The Pulse: June 14, 2022

Now that Edmonton's Community Property Safety Team has started to board up problem properties, it's worth taking a look at some of the data underpinning the decisions leading up to this action.

In April, city council approved allocating up to $850,000 to the fire rescue services branch to extend the Community Property Safety Team pilot project to the end of 2023. That money, along with $915,000 to enhance dedicated resources for problem properties, was reallocated from the funds diverted from the Edmonton Police Service budget in December.

Of the 886 deliberately set fires and suspected arson cases recorded in Edmonton as of Nov. 30, 2021, 281 were in the northeast neighbourhoods in the city that also have the highest concentrations of derelict properties. Seven people died in these fires, four of whom were experiencing homelessness.

The loss of human life is the greatest cost of all. But among the reports councillors considered when deciding whether to spend this money was also an attempt at quantifying all the costs incurred by problem properties. The Socio-Economic Costs of Edmonton's Problem Properties, prepared by the Edmonton Community Development Company (ECDC), tracked 31 "high intensity" derelict and problem properties over four years, calculating the direct costs from additional demands on government services and indirect costs absorbed by affected communities.

It pegged the cost at more than $6.2 million over four years, three-quarters of which was borne by the neighbourhoods themselves. The City of Edmonton absorbed 22% of the cost, with the remaining 2% incurred to Alberta Health Services.

That's just for the identified 31 properties, which represent only a fraction of derelict and problem properties in Edmonton. There are about 250 such properties in the Alberta Avenue, Eastwood, and McCauley neighbourhoods alone, according to the ECDC, and 486 identified since 2018.

"Problem properties are not only a threat to public safety, but they also contribute to the significant decline of a community," says the ECDC. "If no redevelopment occurs in these core neighbourhoods, residents will leave, further encouraging the prevalence of drug activities, social disorder, and crime. "

• City council voted 7-6 in favour of creating a pedestrian-friendly corridor along 102 Avenue from 99 Street to 103 Street, which has been closed for more than four years due to Valley Line LRT construction. Coun. Ashley Salvador, the idea's main proponent on council, said Edmontonians have expressed "considerable interest" in the idea, while Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Downtown Business Association, said some businesses are concerned the pedestrian corridor will add to social disorder if it remains empty. Don Wheaton Family YMCA worries the plan will frustrate customers who have already dealt with years of traffic congestion, Global News reports. Council directed administration to implement the one-year pilot as soon as possible, but a draft of necessary bylaw changes is not expected until September.
• Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has contradicted Mayor Amarjeet Sohi's Friday statement and said it "incorrectly claimed" that Justin Bone — the man accused in May of killing two men in their 60s in Chinatown — was released from remand without a plan for housing and addictions treatment services. The mayor's office told Postmedia that Sohi has been trying to meet with multiple ministers to find out what went wrong.
• The province announced it will lift nearly all remaining COVID-19 health restrictions as of June 14 at 11:59pm, which means mandatory masking will no longer be required on public transit. City Manager Andre Corbould said that Edmonton's mask bylaw expires at the same time, but added that "riders are welcome to wear masks if they choose." Masks will still be required in AHS and continuing care facilities.
• Figures from the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) show that 222 Edmontonians died due to homelessness or lack of housing in 2021, a nearly 70% rise over the previous year. Around two-thirds of deaths recorded by ECOHH are men, while the number of people aged 20 and younger included in the data rose last year. An annual public memorial, which was cancelled during the pandemic, is taking place on June 15 at Homeless Memorial Plaza.
• Edmonton Transit Service and a host of business partners have launched the Rediscover ETS campaign in hopes of improving ridership and incentivizing Edmontonians to explore the city via transit. As of July 13, the TELUS World of Science and the Art Gallery of Alberta are offering admission discounts to those who show an ETS ticket, pass, or transfer, with more organizations announcing perks later this summer. The campaign also involves public advertising and the deployment of ETS Street Teams to assist riders while "building perception of ETS as a community-minded service."
• The city is inviting residents to an event at 5:30pm on June 14 to honour the spirit and intent of Okîsikow (Angel) Way, a section of 101A Avenue that was renamed in 2011 to support the Angel Street Project and raise support for women's shelters.
• Edmonton is the 14th most affordable city in Canada and has the 12th strongest labour market, which together make it the fifth-best Canadian city, according to a list by MoneyWise. The data draws on BMO's Regional Labour Market Report Card and the real estate website Zoocasa.
• Postmedia spoke to Hamidullah Fidel and Razia Saramad, two of 674 Afghan refugees to settle in Edmonton since August 2021. "Here I feel really safe, especially about my children because they now live in a safe place and safe country. This is something we did not have back home," Fidel said of Afghanistan.
• Goalie Mikko Koskinen is leaving the Edmonton Oilers, having signed a two-year contract with the Swiss club HC Lugano. Koskinen, a Finnish citizen, spent four seasons with the Oilers and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next month.