The Pulse: May 28, 2021

Alberta's plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions on businesses by late June or early July is seen as key to reviving Edmonton's struggling tourism sector and bringing workers back to areas like the city's hard-hit downtown.

Daniel St. Pierre of Explore Edmonton said the city's $2 billion a year tourism industry lost up to 80% of its revenue during the pandemic.

"The impacts have been significant. Tourism as an industry was the first hit, it will likely end up being the hardest hit and it will take the longest to recover," he told CTV Edmonton, while welcoming a provincial announcement to allow businesses to keep tourism levies for an additional three months.

The Alberta government also plans to lift the work-from-home order when Stage 2 begins, which is currently projected for mid-June. The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce applauded that decision as giving a boost to businesses in commercial and industrial centres, and the downtown core. "Many businesses operate on thin margins and depend heavily on foot traffic, so they are especially vulnerable to the ripple effects of lockdowns and changing guidelines," CEO Janet Riopel said in a news release.

Janet Candido, founder of human resources firm Candido Consulting Group, said workers returning to the office may find changes from pre-pandemic times. "I think we're going to see more flexibility and more hybrid situations,'" she told the Edmonton Journal.

Even if the province's "open for summer" rollout proceeds as planned, some business owners will likely not be back in operation for months. Kristoffer Harvey, the owner of The Chvrch of John, said getting a live performance venue like his up and running is a massive undertaking. "As venues, we've been chatting together more about ... September ... but again, a big puzzle piece is touring artists, bands, even if they're Canadian, them being able to come in," he told City News.

• Mayor Don Iveson is blaming the province for the deaths of four vulnerable residents last week. He said a lack of investment in permanent, supportive housing was "now costing lives."
• The city is investing $10 million in grant funding to develop 124 affordable housing units at four different locations across Edmonton. The city is more than halfway to meeting its goal of creating 2,500 affordable housing units by 2022.
• As festival organizers continue to release their plans, Mayor Don Iveson said that large events are not guaranteed this summer. He said the city would be issuing permits based on vaccination and hospitalization rates.
• Fitness businesses are once again feeling left out of the province's reopening plan, reports CTV News. Under the new plan, gyms and fitness classes won't reopen until Stage 2.
• The federal government announced funding for two Edmonton organizations helping young people who face barriers to employment. NorQuest College is receiving over $7 million for its Autism CanTech! project, and The EmployAbilities Society of Alberta is receiving over $3 million.

In a big week for the oil industry, Suncor revealed a new net-zero emissions plan, global oil producers with major Alberta operations lost battles over climate change, the Canadian association representing drilling contractors dropped the word "oilwell drilling" from its name and a former top Edmonton economic development leader started a new branding role with the Alberta government.

• Suncor promised to cut its absolute emissions by 10 megatons per year by 2030, about 30% lower than 2019 emissions of 29 megatonnes. "We have set a new strategic objective to become a net-zero carbon emissions company by 2050 on emissions produced in running our facilities, including those we have a working interest in," CEO Mark Little said in the Financial Post.
• A Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels in a landmark case brought by climate activism groups, CBC News reported. The company's Alberta assets include the Scotford refinery east of Edmonton and the Albian oilsands mines near Fort McMurray.
• Exxon Mobil's shareholders voted to replace at least two of the company's 12 board members with directors who are seen as better suited to fight climate change, bolster Exxon's finances and guide it through a transition to cleaner energy, the Associated Press reported. In Alberta, the majority owner of Imperial Oil operates the Strathcona Refinery and holds a 25%-stake in Syncrude.
• The Calgary-based Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors has replaced the word "oilwell drilling" in its name with "energy" to attract new members, CBC Calgary reported.
• In Alberta government news, former Edmonton Economic Development Corporation CEO Brad Ferguson announced he was taking on the role of assistant deputy minister for the environmental, social, and governance secretariat. "This is an important undertaking for Alberta's brand & reputation and for the S/M/L-Term competitiveness of our economy," Ferguson tweeted.

Photo credit: Suncor

Beginning today, May 28, Edmontonians can consume alcohol in select public parks as part of a City of Edmonton pilot project. While there will still be "a prohibition on alcohol consumption in a majority of park areas," residents can pick from 47 picnic sites in seven parks to enjoy a drink. Park-goers will be allowed to drink between 9am and 11pm at those sites until Oct. 11.

• City council passed a motion at the end of January to "conduct public engagement to identify picnic sites within city parks" that could be viable for the pilot program. On May 3, the project was approved.
  • An online survey available from Feb. 22 to March 7 gathered reactions from the public. With 15,554 respondents, it saw the second-highest survey response in Edmonton's history.
  • There were 71% respondents who strongly or somewhat supported the initiative, while those opposed were largely concerned with safety, including an "increase in disorderly behaviour" and the "potential for drinking and driving."
• A long-time proponent of the pilot, Councillor Jon Dziadyk will hold a press event at one of Rundle Park's picnic sites to mark the launch of the pilot. At 11am, Dziadyk will be the first Edmontonian to take a legal sip in a public park. As reflected in the city's survey, many Edmontonians are eager to participate but others are still choosing to opt out of the pilot.
  • "This delights me. Not because I plan on doing a drinking tour of Edmonton parks ... but because it was draconian and puritanically that we couldn't before," said one Edmontonian on Twitter.
  • "Promotion of alcohol consumption in parks where children are. Seems like the correct mindset of Edmonton," tweeted another. "Fire the entire city council."
• The pilot launches two weeks after the anniversary of the end of Prohibition in Alberta. On May 13, 1924, Edmontonians were allowed to break their dry spell after eight years.

Graphic by Jackson Spring

The Edmonton Public Library's Overdue Finds hosts "conversations about books, movies, music, pop culture and other great things happening in Edmonton." It was recently nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award for outstanding artwork, after taking home the award for best branded series in 2019.

The podcast features senior marketing consultant Bryce Crittenden and manager Caroline Land. They're aiming to help people learn more about what can be found at the library.

No two episodes are the same, with topics ranging from LGBTQ2S+ Reads, Game of Thrones, and Dungeons and Dragons, to an episode offering suggestions for great things that aren't on Netflix, and most recently, the best and worst parents in pop culture. Other episodes include their annual March Madness brackets, where listeners can vote on each year's "best of" in a variety of pop culture categories. This year's edition saw 43,000 participants crown Moana as "best character" out of 64 fictional candidates.

Overdue Finds released its 82nd hour-long episode in early May. You can listen weekly via EPL's website and most podcasting platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.