I’m just going to put that story in the same sentence as one about more students using the food bank. And that’s all going to sit nice and close to that story about saving money by losing the separate school boards.
Still at the U of A, education grads are finding fewer jobs with the Edmonton Public School Board. (It might be all those schools they’ve closed in previous years.)
Speaking of schools, and trying to stretch those education dollars, the Edmonton Public School Board voted to keep all schools open for another two years, which could make them another enemy of the provincial Tory government. And you thought only healthcare was getting interesting.
On healthcare…the Premier says you will be consulted before anything big changes with how you get medical care. This comes as the Alberta Liberals released a document that talked about private health options. And Dr. Raj Sherman is saying his (now, sort of) former Tory colleagues are considering moves to private healthcare.
The NDP has ideas for healthcare too! Oh, and Mrs. Duckett says firing her husband was a bad move. (That would be way more interesting if she was saying it was the best move possible.)
Now, let’s talk about those Edmonton Oilers… (more…)
Festival of Ideas
The University of Alberta is hosting an interesting festival.
It’s not about cowboys, or plays, or music, no, it’s a festival for ideas!
Running through the weekend (when the U of A’s newspaper, The Gateway, celebrates 100 years) you’ve got chances to hear from great thinkers on interesting topics. It’s all under the theme “Truth and Lies: Trust Me.”
And it closes out Sunday with David Sedaris. I am genuinely going to slow-clap this.
So, if you’re up for some intellectual festivaling, this will be the event for you.
End of the week Headlines
Good morning, Edmonton.
It's time to just relax after another tough week.
Are you ready for what should be an election campaign dominated by the City Centre Airport Debate? If the petition goes through, and we have a question on our election ballots about keeping the airport open, or closing it, it will likely overshadow ward debates, other city issues, and the very important public school board election.
What is this, round 3, 4?
Thursday, Envision Edmonton delivered their petition signatures to the City Clerk’s office. At least one councillor is questioning some of the tactics to get to this point.
This is probably going to be messy, which is too bad, since it should just be a reasoned question of where Edmonton goes in the next few decades.
Hey, maybe closing the airport would save us money on the northbound LRT.
But enough about that airport. There’s going to be plenty, PLENTY, of time to write about that. Because 2009 never happened.
AIRPORT!
from the Edmonton Journal:
Premier justified skipping meeting (As I read this, they’re saying the Premier doesn’t have to be an MLA, engaged in his actual constituency.)
Portal to Albertans’ health data open wider
Community paper’s financial woes threaten crucial local voice (Should we save all old forms of media in their current incarnations, or help them evolve to new technological, information, business, consumption models? This basically asks for money. And takes digs at blogs and volunteer writers. I didn’t realize the Rat Creek Press had an office at Edmonton City Hall.)
from the Edmonton Sun:
Provincial report suggests 20% of northeastern Alberta could be protected
U of A home to new geomechanical centre (More on the U of A from the Globe and Mail.)
from The Canadian Press:
More major U.S. corporations join boycott of Alberta oilsands fuel (You’re going to recognize all four companies.)
from CBC Edmonton:
We’ll turn to the CBC for some animal news. Falcon nests find home under bridge and a Black bear sighted in Edmonton.
from CTV Edmonton:
Habitat for Humanity controversy (This one in our city, not St. Albert.)
from Global Edmonton:
Fourth anniversary of Stephanie Stewart’s disappearance (She was a fire tower worker near Hinton.)
Did we mention the airport was in the news?
Explore Edmonton
Today’s event selection is not really one you could accomplish (in its entirety) in one evening, or even one full day.
You may remember me talking about the Edmonton Community Challenge (put on by the Next Gen committee and Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues) back in June.
Our scrappy little team from Strathcona Centre placed a respectable fifth, notable due to our handful of active members. While we were darn proud to have collected the most food for the Edmonton Food Bank in the sculpture challenge (King Edward School gets a lot of the credit) I think it’s safe to say the core of our team had the most fun in the city-wide photo scavenger hunt.
By checking Flickr, I would say the other top teams also had a blast with this.
We had to run all over Edmonton, taking photos of ourselves in front of historically significant buildings, on bridges, shopping in all of the Business Revitalization Zones (BRZ), spending time in our favourite parks and local haunts, high-fiving councillors, and hitting up each branch of the Edmonton Public Library.
I learned that Edmonton has WAY more bridges than one could get to in a day, or even a week. Especially if you start counting footbridges. The libraries are spread out, and it took many hours to get to all of them (the EPL Go at the University of Alberta is also the cutest little library).
Somehow we completed every task on the photo scavenger hunt, even getting to the whale at West Edmonton Mall before it was removed for the opening of Victoria’s Secret. (There may be an item or two you can’t do right now.)
Living in one of the city’s oldest, most vibrant, neighbourhoods sure helped too. Strathcona has plenty of historically recognized buildings, it’s a BRZ right now, has any type of business needed for the photo challenge, a library branch, giant trees, and plenty of people to start a parade.
Prior to this challenge, I had never been to a bottle depot. I feel more like an Edmontonian now.
So today I offer you a chance to explore Edmonton like you probably haven’t before. Take a scan through the scavenger hunt from the Edmonton Community Challenge and choose a few items to track down, or try, before the summer is out.
I bet, just like I discovered how historically significant my work neighbourhood is, you find out a few things about Edmonton you didn’t know.
(It’s a lot of fun to see how many U of A bunnies you can get into one picture. Those suckers are fast.)
Let me know if you do any of these, or have photos of them already. You can always toss them into our Flickr pool too.
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Keep in mind you should play safe and not break any laws. Also “team” is you.
Here’s what you could do: (more…)
Viking raid
By Lorraine Poulsen
In an attempt to win bragging rights for their particular residential floor at the University of Alberta teams of students, one wearing a hand-crafted Viking hat, all taking pictures and asking for help in locating specific locations, swarmed the town of Viking last week as part of a U of A scavenger hunt.
On Thursday morning, January 14, before the sun was really up, five residents of the tenth floor of Schäffer Hall came looking for a picture with the Mayor. Nicholas Coffin was wearing a truly unique hand-crafted winged Viking warrior helmet which, according to the rules of the scavenger hunt, he had to wear while a picture of him was taken shaking the hand of Viking’s mayor, Cindy Lefsrud.
Although there is no evidence, archaeological or otherwise, that Viking warriors wore any type of horns or wings on their helmets, this particular silver-winged headpiece, made from a turkey pan, proved most convincing on Coffin’s head.
January at Lister Hall at the University of Alberta sees students take part in what has long been a standing tradition, tower competitions. (more…)
Scrambled #yeg
I’ve been going through photos and I think it’s about time for another random assortment of weird, funny and Edmonton things. (scrambled 1 here, scrambled 2 here.)
- I’ve posted this one before but I think it’s great that someone wrote, in the snow, on this guy’s car when he illegally parked.
- Living east of the Univeristy I always think it’s burning to the ground in the winter. Thankfully, I am always wrong.
- Edmonton’s firefighters really need more money in their sign budget.
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It’s like he was sent from the most terrifying reaches of Christmas to stare into my soul.
It’s like he was sent from the most terrifying reaches of Christmas to stare into my soul.
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What the what?
Are you ready for (some) football?
Edmonton Eskimos aside, there’s other football going on.
Seriously.
On Friday, the University of Alberta Golden Bears beat Simon Fraser Clan 28-16. Not bad against the top offence in the Canadian University football. It’s also not a bad way to get win #1 on the season. Saskatchewan comes to town this Friday.
(While we’re talking about the U of A, here’s how all the Bears and Pandas did this weekend.)
There was also some Prairie Football going on at Clarke Park. (My inability to read a schedule means this wasn’t a one month league…)
You know when sports guys say a game was over before it began? (Usually meaning one team is nowhere near as good as the other.) That really was the case between the Edmonton Wildcats and Edmonton Huskies.
We could sit around and pick this game apart, but I’m simply going to say the Wildcats won 72-0. I think that sums things up.
The loss leave the Huskies in last place in the Prairie Football Conference. They’re starting to give me that Detroit Lions feeling…
Both Edmonton teams are on the road this week. The Huskies look for their first win against Saskatoon, the best team in the league (*gulp*), while the Wildcats roll their momentum into Regina. The two Edmonton teams will then finish the season facing each other at Clarke Park, October 3.
High-scoring side notes from the PFC: Scoring 35 points in the first quarter has been done three times in Canadian Junior Football history…This is the second-best shutout for the ‘Cats, since they won a 2003 game 79-0…83-0 is the largest margin of victory in Canadian Junior Football…
