The Pulse: March 16, 2021

Four cleantech companies secured a total of $395,000 at the inaugural Alberta Cleantech Investment Summit on March 11. Among them was Edmonton's EZ Ops Inc., whose technology helps equip operators to focus on top priorities for production and compliance.

The final investment amount for the company is still being determined, but EZ Ops plans to use the funds to grow its team and the impact it hopes to have on the oil and gas industry.

"It's a proud moment for the team. We are all working relentlessly to build a company that solves problems we are passionate about. It's great to be validated by investors willing to put their money to work alongside us making the world and oil and gas industry better," Brandon Ambrose, CEO of EZ Ops, told Taproot. 

"At EZ Ops we are focused on how we can use our technology and domain expertise to help frontline teams be the best they can be and in turn reduce CO2 emissions. This is a three-way win: the environment wins, the frontline teams win and the Alberta energy tech ecosystem wins through growing investment."

• "Road safety experts are cautioning Alberta to slow down a proposal to raise speed limits on highways outside its cities," reports CBC News. A bill brought forward by Spruce Grove-Stony Plain MLA Searle Turton wants to see speed limits increase on all non-urban divided highway from 110 km/h to 120 km/h.
• Close to one million Albertans will be eligible to be immunized against COVID-19 in the next three weeks, as the province ramps up its vaccination program.
• Justice Minister Kaycee Madu introduced new legislation on March 15, which would allow "Albertans to recall municipal politicians and school trustees, in addition to MLAs, making it a Canadian first."
• Michael Janz, who has served three terms as a public school board trustee, is running for city council.
• The City of Edmonton Youth Council has released a statement addressing recent events in the community that demonstrate "a pattern of larger issues rooted in intolerance, bigotry, and hate."
• Edmonton's Brendan Bottcher "won curling’s version of the Battle of Alberta on (March 14) at the Canadian men’s curling championship." It's his first time winning the Tim Hortons Brier title.
• EPCOR has announced it will provide an additional $1 million through its Heart + Soul Fund for arts, cultural, and charitable organizations, "bringing EPCOR's total investment in community relief and recovery efforts to $3 million since the pandemic began."

On the heels of a sold-out Flying Canoe Volant this year, it’s clear Edmontonians will be eager for opportunities to gather and enjoy the outdoors, especially as temperatures rise.

The two largest food-related festivals, the Taste of Edmonton and Heritage Festival, have not yet received the green light to proceed this summer. But organizers of both events are ready to modify their plans based on public health guidelines.

Taste of Edmonton had planned to return to Churchill Square from July 22 – August 1, and already put out a call for food truck vendors in January.

Events Edmonton General Manager Donovan Vienneau is confident the area can safely accommodate patrons. "We’ve got a rather large space, probably the biggest in history. We’ve also implemented a six-foot gap between each of the restaurant tents,” he said.

Edmonton Transit Service is undergoing a slew of changes in 2021. Transit users saw fare hikes come into effect at the start of February, and later that month the department welcomed a new branch manager, Carrie Hotton-MacDonald.

One of the biggest changes is the redesign of the bus network that will come into effect on April 25. The new design will close many bus stops, open a few new ones, and also introduces on-demand shuttle buses to replace regular buses in some residential areas.

According to City of Edmonton data, 380 new stops will be created, mostly in developing areas around the edges of the city. Meanwhile, 1,653 stops are closing across the city, though some are in areas that will be instead served by on-demand transit.

While not everyone is happy with the cuts, city officials have said the network changes will focus on high-use routes, prioritizing frequency over walking distance to the nearest bus stop. Hotton-MacDonald told Taproot's Speaking Municipally that part of the idea is to simplify the network in order to build on it later.