The Pulse: Feb. 2, 2021

Brass Dome Ventures Ltd. and the University of Alberta have teamed up to launch Innovation Masterminds Edmonton (imYEG), an industry-led accelerator program to support and mentor university-based innovators as they work towards commercialization.

The free program will initially be open to U of A based innovators, but it hopes to expand to other Edmonton post-secondary institutions. It is backed by the federal government through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), with an investment of $700,550.

"We support innovators right from the inception of their idea or discovery, providing them with assessment and mentorship to advance innovative ideas to the market. imYEG provides innovators with access to the Council of Founders, which is made up of industry leaders from diverse sectors who volunteer their time to support the acceleration of innovative ideas," Brass Dome Ventures wrote in an introductory post.

• Mayor Don Iveson said he isn't in a rush to reopen recreation centres on Feb. 8. "My inclination would be not at this stage — I don’t think it would be cost-effective for us. But ultimately that decision will come from city officials who are looking at the options, even as we speak," he told media on Feb. 1.
• City council's community and public services committee will consider a draft bylaw this week that could see people fined for feeding wildlife in the city.
• Any Albertan who has to self-isolate due to COVID-19 can now access free hotel rooms, the provincial government announced on Feb. 1.
• Growing global electric car sales could be beneficial for Alberta, reports CBC News. "It's essentially using infrastructure that's already in place," said Roy Eccles, a senior consultant with Apex Geoscience in Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Football Team has hired Jaime Elizondo as its new head coach, following the departure of Scott Milanovich, who left for the NFL.

Editor's note: An earlier version of the headline about the Edmonton Football Team coach incorrectly said "NHL" instead of "NFL".

If you've been thinking, "Gee, there hasn't been much snow this winter," you would be correct.

As Edmonton Weather Nerdery's January 2021 review indicates, Edmonton has accumulated 49.5 cm of snow so far this winter, quite a bit below the 30-year average of 68 cm for this time of year.

Edmonton has seen less snow than other major cities across Canada, too. Our neighbours in Calgary have seen almost twice as much snow as we have, at 93.4 cm, and St. John's is way ahead of us at 123 cm. Toronto is currently close to our average snowfall right now with 65.8 cm.

Flurries are said to be heading our way this week, but even with less snow than usual, it looks like we'll still have a seasonally appropriate atmosphere for this year's winter festivals. Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Fête is set to go ahead from Feb. 5 to 14, and the Silver Skate Festival is on from Feb. 12 to 21. Both have altered their usual offering to ensure safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, the provincial government announced that due to declining hospitalizations, certain restrictions would be lifted. This includes permitting in-person dining as of Feb. 8 assuming hospitalizations remain below 600.

The guidelines in place are similar to those introduced back in November and limit six individuals to a table from the same household or two close contacts for those living alone. Liquor service must also end at 10pm and in-person dining by 11pm. A new requirement is for establishments to collect contact information from one person in the dining party.

Some restaurants have already announced that they will be opening on Feb. 8, including Braven and Dalla. Others, such as Pho Tau Bay, are gearing up to open in March.