Headlines: Sept. 12, 2024

Sept. 12, 2024 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack

Edmonton Public Schools says it will run out of space for students by the 2026-2027 school year and needs 50 schools by 2033 to meet demand. Superintendent Darrel Robertson said there is "desperate need" for space as the division struggles to accommodate kids as close to home as possible. Since 2020, school sizes have been limited by a growth control model, which relies on a lottery system that puts some students in designated overflow schools.
The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal heard testimony from David Schening, an Edmonton Police Service 911 operator whose handling of a call from trans advocate Marni Panas in 2019 is at the centre of a human rights complaint. During the call, Panas asked for police to do a safety check on her friend, who she identified as transgender, because the friend had failed to check in while on a date. In his testimony, Schening said he stands by his assumption that police didn't need to be involved, and that he doesn't understand why misgendering is hurtful to trans people. During the 911 call, Schening also made the false suggestion that Panas's friend was a sex worker, Postmedia reported.
A section of 95 Street NW, between 105 and 106 Avenue NW, will be closed over coming weekends to accommodate planned LRT track rehabilitation work. The closure will be in effect from 7pm on Sept. 13 to 4am on Sept. 16, and during the same timeframe from Sept. 27 to 30. Bus stops in the area will also be closed, but LRT service will continue its regular weekend schedule. A City of Edmonton construction notice includes an image of the affected area.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services held a memorial ceremony on Sept. 11 to honour firefighters who died on duty this year. Firefighters marched from Connaught Armoury to the Firefighters Memorial Plaza in Old Strathcona. The ceremony is organized every Sept. 11 to mark the greatest-ever single loss of firefighters in history following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Postmedia published a photo album of the ceremony.
The Kaleido Family Arts Festival, a free music, arts, and theatre event on Alberta Avenue, is set to kick off its 18th season on Sept. 13. The family event will feature art galleries, street performances, and vendors along 118 Avenue NW between 90 and 95 Streets NW. The event wraps up on Sept. 15.
Katie Mulkay and Taylor McPherson, best friends from Edmonton and Calgary, won the grand prize on season 10 of Amazing Race Canada. In the finale episode, the race took teams to various Edmonton landmarks, including the High Level Bridge, the Butterdome, and the Royal Alberta Museum, and wrapped up at Commonwealth Stadium. Last year, Calgarians Ty Smith and Kat Kastner won the competition, and in 2019, Anthony Johnson and James Makokis, an Indigenous two-spirit couple from Alberta, took home the grand prize.
Edmonton restaurants Bar Henry, Bernadette's, and Little Wolf were included on Air Canada's list of best new restaurants of 2024. Critics wrote up colourful reviews of the restaurants for Air Canada's website. The year's top 10 will be revealed in Toronto on Nov. 4.
The Edmonton Oilers are expected to start training camp without forward Evander Kane and defenceman Darnell Nurse, who are both recovering from injuries. Kane has a sports hernia and may miss the start of regular season, while Nurse is expected back later in training camp.