The Pulse: July 7, 2023

The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival and The Works Art & Design Festival have teamed up for a second year at Churchill Square, with safety for everyone top of mind.

"Safety has been foremost in our conversations with the city since last year, and we're taking a varied approach to things," Liz Hobbs, director of programming and communications for StreetFest, told Taproot. "We're working with a whole bunch of outreach teams, (we're providing) Naloxone training, and trying to take a person-first approach, because we're also very aware that we're in people's backyard."

Churchill Square has been home to the festival since the 1980s (with a few years away during construction and the pandemic). This year marks its second one back since the pandemic, with 2023 set to be its return to "a fully international festival," Hobbs said.

"Our goal is, of course, everybody's safety. Everybody wants to feel welcome. And that's not just the people coming into downtown, but (also) the people who are downtown," she said.

Amid ongoing conversations about safety in the core, Hobbs "absolutely" feels that an animated downtown makes for a safer-feeling downtown.

"I believe we were the first big event back at Churchill Square last year, in five years," she said. "It felt pretty desolate there when we moved in at the beginning 2022. But, of course, there's been a bunch of things happening … it feels much different than it did this time last year, in a good way."

Even with its partnership with The Works, attendance during StreetFest was nominally down last year as compared to 2019, something Hobbs said was "to be expected." She also said the two festivals are complementary in that they animate spaces in different ways.

• Provincial data shows Alberta emergency services responded to 339 opioid-related incidents the week of June 26, breaking the record of 277 calls set the previous week. Elaine Hyshka, a researcher at the University of Alberta School of Public Health, said the recent numbers are alarming and called for a response that includes both recovery and harm reduction. At a July 6 news conference, Premier Danielle Smith touted the province's recovery-oriented system of care and said the government is working to address xylazine, also known as "tranq dope," which has recently been appearing in North American drug supplies. "We do not believe that there is such a thing as a safe supply of opioids," Smith said. The province is also considering legislation that would in some cases allow police, family members, or guardians to put drug users into treatment without their consent.
• Data shared with Postmedia shows the city removed 1,103 encampments, even as local shelters are near capacity, which is unusual for the summer. Edmontonians have made more than 5,700 complaints about encampments this year, which is 60% higher than the same period in 2022. The number of encampments in parks decreased slightly this year, but there were more instances of people sleeping in other areas. Jennifer Flaman, deputy city manager for community services, told council the city's encampment teams lack resources to meet the growing need, although they are more coordinated with outreach groups than in the past. According to Homeward Trust, around 1,300 people were living rough or staying in shelters as of June 23.
• Alberta is seeing an increase of babies born with syphilis, according to 2022 provincial statistics. The rate of congenital syphilis cases rose to 169.1 per 100,000 in 2022, up from 152.2 in 2021, and 30.8 in 2018. Dr. Ameeta Singh, an infectious disease specialist who practices at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Edmonton STI Clinic, said the numbers are "horrifying," and that the province should treat the situation as a public health emergency. The Edmonton Zone was among the hardest hit areas in 2022, with 86.4 syphilis cases per 100,000. Alberta declared a syphilis outbreak in July 2019, but by 2021 the threat was overshadowed by the pandemic response.
• The Edmonton Police Service and Alberta Motor Association are partnering with Kal Tire on a catalytic converter engraving program. Until Aug. 31, Edmontonians can have their vehicle's catalytic converter engraved for $40 per vehicle and $20 for additional converters in the same vehicle. Each vehicle will get decals that state the converter is traceable, which police believe will deter thieves. Catalytic converter thefts in Edmonton increased more than 80% between 2020 and 2022, with 1,249 thefts so far in 2023.
• Edmonton businessman Ross Vincent Bayne and his associate Mary Cooney were found guilty of defrauding a woman of nearly $350,000 over five years. Beatrijs Penn loaned Bayne the money under the belief that he was investing in humanitarian projects, but it was instead used for Bayne's personal expenses. Penn, a psychotherapist in her 60s from the Netherlands, met Cooney in 2009 at an event run by self-proclaimed spiritual leader John de Ruiter, where they bonded over spirituality and alternative medicine. De Ruiter was charged with seven counts of sexual assault earlier this year.
• Alberta Health Services has lifted the water quality advisory for Big Lake just northwest of Edmonton, which was first issued Jan. 19 after a wastewater pipeline burst and caused sewage run-off to enter the lake and its shoreline. AHS says water quality and fecal bacteria are now at acceptable levels to use the lake for recreational purposes.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is again accepting applications to Camp Inspire, which aims to promote firefighting as a career for women and gender-diverse people. The program is free and takes place Sept. 15-17. Applications will be accepted until July 23.
• A motorcyclist died after colliding with an Edmonton Transit Service bus at 106 Avenue and 79 Street on the afternoon of July 5. Police said the motorcycle was speeding when it struck the right side of the bus, which was turning onto 79 Street.
• The Edmonton Oilers have one of the worst prospect teams in the NHL, according to prospect expert Byron M. Bader, who ranked Edmonton 28th out of 32 teams based on the chance of prospect players becoming NHL stars. Postmedia columnist David Staples wrote that the ranking isn't surprising because Edmonton is in a "win-now mode" and has been trading away top picks.

The Edmonton Downtown Business Association is now tracking major downtown developments on its website, with a current list of 29 projects valued at more than $4 billion.

"A lot of the times we feel like we need to show what we're talking about instead of just saying the same things," executive director Puneeta McBryan said at a June 27 event. "So this was a really tangible way of doing that."

McBryan was one of a handful of panelists who spoke about downtown investment, development, safety, and vibrancy at the event, which was put on by NAIOP Edmonton, the commercial real estate development association.

"We have a city that is being built," McBryan said. "It is local money, local builders, and big idea people that are actually going to change the face of our downtown over the next decade, and that's an opportunity that nobody should take for granted."

The beta version of the downtown developments page showcases projects with a variety of funding sources and allocations, including office modernizations and residential developments, as well as projects that governments, post-secondary institutions, and non-profit groups are working on.

More than $250 million in private investment is going into offices downtown, with notable completed projects including the 103 Street Centre and HSBC Place. The latter was recognized recently at the 2023 Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International TOBY Awards.

The $70 million conversion of the former Enbridge Tower from offices to residential is underway, as is the first phase of Langham Developments' $53 million Falcon Tower. According to the page, there are 1,304 residential units under development.

Government, post-secondary, and non-profit investments into downtown include projects like the Valley Line LRT, Warehouse Park, the renovation of the Citadel Theatre, and the Winspear Centre expansion.

Downtown has struggled with ongoing vacancy following the pandemic. According to a recent CBRE report, downtown Edmonton's office vacancy rate has increased to 24.1%, compared to the national average of 18.1%.

"We'll get on the other side of our vacancy challenges and the other things that are going on," McBryan said.

"The number of renovations that are happening, the number of buildings that are getting a whole new life downtown, makes it all feel very manageable and doable."

Photo: The Edmonton Downtown Business Association's developments page listed 29 projects valued at more than $4 billion when it launched in June 2023.

Opportunities this weekend include a variety of history tours, an avenue full of art, a fundraiser for dog lovers, a celebration of Eid Al Adha, and an election debrief gathering.

• July 7, 9:30am: Why Build It Here? Choosing the Site of Fort Edmonton
• July 7-9: Whyte Ave Art Walk on the streets of Old Strathcona
• July 8, 11am: Muttstock at 12505 75 Street NW
• July 8, 11am: Church Street Tour
• July 8, 3pm: United Eid Carnival at Al Faruq Islamic Centre
• July 8, 10am: What's Next: Post-Election Community Summit hosted by Public Interest Alberta
• July 9, 10am: Alberta History Tours: 100 Years in Strathcona

Find even more things to do in the Arts Roundup and the Food Roundup.

Photo: The Whyte Avenue Art Walk returns to pre-pandemic levels with 400 professional, amateur, and student artists selling their artwork. (Whyte Avenue Art Walk)