- The mural depicting a residential school at the Government Centre LRT station has been covered with orange panelling in the spirit of reconciliation. On Monday, council voted unanimously to cover the mural and remove references to Bishop Vital Grandin, a proponent of the residential school system, from city property.
- Edmonton's Muslim population is reeling from a violent, racially-motivated attack that killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont. this weekend. Edmonton has seen a string of hate crimes targeted at Muslims in the past six months. On Tuesday, the province committed to boosting police focus on hate crimes across Alberta.
- The city will begin piloting its new smart fare system on city and regional transit this summer. Anyone interested in participating in the pilot program can sign up on the city's website.
- Edmonton may keep its mask bylaw in place until at least 70% of the city's population is fully vaccinated. Last week, a group of Edmonton doctors sent a letter to Mayor Don Iveson expressing concerns over the pacing of the provincial reopening plan.
- The roughly 1,000 workers that were temporarily laid off by the City of Edmonton due to the pandemic will return to work during Stage 2 of the provincial reopening plan.
- NAIT plans to reopen campus to in-class learning this fall. Programs offered entirely online will drop to 14% from 31% in winter 2021, as the polytechnic introduces more blended options.
- Two Edmonton festivals have announced plans for outdoor concerts this summer. Trixstar's Together Again Outdoor Concert Series will offer physically-distanced concerts at Northlands Park, while Folk Fest will offer a series of small concerts in local neighbourhoods.
- The province is considering moving up the timeline for second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as demand for first doses continues to slow, reports the Edmonton Journal.
