The Pulse: July 17, 2024

People with impaired mobility may find it easier to move through KDays this year as the 10-day festival partners with Edmonton startup Click&Push Accessibility.

Through the company's The ATLAS app, users can notify event organizers of barriers, like a ramp that's broken or too steep. Event organizers can then fix the issue immediately or plan to change the venue's infrastructure permanently to make it more accessible. Visitors, meanwhile, can also see potential barriers ahead of time and better plan their visits.

"Our pilot collaboration with Click&Push will allow us to create a direct line of communication with users of our public spaces," Melissa Radu of Explore Edmonton (the organization that runs the festival) said in a release. "This will enable swift responses to reported obstacles for persons with limited mobility, (and) allow us to obtain insights into barriers to accessibility and use these insights in enhancing the inclusivity of our spaces."

Users can also record positive accessibility features, Click&Push president Sydney Hampshire told Taproot. "We don't just focus on the quote-unquote bad — we're also talking about, this space does have an accessible washroom, it does have a really nice elevator, the point of purchase sales devices are in a good spot that you can reach them if you're sitting or if you're standing," she said.

KDays will be the first multi-day festival that the app is available to the public.

Since Click&Push's app was offered to the public in March, it has been used by the organizers of Spring Fest and Manning Motor Show at Manning Town Centre. Before the app was public, the software was used through custom contracts for accessibility audits at University of Alberta libraries and the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

Isha Katyal, Click&Push's CEO, said she hopes able-bodied people will also download the app and record accessibility barriers and features. "Accessibility is a shared responsibility," she said.

The company's goal is to contribute to a fully accessible Canada by 2040, which Katyal said requires all federally regulated organizations to have a way to gather feedback on the accessibility of their events. Currently, that feedback is collected through a 10-page form, but Katyal said since everyone has a smartphone, the app could help streamline the process.

The app is free to download and use, while event organizers pay Click&Push to use it. The KDays partnership started when Katyal reached out to Explore Edmonton to see if the app could help make the city more accessible for residents and tourists of all abilities. Katyal asked Edmonton Unlimited's Capital City Pilots if it could match Explore Edmonton's funding so the app could be used at KDays.

Katyal said the KDays pilot will help improve the app, and that the company next hopes to add some artificial intelligence features and user verification.

Photo: The ATLAS app was used at events in Manning Town Centre earlier this year.(LinkedIn)

• The City of Edmonton is asking residents and visitors to avoid bringing firewood from other areas back to the city to protect against the threat of Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borer. Anyone who has already brought firewood back to Edmonton should dispose of it at local Eco Stations or burn it completely, the City says. While there have been no confirmed cases of emerald ash borer in Alberta, the pest has been found in nearby regions, while Dutch elm disease has had isolated occurrences within the province.
• The family of Mathios Arkangelo, who was killed by an Edmonton Police Service officer on June 29, are demanding accountability for the death. New footage of the moments before the shooting shows Arkangelo with his hands raised, holding what his family believes was a utility knife. Edmonton police are facing criticism for their delayed first aid response and handling of the incident. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating, but the family is frustrated with what is anticipated to be a lengthy process.
• The Edmonton Police Service and Technology North are collaborating on a project to train the company's neurodiverse workers to redact sensitive information from body camera footage. The project, which started in June, involves four Technology North employees who focus on editing footage from low-complexity incidents, such as traffic stops. The partnership aims to create "meaningful digital-age jobs for youth and adults on the autism spectrum and beyond," said Technology North CEO Ling Huang. The police service will begin phasing in body-worn cameras to all officers beginning this fall and continuing into 2025.
• A long-vacant lot in Edmonton's Griesbach neighbourhood will be developed into mid-rise apartments instead of the grocery store residents have hoped for because of a restrictive covenant attached to the land. Sobeys purchased the lot at 137 Avenue and 97 Street in 2013, but ultimately never built on it. The covenant, which remains in place even if the land is sold, prevents the property owners from opening a grocery store or other similar businesses on the site. While residents are pleased the lot is finally being developed, many are frustrated by the lack of a nearby grocery store, since other options require crossing a major intersection.
• Much of Alberta remains under an Environment Canada heat warning, with daytime temperatures expected to reach up to 36°C for the next eight to 10 days. The warning follows a recent heat wave in the region and coincides with an air quality advisory in northern Alberta due to wildfire smoke. The City of Edmonton's extreme weather response remains in effect and residents are urged to exercise caution outdoors and call 211 if they see someone in distress.
• Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein published an opinion piece critical of Leduc's plan to send people experiencing homelessness to Edmonton for services, arguing it strains resources and shifts the burden of responsibility. Gerein instead argued for regional cooperation, urging municipalities to develop a collective solution to homelessness. Leduc and other nearby municipalities need "the re-establishment of a full-time shelter, hopefully with wraparound services attached," Gerein wrote.
• The Edmonton Elks are determined to move forward with its new leadership in the wake of the firing of head coach and general manager Chris Jones. Interim head coach Jarious Jackson and interim general manager Geroy Simon are focused on the team's upcoming games, starting with a rematch against the Ottawa RedBlacks on July 19. Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson expressed regret for the team's winless start to the season but praised their resilience and unity. The Elks also announced that Almondo Sewell has taken over as defensive line coach, following Nate O'Neal's resignation.

On this day in 1917, beachgoers in Edmonton were taking the Moonlight Express train to Alberta Beach, 60 kilometres northwest of the city.

Once there following a less than two-hour trip by rail, they would be greeted with a few new additions. That summer, a new train station was built, as well as a wide boardwalk connecting the station to the town and the beach. It was all part of Alberta Beach's growing popularity as a summer getaway for Edmonton residents.

Alberta Beach got its start as a destination in 1912, when the Canadian Northern Railway expanded west of Edmonton. The rail line ran close to the southern shore of Lac Ste. Anne. With that shore's sandy beach and serene scenery, the railway thought it offered a perfect place for its employees to enjoy a little recreation. Soon after, the CNR sent its employees to the beach for picnics and other events. Then the railway began to offer the same for the employees of large companies in Edmonton, like Woodwards. It wasn't long before the small stop grew into a popular tourist spot.

Before long, Canadian Northern started a special train service to take tourists from Edmonton to Alberta Beach in July and August. One of the many services was dubbed the Moonlight Express. It cost $1 for a round trip that left Edmonton on Saturday evening and returned late Sunday night. The train offerings led to more beachgoers, which led to more facilities to cater to them. The railway eventually built more picnic sites, sports fields, and other amenities at Alberta Beach.

The history of the Moonlight Express isn't without tragedy, however. On July 28, 1917, the Express collided with a freight train carrying coal and other goods. The wreck killed five people and injured 41. Another train was dispatched from Edmonton to transport doctors and volunteers to help the injured, according to the Edmonton Journal.

Despite the tragedy, the Moonlight Express kept running, and Alberta Beach kept growing. By the 1920s, it had grown into a summer village, with more residents and businesses. By 1929, the railway added a pier out into the lake, a dance pavilion, and a campground.

The rail line was central to the growth of Alberta Beach. But by the 1930s, the passenger traffic was in decline. In 1939, Canadian Northern cancelled the train service and the rail lines were torn up. The railway sold off the facilities that it had built, including transferring responsibility for the pier to the federal government. But while the Moonlight Express was no more, Alberta Beach continued to grow.

The beach now has a year-round population of just more than 1,000 and still serves as a summer destination for Edmontonians looking to escape city life for a weekend — although a recent water-quality advisory might dampen some of their plans. Earlier this month, the village's museum started an exhibit that highlights the history of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and their deep connection to Lac Ste. Anne and area.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Tours for Tots | Time Stamp starting at 10am at the Art Gallery of Alberta
• Sherwood Park Farmers' Market starting at 3pm at Emerald Hills Shopping Centre
• Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market starting at 3:30pm at Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre
• Music in the Park starting at 5pm in Butler Memorial Park
• Women In Leadership Networking Dinner starting at 6pm at Brew+Bloom
• Summer Session Concert Series: Ollee Owens with Ellie starting at 6:30pm at Heritage Park Pavilion

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• July 26: Date Night at the Farm at Prairie Garden and Adventure Farm
• July 27-28: Moose Hide Teachings with Jess Sanderson-Barry at the Royal Alberta Museum
• July 31: Learn Downtown: Wildfires in Alberta at the Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)

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