Headlines: Sept. 29, 2023

Sept. 29, 2023 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

Boyle Street Community Services expects its move from its downtown location at 10116 105 Avenue to four separate locations will be complete by Oct. 3. The last day services are available at the downtown location is Sept. 29. Boyle Street clients told media that the change is causing them confusion and anxiety. Once the move is complete, the Bissell East building will provide general services, the Mercer building will provide community and cultural services, and CO*LAB will provide a 25-person community space. Trailers outside Boyle Street's upcoming King Thunderbird Centre will provide banking and employment services.
The National Investigation Methodologies symposium, hosted by the Acimowin Opaspiw Society, happened this week at River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch. The symposium brought together residential school investigators and researchers to share experiences and best practices.
There are renewed calls to remove two statues in Edmonton with ties to the Nazis following Parliament's recognition of Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian solider who fought for the Nazis against the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The University of Alberta returned a $30,000 donation it received from Hunka's family in 2019, which went to the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies to create an endowment fund in Hunka's name, and said it is reviewing its naming policies.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi chose ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW), or River Lot 11, to feature in the city's "pick-a-park" series. The name ᐄᓃᐤ ("I am of the Earth") helps tell the story of historic River Lot 11, where Métis homesteaders Joseph McDonald and Margaret Fraser began farming in 1878 after making an agreement with the Papaschase Cree to use the land. Many Métis people who farmed in the Edmonton area at the time had their land rights extinguished through the Métis scrip system. The city eventually acquired the lot and surrounding parkland, which became part of Queen Elizabeth Park. ᐄᓃᐤ opened in 2018 and contains six permanent works by Indigenous artists that engage with themes of place and land.
Edmonton Public Schools has purchased the building that houses Centre High Campus, located in the MacEwan University Alberta College Campus. The division began leasing the space in 2019. Previously, Centre High Campus ran out of the Boardwalk building on 102 Avenue. More than 2,200 students were enrolled to attend Centre High in the 2023-2024 school year.
Edmonton Elks fans are more optimistic now that quarterback Tre Ford has led the team to four wins in their last seven games. Earlier this season, the team broke a North American major league sports record by losing 22 consecutive home games. The Elks will be eliminated from the running for the playoffs if Saskatchewan and Hamilton win upcoming games. The team's next game is in Toronto on Oct. 6.
An online Leger poll commissioned by the Calgary Climate Hub found 65% of Albertans oppose the province's pause on renewable energy approvals. The number of people opposed to the pause was slightly higher in Edmonton and Calgary, although 57% of people outside the two major cities still opposed the policy. Earlier this month, two separate polls found a slight majority of Albertans support a national cap on oil and gas emissions.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters her government is prepared to use the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act to push back against federal emission reduction initiatives. The president of the Alberta Electric System Operator, which is responsible for the province's power grid, said the federal government's proposed clean electricity regulations pose a disproportionate risk to Alberta and could lead to a "worst-case scenario" of power outages across large parts of the province. The two governments recently formed an Alberta-Ottawa working group to "reconcile areas of shared jurisdiction" over emissions reduction and energy development.