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Headlines: May 6, 2025

· The Pulse
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  • Coun. Anne Stevenson announced her plans to run for a second term as city councillor for Ward O'Day'min. She made the announcement at ArtsHub Ortona. Stevenson said she is proud of her work on affordable housing, including efforts to remove property taxes for affordable housing to help keep rents lower.
  • Edmonton is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Dedicated Accessible Transit Service, commonly known as DATS, a door-to-door paratransit service for those unable to use conventional transit due to disabilities. Edmonton Transit Service marked the occasion with an open house at the Percy Wickman Garage on May 5. DATS began as a pilot project in 1975 and provided more than 930,000 trips in 2024.
  • The Edmonton Police Service is seeking public assistance to identify a man believed to be connected to an arson at a southeast Edmonton strip mall on April 8. The fire destroyed 25 units and caused several million dollars in damages. Police released security footage of a man, who was driving a white Ford F150 with a red maple leaf on the tailgate.
  • Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced expanded measles immunization efforts in central and south zone clinics, as well as an awareness campaign. As of May 5, Alberta has seen 265 cases of measles, with 42 active, and 86% of all cases are located in the south and central zones. Alberta Health Services also issued a public alert for the Edmonton zone after a confirmed case of measles was identified at the Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas on April 26. The province will add vaccination appointments in the central and south zones, and has introduced a new early dose of measles vaccines for infants six to 11 months of age in the north, central, and south zones.
  • The Alberta government is investing $141 million in Alberta Hospital Edmonton for construction and improvements. The funding will be used to add more beds, enhance existing infrastructure, and upgrade various facilities within the hospital.
  • Despite Edmonton Public Schools' commitment to inclusive education, some parents say the division is failing to honour the right of children with disabilities to be supported in community schools. Some parents said they faced pressure to place their children in segregated programs, while Rajesh Kumar spoke at a board meeting in April, citing concerns about transparency in the capital plan for the Centre for Autism and about how parental choices around inclusive education are being honoured. Inclusion Edmonton Region has called on the board to end segregation and ensure families are not pressured into segregated placements.
  • The new Edmonton Islamic Academy will accommodate 1,600 students and currently has a growing waiting list. The academy aims to address the increasing demand for Islamic education in the Edmonton area.
  • The Edmonton Public Library has released a free children's album titled Sing it, Edmonton! Songs from the Neighbourhood, featuring local artists.
  • A recent analysis found that injuries from rentable e-scooters are an increasing burden in Edmonton, with many adults presenting to emergency departments with multiple injuries. The study, which was published in the Canadian Journal of Surgery, investigated 759 e-scooter related injuries presenting to Edmonton EDs more than three summers (2019 to 2021) and found that most patients had multiple injuries, with fractures and head injuries being the most common. Helmet use was rare, but substance use was common.
  • A trial began on May 5 for former Edmonton Police Service officer Oli Olason, who is charged with assault after a video surfaced of him allegedly kicking and stomping on a man's head during a March 23, 2021, arrest of Lee Van Beaver. Beaver testified that Olason assaulted him despite his compliance, while the defense argued that Beaver was trying to avoid arrest and was not compliant. Another officer, Const. Dustin Adsett, was also charged by ASIRT following the arrest.
  • Premier Danielle Smith announced the creation of a new "Alberta Next" panel and a negotiating team to address Alberta's future within Canada, ahead of a potential citizen-led referendum on independence in 2026. In an Alberta-wide address on May 5, Smith listed grievances against the federal government and stated that the panel will explore steps Alberta could take against Ottawa, with popular ideas potentially going to a provincial referendum.
  • A wildfire southwest of Grande Prairie that prompted an evacuation order on Sunday is now approximately 90% contained, according to emergency officials. While the evacuation order remains in effect for part of the County of Grande Prairie, crews are optimistic that the fire, which is about one square kilometre in size, will soon be classified as being held. Around 60 firefighters are working to extinguish hot spots, supported by two helicopters conducting bucketing operations.
  • A wildfire in the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area, northeast of Edmonton, which has burned 400 hectares, was sparked by an all-terrain vehicle fire. Sturgeon County Fire Chief Chad Moore said the fire started in a remote area of the park, and the rider attempted to extinguish the flames. An evacuation alert remains in effect for an area of Sturgeon County. One home has been destroyed. As of May 5, the fire was 70% contained, but crews are preparing for a shift in winds.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's January visit to meet then president-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago cost more than $10,000, according to documents obtained by CBC through a freedom of information request. The trip included Smith's chief of staff Rob Anderson, principal secretary Rebecca Polak, and James Rajotte, Alberta's senior representative to the U.S. The expenses covered flights, hotels, and meals. Travel costs totalled $7,935, including a business class flight for Anderson. The premier's office said that Anderson has a doctor's note requiring him to travel business class due to a blood condition.