Headlines: Oct. 13, 2023

Oct. 13, 2023 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

The city announced changes to its Community Sandbox Program that will result in fewer, but more centralized, sandboxes. A "small number of boxes" will be removed in the upcoming winter season, and six new large bins will be installed at select Eco Stations and recreation facilities. In 2024-2025, about 600 boxes will be removed and replaced with 100 centralized sites across Edmonton. Earlier this year, the city did public engagement about its sandbox program, which costs about $900,000 annually, and released a What We Heard Report on its findings. Edmonton's sandbox program has existed for about 30 years and is the largest of its kind in Canada.
CBC News answered reader questions about Edmonton's zoning bylaw renewal, including questions about changes to where apartment buildings can be built, what happens to mature neighbourhood protections, and the impact on trees, shrubs, and parking. The proposed changes are the first major overhaul of the bylaw since the 1960s and would reduce the number of zones from 46 to 24. Council will vote on the bylaw following a public hearing that begins Oct. 16.
Royal LePage's latest forecast suggests Edmonton's real estate market is "building momentum," while many other markets across Canada are slowing. The average home price in Edmonton is expected to increase 3% in Q4 of 2023 compared to Q4 of 2022. Edmonton is increasingly attractive to out-of-province and international buyers, including those priced out of Calgary. Demand is likely to outpace supply into 2024, and the rising price of single-family homes will keep some homebuyers in the rental market, said Tom Shearer with Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate.
Altus Group released its latest Canadian Property Tax Rate Benchmark Report, which measures the commercial-to-residential tax ratio in major Canadian cities. Of the 11 cities analyzed, six had ratios of three or higher, meaning the commercial tax rate is three times the residential rate. Edmonton's ratio was measured at 2.59 in 2023, below the average of 2.82. According to Altus Group, the results of its report "raise questions of inequity in the distribution of the tax burden that could weigh on Canada's business viability and community growth."
TELUS World of Science is auctioning two giant eyeballs that were part of The Body Fantastic exhibit that closed in 2019. Last year, the science centre auctioned the nose, tongue, and an ear from the exhibit, with each selling for more than $500. The silent auction is raising money to support programming at the science centre.
CityNews spoke to Ottewell residents who are unhappy about construction delays related to the Ottewell renewal project, which includes repairing roads and sidewalks, replacing street lights, and fixing curbs and gutters. The city said roads, sidewalks, and driveways in Ottewell will be in service by the end of the 2023 construction season.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team found that Const. Travis Jordan and Const. Brett Ryan, two Edmonton Police Service officers who were killed in a shooting in March, acted lawfully and did not engage in any use of force during the encounter. ASIRT was directed to review the incident because it involved civilians being harmed during an interaction with police.
The chief justices of the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Court of King's Bench, and Alberta Court of Justice have issued a joint statement urging caution around the use of AI tools to prepare court cases. The justices ask lawyers and self-representing litigants who use AI tools like ChatGPT for court submissions to ensure any past cases and citations actually exist. Several jurisdictions in Canada have issued similar notices in the wake of a high-profile American case earlier this year in which two lawyers were fined for submitting a brief made with ChatGPT that cited non-existent legal precedents.