- Mayor Amarjeet Sohi called on Premier Danielle Smith to let municipalities keep the education portion of property taxes, which would free up about $250 million to help Edmonton pay for necessary infrastructure improvements. Smith is said to have made the pledge to do so at an Alberta Municipalities conference, though a provincial spokesperson was non-committal in response to Postmedia's questions about the idea. City council is faced with a choice between raising taxes or delaying neighbourhood renewal in light of a predicted $4.7-billion gap between municipal revenue and needed infrastructure investment in the next 10 years. Even at the current pace, the Neighbourhood Renewal Program will not achieve its goal to get all neighbourhoods out of poor condition until 2038, says a report from administration.
- The city is recruiting members of the public for its Anti-Racism Independent Body Advisory Board, which is to advise the city manager on the establishment of an independent anti-racism body. The board is part of Edmonton's broader anti-racism strategy. You can apply online until Nov. 7.
- Edmonton reduced road fatalities by 49% between 2010 and 2020, according to a study by the International Transport Forum, an intergovernmental organization that tracked data in 32 cities. Edmonton is one of only a few cities that significantly reduced fatalities, "thanks to the implementation of robust and data-driven road safety policies," the study's authors wrote. The city nearly achieved the UN's target of a 50% reduction in road fatalities over the first Decade of Action on Road Safety.
- It is now possible to book a flu shot and a bivalent COVID-19 booster shot at the same time for Albertans who are at least five years old. The flu vaccine is available at Alberta Health Services clinics, pharmacies, and some doctors' offices. Because the flu virus is no longer suppressed by COVID-19 restrictions, Albertans should "definitely anticipate that it will be worse than the last couple of years," said Dr. Kristin Klein of AHS.
- Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers was named one of the NHL's three stars of the week on Oct. 17, along with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars. McDavid got four goals and two assists in the Oilers' two opening games, notching the season's first hat trick.
Headlines: Oct. 18, 2022
By Kevin Holowack