Headlines: June 14, 2023

June 14, 2023 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

The city is deactivating its extreme weather response and poor air quality response as of 8am on June 14. The fire hydrants across the city that were modified to be water bottle-filling stations will remain in place until Sept. 30.
A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for parts of central and north-central Alberta including Edmonton on June 13. The storms were expected to bring heavy rain, hail, and potentially damaging wind gusts. There was also a slight risk of a tornado developing before the end of the day.
The city announced that it won the 2023 Transportation Association of Canada Technical Achievement Award along with its partners Empower Me and the Electric Vehicle Association of Alberta. The award recognizes the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Expo held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, which was a free two-day public event that drew nearly 6,000 people to learn about zero-emission vehicles last September. Edmonton's Electric Vehicle Strategy was approved in 2018 and aims to identify how to make it easier for residents to own electric vehicles, particularly plug-in light duty EVs, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The city has declared the Magrath Mansion, located on Ada Boulevard in the Highlands neighbourhood, as a Municipal Historic Resource. Completed in 1913, the building is considered unique for its connection to Edmonton's early development. The home was owned by Ada and William Magrath, the latter of whom co-owned the Magrath-Holgate Company, which sought to buy up land in what is now Highlands to create a suburb for affluent residents. Its design is influenced by the Classical Revival style and features a wide central staircase and two-storey colonnade. Today, the Magrath Mansion is owned by Concordia University of Edmonton and is used for alumni and fundraising events, among other activities. It has been a designated Provincial Historic Resource since 1975.
The Brighton Block, a historic Edwardian-style building located at 9666 Jasper Avenue, has been caught in a web of financial and legal battles. The building, which has been mostly vacant in recent years, was restored by Primavera Development Group before the pandemic, but the company's owner said the pandemic ruined leasing opportunities. CBC reported that the sale of the building to a numbered company was approved in November 2022, while Brighton Block Inc., which is owned by the president of Primavera Development Group, filed an appeal of the sale. Future plans for the building remain unclear. "The stage is set for a tenancy in the building," said David Johnston, the city's principal heritage planner, who said the Brighton Block could be a "cornerstone" of The Quarters Downtown.
Claire Pearan, an organizer with the Pride Corner on Whyte Avenue, is facing a third restraining order from street preachers who allege that Pearan has been harassing them. The latest restraining order was filed by Christian missionary Olga Podgornaja 18 days after a judge dismissed the second restraining order, also filed by Podgornaja. The first restraining order, filed by Fawn Lamouche in October 2022, was lifted in March 2023. Pearan claims the orders are all part of a coordinated effort to prevent her from protesting against homophobic hate speech from street preachers who are connected with Podgornaja and Lamouche. Justice Martha Burns has warned Podgornaja she will face costs if she continues to file new orders rather than appeal past decisions and moved the case to July so Podgornaja, who has been representing herself, can find a lawyer.
The Edmonton Oilers have extended forward Derek Ryan's contract in a two-year deal worth US $1.8 million. The 36-year-old joined the Oilers as a free agent in July 2021 and had 20 points across 80 games during the 2022-2023 season.
The wildfire near Edson remained out of control as of June 13 after firefighters worked overnight to battle the flames. The fire, which has burned more than 204,000 hectares since it was detected on May 4, is expected to take weeks or months to extinguish. The town's 8,400 residents, along with some residents of Yellowhead County, have been under a mandatory evacuation order since June 9.
In her first news conference since the May 29 provincial election, NDP Leader Rachel Notley indicated that there are no timelines for a leadership change and pointed to the "tremendous amount of ground" made by the NDP despite losing the election. Leah Ward, vice-president of Wellington Advocacy and a former NDP staffer, suggested Notley is likely thinking about the party's next leadership review, which is scheduled for 2024. Notley said her focus now is to push Premier Danielle Smith to govern from a centrist position, improve healthcare, hire thousands of teachers, and address affordability issues. She also said she is "deeply concerned" about Adriana LaGrange's appointment as Minister of Health because LaGrange has previously been closely involved with anti-abortion groups.