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Headlines: July 23, 2026

· The Pulse
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  • A tree in the Calder neighbourhood tested positive for Dutch elm disease, the 10th confirmed case in Edmonton since it was first detected in the city in 2024. The City of Edmonton said it removed the infected tree, expanded a one-kilometre protocol zone, and planned one proactive nearby removal. The City said Edmonton has about 90,000 elm trees in its open space and boulevard tree inventory.
  • The City of Edmonton and EPCOR received more than 4,500 storm-related calls in July as heavy rain caused flooding, road closures, slope failures and infrastructure damage across the city. EPCOR said Edmonton's stormwater system has generally held up despite consecutive months of rainfall, though saturated soil has slowed drainage and left some areas with standing water. The City has also closed three facilities because of flooding, while EPCOR credited a $1.6-billion, 20-year flood mitigation program with helping the system withstand the extreme weather.
  • The Edmonton Downtown Revitalization Coalition was among business leaders calling on city council to treat downtown construction impacts as a crisis, while Mayor Andrew Knack said work to expedite construction timelines and improve downtown safety has already started. "We've got more work coming, and we're not done by any stretch. So these recent investments are positive, but they should not be seen as the end," Knack told Postmedia. His comments come after a series of restaurant closures in Edmonton's downtown.
  • Edmonton extended its poor air quality response as wildfire smoke kept the Air Quality Health Index at about six to seven. The City also activated an extreme heat response as temperatures climbed. As part of the response, 29 fire hydrant water stations were available around the clock, alongside indoor cooling spaces, bottled water, and N95 masks.
  • DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen in downtown Edmonton said no one attended a free Zumba class despite 13,000 invitations, and its owner said nearby construction had cut sales by half as several core businesses closed. "Of course it's disappointing. But if there's one thing we've learned over the past few years, it's that building community means showing up — even when it's hard," the restaurant wrote on social media.
  • Alberta doctors said booming mosquito populations were driving more emergency visits for children with "skeeter syndrome" reactions. The reactions can cause significant swelling but are usually not life-threatening, doctors said.