Taproot Edmonton Logo

Headlines: June 19, 2025

· The Pulse
By
Comments
  • Edmonton city council will not take over day-to-day maintenance and operations of the Edmonton EXPO Centre and the Edmonton Convention Centre, deciding to leave those responsibilities with Explore Edmonton. A city report found that Explore Edmonton maintains the city-owned venues to a high standard, and the City lacks the budget and staffing capacity to absorb the work. The City's annual building maintenance and renewal budget is approximately $100 million.
  • The City of Edmonton plans to conduct at-grade LRT track rehabilitation at the University Avenue and 114 Street intersection from 8pm on June 27 to 6am on July 1. University Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic heading east and west. The McKernan/Belgravia LRT station will also be closed, with split service available. The City said the work is needed to improve the LRT system's longevity and address aging infrastructure.
  • The City of Edmonton's water station program is providing water at 28 temporary stations across the city until Sept. 30. Since it launched with five stations in 2021, the program has grown each year, with new locations this year at Coronation Park and by Alex Taylor School. The City's website has a map of all available water stations and details about other extreme weather response measures.
  • The City of Edmonton has launched its Guaranteed Industrial Development Timelines program, which creates a more streamlined and predictable permitting process for industrial developments, a release says. The program's features include guaranteed processing times of 40 calendar days for development and partial building permits, a streamlined review process, and a Client Liaison Unit to support applicants. The City's website has more details about the program.
  • The Edmonton Transit Service has launched an updated trip planner that has up-to-date alerts, real-time bus tracking, and scheduling information. It also includes route information for Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, St. Albert, Beaumont, Leduc, and Spruce Grove. The trip planner, available on web browser, mobile phone, and desktop, replaces the ETS Live system and the previous trip planner on the City's website.
  • Jacob Dawang, a volunteer with housing advocacy group Grow Together Edmonton, wrote an op-ed in Postmedia about city council's upcoming June 30 decision on whether to roll back zoning rules that enable developers to build eight-unit buildings in all neighbourhoods. Dawang suggests council is prioritizing complaints about infill in mature neighbourhoods raised by a "vocal minority" of homeowners. By restricting housing choice, the city is "enforcing neighbourhood exclusion," argued Dawang.
  • A host of events will be held across Edmonton to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. The Bissell Centre will host a celebration, food, and performances from 10am to 3pm, the TELUS World of Science is hosting drop-in activities, and the Royal Alberta Museum is featuring Indigenous history and heritage throughout the week. Explore Edmonton has created a guide to celebrating National Indigenous History Month throughout June.
  • Edmonton Airports, which manages the Edmonton International Airport, announced that it joined the H2CanFly consortium, a Canada-wide initiative to accelerate hydrogen and electrification technology, airport infrastructure, and certification. The airport has Canada's first airport-based hydrogen hub and is a member of the federal government's Net-Zero Challenge, with an aim to reduce emissions to net-zero by 2050 or earlier.
  • The University of Alberta was ranked eighth in the world and second in Canada for impact on sustainability by the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. It is the third straight year the university ranked in the top 10.
  • According to Alberta government survey results released to Postmedia, 63% of respondents opposed Alberta leaving the Canada Pension Plan. The 2023 provincial pension plan engagement survey also showed that 10% were in favour of an Alberta Pension Plan and 12% were undecided. More than 94,000 Albertans completed the survey between September and December 2023. The Alberta government stated that while recent surveys show public opinion may be shifting, it will continue to engage with Albertans on the topic.
  • The Alberta government's communications and public engagement department has been "quietly" transferred to the premier's office, expanding the size and budget of executive council, Global News reported. In 2017, the Alberta NDP moved the branch from executive council to the treasury board and finance. Rakhi Pancholi, deputy leader of the Alberta NDP, suggested the UCP's recent move normalizes the use of public money for partisan purposes.