The Pulse: June 13, 2023

A Hong Kong company with a novel way to preserve fresh meat chose Edmonton for its first international packaging facility because of its mix of academic and economic partners, says the CEO.

"The reason why I came to Edmonton is we feel that we would be able to meet like-minded people who would, like us, be willing to take the risks to build a technology that can change the future for generations to come," said Felix Cheung, co-founder and CEO of IXON Food Technology, at a product tasting on June 12.

IXON's advanced sous-vide aseptic packaging, or ASAP, can preserve fresh meat for up to two years without needing refrigeration, the company says. The proprietary process uses quick surface heating, vacuum sealing, and aseptic conditions to prevent bacteria from spoiling meat.

"We are the first company to have the ability to package solid food products under aseptic conditions continually," Cheung said at the media event at Edmonton Unlimited, where he and co-founder Elton Ho served samples of Canadian pork chops and wagyu beef from Australia.

The packaging has not yet been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but Cheung said the company has started the process for approval and is aiming to go to market by the fourth quarter of 2024.

When Invest Alberta announced IXON's plans in December, it said the decision would bring $10 million and 20 jobs to the city.

"Typically, when we evaluate the company we look for impact and alignment," Yuliia Marcinkoski of Invest Alberta said at the news conference. "Technologies like the one that IXON is offering are going to take our cattle industry to another level."

• The city's extreme heat response has been extended until 8am on June 14. The city also activated its poor air quality response until at least June 14 with the possibility of extension if smoky conditions persist. People needing respite from the smoke can access any open city facilities such as recreation centres, pools, and libraries.
• Bylaw enforcement officers issued 2,875 tickets during a two-week residential parking ban from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8 this year, although 144 were cancelled after the city discovered an error. The number is more than double the 1,081 tickets issued during a nearly month-long parking ban in 2022, representing a 150% year-over-year increase. A report going to council's community and public services committee on June 19 at the request of Coun. Erin Rutherford explains that the 144 cancellations were mostly due to a "notification date error" that resulted from crews starting work before residents were notified. It also shows that most tickets were issued in neighbourhoods outside central Edmonton. Rutherford, who questioned administration after receiving concerns from northwest residents about how enforcement was being carried out, told CBC that administration determined priority areas based on compliance.
• Judy Yawney with Edmonton's Food Bank said the organization has seen growing support from community gardens since the COVID-19 pandemic as people began to see the impact of high grocery store prices. One initiative, Growing Goodness, was started by three Grade 4 girls who won $600 through a Rotary Club business pitch competition, which they used to launch an online store selling seeds and asked buyers to donate a portion of the yield. Food Banks Canada's 2022 Hunger Count report shows food bank use in Alberta rose 73% from 2019 to 2022. Also in 2022, CANADALAND reporter Cherise Seucharan explained how the first food bank in Canada opened in Edmonton in 1981 as a "band-aid solution" to recessionary pressures and suggested Canada is unique in "venerating" food banks rather than seeing them as a "policy failure."
• The body of a missing 14-year-old who was swept away by the North Saskatchewan River on June 4 was recovered near Smoky Lake, about 120 kilometres from Edmonton, the Edmonton Police Service announced. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the young boy during this difficult time," police in a release.
• A Chevy Spark was nearly swallowed by a sinkhole that appeared in an alley in downtown Edmonton just south of 108 Avenue on June 11. Photos from CTV News show the front end of the vehicle submerged in the sinkhole, which was filled with water. EPCOR staff said the extent of the damage would not be known until the water was removed. The driver was not injured, according to police.
• Blyss Ward, an Edmonton Stingers fan, won free beer for a year after she successfully sunk a half-court shot on June 10 as part of an in-game contest organized by the Stingers and Polar Park Brewing. The contest, which is in its second year, had only one winner last season. It is usually open to fans wearing Stingers merchandise, and on June 10 only women were chosen to compete because it was Women in Basketball Celebration Night. Ward herself is a former basketball player who used to play for the NAIT Ooks until experiencing an injury.
• The Edmonton Elks reported an attendance of 32,233 fans for their game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 11, which was the highest count for a home opener in 10 years. However, the Elks' 17-13 defeat represented the 18th consecutive home game loss for the team, which is a CFL record. Elks president and CEO Victor Cui said that delivering a winning team is "one piece of the puzzle," while the other is addressing how to "continually deliver value to our fans" regardless of the team's performance.
• As of June 12, there was no timeline for re-entry into Edson and parts of Yellowhead County that have been evacuated due to a wildfire close to populated areas. Officials said the fire continued to grow on June 12 but remained about 1.5 kilometres from Edson's southern border. Across the province, around 1,385,000 hectares of forest have been burned, breaking the previous record of 1,357,000 set during the entire wildfire season in 1981, although officials note that the number for this season is still an estimate.

The recently concluded provincial election leaves Edmonton out of the UCP cabinet but may have strengthened the influence of some city councillors, argues Episode 223 of Speaking Municipally.

After the NDP swept Edmonton's 20 seats in the May 29 vote, councillors Tim Cartmell and Sarah Hamilton are in effect the governing UCP's representatives in Edmonton, suggested podcast co-host Troy Pavlek. He cited their more cordial relationship with Premier Danielle Smith compared to that of Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and the rest of city council.

"Those two politicians have ingratiated themselves quite closely with the new premier, who now has won a four-year mandate," Pavlek said.

In December, the UCP government picked both Cartmell and Hamilton to join its Edmonton Public Safety and Community Response Task Force, without approval from city council.

Both Cartmell and Hamilton received strong mandates in the 2021 municipal election, with vote numbers that are comparable to what some Edmonton-area MLAs got in the provincial election, co-host Mack Male added. Cartmell got more than 16,000 votes in Ward pihêsiwin and Hamilton had more than 10,000 in Ward sipiwiyiniwak. Only one UCP candidate received more than 10,000 votes, and that was Kaycee Madu, who lost to Nathan Ip in Edmonton-South West. Even the NDP candidates got fewer votes than Cartmell — only Marlin Schmidt in Edmonton-Gold Bar got close with just over 15,000 votes.

"That is what I think gives them the political cover, the wherewithal, to do those big moves to support Danielle Smith's task force, where a more tenuously elected politician might not have been able to," Pavlek said. "If they were betting on a horse, they picked the right one."

The podcast was recorded before Smith announced her cabinet, but as predicted, three MLAs from the Edmonton "doughnut" were named. Dale Nally of Morinville-St. Albert is the minister of Service Alberta and red-tape reduction; Nate Glubish of Strathcona-Sherwood Park is the minister of technology and innovation; and Searle Turton of Spruce Grove-Stony Plain is the minister of children and family services.

Hear more about what the election results could mean for Edmonton on the June 9 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast. It also examines the Chinatown Business Improvement Area's change of heart on the King Thunderbird Centre, the loss of trees in Hawrelak Park, the post-pandemic rec-centre recovery, the Stadium LRT station's renewal, and the growth of solar-powered schools.