The Pulse: Sept. 23, 2024

The CEO of ChargeStop Technologies, which opened a new electric vehicle charging station at Whyte Avenue and 99 Street, said it's "a gas station without gas," and the first of its kind in Canada.

Tim Murphy said there are other EV charging locations across Canada, but they are often connected to existing gas stations, making EV drivers feel secondary. "There's no Wi-Fi for them, and if they even want to clean their windshield, they have to go to a gas stall and borrow a squeegee," he said.

The new station, which opened Sept. 12, features five charging bays, Level 3 chargers capable of charging most EVs to an 85% charge in 20 minutes, and an app to book and pay for chargers that was built in partnership with Punchcard Systems. The station building is a modular unit from Nisku-based Rockbox Structures that has seating for EV owners to meet one another as they wait for their car to charge. Murphy said he's aimed to create an experience that's more refined than the typical gas station, and has partnered with Pinocchio Ice Cream and MealKraft for offerings, along with selling organic beef jerky, salad, and Seattle's Best Coffee.

Murphy said he chose Strathcona for ChargeStop's first location because it has many EV owners. ChargeStop's research suggests 26,000 vehicles drive past the 99 Street station daily. The lot the station now sits on was empty, too, allowing the company to design it as needed. Using a modular unit for the building kept costs low. Murphy also said installing charging units is easier than building a gas station since there's no need to dig out a reservoir for a gasoline tank.

ChargeStop received funding for the station through Ottawa's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which they're already using to secure funding for 12 additional stations. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and Edmonton-Centre MP Randy Boissonnault attended the station's ribbon-cutting ceremony, while Heather McPherson, MP for Edmonton Strathcona, welcomed it in a news release. Murphy confirmed the company has not received provincial funding.

The federal money is not only to open the first station but to build ChargeStop into a cross-country franchise, Murphy said. "Our goal is to have 20 ChargeStop stations underway or open by the end of 2025," he said, adding it's important the company remains rooted in Edmonton. The 99 Street station took roughly 18 months to build, but Murphy anticipates others will come together in as little as nine months. The Edmonton International Airport is a prime spot for a bigger version of the station, Murphy said, with drivers coming and going and rental companies providing a steady stream of EVs. Murphy said the company is also open to working with building owners for stations.

Outside of Edmonton, Murphy said the company is contemplating locations in Red Deer, Canmore, and Calgary. It has also signed agreements with developers in Vancouver, and is eyeing locations in Kelowna and Kamloops. The third market Murphy wants to expand to is Ontario, where he anticipates 50% of ChargeStop's customers will eventually be.

Murphy said the reaction to the station has exceeded expectations. "I was a bit surprised by the enthusiasm and the positivity of the responses that we're getting, which I'm very happy about," he said. Murphy said the process of educating people on how to use the station and what it is has been worth it, as the station is already seeing repeat customers. "It's not really something you can explain to people over a social media post," he said. "They really need to come in and experience it for themselves."

As of January 2025, drivers who own EVs will be charged $200 per year in a new tax the United Conservative Party government introduced, aimed at funding road improvements. Alberta is one of four Canadian provinces that do not offer EV incentives, according to Canadian Automobile Association research. Incentives can be worth up to $4,000 for EV purchases in British Columbia and up to $8,000 in Quebec, the CAA research suggests.

Photo: The ChargeStop team, along with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (second from left) and Edmonton-Centre MP Randy Boissonnault (third from left) pose at the first ChargeStop station's opening on Sept. 12. (Supplied)

• Homelessness in Edmonton has surged by 47% this year, according to data collected by Homeward Trust. The organization's By Name List recorded 4,011 people living without stable housing in July, up from 2,728 in January. The increase may partly be due to more people seeking services, but Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness chair Nadine Chalifoux raised concerns about the increase in encampment removals, especially with winter approaching. The province said the numbers reflect better data collection rather than a significant increase in homelessness.
• Residents of Dovercourt in west Edmonton protested a new Hope Mission shelter set to open in an old warehouse near Yellowhead Trail and 149 Street. Protesters argued the industrial area is not suitable for a shelter because it lacks public transportation and essential services. Hope Mission says it will provide transportation to and from the shelter, which will operate round the clock, but residents remain concerned about the suitability and safety of the location.
• Edmonton's Earth's General Store, which announced last week it would have to close due to financial pressures, is now aiming to remain open thanks to community support and donations. The store launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $150,000, with more than $13,000 raised as of Sept. 22. The store, known for its eco-friendly products and community approach, has been in business for 33 years.
• Mayor Amarjeet Sohi declared Sept. 19 Day of Athletic Excellence to honour Edmonton athletes who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games, including silver medallists Marco Arop in the men's 800m race and Reid Maxwell in the men's S8 400m Para Swimming Freestyle. "The support from everyone in Edmonton has been tremendous and I am very grateful," Arop said.
• Two Edmonton Police Service officers were charged with assault in connection with an October 2023 incident in which an Indigenous man, Max Bird, sustained significant injuries. Bird told CTV News he was Tasered and assaulted by police while trying to help at what he believed was the scene of an accident. Bird and his lawyer argue the issue reflects broader systemic problems within the police force.
• The trial of a man accused in the 2022 murders of Hung Trang and Ban Phuc Hoang in Edmonton's Chinatown has been delayed due to his ongoing struggle to select a lawyer. Justin Bone has changed lawyers four times and was expected to hire his fifth, but expressed reservations during a court hearing. As a result, Court of King's Bench Justice John Henderson cancelled Bone's October trial dates, which he said could delay the trial to late 2025 or into 2026.
• The group 1 Million March 4 Children held a rally on Sept. 20 outside the Alberta Teachers' Association offices in Edmonton to protest sexual orientation and gender identity policies in schools. ATA President Jason Schilling said he was disappointed in the misinformation fuelling the protests, and that the policies are intended to make schools inclusive for all students. A group of counter-protesters held their own rally at the same time in support of 2SLGBTQ+ students.
• Postmedia published a profile of Ashley Callingbull, a 34-year-old actor, model, and sports host from Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton. Callingbull is the first Indigenous woman to be crowned Miss Universe Canada and will compete for the Miss Universe title in Mexico City in November.
• Researchers at NAIT and Lakeland College have collaborated to create BisonSense, a monitoring station equipped with cameras and sensors to track the health of bison herds at Irish Creek Bison Ltd., about 200 kilometres east of Edmonton. The station allows researchers to gather extensive biometric data remotely, providing up to 15 weight measurements per day per bison, which is a significant improvement over the two to three checkups bison typically receive in their lifetimes. The project cost around $200,000 and took 14 months to build.
• The Edmonton Oilers announced several promotions and new additions to their hockey operations staff. Warren Rychel was promoted to director of pro scouting with former NHL player Zack Kassian joining the organization as a pro scout. Other appointments include Aaron Nagy as amateur scout, Erik Elenz as video and analytics coaching coordinator, Dominik Zrim as director of hockey strategy, and David Evanochko as lead solutions architect.

A two-year pilot project that will cost more than $7 million to install and staff 30 fare gates at two stations on the Capital Line LRT system to increase perceptions of safety could be a waste of money, the co-hosts of Episode 277 of Speaking Municipally suggested.

"This is a ridiculous proposal," said co-host Mack Male, listing ways the project, in his view, is bound to come up short.

On Sept. 17, council's urban planning committee sent the pilot project, which includes installing fare gates at the Churchill and Belvedere LRT stations, to city council for a final decision.

Male's perspective is that the pilot has flaws that will make it difficult to determine if it achieves its goals. Those include how easy it will be to evade fares by using different stations, jumping over the gates, or tailgating a paying rider. Male also said the city estimates just 5% of riders evade fares, meaning the gates will not recover enough revenue to pay for the pilot's cost.

Co-host Troy Pavlek challenged whether fare evasion is what the project is even about. "A lot of people when they're talking about fare gates, really, it's coded language for, 'I don't want people who aren't professional commuters in my transit stations,'" he said.

Even on the security measure, both co-hosts suggested the pilot could involve much work for little result, as the fare gates will be located near train platforms rather than at station and pedway entrances. Both suggested the status quo may continue.

"It's going to be $7 million of wasted money that doesn't even get to the root of the problem that people in the city are concerned about," Pavlek said.

The co-hosts contrasted the pilot project with Stadium LRT station, which was recently rebuilt to change its design from partially underground and inaccessible to wide open and unrestricted.

"It's not a place where you feel unsafe because there's lots of people, lots of eyes on that station," Male said.

The station is built in a way that's "completely impervious to fare-gate installation," Pavlek noted, adding that it also feels safe and has spurred transit oriented development nearby. "It's a success story of exactly what we're trying to do by avoiding the fare gate style of transit."

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• BSides Edmonton starting at 7:30am at NAIT
• Next in Trades starting at 10am at NAIT
• Newton Community Clean Up and Garage Sale starting at 12pm at the Newton Community League
• Explore the Life Sciences Campus starting at 2pm at Edmonton Research Park
• Unlocking Success: Quality, Compliance, and Commercialization in MedTech starting at 2pm at Amii
• Bio-Stream's Advanced Point of Care Testing starting at 2pm at the Biotechnology Business Development Centre
• Tour: Learn how Vitafiber is processed from starch starting at 2pm at the Biotechnology Business Development Centre
• Fund Development Pathways and Government Relations in Life Sciences starting at 2pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• YEG Airport City Sustainability Campus Tour & Commercial Drone Demo starting at 2:15pm at Edmonton International Airport
• Messed Up Monday starting at 6pm at Pub 1905
• Audreys Book Club starting at 7pm at Audreys Books
• Eating Edmonton Screening starting at 7pm at Double Dragon

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 13: Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place
• Oct. 17: Where Science Meets Cocktails at TELUS World of Science Edmonton
• Oct. 19: ECAMP Tour at Wallbridge & Imrie Garden Court Apartments

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