Headlines: May 30, 2024

May 30, 2024 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

City council continued listening to feedback on the City of Edmonton's district planning as part of a three-day public hearing set to wrap up on May 30. Most of what was expressed May 29 was critical, with speakers offering a variety of reasons for opposing the plans. The first day of the public hearing also drew a wide range of perspectives.
Edmonton Public School Board trustees voted to bring a resolution to the Alberta School Board Association spring general meeting on June 3 in hopes of addressing provincial funding shortfalls. Trustees have repeatedly pointed to the province's funding model for the 2024-2025 year, which is based on a "weighted moving average," as contributing to shortfalls. In Edmonton, the formula underfunds schools by $27 million, or the equivalent of funding for about 4,000 students. The resolution calls on the association to advocate for provincial funding to increase proportionally with inflation.
New numbers from Royal LePage show Edmonton and Quebec City are among the top choices for Canadians looking to relocate, based on factors such as cost of living and access to nature Edmonton emerged as the most popular choice for residents of the greater Toronto and Vancouver areas, while residents of the Montreal area favoured Quebec City. Edmonton was ranked the fifth-most affordable city in Canada.
The Edmonton Radial Railway Society is among the groups being funded in 2024 through the province's Community Initiatives Program and the Community Facility Enhancement Program. The society, which runs the vintage High Level Bridge Streetcar and Fort Edmonton Park Streetcar, will get $125,000 for track maintenance and the continuation of safe operations.
Edmonton Folk Music Festival attendees will be able to get to the festival using the Valley Line Southeast LRT this summer, something fans have been looking forward to since the line was announced in 2017. The Valley Line's Strathearn stop and Muttart stop will both provide access to the festival grounds. Tickets for the festival go on sale June 1.
The Edmonton Police Service is investigating a fatal hit-and-run that killed a 13-year-old boy riding his bike in the city's southeast early in the morning of May 29. Police said they believe that have identified the vehicle involved in the crash as a blue Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback, but are still searching for it and the driver who fled the scene.
Sonic Coating Solutions, a Leduc-based industrial painting and coating company, pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. On Oct. 30, 2021, a worker died after being struck by a pipe in the company's facility. The company was fined $350,000, including the victim surcharge.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife captured a bear near the Boys & Girls Club in Fort Saskatchewan on May 29. The "adventurous bear" was relocated to a "more suitable habitat," the City said online.
CBC's This is Edmonton podcast spoke to Blatchford residents about settling into the sustainability-focused community and what it's like to live in a neighbourhood that has become a "political talking point."
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley marked what she expects to be her last day at the legislature as party leader on May 29. Premier Danielle Smith delivered a statement that drew a standing ovation from all MLAs, calling Notley "an effective parliamentarian" who "has remained committed to her principles." Notley didn't say whether she would function as leader in the legislature if Naheed Neshi, who isn't an MLA, wins the leadership race on June 22.