- Edmonton news and sports radio station 630 CHED is moving to the 880 frequency on Oct. 9. Corus Entertainment has been broadcasting CHED content on the 880 frequency since it shut down a different all-news station on that channel in June. The company is planning to sell the land where the 630 CHED transmitter is and return the licence for the 630 frequency to the CRTC, CBC News reported.
- Edmonton city councillors proposed a temporary funding solution for the Ride Transit Program without increasing fares for all transit riders. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi suggested reallocating $10.2 million from the city's existing budget to address a shortfall in the low-income transit program to avoid proposed fare hikes that would have raised cash fares up to $4.25. The City will explore options and is expected to report back in the fall. A separate fare increase is still scheduled for February to address rising transit operation costs.
- The federal government is accepting proposals to develop housing on Crown land in Edmonton's Griesbach neighbourhood and Calgary's Currie neighbourhood. The announcement follows the Liberal government's recent unveiling of the Canada Public Land Bank, a tool that contains a growing list of federal properties able to support housing development. In Edmonton, 45 new homes will be built in the Village of Griesbach, of which half are expected to be affordable housing.
- Recent Statistics Canada data on commuting trends shows that Edmonton sits around the middle of the pack when it comes to commute times in Canada. Edmonton's average commute time in May 2024 was 25.6 minutes, ranking seventh among 15 census metropolitan areas, tied with Halifax. The average commute time across Canada was 26.4 minutes, which is about the same as the pre-pandemic level from 2016.
- Metallica, which played packed shows at Commonwealth Stadium on Aug. 23 and 25 as part of their world tour, made donations to two Edmonton organizations through the band's All Within My Hands foundation. Edmonton's Food Bank and the WIN House women's shelter each received $50,000. "A donation of that size has an incredible impact on our organization," said WIN House executive director Leslie Allen.
- The Alberta government plans to establish a new provincial police agency to take on expanded duties currently handled by Alberta sheriffs, Premier Danielle Smith told attendees at a UCP town hall on Aug. 17. The agency will perform "police-like functions" and will allow for improved civilian oversight, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said in a statement. The move follows legislation introduced in March that laid the groundwork for the creation of the provincial force. The government says it is still assessing costs and reviewing which sheriff functions will shift to the new agency.
- RUNWITHIT Synthetics, a women-led, Indigenous-owned company that creates AI-based synthetic models for various scenarios, received a multimillion growth investment from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, which will go toward product innovation and expanding to more cities. The funding marks a "significant milestone in RWI's journey" of empowering communities and driving sustainable development, the company said in a press release.
- Hockey fans continue to await news about the future of the relationship between the Edmonton Oilers and star forward Leon Draisaitl, who remains unsigned. This week, NHL insider Frank Seravalli said he thinks the two sides are "a little further apart than I envisioned" when it comes to Draisaitl's contract. On another note, Seravalli said the Oilers may be considering a significant trade that would "shake things up."
Headlines: Aug. 29, 2024
By Kevin Holowack