- A severe storm on Aug. 4 damaged critical infrastructure and tents, forcing the cancellation of the final day of the Edmonton Heritage Festival for the first time in its 51-year history. The festival, along with its participating cultural groups, is facing significant financial losses. Edmonton's Food Bank, a festival partner since 1983, is now urgently seeking donations to offset the impact of the lost day.
- The provincial government has announced plans to demolish the former Royal Alberta Museum and convert the site into a green space, a decision that has sparked concerns among many Albertans, including Senator Paula Simons and former historian laureate Marlene Wyman, who believe the building should be preserved as a heritage site. The government cited high renovation costs, including asbestos removal, as the reason for demolition, but critics argue that repurposing the building would be safer and more sustainable. Coun. Andrew Knack has requested more information and expressed interest in exploring preservation options, though he noted that "there are many other larger priorities when it comes to our finances, so I don't expect we would be able to contribute any money to a situation like this."
- Coun. Jennifer Rice is seeking court orders to prevent city council from sanctioning her for alleged harassment and discrimination of a former employee, following an investigation by the city's integrity commissioner. The investigation, which began last fall and concluded in March, found that Rice violated council's code of conduct, leading to potential sanctions. Rice disputes the findings, claiming the investigation was unfair and biased, and is asking the court to review the case and halt the sanction process. A Court of King's Bench Justice will review Rice's case at a hearing on Aug. 21.
- Starting Aug. 14, Edmonton's e-scooter and e-bike riding zones will expand to include areas up to the Anthony Henday in the southwest, 137 Avenue and parts of Castle Downs in the north, and 50 Street in the east. Vendors are adding more devices to their fleets to accommodate the expanded zones. Shared e-scooters and e-bikes have already logged more than 93,000 hours of use this season, according to a city news release. "Edmonton is one of the biggest cities in Canada in terms of usage for micro mobility, and we have only seen demand continue to go up year after year after year," said Pat Graham, general manager for Bird Canada.
- Edmonton police detective Dan Behiels lost his bid for a judicial review after being suspended without pay for leaking confidential information about landlord Abdullah Shah to CBC News. The Court of King's Bench of Alberta upheld the Edmonton Police Commission's decision. Behiels, who acted out of frustration over an unfruitful investigation, is considering an appeal but acknowledges the financial burden it would impose.
- Mandolin Books and Coffee Company will close permanently next month after 21 years serving the Highlands community. Owner Lianne Traynor announced the closure due to the building's sale, sparking an outpouring of community grief and support. Traynor plans to sell all store items, including books and furniture, and looks forward to resting after the closure on Sept. 15. "Owning and operating Mandolin for the past decade has been a joy and a privilege, and I thank you for all your support and for creating so many wonderful memories," she wrote.
- Edmonton's Marco Arop won a silver medal in the men's 800 metres at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting a Canadian record with a time of 1:41.20. He was narrowly beaten by Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who took gold by one-hundredth of a second. This marks Canada's first Olympic medal in the event since 1964. "I had a great night. We've been fighting for this day all year long and we thought we'd timed it right, and I just couldn't be happier with the way I performed," Arop said.
- The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which starts on Aug. 15, is still seeking donations to address rising costs and financial losses due to the pandemic. The Sustain Fringe campaign remains about $200,000 short of its $300,000 goal.
- Edmonton's retail rental rates have largely remained stable, even as rates rise in other Canadian cities, according to CBRE's latest survey. Matthew Hanson with CBRE Edmonton said suburban areas remain home to the city's top retail spaces. "Edmonton is still a driving-centred city. We are a winter city. People rely on their vehicles for a lot of that. So suburban sites that are grocery-anchored — those are still some of our busiest and most sought-after retail," Hanson said.
- The Edmonton Corn Maze is now open with a new design celebrating the 40th anniversary of the TELUS World of Science. The maze features more than five kilometres of pathways and is open until Oct. 27.
- Starting Aug. 10, multiple lanes on Whitemud Drive at the Quesnell Bridge will be closed overnight for maintenance, with two of the four lanes in each direction closed from 9pm to 6:30am until Aug. 15.
