The Pulse: Feb. 28, 2022

The Union Bank Inn has been sold to a local entrepreneur who is hoping to revitalize and bring new energy to the historic building, which has been a fixture on Jasper Avenue since 1911.

"The idea is to honour its history, really pull out the roots of what the Union Bank was," said Henok Kassaye, the new owner, who is taking over a business that's been closed for the majority of the pandemic.

In the early 1900s, the Union Bank of Canada building was one of 10 banks on Jasper Avenue between 100 and 101 Street — now it is the last bank building still standing of the pre-1914 era on Jasper Avenue. It was restored by Diane Kyle-Buchanan in 1997 and re-opened as the Union Bank Inn.

Kassaye hopes that focusing on the building's origins, including using the back parking lot for events and bringing back programming, will help to re-activate downtown Edmonton by drawing in a new generation with "fun concepts while still respecting what makes sense."

"I'm obsessed with Edmonton and I think our historic inventory or our old buildings are something that should be kept, redone, and revitalized, but also there's this new energy that Edmontonians have, that I want to be a part of," said Kassaye, who attended MacEwan University and is the founder of Turnip Smart Home Security.

In terms of hospitality, Kassaye wants to add a wine bar and an "old school pub" to the Union Bank Inn. A modernized restaurant will replace Madison's Grill, with "fun cocktails and some fantastic chefs who are going to come in and really blow Edmonton out of the water."

He also plans to do a "gentle renovation" to the rooms, making small changes like updating fireplaces and adding smart TVs.

"You'll see new modern rooms with the old shell that's kept such a beautiful name all these years," Kassaye said. "You will still see the Union Bank and it will still be the Union Bank Inn when you go in there."

Kassaye said he bought the Union Bank Inn along with three other properties: the Scona Garage off Whyte Avenue, the Harvest International building on 109 Street, and 10507 Saskatchewan Drive (the former Incite marketing building). All four were listed by Omada Commercial.

The deal closed at the end of January and is worth just over $19 million, Kassaye told Taproot. The Union Bank Inn accounted for about $5.9 million of the overall sale.

• Hundreds of Edmontonians rallied in support of Ukraine on Sunday, forming a "chain for Ukraine" that spanned from Kingsway to the Alberta legislature. Others gathered in churches around the city.
• Premier Jason Kenney announced on Saturday that the "vast majority" of remaining public health restrictions in Alberta will be lifted on Tuesday, March 1. Operating restrictions on restaurants and bars, venue capacity limits, all social gathering limits, and mandatory work-from-home requirements will all be lifted. "I know there are some who greet the lifting of restrictions with mixed emotions," Kenney said.
• Masks will no longer be required except on public transit, in continuing-care settings, and at AHS facilities. In Edmonton however, the temporary mandatory face coverings bylaw remains in effect until council takes action to rescind it. A number of local businesses are concerned that the continued requirement for masks in Edmonton will lead to conflict. "Keeping Edmonton's regulations in line with the province and surrounding communities is important (to) minimize confusion and to ensure that businesses are competitive with those outside of the city limits," Jeffrey Sundquist, CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, told Postmedia.
• Two Edmonton Police Service officers who participated in the "Freedom Convoy" rally at Coutts on Feb. 12 have been "relieved of duty without pay" following the completion of a preliminary review. An investigation by the Profession Standards Branch is ongoing.
• The Edmonton Police Service estimates approximately 225 vehicles and 500 pedestrians participated in demonstrations on Saturday. EPS issued 33 noise tickets and seven distracted driving tickets as part of 132 total violations.
• On the 15th anniversary of his trade to the New York Islanders, OilersNation argues that former Edmonton Oilers star Ryan Smyth should have his No. 94 retired. "Ryan Smyth was everything to the Oilers for 15 years," wrote Zach Laing. "He bled the team colours and exemplified everything it meant to be an Oiler."
• The Edmonton Elks have teased a big announcement on March 3, with some speculating the team will introduce a new look including a new uniform.
• Former Justice Minister Kaycee Madu, who was stripped of his duties on Jan. 17 after CBC News reported he called Edmonton police chief Dale McFee to discuss a distracted driving ticket, has been named minister of labour and immigration in a cabinet shuffle announced on Feb. 25. Tyler Shandro will now serve as the minister of justice and solicitor general. In a report on Madu's conduct, former Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adèle Kent concluded that Madu did not interfere with "the administration of justice" but did attempt to do so and created "a reasonable perception" of interference in the process.

This week's calendar includes the opening of two festivals, as well as opportunities to learn more about the provincial budget, artificial intelligence in health, the future of oil and gas, and the fight against COVID-19 misinformation:

• March 1-5: Flying Canoë Volant at Mill Creek Ravine, La Cité Francophone, and Rutherford School
• March 2: 2022 Provincial Budget with Finance Minister Travis Toews through the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• March 2: AI and Your Health from the University of Alberta
• March 3: The Future of Oil and Gas in the Age of Decarbonization from the University of Alberta
• March 3: Timothy Caulfield — Infodemic: The Battle Continues from the Edmonton Public Library
• March 3-13: SkirtsAfire Festival in Old Strathcona

Photo: The Flying Canoë Volant festival returns to Edmonton's French quarter on March 1-5. (Flying Canoë Volant/Facebook)