The Pulse: Jan. 10, 2025

In 2024, Taproot reported on several stories that evolved after we published them. In this, our final retrospective of 2024, we caught up with two specific stories that will continue to offer new details in 2025.

Riverboat's business partners to part in 2025

The original story: In 2024, Taproot was the first to report that two serial entrepreneurs, Rob Davy and Eric Warnke, had purchased the Edmonton Riverboat. The two met as teenagers when they were among the first employees at Nexopia, Canada's first social network. The new owners said they thought the riverboat had only scratched the surface of its potential and that they wanted to offer an elevated experience.

Then what? "It blew our expectations out of the water — no pun intended," Warnke told Taproot in an online interview from the boat in late December. Warnke said customers enjoyed duelling piano performances the most. For about 10% of sailings, the river's water levels were too low for the boat to complete its full course, so those customers were given credits to return in 2025 for a full experience. Davy left the business at the end of the 2024 season. "He owns, like three other businesses, so it wasn't as simple as tacking on a fourth one as we thought it would be, and then ultimately, we're just better friends than partners," Warnke said. "It's an amicable thing. We're still friends."

What's next? The boat was moored at the end of September, but it's still being used for parties through the winter, including a New Year's Eve bash. Warnke said he hopes to start the 2025 sailing season on Mother's Day. He's planning for a special event to celebrate the boat's 30th anniversary in May, and to run sailings daily in 2025 instead of from Thursday to Sunday. -Stephanie Swensrude

Edmonton Edge Fund continues to reverberate in 2025

The original story: In May, the City of Edmonton granted $4.7 million to 17 organizations through Phase 1 of the Edmonton Edge Fund. The fund is intended to drive economic and social benefits. There were two categories of funding: Scale & Grow, which offered from $250,000 to $1 million to companies that could prove a matching 50% investment, and the Start Stream for earlier-stage companies, which offered up to $100,000. Scale & Grow recipients included DiveThru, Future Fields, and Kind Ice Cream Select Start Stream recipients included OligomicsTx (which won a Startup TNT summit earlier in the year), Swift Charge, UpRow, and ZerOne.

Then what? In October, ZerOne held a grand opening for its Hockeyology and Atheleticare facility after telling Taproot that it uses tech and multidisciplinary medicine to support athletes. Kind Ice Cream also spoke to Taproot to detail its plans for modular ice cream shops, acquiring a larger production facility, and offering business-to-business sales. Elsewhere, UpRow won a pitch competition at Inventures by Alberta Innovates in May. In November, Future Fields opened its Instar 1.0 biomanufacturing facility.

What's next? The city's reference to the Edge Fund in May as Phase 1 suggested that a Phase 2 was at least possible. Nik George from the City of Edmonton told Taproot in an email that the city is "actively exploring options for the future of the Edge Fund," but the fund does not "have additional funding to support new projects" yet. Companies that received Edge funding have shared further updates with Taproot. Kind Ice Cream said in an email that its first modular location, dubbed "Bestie," will open this summer at a location "that is currently underserved when it comes to ice cream and dessert options." Swift Charge said in an email that its fast electric vehicle charger is done with testing and should be operational in south Edmonton and Lloydminster by the end of January. DiveThru, meanwhile, said in an email that it will open its newest location in "early 2025." -Colin Gallant

• CUPE Local 3550, which represents more than 3,000 education support staff at Edmonton Public Schools, has issued notice to strike as soon as Jan. 13. In December, staff rejected a 2.75% wage increase over four years recommended through a dispute inquiry board. Union president Mandy Lamoureaux said the union plans to escalate job action until the province addresses low wages, with the average education support worker earning only $34,500 annually. Edmonton Public Schools said some students may need to rotate in-person learning throughout next week or learn from home. CUPE 4625, which represents 200 support staff in the Sturgeon Public School Division, has also issued strike notice.
• Edmonton Catholic Schools is among the school divisions across Canada that experienced a data breach linked to the PowerSchool software, which is used to store student information. In a letter to school boards, PowerSchool said that an unauthorized third party was able to access data, but the incident is "contained," and the data is not expected to be shared or made public.
• Three Alberta residents facing a defamation lawsuit from Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi are denying accusations that they created and shared a video that claimed Sohi benefited from a trucking contract while serving as federal minister. In a statement of defence, lawyers for two of the men say the comments they made are "true or substantially true" and were made in good faith. The pair also filed a counterclaim for more than $3 million in damages.
• Epic Investment Services has announced a $45-million redevelopment of Manulife Place, a 36-storey office building and shopping mall in downtown Edmonton. The upgrades include work on the exterior and two-storey retail podium, plus a revamp of amenities that will make the building a "top tier office environment," a press release says. Office and retail space will be anchored by Canadian Western Bank, which announced in 2023 it would move its headquarters to Manulife Place, and is set to be acquired by the National Bank of Canada in February.
• Sport Edmonton has expanded its Fresh Nets program to replace outdated hockey nets at community league rinks across the city, after replacing more than 400 basketball nets last summer. About 40 hockey nets have been replaced, with another 60 to go, said Sport Edmonton CEO Reed Clarke. In total, Edmonton has about 120 outdoor rinks.
• Edmonton Transit Service hit a new ridership record in 2024, with 61.6 million trips recorded, up 15% from 2023. Service-related improvements planned for 2025 include 50,000 more annual bus service hours starting in April, open payment options for Arc, a new multi-day Arc pass, and a new trip planning tool, said ETS branch manager Carrie Hotton-MacDonald.
• Athana Mentzelopoulos is no longer president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, a position she took over in December 2023. Alberta Health deputy minister Andre Tremblay has taken over the role on an interim basis, and the province wouldn't confirm whether Mentzelopoulos was fired. Several high-profile leadership changes in recent years have raised concerns about healthcare delivery, severance costs, and instability as the province restructures the healthcare system into four new agencies, CBC reported.
• United Conservative Party MLAs voted to increase MLA salaries by about 2.2%. The base salary for MLAs is currently around $121,000, but cabinet ministers and MLAs who hold other responsibilities earn more. Chief government whip Shane Getson called the increase "reasonable" after 10 years without MLA pay increases.
• The Alberta government, along with several other provinces, announced they will send firefighting resources to California to help battle Los Angeles wildfires, which are the largest in the city's history. Resources from Alberta include an incident command team, water bombers, and night-vision helicopters. The federal government said 250 firefighters are ready to deploy, and the Canadian Armed Forces are on standby to move personnel and equipment.
• The Edmonton Elks released American defensive lineman Elliott Brown, who wants to play in the NFL instead. Brown was tied for most sacks in the CFL last season and was named to the CFL's West Division all-star team. The Elks signed him as a free agent in 2023.

On this day in 1916, one of Edmonton's most storied hotels was hosting an orchestra performance.

The Hotel Selkirk was once one of the city's most popular places for visitors and locals alike. However, when it first opened as the Windsor Hotel in 1903, most thought it was doomed. The 40-room hotel was built on Jasper Avenue and 100 Street, which is now the centre of the city. But back in 1903, this was considered the edge of town, as it was several blocks west of what was then Edmonton's core.

The hotel's detractors were soon proven wrong, though. Edmonton was growing, explosively, and it wasn't long before the intersection where the Selkirk was located became the city's busiest.

In 1911, Robert MacDonald purchased the hotel and immediately started extensive renovations. When it reopened in 1913, MacDonald had expanded it to 100 rooms and changed its name to the Hotel Selkirk. Jasper Avenue was home to several grand hotels at the time, but the Selkirk was one of the most popular. It contained a massive dining room that, according to MacDonald, served up to 600 patrons each day. Johnson's Café opened in the hotel in 1920 and quickly became a regular haunt for many Edmontonians.

The Mahogany Bar was also a big part of the hotel's draw. The pub got its name from the mahogany wood used to craft a bar that was claimed to be the longest in the country. With its luxurious interior and selection of spirits, it catered to those looking for an upscale evening. It also boasted likely the toughest bartenders and bouncers in the city. MacDonald had a side gig as a boxing promoter, and often employed his fighters at the bar between fights or after retirement.

For half a century, the Selkirk continued to be one of Edmonton's favourite spots. But in 1962, a fire tore through the building. Hundreds of people came out to watch the prestigious hotel burn. Despite the efforts of a reported 450 firefighters, the hotel was heavily damaged. It was torn down several months later. The Royal Bank Building now occupies the former site where the Selkirk once stood.

Hotel Selkirk lives on, though. A re-creation now stands in Fort Edmonton Park, giving people a chance to see the hotel that helped shape Jasper Avenue. Edmonton's downtown continues to change, too. The city is planning to start construction on the second phase of its Imagine Jasper plan, with major renovation pegged for west of 114 Street.

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 weekened in the Edmonton area.

• Jan. 10: Monthly Friendly Friday starting at 2:30pm at Edmonton Research Park
• Jan. 10: Prince Albert Raiders vs. Edmonton Oil Kings starting at 7pm at Rogers Place
• Jan. 10: University of Calgary Dinos vs. University of Alberta Pandas Hockey starting at 7pm at Clare Drake Arena
• Jan. 10: Field and Stream Reunion Vinyl (re)Release starting at 8pm at the Aviary
• Jan. 11: Bohemian Artisan Market starting at 10am at Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre
• Jan. 11-12: Mukluks and Duck Boots with Joyce Beaver in Devon
• Jan. 12: Jalapeño Jelly Canning Workshop starting at 1pm at Ritchie Community Hall
• Jan. 12: Make Korean Sushi starting at 2pm at Provincial Kitchen and Bar
• Jan. 12: Coffee Tasting starting at 6pm at Labo Coffee YEG
• Jan. 12: Live From Leduc starting at 7pm at Grindstone Theatre
• Jan. 12: Indigenous Playwrights Circle starting at 7:30pm at Holy Trinity Anglican Church
• Jan. 12: Emerging Artist presents Dwell starting at 8pm at The Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Jan. 23: Perfecting Your Pitch online
• Jan. 25-26: Drum Making at Devon
• Jan. 30: Industrial Heartland Career Forum at Dow Centennial Centre

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