The Pulse: May 14, 2021

The Edmonton Oilers will start the NHL playoffs without paying fans to boost the team's bottom line while the city's second-biggest sports franchise announced it lost $7.1 million after the CFL was sidelined in 2020 by COVID-19.

After a tough 2020 for professional sports when NHL teams lost an estimated US$720 million, the 18,500 empty seats at Rogers Place when the Oilers face the Winnipeg Jets on May 19 mean more millions of dollars in lost ticket revenue.

Ticket prices in 2017, when the team last hosted a playoff game with fans in the stands, averaged $124 for the cheapest upper bowl seats — meaning a loss of at least $2.3 million in gate receipts for each home game.

The province's ban on in-person service will cost Edmonton's restaurants, pubs, bars, and lounges the $3 million in local economic activity that Fortune magazine estimates each playoff game generates in Canada.

Also taking a financial beating from the pandemic, the EE Football Team reported revenue plunged 84% from $23.5 million in 2019 to $3.8 million last year. The team cited the loss of all ticket and concessions sales, along with sponsorships and league distributions. The Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy brought in $2.5 million to reduce the loss.

The Edmonton Sun's Terry Jones reported the club's trust fund emerged from the cancelled season untouched at $15.3 million with almost $5 million in cash on hand.

• At least 19 Edmonton-area child-care facilities are currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. The situation is putting a lot of pressure on families, reports Global News.
• The city is reducing the speed limit on most residential and downtown streets to 40km/h starting this summer.
• A new permanent beer garden is under construction downtown. The Backyard, located next to the Vignettes building on 104 Avenue, will feature local food and drink and host art installations, concert series and weekly yoga classes.
• Edmonton is mixing up its inclusive crosswalk design. This year's refresh will see the city's four pride crosswalks painted in a chevron of black, brown, light blue, pink and white to represent queer people of colour and transgender individuals.
• Seven made-in-Edmonton podcasts are up for a Canadian Podcast Award. The winners will be announced in June.
• A remastered version of Bioware's original Mass Effect trilogy launches on May 14.
• The province has updated its rules around masking exceptions to make it easier to enforce public health orders. Albertans who can't wear a mask for medical reasons will now need to carry a letter of proof from a health professional, the province announced on May 13. It also clarified the list of conditions that qualify for an exception.
• Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen called for Premier Jason Kenney to resign as party leader in an open letter issued on May 13, saying Albertans had lost trust in the premier. Loewen was subsequently booted from caucus, along with Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes, over allegations "they divided the party and undermined government leadership." Discontent has been brewing for months, reports the Edmonton Journal.

A two-day virtual celebration of all things gaming is on in Edmonton this weekend, with the aim to grow game development and culture.

The Edmonton Screen Industries Office (ESIO) and the Alberta Esports Association (AESA) have teamed up to produce Edmonton Direct on May 15-16. It will offer more than 20 tournaments where people can participate and win prizes, plus it features speakers like Trent Oster of Beamdog, and Mayor Don Iveson.

Victor Ly, president and co-founder of AESA, said the goal of Edmonton Direct is to "unify and bring visibility to the (industry), highlight talent, and focus on the games and communities here."

The global gaming market reached a value of US$167.9 billion in 2020, but according to Ly, the Alberta landscape is still "nascent and emerging." AESA is currently exploring opportunities to develop a provincial esports strategy to offer more opportunities for growth in Edmonton.

It seems like the appetite is there — a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) found that Canadians are increasing their levels of video game play to stay connected during the pandemic.

"Physically apart but socially connected — for me it really is what's keeping me sane. It always has been," said Ly.

Photo credit: Alberta Esports Association

2 Crees in a Pod, a podcast hosted by MacEwan University employees Amber Dion and Terri Suntjens, is nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award. The program is in the running for Outstanding Indigenous Series.

Dion, an assistant social work professor, and Suntjens, director of Indigenous initiatives with MacEwan's kihêw waciston, started the podcast in June 2020. Their "intention is to disrupt western colonial systems and honor Indigenous helping practices."

The duo facilitates Indigenous-led conversations with Cree community members. Each episode details the guest's accomplishments and contributions to Edmonton's Indigenous community. In the show's most recent episode, the co-hosts and guest Roberta Shepard share "a raw conversation ... about racism, discrimination and white supremacy."

During the first three seasons, the pair spoke to Kehewin Cree elder Leona Makokis, educators and sisters Noella and Patricia Steinhauer, and Northern Cree's Joel Wood, among others. There are 13 45-minute episodes per season, so if you're just starting out, there's plenty of opportunities to listen. 2 Crees in a Pod is available every Sunday wherever you get your podcasts, including on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.