- The City of Edmonton has reduced its middle management positions by 6.4% since 2020 and added 349 new frontline positions, according to a council memo obtained by Postmedia. The reduction follows a 2020 audit that found the City's supervisor positions were increasing at a rate faster than frontline roles. "I know the efforts the administration has made are producing results," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told Postmedia, adding city council will "continue to challenge our administration to find efficiencies."
- A fatality inquiry has called for significant reforms in Alberta's regulation of combative sports following the death of fighter Tim Hague, who died from a brain hemorrhage after a 2017 boxing match in Edmonton. Justice Carrie Sharpe's report recommends that the province take over the sanctioning of combative sports from municipal bodies, implement universal suspension periods, and improve fighter safety protocols, including mandatory medical checks and concussion spotters at events. The City of Edmonton said it is reviewing the recommendations and expects to release a formal response to the inquiry by March.
- The Jasper Place Wellness Centre medical clinic in west Edmonton will reopen with $4.8 million in provincial funding, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced. The clinic will provide primary care and wraparound services to unhoused and marginalized individuals. The centre is one of four Alberta community health clinics to receive funding. Radius Community Health & Healing, also in Edmonton, will receive $7 million.
- Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi was among other civic leaders who gathered in Ottawa last week to advocate for increased federal funding for public transit. Sohi spoke to CBC Edmonton AM host Mark Connolly about the need for more transit funding, not only in capital projects but also in the daily operations.
- NiGiNan Housing Ventures announced plans to expand its facilities on Fort Road in Edmonton with a new 14-plex supportive housing project, funded by the National Indigenous Community Housing Inc. (NICHI). The project will provide housing for 56 people and is part of more than $22 million in funding distributed by NICHI across Alberta.
- The 2024 BILD Alberta Awards celebrated excellence in Alberta's building industry with 41 categories recognizing achievements in construction, renovation, and community development. Edmonton firms achieved nine awards, while Calgary companies took 26 awards. Jayman BUILT won two Pinnacle Awards for Multi-family and Large Volume Builder.
- The provincial and federal governments have launched a $110,000 public awareness campaign encouraging Albertans to report rat sightings to maintain the province's rat-free status, a distinction maintained for more than 70 years through vigilant control efforts. The campaign, run by the Alberta Invasive Species Council, is funded by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and aims to educate the public on the importance of preventing rat infestations.
- The Alberta government has introduced new legislation that would add two new provincial electoral divisions to accommodate population growth, increasing the number of seats in the legislature from 87 to 89. Bill 31 also proposes changes to how electoral boundaries are determined, allowing for divisions that may cross municipal boundaries.
- St. Albert city council voted 5-2 against leaving regional development agency Edmonton Global during its meeting on Nov. 5. Remaining with Edmonton Global could increase St. Albert's annual fees by 23%, making the city the second-largest contributor after Edmonton.
Headlines: Nov. 6, 2024
By Mariam Ibrahim