- Edmonton Transit Service adopted its summer service changes on July 2 as part of its seasonal schedule adjustments, which happen five times a year. The changes impacted dozens of bus routes, including the cancellation of school special routes until Sept. 3 and the extension of Seniors On Demand Transit hours on weekdays.
- Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for Edmonton and much of the province on July 3 due to wildfire smoke from northern Alberta and British Columbia. Over the Canada Day long weekend, 56 new wildfires started in Alberta, with 19 confirmed to be caused by lightning. As of July 3, there were 107 active wildfires in Alberta. The province has had 772 wildfires so far this season, compared to 527 at this time last year.
- Alberta Health Services confirmed a case of hepatitis A in a worker who handled food at a McDonald's in Nisku, located at 301 20 Street. People who consumed food or drink from the location from June 20-24 may have been exposed and are advised to monitor themselves and their families for symptoms until Aug. 13. AHS also recommends getting vaccinated against hepatitis A to prevent illness. Inspectors have approved the McDonald's location as safe to operate.
- A report by real estate search engine Point2 found that nearly 19% of Edmonton's resale market listings in April were below $200,000. Edmonton has a much larger number of low-cost homes compared to similar sized Canadian cities, and Jenn McPhillamey with RE/MAX River City said homes under $200,000 are drawing many buyers from outside the province, particularly the Greater Toronto Area. Despite having a higher supply of low-cost listings, Edmonton has seen the number of homes under $200,000 steadily fall since 2019, particularly single-family detached homes.
- Sandra Romanyk, a former Edmonton Catholic School Division employee, was sent to prison on June 30 for defrauding the division of $218,588 from a fund for vulnerable children. From 2009-2015, Romanyk was in charge of administering early childhood program unit funding at the Genesis Early Learning Centre, where she approved invoices from family members for work they didn't do or did at an inflated price. She also used a division credit card to buy equipment for her horse ranch. She received a two-year sentence, although Court of King's Bench Justice Jody Fraser called her an "unmitigated thief" who could have faced a longer sentence.
- Duncan Kinney, who was charged with mischief in 2022 for allegedly spray painting two Ukrainian monuments, will have a pre-trial conference in October followed by a jury trial starting Sept. 5, 2024, Postmedia reported. Kinney has pleaded not guilty and says the charges are an attempt by the Edmonton Police Service to silence him because he is a vocal police critic. Kinney is the founder of Progress Alberta and editor of its "independent and proudly left wing media project" The Progress Report, which reported on the vandalism incident in 2021. In May, Kinney also threatened Premier Danielle Smith with legal action for allegedly telling attendees of an election forum in Brooks that he spray painted the monuments with swastikas, which his lawyer said is inaccurate and could influence the jury.
- The Edmonton Athletics Invitational drew local and international talent to compete in track and field events at Foote Field over the long weekend. Among the competitors was Marco Arop, an Edmonton athlete who represented Canada in the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games. Cool weather and rain held Arop back from his goal of setting a new Canadian record in the 800-metre race, but he still finished first with a time of 1:48:95.
- The 34th annual Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament, a minor hockey competition for kids aged nine and 10, started July 3 at the Ice Palace in West Edmonton Mall. The tournament ends July 9. A full game schedule is available online.
Headlines: July 4, 2023
By Kevin Holowack