The Pulse: Nov. 28, 2022

This week, city council gets down to business on the 2023-2026 capital, operating, and utility budgets. A non-statutory public hearing will take place on Monday and Tuesday, and the first budget meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

In addition to hearing from speakers at the public hearing, city council has received dozens of emails and letters about the budget. On Wednesday, council will hear verbal presentations from external organizations and civic agencies — including the Edmonton Public Library, the Edmonton Arts Council, Explore Edmonton, and the Edmonton Police Commission. Council is also expected to receive answers to written questions about the proposed capital, operating, and utility budgets this week.

To start deliberations, the main budget motions will be put on the floor and seconded. City council decided at its meeting on Nov. 14 to follow the "out and back draw" approach for dealing with amendments to the budgets. A draw per budget will determine the order in which councillors make amendments, each of which will be postponed until all amendments have been made. Once ready to vote, council will deal with amendments for budget decreases before voting on amendments to increase the budget. Nine meetings have been scheduled from Nov. 30 to Dec. 16 for deliberations.

A variety of factors could make agreeing on the next four-year budgets challenging. Many city councillors have been running surveys and holding engagement sessions over the past few weeks, and several have now started sharing more about what they've heard and where they see gaps in the proposed budgets.

"We started to see councillors stepping forward and staking their claim this week," noted Speaking Municipally co-host Troy Pavlek in Episode 200. "Perhaps we will be surprised in the upcoming weeks... maybe there will actually be some big swings coming up in this budget."

• Boyle Street Community Services says its plan to relocate to a new facility at 100 Street and 107A Avenue has hit a roadblock after its development permit was revoked by Edmonton's subdivision and development appeal board. The decision follows a Nov. 10 board hearing during which more than a dozen appellants objected to the proposed move. In its ruling released to Boyle Street on Nov. 25, the board said "the proposed development does not conform with the use prescribed for the site." Boyle Street said it was disappointed by the decision. "I think everyone in the community can see the challenges Edmonton faces with homelessness," said executive director Jordan Reiniger. "This was an opportunity to be part of the solution and dramatically improve the services that were offered to people served at Boyle Street." The agency says it will be exploring its options for recourse over the coming weeks.
• Edmonton transit drivers are sharing images of the challenges they face on the job in hopes of spurring the city to hire more transit peace officers. Harminder Brar, who has been driving Edmonton Transit Service busses for 12 years, told CTV News the system is in chaos. "I've been verbally abused more times than I can count," said Brar, who switched to driving daytime routes because he worried about his safety. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 president Steve Bradshaw said his members are fatigued and traumatized. "Something has to happen," Bradshaw said. "The union has been lobbying since the spring to ensure that there is a clear plan in place." Meanwhile, the city has been grappling with its approach to vulnerable Edmontonians sheltering on busses, LRT and in transit stations during the cold winter months. Two warming buses will be sent to transit hubs when temperatures hit -10°C, and 209 new shelter spaces are set to open in the coming month if council approves funding for the plan on Nov. 30.
• The Clover Bar landfill remains uncovered and continues to release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere more than a decade after it closed to the public. According to the 2023-24 waste services utility rate filing, the waste services branch plans to spend $9.7 million next year and $3.3 million in 2024 as part of a project to develop technology that would capture methane released at the landfill and convert it to renewable gas for sale. Capital Power, which will co-own the site with the city, would pay part of the costs and also share in the profits. Waste services branch manager Denis Jubinville said covering the landfill is a priority. "We need to cap it, we need to put three feet of clay on top of it," he told city council's utility committee. "That will be a significant reduction in greenhouse gas."
• Excitement over Alphonso Davies' historic goal at the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup was short-lived after Team Canada was eliminated from the tournament in a 4-1 loss to Croatia on Nov. 27. "We did our best. We fought every single minute, but the game is about winning," Davies said in a post-game interview. "I'm very happy for the moment, to get the first-ever goal in the World Cup for Canada."
• Passenger traffic at Alberta's two main airports is bouncing back after pandemic restrictions drastically reduced air travel. "Things are recovering, and people are starting to travel again," said Steve Maybee, vice-president of operations and infrastructure for Edmonton International Airport. Still, he said it may be years before the impacts of the pandemic are gone. One issue is that many people who worked in aviation left the sector, meaning there are more inexperienced people on the front lines learning the ropes. "As the industry recovers, passengers will come back faster than some of the efficiencies that we can put in place," Maybee said.
• Ten bright new garbage and recycling bins are being installed in the city's downtown in a pilot program initiated by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA). The EDBA said the new bins are higher capacity and feature separated, easy-access recyclables.
• An Edmonton woman's lifelong dream came true with a Nov. 25 appearance on Jeopardy. Sam Papuha, a University of Alberta political science graduate student, has been a fan of the popular quiz game show since she was a kid. While Papuha didn't take home the top prize, she was happy just to appear as a contestant. "It's already a pretty big dream to actually be on the show," she said.

This week will see the Oilers celebrate Indigenous communities as they host the Florida Panthers. There's also a forum on the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the release of data on systemic racism in Edmonton, plus a giant playland, twinkly lights, beer-tasting, and burlesque.

• Nov. 28, 7:30pm: Edmonton Oilers host Indigenous Celebration Night at Rogers Place
• Nov. 28-Dec. 2: Giant Soft Bricks Playland at Southgate Centre (continues until Feb. 15)
• Nov. 29, 7pm: Best of Alberta Beer: Food & Beer Tasting with Jason Foster at the Underground Tap & Grill
• Nov. 29-Dec. 2: Leading in Learning Forum: From Scale-up to Superstar, presented by Alberta Innovates
• Dec. 1-2: Glow: A Fairytale Christmas at the Edmonton Expo Centre (continues until Jan. 1)
• Dec. 1, 10am: Vital Signs 2022 Launch, presented by Edmonton Community Foundation and Edmonton Social Planning Council
• Dec. 1-2: Capital City Burlesque and House of Hush Burlesque Present: Holiday Liaison at Metro Cinema

Find even more listings in Taproot's weekly roundups.

Photo: Light gardens are among the attractions at Glow, the annual festive celebration at the Edmonton Expo Centre. (Glow Edmonton)