The Pulse
May 28, 2024

The creators of Yelo'd are opening an ice cream parlour and café called Little Bon Bon in the historic Hull Block, at 9660 106 Avenue NW, in June.

Co-owners Ailynn and Jason Wong hope Little Bon Bon will add to their family's long history of Canadian hospitality, and bring positive energy to Chinatown.

Jason Wong told Taproot the aim is also to become a destination. "We want people to say, 'After the soccer game, or after dinner, let's go for ice cream at Little Bon Bon,'" he said.

Wong also said the opportunity to open a new Chinatown shop felt like fate, dovetailing with his connection to the neighbourhood and heritage.

"We spend a lot of time down here," he said. "We're here within a six-block radius every one or two weeks. Golden Bird was our first date spot in 1996, and we've been going there ever since."

Chinatown is already a significant part of Yelo'd, too, as it provides many fresh ingredients. "Items that we use fresh as much as we can — things like jackfruit, coconut milk, red mungo bean — we can't get them anywhere else in the quantities that we need," Wong said.

Still, making the Chinatown shop happen took work. During a Chinatown street festival in 2023, the couple connected with a Chinatown Business Improvement Area representative who asked if they would consider opening in the neighbourhood. Although the couple had already pondered the possibility, the BIA was able to sweeten the idea with a grant of $40,000 to cover renovations.

That money was part of the $1 million Chinatown Recovery Fund issued by the City of Edmonton in 2022-2023, with four businesses each receiving a $40,000 incentive to open in Chinatown. The recipients were Pho Satay & Grill, Boa and Hare, One01 Bistro, and Little Bon Bon.

After the grant offer, the couple searched for spaces but couldn't find a suitable option. Then a member of the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative told them about a unit available in Hull Block. "We saw it and the dream wheels really started to turn," Wong said. "We got that feeling of what we could do."

• The City of Edmonton has mailed out 425,000 property tax notices for 2024, with a typical single detached home assessed at $428,500 paying $4,359 in taxes. Approximately 75% of these taxes fund services across the city, while 25% goes to the Alberta government for education, the City said. The payment deadline is June 30. Various payment options are available to property owners, including online banking and a monthly payment plan.
• The DJ for the Dallas Stars apologized for trolling Edmonton Oilers fans by playing La Bamba after the Oilers lost Game 2 of their NHL playoffs series on May 25. Many fans were upset with the move, which was seen as disrespectful because the song is usually played after Oilers victories at Rogers Place in honour of the team's late locker room attendant Joey Moss and superfan Ben Stelter, who died from cancer in 2022. The DJ, Jonathon Shipman, apologized on social media, saying he wasn't aware of the song's importance and made a donation to the Ben Stelter Foundation. The foundation received over $10,000 in donations from fans as a result.
• Edmonton's Wîhkwêntôwin Outdoor Pool and Borden Natural Swimming Pool are set to open in June, with timed reservations available to ensure access. The Queen Elizabeth Pool and Fred Broadstock Pool are already open, and Mill Creek Outdoor Pool will reopen this summer after renovations are completed.
• Edmonton Fire and Rescue Services will host a series of open houses at eight fire stations from June to September, offering Edmontonians a chance to meet firefighters, explore fire trucks, and learn about fire safety. The events are free and run from noon to 4pm. The first event is scheduled for June 1 at University Station.
• MacEwan University will award honorary doctorates to five people, including former Edmonton Centre MP Anne McLellan and Winspear Centre CEO Annemarie Leenhouts-Petrov, during its spring convocation ceremonies at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton from June 18 to 20. The recipients were chosen for their contributions to their fields and communities in areas such as law, music, mental health advocacy, cardiology, and architectural history.
• A new report from Zoocasa shows that Edmonton is experiencing significant home sales growth, with a 15% increase in sales last month and a 5.5% rise in average home prices compared to last year. Despite house prices in Edmonton being lower than in other major Canadian markets, the city is leading in both sales and price growth.
• An overnight fire at a strip mall in Edmonton's Mill Woods area destroyed Hamud Halal Meat and Grocery and damaged two other businesses early on May 27. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services extinguished the fire just after 5am, with no injuries reported. The fire is being investigated as suspicious.
• Postmedia published an interview with Elaine Hyshka, the Canada Research Chair in health system innovation at the University of Alberta, about increasing opioid deaths in Alberta. The province experienced a record high of 2,051 substance-related deaths in 2023, with opioid-related deaths comprising the majority at 1,867, marking a 13.9% increase from 2021. Edmonton recorded 673 deaths, which was the highest number across all municipalities. Hyshka attributed the rise to the increasing toxicity of the drug supply and called for new strategies, such as expanding supervised inhalation sites and improving access to treatment programs.
• Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides is considering implementing consistent rules for smartphone use in classrooms, following the example of Ontario and Quebec, which have imposed provincial bans. Nicolaides said many school authorities lack policies on smartphone usage, leading to concerns about distractions, bullying, and online harassment. The Alberta Teachers' Association supports a ban during instructional time, while opinions among parents and students are divided.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Community Tea and Bannock starting at 10:30am at the St. Albert Public Library
• Munch and Mingle: A networking event for business leaders starting at 3pm at Browns Socialhouse (Albany)
• Book Club: The Annual Migration of Clouds starting at 5pm at Audreys Books
• Product Development with David Ferris starting at 6:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Craft & Chat — Exploration starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Castle Downs)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 8: YEG Global Shapers Clothing Swap at YWCA Edmonton Cushing House
• June 12: BioAlberta Celebration of Summer Social Event at Brewsters (Unity Square)
• June 20: From Simulation to Real World: Bringing Health Tech to Market at NAIT

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