- The City of Edmonton extended its extreme weather response until July 26 due to ongoing high temperatures. Water stations and various city facilities, including libraries and recreation centres, remain available for residents to cool off. The City also activated its poor air quality response as a result of wildfire smoke blanketing the area. City facilities and social services agencies will distribute N95 masks to those in need, and residents are advised to avoid outdoor activities due to the hazardous conditions.
- The City of Edmonton has banned the use and parking of shared e-scooters and e-bikes on Whyte Avenue between 112 Street and 97 Street. Riders can still cross Whyte Avenue at intersections and are encouraged to use the protected bike lane on 83 Avenue when riding in the area.
- Métis entrepreneur Shani Gwin and her communications firm pipikwan pêhtâkwan is collaborating with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute to develop an AI tool named wâsikan kisewâtisiwin to create safer online spaces for Indigenous people by moderating comments and reducing online bias. The tool will flag hate speech and biased language, offering corrective suggestions, and is a semi-finalist for MIT's Solve 2024 Indigenous Communities Fellowship.
- A team from Western University is conducting a comprehensive study in Alberta to better understand and predict hailstorms. The research, led by Julian Brimelow of the Northern Hail Project, uses advanced technology to track hailstorms in the province and better understand what causes them. While most of the severe hailstorms in Alberta happen in the province's southern regions, researchers predict Edmonton will experience more hailstorms in the future.
- The City of Edmonton is seeking public input to update its 20-year-old Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw to better reflect current trends. A city manager said the updated bylaw should be reflective of a variety of pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and reptiles. Residents can provide feedback through an online survey until Aug. 11, addressing issues like pet limits, business permits for pet services, and rules for noisy or aggressive animals. The revised bylaw will be presented to city council early next year.
- Edmonton's 911 call centre was forced to quickly adopt contingency plans last week because of a global IT outage caused by an update to the CrowdStrike application, which disrupted voice-over IP call-handling systems. Emergency workers manually returned missed calls, and coordinated with other agencies to ensure no emergencies were overlooked. The system was fully restored by 4am on July 19.
- CBC's Edmonton AM producer Kashmala Fida Mohatarem spoke to local social media moderators, who play a crucial role in managing content on platforms like Facebook and Reddit. Troy Pavlek, co-host of Taproot's Speaking Municipally podcast, was among the moderators interviewed for the segment.
- Theresa Antonakis, the recently retired principal of Archbishop MacDonald High School in Edmonton, has been named Distinguished Principal of the Year by the Canadian Association of Principals. With a career spanning 39 years, Antonakis was recognized for her adaptability and commitment to student-centred education. "It's not a nine to five kind of job. But the rewards that students bring to you at the end of the day is definitely worth it," Antonakis told Postmedia in an interview.
- The Alberta government is encouraging residents to check the province's unclaimed property registry for unclaimed assets such as deposits, wages, and investment funds. Residents can search the registry, which includes nearly 350,000 items worth $154 million, via the MissingMoney portal. The registry has returned $13.8 million to more than 8,500 people since it was created in 2008.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's UCP government is facing criticism after she and other government ministers accepted tickets to Edmonton Oilers playoff games, including one in a luxury box provided by MHCare, the company that imported the province's shipment of children's pain medicine. Smith defended her attendance at the games, saying that no ethics rules were broken. "I have an expectation that every elected person is going to be able to do their disclosures appropriately," Smith told reporters. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the actions as cronyism, especially during an affordability crisis, and called for transparency on who received the tickets.
- The Tyee published a feature article examining the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta and the impact the United Conservative Party's policies and actions have had on the province's political climate. The article highlighted an event in Calgary last month, hosted by the Calgary-Lougheed UCP Constituency Association and attended by about 500 people, during which speakers claimed the deaths of children in Alberta were caused by COVID vaccines. Premier Danielle Smith expressed support for the event on her radio show, saying that "sometimes, you do need to hear the contrarian voices."
Essentials
- 34°C: Widespread smoke. Wind becoming southeast 20 km/h gusting to 40 late in the morning. High 34. Humidex 39. UV index 8 or very high.(forecast)
- Blue: The High Level Bridge will be lit blue for World Fragile X Awareness Day. (details)
- 14-20: The Edmonton Elks lost to the Ottawa RedBlacks on July 19. The Elks remain winless this season. (details)
Correction: This file has been updated to accurately reflect details about Crowdstrike.