The Pulse: Feb. 23, 2021

Future Fields has been named one of 40 finalists for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) pitch event, set to take place virtually on March 17-18. More than 500 companies applied to pitch across eight categories — selection is based on the technological innovation brought to each companies respective field.

“Our selection as a finalist in SXSW Pitch 2021 validates that we are on our way to becoming the global technology enabler for this next agricultural revolution from right here in Edmonton. The cost of cell growth media remains the biggest barrier to the commercialization of cellular agriculture, and our product is the key to unleashing this industry," said Lejjy Gafour, one of the three co-founders of Future Fields.

• City council has approved an agreement framework with Prairie Sky Gondola, which means the project can proceed to the design stage. The vote was 8-5, and the approval framework is non-binding.
• In a written statement sent late Monday afternoon, Premier Jason Kenney condemned the racist elements and symbolism of the weekend protest against public health measures. "Prominent racists promoted Saturday's protest at the legislature, and individuals attended the event from known hate groups like the 'Soldiers of Odin' and 'Urban Infidels.' I condemn these voices of bigotry in the strongest possible terms," he said.
• At Monday's COVID-19 newser, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said no decision will be made before March 1 about the next step in lifting restrictions, due to an upward trend in cases.
• The provincial government will present a new budget this Thursday, and Premier Jason Kenney said there will not be any new taxes introduced.
• Michael Janz, current public trustee for Ward F, announced he will not seek a fourth term this fall. "I’ll be organizing trustee training workshops over the next few months for interested candidates across Edmonton and across the country to learn more and get involved," he said on his website.
• A meteor lit up the ski early in the morning on Monday. Check out videos and accounts of the bright fireball from CBC.

Western Living released its 14th annual Foodies of the Year list, and though it is heavily represented by candidates from B.C., several Edmontonians were recognized for their contributions to the local food scene.

Journalist Liane Faulder, who covered the food beat for more than a decade at the Edmonton Journal, is among the honorees. She continues to cover the arts scene for the publication, in addition to the odd food-related story.

Also on the list are the trio behind Meuwly’s, Peter Keith, Will Kotowicz, and Glendon Tan. They just celebrated the fourth birthday of their Secret Meat Club venture, which eventually led to opening their 124 Street storefront.

The number of daily active cases of COVID-19 in Edmonton continues to drop, with 1,028 cases reported on Feb. 21, a level we haven't seen since early October.

This is good news, and chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw shared more good news on Monday, noting a sharp decline in long-term care cases, a decrease in acute care outbreaks, and a downward trend in cases in school-aged children.

But she also called for continuing vigilance, noting the steady rise in cases of the more infectious variants, a provincial R-value of 1.03 (0.93 in Edmonton), and the fact that it will take months for vaccination to be widespread.

"Our choices still deeply matter. Our cases are starting to plateau instead of continuing to drop," she said at Monday's news conference. "If given the chance, this virus will spread widely, and we risk losing the gains that we have made together."

As a result, even though hospitalizations are at 324, no decisions will be made before March 1 on whether it's safe to move on to Step 2 of the provincial reopening plan, she said.

This chart was generated from the City of Edmonton's open data portal.