Headlines: July 25, 2024

July 25, 2024 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack and Mariam Ibrahim

Wildfires in Jasper National Park, which have forced thousands of residents and visitors to evacuate, grew rapidly, reaching the townsite at 6:40pm on July 24, Parks Canada confirmed. First responders, who were not initially evacuated from Jasper, were relocated to Hinton, while firefighters remained to combat structure fires and protect critical infrastructure. The Alberta government has requested assistance from the Canadian military as the wildfire situation in the province worsens. Daily evacuation updates are available on the province's website.
As of the evening of July 24, 87 evacuees from Jasper had registered at Edmonton's support centre set up in a building at the Kennedale Site, located at 12814 58 Street NW. The centre is working with the Canadian Red Cross and is open 24/7 to help evacuees coordinate support, including meals, water, clothes, health care, and pet care.
The City of Edmonton's extreme weather response for poor air quality has been extended to July 25, and could be extended further if the poor conditions continue. City facilities, including recreation centres, pools, and libraries, remain available to those needing respite from the smoke. Facilities are also giving out N95 masks, including all Edmonton Public Library locations. Meanwhile, the City deactivated its extreme weather response for heat on July 24. Water stations attached to fire hydrants around the city will remain available until Sept. 30. An additional 24 water bottle filling stations are set up in LRT and transit centres.
The Edmonton Oilers hired Stan Bowman as the new general manager and executive president of hockey operations. Bowman previously spent 20 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, including 12 as the team's general manager, and oversaw three Stanley Cup victories. In 2021, Bowman resigned as Chicago's general manager and was suspended from the NHL for two years after an investigation found that he and others in the organization mishandled sexual assault allegations. Although some people have vouched for Bowman, including Respect Group co-founder Sheldon Kennedy, his hiring was met with widespread backlash.
The Edmonton Police Service has charged a 44-year-old Edmonton woman with criminal negligence causing death following an April dog attack that killed 11-year-old Kache Grist, who was visiting his father in the Summerside neighbourhood. Police arrived on the scene to find the boy severely injured by two large dogs, but despite their efforts and those of paramedics, he died of his injuries. The dogs were later seized by animal control.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced $172 million in funding through the Affordable Housing Fund to help build and repair 4,257 affordable homes in Alberta, a press release says. Seven of the projects receiving investment are located in Edmonton, while Strathcona County, Stony Plain, and Morinville each have one.
Senator Paula Simons hosted a series of discussions about municipal topics as part of Municipalities Unbound, a special summer series on her podcast Alberta Unbound. Edmonton Coun. Keren Tang and Lewis Cardinal, project manager at the Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre, appeared on episode three for a roundtable talk on social issues. Episode one focused on infrastructure, and episode two discussed emergency preparedness.