The Pulse: Oct. 15, 2024

A new pilot project that tests if a community animator can build a sense of inclusion at an apartment building where people with developmental disabilities live has already convinced the building owner of its worth.

"In my mind, I already foresee it being a long-term project," Leston Holdings vice-president Dinika Matychuk told Taproot about the Future of Home Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab pilot, which has run at the company's Edgemont Flats building in southwest Edmonton.

Skills Society, a services provider for people with developmental disabilities, and its Action Lab, a creative solutions service for projects, created the Future of Home pilot with partners Civida, Homeward Trust, and Inclusion Alberta.

The pilot's creation involved service providers, architects, and other stakeholders applying human-centred design to re-imagine what affordable, accessible, and socially inclusive housing could look like for people with developmental disabilities.

That work resulted in two prototypes, with the community animator role spun from one of them. The project tests if adding the animator can help the building's neighbours meet and assist one another.

"We're really interested in residents feeling like their house is a home, that they know their neighbours, that they feel safe, and that they have some reciprocal relationships," Rebecca Rubuliak, Skills Society's director of continuous improvement and innovation, told Taproot. "Community often needs to be nurtured. Bringing people together in a space doesn't necessarily result in the deep, reciprocal, natural supports and relationships that support people in thriving in their communities."

Angelika Matson, the community animator, builds connections between residents at Edgemont Flats by getting to know them and introducing people with shared interests. Matson also facilitates neighbourly help and plans events. She is employed by Skills Society for eight hours per week thanks to financial support from Leston Holdings.

Edgemont Flats is a mixed-market apartment building (meaning it has subsidized and unsubsidized units) with more than 300 suites. Clients of Skills Society occupy 12 of the building's suites.

Reports produced from stakeholder feedback on the Future of Home's two prototypes determined there was strong support for housing that mixes people who do and do not have disabilities. Stakeholders also expressed support for having a community animator be responsible for shared spaces in a building.

Rubuliak said it's important that residents feel active in their community. "We have these larger barriers to social inclusion — things like accessibility, affordability," Rubuliak said. "Then there's also some of those softer pieces that the community animator is really tapping into, which are things like helping people to be part of shaping the communities, ensuring that folks' unique gifts, talents, and strengths are part of that, (and) finding ways to support people to be able to contribute and communicate."

• The City of Edmonton will permanently launch its Clean Energy Improvement Program to help property owners make energy-efficient and renewable energy upgrades. Property owners can access the program through an online portal beginning Oct. 17. The program allows residential and commercial property owners to access long-term financing for upgrades such as solar installations and insulation improvements, which would be repayable through property taxes. With an initial funding of $20 million, the program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance Edmonton's sustainability efforts in support of its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
• Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is suing three Alberta residents for defamation, alleging they spread false claims to damage his reputation. A statement of claim filed in an Edmonton court on Oct. 11 centres on accusations that Sohi engaged in corruption during his time as a federal minister and improperly benefited from an infrastructure project. The defendants allegedly shared these accusations through videos and interviews, which Sohi says have led to death threats and vandalism at his home. CBC News spoke to two defendants named in the lawsuit, who stood by their statements. None of the allegations against them have been proven in court.
• The City of Edmonton is tackling the issue of aggressive urban coyotes by shooting them with non-lethal plastic bullets, which park rangers have used about 40 times since late 2023. The bullets cause temporary pain to make coyotes fear humans after less aggressive methods failed. University of Alberta professor Colleen Cassady St. Clair called the tactic a humane way to manage wildlife. As coyote sightings increase, the City is urging residents to stop feeding the animals to reduce encounters.
• Edmonton's surrounding communities are benefiting from the city's infrastructure without contributing enough financially, according to a report going to city council's executive committee on Oct. 16. The report cites a "free-rider problem," as an area of concern, with nearly a third of daily drivers in Edmonton coming from outside municipalities. St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron argued that regional cooperation benefits both sides, pointing to shared recreation facilities, while Edmonton Coun. Michael Janz suggested that increased provincial support could alleviate the financial burden.
• The Alberta government shut down Waverley Daycare in Edmonton due to health and safety violations, marking the second daycare to be closed in the city in recent days. The facility, which had been operating under a probationary licence, was found to have ongoing non-compliance issues, including improper medication storage and unsafe childcare practices. Inspections revealed additional concerns including unsanitary conditions and inadequate supervision. The closure affects 54 children and their families.
• Volunteers with Homeward Trust conducted their 24-hour homeless count beginning Oct. 10 to create a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness in the city. Volunteers visited people across neighbourhoods and encampments, asking about their housing situations and offering gift cards and support tools. The count, held biannually since 1999, will now occur annually to provide updated data for agencies addressing homelessness.
• Edmonton's Chinatown will receive nearly $1 million over the next two years to enhance its appeal and attract more visitors. The Chinatown Vibrancy Fund, established earlier this year, has already supported festivals, art, and food events that have boosted foot traffic. The efforts have helped, said Sandy Pon of the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative, but the group is lobbying for more funding for things like more lighting, decorative elements, trees, and improved building facades.
• Edmonton resident Melissa Costigan has filed a complaint after she said officers from the Edmonton Police Service forcibly entered her home on Aug. 28 while searching for a suspect based on an erroneous description. Costigan told the media project The Progress Report that her door was smashed during the incident, which left her and her tenants "traumatized and victimized." She is seeking compensation for damages, estimated at nearly $3,800.
• The City of Edmonton is reviewing a proposal from Scandinave Group Inc. to build a Nordic spa in the Brander Gardens neighbourhood. The spa would be located on land once owned by philanthropist Sandy Mactaggart, which the University of Alberta has put up for sale. The City is gathering feedback on a rezoning application until Oct. 17. If given the green light, the proposal would need to go to a public hearing and city council for final approval.
• Hope Mission hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner in Edmonton on Oct. 11, providing a holiday meal to more than 500 people. The event, supported by volunteers, aims to create a sense of community and belonging, with meals served at tables to foster a family-like atmosphere. "It helps to not feel alone during a time that is to be festive for everyone else," said Adeoluwa Adeoye with Hope Mission.
• The University of Alberta has been recognized in the top 6% of universities globally in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which evaluated nearly 2,100 institutions. The university is now tied for fourth place among Canadian universities, though its overall rank fell from 109th last year to 116th this year.
• The Edmonton Oilers are struggling at the start of their season after three straight losses and being outscored 15-3. Despite last season's success, when the team recovered from a dismal opening to reach the Stanley Cup final, head coach Kris Knoblauch and players describe their current dynamic as disconnected, with poor puck control and a lack of desperation. However, Connor McDavid expressed confidence the team can turn the season around. "Losing three in a row off the bat is not ideal, but it's nothing we can't work our way out of," he said.

A report to city council's executive committee, outlining a roughly $60-million hole in the books, offers council a true deficit of options, said the co-hosts of Episode 280 of Speaking Municipally.

The fiscal gulf threatens Edmonton's long-term financial stability, acting city manager Eddie Robar told the committee at an Oct. 9 meeting. "There is a gap between what residents need and want us to provide, and what we are resourced to deliver," he said.

Co-hosts Mack Male and Troy Pavlek noted that the $60-million gap is roughly what the province owes Edmonton after it stopped paying grants in lieu of property taxes. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has recently launched the Fair Compensation Project to direct public pressure onto the province to pay up.

Male said Sohi's campaign likely won't be enough to budge the provincial government, and council will have to address the gap during the upcoming fall budget adjustment.

"Whether they like it or not, (city council's) not getting money from the province to fill this gap by the end of the calendar year," he said. "So they're going to have to do something that is within their power. And they really have a couple of options: They can cut things, or they can tax more."

Election chess

Sohi's campaign, noted Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein, is a jab from a politician known for collaborating with people who tend to throw punches. Pavlek suggested Sohi's move has implications for the 2025 election, too, as it forces his potential mayoral rival, Coun. Tim Cartmell, to support Sohi's message to the United Conservative Party government or explain why he won't.

But Male challenged that point, noting Cartmell's recent statement that followed Sohi's decision partially threaded the needle. Cartmell, Male said, wrote that Edmonton "absolutely" needs more support from the province, but that Sohi should have collaborated rather than cajoled.

Pavlek, however, said Cartmell's message "sounds a little bit like, 'Be nice to (Premier) Danielle Smith.'"

But wait, there's more

The Oct. 11 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast discusses Edmonton Transit's explosive growth, a report on "free-riders" (free-drivers?) from outside Edmonton's boundaries, ongoing questions about shelter spaces as winter looms, the end of the "healthy streets" pilot in Chinatown, Stadium Station's safety-first design, and much more. 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 Citadel and the City starting at 9:30am at Citadel Theatre
• Founder Journeys starting at 10am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Cost Effective Ways to Implement AI in Small Business starting at 12pm at ATB Entrepreneur Centre
• Increase Performance with Biophilic Design starting at 12:30pm
• Roadblocks to the Deal starting at 1pm online
• How Intellectual Property Drives Startup Investment starting at 2pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Product Development Workshop starting at 6:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Dr Russell Cobb Book Launch starting at 7pm at Audreys Books
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by Mo Lefever starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 23: State of the Region: Charting a Course for Growth & Competitiveness at NAIT
• Oct. 29: Nerd Nite: Howloween Bootique at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• Oct. 31: Imagining Downtown: A Global Comparison at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District

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