The Pulse: May 6, 2021

Mayor Don Iveson delivered his final State of the City address on May 5, reflecting on his first address seven years ago when he predicted Edmonton would become "one of the best places to take a risk, to innovate, to launch ideas."

"I stand here today, confident that we've done that," Iveson said. "Now, more than ever, we're building something extraordinary on the banks of the North Saskatchewan."

Iveson said that Edmontonians are primarily responsible for the positive changes he has witnessed — through collaboration and a willingness to innovate. He also credited city council with moving forward on the expansion of the LRT network, other infrastructure projects like neighbourhood renewal and new bridges, climate initiatives, and partnerships with neighbouring municipalities.

Last fall, Iveson announced he would not be running in the municipal election this October. He noted that he has "unfinished business" at city hall that will be left in the hands of future city councils.

Currently only one of the city’s four LRT projects is fully operational. While the Valley Line Southeast is set to be up and running later this year, construction on the Valley Line West hasn't started, and the southern extension of the Capital Line is still in need of funding.

LRT expansion was a top priority for council, and Iveson said council has largely delivered on that promise.

"We’ve done more during the past seven years to build out the LRT network than any mayor and council have done in the history of this city put together," he said, noting both the actual construction of new lines and the city’s successful effort to secure permanent federal funding for future projects.

• Edmonton city councillor Bev Esslinger was recognized with a Women of Influence in Local Government Award for her "efforts to increase the participation of women in the public conversation."
• Long-time Edmonton broadcaster Daryl McIntyre joins 630 CHED Mornings as the new co-host. He replaces Shaye Ganam, who is set to host a new an Alberta-wide talk show on 630 CHED from 9am to noon.
• NorQuest installed Carolyn Campbell as its new president and CEO during a virtual ceremony on May 5. During her address, Campbell detailed her vision for the college and highlighted "the importance of the institution’s Indigenization efforts."
• The province will provide financial assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses affected by COVID-19 and public health measures, the Edmonton Journal reports. A $10,000 grant will be available for businesses that have experienced at least a 30% decline in revenue over the past year.
• As of May 10, all Albertans aged 12 and up will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. To avoid overwhelming the booking system, the rollout will be implemented in two steps, with those aged 30 and up able to book an appointment as early as May 6. This week Health Canada cleared the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 and up.
• An emergency debate was held in the House of Commons on May 5 to discuss the Alberta government's handling of the pandemic. Edmonton NDP MP Heather McPherson criticized Premier Jason Kenney's leadership and asked the federal government to direct more vaccines to the province's hot spots.

In the initial version of today's headlines, we misspelled the names of Coun. Bev Esslinger and NorQuest president and CEO Carolyn Campbell. We regret the error.

Along with the dozens of feel-better initiatives intended to brighten COVID-laden consciences, civic enthusiasm for public art projects is burgeoning. A far cry from the historic whinging about pricy installations like the Talus Dome, COVID's forcing of outdoor play has encouraged an appreciation for a plethora of free, accessible art.

Beyond the giant humanoids that towered over the core in the winter months, and the illuminated rabbits (wâpos) that spent Easter in Beaver Hills House Park, rogue one-offs are appearing in the river valley, and smaller-scale displays are cropping up downtown, too.

Among those are this week's unveiling of Mamanaw Pekiskwewina/Mother Tongues: amiskwacîwâskahikan, a visual celebration of the ancestral languages of Treaty 6 — those being Inuktun (Inuvialakun and Inuktitut), Nêhiyawêwin (Cree), Nitsiipowahsiin (Blackfoot), Michif, Denesųłiné, Nahkawiwin, and Nakota.

Like the aforementioned wâpos installation, Mother Tongues is part of Downtown Spark and is supported by Calgary's TRUCK Contemporary Art, where curator Missy LeBlanc originally conceived the idea.

On this day in 1930, basketball fans in Edmonton were celebrating yet another championship for the Edmonton Grads.

The fabled women's basketball team orchestrated a comeback win against Chicago to retain the Underwood North American championship title. At the time, the Edmonton Bulletin's Bill Lewis called it the "greatest triumph of their long and scintillating career."

The Edmonton Grads are now acknowledged as one of the most dominant teams in the history of sport. But they came from very humble beginnings. In 1914, then-teacher and future Alberta lieutenant governor J. Percy Page began a basketball program at McDougall Commercial High School. Despite knowing little of the sport, he became the coach of the girls' team. After graduation, many of the women wanted to continue playing and formed the Commercial Graduates Basketball Club. They asked Page to continue being their coach.

The newly formed team won their first national championship in 1922 and went on to become a juggernaut in women's basketball. They're generally accepted to have played about 500 games between 1922 and 1940, losing only 20 of them. While women's basketball wasn't an Olympic sport at the time, the team was invited to play international exhibition tournaments during the Games in 1924, 1928, and 1936. They went undefeated every time. Even then, the team was holding its practices in the evenings as the players still held full-time jobs. In 1936, James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, called them "the best team to ever play the game."

The team spawned stars like Noella Belanger, Noel MacDonald Robertson, and Gladys Fry Douglas, and it remained at the height of the sport until the Grads were disbanded in 1940. World War II meant international tournaments were frequently cancelled, the team's practice space was taken over to train combat pilots, and attendance dwindled. The Underwood Trophy, which the Grads won 17 years in a row, was permanently awarded to them.

While the Edmonton Grads are now a part of history, the impact the team made continues to this day. Their athleticism and determination helped dispel the myth that sports were too strenuous for women. Countless young basketball players were inspired by the success of the team. And Edmonton maintains its connection to the sport to this day, serving as host to the national women's team leading up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

This is based on a clipping found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse — follow @VintageEdmonton for daily ephemera via Twitter.

• Brian Webb Dance Company (BWDC) is presenting Ballet Edmonton's digital debut of Persistence of Memory, new work by Wen Wei Wang, online from May 3-8.
• The Art Gallery of St. Albert presents High Energy 26, featuring the work of students at St. Albert high schools. The exhibit is available online May 6-26. Guided virtual tours are also planned for May 14-20.
• Catalyst Theatre is streaming The Transformers, a series of short films commissioned by local theatre artists Chris Dodd, Kristi Hansen, and Rebecca Sadowski.
• Alberta Ballet Online is running digital dance films with company dancers performing in unexpected settings across the province.