The Pulse: July 23, 2021

Edmonton's economic restart is bringing treats to downtown, workers back to offices, and reconnecting the city to the world. At the same time, local companies are struggling with supply shortages, and energy consumers are learning they will foot the bill for relief programs.

Taste of Edmonton kicked off July 22 with new COVID-19 precautions in place, including reduced capacity, hand sanitizing stations, and designated seating areas for eating and drinking. Masks are recommended when moving around the site. Organizers have partnered with downtown hotels like the JW Marriott Ice District to offer discounted food tickets with the cost of a room.

The number of vendors has fallen from 69 in 2019 to 52 this year as some local restaurants skipped the event over concerns about safety and the financial risks of a deadline in December to commit to participating. "Taste of Edmonton is a really great promotional event that is good in the summer, but this year with the pandemic and sales being down, it is really hard to justify the higher fees that go in with it," Henry Song, owner of Buok Fresh Korean Kitchen, told CTV News.

Companies are testing return to work strategies and AltaML's plan includes colour-coded wrist bands to alert co-workers about comfort levels with personal contact. "I would say safety is the number one priority and we're being accommodating to any individual to make sure that their experience back in the office is as comfortable as possible," chief of staff Keri Smith told CTV News.

• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is advising Edmontonians to stay off the North Saskatchewan River, as a planned release from the Bighorn Dam is expected to increase water flow and levels.
• Gun crime in Edmonton is increasing. Gun seizures are up 16% from 2020 and Edmonton Police Service responded to 14 shootings in June alone.
• One person was taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a food vendor's stall during Taste of Edmonton on Thursday. The cause of the fire is unknown.
• A building under construction in west Edmonton collapsed following stormy weather and high winds on Wednesday evening. Emergency crews were called to the site at 184 Street and 126 Avenue. No one was injured.
• Canadian Muslims are marking a sombre Eid-ul-Adha this week. While some people are hesitant about celebrating in person, many are still reeling from the murder of a family in London, Ont. and a spate of attacks on Muslim women in Edmonton earlier this year.
• Seven craft breweries have joined forces to create a new walkable brewery district called Happy Beer Street in the industrial area south of Whyte Avenue.
• Edmonton space scientist and astronaut candidate Dr. Shawna Pandya is excited about the new era of accessibility being ushered in by this week's Blue Origin space flight.
• The province is committing $2.8 million to support the healing of residential school survivors and their families. The new Residential School Mental Health Support Grant Program will allocate grants of up to $50,000 each.

Exhausted from July's record heat waves? It turns out pollinators are, too. In Heat Wave Hive Inspection, Terra Informa dives deep into how record-breaking temperatures have impacted even the smallest Edmontonians, with beekeeper Dylan Hall explaining to hosts Elizabeth Dowdell and Hannah Cunningham how climate change impacts life of all sizes.

The Terra Informa team is dedicated to making "environmental intricacies of the world around us" accessible to the public. Now in Season 10 at CJSR, Edmonton's campus and community radio station, and broadcasting to over 50 communities across Canada, the show has covered issues such as Indigenous fishing livelihoods, water rights, and rising global temperatures in recent months.

This award-winning project is one of CJSR's longest running shows, launched by Paul Reikie and Tara Irwin in 2003. Among its alumni is Taproot contributor and People's Agenda listening sessions host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips, who started out as a reporter on the show 10 years ago and is now CJSR's podcasting co-ordinator.

As well as playing on CJSR every Tuesday at 5 pm, you can catch Terra Informa on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and their website.

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