- Advocacy group Climate Justice Edmonton is urging governments to secure the right to adequate cooling in rental units as part of its Right to be Cool campaign. Current tenancy laws only require landlords to meet a minimum standard for heating, not cooling. According to a Statistics Canada report, rates of heat-related deaths are higher in cities with more renters, with higher risk for seniors, people with disabilities, and people with respiratory issues.
- The latest Royal LePage House Price Survey shows the aggregate home price in Edmonton rose 3.7% year over year in the second quarter of 2024, reaching $450,600. The median price of a single-family detached home rose 5.5%, and the median price of a condo rose 4.2%. The increase in home prices and sales are steady compared to the rest of Canada, and the trends are expected to continue through summer and fall, said Tom Shearer with Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate.
- Between January 2023 and May 2024, 11 office buildings in Edmonton were sold by large investment funds to investors based in the city, which housing writer Howard Chai called a "changing of the guard" in Edmonton's office market. According to Cory Wosnack with Avison Young, "institutional capital" is currently shifting investments out of real estate, and sometimes out of Edmonton and Alberta, making it easier for local investors to break into the market.
- A recreation centre on the Pigeon Lake 138A reserve, southwest of Edmonton, was destroyed by fire. The centre housed a satellite office for Samson Cree Nation, a community kitchen, and a gym, and had served as the main gathering place for residents since the early 1980s. Residents are now calling for more timely emergency services for the reserve, which is home to about 500 people and receives its emergency services from Maskwacis, about 50 kilometres away. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
- The Alberta International Airshow, which was scheduled to take place at the Villeneuve Airport in Sturgeon County from Aug. 17-18, was cancelled due to "unforeseen challenges" related to funding and logistical issues. The airshow's executive producer, Richard Skermer, said one reason for the cancellation was that the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows have other obligations in the United Kingdom, and airshows are low on the priority list. Organizers say they are considering options to bring the event back in 2025.
- Alberta sheriffs launched a new union on July 11. The Sheriff Branch Officers Association, which represents 1,400 sheriffs across the province, wants to break from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to become its own bargaining agent. The new union's president, Dornubari Tornwe, said sheriffs make up 1% of AUPE, making it hard to push for priorities like better wages, mental health resources, and legal representation.
- Cameron McDonald, a longtime Edmonton housing advocate, died on June 29 at the age of 62, leaving a legacy in the social services sector, particularly through his role as executive director of Right At Home Housing Society. McDonald was instrumental in transforming affordable housing into community assets and fostering partnerships that benefited new Canadians and Indigenous communities.
- The Alberta government and fossil fuel companies are pushing back against the federal government's recent amendments to the Competition Act that target greenwashing, which are unsupported claims about the environmental benefits of a company's product or business practices. The amendments require companies to substantiate any environmental claims they make. Pathways Alliance, Imperial Oil, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers are among the organizations that have removed material or added disclaimers to their websites, citing uncertainty for companies that want to communicate their environmental performance.
- The province is phasing in new screening tools for students in kindergarten to grade 5 that will assess literacy and numeracy skills. Starting in fall 2024, students in grades 1 to 3 will be assessed twice a year, and students needing extra support will be assessed three times. A screening system for kindergarten students will be introduced in January 2025, and a system for grade 4 and 5 students will come in September 2026. The province says the system will help identify areas where students need extra support earlier. The Alberta Teachers' Association said additional testing is unnecessary, calling for more school resources and smaller class sizes.
- The Athletic's Shayna Goldman considered what's next for Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, whose eight-year contract with the team expires at the end of next season. With his next contract set to cover his prime years, Draisaitl must decide whether to remain part of one of the most "dynamic duos" in NHL history or to "step out of McDavid's shadow and become another team's leading star," Goldman wrote. Draisaitl's future also holds a wedding, after he announced his engagement to actress Celeste Desjardins on July 11.
- Edmonton twins Katherine and Michelle Plouffe are set to represent Canada in women's 3x3 basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The sport, which debuted at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, is fast-paced variation of the game, played on a half-court with one net. In recent years, the twins have become two of the world's best 3x3 players, and they are part of the first team to ever represent Canada in the sport at an Olympic level.
Headlines: July 12, 2024
By Kevin Holowack