Headlines: June 25, 2024

June 25, 2024 · The Pulse
By Mariam Ibrahim

The Edmonton Oilers failed to clinch the Stanley Cup on June 24, losing 2-1 to the Florida Panthers in Game 7. Despite the loss, Oilers captain Connor McDavid's standout performance earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP, with eight goals and 34 assists. The Oilers made a dramatic comeback from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7, and a win would have made them only the fifth team in NHL history to achieve such a feat. Florida's Sam Reinhart scored the decisive goal in the Panthers' victory, securing their first-ever championship.
Edmonton Oilers fans gathered at Ice District, inside Rogers Place, and at watch parties across the city to take in a historic Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on June 24. Support also poured in from across Canada, and some fans travelled on a 95-seat charter flight to Florida to be nearer to the action. A Rhode Island family, originally planning a trip to Disney World, changed their plans to attend the game. Enthusiasm leading up to the game was high in Edmonton, and some businesses closed early to allow staff to watch the final, which ultimately ended in a 2-1 loss for the Oilers.
Thirteen years to the day after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers, the team's longest-tenured player was preparing to face off against the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. While the Oilers were eliminated before the playoffs for seven of his eight first seasons, Nugent-Hopkins has become a key contributor to the team's recent success, alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. "He means a lot to our group. He means a lot to the people of the city of Edmonton," said McDavid.
Property taxes are due by June 30, with a 5% penalty on outstanding amounts starting July 1, the City of Edmonton said in a release. Property tax bills can't be appealed, and payments can be made several ways, including through telephone or online banking, by mail, or in person at a financial institution.
The Internazionale Soccer Club of Edmonton is calling for more indoor soccer fields in the city to accommodate a growing number of players, particularly during the winter. The organization says the existing facilities are insufficient for standard 11-on-11 matches. The Edmonton Minor Soccer Association estimates it would cost $15-20 million to build a proper facility.
Edmonton will hold a Canada Day fireworks display on July 1 at 11pm over the central river valley and North Saskatchewan River. The show will be visible from various parks and livestreamed by CBC. Road closures and parking restrictions will be in effect. Other Canada Day events are planned at various locations around the city, including the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Muttart Conservatory, John Janzen Nature Centre, and the legislature grounds.
WestJet has expanded its partnership with Condor Airlines to offer direct flights to Frankfurt from Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax. The flights began June 24.
Samantha Luchkow, a 15-year-old student from Avalon Junior High School, is heading to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to represent her team at the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program National Conference on July 1. Her team is the first from Edmonton Public Schools to be selected, and they will present research on the growth of bacillus cereus in microgravity.
The seventh annual Show Your Stripes Day was marked last week, aiming to raise awareness about human-caused global warming by using visual graphics to illustrate temperature changes over time. Data for Edmonton shows a significant increase in above-average temperatures from 1850 to 2023, with recent years displaying a noticeable rise in warmer temperatures, a trend consistent with broader patterns across Canada and globally.
The latest forecast from the Alberta Energy Regulator projects a 17% increase in oilsands production by 2033, reaching four million barrels per day, primarily through in situ operations. The regulator believes the sector can grow while reducing emissions using carbon capture technology, though a Deloitte report suggests companies might reduce production instead. The federal government is proposing a 35-38% emissions cut by 2030, which Alberta opposes because it says it would limit growth and investment in the sector.