- The intersection of Stony Plain Road and 124 Street will close completely for construction on the Valley Line West LRT beginning April 22. The closure is expected to last for approximately four weeks.
- The City of Edmonton's annual spring waste collection schedule begins April 15 for curbside collection, with green food scraps carts collected weekly and black garbage carts every two weeks. Between April 21 and June 16, the City will hold yard waste collection days, with each residence receiving two Monday pickups. Edmonton residents can also drop off waste at Eco Stations or at Big Bin Events, which begin May 3.
- Alberta's new extended producer responsibility program has shifted the financial responsibility of recycling from municipalities to producers as of this week. The City of Edmonton anticipates savings of $24 million this year, resulting in reduced waste utility rates for single-family homes by about $5 per month. Strathcona County will now be able to recycle more types of plastic. The program, managed by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority, aims to standardize recycling and reduce landfill waste, and will expand in October 2026 to include remote and Indigenous communities currently without recycling systems.
- The Edmonton Police Service says dozens of Edmonton-area residents, many of whom were newcomers, were victims of a "complex pyramid scheme" orchestrated by a Chinese crime group. From August 2021 to May 2022, 30 local victims reported losses of more than $84,000 after scammers contacted them on social media about a fake remote job and investment opportunity involving "completing Amazon orders" on a platform called Sharegain. The victims were encouraged to recruit others to Sharegain to generate greater investment returns. Police charged three people with fraud over $5,000.
- Albertans return more beverage containers to bottle depots than residents of other provinces, according to a study by the Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance. The study examined recycling rates across Canada and found that Alberta's return rate for beverage containers is significantly higher than the national average.
- Edmonton Public Schools has released its 2024 to 2025 class size report, noting stable class sizes across its divisions amid rapid enrolment growth. While the opening of Elder Dr. Francis Whiskeyjack School may have impacted high school class sizes, junior high schools reported some of the largest classes, with one reaching 56 students. Julie Kusiek, school board chair, called for a more nuanced approach to class size reporting to reflect the district's evolving landscape and increasing classroom complexity.
- According to a benchmarking study, Edmonton approves building applications eight times faster than Toronto due to a simplified planning framework, less restrictive zoning, and the use of automation and AI. In 2024, Edmonton's approval times averaged three months, compared to Toronto's 25 months. As a result, Edmonton received $17.4 million in Housing Accelerator Fund bonus funding, while Toronto did not qualify. Kalen Anderson, CEO of BILD Edmonton Metro, attributes Edmonton's success to a "barn raising culture" focused on continuous improvement.
- With the federal election approaching, housing affordability is a major concern for Edmonton university students. The high cost of rent, utilities, and other expenses makes it difficult for students to afford suitable housing while pursuing their education.
- Tenants at the Annamoe Mansion in central Edmonton are facing rent increases of up to 200% as of today. Residents of the historic building on Victoria Promenade say that their rents are being raised from $1,000 to $3,000 per month.
- Northernmost, an Edmonton-based medical device company, announced the closing of an oversubscribed seed financing round at $2.7 million. The funding will support the development of its NoMo Kidney Pump, a next-generation perfusion machine, which is designed to modernize donor kidney preservation and transport. CEO Ron Mills said the company is eager to showcase NoMo at upcoming conferences.
- The United Nurses of Alberta and the province reached a four-year agreement that will see more than 30,000 nurses receive pay increases of about 20% by 2028. The agreement, announced April 3, includes job security and staffing level assurances as Alberta overhauls its healthcare system.
- A 2024 Alberta Health Services staff survey revealed increasing feelings of being disregarded and disengaged among employees. The survey, which was obtained by Postmedia through a freedom of information request, showed a drop in response rates, particularly among medical staff. The report described medical staff as feeling "uncertain, unheard, and unrepresented." Staff expressed concerns about the value of their opinions, job satisfaction, and confidence in leadership. The health authority said it is discussing the results internally and implementing a staff engagement strategy.
Headlines: April 4, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim