The Pulse: June 25, 2021

Edmonton city council will vote on a bylaw amendment on June 25 that if passed, would suspend local rules requiring masks in indoor public spaces beginning July 1.

However, if certain conditions are met, the rules would be reinstated automatically, without requiring a vote.

The amendment to the temporary mandatory face coverings bylaw was first introduced at council on June 22, when a first and second reading passed with a narrow 7-6 vote. A third reading was delayed until June 25.

At the June 22 meeting, the city's administration presented council with several options for amending the bylaw, one of which was to repeal the bylaw entirely. This would mean that if council wanted to institute local mask requirements in the future, council would have to go through another bylaw enactment process.

However, council is voting on another option, which is to deactivate the bylaw on July 1, in conjunction with Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan, which lifts province-wide mask mandates except in continuing care facilities, on public transit, and in taxis or ride-share vehicles. Deactivating the bylaw would also lift local mask requirements, but with a provision that if conditions change and the province returns to an earlier stage of the reopening plan, or if the chief medical officer of health issues an order requiring masks, the local rules would be reinstated automatically. This was administration's recommended option.

"We believe that the ability to reactivate provides the flexibility needed if (COVID-19) and the variants of concern surge, or if there is an emerging waveform," said city manager Andre Corbould.

Patricia Hutchison, a spokesperson for the City of Edmonton, told Taproot that conditions have been built into bylaws in the past.

"We have had situations where we've temporarily paused an activity regulated by a bylaw, such as the issuance of certain types of licenses or permits," Hutchison said in an emailed statement. "Just as council can decide when a bylaw becomes effective, council can write in provisions that set criteria for how the rules in a bylaw are applied."

• The University of Alberta's Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology (IPIA) has partnered with the Enoch Cree First Nation and Papaschase First Nation to search for unmarked burial sites. It is also working with Poundmaker's Lodge in St. Albert, which sits on the grounds of the former Edmonton Indian Residential School.
• Two Muslim sisters wearing hijabs were violently attacked by a man uttering racial slurs in a St. Albert park on Wednesday. Mayor Don Iveson issued a statement calling for stronger hate laws following the hate-motivated attack, which is under investigation by the St. Albert RCMP.
• City councillor and mayoral candidate Mike Nickel will not be reprimanded for violating the council code of conduct. Sanctions against councillors require a two-thirds majority and the motion was defeated by a margin of 7-4.
• City council approved the rezoning of the Rossdale Power Plant at its meeting on Wednesday — a first step toward revitalizing the area. Plans for entertainment and commercial use will be presented to council in the fall, following the municipal election.
• More than 30 tickets have been issued for illegal drinking in public since the start of the city's alcohol consumption pilot project. To better educate Edmontonians, the city is deploying signs at park where alcohol is not permitted.
• Pride Centre Edmonton volunteer coordinator Cindy Rivers spoke to Global News about the many hurdles faced by trans people in Alberta. Rivers came out as trans herself at the age of 30 in northern Alberta.
• Renowned oncologist, Dr. Anthony Fields, was elected MacEwan University's first chancellor. He will work to build the university's profile.
• Two large-scale public art installations are up for international awards. Agent Crystalline Pavilion and Mezzo have been nominated for a CODAworx award. Public voting is open until June 30.

Edmonton's housing market could withstand major interest rate hikes without home prices reaching the overvalued stage that poses a risk for homebuyers in Canada's hot markets, according to new research by the organization representing Alberta's credit unions.

While slowing sales and flattened price predictions nationally have raised whether the Canadian market is cooling or crashing, Alberta Central found Edmonton ranked as the most affordable city among eight major markets, followed by Calgary and Winnipeg. Toronto was rated the least affordable city in Canada.

"Looking at valuation and affordability in Canada's main cities, the current record low interest rates environment is the main force keeping affordability high," said chief economist Charles St-Arnaud, warning that even small mortgage rate increases could "generate significant headwinds on some housing markets and house prices."

Even a 5% increase in borrowing rates would still leave Edmonton's ratio of mortgage payments relative to income well below the overvalued threshold. "The housing market will probably be the first casualty of higher rates," St-Arnaud, who previously worked at the Bank of Canada, told the Financial Post.

Starting July 1 with the lifting of provincial COVID-19 restrictions, real estate agents are being advised to keep track of varying municipal requirements for wearing masks and expect some sellers will still want to limit the number of people in a home during showings.

City council's urban planning committee officially endorsed the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy on June 16, with a $5 million investment from the city. Puneeta McBryan, the Downtown Business Association (DBA)'s executive director, has watched the strategy evolve since 2020 and said she is optimistic for the future of downtown.

"I think the only way we can be successful downtown is to really think about downtown as a whole, and as an ecosystem, and think about the big picture of ultimately what makes downtown great and vibrant," McBryan told Taproot's Speaking Municipally.

While the association is not spearheading the project, it is one of a few major partners. McBryan and the DBA work to "increase the vitality – both real and perceived – of the downtown core of Edmonton."

McBryan addressed concerns that the strategy is vague, telling Taproot the steps are "really much more of a framework to guide how they're going to get this funding out the door."

Improvements to downtown Edmonton are vital to McBryan and the DBA, as the small area makes up 9% of the city's tax base.

"There is so much on the line here for our city's economic future," McBryan said in a Twitter thread on June 15. "While I had hoped for a bigger ... investment, I'm stoked to have the city's support and partnership in building back (downtown) better than ever."

While McBryan struggles with the fact that this funding does not include plans to tackle the opioid crisis, she said the initiative is focused on "positive momentum, vibrancy, patios being reopen, events and (the) return to work."

Combatting the crisis comes down to provincial jurisdiction, thus the DBA is "looking at equipping (local businesses) with Narcan wherever possible."

The strategy's proposed 20 actions include street cleaning, litter collection, welcome packages for new residents, and downtown safety.

Photo: Mack Male/Flickr

After a four year hiatus, the Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) Podcast has released its second season. The show explores "themes of neighbourhoods, immigration, 2SLGBTQIA+ histories through conversations with community members." As well as releasing new episodes every Saturday through August, the podcast is now broadcast on CJSR FM 88.5 on Friday evenings.

Hosts for the season range widely in personality, expertise, and background. Russell Cobb specializes in immigration history, Kendra Cowley in queer history, and Gian Marco Visconti in neighbourhood histories. Local artist and gay activist Darrin Hagen, Alberta professional planner Wesley Andreas, and "ecologically inspired designer" Dustin Bajer contributed their unique perspectives on Edmonton's history for Season 2's first episode.

The ECAMP project, launched in 2013, is "an initiative of the Edmonton Heritage Council that explores the history of our city through story." Each episode will "keep you company during your commute on the LRT, while you shovel the front walk, or during a walk the river valley" and are available via Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

You can listen to podcast picks from Taproot on Listen Notes or Spotify.