- The formation of an independent, community-led anti-racism group was endorsed by city council's community and public services committee on Monday. The city is asking for $2 million to start working on the strategy which originated with the first motion of the current term. The plan will go to council for approval next week.
- Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he met with police chief Dale McFee and Edmonton Police Commission chair John McDougall on Monday night to discuss community concerns related to Saturday's protest. "They assured me they are listening to your concerns and keeping everyone's safety and wellbeing at the forefront as we navigate through these trying times," Sohi tweeted.
- Felicia Mutheardy, a corporate economist with the city, said she doesn't expect the spread of the Omicron to have as dramatic of an effect on the local economy as previous waves. Last November, the city's economic forecast saw signs of recovery, and this year Edmonton is expected to see gross domestic product growth of nearly 8% and a return to pre-pandemic levels.
- Edmonton police are warning Edmontonians about cryptocurrency investment scams spreading over dating services. The police's cybercrime investigations unit identified 87 cases (including ones that didn't happen over dating apps) in 2021 — in all, this represented a total of $5.29 million.
- Two motorcyclists were handed $2,000 fines after admitting to careless driving — having sped through traffic only seconds before the death of another rider in their group. In 2019, a 31-year-old man who was part of the group of three motorcyclists died after his motorcycle collided with an SUV on the Anthony Henday.
- An Alberta judge rejected an emergency injunction against the province's decision to lift the mask mandate in schools, though the court battle is expected to continue. Premier Jason Kenney said that the move — made by the Alberta Federation of Labour and parents — was just a political stunt.
- Jason Tetro, an expert in infectious diseases and author of The Germ Files, said that Alberta's plan to open the province up and remove COVID-19 restrictions is three weeks too early. "I would much rather wait that little bit of extra time, than go back and Groundhog Day what we did in the summer, when thought we were having the best summer ever and instead we all ended up getting locked up," he told CBC News.
- The City of Edmonton sent a Wordle valentine to the City of Calgary yesterday. On each line, the post showed a different five-letter word (such as 'Jyoti,' and 'tower') before landing on 'adore.'
Headlines
By Mack Male and Doug Johnson