The Pulse: July 12, 2024

As it prepares for neighbourhood renewal in Wîhkwêntôwin, the City of Edmonton wants feedback on its design proposals for new bike infrastructure, traffic-calming measures, and linear parks in place of portions of roads.

The neighbourhood just west of the downtown core (technically named Oliver until January) is bounded to its east by 109 Street, its north by 104 Avenue, its west by 124 Street, and its south by the river valley. It is one of the city's densest communities, with more than 18,000 residents as of the 2019 municipal census, most of whom live in multi-family buildings. It's also up for renewal, meaning the streets and sidewalks will be repaved and resealed. The city said it will also use the opportunity to update Wîhkwêntôwin's infrastructure to current standards by widening sidewalks and narrowing automobile lanes, and to increase green space.

Edmonton residents can provide feedback on the city's draft design options for part of the neighbourhood renewal until July 25. The city will release design options for other parts of the neighbourhood later this year. Residents can offer feedback on each portion of roadway. Some portions have multiple options for renewal, while others have just one.

Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson, who represents Wîhkwêntôwin, said the proposals could make an already walkable neighbourhood even more so. "What's so exciting about Wîhkwêntôwin renewal is it's building on strengths that are already there," she told Taproot. "We know that we have the users who would really appreciate and use and make best use of enhancements."

Aaron Budnick, lead organizer with the Edmonton Bike Coalition, said the draft options include "really great highlights and a few really excellent options," but also said there are "a number of areas for improvement as well."

City council approved funding the planning, design, and construction phases of Wîhkwêntôwin neighbourhood renewal in the 2023-2026 capital budget. There is $546 million allocated for 55 neighbourhood renewal projects across the city in the budget cycle.

Street closures, parklets

Of all the changes presented in the documents, proposed closures for vehicle access to some streets could most profoundly affect how drivers can move through the neighbourhood.

Stevenson said the proposed changes reflect the design principle that it should be easy to move around Wîhkwêntôwin but not necessarily through it. "I think that idea of our community not being a thoroughfare or just someplace that you pass through is a really important one — it is where tens of thousands of Edmontonians live," she said.

• Advocacy group Climate Justice Edmonton is urging governments to secure the right to adequate cooling in rental units as part of its Right to be Cool campaign. Current tenancy laws only require landlords to meet a minimum standard for heating, not cooling. According to a Statistics Canada report, rates of heat-related deaths are higher in cities with more renters, with higher risk for seniors, people with disabilities, and people with respiratory issues.
• The latest Royal LePage House Price Survey shows the aggregate home price in Edmonton rose 3.7% year over year in the second quarter of 2024, reaching $450,600. The median price of a single-family detached home rose 5.5%, and the median price of a condo rose 4.2%. The increase in home prices and sales are steady compared to the rest of Canada, and the trends are expected to continue through summer and fall, said Tom Shearer with Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate.
• Between January 2023 and May 2024, 11 office buildings in Edmonton were sold by large investment funds to investors based in the city, which housing writer Howard Chai called a "changing of the guard" in Edmonton's office market. According to Cory Wosnack with Avison Young, "institutional capital" is currently shifting investments out of real estate, and sometimes out of Edmonton and Alberta, making it easier for local investors to break into the market.
• A recreation centre on the Pigeon Lake 138A reserve, southwest of Edmonton, was destroyed by fire. The centre housed a satellite office for Samson Cree Nation, a community kitchen, and a gym, and had served as the main gathering place for residents since the early 1980s. Residents are now calling for more timely emergency services for the reserve, which is home to about 500 people and receives its emergency services from Maskwacis, about 50 kilometres away. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
• The Alberta International Airshow, which was scheduled to take place at the Villeneuve Airport in Sturgeon County from Aug. 17-18, was cancelled due to "unforeseen challenges" related to funding and logistical issues. The airshow's executive producer, Richard Skermer, said one reason for the cancellation was that the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows have other obligations in the United Kingdom, and airshows are low on the priority list. Organizers say they are considering options to bring the event back in 2025.
• Alberta sheriffs launched a new union on July 11. The Sheriff Branch Officers Association, which represents 1,400 sheriffs across the province, wants to break from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to become its own bargaining agent. The new union's president, Dornubari Tornwe, said sheriffs make up 1% of AUPE, making it hard to push for priorities like better wages, mental health resources, and legal representation.
• Cameron McDonald, a longtime Edmonton housing advocate, died on June 29 at the age of 62, leaving a legacy in the social services sector, particularly through his role as executive director of Right At Home Housing Society. McDonald was instrumental in transforming affordable housing into community assets and fostering partnerships that benefited new Canadians and Indigenous communities.
• The Alberta government and fossil fuel companies are pushing back against the federal government's recent amendments to the Competition Act that target greenwashing, which are unsupported claims about the environmental benefits of a company's product or business practices. The amendments require companies to substantiate any environmental claims they make. Pathways Alliance, Imperial Oil, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers are among the organizations that have removed material or added disclaimers to their websites, citing uncertainty for companies that want to communicate their environmental performance.
• The province is phasing in new screening tools for students in kindergarten to grade 5 that will assess literacy and numeracy skills. Starting in fall 2024, students in grades 1 to 3 will be assessed twice a year, and students needing extra support will be assessed three times. A screening system for kindergarten students will be introduced in January 2025, and a system for grade 4 and 5 students will come in September 2026. The province says the system will help identify areas where students need extra support earlier. The Alberta Teachers' Association said additional testing is unnecessary, calling for more school resources and smaller class sizes.
• The Athletic's Shayna Goldman considered what's next for Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl, whose eight-year contract with the team expires at the end of next season. With his next contract set to cover his prime years, Draisaitl must decide whether to remain part of one of the most "dynamic duos" in NHL history or to "step out of McDavid's shadow and become another team's leading star," Goldman wrote. Draisaitl's future also holds a wedding, after he announced his engagement to actress Celeste Desjardins on July 11.
• Edmonton twins Katherine and Michelle Plouffe are set to represent Canada in women's 3x3 basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The sport, which debuted at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, is fast-paced variation of the game, played on a half-court with one net. In recent years, the twins have become two of the world's best 3x3 players, and they are part of the first team to ever represent Canada in the sport at an Olympic level.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• July 12: Historic Tours: Innovation Tour starting at 3pm at the St. Albert Historic River Lots and Grain Elevators
• July 12: Community Walk and Meditation in Parkland County starting at 6pm at Prospectors Point
• July 12-13: When Life Gives You Melons at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre
• July 12-14: Ravenwood Music Festival at Broadmoor Lake Park
• July 12-14: Whyte Avenue Art Walk
• July 12-14: Thousand Faces Festival at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre
• July 13: Carrot Birthday starting at 9am at the Carrot Community Arts Coffee House
• July 13: Mike Boldt Day starting at 9:30am at Audreys Books
• July 13: World Rock Day featuring Be a Scientist and Polyjesters Rock Concert at the Royal Alberta Museum
• July 13: First Responders Rodeo starting at 1pm at the Kinsmen Club of St. Albert
• July 13: Celebrate Wîhkwêntôwin starting at 3pm at Constable Ezio Faraone Park
• July 13-14: Greek Festival at the Hellenic-Canadian Community
• July 14: Ukrainian Village Music Fest starting at 11am at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 3-5: Edmonton Heritage Festival at Borden Park
• Aug. 15-25: Fringe Festival at Old Strathcona
• Aug. 18: River Walks with Dwayne Donald starting at 8am at Kinsmen Park

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