- An audit has revealed that the Blatchford redevelopment office in Edmonton may not meet the expected profits and timelines for the project because it "does not have an effective system to track whether it is achieving all of its goals." The office did not provide documentation showing how it changed its profit forecast from $45 million by 2038 to $39 million by 2042, and sales data has not met projected increases, the audit report says. It recommends improvements in tracking, measuring performance, and data analysis to enhance transparency and informed decision-making. City council's audit committee will review the report at its April 15 meeting.
- Thousands of Edmontonians experienced rolling blackouts for about 30 minutes on the morning of April 5, after a natural-gas power generation plant failure led the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) to declare a province-wide grid alert due to "tight supply." EPCOR reported nearly 20,000 customers around the city were affected, though the situation normalized by 9:39am. The incident, which follows an emergency alert that was issued in January due to extreme cold, pressure on the grid, and some offline gas plants, has prompted renewed discussions about the reliability of Alberta's power grid.
- Edmontonians came together at Churchill Square on April 7 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. Those gathered highlighted the ongoing impact of the genocide, which claimed an estimated 800,000 lives in 1994. The event was organized by the Memory Keepers Association, a group of genocide survivors now living in Edmonton. Association president Jean Yves Rwibutso emphasized the importance of learning from the past to move forward together. Several other commemorative events are planned in the coming weeks.
- Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools say they will keep students inside during the partial solar eclipse on April 8 to protect their safety. The eclipse is expected to last from 11:54am to 1:39pm. Edmonton's TELUS World of Science reminded sky gazers to use "special solar filters" to safely view the event. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the science centre are hosting a telescope viewing of the partial solar eclipse from 11am to 2pm at the RASC Observatory in Coronation Park.
- Postmedia profiled the work of veterinarian Daren Mandrusiak, who specializes in treating exotic pets at Edmonton's Harvest Pointe Animal Hospital and also volunteers at the WILDNorth wildlife rehabilitation centre. Mandrusiak highlighted the challenges of treating exotic creatures, which he called "an underserved community of animals." WILDNorth has been operating since 1989, rehabilitating more than 40,000 birds and small mammals since its work started.
- More than 1,200 students from the Edmonton area participated in the Science Olympics at the Butterdome on April 7. The students took part in challenges designed to apply their critical thinking to real-world problems by having them develop solutions and prototypes for various tasks. The event, organized by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), aims to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers among students from Grades 1 to 12.
- The NHL fined Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane $5,000 US for slashing Calgary Flames player Dryden Hunt during their April 6 game, marking Kane's second fine of the season. Kane was given a minor penalty for slashing after the incident, which happened at the 3:46 mark of the second period. The Oilers went on to win the game 4-2.
Headlines: April 8, 2024
By Mariam Ibrahim