Taproot Edmonton Logo

Headlines

· The Pulse
By
Comments
  • The federal government has announced $14.8 million in funding to create up to 138 new affordable homes in Edmonton. This involves converting the former Days Inn Hotel near the U of A and the former Sands Hotel into residential buildings.
  • In all, more than 1,000 teachers in Edmonton went absent on Wednesday — though this number is not entirely because of COVID-19, and includes other reasons.
  • Edmonton Transit Service is adjusting its operations to deal with staffing issues caused by the Omicron variant. More than 98% of bus services will not be affected, and the city is targeting high-frequency routes.
  • With the recent bout of warm weather, city crews are taking the chance to catch up on clearing streets of compacted snow. The city said crews have completed clearing 43% of residential areas. The Phase 2 residential parking ban is expected to continue for approximately four weeks.
  • Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver have the highest rates of retaining people who immigrate to Canada from other countries, according to StatsCan. The study, which looked at newcomers in 2014 and where they filed taxes in 2019, found that Edmonton was in third place, with 84.6% of people staying.
  • Applications are now open for Edmonton's Digital Economy Program, which aims to support small businesses working to create or update their online services. Among the various elements of the program is the creation of Digital Service Squads, made up of students, who pair with small businesses to help them establish their online presence.
  • Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang spoke recently about her experience working with Indigenous communities, the pandemic, and her hopes as a new addition to city council. Tang was a teacher in a rural Navajo community, and worked with the Yellowknife's Dene community in the Northwest Territories.
  • The United Nurses of Alberta, the Alberta Teachers' Association, and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees are calling for a circuit-breaking lockdown due to the spread of Omicron. A spokesperson for Premier Jason Kenney has responded, saying "a circuit-breaker is not on the table and not being considered."