- Lyft, the rideshare company, is lobbying the province to remove the Class 4 licence requirement so that anyone with a Class 5 could drive for the company. "Lyft believes that Alberta should join the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in adopting modern regulations for the passenger transportation industry," said the company. Coun. Andrew Knack, an early proponent of bringing rideshare services to Edmonton, said he believes the Class 4 requirement should remain to ensure safety.
- Starting the week of Aug. 22, Jasper Avenue will be closed between 90 Street and 91 Street to accommodate the demolition and reconstruction of the Latta Bridge. The section is slated to reopen in the fall of 2023. In the meantime, the city will run a temporary shuttle service between Stadium Station and 87 Street. ETS bus stops for routes 2 and 101 in the affected area will be moved.
- City council voted unanimously not to punish Coun. Michael Janz for retweeting a post that refers to a police officer as a "pig," which he later deleted. Jamie Pytel, the city's integrity commissioner, cautioned council to be more careful on social media. "(If) we don't keep retweets and things like that in check, it could be used as a way to harass or participate in conduct that would be offside the code," she said.
- Some local entrepreneurs want to see another round of The Edmonton Project, a competition launched by five companies in 2017 to generate big ideas for the city. In 2018, a proposal for a gondola concept led to Prairie Sky Gondola, which was grounded this week when council voted against a proposed land deal. "This city needs more big ideas for people to believe in and more empowered city builders daring to do them," said Prairie Sky CEO Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson. Aziz Bootwal of Kasian Architecture, who co-founded the competition, suggested the "prospect of success would be much higher" with less lofty projects.
- Majesty and Friends, a design boutique in Manchester Square, has the best restroom in Canada, declared Cintas Canada. "When we opened this location last year, I put all my savings into it to make our shop a truly memorable and fun destination for our community," said owner Julie Morrison. "I'm so grateful to Cintas for highlighting our business."
- CBC Edmonton is releasing new episodes of Slumtown, its podcast about disruption and disorder in the McCauley and Alberta Avenue neighbourhoods. Slain landlord Abdullah Shah is the focus of the two new episodes.
- Alberta Health Services is outsourcing the rest of its food vendors in Edmonton and Calgary, entering into negotiations with Aramark, Compass, and Sodexo to provide food at facilities such as the University of Alberta Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
Headlines: Aug. 18, 2022
By Kevin Holowack