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Headlines: July 4, 2025

· The Pulse
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  • Edmonton city council is continuing a public hearing into potential changes to the zoning bylaw. The changes could cap mid-block infill projects at six units and introduce new architectural controls requiring buildings to be oriented to the street with a main entrance and windows. Infill developers, including Mauricio Ochoa of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association, warned the changes could halt projects and drive development to the suburbs. The public hearing could continue into next week.
  • Edmonton Elections is asking residents to verify their voter information to ensure they are on the finalized registry before election day on Oct. 20. The Alberta government's recent changes to local election laws include requiring municipalities to keep a permanent electors list, but information available to Edmonton Elections may be outdated, or missing people who recently became eligible to vote or moved to Edmonton. You can confirm your voter information by Aug. 15 to avoid filling out an extra form when you vote.
  • The Edmonton region recorded 87 opioid-related deaths in March, which is the highest number on record since the province began collecting the data in 2016. The number of fatal opioid poisonings trended downward from August 2023 to September 2024, but has started rising again. The province said it has seen a rise in the use of carfentanil, which was involved in 70% of opioid-related deaths in the first three months of 2025, compared to 16% in all of 2024.
  • Edmonton city council approved amendments to the business licence bylaw that remove the requirement for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services to conduct on-site inspections before a business is licensed. Inspections will still take place, but licences will be issued immediately, allowing businesses open 12 days earlier on average.
  • The City of Edmonton is offering free sessions for a type of therapy called forest bathing, or "Shinrin-yoku" in Japanese, which involves spending intentional time in natural areas to achieve relaxation and connection. The sessions, to be held in four local parks, are led by certified Shinrin-yoku guides from the City's Urban Forestry department. The City's website has information about registration and session times.
  • Play it by Ear, an interactive sound sculpture in Edmonton, is among the 100 public art projects nominated for the international CODAawards. Located in Butler Memorial Park in the West Jasper Place neighbourhood, the installment consists of a series of brightly coloured phones that park visitors can use to call each other or leave messages. It was created in 2023 by Calgary artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett. The Edmonton Arts Council has a map of all the public art installations in Edmonton.
  • Alberta Health Services said there was potential measles exposure at the University of Alberta Hospital and the Stollery Children's Hospital on July 2 from 7:15am to 4pm. People who were in U of A Hospital foyers or the Children's Hospital emergency department may be at risk. There was also potential measles exposure at Grey Nuns Hospital from June 25 to 28. AHS website has information online about what to do if you are exposed to measles.
  • Bomb threats reported by Nav Canada on the morning of July 3 led to disruptions at several major Canadian airports, including the Edmonton International Airport. Before 9am, an airport spokesperson said the alert caused some delays, but there was "minimal impact on operations." By 11am, there were no obvious security delays, Postmedia reported. Airports in Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver were also affected.
  • A pedestrian who was struck by a CP Rail train in south Edmonton on June 26 has died of her injuries, police said. The incident happened south of 51 Avenue, between 99 Street and Gateway Boulevard, around 5:45am. The investigation continues, and no charges have been laid, police said. (Note: a previous update from The Pulse incorrectly identified the type of train, which has been corrected.)
  • Elections Alberta released official results for the three provincial byelections that took place June 23. The riding of Edmonton-Ellerslie had a voter turnout of 24.5%, and in Edmonton-Strathcona it was 32.0%. In Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, the turnout was 38.8%.
  • Edmonton journalist Meaghan Archer wrote a piece for The Tyee exploring why education assistants in Alberta are "losing the classroom battle" amidst rising behavioural issues, a lack of resources, and a struggling workforce.
  • The Alberta government formally announced a new provincial police force and appointed Sat Parhar, who previously held senior roles with the Calgary Police Service, as its first chief. According to a release, the agency will "fill gaps" and complement existing police services, including the RCMP, Indigenous police services, and municipal police. The agency will eventually be renamed the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service, and officials said municipalities could replace the RCMP with the agency by 2032.