Headlines: Jan. 8, 2024

Jan. 8, 2024 · The Pulse
By Mariam Ibrahim

The city and Edmonton Police Service paused the dismantling of an encampment north of downtown on Jan. 7 after a man's body was discovered inside a tent. EMS found the body while doing wellness checks on the encampment residents following an unrelated propane tank explosion. Police said the death doesn't appear to be criminal, and workers resumed clearing the site later in the day. So far, a total of seven encampments deemed "high-risk" have been dismantled, with an eighth expected to be removed as early as Jan. 8. Workers recently removed two other camps, including one near the Kinnaird Ravine on Jan. 5, and another at 106 Avenue and 99 Street on Jan. 6.
The city recently updated its encampment policy with new requirements for the removal of high-risk sites, including seeking approval from the deputy city manager of community services, notifying city council, and ensuring sufficient shelter space. Elements of the new policy are similar to those included in a court order issued in December that established conditions for taking down eight sites the city had deemed high-risk, including ensuring adequate shelter space and providing encampment residents advance notice. The temporary order is set to expire on Jan. 11, when the courts will hear arguments related to a lawsuit from the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights challenging Edmonton's overall approach to encampments.
Encampments removed by city crews and the Edmonton Police Service last week have begun to reappear, prompting criticism from advocates who questioned the effectiveness of the city's and province's approach to supporting vulnerable Edmontonians. Jim Gurnett with the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness noted that two camps near the Herb Jamieson Centre and the Bissell Centre were back within 24 hours. The Alberta NDP has also called on the provincial government to provide details of its plans to provide shelter and eventually permanently house every person displaced by the ongoing encampment removals. With temperatures in the city dropping significantly this week, some encampment residents opted to seek safety in shelters, but others said they feel safer outdoors.
A city report has identified 11 corridors in downtown Edmonton, including Rice Howard Way, Jasper Avenue, and 104 Street, that could support car-free or shared streets in an effort to increase pedestrian activity and safety perceptions. Jason Syvixay of the Urban Development Institute Edmonton Metro, an advocate for increased downtown vibrancy, criticized the report for lacking clear priorities, timelines, and success metrics. The urban planning committee is set to discuss the report at its Jan. 16 meeting.
More than 10% of all playground zone tickets issued through photo radar between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023 came from one enforcement zone near two south Edmonton schools, according to data obtained by Postmedia. More than 2,000 tickets were issued during the 12-month period, more than were issued in any of the city's 272 enforcement sites. The data showed 3.2 tickets issued per 100 vehicles in the zone, which was the eighth-highest rate of speeding across the city's playground zone enforcement sites.
The Alberta government is inviting Edmonton residents to review and provide feedback on new draft flood maps for the North Saskatchewan River area until Feb.12. The updated maps, which replace those from 1994-1995 and extensions from 2007, aim to enhance community awareness of flood risks and inform flood planning. Public input is considered a crucial element in finalizing the flood study, and helps increase public awareness of flood risk, the project lead said.
The latest provincial government data shows that 55 more Albertans have died from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll for the current season to 378, along with an additional 295 hospitalizations, including 20 ICU admissions. The province has recently seen a surge in hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses, with more than 1,000 admissions during the holidays, primarily due to influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Influenza hospitalizations have already surpassed the total from the 2023 season. Despite this, flu vaccination rates remain at a near-decade low of 23.5%. The respiratory virus tracking season, which runs from Aug. 27, 2023, to Aug.24, 2024, has seen 3,137 hospitalizations and 193 ICU admissions to date.
Encore Trucking and Transport, a business off Highway 16 in Sherwood Park, recently unveiled a 13-foot-high sculpture as a tribute to the resilience of Albertans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The artwork, created by Roger Shore and his son Matthew, and inspired by business owner Don Lucas, depicts a family and their horse braving the elements, symbolizing collective struggle and perseverance. Lucas hopes the 25,000-pound concrete statue will inspire pride in passersby who see it.
Janice Cooke, a professor of Forest Genomics at the University of Alberta, discussed the sharp decline in mountain pine beetle populations in Alberta with CBC's Radio Active, attributing the 98% reduction since 2019 to cold winters, provincial control measures, and forest fires. While the beetles have historically devastated large areas of lodgepole pine forests, their spread into jack pine has not escalated as expected, which researchers are currently looking into.