The Pulse: Nov. 8, 2024

Streetwear institution Foosh will open its second shop, on 104 Street downtown, in November, hot on the heels of a gathering where expert thinkers weighed in on the future of Edmonton's urban retail.

"We chose 104th and Jasper Ave because it has a liveliness that separates it from the greater core," Foosh owner Mac Doucette told Taproot in an email. "(The location's) proximity to a university, alongside residential areas with higher rates of young adults, matches well with our business demographic."

Doucette said he's aware that some think downtown is dangerous and empty, but he doesn't share that view.

"We've seen similar worries surrounding vacancies or safety come and go in the Whyte Ave area during our 25 years, so they have little impact on our confidence," he said. "These worries, whether perceived or real, have befallen metro areas across North America since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They're in no way exclusive to Edmonton, and are likely the result of limited community/social services relative to the needs of an area's most vulnerable."

Foosh's move downtown was some happy news to share at Imagining Downtown: A Global Comparison, an event held by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association at the JW Marriott Edmonton ICE District on Oct. 31. The event drew guests to the city to share their ideas for enlivening the city core and even hit the streets for a closer inspection.

Speakers said Edmonton needs to think smaller and tighter to spur retail success downtown, and to focus on what's authentic rather than chase what works in the suburbs.

"What do we need to do to eliminate and right-size the amount of retail you have in this downtown environment, so that those who are filling the space have a better chance of creating co-located, wonderful places, and we're not spreading it all around?" Larisa Ortiz, a managing director at Streetsense, a consultancy in New York City that works in real estate, tourism, and planning, asked event attendees.

Ortiz added that some downtowns are not over-developed but instead "under-demolished."

Ortiz joined McBryan and several others on Oct. 30 for a three-hour walk to assess downtown at street level. She complimented areas that have attractions clustered near one another, like the Arts District, but expressed concern about Edmonton City Centre, which has lost several anchor tenants, including Hudson's Bay Company in 2020 and Sport Chek in 2023. Similarly, Holt Renfrew closed its only Edmonton location at nearby Manulife Place in 2020.

Speaking of the mall, Ortiz told Taproot that Edmonton could stand to demolish "half of it."

At the event, she added that not every street in downtown needs to be a retail street. "You really need to focus on where you have the real makings of a lovely retail environment."

• The Edmonton Community Foundation announced a renewed purpose, vision, mission, and values for the organization along with a new brand centred on the theme "together, we thrive." The foundation has reached $400 million in cumulative grants and scholarships to charities and students since it was founded 35 years ago, wrote CEO Tina Thomas.
• Edmonton Global issued an update on Forward/Slash, an economic summit started in 2022, which is continuing its "natural evolution" into a business-led movement. A steering committee has developed four goals for the summit that "would align the efforts" of public and private sector organizations, with this "shared vision and collaborative spirit" reflected in several community-driven projects. "I am confident that the groundwork laid over the past years will continue to empower local leaders to drive innovative, community-focused economic progress," said Edmonton Global CEO Malcolm Bruce.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to a fire at a housing project in the Holyrood area early in the morning on Nov. 7. It was the third fire at a home construction project in the past week, officials say. The blaze spread to a neighbouring home, causing extensive heat and water damage but no injuries. Although all three fires are considered suspicious, the Edmonton Police Service hasn't said if they are linked or deliberate.
• The federal government's PrairiesCan department launched the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative, which is providing up to $50 million over two years to the residential home construction sector and its supply chain, with a goal of alleviating local housing pressures. The program will support manufacturing efficiency and "innovative homebuilding solutions," including modular homes, net-zero 3D printing, and mass timber construction. Businesses can express interest on an ongoing basis until the program closes in March 2026.
• Total greenhouse gas emissions from Alberta's oilsands have risen by about 1% annually since 2019, compared to increases of about 5% per year over the preceding decade, but they will likely rise more quickly again starting in 2024 as the industry increases production, according to a report from S&P Global.
• Edmonton chefs Doreen Prei, Jason Greene, and Julia Kundera won gold, silver, and bronze at the regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship 2025, with Prei going on to represent Edmonton at the main event in Ottawa from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. The three chefs appeared on Global News Morning to talk about their winning dishes.
• Alberta's healthcare spending is projected to reach $45 billion in 2024, amounting to $9,370 per person, which places it between Manitoba and British Columbia but below Saskatchewan among the western provinces, according to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Nationally, healthcare spending is expected to grow by 5.7% in 2024, outpacing economic growth, a trend driven by an aging population, new residents, and supply pressures, Postmedia reported.
• The Alberta government fired the entire board of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), saying the organization has consistently failed to meet its mandated benchmark returns. Between 2019 and 2023, AIMCo has increased its third-party management fees by 96% and its salary and benefit costs by 71%, while managing a smaller percentage of funds internally, the province said. Finance Minister Nate Horner was appointed sole director of AIMCo, with a new board to be appointed within 30 days.
• The Edmonton Oilers are a "middle of the pack" team so far this season, sitting at 6-7-1 after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 6. This week, they ranked 27th for their power play and 30th in goals per game, while Connor McDavid is tied 84th in the league for scoring. "They can't quite put their finger on what's wrong, and can't quite wrap their hands around what's right," suggested sports writer Robert Tychkowski.
• Edmonton Elks players Eugene Lewis, Nick Anderson, and Jake Julien were selected to play on the 2024 All-CFL Team. It's the first time since 2017 the Elks have multiple players represented on the team.

On this day in 1911, plots of land for the future Forest Heights neighbourhood were being advertised for sale.

The ad warned potential buyers that the plots were about to get more expensive, and it demanded a $50 deposit (less than $1,500 in 2024 dollars) to buy in now.

Forest Heights was created by Windsor Realty, a local real estate company. It was one of several neighbourhoods planned to accommodate Edmonton's rapid population growth in the 1900s.

Tucked into a bend on the southern bank of the North Saskatchewan River, in 1911 the area was mostly agricultural land but was already home to Edmonton's Jewish cemetery, which was founded by Abraham Cristall in 1907 along what's now 76 Street NW and 101 Avenue NW. For many years, the cemetery housed only grave sites and a small wooden shed. In 1930, a permanent chapel was erected. A cenotaph was added following the Second World War, and in the 1970s, a Holocaust memorial was built. The cemetery remains in operation to this day, and serves all denominations of Judaism.

In 1913, Forest Heights was absorbed to become part of Edmonton, but development stalled soon after. The wild prosperity of the 1900s began to slow in the 1910s, and after 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, it slowed further. There was far less need for new housing, and this spelled the end of many neighbourhoods planned during the previous decade.

Development in Forest Heights remained frozen until the second half of the 1950s. Following the Second World War, demand for housing quickly spiked again, and the farmland at the edge of the city quickly became in demand, with new detached homes being built. By the mid 1950s, so much construction was occurring that homes spilled into the area east of Forest Heights, which the city also annexed. That area became Terrace Heights. Both neighbourhoods eventually formed a common community league.

While thousands were moving to Forest Heights at this point, even more were moving through it. The neighbourhood's 101 Avenue NW had developed into the main route downtown for drivers arriving from the east. This remained the case until the early 1970s, when both the Yellowhead Highway and the James MacDonald Bridge were built, drawing drivers away from Forest Heights.

For many years, the well-known Patricia Motel remained as a reminder of the busy highway times. When it was built in 1957 (directly beside the cemetery, in fact), the motel was described as a modern accommodation. However, once the traffic on 101 Avenue lessened, the motel hit hard times. For decades, it was considered an eyesore, with frequent police and paramedic activity. The Patricia Motel was razed in 2019. A seniors' home is proposed for the lot.

Now that 101 Avenue NW is no longer the commuter route it was until the 1970s, the city has proposed changes to remake it into a street more in keeping with its neighbourhood. A concept plan was finalized in 2022 that would see bike lanes, landscaping, and other elements built along the avenue. However, that plan remains unfunded.

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 this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• Nov. 8: Rumbold Vocal Prize starting at 7pm at Jubilee Auditorium
• Nov. 8: On The River with Asani & Maria Dunn starting at 7:30pm at Arden Theatre
• Nov. 8-9: PBR Canada National Finals at Rogers Place
• Nov. 8-9: Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival at Edmonton Convention Centre
• Nov. 9: Spider Ornaments Workshop with Roman Petriv starting at 11am at Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts
• Nov. 9: Jill Barber starting at 7:30pm at Arden Theatre
• Nov. 9: Sweater Weather Soirée: An Autumnal Burlesque Show starting at 8pm at Die Pie
• Nov. 10: YEGarden Suites Deep Dive Workshop starting at 12pm at Mill Woods Senior and Multicultural Centre
• Nov. 10: Stephanie Urquhart Quartet featuring Holly Sangster part of Women in Jazz Weekend starting at 2pm at Yardbird Suite
• Nov. 10: MG3 Plays Ennio Morricone starting at 3pm at Dow Centennial Centre
• Nov. 10: Script Salon: Morningside Road starting at 7pm at Holy Trinity Anglican Church

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 15-17: The Road Ahead: Strategies for Building a Better Future at University of Alberta (Arts Building and Convocation Hall)
• Nov. 21: Jill of All Trades at NAIT
• Nov. 24: Girls in the Park at Sunridge Ski Area

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