- The city declared a Phase 1 parking ban on Friday due to heavy snowfall that contributed to nearly 140 collisions reported to police. The ban is expected to be lifted tonight, with no need for a Phase 2 ban. Edmonton typically receives 19 cm of snow in March, followed by 14 cm on average in April, Edmonton weather nerdery reports.
- Wild pigs, which have been spotted recently in Ardrossan and elsewhere around the city limits, would cause "absolute destruction" if they find their way to Edmonton's river valley, warns University of Saskatchewan professor Ryan Brook. "Wild pigs are the worst invasive wild mammal on the planet — I don't think there's any debate about that," Brook told Postmedia. The city doesn't have a plan to deal with wild pigs, a spokesperson said.
- The province has announced $251 million over three years for 15 school projects across Alberta, including a new high school in Castle Downs and a new K-9 school in Lewis Farms. Both are part of the Edmonton Catholic School District — Edmonton Public Schools received no capital funding. "We are at capacity in most of our high schools," said EPSB board chair Trisha Estabrooks. "If we do not receive announcements about a new school, we will be completely out of space in all of our schools by 2027."
- A letter written by the Women's Advocacy Voice of Edmonton (WAVE) says the city needs to do more to make vehicles for hire safe and equitable. "Each day that passes without proactively making efforts to address safety in Edmonton's vehicles for hire is a day when another Edmontonian risks being sexually assaulted," the group wrote. City council's community and public services committee will receive the annual vehicle for hire report today.
- The Edmonton-based Progressive Contractors Association of Canada, which represents more than 100 construction companies across the country, has pledged to make jobs available for Ukrainian refugees. "There is a major need for skilled workers right now in our industry and for anyone displaced by the current conflict in Ukraine interested in joining us, we are extremely willing to do what we can to assist them in this regard," Shane Jones, spokesperson for PCL Constructors Inc., told Postmedia.
- Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid has signed an endorsement deal with BetMGM, becoming the first active athlete for one of the four major North American sports leagues to work with the company. "It's also a real honour to be on the same BetMGM team with star athletes like Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Garnett, both of whom I admire very much," McDavid said.
- On Friday, Premier Jason Kenney said his government would work through the weekend to develop a relief plan for high gas prices. "We can't undo the global forces that are pushing up energy and other costs," Kenney said. "But because the Alberta treasury does benefit from additional resource revenues when prices go up, we think we have some capacity to provide people with at least some relief." An announcement is expected this week.
