Headlines: July 27, 2023

July 27, 2023 · The Pulse
By Karen Unland and Kevin Holowack

Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault has been moved from the tourism portfolio and is now the minister of employment, workforce development, and official languages. The change is part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet overhaul on July 26, which dropped seven ministers and shuffled most portfolios. Boissonnault remains the only cabinet minister from Alberta.
The odds of the Edmonton Elks winning the Grey Cup are listed at +25,000, far longer than any other team in the CFL. That means a $10 bet on the Elks would pay out $2,500. The team is winless this season and is heading into its July 29 home game against the B.C. Lions with a 20-game losing streak at Commonwealth Stadium. "We want to do better. I expect us to do better. The coaches expect us to do better. This is what we've got to deliver," said CEO Victor Cui, who remains optimistic despite upset fans.
The CBC's Taylor Lambert explored whether the private sector should develop critical infrastructure like high-speed rail. In recent years, the province has signed memoranda of understanding with Prairie Link to cooperate on a high-speed passenger rail between Edmonton and Calgary and with TransPod in support of its plan to build a hyperloop. Public transportation advocate James Wilt dismissed the hyperloop idea as experimental and said he has "very little faith" that the project would be completed on time and budget. The Rail for Alberta Society, an advocacy group, prefers conventional rail options over high-speed rail, which would add costs and require significant construction.
Lt.-Col. Kurt Grimsrud of CFB Edmonton will return to Alberta next week after completing a training and capacity-building mission for Ukrainian soldiers. Grimsrud has been overseeing more than 300 Canadians leading training across five missions in the U.K., Latvia, and Poland.
The Edmonton Pride Float will return to the North Saskatchewan River for a second year on Aug. 12. The float ride will last two hours and feature music, mermaids, and drag queens. Event organizers Elizabeth and Michael Magnussen appeared on Global News Morning to share details. Tickets are available online.
The annual Edmonton Corn Maze has opened for the 2023 season. Operators chose to carve the maze into a pattern honouring the 150th anniversary of the RCMP. The attraction, which is on the southwest edge of Edmonton, will be open until Oct. 22.
A Barbie pop-up store has opened inside the Indigo in West Edmonton Mall to align with the Barbie movie that opened in theatres last week. It is one of only two such pop-ups in Canada. It will close on Dec. 31.