- EPCOR announced a mandatory ban on non-essential water use for Edmonton and surrounding areas on Jan. 29 because of a pump failure at the E.L. Smith water treatment plant. The company urged residents to conserve water by taking short showers, turning off taps while brushing teeth, delaying laundry, and washing dishes by hand. Businesses like laundromats and car washes are also asked to stop water use, while places that use water for essential processes or to meet health code standards, including hospitals and restaurants, are exempt. It's not known how long the ban will remain in place as repairs continue, but the company said water is safe to drink.
- Edmonton is set to record its deadliest year ever for opioid-related deaths, with 554 reported fatalities in 2023 up to October, according to the latest provincial data. The total will likely climb above the record 626 deaths set in 2021 when numbers for the final two months of 2023 are released in March. Across Alberta, 1,565 opioid-related deaths were recorded from January to October 2023. Community advocates have called on the province to expand supports and access to harm reduction services. The UCP government is continuing to pursue a recovery-oriented model, and in a statement to Postmedia highlighted its expansion of more than 10,000 addiction treatment spaces and the development of 11 recovery communities.
- Several press freedom and journalism organizations held a press conference to call on the Edmonton Police Service to drop all charges against Indigenous journalist Brandi Morin, who was arrested while reporting on an encampment removal in Edmonton on Jan. 10. The organizations include the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), PEN Canada, Journalists for Human Rights, and the Indigenous Journalists Association, among others. Morin, who was charged with obstruction despite identifying herself as a journalist, has a court date set for Feb. 1. "Let me be blunt: Based on all evidence, Brandi was targeted and singled out for doing her job as a journalist," CAJ President Brent Jolly said during the news conference.
- The George Spady Centre Society is seeking approval to relocate its detox centre from downtown Edmonton to a building at Stony Plain Road and 156 Street. The agency is applying for rezoning to double the facility's allowable size to 2,000 square metres. It would offer in-patient medical treatment and out-patient services related to addiction and detoxification, according to the city's rezoning website. The application is currently in review, with a council public hearing date scheduled for Feb. 20.
- Edmonton-based Flair Airlines owes the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) $67.2 million in unpaid taxes related to import duties on its fleet of Boeing 737 Max jetliners, court documents show. The debt prompted CRA to obtain a court order to allow the seizure and sale of the company's property, but Flair CEO Stephen Jones says there is no impact on the airline's operations. "We have a mutually agreed-upon payment plan with CRA to pay these importation duties, and we are current with that plan," Jones told CBC News in a statement. The situation follows a history of financial struggles for Flair, which had four planes repossessed last March and is facing increasing competitive pressure from other airlines.
- Six CH-146 Griffons from the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at CFB Edmonton did a flyover downtown on Jan. 29 to commemorate the Royal Canadian Air Force's 100th anniversary. Lt. Col. Melissa Snook thanked the city for its support over the years for the squadron, which has been based in Edmonton since 1971.
Headlines: Jan. 30, 2024
By Mariam Ibrahim