The Pulse: Feb. 14, 2024

A group of North Glenora neighbours who collaborated to build multifamily housing in their own backyards have already netted an Urban Design Award and are now looking to repeat their climate-focused success in another mature neighbourhood, just with a smaller footprint.

"We're in early discussions right now and early talks about doing the second one," T5M Connect president and director Ryan Young told Taproot.

Young said the group built its first project on two city lots, but the second will have to fit onto one, which has presented a challenge. "How do we do what we do, but build it in such a way that it's replicable and can be used across the city on one city property lot?"

That first development, called T5M Connect North Glenora, is a modestly sized 16-unit building with two wheelchair-accessible suites and a roof covered in solar panels that's built to Passive House standards. Readers familiar with Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie's Showtime series The Curse may know Passive Houses act as something of a Thermos, built to keep temperatures regulated to cut down on energy use.

Fittingly, the first electrical bill for the multifamily development's 16 units was just over $1,000. For comparison, Young said his single-detached home's monthly average is several hundred dollars.

Next up for the T5M group will be a similar building within another of Edmonton's mature neighbourhoods. Young did not name the location but did say will be close to transit. "If we're developing higher density (housing), then this should be along public transportation routes," Young said. "Where's the new LRT route going? Where are the key bus routes?"

Young and T5M don't want to keep their methods to build secret. Details on their development are available on the Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association and ENBIX websites. Young is part of an advisory group for the latter, whose launch Taproot covered, based on his role as associate dean, industry engagement, for the J.R. Shaw School of Business at NAIT.

The amount of Edmonton's rental buildings owned by investment firms located outside the city grew by 22% between 2019 and 2022. Young said T5M's development is different. "We wanted to improve our own neighbourhood. We live here, we live just down the street, so we have more investment into what we're doing."

He was inspired by the concept of missing middle housing when he joined the development game. The term describes housing like duplexes, townhouses, and modestly-sized apartment towers that are smaller than a tall or sprawling complex but house multiple families, unlike a single-family home.

The missing middle was a hot topic during Edmonton's zoning bylaw reform process. Even some of Young's neighbours were hesitant about seeing missing middle redevelopment projects in North Glenora.

"There's a perception that multifamily brings down the value of their houses if they have single-family homes," Young said. "Some people have apologized to us. And one person even said, 'This is a gem in the neighbourhood.'"

• City of Edmonton workers represented by Civic Service Union 52 have voted 91% in favour of a strike after contract negotiations with the city stalled. The vote comes on the heels of a strike vote taken by Edmonton Public Library workers, who voted 94% in favour of striking. Union president Lanny Chudyk, noting that the workers have not received wage increases since 2018, said they are pushing for more substantial raises than the city's proposed 7.25% over five years. While union members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action, the "goal is still to reach a fair and equitable settlement at the negotiation table that supports our members and taxpayers," Chudyk said.
• Encampment fires in Edmonton killed three people and the camps have cost the city about $1.3 million, council heard during an update on the city's encampment response. City branch manager David Jones said the city's new approach to high-risk encampments has had "early positive results," as resources are consolidated to allow for response and assessment times to drop from nine days to six. As of last week, 33 encampments had yet to be assessed, compared to 221 at the beginning of 2023. Between Jan. 17 and Feb. 8 this year, the city cleared 121 camps and recovered more than 569 propane tanks, said Dave Lazenby with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services. The city currently has plans to dismantle eight occupied encampments, with another 133 that are vacant and scheduled for cleaning.
• The Alberta government says a new navigation and support centre it opened in January inside a Hope Mission facility in central Edmonton has been a success, with nearly 300 people using its services. More than 70 people have been connected to housing programs, 55 were provided with mental health and addictions services, and another 130 people have accessed shelter space, transitional housing, or supportive housing, the province said. The centre removes barriers to support by offering a variety of services in one place, said Tim Pasma with Hope Mission. The province said the model has worked so well it plans to replicate it in other cities.
• Critics say some proposed restrictions in a new public spaces bylaw being considered by Edmonton city council are undemocratic, could restrict freedoms, and would disproportionately affect marginalized groups. The bylaw, which council will discuss on Feb. 14, would introduce several new restrictions, including protests without permits of more than 50 people, using voice amplifiers, spitting, and cycling on grass in city parks. Shannon Lohner, with the advocacy group Paths for People, argued that increasing the fine for cycling on the sidewalk from $100 to $250 doesn't make sense since Edmonton doesn't have a complete active transportation network. "We're really just worried about how the impacts of this will be inequitable," Lohner said.
• The Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton will temporarily close up to three operating rooms on weekdays in February because of staff shortages, Postmedia reported. Alberta Health Services said "planned staff and physician vacations" are behind the closures, adding that no scheduled surgeries have been cancelled or postponed. "The plans were in place prior to the surgical schedule being set," the health authority told Postmedia in a statement. A total of 42 operating rooms will be closed through February, with eight closures planned in March.
• The University of Alberta has launched its new three-year student experience action plan, called Igniting Purpose, with an aim to enhance campus life by improving accessibility, safety, and academic support. The plan, informed by more than 8,000 student responses, focuses on initiatives such as renovating classrooms for better accessibility, increasing cleaning standards, expanding counselling services, and introducing a new online scheduling tool for course registration. The university says the plan will also support its strategy to increase student enrolment by 16,000 in the next 10 years.
• Sportsnet analyst Jason Bukala shared his perspectives on how the Edmonton Oilers can improve their roster as the NHL trade deadline approaches. Among the players identified as potential options are Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks, or Sean Walker and Scott Laughton, both of the Philadelphia Flyers.
• The Edmonton Elks have signed return specialist Javon Leake to a one-year contract. Leake, who was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2023, brings a record of 1,216 punt return yards and four punt return touchdowns from his previous season with the Toronto Argonauts.
• The Alberta government's six-month moratorium on new renewable energy projects has left a chill even as the ban is set to end, some members of the sector say. There are more than 100 projects worth $33 billion on hold, and some companies are worried about whether they will be approved when the ban ends on Feb. 29. "I can't see approvals rapidly moving forward without new regulations in place," said Jorden Dye of the Business Renewables Centre Canada.

On this day in 1984, planning for Pope John Paul II's three-day visit to Edmonton was in full swing.

The Pope's journey to Canada in September 1984 marked the first time the head of the Catholic Church had set foot in the country. His 12-day Canadian tour started with him kissing the airport tarmac in Quebec City and continued with stops in 12 other cities, including Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Yellowknife, and Edmonton.

By the time the Pope's plane landed at CFB Edmonton the city was experiencing Pope-mania. A crowd of more than 100,000 people stood along the recently widened 97 Street to catch a glimpse of the popemobile as it zipped towards downtown. Among the crowd was a sizeable security presence, as the Pope had survived two assassination attempts in the previous three years.

The Pope and his entourage arrived at St. Joseph's Cathedral for a gathering of religious leaders before heading to the Grey Nuns Centre where he stayed during his visit.

The next day, it was back north to CFB Edmonton, where the Pope hosted a mass in a farmer's field beside the base. Crowds of up to 200,000 were expected for the service. Preparations included renting a gigantic TV screen from a Micheal Jackson tour to broadcast the speech. The crowd was smaller than anticipated — estimated at 125,000 — possibly due to the blustery weather. (The smaller crowd apparently left organizers with a lot of leftover communion wafers on their hands.) The Pope mentioned Alberta's famously unpredictable weather in his opening remarks, before giving a fiery speech that touched on the dangers of nuclear weapons and the growing inequality between wealthy and poor countries.

During the Pope's final day in the Edmonton area, he visited Elk Island National Park. A photo of John Paul II walking down one of the park's pathways while holding a rosary became one of the most famous images from his time heading the Catholic Church.

The weather wasn't done messing with the Pope's Canadian plans. After three days in Edmonton, the Pope intended to travel to Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories to meet with Indigenous leaders. Heavy fog forced his plane to return to Yellowknife, however, and the visit was cancelled. John Paul II would return to Canada in 1988 to visit Fort Simpson.

The excitement of the Pope's visit to Edmonton led to all kinds of mementos and souvenirs. Collectible cards and tickets were produced, businesses held special papal sales, and the city's transit system even sold commemorative maps. While many of those have been lost to time, there are still reminders of the visit around the city, if one knows where to look.

During his visit, the Pope promoted St. Joseph's Cathedral to a minor basilica, which remains to this day. And the metal structure that protected the altar during his farmers' field mass now stands in Gallagher Park as the Peace Dove. The sculpture even has a time capsule buried underneath, placed there by Edmonton's Catholic school district, and set to be opened up in 2088.

The Peace Dove got a major makeover a couple of years ago in preparation for another papal visit, when Pope Francis stopped in Edmonton in 2022. The most recent tour included an address in Maskwacis, where Pope Francis formally apologized for the Church's role in the residential school system. Despite the apology, many say they are still waiting for more concrete action more than a year after Francis's visit. There are currently plans for improvements to Gallagher Park, which might involve expanding the paths network around the Peace Dove or even relocating the sculpture.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton. ​

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Edmonton Chapter of CPAs: Playful Wellness for Work and Life starting at 12pm online
• Prairie BioEconomy Guild: Cvictus starting at 5pm at Brewsters Unity Square
• Brewery Cribbage Night starting at 6:30pm at Manual Labour Beer
• Films at the Library: Love, Simon starting at 6:30pm at the Stanley A. Milner Library

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Feb. 28-March 1: VilleAero Aerospace and Logistics Exposition at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel
• March 2: Pride & Prejudice Mini Series Marathon at Fort Edmonton Park
• March 9-10: 13th Annual Country Music Alberta Awards Weekend at the Edmonton Convention Centre

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.