Taproot Edmonton Logo

Headlines

· The Pulse
By and
Comments
  • Michael Cooper, MP for St. Albert-Edmonton, attended the Truckers for Freedom Rally in Ottawa and images of him talking in front of flags bearing symbols of hate spread across social media. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron said they were "troubled" by the photos. "We are all judged by the company we keep," wrote David Climenhaga in a roundup of reaction to Cooper's presence at the rally.
  • Local supporters of the Truckers for Freedom Rally converged on the legislature grounds on Saturday. A trucker convoy from Acheson held up traffic and blared their horns for hours in the city's core, and along major roadways including Anthony Henday Drive, Gateway Boulevard, and Yellowhead Trail.
  • Edmonton can expect to see between five and 10 cm of snow and winds gusting up to 80 km/h today. On Sunday, Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the province — snow and strong winds will develop in Central Alberta and begin to move south.
  • Alberta Regional Rail is proposing the creation of a commuter rail line between Edmonton and Calgary, which would stop at a number of other communities along the way. The project is projected to cost about $2.2 billion, and the company estimates that it would take at least four months to lay the rail between the two cities.
  • The 93-year-old Acacia Lodge — a Whyte Avenue building historically used by Freemasons — was vandalized on Friday night with hateful messages, mostly relating to Freemasonry. "We were coming in for a breakfast meeting this morning and it was a bit of a shocker," said Fred Bowker, Acacia Building Association secretary-treasurer. "We've had graffiti on the side of the building a number of times, but it was not the type of words that were there today."
  • Edmonton Transit's mid-winter service adjustments — informed by feedback from residents — will start on Feb. 6. And starting on Feb. 14, on-demand transit will be available at the Hills at Charlesworth neighbourhood, and will take passengers to the Mill Woods Transit Centre.
  • As of Jan. 26, 413 out of the 1,247 inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre were sick with COVID-19, up from just 21 on Jan. 14. Eight AHS staff and 19 correctional officers were also sick.
  • Data from the University of Calgary's Centre for Health Informatics show that the average amount of COVID-19 detected in wastewater readings in Edmonton has decreased since a peak on Jan. 3.
  • The UCP will hold a leadership review of Premier Jason Kenney at the Cambridge Red Deer Hotel and Conference Centre on April 9. Alberta's premier is currently sitting at an approval rating of 26%.