The Pulse: April 3, 2023

This week, there's a public hearing on April 3 and a city council meeting on April 4, with a continuation scheduled for April 5 if required.

Here are some of the key items on the agenda:

• If approved, a rezoning application for the site at 10540 112 Street NW in Queen Mary Park would allow for the development of a mixed-use, high-density development and a new public park. The development would consist mostly of mid-rise buildings up to seven storeys in height, but one high-rise tower would be about 20 storeys. The creation of the park would satisfy the required $548,572.05 in public amenity contributions.
• Coun. Andrew Knack is expected to make two motions: one directing administration to work with external stakeholders such as BOMA Edmonton and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce to request financial incentives from the province for the conversion of office buildings into residential buildings downtown; and another requesting an engagement session with the Edmonton Screen Industries Office and other stakeholders to review the Alberta Esports Strategy, develop a plan for Edmonton to host a mid-sized esports event in the next one to two years, and review the existing strategy to attract interactive digital media investment.
• Two councillors published blog posts this weekend about transit safety in the city. Coun. Tim Cartmell wrote that an upcoming bystander awareness campaign "sounds like lip service" and said that the mayor and council must take safety concerns "much more seriously." Coun. Andrew Knack agreed that more needs to happen, but called on the province to follow through on implementing its own recommendations for things like minimum shelter standards, supportive housing, and addictions treatment. Without provincial action to help address root causes, "we will need to look at spending even more on enforcement," he cautioned.

• The union representing operators for the Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS) announced that its members voted unanimously in favour of strike action. In a release announcing the results of the vote, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 said the city continues to deny DATS operators equal pay. "It's time the city paid these workers the same wages they pay conventional transit operators," said union local president Steve Bradshaw. Contract negotiations between the city and union broke down earlier this year. DATS operators are asking for a $2.50 per hour wage increase to bring their pay in line with other Edmonton transit drivers.
• Two senior City of Edmonton managers announced over the weekend that they are no longer working at the organization. Catrin Owen, deputy city manager of communications and engagement, and Kimberly Armstrong, deputy city manager of employee services, both started at the city at the end of summer in 2018. The city has also been recruiting for a new deputy city manager of city operations, a position held by Gord Cebryk since March 2018.
• A group called Scona Concerned Citizens has gathered close to 1,200 signatures for a petition opposing the creation of a supervised consumption site at a health hub planned by Boyle Street Community Services near Whyte Avenue. Faith Giesbrecht, a business owner in the area, said that while she supports helping the vulnerable population, creating a drug-use facility in the area is not the answer. The Ritchie Community League president, Avnish Nanda, says they need the services, but negative impacts from having an overdose prevention site in Ritchie should be addressed.
• Hockey Edmonton has introduced the Edmonton Female Hockey Alliance to streamline development and access for girls' teams, putting minor girls' hockey under a single association by the 2024-25 season, similar to the system in Calgary. Jill Chmilar, a girls' hockey coach, says that while more girls are getting into the sport, all-female teams often have unequal access to skills development and competitive training. Lindsay McAlpine, MacEwan University's associate director of athletics, said female teams should be viewed as a path to success for young girls.
• The Edmonton Oilers have clinched a playoff spot after a decisive 6-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on April 1, led by Leon Draisaitl's hat trick, hitting 50 goals for the third time in his career. Meanwhile, Jack Campbell made 36 saves for his first shutout of the season, and the team has won nine of their last 10 games.
• Ten Edmonton children spent their spring break in the river valley learning about Cree language and culture, baking bannock, racing on snowshoes, and following animal tracks in the forest through the land-based education program Blossoming Flower. The activities took place in the newly opened Indigenous sacred space, kihcihkaw askî. The program aims to teach children about the relationship to the land, water, wildlife, ecosystems, and biodiversity while grounding them in anti-racism.
• Edmonton-born baseball player Rob Zastryzny made the opening day roster for the Pittsburgh Pirates, fulfilling a childhood dream. After years of bouncing between starting and relieving in different teams, Zastryzny finally had a chance to showcase his pitching ability and help his team defeat the Cincinnati Reds on March 30. "That felt good," the 31-year-old pitcher said after the 5-4 win.
• Cathy Heron, president of Alberta Municipalities, says that civic leaders want more infrastructure spending and a clear commitment from the UCP government on policing plans. "We need to build rec centres, we need to build fire halls, we need to keep our roads that are going to these big industries safe and free of potholes, and that funding is not being increased," Heron told reporters at the organization's convention in Edmonton, where both Premier Danielle Smith and NDP Leader Rachel Notley delivered speeches. Municipal leaders also pleaded for a commitment to increase spending on the Family and Community Support Services program, which Notley pledged to increase by 50% if elected.
• Starting April 1, eligible graduated driver's license (GDL) holders in Alberta will no longer need to take an advanced road test to obtain their full Class 5 or Class 6 license, saving the $154 cost of the test. The province says the change will help make driver's licensing more affordable for half a million drivers. Eligible drivers who have demonstrated a safe record will automatically exit from GDL status to non-GDL status on June 25.
• The Provincial Court of Alberta has been renamed the Alberta Court of Justice to better represent its independence and responsibilities in trial-level court matters. Chief Justice Derek Redman requested the change to reflect the court's growth and evolution to meet the changing needs of the province and its people. It is the province's busiest court, with over 500,000 people interacting with it each year.

This is a short week for many, as Good Friday is on its way. Before that, there's a taste of Edmonton's top restaurants, a chance for west-enders to meet with elected officials, an automation conference and expo, and a hands-on workshop on innovative thinking.

• April 3, 6:30pm: Edify's Best Restaurants 2023 at the Edmonton Convention Centre
• April 4, 11:30am: Edmonton Chamber of Commerce: 2023 Federal Budget Luncheon at the Westin Edmonton
• April 5, 7pm: Community Conversation at Michael Phair School
• April 5-6: Automation Expo and Conference, presented by the Edmonton chapter of the International Society of Automation
• April 6, 7pm: Innovation U: An Entrepreneurship Series — Design Thinking, presented by the Edmonton Public Library and Edmonton Unlimited

Photo: The next instalment of Innovation U with Edmonton Unlimited's Catherine Warren takes place at the Stanley A. Milner library on Thursday. (EPL/Facebook)