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Headlines: Sept. 21, 2026

· The Pulse
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  • The Alberta government is considering changes to the Traffic Safety Act that would give municipalities more authority to regulate e-scooters and other personal micromobility devices, including speed limits, age restrictions, and where they can be used. Edmonton has operated shared e-scooter and e-bike programs since 2019 but cannot currently allow privately owned e-scooters without a provincial exemption. The proposed changes come amid safety concerns, with an Edmonton study finding 759 adults sought emergency treatment for injuries from rented e-scooters between 2019 and 2021.
  • A few hundred people gathered outside Rogers Place on Sept. 19 to protest the Edmonton Oilers signing of Alex Formenton and show support for survivors of sexual assault. The rally was led by Mary Loewen, known as Mama Stanley, who has criticized the team's decision and launched a petition that had nearly 70,000 signatures. Formenton, who made his preseason debut against the Winnipeg Jets that night, was one of five former Canadian world junior players acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from a 2018 incident in London, Ontario. While protesters chanted against the signing outside, Formenton received cheers from some fans inside Rogers Place after scoring in the second period. Formenton said afterward that he was focused on making the team and improving rather than the criticism surrounding his return to the NHL.
  • The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the death of a 27-year-old man found unresponsive in an Edmonton holding cell. Edmonton Police Service officers discovered the man in the Detainee Management Unit on the evening of Sept. 17 and an on-duty paramedic began CPR. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at 7:55pm.
  • Edmonton's Magpie Books was included in The Economist's Plot Twist newsletter on a list of top bookshops, based on reader recommendations. The Ritchie store opened two years ago and focuses on books by Indigenous, Black, racialized, queer, and trans authors, along with titles from smaller presses.
  • Red Deer plans to spend $2.93 million from a federal grant on permanent supportive housing, following a city council decision. The funds, part of the now-cancelled $12 million housing accelerator fund, had initially been at risk of return due to zoning disagreements. Mayor Cindy Jefferies said that the demand for supportive housing is high, with a 2025 count noting 645 homeless individuals in Red Deer. The city will issue requests for proposals soon to determine the project's scope and unit count as part of a broader housing strategy.
  • A group of Alberta teens, led by 16-year-old Kiera Lang, have transformed their summer into a learning opportunity by managing a community garden through the Beaumont and District Agricultural Society. They grew vegetables and flowers to sell at the Beaumont Farmers Market, gaining agricultural and business skills along the way. The effort was supported by a $16,000 grant from the Canada Post Community Foundation.