Headlines: Oct. 6, 2022

Oct. 6, 2022 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

City council has approved the single-use item reduction bylaw. Effective July 1, 2023, businesses cannot sell or give away plastic shopping bags and must charge at least 15 cents for a paper bag and $1 for a reusable bag. These fees increase in July 2024 to 25 cents and $2. Disposable styrofoam plates, cups, and containers will be banned completely. Restaurants will be required to accept customers' reusable cups for takeout or dine-in and can only give out disposable straws and disposable utensils on request. The city wants to reduce single-use item waste by 20% by 2027.
YEG Youth Connect is happening at the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA on Oct. 6. The annual event connects youth aged 13-29 to housing and service organizations that can help with their situation. Almost 18% of people experiencing houselessness in Edmonton identify as youth, and even more are at risk.
The Edmonton Police Service used their annual search of the North Saskatchewan River to bring attention to Jeannine Ermineskin, an Indigenous woman who has been missing in Edmonton since January 2022. EPS said they have been looking for her throughout the year and asked the public to help to raise the profile of the investigation.
The City of Edmonton's Permit and Licensing Improvement (PLI) Initiative received an award for red tape reduction as part of the province's 2022 Municipal Excellence Awards. The city said the initiative will collectively save applicants $5.3 million and 67,000 days worth of their time.
Michelle Douglas, executive director of the LGBT Purge Fund, made Edmonton the first stop in her cross-Canada series to raise awareness about the LGBT purge, a period from the 1950s to the 1990s when LGBTQ employees of federal services and agencies experienced substantial harassment and discrimination. Douglas, who filed a lawsuit 30 years ago against the Department of National Defence that was dropped after the military scrapped its policy of banning gay or lesbian people, estimates 9,000 people were subjected to the purge.
Kylee Quinn from Hockey Edmonton appeared on Global News at Noon to talk about how the Hockey Canada scandal is affecting the local level. She said Hockey Edmonton has been working with the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton to customize a course to help players understand consent, toxic masculinity, and cultivating a culture of respect.