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Headlines: Sept. 30, 2026

· The Pulse
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  • The City of Edmonton is inviting feedback on an application to change the Area Structure Plan for the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park to allow for an AI data centre. Stantec's consulting arm made the application on behalf of Walton Global Investments. Public engagement is open until Oct. 25.
  • The Alberta government is providing more than $330,000 to fund 140 pre-treatment beds in Edmonton for people waiting to enter addiction treatment. The beds are intended to support people who have completed detox and need stable housing and support while awaiting placement in a treatment program. Oxford House will provide two homes with 24/7 support, including addiction counselling and recovery coaching, with one home designated for women and the other for men. The province said Edmonton accounts for more than half of Alberta's opioid-related deaths and noted that Oxford House has supported nearly 1,200 Albertans through pre-treatment services in Calgary since 2023.
  • Westrich Pacific is considering a major redevelopment of Edmonton City Centre that could include two 50-storey towers, about 1,500 housing units and a mix of retail and public spaces. Co-CEO Richie Lam said the plans could include affordable housing, a mini-Chinatown, an indoor patio, and an Italian grocery store or food hall, with 240 units potentially built above the former Hudson's Bay space. The company is also considering tighter security, including guards, police officers, metal detectors and bag scans at entrances. Westrich Pacific is expected to take possession of the property in November, with a goal of unveiling final plans in December and beginning construction early next year.
  • Edmonton confirmed its 18th case of Dutch elm disease since 2024, in a Calder tree that will be removed. The City expanded its monitoring zone to a one-kilometre radius and said Alberta's elm-pruning ban will be lifted Oct. 1.
  • Poundmaker's Lodge Treatment Centres has closed its St. Albert day program because it lacks ongoing provincial funding and is seeking about $600,000 to restart it. The culturally grounded program served Indigenous people in the Edmonton area, and its operator said more than 140 people were on the waiting list when it closed. "We have made the decision to focus our limited resources on direct service: working alongside clients, supporting their recovery and sitting with them in ceremony," the organization said in a social media post.
  • The City of Edmonton is observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 by honouring residential school survivors, children who never returned home and Indigenous families and communities. The City will mark the day by raising Every Child Matters banners, displaying the Survivors' Flag, lowering flags to half-mast and illuminating several landmarks in orange. The City is also offering free admission to attractions for self-declared Indigenous people and supporting community events and learning opportunities focused on reconciliation. Several municipal services will have holiday hours or closures, including 311, recreation facilities, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, the Muttart Conservatory and waste facilities, while regular transit and curbside waste collection will continue.
  • A campaign is encouraging Edmontonians to safely store and return unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including through pharmacies such as Rexall. Substance Canada said the initiative aims to reduce access to medications that could be misused. The Alberta Pharmacists' Association has a list of all pharmacies that will accept unused medications.
  • Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told an Edmonton audience on Sept. 29 that he supports keeping Alberta in Canada ahead of the province's Oct. 19 referendum. He said Albertans' frustrations are largely with the federal government, citing issues including the cost of living, gun laws and oil and gas policies. Poilievre argued separation would not address those concerns and urged Albertans to support a united Canada. Several Alberta Conservative MPs attended the Conservatives for Canada event.