The Pulse: Aug. 23, 2021

The devastating effects of climate change have become more clear than ever over the past few years, urging Edmonton and other cities around the world to aggressively curb their carbon emissions.

In April 2021, city council approved a plan with an ambitious idea — what if Edmonton budgeted for carbon emissions the same way it handles its money?

Building a carbon budget is part of a revised 10-year plan called the Community Energy Transition Strategy to help the city tackle climate change by increasing renewable energy sources, reducing carbon emissions from transportation, making buildings more energy-efficient, and increasing carbon capture.

• Federal Conservative leader Erin O'Toole made a campaign stop in Edmonton on Saturday morning, where he promised more support for disabled Canadians. O'Toole said he would increase the disability supplement of the Canada Workers Benefit from $713 to $1,500, if elected in September.
• Caleb Reimer, a forward with the Edmonton Oil Kings junior hockey team, was among the three teenaged hockey players who died in a car crash in Surrey early Saturday morning.
• Thursday's game between the Edmonton Elks and the Argonauts has been postponed by the CFL, after several Edmonton players tested positive for COVID-19. The Elks cannot practice or travel until the team is cleared by the league's chief medical officers.
• Two Edmonton sisters are trying to save their brother who is currently hiding in Afghanistan. Their brother used to work for NATO and the U.S. Army, CBC News reports. Meanwhile, an Edmonton resident is trying to help an Afghan family he met 10 years ago flee Kabul.
• The daughter of a fallen firefighter has set up a GoFund Me to cover part of the costs to replace the bronze plaques stolen from the Edmonton Firefighters Memorial last month. Meanwhile, two bronze plaques were removed from the cenotaph at the Norwood Legion Branch 178.
• A group of seniors in Strathearn gathered outside the northwest corner of 92nd Street and 95th Avenue to protest LRT landscaping plans. The group is opposed to TransEd's plan to plant a grass strip between businesses and the city-owned sidewalk, stating it will make the area less accessible.
• Infill developers are fighting back against a revised tree protection bylaw. The bylaw, which will be presented to the urban planning committee on Tuesday, recommends preservation or protection plans for construction projects near trees, with an associated cost of up to $300 per permit.
• The University of Alberta's Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA) has expressed concerns over the university's plan to rely on volunteers for rapid testing of staff, faculty and students, when classes resume in September.
• Alberta Health Services will invoke emergency staffing provisions this week to recall staff from vacation and force them to work overtime, as a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations puts pressure on Edmonton and South Zone hospitals.

Here are some of the items city council will discuss at committee meetings this week:

• The Minimum Emergency Shelter Standard aims to increase accessibility and utilization of emergency shelters, though the city's ability to regulate the standards is limited. The report suggests that "increased resources and support from the Government of Alberta ... would be critical to success."
• About 5% of the North Saskatchewan River watershed upstream of Edmonton is currently held by coal leases which "does pose a risk" to the city's sole source of drinking water. A risk assessment of upstream coal mining conducted by EPCOR indicates that in the event of a catastrophic mine failure, "there would be an extreme impact on downstream water quality." Administration recommends further review to determine the need for a formal watershed management plan.
• Executive committee will consider the below market sale of two affordable housing sites that would result in 66 new units of affordable housing in the Garneau and Queen Alexandra neighbourhoods. They'll also look at a long-term land lease with GEF Seniors Housing that would result in 40-60 units of mixed-income, seniors affordable housing.
• An update on district planning outlines administration's intended shift away from neighbourhood-level planning for implementation of the City Plan. Administration proposes 15 district plans and a district general policy to create "a simplified, consistent, and nimble policy landscape ... necessary to support future growth." The plans are scheduled to be brought to a public hearing by the end of 2022.
• A proposed update to the Edmonton Design Committee Bylaw would provide administration with the ability to exempt certain projects from review, and makes changes to the structure of the committee.
• A proposed update to the Naming Municipal Assets Policy includes new language to better reflect equity and inclusion "with prioritization and focus on Indigenous place names."
• The City of Edmonton currently has roughly 160 peace officers. In the first half of the year, officers responded to more than 38,000 events with 315 of those documented as use of force incidents. Five formal complaints were filed against officers in that time.

Meetings are streamed live on city council's YouTube channel.

Photo: The new Herb Jamieson emergency shelter, currently under construction, is expected to open in October 2021 with 400 beds. (Hope Mission)

Last week, city council rejected a proposal from Regency Developments to add another 250 units to the Holyrood Gardens project at 83 Street and 93 Avenue. The development was approved in 2018 with a total of 1,200 units.

It's the second time this year the company has attempted to increase the size of the development.

Administration supported the updated application arguing it would be a "positive contribution to residential infill and transit oriented development in accordance with the City Plan."

The proposal failed on its first reading. Councillors Tony Caterina, Jon Dziadyk, Bev Esslinger, Mohinder Banga, and Tim Cartmell voted in favour, while Andrew Knack, Scott McKeen, Aaron Paquette, Michael Walters, and Mayor Don Iveson were opposed. Sarah Hamilton, Ben Henderson, and Mike Nickel were absent for the vote.

"This sends a message that developers don't run carte blanche over the city," Troy Pavlek argued in Episode 143 of Speaking Municipally. "You can't just say 'City Plan' three times fast and get your project approved."

Regency COO Raj Dhunna told CBC News the decision "definitely put the entire phase two at risk." He argued the market has changed since the original approval in 2018. The Holyrood Development Committee spoke against the new proposal, saying a deal is a deal.

"Had it gone ahead, it would have been yet another example of how public engagement and community consultation is meaningless," said Mack Male, Pavlek's co-host on Speaking Municipally.

"It would have been a huge slap-in-the-face to the community had it gone ahead."

Photo: A 3D rendering of the project as approved in June 2018. (City of Edmonton)

• The Mother Tree Rhythm Circles will present Open Minds Drum Circle at Root 107 on Aug. 23. The experimental music-making session is open to all skill levels — participants need to bring a hand drum, chair, and water.
• Edmonton Public Library and the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) will facilitate an online workshop about financial literacy, investing, and avoiding fraud on Aug. 24.
• Startup Edmonton is offering a virtual workshop called Business Model 101 on Aug. 26, where entrepreneurs will learn to map out business ideas using the Lean Canvas tool.
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs is hosting a course on Aug. 26 for women who want to start a podcast for their business. The session will guide attendees through the process of creating a podcast for Apple and Spotify, the importance of a consistent posting schedule, and recommendations on music and technology.
• S.E.E.D.S. is a weekly program out of Al-Rashid Mosque dedicated to educating women about violence, trauma, resilience, and self-esteem. Courses run every Friday, including Aug. 27, from 6pm-8pm with babysitting provided.

Photo: (Deborah Bortscher/The Mother Tree Rhythm Circles)