The Pulse: Sept. 5, 2023

A new funding formula for the Edmonton Police Service was approved on Aug. 23, earning yes votes from three council members who previously said they were in favour of freezing the police budget.

Episode 230 of Speaking Municipally dove into the results after co-host Mack Male attended the debate at City Hall and posted live updates to X (formerly Twitter) about the meeting. The funding formula, which covers the remaining three years of the 2023-2026 operating budget, passed 9-4, with councillors Michael Janz, Erin Rutherford, Ashley Salvador, and Anne Stevenson opposed.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and councillors Keren Tang and Joanne Wright were among those who answered Taproot's municipal election survey in 2021. They responded to the question "What should be done about the police budget?" by choosing "Freeze it until it is in line with comparable cities."

Co-host Troy Pavlek reached out to the three by email to clarify what new information had prompted them to change their position. Only Wright's response was received in time for the podcast recording, though Sohi and Tang responded after deadline.

"As a candidate I did not have access to the analysis and recommendations of our administration and Edmonton Police Commission," Wright said. "In representing a developing area with rapid population growth, I now hear from constituents that they do not see enforcement in their neighbourhoods related to rising crime and traffic injuries & fatalities that are the responsibility of police."

She added that collective bargaining agreements with the Edmonton Police Association, the Edmonton Police Service Senior Officers' Association, and Civil Service Union 52 from 2021 had not yet been settled prior to the election.

Wright also noted that the funding formula is "not perfect," that she will "not entertain" further service packages, and that she will continue to advocate for crime prevention to avoid further resources going towards enforcement.

• Edmonton and Calgary had their smokiest summers on record, with Environment Canada data showing that both cities set new records this year for "smoke hours." So far this year Edmonton has recorded 244 smoke hours, beating the previous record of 229 hours set in 2018. Calgary has recorded 464 smoke hours, compared to 450 in 2018. Data shows that wildfire smoke has jumped significantly in the past decade, with Edmonton recording an average of just 14 smoke hours annually between 1981 and 2010. This year's numbers are expected to climb because of continued wildfires in B.C. and northern Canada.
• City administration is proposing a new standard to control urban sprawl and manage the city's growth. According to a report presented to council's urban planning committee, the substantial completion standard would require developing areas to meet a minimum threshold for certain amenities, such as stores, parks, schools, and recreation centres, before approving new developments in other areas. However, Kalen Anderson with the Urban Development Institute for the Edmonton metro region, argued that halting new growth would be "a boon for the rest of the metro region" because it would lead to developers targeting areas outside the city. Currently, 91 of Edmonton's 295 residential neighbourhoods are in developing areas, such as Ellerslie, west Henday and the city's far northeast.
• The 170 Street pedestrian bridge connecting the Misericordia Hospital and surrounding neighbourhoods with West Edmonton Mall (WEM) and the adjoining WEM transit centre opened on Sept. 1. The bridge, located between 87 Avenue and 90 Avenue, features a shared pathway for pedestrians, cyclists, and other active transportation users. WEM demolished the bridge in 2018 after determining that refurbishing it would cost much more than a replacement. The city and WEM shared the $10.4-million cost of the bridge, which was originally scheduled to open in late 2022.
• In an appearance on Global News's monthly Civic Matters segment, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi spoke about the increased Edmonton Police Service budget and the police funding formula, which council approved on Aug 23. While Sohi noted he has previously stated that "automatic increases for any department are not sustainable without any accountability built into that," he said he supported the police funding formula presented to council because the context has changed, including an increased toxic drug supply, gang violence, and shootings. "We need to make sure we provide proper resources to the police to tackle and stabilize the situation," he said.
• As students go back to school, the city is reminding drivers to follow school zone speed limits of 30 km/hr and use designated pick-up and drop-off locations outside of schools. Edmonton Transit Service will offer more frequent service during peak hours on some routes and has introduced three new school special routes. The city also noted that with 200 construction projects underway across the city, drivers should plan their route and stay updated on road closures and potential delays through the traffic disruptions map.
• City crews will close and winterize Edmonton's 77 spray parks beginning Sept. 5. Some spray parks may remain open past that date, but all locations are expected to be closed by Sept. 8. Residents are encouraged to check the city's website for operating hours and maintenance closures.
• The Alberta government has approved 12 collegiate schools across the province, including STEM Collegiate in south Edmonton, which opened its doors to 250 students this year. The school focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and aims to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. Collegiate schools, which can be public or private, offer specialized programming and pathways to post-secondary education and careers for students in Grades 7 to 12. The UCP government has identified the schools as a priority, with more expected to be approved in the coming months.
• The Edmonton Police Service says it is seeing increasing amounts of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer commonly used to sedate horses, in the city's drug supply. Staff Sgt. David Paton told CTV News that drugs are being cut with "various adulterants such as xylazine" and "other fentanyl analogues." Without a strong drug checking system, it's hard to know just how much xylazine is in the city's drug supply, noted Marliss Taylor, with Boyle Street Community Services. "Right now, what we have is a cornucopia of drugs that are mixed together, and we don't know what they are or in what quantities," she said.

The owners of the recently launched El Jardin have big plans to open several more restaurants in Edmonton.

The restaurant, whose name means "the garden" in Spanish, opened in the Mercer Warehouse in July. It's a second venture from business partners Hifa Maleki and Percy Wiredu, who opened El Corazon in Glenora's West Block in April 2022.

Maleki and Wiredu named their company 10 Hospitality Group, as they intend to open 10 restaurants, each with a unique concept, across Edmonton by 2027. They already have a third, named El Cielo ("the sky" in Spanish), slated for the Keswick neighbourhood in February 2024.

"We love Edmonton and want to see very exciting things done in the city," Maleki told Taproot. "We have to be momentum shifters. We want to inspire more people to open businesses in our community."

The space in the Mercer, which was formerly occupied by Rostizado, was an opportunity too good to pass up. Maleki said the landlord entertained 30 offers before selecting them.

"They wanted a restaurant to bring on a different clientele," she said. "We told them that we're going to do it justice, maintain the integrity of the building, and bring something classy."

Maleki said all of their restaurant concepts are developed organically, influenced by the spaces they inhabit. "Our thought was because this space is hidden from the street it's like a secret garden," said Maleki. "All of our cocktails also have some kind of botanical in them — rosewater, saffron, basil, rosemary. Same with our food, we use aromatics unapologetically. It may not look like you're in a garden, but it tastes like one."

It's a short week, but there's a lot going on, with business-oriented sessions on due diligence, Silicon Valley investment, startup mistakes, and quantum technology, plus a cask party on rails and an art walk.

• Sept. 6-7: Demystifying Due Diligence, presented by Startup TNT
• Sept. 7, 10am: Is Silicon Valley Right for My Business?, presented by Alberta Women Entrepreneurs
• Sept. 7, 11am: The Top 5 Mistakes Startups Make, presented by Business Link
• Sept. 7, 5pm: Quantum Industry Mixer, hosted by the University of Alberta at Edmonton Unlimited
• Sept. 7, 5:45pm: Cask Party: Ale Architect and The Growlery Beer Co. on the High Level Streetcar
• Sept. 7, 6pm: ArtWalk St. Albert

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

Photo: Thursday's Cask Party features two one-time brews and snacks, plus entertainment at The Common after a ride on the High Level Street Car. (Mack Male/Flickr)