The Pulse: March 21, 2024

Ramneek Singh may feel differently about butter chicken than some do.

"I'm gonna be honest, I thought it was trash, I thought it was very bland," Singh, a food reviewer who publishes thoughts on Facebook and Instagram, told Taproot about his first bites of the dish.

Singh has embarked on what he describes as a year-long Butter Chicken Odyssey. It's a project meant to allow him to connect to the dish by trying it at roughly 50 different Edmonton restaurants. But it's also a way, Singh said, for him to interrogate his treatment as a Punjabi "other" and its culinary and cultural implications.

At the core is butter chicken itself. "Over time, I realized that it kind of placated and catered to Western clientele — or people that were just brought up here (as) East Indian that couldn't tolerate the spice because they never developed that tolerance," Singh said.

So, how and why does one decide to go on a butter chicken odyssey?

The idea, Singh said, comes four years after he had a mind-blowing version of the dish at the now-closed Curry Vibes on Jasper Avenue. Ordering opened his eyes. "The owner asked me: 'Do you want me to make it spicy?'" Singh recalls. "I was dumbfounded that that was an option. At that point, I knew that butter chicken was our dish. Our genes are wired for (spice); our taste buds are wired for this."

So far this year, from the Strathcona to Kameyosek neighbourhoods, and beyond, Singh's odyssey has seen him try 13 of Edmonton's butter chicken offerings. He has offered each a score out of five. The scores range from zero for Namaste India to 4.7 for Pakwan Indian Cuisine. A forthcoming review for Masala Tree in Hays Ridge is the first to include a perfect five, Singh said. Each review comes with an Indian or Pakistani song pairing, and a long, detailed caption.

Along the way, he's had delightful bites and disappointments alike. From chicken that "tastes like rubber," "store-bought" gravy, and gastrointestinal distress, Singh said he suffers for his art for good reasons. "I'm fiercely and unapologetically Punjabi," he said. "Other bloggers that don't have my background can go to a restaurant and tell you about the food, but they can't tell you about the music that's playing. They can't tell you about the music videos. They can't tell you about the language that's spoken, or possibly even the deities that are on display. I can do that."

The odyssey will also see Singh appear in the (slightly fictionalized) Mill Woods episode of the forthcoming documentary series Eating Edmonton, funded by STORYHIVE. The show focuses on the variety of Edmonton's cuisine, how food defines different neighbourhoods, and the experience of its creators as first-generation Asian Canadians (an experience Singh said he shares). The series is hosted by Salvador Garcia (a.k.a. Fat Sal), Jessica Truong (a.k.a. Tan's Daughter), and Cynthia Lo (a.k.a. Food Critter).

"I play a character that hates butter chicken," Singh said.

• Edmonton city hall will reopen to the public on March 25, two months after an attack inside the building prompted a security review and multiple repairs. Visitors will now have to undergo security screening and bag checks at a dedicated entrance, while city staff and media must display visible identification within the building. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, some city councillors, and municipal staff have gradually returned to the building since the first week of February, with additional employees and guests returning in mid-March. No one was physically injured in the Jan. 23 incident, during which a gunman fired several shots and threw a Molotov cocktail in atrium.
• Edmonton city councillors weighed in on Coun. Sarah Hamilton's decision to leave a meeting early last week to attend at a United Conservative Party fundraiser. Some questioned whether it was appropriate to miss council business for a partisan event. "We all had to reschedule things in our calendar to accommodate the extended meeting, and we had a good 24-hour notice," said Coun. Keren Tang. Others said they have questions about whether Hamilton's attendance was a violation of council's code of conduct, which prohibits councillors from attending partisan events in their capacity as an elected official. In a statement, Hamilton defended her participation in the event and clarified that she was only there in a personal capacity.
• Edmonton's Bissell Centre and Boyle Street Community Services are facing a funding shortfall for day shelter services after Edmonton city council decided during a private meeting not to renew temporary gap funding that began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi noted the funding was always meant to be temporary and highlighted the need for the provincial and federal governments to take responsibility for long-term support. It was the second recent funding decision council made in private affecting the city's social services sector, following a funding cut to EndPovertyEdmonton.
• The City of Edmonton is urging property owners to examine their property assessments and contact the city with any inquiries ahead of the March 25 deadline to file formal complaints. Property assessments reflect the market value as of July 1, 2023. Owners can compare the assessment of their property to similar properties in their neighbourhood on the city website. Tax amounts mailed to property owners in May can't be disputed.
• The City of Edmonton has awarded $1.5 million in grant funding to 11 community organizations for programs aimed at preventing and intervening in gang violence. The grants are provided by the federal Building Safer Communities Fund. The initiatives range from cultural and physical activities to educational workshops and mentorship programs, all designed to offer alternatives and support to vulnerable community members.
• Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says he plans to discuss options to better support struggling arts and culture festivals in the city. "I am going to dig deeper into this and possibly come up with some solutions that may involve some public money but also how we mobilize the private sector," Sohi said. Earlier this week, the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival launched an appeal for community support as it faces budget challenges and rising costs, while the Works Art and Design Festival has had to reduce its duration because of financial pressures.
• Fort Edmonton Park is poised to receive a $1.5 million loan from the City of Edmonton to help recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and closures prompted by wildfire smoke. Council's executive committee approved the loan during its March 20 meeting, but the decision requires final approval from city council. The park is also exploring other ways to generate revenue, including seasonal events and a potential admission fee increase, said Darren Dalgleish, CEO of the Fort Edmonton Management Co.
• An updated 10-year facilities plan from Edmonton Public Schools projects student enrolment will increase from 115,000 in September 2023 to about 176,000 by 2033. The division could reach 100% capacity by the 2026-27 school year without new schools, said superintendent Darrel Robertson.
• The death of an Edmonton security guard who got into an altercation with a man in a parkade after responding to a series of vehicle break-ins has been deemed "non-criminal." While the guard's death was initially deemed suspicious, an autopsy has since ruled out homicide. An Edmonton Police Service sergeant said he couldn't elaborate on the cause of death because it is no longer a criminal matter.
• The University of Alberta and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology have been selected as test centres for NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). Their inclusion in the DIANA network allows both institutions to expand their research and development capabilities in technologies with both civilian and military applications, the province said in a release.

Here are opportunities to help inform city planning for downtown, bus-based mass transit, and the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy.

• Centre City Area Survey — The City of Edmonton seeking to understand the lived experiences of being downtown through a survey about visiting or living in the city centre, which will become available on March 21 and close on March 28.
• Mass Transit Equity Principles Survey — The City of Edmonton is planning to expand its mass transit system to include bus-based mass transit as it prepares for a population of two million. The network will include three city-wide bus rapid transit (BRT) routes, which will have priority over traffic and provide service comparable to the LRT. Residents can help the city develop equity-based principles for bus-based mass transit by completing a short survey before April 2.
• Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy (Phase 3) — The City of Edmonton has begun public engagement for the final phase of the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy. The strategy re-envisions streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and parking in Old Strathcona, including bus-based mass transit along Whyte Avenue. A drop-in event is taking place at the Strathcona Community League on April 4. Edmontonians can also complete a survey or arrange time to chat with the project team until April 7.

More input opportunities

• Until March 31: Voter Engagement Initiative (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 1: Urban Centre Redevelopment Plan — Phase 2 (City of Leduc)
• Until April 4: Exploring Disc Golf Opportunities (City of St. Albert)
• Until April 30: Sports Hall of Fame nominations (City of Leduc)

Photo: The city is looking to change Whyte Avenue with mass transit and pedestrian infrastructure as part of the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy. (City of Edmonton)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Consultant Icons: Shaping the City from Behind-The-Scenes starting at 11:30am at the Royal Glenora Club
• Echoes of Thunder Lecture Series: From Dragon Bones to Dino-Birds: the Rise of Vertebrate Paleontology in China starting at 12pm at the University of Alberta — TELUS International Centre
• Innovating our way through the Alberta drought starting at 12pm online
• Intro to Governance: Principles of good governance for nonprofits starting at 1pm online
• L.H. Thomas Lecture starting at 4:30pm at the University of Alberta — Rutherford Library South
• Catalyzing Connection starting at 5pm at the YWCA Edmonton Cushing House

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 26: YEG Ecosystem — March Mixer & Radio Panel at Felice Café
• April 6: Ben Sures and Eileen Laverty at the Parkview Community League
• April 21: Anti-Racism Seminar — Starting a reconciliation journey at the Sherbrooke Community League

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