The Pulse: Feb. 20, 2024

Despite bankruptcies in other countries and bans in other cities, micromobility operators say shared e-scooters and e-bikes aren't rolling out of the Edmonton region any time soon.

Bird filed for bankruptcy in December after its stock nosedived. But Austin Spademan, a spokesperson for Bird Canada, said the American arm of Bird is a separate entity, so operations north of the border won't be affected by the filing. "We've been profitable as an organization, actually, since our inception," Spademan told Taproot. "We're actually expecting to grow on the Bird Canada side in 2024."

Bird operated in 2023 in St. Albert, Leduc, Spruce Grove, and Edmonton. Spademan said riders took more than 250,000 trips across the region in 2023, and ridership grew by 15% from 2022 to 2023.

But it hasn't all been happy stories for shared e-scooters and e-bikes in the Edmonton region. Lime and Bird were the only two companies present regionally in 2023, while in previous years there were more. Spin was available in Edmonton and St. Albert in 2021, but it pulled out of Canada before the next summer. Roll Technologies had scooters in St. Albert in 2022, but declared bankruptcy in 2023. Lime has also contracted in the region — it had scooters in St. Albert in 2022, but the company said it decided to pull out to focus on Edmonton.

The company is open to returning to St. Albert in the future, Lime spokesperson Jacob Tugendrajch said.

Lime had e-scooters and e-bikes in 2023 that were only available in Edmonton. Still, the company said it logged 920,000 trips in 2023, nearly triple the amount of rides in 2022, and saw particularly high demand across the summer months. "Edmonton was one of the top cities not just in Canada, not just in North America, but in the world this summer," Tugendrajch said.

Tugendrajch added that while some Canadian cities have been patient and methodical when figuring out the right regulations, Edmonton has been ahead of the curve. "I think Edmonton, in particular, is leading the way, showing that there's this huge demand for shared e-bikes and shared e-scooters in Canada," he said.

Edmonton's protected active transportation infrastructure and dedicated e-scooter parking areas are part of what make it attractive to micromobility companies, Tugendrajch said.

• About two dozen members of CSU52 in Edmonton held a rally at the Muttart LRT station on Feb. 18 to pressure Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and city manager Andre Corbould for fair contract negotiations amid a looming strike. Sohi, who was attending a Family Day event at the Edmonton Ski Club, told reporters that while contract negotiations are the responsibility of city administration, he wants to see workers treated fairly. "I was one of them when I was a bus driver, so I understand how hard city employees work," he said. Last week, union members who work for the city voted 91% in favour of strike action, while members who work for the Edmonton Public Library voted 94% in favour.
• The City of Edmonton has identified 203 derelict homes whose owners will be subject to a new higher tax rate. The derelict residential tax subclass applies to properties in mature neighbourhoods showing serious signs of neglect and is intended to encourage owners to maintain or improve the properties. The homes were identified in 54 neighbourhoods, with the highest concentrations of derelict properties located in the Highlands and Alberta Avenue areas. Edmonton became the first Canadian city to create a tax subclass specifically for derelict properties when council passed the bylaw in October.
• The City of Edmonton says it has repaired more than 5,000 potholes since the beginning of 2024, a decrease from the more than 8,700 repaired during the same time last year. The city has received 156 pothole reports since Feb. 15, compared to 697 over the same period in 2023. Residents are encouraged to report potholes via 311 or the city's website, and those affected by pothole damage may be eligible for compensation after an evaluation process. Last year, the city repaired a total of 624,663 potholes.
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo announced the arrival of two female Arctic wolves from France. They will be companions for the zoo's resident Arctic wolf, Tundra, after his previous partner, Shilah, died in 2022. The wolves, sisters from different litters, arrived on Feb. 14 and are currently in a 30-day quarantine before they can be introduced to Tundra and their new 5,000-square-metre habitat set to open this summer.
• Romance novels are experiencing a surge of popularity, prompting shops specializing in the genre to open their doors. The Book Boudoir, Edmonton's first bookstore exclusively dedicated to romance novels, opened its doors to large lineups on Valentine's Day. Store owner Kelsey Orlecki said she had such a big turnout she had to turn customers away. "I want people to know that this is a safe space. You can come and shop and be comfortable in your own skin here," she said.
• The UCP government's proposed policies affecting trans and gender-diverse youth are likely to face legal challenges, experts and advocates say. Advocacy groups Egale Canada and Skipping Stone are preparing for a judicial review, arguing the policies are on shaky constitutional ground, while legal experts from the University of Alberta and University of Calgary signed an open letter saying the policies would infringe on Charter rights. The policies, announced by Premier Danielle Smith on Jan. 31, would introduce restrictions on hormone therapy for those 15 and under and a ban on transgender female athletes in women's sports, among other proposed changes.

This week, council meets virtually to discuss many items that were postponed in the wake of the attack on city hall in late January.

There is a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 20 and a city council meeting scheduled for Feb. 21 with a continuation scheduled for Feb. 23.

Here are key items on the agenda:

• Administration says council's request for it to find $60 million in savings and $240 million in budget redirection in the 2023-2026 budget, a project known as OP12, will require "significant" cuts to services. A report, scheduled for the Feb. 21 council meeting, explains that while the entire expenditure budget is $3.5 billion, much of it can't be reallocated. Only about $1.5 billion of that budget can be reduced, and the goal of reallocating $240 million means a 5% cut to the remaining budget. "As the scope of expenses available for reallocation decreases, it becomes more challenging to find viable options for reallocation, forcing administration and council to make even more difficult decisions," the report reads. This information is being prepared ahead of the spring supplemental budget adjustment, when council will vote on any cuts or reallocations. So far, administration has identified $130.8 million that could be reallocated — through changing service levels for community sandboxes, reducing funding for corporate initiatives, and restraint when hiring, among other changes. For the rest, administration presents options like cutting funds to the Edmonton Heritage Council, reducing public engagement that is not legally required, and increasing fees to book sports fields. Administration also has presented an idea to sell Edmonton Transit Service merch. The hosts of Speaking Municipally talked about it all in Episode 249.
• The public hearing agenda on Feb. 20 includes six rezonings for taller buildings — and in some cases, more housing units — in redeveloping neighbourhoods, all using zones introduced in the recently-passed zoning bylaw renewal. Averton wants to rezone a set of properties in Oliver at 103 Avenue and 123 Street, increasing the maximum height from 16 to 65 metres. Due to the size of the properties, the city said the developer could build one tower of up to 20 storeys or two towers of up to 12 storeys on one property, and one 10-storey tower on the other. The same developer wants to rezone a mostly vacant lot on 116 Street just south of 104 Avenue in Oliver to allow for a 20-storey building. Three single-family homes in Queen Mary Park could be demolished to make way for an eight-storey building with 22 units of housing if council approves the rezoning. A rezoning in Rideau Park in the strip mall that houses the Whitemud Library would increase allowable heights and allow housing. Residents can share thoughts about the applications at the public hearing on Feb. 20.
• The George Spady Society is looking to move its medically-assisted detoxification centre to a new location beside the Jasper Place Transit Centre. The social service has submitted a rezoning application for 15625 Stony Plain Road NW. Medical detox is already an approved use for the property, but the George Spady Society is applying to increase the amount of floor area allowed for medical purposes. Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack told Taproot the west end lacks many social supports for vulnerable people living in the area. "Many of us have heard the same stories — those individuals experiencing homelessness aren't necessarily feeling comfortable going into the downtown core, and that their network, their community is in the west end," Knack said. "Even though the services they might need to access aren't available in the west end, they've been more likely to stay in the west end."

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Bissell Centre Housing Workshop starting at 1pm at the Edmonton Public Library — Woodcroft
• Financial Literacy: RRSPs and TFSAs starting at 6:30pm online
• Pith! starting at 7:30pm at the Varscona Theatre
• Sweet Treats & Latte Festival on Whyte Avenue (until Feb. 25)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 3: Bring Out Your Dead! at Three Vikings
• March 7: Distiller's Symposium at CKUA Radio Network
• March 9-10: Pet Expo at the Edmonton EXPO Centre

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