- Downtown exploded with orange and blue on Sunday night as the Oilers seized a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames in Edmonton's first home game of the Battle of Alberta. Inside Rogers Place, fans threw a record-breaking 1,350 hats onto the rink in celebration of Evander Kane's natural hat trick. The city is inviting residents to join the mayor and council in an Oilers-themed community rally Churchill Square on May 24 from 12-1pm.
- With ridership on Edmonton Transit back to nearly 70% of pre-pandemic levels, council will consider whether to add fare gates to several LRT stations, ostensibly as part of efforts to improve safety on public transit. Installation wouldn't be done until 2024, if funding is approved this year.
- Turning part of 102 Avenue into a pedestrian-focused corridor alongside the new Valley Line LRT could provide Edmontonians the "vibrant downtown" they crave, said Paths for People chair Stephen Raitz. Coun. Anne Stevenson said the idea could attract people to downtown businesses and envisions a "pedestrian-centric heart" that includes 104 Street, Rice Howard Way, and Churchill Square.
- Bridge Healing Asamina Kochi, a proposed pilot project that aims to help healthcare providers connect unhoused Edmontonians with safe living spaces after being released from the ER, has requested $290,000 from the city for one-year of operational funding. "The goal is (that) no patient that ever comes to Alberta Health Services in the future should ever be discharged without a home to go to. And this is the model to show how it can be done," said spokesperson Dr. Louis Francescutti. Council is expected to consider the request this week.
- Disability advocates have pointed out wheelchair accessibility issues with the six off-leash dog parks opened at community leagues this summer as part of a temporary city pilot project. The city's website says the sites "should be physically accessible for all potential users including those using mobility devices," but advocate Marla Smith, who uses a wheelchair, said she was unable to access four of the parks. The city said it has reached out to two of community leagues to discuss options, and an analysis of the pilot is underway.
- The Edmonton Storm took a 24-21 win over the Calgary Rage on May 14, marking the club's first win in the Western Women's Canadian Football League (WWCFL) 2022 season. The Storm is the city's only tackle football team for women over 18, drawing players from across the prairies for biweekly practice, and is mostly player-funded.
- Most of Edmonton's 74 spray parks opened on May 21, and the rest will be open within two weeks, except the High Park and Glengarry locations, which are closed this season for construction. A full list of spray parks is available online.
Headlines
By Kevin Holowack and Mack Male