The Pulse: Jan. 18, 2021

The City of Edmonton's new city manager begins work today. Andre Corbould was hired for the role last fall after an "extensive national search."

Corbould was serving as Alberta’s deputy minister of education prior to this role, and had a nearly 30-year military career with service in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

"I’ve had the privilege of serving in the public service for more than three decades — first with the Canadian military, then the province of Alberta. I look forward to bringing that experience and perspective to my new role," he said in a news release from the city.

His tenure follows interim city manager Adam Laughlin, who took up the reins when Linda Cochrane retired in December 2019. Cochrane, who was Edmonton's first female city manager, stepped into the role in an acting capacity in September 2015 after former city manager Simon Farbrother was fired. She officially took over the job in March 2016.

• Premier Jason Kenney is ready to fight incoming U.S. president Joe Biden's plan to cancel the Keystone XL permit.
• Some businesses were blindsided by the provincial government's decision to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on Jan. 18, reports the Edmonton Journal. "I feel like I got whiplash a little bit,” said Victoria Stevens, the owner of Metropolitan Rockabilly Hair Design.
• The Downtown Business Association is encouraging companies to consider the long term when thinking about whether to keep downtown office space during the pandemic.
• CTV wrote about a new river valley glamping experience offered by Urban River Adventures. Guests are picked up by a jet boat and taken to an island on the North Saskatchewan River.

Here's a look at the agenda items coming before city council for the week of Jan. 18-22:

• Executive Committee will be asked to approve a $2.9 million agreement with the developer of Ice District for "Green and Walkable" sidewalk infrastructure and amenities which "go beyond minimum standards, and which offer amenity value to the public." The funds would come from the downtown community revitalization levy.
• The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) is seeking approval to reallocate $78,000 that is currently meant to be used for an outdoor rink roof project to two new initiatives. The two projects are the development of a database for community league assets and the subscription and use of a campaign manager tool to provide leagues with grant information.
• Urban Planning Committee will receive reports on infills, including compliance, and fire protection. It will also discuss initiatives to support more and better infill in Edmonton, as per the Infill Roadmap 2018.
• The Kiniski Gardens surplus school site was listed for sale by the city and the Headway School Society of Alberta is hoping to purchase it.
• An update on Edmonton's Digital Action Plan states that in an effort to "stay a technology leader," the city is working with Canada's major carriers to "streamline the 5G permitting process." A revised plan will be made available in Q4 2021.

In addition to the usual committee meetings on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the city auditor recruitment committee is scheduled to meet on Friday morning.

After calling more than 700 games for Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition, sports broadcaster and hockey fanatic Harnarayan Singh got his big break — and made NHL history — by doing the play-by-play in English for the opening night of the 2021 NHL season.

Singh, who grew up in Alberta, is the first Sikh broadcaster to ever call an NHL game in English. The national, best-selling author says diversity in sports broadcasting will impact young fans. 

“I was a kid who grew up wanting to do this, but I was told many times that it wouldn’t be possible because of how I look,” Singh told CityNews.

“Representation matters so much. I know you know for kids out there who are watching –when you see someone who resembles what you look like, or your community – it right away opens the door and it proves to them that they have a place in that industry." 

Tamzen Sykes captured this shot of the funicular and downtown Edmonton lit up in early January. Thanks for sharing!

Our weekly discussion on key stories in municipal politics returns after the holiday break. In this episode, hosts Troy Pavlek and Mack Male discuss Edmonton's new waste collection carts, Jobber's announcement of US$60 million in funding, the latest on the Metro Line LRT, and the start of layoffs at the City of Edmonton following last month's budget decisions.

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