The Pulse: Sept. 28, 2021

Edmonton's tech innovation community is welcoming the news of three new top global accelerators coming to Alberta, as well as a new pre-accelerator partnership between Innovate Edmonton and Platform Calgary.

Alberta Accelerator by 500, Plug and Play Alberta, the Community Safety & Wellness (CSW) Accelerator powered by Alchemist, and the Alberta Pre-accelerator, were announced on Sept. 23 as the successful candidates chosen for the $35 million Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program (Scaleup GAP).

Alberta Innovates, which is funding the accelerators in partnership with Innovate Edmonton, the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, and the provincial and federal governments, said in a news release that the accelerators would support entrepreneurs and startups at different stages with mentoring, networking, and access to capital. While the Alberta Accelerator by 500 will focus on seed-stage tech companies, the pre-accelerator will offer support to early-stage entrepreneurs.

Chris Lumb, the former CEO of TEC Edmonton which shut down in June 2021, said the new accelerators are a good addition to what was in place previously.

"(The accelerators) bring targeted mentoring to select companies, international exposure to high potential opportunities, and they highlight Alberta as a good place to build a company," Lumb told Taproot. "They also demonstrate a good partnership between the province and the two major cities."

"We are in a much stronger tech economy both here and worldwide at this time than there has been for over a decade," he said. "This means that promising Alberta companies will have more opportunity to raise funds and build international businesses. These accelerators, if delivered well, can help make that happen."

• Video of crowded bars in Edmonton with customers not respecting COVID-19 restrictions have been circulating on social media over the weekend.
• City staff and the Edmonton Police Service will be observing National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Thursday with community events and workplace activities. City manager Andre Corbould expects a request to observe the day every year will be made to the new city council.
• An Edmonton de-radicalization program has seen more than two dozen clients in its first two years. The Organization for the Prevention of Violence released a report on its Evolve program last week. The program provides supports to people seeking to leave extremist groups and ideologies.
• Explore Edmonton says it could take years to recover from the pandemic's impact on tourism and event attraction. This weekend's rugby sevens in Edmonton is one of the few big events that has gone ahead during the pandemic.
• Edmonton Elks centre David Beard has tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the team's game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Tuesday.
• As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for their pre-season game at Rogers Place on Tuesday, fans will have to adhere to new COVID-19 protocols, such a wearing masks and showing proof of vaccination.
• A further 58 doctors from the Alberta Medical Association have added their voices to the call for a fire-break lockdown, as Alberta's ICUs hit 150% capacity.

We've already received thousands of responses to the Taproot Survey, your chance to see how you align with the candidates running for mayor and city council.

If you haven't taken the survey yet, give it a whirl to see where you agree and disagree with the candidates in your ward on 30 questions derived from our People's Agenda project.

The survey will only take a few minutes. If you have some time to go down a rabbit hole, however, here are some other ways to view the data:

Curious about where everyone stands on a given question?

If you visit the Taproot Survey page, you'll see all of the questions on the quiz hyperlinked to a view that shows how all of the candidates answered. For example, Should effects on the climate be taken into account in every decision city council makes? shows a pretty clear split among candidates. This view is visible regardless of whether you have taken the survey.

Want to compare and contrast the candidates in your ward?

You can find those hyperlinked to each ward name on the wards page. For example, you can see at a glance how all five council candidates in sipiwiyiniwak answered every question. For a similar view of the mayoral candidates, check out the city-wide view. Again, no need to do your own survey to see this.

Want to look closely at a single candidate?

On the candidates page, each name is hyperlinked to a page showing the candidate's answers, along with their websites, social media channels, and pitch to voters. The same view is accessible wherever the candidate's name appears. We have also set up pages for candidates who have not yet completed the survey.

Are you really aligned with the candidate you agreed with most?

Few people would weight all 30 questions equally. Some issues are deal-breakers; others, not so much. Once you've completed your survey, you will see a page called "Voter results overview." Click on the ratio under "agreement on" to see a head-to-head comparison of your answers and the candidates' responses. You can also filter that view for just the agreements or disagreements.

As of this writing, we have received finalized surveys from 63 of the 85 candidates. Our invitation to all candidates remains open from now until the election on Oct. 18. If you are a candidate or are working for a candidate who has not yet responded, contact hello@taprootedmonton.ca.

Johwanna Alleyne and her business Mojo Jojo Pickles have had quite the year. The Edmonton-based company, which offers a range of pickled products, preserves, and cocktail supplements, celebrated ten years in business in 2021 and was forced to move several times due to the pandemic. Still, Alleyne has managed to keep Mojo Jojo growing.

After selling the building where her commercial kitchen was located in 2019, Alleyne bounced around a few times until an attractive offer from Kingsway Mall came along.

"Kingsway offered us a permanent spot and we opened two weeks before COVID shut us down (in March 2020)," Alleyne told Taproot. "And then all I did during COVID was move things."

After a brief stint working out of the space at Cartago, her husband happened upon a space in the French Quarter at 9627 82 Avenue. In June 2021, they moved their kitchen into one side, and in August, opened up a storefront called Nosh and Quaff on the other. Alleyne shared that support from neighbouring businesses has been unparalleled.

"It's the best it's ever been," said Alleyne. "And it all came out of this crazy journey. It feels like we're home."

Nosh and Quaff is the only place in Edmonton to carry the full line of Mojo Jojo products, in addition to canning supplies and cookbooks. It has also begun hosting classes and demos, following all public health guidelines.