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Headlines: Nov. 22, 2024

· The Pulse
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  • The City of Edmonton says it activated its Winter Safety Response Plan, which includes encampment response, outreach, wound care pop-ups, shuttles, and several other "key initiatives." Four people believed to be homeless have died in Edmonton bus shelters over the past two weeks. Edmontonians who see someone outside in distress are asked to contact the Crisis Diversion Team by calling 211 and pressing 3, or calling 911 in case of immediate danger, unresponsiveness or signs of hypothermia. A Winter Resource Card with information about shelter and emergency services is available in libraries.
  • Jim Gurnett with the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homeless criticized the City of Edmonton's winter safety plan. "We wait until the last minute and scramble something together year after year after as if we thought this never happened," said Gurnett. Nearly 1,200 people in Edmonton were without any shelter in September, 426 more than last year, while nearly 5,000 people were without "stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing" or the means of getting it, according to Homeward Trust's point-in-time (PIT) count.
  • In a letter to Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said he intends to add more provincial appointees to the Edmonton Police Commission, which currently has three provincial appointees out of 12 members. Coun. Michael Janz called the news "deeply concerning from an 'independence of policing' perspective." In September, city council chose not to follow the commission's recommendation to replace two councillor appointees with members of the public, which came amidst tensions over council's request to see the audit plan for the Edmonton Police Service. The UCP government gave itself the power to appoint local police commissioners in 2022.
  • Coun. Tim Cartmell said he is running for mayor in the 2025 Edmonton election and plans to launch a municipal political party, with a platform of "safer streets, tough on taxes, and build it better." He criticized Mayor Amarjeet Sohi's leadership and said he takes issue with the "very public calling out" of the Edmonton Police Commission. Cartmell, who was previously against parties in municipal politics, said new provincial rules "compel" a party system, but that his will operate more like a team than a party.
  • Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee, who is retiring in February 2025, declined to comment on rumours about his future plans, including a potential mayoral run, Postmedia reported. "All options are on the table," said McFee, who said he will reveal his plans in "the coming days and weeks."
  • The Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE) and TAPYeg, two conservative-leaning groups that have announced their intentions to form municipal political parties for the 2025 Edmonton election, say they will merge under the PACE banner. Neither group has officially registered as a local political party.
  • Municipal commentator Troy Pavlek, who co-hosts Speaking Municipally, is keeping an up-to-date list of candidates registered to run in the 2025 Edmonton election. He invites anyone with additional details, corrections, tips, or "election gossip" to email him.
  • The City of Edmonton's parking payment vendor, HotSpot, has sent a cease and desist letter to Zipstall, a local company with a mobile app that helps find deals on parking. The City says Zipstall is buying parking through HotSpot on behalf of users and charging additional fees for the service, violating HotSpot's terms of service, which say it can't be used for commercial purposes. Zipstall founder Kevin Petterson called the move a "slap in the face," saying his company brings transparency to the marketplace.
  • The average home price in the Greater Edmonton Area increased to $440,089 in October, up 11% year over year, but slightly lower than in September, according to numbers from the REALTORS Association of Edmonton. Edmonton's market saw 2,489 transactions in October, more than Calgary's 2,174, although the Calgary region as a whole had more activity. Housing is the focus of Taproot's ongoing Housing Complex project, which will be presented at an event on Nov. 27 at the CKUA building.
  • The Alberta government is projecting a $4.6-billion surplus this fiscal year, driven by higher-than-expected income tax revenue, but potential U.S. trade tariffs and fluctuating oil prices could lead to future deficits, said Finance Minister Nate Horner. The surplus is significantly higher than the $355 million forecast earlier this year. Of the $4.6 billion, $2.9 billion is allocated to debt reduction and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.