- Dr. Sandy Dong, a local emergency room physician, is one front-line worker calling for the province to collect data on amputations due to frostbite among people experiencing homelessness. Alberta Health Services said in an email that it does not track amputations from frostbite, but Dong said he saw more such cases in 2021 than ever before in his two decades practising in Edmonton. He said amputees without shelter are especially vulnerable since it makes healing and mobility more challenging, and impacts their ability to work. "Now they have no income, and then they're back into the cycle of poverty," he said. Judith Gale, with the Edmonton chapter of the Bear Clan Patrol outreach group said she is seeing increasingly more people with missing fingers and toes, describing the loss as "a life sentence."
- Dr. Mark Joffe, Alberta's new chief medical officer of health, wrote a letter with Dr. Laura McDougall, the senior medical officer of health, warning parents of a heavy flu season ahead. "We are concerned that this influenza season will be more severe than we have seen in years and that illness will continue to disrupt school, sports, and upcoming holiday gatherings," they wrote. The province is recommending the flu shot to all children aged six months and older. The vaccine is free and appointments can be made on the AHS website, through Health Link (811), or by talking to a pharmacist or doctor's clinic.
- A group of Edmontonians held a rally on Nov. 24 to call for more support for Okîsikow (Angel) Way, which is the Cree name given to a section of 101A Avenue near 97 Street to honour women and gender-diverse people who have experienced violence. Event organizer April Eve Wiberg and the Stolen Sisters & Brothers Action Movement are asking for Okîsikow Way to become an official mailing address, get new and upgraded signposts, and have an art installation. Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson also attended the rally.
- A wildfire monitoring satellite built by members of AlbertaSat, a club of students and faculty at the University of Alberta, is heading into orbit this February. The Ex-Alta 2 satellite, which is the size of a loaf of bread and known as a "CubeSat," is a follow-up to Ex-Alta 1, and was inspired by the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. Thomas Ganley, a project manager with AlbertaSat, said the satellite will collect wildfire data from around Canada and the world and share it for free on the club's website. It heads to the Canadian Space Agency this week before being shipped to NASA ahead of its launch.
- Alberta Health Services is bringing back its Toys for Tickets campaign, which lets people donate a new toy in lieu of paying a parking fine issued at an AHS parking facility. The campaign applies to tickets issued between Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. The toys must be new, in their original packaging, unwrapped and have a value of at least $25. AHS will stop accepting toys after Dec. 16.
- Craig JB Henderson, the former chair of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) and architect behind the Winston Churchill Square redevelopment that marked Edmonton's centennial in 2004, wrote a letter to Postmedia to say he is "disappointed with the decision to delete the Christmas Tree" from the square. "History should be respected and embraced in our urban context, not ignored," said Henderson. "I look forward to seeing the tree in its rightful location next year." Mack Male and Troy Pavlek, hosts of Taproot's Speaking Municipally podcast, spoke to the EDBA's executive director Puneeta McBryan about the "treegate" controversy in Episode 199.
- Alphonso Davies shared his thoughts on Team Canada's 1-0 loss against Belgium in their opening group match for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. "In all, I was a little bit disappointed, but we're definitely, definitely proud of how we played," he said, adding that stepping onto the pitch was "a dream come true for everyone in this white shirt." Canada's next match is against Croatia on Nov. 27.
- Edmonton Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small has left the team to focus full-time on his job as head coach of the men's basketball program at the University of Lethbridge. "We appreciate the contributions Jermaine Small made to the Edmonton Stingers organization, which were highlighted by building a team that won the CEBL championship in 2020 and successfully defending it in 2021," said Stingers president Reed Clarke. The Stingers finished sixth in the 2022 CEBL season.
Headlines: Nov. 25, 2022
By Kevin Holowack