The Pulse: Jan. 19, 2021

Edmonton city council's executive committee has approved a recommendation to reimburse the developers of the Ice District for their portion of "Green and Walkable" expenses for upgrades to downtown Edmonton. The approval went through without debate.

The Green and Walkable Downtown project includes "improvements to downtown streets that will make (it) more accessible, easier to navigate and more pleasant for pedestrians." Improvements are set to take place over the next 15 to 20 years.

According to the report presented to the committee, the "total cost of the sidewalk infrastructure and amenities being constructed on city land is estimated at more than $6 million."

Following a review by city administration, it was determined that $2.895 million of the total costs are considered enhancements which would qualify as "Green and Walkable" sidewalk infrastructure and amenities which "go beyond minimum standards, and ... offer amenity value to the public." The funds to reimburse EAD Property Holdings (102) Corp. are expected to come from the downtown community revitalization levy (CRL).

• Rapid COVID-19 testing is coming to Edmonton International Airport in February. The program eliminates the need for a 14-day quarantine following travel.
• The province expects it will run out of COVID-19 vaccines on Jan. 18 or Jan. 19 due to supply disruptions. A temporary hold will be put on first dose vaccinations so that there is enough to fulfill second doses for those who have already been vaccinated.
• Edmonton-area ranch, Dreamcatcher Nature-Assisted Therapy, is offering (COVID-19) front-line workers "the chance for some time alone and animal-assisted therapy" for free.
• CTV compiled some of Edmonton's top toboganning hills, for your sledding pleasure! Whitemud Park North, Fulton Hill, and Gallagher Park all made the list.
• The Edmonton Regional Airports Authority has announced the 2021 appointments to its board of directors. Joan Hertz replaced Naseem Bashir as board chair effective Jan. 1, 2021.

The co-founder and CEO of Clio, Jack Newton, is joining the advisory board for dealcloser, "a transaction management hub for legal professionals that modernizes the deal closing process." Newton and co-founder Rian Gauvreau launched Clio in Edmonton in 2008 and it has since grown into one of the top legal tech companies in the world.

Clio is now based in Vancouver, so Newton's appointment to dealcloser's board is a homecoming of sorts as he re-invests in the Edmonton ecosystem.

“The city of Edmonton holds a special place in my heart — it’s where I grew up, went to university, founded Clio, and where we continue to employ a growing number of amazing team members. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community that supported me along the way," Newton told Taproot.

Historically speaking, we have made it through the bottom of winter for 2020-21, writes Chris Nelson of Edmonton Weather Nerdery.

Based on the past 30 years, Edmonton's average daily highs start to climb after Jan. 9, and our average daily lows get higher after Jan. 10.

That's not to say that we're through with cold weather. It's just that the average daily temperatures are on their way up. As Nelson notes, "there is still plenty of time left for this winter to make its presence felt."

Indeed, the forecast for this week indicates chillier days ahead.

This chart comes from Edmonton Weather Nerdery, a blog that crunches historical weather data from the Edmonton Blatchford weather station. Follow @yegwxnerdery.

Many consumers are looking for ways to support small businesses, and there are a couple of recent examples that offer compiled collections of local goods.

The Alberta Box, an initiative of Sobeys, is a package of 22 locally-produced products, including candy, soda, soup mix, and oats. Participating companies, including Gramma Bee’s Honey, appreciated the exposure. Priced at $49.99, the boxes were very well-received and are 90% sold out. As a result, Sobeys will be releasing an additional box featuring new vendors in the spring.