Headlines: Feb. 14, 2025

Feb. 14, 2025 · The Pulse
By Kevin Holowack and Mariam Ibrahim

Edmonton city councillors revised the proposed Public Spaces Bylaw to remove restrictions on protests, skateboarding, and feeding feral cats after hearing public feedback. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told reporters that city council wants to protect free expression, noting that spontaneous protests, like those after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, should not require permits or risk fines. The bylaw still prohibits behaviours like panhandling near roads, public drug use, and loitering in bus shelters, but Sohi stressed an approach that prioritizes connecting people to services over punitive measures. Council is set to vote on the revised bylaw at its Feb. 25 meeting.
A host of free Family Day activities are happening in downtown Edmonton the afternoon of Feb. 17. The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting music and skating in Churchill Square throughout the day, the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Royal Alberta Museum are offering free admission, the Citadel Theatre is holding several free shows, and the Stanley A. Milner Library has a full day of programming planned.
The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce hosted a closed roundtable discussion with federal minister Terry Duguid, who is responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. The discussion focused on the potential effects of U.S. tariffs on Alberta's construction and manufacturing sectors. Bianca Parsons with the Alberta Food Processors Association said the tariffs threat has "triggered anxiety," but many companies are now seeking non-U.S. suppliers and trying to expand their domestic client base.
Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee decided not to hold a disciplinary hearing into a complaint against Const. Michael Zacharuk, who fractured the skull of a handcuffed and detained man during a takedown in 2019. While McFee said the officer may have used excessive force, he determined the misconduct was "not of a serious nature." McFee ordered Zacharuk to undergo additional training, but the ruling cannot be appealed to the Law Enforcement Review Board. A lawyer for the injured man said he is considering whether to apply for a judicial review of McFee's decision.
Edmonton is hosting a neutral-site Professional Women's Hockey League game on Feb. 16, the fifth stop in a nine-city Takeover Tour. With the league looking to expand west, the sold-out game at Rogers Place between the Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge is a chance for Edmonton to showcase its potential to become home to a PWHL team, said Charge forward Danielle Serdachny, who is from Edmonton.
Edmonton offers "substantial affordability" for renters, according to a blog post from the real estate company Zoocasa, which calculated how much after-tax income a dual-income household needs to meet the "30% rule" for a two-bedroom apartment. In Edmonton, a dual-income household must make $66,200 after taxes for 30% of their income to go toward renting a unit at $1,655 per month, while the average dual-income household makes $105,600, according to Zoocasa.
The Alberta Energy Regulator, which oversees energy development in the province, appointed former industry executive Rob Morgan as CEO. In his 40-year career, Morgan helped expand several oil and gas companies, including Strathcona Resources, which saw production rise from 17,000 to 187,000 barrels per day while he was top executive. The regulator's last CEO, Laurie Pushor, who vowed to improve transparency following allegations of a culture of fear and misused funds, resigned last fall. A recent peer-reviewed journal article found that the regulator is failing to monitor and manage spills. The paper's author, Kevin Timoney, told climate news outlet DeSmog that it is a "fully captured regulator."
Emissions Reduction Alberta is investing $55 million through the TIER program into 15 projects to create "cutting-edge technologies" that lower emissions and reduce energy costs. The list of recipients includes Edmonton-based Future Fields, which is expanding its recombinant protein production capacity by more than 200 times with a new facility.
The Edmonton Elks have signed American wide receiver Steven Dunbar Jr. He is returning to the Elks after a season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he ranked fourth in the CFL for receiving yards in 2024.
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is calling for Health Minister Adriana LaGrange to be fired amid corruption allegations involving Alberta Health Service contracts. If claims made this week in a lawsuit from former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos are true, it would be the worst scandal in the province's history, Nenshi said. In a statement, LaGrange said some allegations are "clearly false, while others will need to be investigated further as part of the auditor general's work and the government's internal review of this matter."