The Pulse: Nov. 15, 2024

The Fort Distillery won at least $150,000 in investment at Startup TNT's Summit X on Nov. 14, held at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute.

"Selling booze is fun, (and) building a data room, even funner," said Nathan Flim, founder and CEO of The Fort Distillery, explaining the work he had put in to convince the judges.

Flim's pitch at the event focused on three growth opportunities for the company: Retail across North America, contracts with companies like Porter Airlines and Fairmont Hotels, and brand representation.

The other finalists that pitched to the Startup TNT judges were: CANDLE Lithium Corporation, which is unlocking lithium reserves in brine from North American oilfields; Colabmacs, which helps manage physical resources in open access spaces; Elementiam Materials and Manufacturing, which uses AI software to enhance industrial robots, improving their productivity and automation; and Theragraph, which has developed a program that unites separate medical records into a single visual to aid healthcare professionals.

The Fort Distillery was founded in Fort Saskatchewan in 2018 and uses local ingredients to make whisky and spirits, as well as pre-mixed cocktails through its Tumbler and Rocks label. This year, the company's Mountain Pass Whisky won Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year. The whisky is 30% corn and 70% malted barley, and aged for 40 months.

Startup TNT has run investment summits since 2019, where 20 to 40 angel investors commit $5,000 in advance. Winners are guaranteed to take home that money and potentially more if they can make side deals. The TNT Capital VC Fund invests $50,000 into the total investment prize.

In 2023, Startup TNT was the most active pre-seed stage investor in Canada and the fourth most active for the seed stage. At the event, Startup TNT co-founder Zack Storms said the organization is on track to raise more money for startups in Western Canada in 2024 than in any other year.

"This is a special summit because this is our tenth summit," Storms said. "For the last two weeks, I've spent almost all my time talking to founders, talking to other investors, trying to negotiate deals, trying to figure things out, trying to raise money for companies, and it's reminded me how much fun it really is."

In addition to Summit X, Startup TNT is also hosting the Startup TNT Life Sciences Summit Powered By API on Nov. 21, also in Edmonton.

• A motion from Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to lower his own salary by $3,000 a year was defeated in a 7-5 vote. Sohi wanted to close a gap between his salary, set at $216,585 in 2024, and the salary of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, noting the two positions had equal salaries before pandemic wage freezes. Coun. Andrew Knack, who opposed the motion, suggested Sohi's "heart was in the right place," but decisions about politicians' pay should come from an independent body.
• The City of Edmonton's new city manager, Eddie Robar, said during a news conference that budget constraints will be the biggest challenge in the months ahead. While the City faced a projected $34-million deficit in September, the projection is now closer to $20 million, he said.
• An online survey from the City of Edmonton, which ran from Oct. 3 to 10, found only 16% of respondents are comfortable with tax increases beyond what council already approved for the 2023-2026 operating and capital budgets. Administration has proposed an 8.1% tax increase for 2025 as part of fall budget adjustments, up from the 7% council previously approved. Council will continue budget discussions on Dec. 2.
• Edmonton saw a $16 million economic boost from hosting the Canadian Country Music Association Awards in September, according to Explore Edmonton. A record 14,000 attendees filled Rogers Place for the sold-out awards show on Sept. 14, making it the biggest in CCMA history.
• The City of Edmonton says a major lane shift at 23 Avenue and 111 Street will begin "on or around" Nov. 16 to accommodate construction on an LRT underpass below 23 Avenue as part of the Capital Line South LRT extension. The lanes will shift northeast of the existing intersection for approximately two years. Two through lanes and one turning lane will be maintained in both directions, with speeds reduced to 40 km/h. Major construction along 111 Street, south of Century Park, is expected to start in spring 2025.
• Hope Mission, Edmonton's Food Bank, and the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton are among the charities worried about the effect of a strike by Canada Post workers ahead of a busy holiday season. The food bank relies on Canada Post for fundraising and awareness, and the bureau receives most donations by mail, but all three organizations also accept donations online. Around 55,000 postal workers across Canada are now on strike.
• Raven Van Camp, an Edmonton wheelchair user and advocate, spoke to CTV News about their difficulties finding accessible features at concert venues. Tyson Boyd, co-owner of the Starlite Room, said plans to make the venue accessible to all were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and money remains the obstacle to making accessibility upgrades, like a lift. Alberta is one of the last Canadian provinces without standalone accessibility legislation.
• The number of cases appealed to the Alberta government's Law Enforcement Review Board, the appeal body for complaints against law enforcement officers, has reached its highest in a decade, with a disproportionate number of appeals from Edmonton. In 2023, the board received a total of 61 cases, compared to 40 in 2022. Of the 61, 42 were in Edmonton, compared to 16 in Calgary.
• The pedway at the Alberta legislature was closed to the public last winter from October 2023 to May 2024 due to safety concerns, according to documents obtained by Postmedia. As of Nov. 14, the pedway is open to the public, and Alberta Infrastructure says there are no immediate plans to close the pedway this winter season.
• Alberta Innovates experienced "network issues" after being hit by a cyberattack. A spokesperson would not confirm when the issues began, but said the incident involved unauthorized access to the network by a third party and was quickly resolved. An investigation is underway. Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish's office said the government's cyber team is providing support.
• West Edmonton Mall has announced its holiday programming. This year, the mall will have five Santas available for photos from Nov. 16 to Dec. 24. The Grinch and his dog Max will visit the mall on Nov. 22, Dec. 1, and Dec. 11. Families can book holiday photos at North Pole Place from Nov. 18 to 21.
• Nicky Singh, an Edmonton athlete considered one of the top pole sport competitors in the world, appeared on CBC's Edmonton AM to talk about her time at the World Pole and Aerial Championships in Sweden.

On this day in 1930, residents of St. Albert were preparing to mark its history.

While what is now St. Albert was founded in the mid-1800s, Indigenous people have lived near the Sturgeon River and Big Lake for thousands of years. In the early 1800s, many Métis families settled on river lots there to create the Big Lake settlement. The area offered access to fish and fresh water, and was close to Fort Edmonton, where Métis hunters sold furs and meat from buffalo hunts.

In 1861, Father Albert Lacombe arrived. The Catholic priest originally settled in nearby Lac St. Anne but found it unsuitable for agriculture, so he chose to travel south. He stopped when he reached Big Lake. Lacombe decided it was a perfect place for a Catholic mission. In addition to the local Métis families, the spot offered proximity to Fort Edmonton, which allowed him to minister to the Indigenous and European traders passing through the area. He founded the settlement as St. Albert, naming it after his patron saint, Saint Albert of Louvain.

Lacombe quickly worked to build a small log building to serve as the settlement's church. That building is now thought to be Alberta's oldest surviving structure and serves as an interpretive centre. A couple of years later, Lacombe was joined by members of the Grey Nuns. The Grey Nuns set up the region's first medical facility, and later, were the driving force behind Edmonton General Hospital.

Lacombe's original mission was built north of the Sturgeon River. That meant anyone wanting to travel south to Fort Edmonton had to use an unreliable ferry. Lacombe rallied the community to build the first permanent bridge in Western Canada. It was originally a toll bridge, though Lacombe promised anyone who helped build it could cross for free.

By the 1870s, the buffalo were nearing extinction due to over-hunting, disease, and other factors. The buffalo hunt, which formed a vital part of Métis lives, began to disappear. Residents were forced to turn to farming instead. Luckily, St. Albert proved to be better for agriculture than Lac St. Anne. The village soon became one of the most important farming settlements on the Prairies. Its success drew others to the area, including a large influx of French-Canadian settlers in the 1870s and 1880s. By 1887, St. Albert had 1,000 residents.

Today, St. Albert is the sixth-largest city in Alberta, with more than 65,000 residents. Much of the city's Métis history is preserved, including many family homes built along the river near the turn of the century. Much like residents were doing in 1930, this week, St Albert is preparing to mark its annual Métis Week. Events include special exhibits at the Musée Héritage Museum and a flag-raising ceremony at St. Albert Place.

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. 15: Sip & Science starting at 6:30pm at TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
• Nov. 15: 2024 Business Awards starting at 6:30pm at Festival Place
• Nov. 15-17: The Road Ahead: Strategies for Building a Better Future at University of Alberta (Arts Building and Convocation Hall)
• Nov. 16: Carrot Christmas Arts Bazaar starting at 9am at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse
• Nov. 16: Reuse Centre Swap Events: Powered Craft Supplies starting at 10am at City of Edmonton Reuse Centre
• Nov. 16: Okimaw Awards starting at 10am at Edmonton City Hall
• Nov. 16-17: Edmonton Fashion Week at Last Modern Events
• Nov. 16-17: Edmonton Holiday Geeky Gift Market at Edmonton EXPO Centre
• Nov. 16-17: Christmas Market Place at AJ Ottewell Centre
• Nov. 16-17: Mini Ornaments with Joyce Beaver
• Nov. 17: MADE for Pets: Winter Market starting at 10am at Edmonton Humane Society
• Nov. 17: Something's Fishy with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra starting at 2:30pm at Winspear Centre
• Nov. 17: Emerging Artist Presents Brianna Lizotte starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 22: Coffee with the Chamber at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Nov. 23-24: The Mom Market at Edmonton EXPO Centre
• Nov. 28: Economic Reconciliaction: A Symposium for Changemakers at Edmonton EXPO Centre

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