Headlines: March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023 · The Pulse
By Mariam Ibrahim

The deaths of two Edmonton Police Service officers were homicides, Alberta's chief medical examiner confirmed. Const. Travis Jordan, 35, and Const. Brett Ryan, 30, died of gunshot wounds after responding to a family dispute call just before 1am on March 16 at an Inglewood area apartment complex. They were the first officers to be killed while on duty in Edmonton since 2015. Police have not yet released details about a public funeral for the constables, but while speaking on her radio show on March 18 Premier Danielle Smith said a regimental funeral could happen as soon as next weekend. She later clarified details were not fully confirmed and asked the public to wait for more information from Edmonton police. Meanwhile, the city is inviting the public to share condolence messages for the officers. Condolence books are available in the south lobby of city hall near the information desk, and will be set up from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
The Edmonton Police Service is investigating whether the 16-year-old boy who shot and killed Const. Travis Jordan and Const. Brett Ryan was the same person who shot an employee at a Pizza Hut on March 12, CTV News reported, citing several unnamed sources. The restaurant is one block away from the apartment complex where the teenager killed the officers on March 16. Police have confirmed the boy, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was involved in a previous mental health call but had no criminal record.
Edmonton police say family violence calls are among the most dangerous for officers to respond to. "There's so many variables and dynamics that occur in that situation that you just never know," said EPS deputy chief Devin Laforce. Police have said Const. Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan had no indication the 16-year-old boy had a gun or was a violent threat as they responded to a call from the boy's mother, who was also shot during the incident and remains in hospital. Jan Reimer, executive director of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, called the incident a reminder of the volatility of domestic violence. She said an increase in addictions, mental health issues, and guns in the community adds to "the dangers and complexities" of family violence situations.
University of Alberta professor Rich Sutton, who led Google's DeepMind lab in Edmonton before the company closed the office in January, says he plans to open a non-profit organization to focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning research. Speaking with writer and former Alberta cabinet minister Donna Kennedy-Glans for her regular conversation series in the National Post, Sutton said his concept would focus on open research rather than the commercial applications of AI technology. "I want to work on the prize: Understanding intelligence," he said.
Hockey Canada has hired MacEwan University human rights and diversity advocate Irfan Chaudhry as its first vice president of diversity and inclusion. Chaudhry will "lead the development of a vision and strategy to create and sustain a culture within hockey that embraces and promotes equity, diversity and inclusion," Hockey Canada said in a news release. He begins his role on April 12.
The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Jake Chiasson to a three-year contract beginning in the 2023-24 season, the team announced March 18. The 19-year-old was the team's fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft.
The University of Alberta Humanities Centre was included on a climate crisis edition of the National Trust's Endangered Places List. Making a connection between climate and heritage conservation, the National Trust said "trashing structures and their materials is a luxury that Canada can no longer afford," adding that the plan to demolish the 50-year-old building is part of "an unprecedented demolition spree" at the university in recent years.
Historical landmarks across the city have been recreated in an Edmonton Train Collectors Association display at Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre. The display features the former Canadian Northern train station, which was located near the current site of Rogers Place. "It's just a trip back in time for a lot of people," association president John Bell said.
Premier Danielle Smith said a province-wide bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games would carry less cost and risk than Calgary's unsuccessful bid to host the 2026 Winters Olympics. While speaking on her Your Province Your Premier radio show on March 18, Smith said that while she understands people's caution about hosting major international events, she wants to first review a plan developed by the Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corp., which is putting together the joint bid to host the event in Edmonton, Calgary, and other communities across the province.