Headlines: May 23, 2024

May 23, 2024 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

Council's community and public services committee heard from Homeward Trust about updates to the Community Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, a joint plan between the City of Edmonton and Homeward Trust first implemented in 2009. The draft plan is expected to be finalized in June. The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) criticized the updated plan for lacking clear targets and accountability. Homeward Trust's By Names list shows 3,262 people were sleeping outdoors, in shelters, or in temporary or precarious housing as of April 1, which is more than at any point since tracking began in 1999. Data from the medical examiner's office shows 302 deaths among homeless Edmontonians in 2023, a number the ECOHH suspects is more than 400.
Council's urban planning committee discussed municipal naming policies and the City of Edmonton's place names database, which will include all city entities named in the past two decades. Councillors raised concerns about potential costs related to municipal names and renaming in light of the recent rebranding of Oliver as Wîhkwêntôwin, which came with $680,000 in expenses. Coun. Anne Stevenson recommended City staff proceed with "caution or consideration" because of how the public perceives renaming initiatives. Coun. Erin Rutherford raised questions about the potential cost of future renaming projects, pointing out current budget constraints.
The Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta, the Students' Union, the Graduate Students' Association, and the Non-Academic Staff Association had a meeting with university president Bill Flanagan and other members of administration on May 22. In a release, AASUA said the groups are pushing the University of Alberta to commit to a third-party investigation "to assess the decisions, statements, and actions made by senior leadership officials that led up to the police being called to forcefully remove protesters" at a pro-Palestine encampment on campus on May 11. AASUA vice-president Kristine Smitka noted there remains "discrepancies between senior leadership and the protesters' account of what happened." Meanwhile, political science professor David Kahane sent a letter to the university's presidential review committee, calling on the committee not to reappoint Flanagan.
The Alberta Aviation Museum is seeking to take ownership of Hangar 14 following the fire that destroyed Hangar 11 last month. On May 23, Edmonton city council is expecting to hear a proposal from the museum's executive director Jean Lauzon, who will ask council to sell Hangar 14 to the museum or partner with it long term. A 2022 study found renovations would cost $42 million, but Lauzon said costs can be lowered if "done smartly" and pursued in partnership.
Several businesses at Westmount Shopping Centre are closing or moving after receiving 30-days notice to find a new location. The reasons for the closure are unclear, with some tenants suspecting it is linked to a leak in the ceiling, CTV News reported.
The metro areas of Edmonton and Calgary have both seen their largest year-over-year population increases in recent memory, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada. Calgary's population grew 6%, while Edmonton's grew 4.2%. Edmonton's metro area had 1.56 million people as of July 1, 2023, up from 1.5 million the previous year. In both cities, the majority of growth came from immigration, with major gains from interprovincial migration. Calgary, followed by Edmonton, topped the list of Canadian cities for net interprovincial migration by a wide margin.
The City of Edmonton is accepting volunteers and nominations for its annual Front Yards in Bloom initiative, which is in its 25th year. Residents can submit their nominations for yards, public spaces, and balconies until July 1.
The fountain at Edmonton City Hall Plaza will open on May 25 with a day of music, art, and games. The Edmonton Arts Council will be hosting activities in Churchill Square. The fountain will run seven days a week until Labour Day, with the change rooms open daily from 10am to 9pm. A list of upcoming events at the fountain is available online.
With the Edmonton Oilers the only Canadian team remaining in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, hockey fans are wondering whether the team can overcome regional loyalties and build Canadian support. A Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1993.