Who ya gonna call?

Welcome to the middle of the week, Edmonton. How’s your hump?

Edmonton’s Somali community appears to be turning within, including launching a new series of posters, to try and solve the many murders that have hit them. We’re probably going to need more crime prevention than just posters though; perhaps libraries and youth centres could stay open way, way longer.

“Maybe around here it would be like Whyte Avenue but with better access.” Umm, access is pretty darn good for folks who live in walkable neighbourhoods. Walkable shopping is a mall.

Our pals over at the Edmonton Flag Football Association played for a world record and raised more than $10,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital. All in all, a pretty good long weekend for that crew.

If you run a small business, the City is looking for the greenest of them all.

The artistic director of Edmonton Opera has resigned after nine years at the helm.

Edmonton composer Malcolm Forsyth has died.

An Edmonton landlord is not allowed to file any more lawsuits, without some permission from a judge.

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The Alberta government is being told to set up an independent oilsands monitoring panel, to watch over the pollution created by the industry. Your move, long-standing, terrible budgeting, energy-dependent Tory government, your move.

Speaking of provincial budgeting…the Sun wants to know where the Royal Alberta Museum debate is…

A workplace inspection blitz on places likely to have a lot of younger workers, like food courts, found many safety violations. None were serious enough to shut down the businesses. One thing I find interesting about the many workplace inspection stories this year, they almost always have more violations than inspections, meaning multiple violations and hazards at a bunch of them.

Leadership candidates are being pressured to bring in harsher smoking laws. On the campaign…the head of the Alberta Medical Association is being asked to resign, or get turfed, by former Conservative MLA, Liberal leadership candidate, and doctor Raj Sherman.

The Slave Lake fire is now Canada’s second most expensive disaster, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, behind only the Quebec and eastern Ontario ice storm of 1998. Oh, and while we’re mentioning Slave Lake, the royal couple is headed there. (I guess we couldn’t make it through their trip to Canada without a mention after all.)

The southern Alberta zoo lots of people are hating on is back open while court processes drag out. I guess this means the owner didn’t kill and stuff the animals just yet.

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Canada’s military role in Afghanistan is over. There are still soldiers over there, and they will remain so in mostly training capacities, but the fighting is now up to other countries.

Statistics Canada reports most of Canada’s eligible voters who didn’t vote in the last election were too busy or didn’t feel like voting. That just makes me sad. While political parties all try to figure out how to engage with youth, and more voters in general, I think it’s also time for news and information providers to think about dropping some of their “objectivity” and also find ways to engage voters.

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.

But…if I may interject my own thoughts into last night’s results…the big story to me is not the majority government. The Conservatives got the majority because the Liberal and Bloc parties collapsed and the NDP have risen to unseen heights of popularity (especially in Quebec). With the Liberals being knocked way, way down, the Bloc not even gaining enough seats to be recognized as an official party in Parliament, Green leader Elizabeth May winning her seat (the first Green MP to be elected), and that big win that puts the NDP across the floor as the official opposition, I think Canadian voters marked their ballots for change. The Conservatives and NDP gain from that momentum.

I think, because of all that, the Conservatives won’t get as crazy with right-wing legislation as some people fear. They have to recognize that they are not this election’s biggest winner, and that electoral momentum is swinging in a different direction. A direction nobody even imagined at the beginning of the campaign. (But if they dismantle the CBC I will try to buy some broadcast equipment at the garage sale.)

While I hoped for a Conservative minority, if only to see the NDP push for electoral reform, I don’t know what the next election will look like. I doubt we’ll be choosing candidates on a preferential ballot (where you rank your choices 1,2,3,etc…) or that Parliament and/or the Senate will have proportional representation (the Conservatives won 40% of the popular vote but claim more than half the seats in Ottawa…which don’t make no sense), that we’ll elect Senators, or if the Conservatives really will eliminate a per-vote subsidy for parties gaining a chunk of the popular vote (does that risk the left getting together to join fundraising forces?). But the NDP surge means this isn’t a majority government as usual and that’s good for Canada.

Also good: More women will be heading to Ottawa as MPs.

And Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Bloc honcho Gilles Duceppe lost their seats and are resigning as party leaders. Since the Liberals don’t have many people left to choose from to lead their party, I bet it will be a Bob Rae-Justin Trudeau showdown.

Oh, and Alberta retains our “orange blob” with New Democrat Linda Duncan holding her seat in Edmonton-Strathcona. I predict Edmonton-Centre’s Lewis Cardinal can follow Duncan’s footsteps (and Laurie Hawn’s) if he sticks around for the next election. In Edmonton-Sherwood Park the Conservative held off the conservative (note the small c).

Plus, Peter Goldring vs. the Edmonton Journal could make for the odd interesting story the next few years.

Now that the election is done, get out there and clean up your signs. (You only have until Thursday.)

Alright, enough with the federal election. There’s more to talk about in Edmonton.

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The City of Edmonton is trying to tell people about the benefits of living near transit hubs. A series of open houses begins tonight.

A high-profile murder case is back in the news. A mother found guilty of murdering her newborn baby has had the conviction overturned.

The Edmonton Journal’s begun a look at city bakeries.

Since cougars are moving in, you can now call Parkland County “Cougar County.” I will also accept all Cougar Town references you may have, in the comments.

The Journal’s also launched a new blog page, using WordPress to power their blogs, and linking to other blogs and podcasts (like this one right here).

I am lobbying Parliament to pass a law allowing me to punch people in the face if they don't vote. You can bet Gregg Beever is voting today.

No, seriously, go vote. It’s the federal election today.

Seems like all the papers and newsrooms issuing editorials are backing the Conservatives, and calling for a Conservative majority. We here at the edmontonian are going to get all objective on this one (I know, journalism irony) and just tell you to vote. Get informed and vote.

Remember that you elect a local MP, not the Prime Minister, so choose a representative that you can get a hold of, you see in the neighbourhood, aligns with your values, and won’t just tow the party line (that last one does eliminate most of the Conservatives under a strict Stephen Harper).

Oh, and I personally think we should get on board with the idea of minority governments and coalitions. You won’t have unpredictable election dates if MPs know they have just about zero-chance at forming a majority.

Also, file your taxes.

Now, outside of the election, let’s see what else is going on…

Oh yeah, OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS KILLED. Sort of a big news story.

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Edmonton parents, with children in schools in both the Edmonton Public School Board and Edmonton Catholic School District, might not have a great summer with both boards facing budget cuts. One student, however, is feeling good about being included in everyday classes at Victoria School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

The City of Edmonton is trying out some new paint, which might help keep the lines on the road a little longer.

Jamaican police officers are coming to Edmonton to learn some defense and combat techniques.

Will the University of Alberta embrace a green vision for its South Campus?

Kingsway Avenue has a four-block closure for NAIT line LRT construction.

A marked crosswalk, planned for the very spot a pedestrian was recently killed, is scheduled for installation this summer.

One Edmonton woman is trying to fill the gap in adult literacy.

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One of the two men convicted for their roles in the murder of four RCMP officers is telling his story. Both men are currently appealing their sentences for manslaughter pleas.

It’s been a week of Alberta pipeline leaks. Sour gas has also killed a worker.

AltaLink is apologizing for the conduct of a land agent who is alleged to have attempted to browbeat people into signing deals to keep them from intervening at the Heartland Transmission hearings. Hey remember when the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board just spied on those opposed to a transmission line? Those were the good old days of energy lines.

Sounds like the Proceeds of Crime Forfeiture law is working on a lot of levels.

Alberta Venture’s got its annual look at the province’s best workplaces. A few Edmonton businesses made the cut.

Speaking of workplaces…we linked you to a story on Friday about the workplace death rates of Alberta. It was a good old fashioned Google Alert that sent me to the Calgary Herald for that one. Then, on Sunday, Edmonton newsrooms got the story with the Employment Minister, who touted his department’s new approach to disease and illness caused by some jobs, as tried to focus on the decline of workplace injuries.

Credit unions in Alberta are waiving service fees for customers of other credit unions (so, if you’re a Servus customer you can go to another credit union and bank without transaction charges).

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unlimited magazine’s got a look at farms and foods this month. The online magazine is looking at young farmers (or the lack thereof), unlikely Canadian crops, activism at the farmers’ market, and the 100-mile diet’s flaws.

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Nice bomb shelter.

No, these angelic visions aren't from heaven, they're just Edmonton Sun columnists.

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.

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.