- The first Indigenous-led contemporary architecture exhibit, titled UNCEDED: Voices of the Land, will open at Edmonton City Centre on March 8 and run until June 21. The exhibit will showcase the works of 18 Indigenous architects and designers from across North America. It debuted in Venice in 2018. Tickets are available online Feb. 19.
- Parkland School Division education support staff began "work-to-rule" job action on Feb. 18, refusing work beyond their paid hours. CUPE Local 5543 issued strike notice last week after 91% of members backed job action. The school division says schools will stay open but is making contingency plans in the event of a full strike. The parties were scheduled to go back to the bargaining table on Feb. 20. About 4,000 Alberta school support workers are already on strike, with 2,000 more poised to join.
- An eight-year-old Edmonton girl with a rare genetic disorder has been unable to attend school for more than a month because of the ongoing strike by educational assistants employed by Edmonton Public Schools. Isabelle Roberts, who has Angelman syndrome, requires one-on-one care, which is not available during the labour dispute.
- The High Level Bridge was closed for about an hour on Feb. 18 because of a nearby water main break. Edmonton has had several water main breaks over the past few days as the city experiences extreme cold.
- Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein wrote in his latest piece that the City of Edmonton is planning an "aggressive" approach to speed up construction of the Valley Line West LRT along 104 Avenue and Stony Plain Road. The City and Marigold Infrastructure Partners hope that increased lane and intersection closures will allow it to complete the project faster. Gerein called the plan a "fascinating but also crucial experiment for the city to determine whether it is a model that could work for future projects."
- The national six-month trend in housing starts has decreased by 2.5% in January 2025, reaching 236,892 units, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported. However, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts rose 3% from December to 239,739 units. Year-over-year, actual housing starts in centres with populations higher than 10,000 increased by 7%.
- Mt. Joy will headline the closing night of the 2025 Edmonton Folk Music Festival, organizers announced. The band will perform at Gallagher Park on Aug. 10. The band last played at Folk Fest in 2018 and has since released two albums. The 46th annual festival will run from Aug. 7 to 10. Organizers will reveal the full lineup on May 28, and tickets go on sale June 7 at 10am.
- The Edmonton Elks signed American defensive lineman Brandon Barlow on Feb. 18. The 27-year-old played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2024, recording 40 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble in 18 games. Before that, he played for the Toronto Argonauts, where he had nine sacks, 32 tackles, and two forced fumbles, and won a Grey Cup.
- The Canadian Public Relations Society announced 21 new accredited members, including Simon Yackulic in Edmonton. The designation recognizes competence and ethical practice in public relations. The new accredited members will be formally recognized at the ELEVATE conference in Banff, scheduled from May 25 to 27.
Headlines: Feb. 19, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim