- City council approved $282.9 million for the Lewis Farms Community Recreation Centre and Library on Dec. 14 in a 12-1 vote, with only Coun. Michael Janz voting against. Construction is expected to be complete by December 2026. Council also voted 12-1 to increase the budget for the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre by $41.1 million.
- As overnight temperatures are expected to reach minus 30, the city has activated its emergency weather response which includes the Extreme Weather Bus Route to help move people from transit centres and other locations to shelters. Activation is expected to run until Dec. 31.
- A Phase 1 parking ban began at 7pm on Dec. 14, after some parts of the city saw up to 15 cm of snow. The city is asking residents to move their vehicles off major roads so teams can clear them — tickets will also be handed out.
- Edmonton Transit Service announced that, starting Jan. 1, hundreds of riders will be testing out ARC, its electronic payment system. The pilot will also involve transit systems and riders from surrounding areas such as Leduc, St. Albert and Strathcona County.
- For the fourth year, 'Santa' landed at the Stollery Children's Hospital in a military helicopter to hand out gifts on Tuesday. A joint effort with the Canadian Air Force's 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Operation Ho Ho Ho provides gifts to the children staying at the Stollery.
- Around two-thirds of Albertans support a leadership review for Premier Jason Kenney, according to a new poll. These new numbers also show that the NDP — which dominated races in Edmonton ridings, but made no headway in rural ridings in 2019 — are still well ahead of the UCP in terms of support, though its lead is narrowing.
Headlines
By Mack Male and Doug Johnson