Headlines: Sept. 5, 2024

Sept. 5, 2024 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack and Mariam Ibrahim

Edmonton and Calgary both recorded their hottest-ever July, continuing a trend of record-breaking weather in Alberta. On Sept. 2, multiple parts of the province, including the Edmonton International Airport and Elk Island National Park, broke single-day temperature records. Edmonton is forecast to see daily highs of 30°C on Sept. 6 and 7. Overall, Edmonton's summer has been the third-warmest in history, after the city experienced record-breaking cold this past winter.
Wasp outbreaks across the Prairies late this summer may be driven by unusually hot weather in July, but wasp activity has similar patterns every year, experts say. The insects laid eggs all summer, and now a new generation of wasps is being drawn to human food as other food sources, like flower pollen, are depleting. "People give them a bad rap," said University of Alberta entomologist Maya Evenden. As pollinators, wasps play a major role in ecosystems, including suburban backyards, Evenden said. So far this year, City of Edmonton pest management teams have removed 374 wasp nests, compared to a total of 121 last year.
The Edmonton Transit Service introduced new On Demand Transit routes to Rundle Park and the ACT Aquatic and Recreation Centre, with new bus stops outside the ACT Centre and the Rundle Family Centre. The newly renovated aquatic centre offers a "unique warm water experience," and the facility has a gymnasium, pottery studio, sensory room, food vendor, and multiple sports facilities, the City of Edmonton said in a release. On Demand Transit service to the new stops started Sept. 1.
The Edmonton Heritage Council welcomed Donna Coombs-Montrose as the Edmonton Historian Laureate for 2024-2026. Coombs-Montrose's background includes decades of activism, 10 years as the board president of CARIWEST, and more than 20 years as an Edmonton resident. The outgoing 2022-2024 Historians Laureate are Cheryl Whiskeyjack and Omar Yaqub.
The Edmonton Public Library and Alberta Music welcomed Biboye Onanuga, an Edmonton-based drummer, composer, and educator, as the library's new Musician in Residence. Musicians of all levels can start booking appointments with Onanuga, who will also offer workshops out of the Stanley A. Milner Library. The outgoing Musician in Residence, Mallory Chipman, "touched the lives of hundreds of musicians, shaping their paths forward," the library said in a statement.
New Edmonton Elks owner Larry Thompson says he has begun discussions with City of Edmonton officials about upgrading Commonwealth Stadium. The stadium, built in 1978 and upgraded multiple times since then, needs enhancements, Thompson told a town hall meeting. The comments come as the City released renderings showing potential improvements to the stadium, including upgraded concessions, washrooms, and increased natural light in the concourse areas. Meanwhile, the Elks have submitted a bid to host the 2026 Grey Cup, with a decision expected by the end of this year.
The Edmonton Police Foundation, the Edmonton Police Service, and the Alberta Securities Commission are partnering on a challenge to spark "innovative solutions" to crypto investment fraud. More than 80 Edmontonians lost a combined $7 million due to crypto fraud in 2023, according to Edmonton police statistics. Submissions to the ScamShield: Investor Protection Challenge will be accepted until Nov. 4.
Criminologist Temitope Oriola wrote an op-ed in response to the Edmonton Police Service reinstating the unnamed police officer who shot and killed Mathios Arkangelo. "To be clear, there is something fundamentally wrong with the EPS process if you can return to active duty two months after killing a civilian," wrote Oriola, arguing the Edmonton Police Commission continues to "abdicate its basic responsibility" for independent civilian oversight. Community leaders have called for the officer to be suspended while the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team investigates the shooting.
The latest provincial data shows Edmonton still has the most opioid-related deaths in Alberta, with 222 deaths reported this year so far. Alberta-wide data shows opioid-related deaths have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Alberta recorded 732 COVID-19 deaths over the last season, measured from August 2023 to August 2024, which is 25% fewer than the previous season's 973 deaths. The number of people requiring hospitalization increased slightly. A new COVID-19 vaccine that better protects against current strains of the virus is expected to be available in the coming weeks, according to a Blue Cross memo sent to pharmacists in August.
The province has reached a new five-year agreement with Legal Aid Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta, resolving a dispute over funding and independence that arose earlier this summer. Legal Aid Alberta, a non-profit organization providing legal services to vulnerable populations, will receive a grant of $110 million for 2024-25 under the new deal, which will take effect Sept. 6 and last until Sept. 5, 2029.
Several Edmonton Oilers players were spotted doing some "on-ice reps" ahead of training camp. Getting prepared early shows "how hungry and determined the team is to take another step this season," suggested sports writer Michael Mazzei.