- City council's urban planning committee voted 4-0 to endorse investing $170 million to build an additional 100 kilometres of bike lanes along major commuter routes and in neighbourhoods. A second option would build 130 kilometres of bike lanes for $130 million, but may mean the full network isn't completed by 2030. Council will discuss both options again during fall budget talks. "We have to get serious about building out our active transportation network," Coun. Ashley Salvador said during the meeting. Coun. Aaron Paquette shared a Twitter thread addressing many of the common concerns that are raised when council proposes spending money on bike lanes.
- Innovate Edmonton has rebranded as Edmonton Unlimited. The move also consolidates former divisions Startup Edmonton, Scaleup Edmonton, and Accelerate Edmonton into a single brand. "Edmonton Unlimited captures the spirit of our city, harnesses the power of possibility, and brings the best of Edmonton to the world," said CEO Catherine Warren. According to Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein, members of Edmonton's innovation community currently view the organization with both optimism and reservation. "However, the most common comments I received surrounded a belief that the new organization had not yet articulated a clear role," wrote Gerein. "And considering that the new brand is Edmonton Unlimited, it may well reinforce perceptions of an agency that is unfocused, or trying to do too much."
- The Provincial Court of Alberta has announced a new Indigenous Justice Strategy designed in consultation with Indigenous legal experts and First Nations and Métis groups. Along with Indigenous mentorship and hiring initiatives, the strategy involves opening a restorative justice-focused Indigenous court in Edmonton on Sept. 30, based on a similar court in Calgary that deals with sentencing hearing and bail application for non-violent cases. Richard Mirasty, a Cree-speaking defence lawyer, said the strategy was a "nice gesture" but only a "band-aid on a festering wound that's that has been around for 100 years."
- kihciy askiy, the first urban Indigenous ceremonial grounds in Canada, is under construction south of Fox Drive and Whitemud Drive. Once complete, the site will have up to eight sweat lodges, an amphitheatre, and space for tipis, fires, ceremonies, and workshops. "To be here today, after all these years, is really to be stepping into a dream that I know is going to be beneficial for many Indigenous families and youth and elders," said Lewis Cardinal, project manager for the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre (IKWC). Construction is expected to carry through to spring 2023.
- The Edmonton Federal Building was officially renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Building at a ceremony on Sept. 27. The province says the change takes effect immediately, but signage is forthcoming. "After all, why would the de facto headquarters of the Government of Alberta be named the Federal Building?" Premier Jason Kenney said. "With all due respect to my friends in Ottawa."
- The University of Alberta has inaugurated the Diwan Pavilion at the Aga Khan Garden, which is part of the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. The pavilion commemorates 50 years of Ismaili Muslim history in Canada and the community's partnership with the university.
- The Edmonton Elks, who have not won a home game since 2019, are hoping for a victory against the Montreal Alouettes at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 1. A loss against Montreal, combined with a Saskatchewan win over Winnipeg on Sept. 30, would put the Elks out of the playoffs.
Headlines: Sept. 29, 2022
By Kevin Holowack