- Edmonton Transit Service announced its winter service adjustments will take effect Dec. 1. The adjustments include changes to bus bay locations at transit centres throughout Edmonton, a new On Demand Transit stop in the Alces neighbourhood, and detours for bus routes affected by Capital Line South LRT construction at 111 Street and 23 Avenue.
- Chief Dale McFee said he plans to retire from the Edmonton Police Service and will leave his position on Feb. 21. The Edmonton Police Commission said it will determine the process for hiring a new chief in the coming months. McFee became chief in February 2019, with his current contract set to expire in 2026.
- Over the past two weeks, four people believed to be homeless have died in Edmonton bus shelters, Postmedia reported. Police say none of the deaths were criminal. Jim Gurnett with the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness said the deaths illustrate how dangerous life is for unhoused people, adding that accelerated encampment removals by the Edmonton Police Service and the City of Edmonton have increased risk of frostbite and death.
- Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault has resigned from federal cabinet amidst criticism of his business dealings and claims of Indigenous ancestry. Edmonton Griesbach MP Blake Desjarlais, who is Métis, said the resignation is welcome news for Indigenous people across the country. Boissonnault was the Liberal government's only cabinet minister from Alberta.
- University of Alberta researchers Sandeep Agrawal and Nilusha Welegedara published an op-ed calling on Edmonton city council to consider a bylaw to protect trees on private properties, similar to the public trees bylaw that took effect in May 2022. The researchers pointed out that about 60% of Edmonton's trees are on private property and there is limited public space to accommodate the city's goal of planting two million trees by 2035. They suggested council follow the example of Toronto, which has introduced policies to encourage tree-planting.
- Alberta Worker, a labour news outlet run by Kim Siever, examined settlements reached last December by Edmonton-based workers of Aramark Refreshment Services, who are members of UFCW Local 401. Despite an 11% wage increase over six years, the workers experienced a 1.5% reduction in real wages, as inflation rose 11.61%. While the new contract includes a 13.5% wage increase over five years, it will likely be insufficient to keep up with the cost of living, wrote Siever.
- Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and ATCO EnPower said construction is complete on hydrogen production and refuelling facilities for locomotives in Edmonton and Calgary. Through its Hydrogen Locomotive Program, CPKC is retrofitting some diesel locomotives with hydrogen cells, according to a press release.
- Former prime minister Stephen Harper was appointed board chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation after the province dismissed the entire board and the CEO on Nov. 7, citing poor performance. Three of the dismissed board members were also reappointed: Montemurro Industries CEO Jason Montemurro, former Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan CEO James Keohane, and Mainstreet Equity CEO Bob Dhillon.
- Edmonton is one of nine locations chosen to host Professional Women's Hockey League neutral site games as part of a North American Tour. The Toronto Sceptres and the Ottawa Charge will face off at Rogers Place on Feb. 16. Ottawa Charge forward Danielle Serdachny, who is from Edmonton, suggested the city's hockey fans could "definitely" embrace their own PWHL team.
Headlines: Nov. 21, 2024
By Kevin Holowack