The Pulse: March 7, 2024

The City of Edmonton awarded more than $700,000 of the $1 million Chinatown Recovery Fund to proposals focused on security rather than vibrancy, a report on the fund says.

The fund is part of both the Downtown Core and Transit System Safety Plan and The Chinatown Strategy. Its description says it's a post-COVID vibrancy fund akin to the Downtown Recovery Coalition.

The Chinatown Recovery Fund advisory committee approved proposals in 2022 and 2023. The work followed two unprovoked murders in Chinatown in May 2022 that left the community feeling unsafe.

"Vibrancy was one of the (fund's) goals — the main goal was to help provide some economic recovery coming out of both a pandemic and some of the challenges that were unique to Chinatown … the increase in homeless encampments, and the increase in social disorder," Brett Latchford, director of strategy and emerging economy at the City of Edmonton, told Taproot.

Latchford said the city received 75 proposals, and 16 projects got the green light. Nine were for security, and seven were for things like the arts, events, and repairs to the Chinese garden in Louise McKinney Riverfront Park, maintained by the Edmonton Chinese Garden Society.

A little more than $300,000 went to vibrancy projects. The most expensive of these was $160,000 to the Chinatown and Area Business Association for investment in four new business openings, and $70,000 to Chinatown Transformation Collaborative (better known as CTC) for sculptures.

By far the largest expenditure is a multi-project fund administered by the business association: $622,000 for more than 120 businesses to upgrade security.

A former organizer for CTC who worked on the fund said security was a key concern when considering proposals.

"We had an open house in October 2022, and at that public meeting, a lot of business owners were there, plus residents, too," Allan Kwan, who chaired the Chinatown Recovery Fund advisory committee, told Taproot. "The number one concern was safety and security."

• Edmonton's extreme weather response will be lifted at 9am on March 8. The Edmonton Transit Service will continue to run the Winter Shelter Shuttle Service at night on the north and south routes, but the additional west route will be suspended. The response came into effect on Feb. 25 and was originally set to end March 1.
• Edmonton city hall will reopen for some groups and private events, beginning with an Edmonton Police Service graduation on March 8, but is still closed to the public. Students attending City Hall School, a week-long civic education program, will also return beginning March 11, along with city staff, the city said. The building has been closed to the general public since a Jan. 23 attack that saw a gunman fire several shots and throw a Molotov cocktail in its atrium. A date for its full reopening hasn't been announced, and the city has not yet released details on new security protocols.
• The province released more details about provincial budget investments in education, emphasizing $1.2 billion for enrolment growth and $1.5 billion to support students with special needs. However, school officials say they will continue to face challenges due to overcrowding and historic enrolment levels. The Alberta Teachers' Association says the province needs 6,000 new teachers, plus support staff, to make up for years of budget shortfalls. Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools welcomed the investments into building and planning new schools but emphasized the need for rapid construction.
• Several Edmonton organizations are sharing a $5-million federal investment to support Francophone communities and French education in Alberta. The province is receiving nearly $1.5 million to renovate and refurbish the University of Alberta's Campus Saint‑Jean, which is also getting $427,000 to develop a work experience program for Francophones and newcomers. The Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta is receiving programming funding, along with $110,000 to develop promotional campaigns and hold a summit on French language postsecondary education in Alberta.
• The Task Force for Housing and Climate, which launched in 2023 and is chaired by former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson and former federal cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, released a report called Blueprint for More and Better Housing. The report contains 140 actions municipal, provincial, and federal governments can take to build 5.8 million homes by 2030 while supporting Canada's climate goals. Actions for municipal governments include "legalizing density" by abolishing parking minimums and unit maximums, creating "ambitious density rules" near transit, and streamlining approvals. Iveson said that Edmonton's renewed zoning bylaw is a start, but added there's "still more to do."
• The Edmonton Oilers announced they have acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick though a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Henrique is hoped to be a "versatile goal-scorer" and increase the team's offensive options, while Carrick should improve the team's fourth-line centre position, according to sports writer Cam Lewis.
• The Alberta government proclaimed the Electricity Statutes (Modernizing Alberta's Electricity Grid) Amendment Act, which came into effect on March 6. According to the province, the act will help the electrical system adapt to new technology and change how consumers interact with it. The act will allow businesses to build more energy storage and on-site power generation, and provide the option to sell excess power to the grid, the province said.

Here are opportunities to help inform city planning about a new urban farming program, a rezoning application in Windsor Park, and municipal elections.

• Urban Farming Survey — The City of Edmonton is considering a new urban farming program that would allow residents to grow produce or raise animals on city land and sell products commercially. Currently, Edmontonians can only apply for development permits and business licences to farm on private urban land. Details are still being worked out, but residents can complete an online survey to inform the program until March 10.
• Windsor Park Rezoning (advise) — Green Space Alliance has applied to rezone three adjoining properties on 116 Street in the Windsor Park neighbourhood to build a 23-metre residential building with possible commercial space on the ground floor. Residents can ask city planners a question or share their thoughts about the application until March 10.
• Voter Engagement Initiative — The City of Edmonton wants to understand voter experiences in order to make municipal elections more accessible, inclusive, equitable, and ethical. The deadline to provide feedback through an online survey has been extended to March 31.
• Leduc Sports Hall of Fame (nominations) — The City of Leduc is inviting residents to nominate a local athlete, team, or sports leaders to be inducted into the Leduc Sports Hall of Fame. Nominations are accepted all year, but the deadline to nominate someone for recognition in 2024 is April 30.

More input opportunities

• Until March 8: City Brand Review (Fort Saskatchewan)

Photo: The Edmonton Urban Farm, located next to the EXPO Centre, is an example of underutilized city land that has been transformed into a hub for growing, learning, and food literacy. (Explore Edmonton)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• ATB Events presents The Financial Wake Up Call for Founders starting at 10:45am online
• 46th Annual Forecast Dinner starting at 4:30pm at the Edmonton Convention Centre
• Nuances starting at 5pm at the Alberta Visual Arts Centre
• Distiller's Symposium starting at 6pm at CKUA Radio Network
• Dark Matters: The Science of Sex starting at 6:30pm at the TELUS World of Science Edmonton
• Whisky Bingo starting at 6:30pm at Sherbrooke Liquor
• Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre starting at 7pm at the Stanley A. Milner Library

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 27: Opera Pub at the Blue Chair Café
• March 28: Mezcal in March: Edmonton Cocktail Class at Strathearn Community League
• April 5: Alberta Innovates presents Pitch Up! Scale-up Category online

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