The Pulse: March 14, 2024

An organizer of a recent sold-out lesbian dance party says the unexpectedly strong demand suggests the need for more safe spaces for the queer community, even as dedicated spaces have historically struggled both in Edmonton and globally.

The Edmonton Lesbian Event Network (ELEN) released early-bird tickets for its pop-up event at 2am on a Saturday. Organizers said they were surprised when the event sold out later that morning.

"It was really exciting," co-organizer Sylvie Masson told Taproot. "It's refreshing in a way to know that so many people want community."

After the first tickets sold out, ELEN started a waitlist. "(W)e heartily apologize that we had no idea the demand would be so quick and intense on this and were not quite prepared," it posted on Facebook. New tickets opened up. Those, too, were quickly bought up.

In the end, about 100 people came to the March 9 event at Rhubarb Café and Cocktails, Masson said. "I'm delighted that there was so much interest, but I wish it wasn't such a rare occurrence for us to have these events," she said. "I would like it to be a normative thing, where you could just go out and have these safe spaces."

Masson said ELEN aims to be inclusive. The group tends to brand its events as "sapphic" rather than "lesbian," as the former word is more welcoming to queer people of all genders. "We allow trans folks on any side to come to our events because we find that there's not a lot of space for trans folks and I find a lot of spaces don't make room for that," she said.

"Our goal is always community, that's important — making those connections and providing a safe space to people."

Part of the ticket sales went to Skipping Stone and EGALE Canada's trans-affirming legal fund. EGALE describes policies proposed by the United Conservative Party in January regarding transgender health care, sexual education, and women's sports as unprecedented. "They go against every expert opinion, including medical professionals. If implemented, the policies would force medical and education professionals to take actions that they know will cause harm and suffering to the youth in their care," EGALE writes. The group says the legal fund will help it "bring legal action to challenge these assaults on our rights."

Masson said it can be difficult to be queer in Alberta right now. "Just existing at times, just being yourself and being open about your sexuality is taking a stand," she said. "Being here and being queer, myself, is an example of resistance."

• Civic Service Union 52 members are expected to strike at 11am on March 14. CSU 52 said its negotiations with the City of Edmonton have not progressed since union president Lanny Chudyk met with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi on March 12, while city manager Andre Corbould said he doesn't believe "going to a table now, when I don't have more to offer, would be in good faith." Chudyk also criticized a statement on the bargaining process, signed by the mayor and all councillors, saying they are passing the cost of frontline workers onto taxpayers "instead of making some hard choices on discretionary projects." Council's statement has also drawn criticism on social media, including by Speaking Municipally co-host Troy Pavlek, who argued the numbers in the statement are misleading.
• The leaders of eight large Alberta public sector unions issued a joint statement to Edmonton city council suggesting they are "wittingly or unwittingly" being used by the UCP government to "road test" a back-to-work strategy that could also be used against other public sector unions. According to the letter's signatories, their sources say the province plans to declare the CSU 52 strike an emergency because it involves more than 1,000 Edmonton Police Service staff. "Our sources go on to say that the UCP government will then send the dispute to a so-called Public Emergency Tribunal (PET), which will impose a binding settlement on the workers without negotiation," says the letter. The province's contracts with nearly 248,000 Alberta public sector workers are set to expire in 2024, raising concerns about widespread labour disputes.
• Edmonton Police Service officers will take over as 911 operators during the Civic Service Union 52 strike. There are 158 CSU 52 members working as civilian emergency communications staff for 911 calls, and about 94% of staff who answer 911 calls are CSU 52 members. Edmonton Police Association president Curtis Hoople said the labour disruption caused "a lot of schedule conflicts," but maintaining 911 response times is the priority. Hoople also said the strike could cost police a significant amount in overtime pay. The police service said it will prioritize assigning officers who are "not in frontline positions" to 911 operator roles, and it is working to "re-certify" officers with previous 911 operator experience.
• Fort Edmonton Park says it will remain open during the CSU 52 strike, though some disruptions are expected. The Indigenous Peoples Experience Winter Admission will be closed for the remainder of the season, pre-purchased tickets will be refunded, and private event and education bookings may be rescheduled.
• Crews will begin demolishing the temporary NAIT LRT station on March 18 and will salvage all possible materials for future LRT projects. Demolition work is expected to take two months and result in some weekend LRT service disruptions. Once complete, crews will add landscaping and "architectural elements" to the area, and public art will be installed in 2025. The station was closed after the new NAIT/Blatchford Market LRT station opened in January.
• A report from city administration on transit ridership and crime found ridership was up 27% in 2023 compared to 2022, while the average crime severity index on transit fell 11% and the average non-violent severity index for LRT and transit centres fell 2%. The results show there is "more reporting and more eyes on the system," said Edmonton Transit Service branch manager Carrie Hotton-MacDonald. Research into perceptions of safety found 63% of riders felt safe throughout their trip in 2023, which was the same result as in 2022.
• The Edmonton Police Service released photos of suspects they are seeking in connection with a violent attack at the Churchill LRT station in February. Police said of their six suspects, one has been identified and is now the subject of an arrest warrant. Anyone with information can contact police or Crime Stoppers.
• Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis introduced a bill to establish a provincial police agency, which would "work alongside police services across the province" and take up policing duties done by Alberta sheriffs. In a news conference, Ellis said the agency would not replace the RCMP, but that the province was expanding the role of sheriffs in case the RCMP withdraw from local policing when its contract expires in 2032. The minister provided no timeline for the proposed agency if the bill passes.
• Over the past several weeks, Postmedia has published a four-part series exploring the UCP government's plan to break Alberta Health Services into four separate agencies focusing on primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addictions.

Here are opportunities to help shape decisions at the City of Edmonton and its municipal neighbours. Please make sure you engage in opportunities for the municipality you live within.

• Seating Layout Options for Future Trains — The City of Edmonton is beginning procurement for up to 53 trains for the Capital and Metro Lines, which are expected to enter service in four to five years. Planners seek public feedback to help decide between three seating layout options for the new trains. Residents can provide written comments or complete a survey until March 19.
• Urban Centre Redevelopment Plan (Phase 2) — The City of Leduc is continuing its process to reimagine its urban centre and develop a statutory land-use plan to guide the revitalization of central neighbourhoods. The project team has developed a vision, guiding principles, and themes. Residents are invited to complete a survey to ensure the city is on the right track by April 1.
• Exploring Disc Golf Opportunities — The City of St. Albert wants to create a disc golf course and has proposed three locations: Napoleon Park, Deerbourne Park, and Langholm Park. Residents are invited to comment on an interactive map or complete a survey by April 4.

More input opportunities

• Until March 31: Voter Engagement Initiative (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 30: Sports Hall of Fame nominations (City of Leduc)

Photo: The City of Edmonton is considering three seating layouts for future LRT cars on the Capital and Metro lines: the seating layout seen in existing cars, seating all along the wall, or a hybrid layout option. (Mack Male/Flickr)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• City of St. Albert Business Breakfast starting at 7:15am at the Anthony Henday Business Park
• Advanced Technology PI Day starting at 3pm at the Edmonton Research Park
• Life Sciences Investment Summit Finale: Alumni Companies Panel starting at 4pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Life Sciences Investment Summit Finale starting at 5pm at Amii
• Agri-Food Investment Summit Finale and Cleantech Investment Summit Finale starting at 5pm online
• Castles & Warriors: Transcendent Sounds starting at 7:30pm at the Winspear Centre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 22: FAVA Fest at Metro Cinema
• March 28: International Women's Day 2024: Impact the Future at Edmonton Unlimited
• April 5: Pitch Up! Scale-up Category online

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