- Since March 7, washrooms at 15 of 18 transit and LRT stations have been closed. A city spokesperson told CTV News the closures are supposed to reduce drug poisoning risks and that the Enhanced Transit Safety Plan that council approved in February recommended temporarily closing "select washrooms" and redirecting people to nearby facilities. Last year 1,758 people died from drug poisoning in Alberta. The city has no timetable for the washrooms to re-open.
- According to the Edmonton Police Service, there were 158 recorded shootings in 2020, 150 in 2021, and 29 in 2022 so far. From 2020-2021, EPS recorded 72% of shootings as "targeted" and 47% as having "gang involvement." Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart told reporters "the brazenness of these shootings is definitely, I would say, escalating."
- Hundreds of Ukrainians are arriving in Edmonton on Monday on a "deadhead" flight that was already coming to the city to pickup cargo. The flight is funded by donations collected by the Canadian Polish Historical Society. The people chosen to arrive have visas, passports, and host families rather than refugee status.
- Stephen Wong, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Alberta, has received a $50,000 grant from the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation to research how the city can better respond to natural disasters. "The research is intended to provide decision-making support for the City of Edmonton and how they construct both evacuation plans and emergency response plans," Wong told CBC.
- The owners of City Liquidations and Koultures Afro-Continental Restaurant, two businesses near 118 Avenue and 88 Street, spoke to Global News about how construction in the area is hurting business. Shady Darwish and Tekle Wold said years of ongoing road construction has reduced business visibility, discouraged food delivery drivers, and forced some businesses to close. City council will discuss the possibility of providing financial aid to businesses impacted by major construction projects at its next meeting on April 4.
- The city is reminding Edmontonians that a new waste collection schedule begins March 29, after which food scrap carts will be collected once a week, garbage will still be collected every two weeks, and recycling will be collected every week. This schedule will run until Nov. 1.
- Postmedia has published Part 2 of Toxi-City, a three-part series on the toxic drugs crisis in Edmonton. In this instalment, reporter Anna Junker follows volunteers and EMS responders assisting people with addictions.
- The city announced that construction has begun on the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, which is scheduled to be finished by spring 2026. The facility will include a fitness centre, running track, gymnasium, and indoor play space, and will connect to the existing Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre.
Headlines
By Kevin Holowack