The Pulse: Feb. 1, 2021

Edmonton's new city manager is on the hunt for a house in the city and hopes to move by the end of the year.

Andre Corbould currently lives in St. Albert, because it is close to the military base where he used to work.

"My wife and I are committed to moving to Edmonton ... I feel it's important as city manager to live in the city that I am going to be asked to manage," he told Taproot Edmonton's Speaking Municipally podcast on Jan. 29.

The question of his residence is one that's come up recently on Twitter, given that not living in the city could affect a city manager's ability to understand how it functions for civilians.

Corbould started work on Jan. 18 — he was hired last fall after an "extensive national search."

• Alley-facing businesses such as Sugared and Spiced Baked Goods, currently ineligible for city grants intended to improve storefronts, could soon qualify if councillors agree to proposed exemptions.
• An Edmonton-area church opened on Jan. 31, despite the fact that it had been ordered to close by Alberta Health Services.
• Alberta gyms will be able to open as of Feb. 8 when the province eases some health restrictions, but some owners say that opening partially won't do much in terms of saving their businesses financially.
• An Edmonton CFL player has opened up a specialty chocolate and coffee shop called ch. cafeteria.

Here are some of the notable agenda items coming before city council for the week of Feb. 1-5:

• Administration recommends entering into agreements with EPCOR Utilities Inc. to move the Downtown District Energy Initiative forward. The system would be owned by the City of Edmonton with EPCOR responsible for its installation and operation, though the city would "pay EPCOR for the capital and operating costs over the term of the agreements" and administration notes that "further operational funding may be required."
• With no funding committed to preserve or upgrade the historic Hangar 11 at Blatchford, administration recommends proceeding with the sale of the property to a developer that submitted an unsolicited proposal in March 2020. The new owner would be required to designate the building as a Municipal Historic Resource.
• The High Level Line Society is seeking funding for its operations and to complete a design study for the project. Administration says $85,000 could come from the city via an operating grant or from the 2021 Council Contingency Fund.
• Administration recommends amending the Community Standards Bylaw and Public Places Bylaw to include a $1,000 fine for graffiti on private and public property without permission.

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is condemning the Nemeth report, produced as part of the Alberta government's $3.5 million inquiry into international opposition to the oilsands.

The $28,000 report, titled A New Global Paradigm: Understanding the Transnational Progressive Movement, the Energy Transition and the Great Transformation Strangling Alberta’s Petroleum Industry, criticizes Canadian media outlets and argues there has been "an unprecedented collusion of media organizations" in recent years covering climate change. Report author Tammy Nemeth claims that a "transnational progressive movement" is attempting to overthrow the "modern western industrial capitalist society."

The CAJ "rejects this conspiratorial mischaracterization of the work undertaken by Canadian climate journalists," the association said in a news release.

"Journalists have a moral obligation to clearly inform the public of any catastrophic threat, whether it's the coronavirus or climate change," said CAJ president Brent Jolly. "Reporting on climate change should not be seen as an act of advocacy; it is the telling of a very real truth that is unequivocally backed up by scientific facts."

In Episode 114 of our weekly podcast on municipal politics, hosts Troy Pavlek and Mack Male interview new city manager Andre Corbould. Listen to the full interview for more on Corbould's approach, his plans for 2021, and his take on the Talus Dome.

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Thanks to Alex of @lexography.yeg for sharing this beautiful winter photo of Edmonton with us!