The Pulse: March 25, 2024

The city has decided to stop work on a project that could have added even stricter development criteria in Glenora that, according to the city, would help "conserve the unique character" of the downtown-adjacent neighbourhood through "sensitive development."

Council's urban planning committee made the decision at a March 19 meeting.

The Glenora Heritage Character Area Rezoning project started in 2019 but the city paused it in 2021. Now, in a report, the city said it sees developing and implementing a heritage places strategy for the whole city as a higher priority than doing so only in Glenora.

That position has not sat well with Wendy Antoniuk of the Old Glenora Conservation Association. Antoniuk said what's proposed will not protect Glenora.

"(This policy decision) will mean the destruction of more heritage homes, and once they're gone there's nothing that can be done," Antoniuk told Taproot. "Currently, what happens is somebody buys a property, and they usually tear down a house, cut down all the trees, so more and more of that — we'll lose our urban (tree) canopy."

The city's inventory of historic resources lists 132 properties in Glenora, the largest concentration in the city. Three are designated as municipal historic resources. Buildings on the historic inventory "merit conservation" but aren't legally protected from demolition; meanwhile, those designated as municipal historic resources are, the city said.

Glenora's last municipal historic resource was designated in 2007 and there are currently no applications for more. In the last eight years, 12 properties on the inventory were demolished. The city said it anticipates this trend to continue.

Heritage advocates say Glenora, particularly the area that surrounds Alexander Circle, is an example of a garden city suburb, with its dense trees and curved streets.

The conservation association says heritage experts consider Glenora the best-preserved example of a garden city suburb in Canada. The garden city movement Wikipedia page and the International Garden Cities Institute's page about garden cities in Canada do not mention Glenora. Instead, Walkerville, Kapuskasing, and Don Mills in Ontario, and Churchill Park in Newfoundland, are featured.

Research identified three areas encompassing the part of Glenora south of Stony Plain Road as potential heritage character areas. Lynn Odynski, who also represents the conservation association, told the city committee that the areas themselves, not just individual homes, need to be protected. "If you allow big structures to come forward on the property and obliterate the ribbon of green that reflects the river valleys, you will obliterate the garden city streetscape," Odynski said. "If there is no guarantee that will remain, people are not going to designate their homes (as municipal historic resources)."

• Edmonton city manager Andre Corbould is leaving his role effective April 3, the City of Edmonton announced. Since taking the position in 2021, Corbould has led the city through several challenges, including the pandemic, budgetary pressures, a near strike by CSU 52 members, and a shooting attack at city hall. His departure is the latest in a series of senior managers to leave their roles with the city over the past year, and marks the fifth search for a new city manager in less than nine years. Eddie Robar will serve as acting city manager until an interim city manager is appointed at the April 3 city council meeting.
• The federal and provincial governments designated a 718-kilometre section of the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta a Canadian heritage river. Smoky Lake County nominated the river in 2022 in recognition of its significant cultural, recreational, and ecological value. The designation also highlights the river's historical role as a gathering place, travel route, and home for various Indigenous peoples, along with its importance in the fur trade. A 49-kilometre stretch of the river flowing through Banff National Park already held the designation.
• The Squeal on Pigs program launched by the Alberta Invasive Species Council has significantly increased public reporting of wild boar sightings in the province. The program helps teach the public to recognize signs of feral pigs, including tracks and signs of damage. Since 2021, trappers have killed 314 pigs in an attempt to control the feral population, which has spread diseases, and damaged crops and natural habitats. Wild boars were introduced into Alberta in the 1970s and 80s, but it's not known how large the population is today.
• The University of Alberta Board of Governors has approved tuition increases for the fifth consecutive year, impacting domestic and international students for the 2024-25 academic year. Students protested the decision, which includes a 2% increase for domestic students, 5% increase for new international students, 6.5% increase for Faculty of Science international students, and a $1,000 hike in the international price adjustment for thesis-based graduate students. The approval came amidst concerns over financial challenges faced by post-secondary students in Edmonton.
• Several Edmonton-area organizations made the shortlist for the 33rd annual Emerald Awards, which recognize excellence in environmentalism and sustainability. Among the nominees were Explore Edmonton, Future Energy Systems, and the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society. The awards will be handed out June 6 during a ceremony at the Calgary Central Library.
• Edmontonians may encounter more skunks than usual over the coming weeks as the males emerge from the river valley in search of a mating partner. Skunks are helpful for controlling pests, but should be given space to avoid any stinky encounters, said Dale Gienow of WILDNorth, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization. He also advised residents to deter skunks from nesting under porches or decks by securing food sources such as trash and fallen fruit.
• Eight finalists have been announced for the 2023 Mindset Awards for their work on mental health reporting. Nominees for the Mindset Award for Reporting on Workplace Mental Health include Jana Pruden and Kasia Mychajlowycz for their episode titled "Helen in Hell" in the Globe & Mail podcast series In Her Defence, along with Odette Auger for her Windspeaker article "Ask water to help you cope with anger." Shari Narine is nominated for the Mindset Award for Reporting on the Mental Health of Young People for her Windspeaker article about Joshua Jordan Heath, who turned to poetry to heal from trauma.
• Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman became the seventh player in the franchise's history to score 50 goals in a season after making a power-play goal against the Ottawa Senators on March 24. Despite the accomplishment, the team went on to lose the game 5-3 after initially leading 3-1.
• Premier Danielle Smith criticized Contentment Social Services for placing vulnerable Albertans in hotel rooms after hospital discharge while failing to pay a $25,000 bill, which the government then settled. The government said the non-profit is being removed from the list of housing providers for hospital discharges, following concerns about its ability to provide appropriate care. The situation has sparked calls for improved oversight to prevent similar incidents.

Coun. Sarah Hamilton's decision to attend a UCP fundraiser instead of a city council meeting raises questions about the effectiveness of the councillor code of conduct, said journalist Jeremy Appel on Episode 256 of Speaking Municipally.

"The code of conduct is something that you can point to, and the rules are the rules," Appel, who writes at The Orchard, said. "But the question is — are the rules reasonable?"

Appel and podcast hosts Troy Pavlek and Mack Male compared Hamilton's support for the UCP to Coun. Michael Janz's endorsement of NDP leadership candidate Sarah Hoffman, which Janz first presented from his position as a city councillor, but later adjusted to reflect his background as a school board trustee.

"Two things can be wrong at the same time, and they can be wrong in different ways, and one thing can be more wrong than the other," Appel said about Hamilton and Janz's actions.

The code of conduct does not include language about missing meetings or votes. "Councillors have a right to freely and fully participate in the political process in their personal capacity, including contributing personal money or real property, volunteering, or offering financial support of partisan political activity, provided that, when doing so, they disclose that such participation is not in their capacity as elected officials," reads the code.

Appel pointed to the timing of Hamilton's absence as significant. Hamilton chose to attend the UCP fundraiser on March 13 amid a labour dispute between the city and Civil Services Union 52, as well as news that the province wants municipal councils to affiliate with provincial parties.

Hear about Hamilton, plus the city's successful suit against the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, shelter funding, and more on the March 22 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Spring on the Square starting at 11am at Churchill Square
• Zakir Khan Live — Canada Tour starting at 8pm at the Winspear Centre
• New Grocery Movement Presents: The Depth of Fields and the Joy of Gardens starting at 6:30pm at Ritchie Community League
• Launch of The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Grasses and The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Herbs starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 13: Culinary Arts Cook-Off — the Cookie-off Edition at Highlands School
• April 21: Anti-Racism Seminar — Starting a reconciliation journey at Sherbrooke Community League
• April 24: Global Hydrogen Pitch Competition at the Edmonton Convention Centre

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