- The first frost in Edmonton might arrive later this year than ever before. The latest "first frost" on record was set on Oct. 21, 1975. Environment and Climate Change Canada is not forecasting frost until Oct. 23. This year also saw Edmonton record its hottest August ever, its third-hottest September, and a hotter-than-average October. Meteorologist Kyle Fougere told Postmedia we should expect "persistent heat more frequently" because of climate change. This weekend's forecast is cold with possible snow south of the city.
- With winter on its way, the number of shelter spaces for people without housing is expected to fall short of the need. A report on the homelessness response strategy's supplemental shelter plan indicates that while more than 1,300 people on Homeward Trust's list are sleeping in emergency shelters or outdoors, only 1,072 spaces are expected to be funded for this winter. Coun. Anne Stevenson said she's worried that people will have no option but to take shelter in transit stations, downtown businesses, or the library, and Coun. Erin Rutherford called for a longer-term solution instead of lurching from season to season with emergency measures.
- Global News took a look at the new home of Rapid Fire Theatre in Old Strathcona, inside the former telephone exchange building and museum. Construction on the main theatre is expected to be completed by early 2023. The company is raising money to help turn the basement into a workshop and classroom space.
- Retrospectives on the first year of city council's term continue. "This council is not afraid to push boundaries on challenging the status quo. Sometimes it may come across as destructive or erratic, but we are questioning the assumptions on which some of our programs and services were built," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in an interview with Postmedia. Meanwhile, Global News gathered commentary from various observers including political analyst John Brennan, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president Jeffrey Sundquist, and Edmonton Global CEO Malcolm Bruce.
- The regulatory wheels are about to be in motion to shift the cost of recycling to producers instead of municipalities. The new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs will come into effect on Nov. 30 and be fully in place by October 2026, says a plan released by the province earlier this month. It is meant to standardize what is recycled and make recycling available in more communities. "We're trying to make it easy for Alberta to recycle. I think that's the bottom line," St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron, who serves as president of Alberta Municipalities, told CBC. "It's going to be easier, it'll be much more understandable."
Headlines: Oct. 20, 2022
By Karen Unland and Kevin Holowack