- The City of Edmonton is considering a bylaw that would require businesses to sort waste into multiple streams for recycling and composting, aiming to divert more waste from landfills. Non-residential sectors generate 70% of Edmonton's waste, half of which is organic. The City is surveying businesses and exploring grants and educational resources before presenting a finalized plan to a city council committee in summer 2026. Business owners like Gloria Bednarz of The Art of Cake and Allen Gao of Menya Mori support the concept but expressed concerns about implementation costs, infrastructure capacity, and the need for clear education from the City. Similar bylaws are already in place in other major Canadian cities.
- The family of an Edmonton woman is urging a communication policy change after she was stranded in a DATS bus that was stuck in the snow. This incident highlighted concerns about passenger safety and the need for DATS to provide more timely updates during service disruptions. "Some contact should have been made to the family after they waited for so many hours," said Terenia Maidens, the woman's sister.
- Edmonton's melting holiday snow has created significant mobility challenges, particularly for seniors and people with disabilities. Disability advocate Zachary Weeks said his wheelchair and accessible vehicle often get stuck in the snow, adding it has felt dehumanizing. Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged shortcomings in the city's snow-clearing approach, adding that funding has not kept pace with growth. He said potential changes could include reintroducing calcium chloride to help melt snow and ice and towing vehicles that don't abide by parking bans.
- Two people were injured and 80 residents evacuated after an e-bike battery caused a fire on the sixth floor of a central Edmonton apartment building at 10020 115 Street on Jan. 14. Edmonton Fire and Rescue Services confirmed crews responded at 5:49pm, controlling the blaze by 6:33pm, and extinguishing it by 7:44pm. Damage is estimated at $500,000.
- Alberta has ordered a fatality inquiry into the Dec. 22 death of Prashant Sreekumar, 44, who died after waiting nearly eight hours with chest pain at Edmonton's Grey Nuns Community Hospital emergency department. The province will also launch a pilot project to deploy triage liaison physicians at busy emergency departments in Calgary and Edmonton, including the Grey Nuns, to improve patient care amidst sustained system pressures and crowding.
- Edmonton's housing market entered 2026 with a comfortable balance for both buyers and sellers, according to forecasts from the REALTORS Association of Edmonton (RAE) and Royal LePage. A Q4 2025 report from Royal LePage showed the aggregate home price rose 1.2% year-over-year to $466,800. The RAE predicts the average home price will increase by 1.3% to $464,000 in 2026, with sales dipping 5% and new listings rising 0.3%. This cooling is attributed to declining population growth and growing housing inventory.
- Alberta Health Services issued a public alert after confirming a measles case at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital. An infected person was present in the hospital's foyer and cafeteria on Jan. 9 from 7:15am to 10:00am. Anyone born in or after 1970 with fewer than two measles vaccine doses or no prior measles infection may be at risk. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash. Exposed individuals should receive a vaccine within 72 hours.
- Huge lineups formed in Red Deer and Eckville on Jan. 14, as the Stay Free Alberta campaign gathered signatures for a provincial independence referendum, CBC reported. The Alberta Prosperity Project needs nearly 178,000 signatures within four months after receiving Elections Alberta approval for the petition in December. The campaign, with more than 2,000 canvassers, is planning more events across Alberta, including Okotoks and Drayton Valley.
Headlines: Jan. 16, 2026
By Mariam Ibrahim