The Pulse: Oct. 8, 2024

The Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is investing $15 million to spark deep retrofits across Alberta, an effort it hopes can make the process of reducing building emissions simpler and cheaper.

A deep retrofit, sometimes called a deep energy retrofit or comprehensive energy upgrade, is a method of renovating a building to minimize its emissions through examining the building's energy usage holistically. The Ecotrust said the retrofits matter because 40% to 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Edmonton and Calgary come from buildings.

"I'm not going to pretend that we can retrofit every building in Alberta in the next two-and-a-half years," Andrea Linsky, the Ecotrust's director of emissions-neutral buildings, told Taproot. "But we can learn a lot about what's working and what's not working, where we need to figure out better supports, and where, potentially, future grant dollars could be directed most effectively to support this type of work."

The Ecotrust received $14.8 million from Natural Resources Canada, which comes from the federal government's Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative stream, plus $250,000 from RBC Foundation's Tech for Nature program. The Ecotrust aims to use the funding until March 2027 to provide 1,000 building owners with coaching on deep retrofits and offer 35 project assessments within that pool.

How to perform a deep retrofit — especially affordably — isn't well understood, Linsky said. That's why the Ecotrust found partners in SAIT, the Pembina Institute, and the Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance to help with training, networking, research, and more.

"A big part of the Retrofit Accelerator program at Alberta Ecotrust is about building the capacity of (the) Alberta industry in general to support deep retrofits of buildings," Linsky said. "We knew that Alberta Ecotrust alone couldn't do that. It had to be a big effort from many entities."

That research will be partly informed by the coaching that new hires at the Ecotrust offer, such as Edmonton's Thivya Viswanathan. Linsky said Viswanathan has helped commercial real estate companies implement deep retrofits in the past.

"She's also got a general knowledge of how buildings work and the types of things you want to ask and look into (for a deep retrofit)," Linsky said. "With that experience, she also has an inherent understanding of how corporate decision-making works, because that's often one of the biggest barriers to getting any sort of project work done on buildings … it's not just a 'Yes' or 'No' decision for one person. It can be quite complex."

• Edmonton is gaining recognition as a leader in urban planning and densification in North America, particularly for its focus on "missing middle" housing, which includes diverse, low-density housing options like duplexes, row houses, and small apartment buildings. The city introduced new zoning bylaws in early 2024 to promote these types of developments, which aim to create more walkable, people-centric communities. "Edmonton is very progressive in terms of policy and regulations, but we didn't get here overnight. It happened slowly and incrementally over time," said Chelsey Jersak, president of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association. The approach is part of Edmonton's long-term vision to accommodate significant population growth without expanding city limits.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is marking Fire Prevention Week by reminding residents of the importance of maintaining working smoke alarms to prevent residential fire damage. Last year, 623 residential fires in Edmonton caused $63.1 million in damages, with 45% of high-risk fires lacking smoke alarms. The fire department is urging residents to test alarms monthly, change batteries annually, and replace devices every 10 years.
• Bird Friendly Edmonton is holding a vote to select Edmonton's City Bird from six candidates: Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Magpie, Boreal Chickadee, and Northern Saw-whet Owl. The organization said it consulted with hundreds of naturalists and local community members to narrow the list down to the six contenders. The vote will be held in two rounds, with the first ending on Dec. 31 and the second concluding on March 31.
• Edmonton's Palestinian and Jewish communities are marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's military assault on Gaza with rallies and events. The Canada Palestine Cultural Association has been holding weekly rallies across Edmonton in solidarity with Palestinians, including one over the weekend, while the Jewish Federation of Edmonton organized remembrance ceremonies and discussions.
• Eligible Albertans can now make respiratory virus immunization appointments through the province's online booking system, with openings for the general public starting Oct. 15 for COVID-19 and influenza, and Oct. 21 for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Seniors in continuing care and those aged 75 and older in the community have access to the publicly funded Abrysvo vaccine for RSV.
• The Alberta government is seeking financial compensation from the federal government for the costs to rebuild Jasper after a July wildfire destroyed one-third of the town's buildings. Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis told a federal committee this week that while the province had limited decision-making power in the fire's aftermath because of the national park's federal jurisdiction, the province is still responsible for most of the recovery costs. Ellis said the province wants the federal government to waive a disaster recovery cost-sharing agreement since the fire originated in the national park.
• The Edmonton Oilers, coming off a lukewarm pre-season with a 3-5 record, are preparing for the regular season with a focus on addressing any lingering issues to ensure a strong start. The team is eager to rebound and is aiming for the championship after falling one goal short of winning the Stanley Cup last season.

Suggestions within the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy to remove parking, add bus rapid transit, and further pedestrianize the ever-popular area prompted the co-hosts of Episode 279 of Speaking Municipally to offer their thoughts.

"(This) looks a lot like urbanization to me," co-host Troy Pavlek said. "It has increased pedestrianization, removal of parking, plans for bus rapid transit, more parks, more green space, more open space, more walkability — all of the things that we've accoladed in the district planning and has been lambasted by opponents."

Council will review the strategy on Oct. 8. Pavlek said he expects some will express frustration, particularly because the strategy calls for the removal of parking next to the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, as well as some stalls on Whyte Avenue. He suggested, however, that businesses concerned about losing parking should embrace the potential opportunities.

"They have to say: 'OK, these are the changes that are happening,' rather than push against them," Pavlek said. "It's the same thing (with) any businesses along a bike lane. They could put up a sign (that says) 'We hate bikes' and not get any new business. Or they could install a bike rack in front of their business and reap the rewards. But the businesses that choose to embrace change tend to be the businesses that experience longevity."

District policy

This week's public realm discussion arrives in the wake of last week's council decision to approve the city's new district policy and 14 district plans. These replace more than 50 plans that date back to the 1980s. Council's decision also follows the hotly contested zoning bylaw renewal in 2023, when supporters and opponents voiced opinions about district planning (council went on to approve the bylaw renewal). Pavlek said he did not hear those opposed during the past discussions speak up this time around, though the last episode of Speaking Municipally covered a Postmedia opinion piece that criticized district planning for neglecting planning at the neighbourhood level. Co-host Mack Male said those most opposed to the district policy and plans might reflect, however, that they aren't set in stone. "As we talked about with zoning bylaw renewal, these things can change. We can iterate," he said.

Three towers

The podcasters discussed two significant apartment tower projects. One is a two-tower development at Mill Woods Town Centre, where the neighbourhood's LRT stop is located. Each tower is 22 storeys and together they will comprise 550 units. The co-hosts said they hoped this could be a successful transit-oriented development. Still, Male pointed out there are sections of road without sidewalks near the station. He said walking from the LRT to the Mill Woods Library is "unpleasant."

The other is a 31-storey tower on Jasper Avenue that council approved through a successful rezoning application. Male said he is skeptical it will go forward, while Pavlek said he worries the construction may disrupt access to the Victoria Promenade.

There's much more in the Oct. 4 episode of Speaking Municipally, including more points in the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy, the city's efforts to collect the province's tax debt, and significant new municipal election costs that stem from the United Conservative Party government's Bill 20. The hosts also heard an update from the Taproot newsroom by managing editor Tim Querengesser. Speaking Municipally comes out on Fridays. Listening and subscription options are all right here.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• The Art of Communication Networking Event starting at 6pm at Irrational Brewing Company
• Sketch Night — Inktober Edition starting at 6pm at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse
• Story Sharing Circle starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Idylwylde)
• Broad View Film Club starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Strathcona)
• Anh Duong Book Launch starting at 7pm at Audreys Books
• Donovan Woods: The Living Well Tour starting at 8pm at Winspear Centre
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by Fred Mack starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 19: Reuse Centre Swap Events: Halloween Costumes at City of Edmonton Reuse Centre
• Oct. 20: An Anniversary Improv Celebration at Rapid Fire Exchange
• Nov. 6 Finding Common Ground in Polarized Times at TELUS International Centre

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