The Pulse: Sept. 20, 2021

The nomination period for this year's municipal election ends on Sept. 20 at noon, kicking off the final leg of the campaign for city council just as the federal election draws to a close.

"The conclusion of the federal election signals what I'd call the 'really real' start date of the municipal election," Troy Pavlek said on Episode 147 of Speaking Municipally, Taproot's municipal affairs podcast.

Most candidates who intend to run have already filed their papers, as nominations opened back in January. The final list of candidates who will be on the ballot is to be released on Sept. 22 at noon.

Taproot has been inviting candidates to complete a 30-question, multiple-choice survey drawn from issues we heard about through our People's Agenda project. Here's what we have heard so far:

• Mayor
• Anirniq
• Dene
• Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
• Karhiio
• Métis
• Nakota Isga
• O'day-min
• papastew
• pihêsiwin
• sipiwiyiniwak
• Sspomitapi
• tastawiyiniwak

• The City of Edmonton will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for residents accessing indoor facilities, such as recreation centres, as of today. Proof of a single dose will be accepted until Oct. 25.
• Mayor Don Iveson signed a letter, along with 17 other mayors, urging the federal parties to take action on housing and homelessness. The group is calling for a housing strategy, investment in supportive housing units, and the expansion of rental assistance programs.
• A rare type of zebra was born at the Edmonton Valley Zoo last week. The zoo is part of an international coordinated breeding program for Grevy's zebras. The species is endangered with fewer than 2,000 left in the wild.
• As bars and restaurants scrambled to prepare for the province's new vaccine passport program, retailers were cut out of the program over the weekend. The province's website states that public access to retail, shopping malls and food courts "is necessary for daily living."
• The leaders of four unions representing thousands of health-care workers are imploring Premier Jason Kenney to seek military assistance to deal with the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases. This comes as Alberta Health Services publicly released its triage protocols and approached other provinces for help. On Wednesday, Premier Jason Kenney said the province could run out of ICU beds within the next 10 days.
• Albertans can now easily access and print their vaccine records from the province's new COVIDRecords website. However, the card is also easily edited in a PDF reader, leading to concerns over falsified records.
• Daily vaccine doses nearly tripled on Sept. 16, the day after the province declared new public health restrictions. On Thursday, 28,158 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered, compared to 9,750 on Wednesday. More than 3.1 million Albertans — 80% of the population — are now vaccinated with at least one dose.
• NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made a final campaign stop in Edmonton on Saturday. The NDP are hoping to secure a seat in Edmonton Griesbach. Liberal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was also in Edmonton last week to bolster the campaigns of a few local candidates. Canadians head to the polls today.

Event details may change due to new provincial COVID-19 restrictions. Check the website or listing for up-to-date information before attending.

• David A. Robertson is giving a talk on the importance of representation and diversity in children's literature through the Edmonton Public Library on Sept. 21.
• A Luncheon with Mayor Iveson, presented by the Edmonton Business Association, will be an intimate conversation on Sept. 22 about Don Iveson's 14 years as a civil servant.
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is facilitating two courses on Sept. 23: one for Indigenous women interested in entrepreneurship and another about artificial intelligence and ageism in business.
• The Downtown Business Association (DBA) is hosting a mayoral forum on Sept. 23. Invited candidates include Amarjeet Sohi, Mike Nickel, Kim Krushell, Michael Oshry, Rick Comrie, and Cheryll Watson.
• Community leaders and changemakers are invited to Collaborate for Change: The Social Purpose Summit by the United Way Alberta Capital Region on Sept. 23-24.

Photo: Sameer Ahmed/Instagram