The Pulse: Nov. 17, 2021

The Edmonton region's river valley could gain official status as a national urban park if a newly signed statement of collaboration between the city and Parks Canada to explore the possibility develops into a full-fledged partnership.

Council's urban planning committee received an update from administration on Nov. 15 about how Edmonton could participate in the new federal program that was established to create a network of national urban parks, similar to Rouge National Urban Park near Toronto.

According to the report, the benefits include access to federal funding, advancing Indigenous reconciliation, and increased access to nature; while some potential drawbacks are the regulatory requirements and the loss of municipal autonomy in decision-making. A national urban park also has the potential to bring tourism to the region.

Steve Donelon, board chair of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta chapter and a director of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society, spoke in support of the project at the committee meeting along with three other speakers.

"Biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, and healthy ecosystems would benefit Alberta, Canada, and the world, and Indigenous leadership would strengthen the protection and presentation of natural and cultural heritage," Donelon said, explaining that if successful, the park would be an "extraordinary legacy gift" from council to Edmontonians.

• The City of Edmonton has declared a Phase 1 parking ban as of 7pm on Nov. 16. The ban — which applies to bus routes, arterial and collector roads, and all roads marked with "seasonal no parking" signage — is expected to last for approximately 48 hours. The city does not anticipate needing to call a Phase 2 parking ban. Between 5:30am and 4pm on Nov. 16, treacherous conditions led to 80 collisions being reported to police, including eight hit-and-runs and 14 property damage collisions.
• Edmonton's overnight shelter system reached 97% occupancy on Sunday night. The city now estimates that 1,200 Edmontonians will require accommodations this winter, leaving a gap of more than 420 beds. There are 35% fewer overnight spots and a 56% reduction in day services compared to last December. The province is expected to announce new funding and supports today.
• According to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, there has been "a steady increase" in fire-related events in northeast Edmonton over the past year. While root causes are not yet clear, the city said it is working with the police, Alberta Health Services, and other agencies to "address this issue with a more holistic approach."
• Residents and businesses along Alberta Avenue are calling on the new city council to invest in the area, four years after the Coliseum closed, reports CBC News. Coun. Ashley Salvador would like to see the Exhibition Lands project accelerated.
• Demolition began on Nov. 16 for the historic Legislature Annex building. The 12-storey building was constructed in 1951 and was the first in Edmonton to have a "curtain wall" style. It was also one of the first buildings to use air conditioning. The province estimates the cost of demolition and remediation work at $11 million. In September 2020, the province estimated it would cost $29 million to renovate the building.
• Alert Ready, the national public alerting system, will test the emergency alert system across Canada on Nov. 17. The alert will be issued at 1:55pm in Alberta.

Entos Pharmaceuticals has announced a new partnership with BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. to develop its gene therapy candidates.

The University of Alberta spinoff company will use its Fusogenix platform, a nucleic acid delivery system, to develop specially formulated product candidates for BioMarin. The California-based company will then evaluate the potential of the candidates as therapies to prevent or treat genetic diseases.

"We're excited to apply the Fusogenix platform to the next generation of these therapies," John Lewis, CEO of Entos Pharmaceuticals, told Taproot.

BioAlberta named Entos Pharmaceuticals its 2020 Company of the Year on Nov. 16 for its significant achievement within the marketplace and Alberta's business community. Lewis noted in his acceptance speech that the company has grown from a 12-person research and development company into a growing 50-person genetic medicine company.

So far, Entos's Fusogenix technology has been applied to a variety of therapeutic approaches, including vaccines, gene therapy, and gene editing. Lewis said the partnership will accelerate and provide additional opportunities for Entos to incorporate its technology into cutting-edge treatments that could have significant clinical and commercial value.

"We were always intending to go after cancer and rare genetic diseases, so this partnership is an important step toward our efforts to develop novel therapies," he said.