- Edmonton city council approved several measures to advance the district energy system for downtown, including creating a municipally owned utility to operate Phase 1 of the project, which will provide heat to the Winspear Centre for Music, Chancery Hall, and Century Place, starting in the fall. Council also approved expanding the system to the Citadel Theatre, the Stanley A. Milner Library, and City Hall, along with starting preliminary designs for Phase 2, which will connect the system to private buildings and new developments. The City's district energy strategy also includes a system in Blatchford, while feasibility studies have been completed for the River Crossing and Exhibition Lands redevelopments.
- Edmonton city council approved a plan from Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance to build a seven-acre, $1.2-million bike skills park in Queen Elizabeth Park, southeast of the Walterdale Bridge. Construction on the project, funded by donors and government grants, is expected to start this year and be finished in 2026. Earlier this week, Eric Gormley with the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition wrote an op-ed opposing the bike skills park and a proposed highrise complex in Rossdale.
- City of Edmonton administration proposed changes to the zoning bylaw affecting homeless shelters, which were requested by council last September. The proposed changes include capping the number of people allowed in overnight shelters at 125, except during emergencies, and preventing shelters from opening in areas near heavy industrial sites. A public hearing to discuss the proposal was postponed to Aug. 18. Tim Pasma with Hope Mission said the organization has no problem with restricting maximum occupancy in new shelters, but is concerned about how the changes will affect existing operations.
- Edmonton city council voted to accept a new collective agreement between the City of Edmonton and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, which was ratified by union members on June 23. The agreement spans from Dec. 31, 2023 to Dec. 11, 2027, and includes a 3% wage increase each year, plus increases to differential pay, footwear allowances, and health benefits. The agreement affects more than 2,500 bus drivers, maintenance personnel, and other transit staff.
- Edmonton city council voted to reintroduce tow trucks as part of the City of Edmonton's street clearing strategy, allocating $100,000 from the contingency fund to pay for them. For the past two winters, the City has not funded tow trucks to accompany street cleaners and plow trucks, which led to inefficiencies and streets not fully cleaned. Council also lowered the fine for violating a parking ban from $250 to $150, or $100 if paid within a week.
- Medgine Mathurin, a multilingual spoken-word artist and advocate, was named Edmonton's 11th Poet Laureate by the City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Public Library, and the Edmonton Arts Council. Born in Haiti, Mathurin speaks French, Creole, and English, and her work reflects her personal experiences as an immigrant and person with a chronic illness. She will serve a two-year term. Edmontonians can follow her on Instagram or through her website.
- A person with a confirmed case of measles was in the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, with a risk of exposure to anyone who visited certain units or the emergency department between June 25 and 28. A total of 1,169 measles cases have been recorded in Alberta since the start of 2025, including 10 in Edmonton, which is the lowest in the province. Alberta Health Services has information online about what to do if you are exposed to measles.
- The least flycatcher, a small migrating bird that breeds in Alberta, has been migrating south about two weeks earlier than it did 32 years ago, according to a new study in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Researchers say the bird has been forced to adapt to climate change. The research was done in partnership with the Beaverhill Bird Observatory, located southeast of Edmonton, which has monitored bird populations since 1984.
- Former UCP MLAs Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair, who were both kicked out of the party this year, said they are planning to re-register the Progressive Conservative Party. Making the announcement on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen, they said the revived party would be "fiscally responsible and socially reliable," appealing to people who oppose separatism and those who want restrained government spending. To register the party, Guthrie and Sinclair need to collect 8,819 signatures by November.
Headlines: July 3, 2025
By Kevin Holowack