The Pulse: July 10, 2023

This week, city council will have its final meetings before the summer break. A public hearing will take place on July 10, a community and public services committee meeting on July 11, and an urban planning committee meeting on July 12. Council will resume meeting during the week of Aug. 21.

Here are some of the key items on the agenda:

• Administration is seeking approval to proceed to the planning phase of the National Urban Park initiative, pending endorsement by Parks Canada. The initiative, which got underway in 2021, seeks to designate the North Saskatchewan River Valley as a national urban park. Doing so could provide access to federal funding for ecological protection, habitat restoration, and programming, in addition to potential economic and educational benefits, the report says.
• Developing an assisted snow removal program for Edmonton could cost between $109,000 and $770,000 per year, administration projects. The most expensive option would leverage the Government of Alberta's Special Needs Assistance for Seniors program with another $450,000 in funding on top. The least expensive would reactivate the Snow Angels volunteer program, which ran from 2014 to 2017 to recognize community snow removal volunteers.
• A rezoning application for the Balfour Manor in Oliver, which was designated a Municipal Historic Resource in 2005, would allow for a ground-level addition alongside minor alterations to the building's historic facades. The Edmonton Design Committee supports the application with the recommendation that bicycle parking be provided in the front of the building due to its proximity to the 102 Avenue bike lane. Administration said the proposal allows for "the adaptive repurposing of the historic building in a way that does not diminish its historic integrity."

A report on district plans and the district general policy is being postponed until the second quarter of 2024. In the meantime, administration has planned additional public engagement on district planning from Oct. 23 to Dec. 1.

• The organizers of the Edmonton Heritage Festival have decided not to include a Russian pavilion this year due to safety concerns, threats, and objections from the Ukrainian community in the city. The decision was made after attempts to find a solution between the Russian and Ukrainian pavilions failed. Last year, the organizers of the Russian pavilion voluntarily withdrew from the festival.
• The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded that Edmonton Police Service officers should have been more careful when arresting a man who was having a diabetic episode prior to a traffic stop in January 2019, but did not commit a crime. Officers struck the man in the head with the butt end of a gun and restrained him with a boot, resulting in two facial fractures. "More care should have been given by the officers around uses of force to the head area of the (suspect)," wrote Matthew Block, ASIRT's assistant executive director.
• The Edmonton Police Service said 97 shootings have been reported so far in 2023, which is a 26% increase over the same time last year.
• Of the record-breaking 339 opioid-related incidents that Alberta emergency services responded to during the week of June 26, 170 were in Edmonton, the most of any municipality. The Health Sciences Association of Alberta says the rise in drug poisonings is putting a strain on the entire healthcare system, resulting in long EMS wait times.
• According to John Carter of RE/MAX River City, the 15-minute district concept is popular among Edmonton buyers and across the country, with 72% of respondents to a recent survey agreeing that such communities would improve their quality of life. "The awareness of the 15-minute concept is further adding to demand for homes in neighbourhoods with mixed use elements," Carter said. The goal of 15-minute districts is to make it possible to access daily necessities within 15 minutes of home, ideally without a car.
• Flair has launched service between Edmonton and Quebec City, which it says is the first-ever direct flight between the two cities. "Quebec City is a vibrant Canadian destination and we believe this new non-stop route from YEG will open doors for increased tourism and business connections between the two regions," said Myron Keehn, CEO of the Edmonton International Airport.
• The Edmonton Elks have acquired defensive lineman Sam Acheampong from the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for a fifth round pick in the 2024 CFL Draft and Negotiation List rights to wide receiver Xavier Gipson. The next Elks game is Thursday, July 13 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Commonwealth Stadium.
• Four sets of triplets have been born in Edmonton so far this year, according to Alberta Health Services. The Borchuk triplets were born on Father's Day at the Misericordia Community Hospital, the first set of triplets born there since the late 1990s. The hospital has only helped deliver three sets of triplets ever, Global News reports.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation has launched the Rebuilding Northern Alberta Fund to support long-term rebuilding efforts following wildfires and floods in Northern Alberta, focusing on areas including Drayton Valley, the County of Grande Prairie, the Municipal District of Greenview, and surrounding communities. ECF will match all donations up to $50,000.

Events this week include a business skills lunch and learn for technology professionals, a discussion on carbon dioxide removal, a poetry writing session, and a tour of sustainable farming practices.

• July 11, 12pm: The Path to Success: Unraveling the Secrets of Company Success presented by Technology Alberta at Edmonton Unlimited
• July 12, 11am: Startup Showcase Part One: Carbon Dioxide Removals
• July 12, 6pm: Poetry in the Park at Giovanni Caboto Park
• July 12, 6:30pm: Edward Jones Ladies' Coffee Club at Bogani Café
• July 13, 8:30am: Sturgeon County Agricultural Service Board Tour at Cardiff Park in Sturgeon County
• July 13, 4pm: NAIOP Developing Leaders: Track & Field Day at RE/MAX Field
• July 14, 2pm: Food For Thought: A Culinary Bookclub at the Stanley A. Milner Library

Find even more things to do in Taproot's weekly roundups.

Photo: The Sturgeon County Agricultural Service Board's tour aims to "celebrate our diverse agricultural producers," ending the day at Sturgeon County Bounty. (Sturgeon CountyFacebook)