- Around 200 people rallied outside Edmonton Police Services headquarters on May 1 to demand justice for an eighth-grade boy, identified as Pazo, who was attacked outside Rosslyn School on April 16. Last week, police chief Dale McFee said the attack was not a hate crime, despite the use of a racial slur by one of the attackers. Speakers at the rally said the police chief downplayed the incident by calling it a "consensual schoolyard fight."
- Tipinawâw, the temporary shelter set up at the Edmonton Convention Centre, closed its doors on April 30. The shelter provided services to 5,000 separate individuals since it opened on Oct. 30, 2020, reports CBC News. A new 24/7 shelter will open in early May in the Spectrum building on the former Northlands racetrack site with 150 beds.
- Mayor Don Iveson expressed disappointment that the new COVID-19 restrictions did not apply to all municipalities in the Edmonton metro region. "I've pushed, and will continue to push, for an Edmonton metro region approach to restrictions," he said, "because COVID-19 doesn't respect municipal borders." On Saturday, the City of Edmonton closed its recreation centres to comply with the new measures.
- Sherwood Park native Chuba Hubbard was picked up by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the NFL draft on May 1. Hubbard, who played three seasons for Oklahoma State, is the first Canadian running back taken in the NFL draft since 1996.
- The City of Edmonton's 2021 Big Bin Events, which allow residents to dispose of large household items like couches, fridges, and yard waste, will run from May 7 until Sept. 19 at ten locations across the city.
- Two Edmonton women are behind Vax Hunters Alberta, an initiative that aims to help as many Albertans as possible to book their vaccine appointments.
- The spring sitting of the Alberta Legislature has been suspended for two weeks "in response to public safety concerns" and "to prevent further spread of COVID-19."
- Premier Jason Kenney condemned the weekend rodeo held near Bowden. "Not only are gatherings like this a threat to public health, (but they are also) a slap in the face to everybody who is observing the rules to keep themselves and their fellow Albertans safe," he tweeted. Alberta Health Services is exploring its legal options in response to the event amidst rising criticism about a lack of on-the-ground pushback from authorities, reports CBC News.
