The Pulse: Aug. 12, 2024

Edmonton's city councillors return to formal meetings this week after a summer break. They are scheduled to discuss a proposed loan to build affordable housing, a proposal to sell two historic city properties, and a possible change to the limit on the size of businesses in certain zones, among other matters.

There is an agenda review committee meeting, an urban planning committee meeting, and a special city manager recruitment meeting scheduled for Aug. 13. There is an executive committee meeting scheduled for Aug. 14. There is a non-regular city council meeting and an emergency advisory committee meeting scheduled for Aug. 15.

Here are critical items on this week's agenda:

• Executive committee is set to discuss a proposal to loan Civida, the largest provider of affordable housing in Edmonton, up to $8 million. In 2020, council approved the sale of a surplus school site in Keheewin to Civida for less than market value in exchange for providing affordable housing there for 40 years. Civida has now requested $8 million from the city to build affordable units at the site. The project has created friction in the community in the past. The city report said Civida's request, combined with the 2020 land sale, would mean the city's total outlay would be $11.24 million.
• City administration proposes selling two heritage homes in Wîhkwêntôwin to Little Village Wellness Centre for less than market value. In 2023, Little Village purchased the adjacent John L. Lang property (a city-owned historic resource) and now operates a child psychology facility there. The organization wants to buy the historic Dame Eliza Chenier residence (valued at $600,000) and Lester Allyn House (valued at $500,000), both on 112 Street, and create an early child developmental centre. Both properties have been for sale since 2021. The city first bought the Lang, Chenier, and Allyn properties in the 1970s to expand its road network, but never did so.
• City administration proposes limiting the size of businesses in some residential zones to 2,150 square feet, which is less than the current limit but larger than the maximum suggested by council last year. In 2023, city council passed a motion that requested an administration report to analyze what it would mean to reduce the maximum floor area of commercial establishments in the small-scale residential zone from roughly 3,230 square feet to 1,075 square feet. The resulting report to urban planning committee this week is cool to council's idea, saying the lower limit would substantially restrict commercial uses in several zones and make converting average-sized homes into businesses difficult. "Administration interprets the intent of the motion to be to continue supporting this business opportunity while reducing the potential impact of new businesses on neighbours," the report reads.

• A severe storm on Aug. 4 damaged critical infrastructure and tents, forcing the cancellation of the final day of the Edmonton Heritage Festival for the first time in its 51-year history. The festival, along with its participating cultural groups, is facing significant financial losses. Edmonton's Food Bank, a festival partner since 1983, is now urgently seeking donations to offset the impact of the lost day.
• The provincial government has announced plans to demolish the former Royal Alberta Museum and convert the site into a green space, a decision that has sparked concerns among many Albertans, including Senator Paula Simons and former historian laureate Marlene Wyman, who believe the building should be preserved as a heritage site. The government cited high renovation costs, including asbestos removal, as the reason for demolition, but critics argue that repurposing the building would be safer and more sustainable. Coun. Andrew Knack has requested more information and expressed interest in exploring preservation options, though he noted that "there are many other larger priorities when it comes to our finances, so I don't expect we would be able to contribute any money to a situation like this."
• Coun. Jennifer Rice is seeking court orders to prevent city council from sanctioning her for alleged harassment and discrimination of a former employee, following an investigation by the city's integrity commissioner. The investigation, which began last fall and concluded in March, found that Rice violated council's code of conduct, leading to potential sanctions. Rice disputes the findings, claiming the investigation was unfair and biased, and is asking the court to review the case and halt the sanction process. A Court of King's Bench Justice will review Rice's case at a hearing on Aug. 21.
• Starting Aug. 14, Edmonton's e-scooter and e-bike riding zones will expand to include areas up to the Anthony Henday in the southwest, 137 Avenue and parts of Castle Downs in the north, and 50 Street in the east. Vendors are adding more devices to their fleets to accommodate the expanded zones. Shared e-scooters and e-bikes have already logged more than 93,000 hours of use this season, according to a city news release. "Edmonton is one of the biggest cities in Canada in terms of usage for micro mobility, and we have only seen demand continue to go up year after year after year," said Pat Graham, general manager for Bird Canada.
• Edmonton police detective Dan Behiels lost his bid for a judicial review after being suspended without pay for leaking confidential information about landlord Abdullah Shah to CBC News. The Court of King's Bench of Alberta upheld the Edmonton Police Commission's decision. Behiels, who acted out of frustration over an unfruitful investigation, is considering an appeal but acknowledges the financial burden it would impose.
• Mandolin Books and Coffee Company will close permanently next month after 21 years serving the Highlands community. Owner Lianne Traynor announced the closure due to the building's sale, sparking an outpouring of community grief and support. Traynor plans to sell all store items, including books and furniture, and looks forward to resting after the closure on Sept. 15. "Owning and operating Mandolin for the past decade has been a joy and a privilege, and I thank you for all your support and for creating so many wonderful memories," she wrote.
• Edmonton's Marco Arop won a silver medal in the men's 800 metres at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting a Canadian record with a time of 1:41.20. He was narrowly beaten by Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who took gold by one-hundredth of a second. This marks Canada's first Olympic medal in the event since 1964. "I had a great night. We've been fighting for this day all year long and we thought we'd timed it right, and I just couldn't be happier with the way I performed," Arop said.
• The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which starts on Aug. 15, is still seeking donations to address rising costs and financial losses due to the pandemic. The Sustain Fringe campaign remains about $200,000 short of its $300,000 goal.
• Edmonton's retail rental rates have largely remained stable, even as rates rise in other Canadian cities, according to CBRE's latest survey. Matthew Hanson with CBRE Edmonton said suburban areas remain home to the city's top retail spaces. "Edmonton is still a driving-centred city. We are a winter city. People rely on their vehicles for a lot of that. So suburban sites that are grocery-anchored — those are still some of our busiest and most sought-after retail," Hanson said.
• The Edmonton Corn Maze is now open with a new design celebrating the 40th anniversary of the TELUS World of Science. The maze features more than five kilometres of pathways and is open until Oct. 27.
• Starting Aug. 10, multiple lanes on Whitemud Drive at the Quesnell Bridge will be closed overnight for maintenance, with two of the four lanes in each direction closed from 9pm to 6:30am until Aug. 15.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Orchards Farmers' Market starting at 4:30pm on Orchards Drive SW
• Messed Up Monday starting at 6pm at Pub 1905
• Kaleido Family Arts Festival Volunteer Info Session and Supper starting at 6pm at St. Faith's Park
• Coffee and Collab starting at 6pm at The Legacy Centre
• Guided Mushroom Walk starting at 7pm at Devon Voyageurs Park

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 18: AGA100 Birthday on the Square at the Art Gallery of Alberta
• Aug. 31: VegFest at the Athlone Community League
• Sept. 6: University of Alberta Botanic Garden Concert

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