- Edmonton city council will review the proposed 2026 budget, which calls for a 6.4% property tax levy increase. This increase translates to roughly $220 more for an average homeowner, or $49 per $100,000 of assessed property value. The budget seeks $3.8 billion to maintain services and infrastructure amid a growing population of 164,000 new residents, and high inflation. Key cost drivers include $6.9 million for Edmonton Police Service body cameras and increased transit project funding. City council will discuss these adjustments from Dec. 1 to 4.
- The Edmonton Police Commission heard on Nov. 20 that Edmonton is experiencing a significant rise in traffic fatalities and excessive speeding. Edmonton Police Service Deputy Chief Devin Laforce reported the city recorded its 30th traffic fatality on Nov. 14, surpassing the 26 recorded in all of 2024. Nearly half of collisions involved speeding, with excessive speeding increasing 19% this year. Laforce urged drivers to slow down, especially with icy conditions.
- Questions about widening 41 Avenue SW arose during an Edmonton city council meeting on Nov. 19, as the Kendal neighbourhood plan was approved. Coun. Jon Morgan said the road is already overburdened and will face more traffic, but unlike Ellerslie Road SW, it has no developer-funded widening plan. City staff said 41 Avenue doesn't meet the threshold for such upgrades, aside from an added eastbound lane near Allard. Morgan says he'll push for broader widening in the next budget.
- Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced Nov. 20 the province has fast-tracked five school projects to meet the demand for class spaces. Three of these projects are in Edmonton, including two with Edmonton Public Schools and one with Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, and are now in the construction phase after being accelerated from planning to design in September 2024. Part of the $8.6 billion School Construction Accelerator Program, this initiative aims to reduce overall project timelines by an average of six months, with 120 school projects currently underway across Alberta.
- Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, representing 16,000 hospital workers, are back at the bargaining table for mediation on Nov. 20 to 21. This follows the union's Nov. 19 strike notice, with job action set to begin at 8:30am on Nov. 22 outside major hospitals across Alberta. Talks, ongoing since March 2024, stalled over wages. The union wants to close a 9% wage gap, while the province offered a 12% increase over four years.
- Edmonton families are urging the province to tighten daycare rules after alleged sexual assaults at Willowbrae Academy Mill Creek. Parents were left uninformed for months about allegations against a former worker, who is wanted on multiple sexual assault charges and has fled the country. The Early Learning and Child Care Act does not require daycares to directly inform families of abuse investigations. On Nov. 19, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said his ministry would review practices and meet with parents.
- An Edmonton court began hearing arguments on Nov. 19 to determine the constitutionality of a proposed referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. Mitch Sylvestre, executive director of the Alberta Prosperity Project, wants to ask voters if Alberta should become a sovereign country. Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure referred the question to the courts. Lawyers for Sylvestre, five First Nations groups, and two amicus curiae, or lawyers acting as friends of the court, are presenting arguments to Court of King's Bench Justice Colin Feasby.
- The Alberta Crown Attorneys' Association expressed concern after Edmonton's Chief Crown prosecutor, Scott Niblock, and assistant chief, Ryan Abrams, were suddenly removed from their positions with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service. Justice Minister Mickey Amery said that the province was not involved, attributing the changes to a new acting assistant deputy minister's vision. Claudette Hargreaves is now acting chief Crown prosecutor in Edmonton.
- The Alberta government introduced Bill 13, the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act, on Nov. 20, aiming to curtail regulatory bodies from sanctioning workers for off-duty speech. Premier Danielle Smith said this addresses "overreach" by regulators. The bill, affecting more than 100 professions including doctors and teachers, would also limit mandatory "cultural competency" or "diversity, equity, and inclusion" training. Discipline for after-hours conduct would be restricted to serious matters like threats of violence, or professional misconduct.
- The Edmonton Elks have extended defensive linemen Robbie Smith and Jordan Williams, the club announced Nov. 20. Smith returns after an injury-shortened 2025 season and brings two Grey Cup titles and a strong track record as a top Canadian pass rusher. Williams, who joined mid-season and scored a defensive touchdown last year, remains with the club after earlier championship wins in Toronto and at Clemson. Smith is signed through 2027 and Williams through 2026.
Headlines: Nov. 21, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim