The Pulse: Sept. 29, 2021

Most municipalities in the region will mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday, with commemorative events, educational opportunities, and more planned.

"I think that often the view is that (reconciliation) is a federal responsibility," Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) president Paul McLauchlin told Taproot. "But we make land-use decisions as rural municipal leaders that often can impact Indigenous rights and interests, and we need to recognize that they are partners on the landscape."

RMA shared a list of ideas of what municipalities can do to honour the day and to reflect on the legacy of residential schools. In addition to recognizing it as a statutory holiday, one suggestion was to participate in the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's online events, scheduled from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1.

The RMA has also partnered with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association to provide workshops about Canada's history and the municipal role in reconciliation.

The new federal holiday was announced in June in response to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. The call urged the federal government to establish the day to "ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process."

While Sept. 30 was declared a federal statutory holiday, the Government of Alberta left the decision of whether to mark the day up to individual organizations and employers in the province. Many Edmonton region municipalities are providing a paid day of leave for staff and some school boards are also giving students the day off, but McLauchlin said people shouldn't talk about Sept. 30 as a "holiday."

"The word holiday is not appropriate for this discussion," he said. "It needs to be a day that is a recognition of understanding and learning, and educating yourself, and really not just talk but going down that journey of action."

The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board also released a statement on the importance of recognizing the day, adding that it is "committed to building meaningful, long-lasting relationships with and learning from Indigenous communities in the region."

• The new $16-million Herb Jamieson Centre could open its doors as early as Friday. The 24/7 men's shelter will provide 400 beds, as well as access to services such as medical care and addictions recovery.
• Edmonton Public Schools reported 573 COVID-19 cases at 165 schools, on Tuesday. This means 78% of schools in the district have a COVID case. Meanwhile, children between the ages of five and nine years old currently have the most active COVID-19 cases in Alberta.
• Alberta Health Services received 464 complaints in Edmonton related to COVID-19 public health orders since the new restrictions came into effect on Sept. 20. Under the proof-of-vaccination program, patrons are still required to wear masks indoors.
• Outgoing mayor Don Iveson is suggesting that the next council implement mandatory energy labels for all homes to help lower emissions. The suggestion was in one of several transition memos Iveson released last week. While experts support the idea, they warn implementation could be tricky.
• A tribute to the late Joey Moss was unveiled at Rogers Place on Tuesday. A bust of the locker room attendant holding out his hand for a high-five can be found in the team's dressing room.
• The province has banned protests and demonstrations outside hospitals and clinics. On Tuesday, Premier Jason Kenney announced that hospitals, clinics and other health-care facilities would be added to the list of essential infrastructure protected under Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.
• The Alberta Teachers' Association said it would support the implementation of mandatory vaccination for teachers by the government or by individual school boards. ATA president Jason Schilling said the policy would have to accommodate those who aren't able to get vaccinated.
• The Alberta NDP are proposing a door-to-door vaccination campaign to reach the vaccine-hesitant and increase vaccine uptake. David Shepherd, the NDP health critic, said the program would involve a health-care worker and a "trusted member of the community" going door to door to address concerns and offer the jab.

Edmonton startup Ruth is preparing to launch its environmentally friendly menstrual pads on its website next month, with co-founders Anka Chan and Nicole Sanchez continuing to build on the momentum they've created throughout this year.

Ruth, previously known as Hempact, started as a University of Alberta project by Chan and Nicole Sanchez in 2018. The product launched a Kickstarter campaign in June 2021, raising more than $10,000 in one week. The final tally of just under $15,000 far surpassed its campaign goal of $7,000.

One of the ways they've learned how to carry that success forward is Chan's participation in Next 36, a program for students or recent grads that focuses on the core skills and strategies necessary to build a business.

"My definition of success as an entrepreneur was transformed as we heard firsthand from other founders about how they scaled their businesses, we received amazing mentorship, and we grew our network to learn from fellow founders and venture capitalists," Chan told Taproot. "One main takeaway is that building a startup follows experimental design very closely, with how we test assumptions and assess market responses, then synthesize the data to de-risk our decision-making."

On Sept. 21, the program wrapped up with its annual Venture Day, where Ruth was chosen as one of four companies to pitch and represent the Next 36 cohort.

Every week in the lead up to Edmonton's municipal election on Oct. 18, we're rounding up the news and announcements you need to know to stay informed.

Policies and campaign updates

• Five Edmonton mayoral candidates — Rick Comrie, Kim Krushell, Michael Oshry, Cheryll Watson, and Amarjeet Sohi — detailed their visions for the future of downtown Edmonton at the Downtown Business Association (DBA) forum on Sept. 23.
• Mayoral candidate Mike Nickel was invited to but did not attend the DBA forum, and instead hosted a campaign barbecue.
• Following his appearance at the DBA forum, mayoral candidate Amarjeet Sohi released his 10 commitments to downtown.
• Mayoral candidate Cheryll Watson pledged on Twitter to prioritize community safety in the downtown core along with establishing bi-weekly meetings with the chief of police, city manager, and executive director of the Downtown Business Association.
• Mayor Don Iveson endorsed Ashley Salvador for Ward Métis, Ahmed Knowmadic Ali for Ward tastawiyiniwak, and Anne Stevenson for Ward O-day'min.
• Former mayoral candidate Abdul Malik Chukwudi officially endorsed Mike Nickel for mayor.
• Ward tastawiyiniwak candidate Cody Bondarchuk released the final piece of his platform that is focused on building community by funding anti-hate measures, expanding public washrooms, forbidding hostile architecture, and supporting regulated safe supply for recreational drugs.
• Ward tastawiyiniwak candidate Jon Dziadyk published a blog post about how new ward boundaries will impact the amount of councillors on Edmonton's north side.
• Ward Dene candidate Lana Palmer wrote a blog post on the importance of shared spaces when strengthening communities.
• Climate Justice Edmonton endorsed candidates committed to justice-based climate action: Glynnis Lieb from Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi, Cori Longo from Ward Métis, Shamair Turner from Ward Karhiio, Haruun Ali from Ward papastew, Guiscela Perez Arellano from Ward pihêsiwin, and Joshua Wolchansky from Ward O-day'min.

Weighing in on the campaign trail

• So far, 64 out of 85 candidates have responded to the Taproot Survey. You can take the survey yourself and see where you align with mayoral and city council candidates on key campaign issues. And there are more ways to play with the data.
• Ward O-day'min candidates Gino Akbari, Gabrielle Battiste, Anne Stevenson, and Joshua Wolchansky signed a joint statement condemning the racism and threats experienced by fellow candidate Adrian Bruff.
• Ward papastew candidate Haruun Ali has also reported racist and Islamophobic harassment during the course of his campaign.
• An opinion piece positing that child care should be a priority in Edmonton's civic election prompted a Twitter response from mayoral candidate Diana Steele.
• Mayoral candidate Cheryll Watson spoke with Global Edmonton about her vision for the city. Mayoral candidate Kim Krushell was also featured and more candidate conversations are scheduled in the weeks to come.
• CTV News Edmonton released an article that explains Edmonton's new Indigenous ward names, election ward profiles for Ward Nakota Isga and Ward Anirniq, and mayoral candidate profiles of Amarjeet Sohi and Mike Nickel.
• The Edmonton Council for Early Learning and Care put together a resource on how municipal candidates could support child care policies when elected.
• Edmonton Journal columnist Keith Gerein published an opinion piece on what municipal candidates can learn from Mayor Don Iveson's exit from office.
• Ward Métis candidate Ashley Salvador called on other candidates to participate in her door-knocking TikTok trend. Mayoral candidate Cheryll Watson's team has already jumped on board.

Upcoming forums

• The Oliver Community League (OCL), Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL), and Downtown Business Association (DBA) will host a Ward O-day'min candidate forum on Sept. 29.
• The Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) will present a virtual mayoral candidate forum on Oct. 4.
• Mayoral candidate Michael Oshry will facilitate a virtual town hall on Oct. 6.
• The Edmonton Public Library will host an online conversation with mayoral candidates on Oct. 6.

A list of all of the candidates running in the Edmonton municipal election is available here.

Photo: Downtown Business Association of Edmonton/Twitter