- The Edmonton Police Service enlisted an American DNA technology company called Parabon NanoLabs to generate a composite image of a suspect in a 2019 sexual assault based on DNA phenotyping, which purports to predict physical appearance and ancestry from DNA evidence. The image is of a young Black man, using a default age of 25 and a body mass index of 22. Police said they were "aware of the impact this release may have on a marginalized community," but chose to release the image because of "the need to advocate for a victim of a violent sexual assault and in consideration of the public safety interest." Such composites can "fix it in people's minds that this is what the person is supposed to look like," Doug King, a professor of justice studies at Mount Royal University, told Global News. "If the composite isn't all that accurate, you can run into the notion of racial profiling, particularly when the profile is a person of colour," he added.
- Trial proceedings have begun for Const. Samuel Sanson of the Edmonton Police Service, who was charged with one count of sexual assault against another police officer. Sanson denies the allegation and has been suspended without pay since June 2019. The trial comes a week after the public learned that another EPS constable was terminated earlier this year after being charged with sexual assault against another officer, a charge that was withdrawn because the officer declined to testify.
- Due to high demand, emergency veterinary clinics in Edmonton are telling owners they may need to wait to access emergency care for their pets. Dr. Dawn Abbott with Vet ER, one of three 24-hour emergency vet clinics in the city, said owners are waiting six to 12 hours on average, depending on the situation. She attributes the demand to the ongoing adoption boom that started with the pandemic and a shortage of veterinary services.
- Four Edmonton projects were recognized by the 2022 Prairie Design Awards, a collaboration between architecture associations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The Capilano Library and the Kathleen Andrews Transit Garage won in the recent works category; the Paul Kane Park Redevelopment project won in landscape architecture; and CO*LAB won in small projects.
- Over 100 people took part in a march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) at MacEwan University on Oct. 4 as part of the school's sexual violence awareness week. Among them were family members of Angela Alexis from the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation, who has been missing since August. Indigenous women and girls represent 28% of homicide victims in Canada despite making up only 4% of the population, according to Statistics Canada.
- The University of Alberta released data on which buildings are at higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. Variables include air change rate and the type of air system used, which assistant professor Lexuan Zhong said should be considered when determining risk.
- The Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta launched its new Axford Impact Series on Oct. 3. The annual event's goal is to help business students apply their education to "real-world problems." This year, students gathered in the Butterdome to brainstorm ideas to revitalize downtown Edmonton.
- Culture minister Ron Orr said Alberta has "engaged in some initial processes" to make a bid to host the 2030 Olympic Games, but the proposal won't be ready until the bidding process starts. In 2018, Calgarians voted 56.4% in a plebiscite against hosting the 2026 Winter Games.
Headlines: Oct. 5, 2022
By Kevin Holowack