The Pulse: March 13, 2025

Keenan Pascal, the CEO of Token Bitters, says his latest trade trip to Japan is a way to bolster Edmonton's beverage industry — something he also does as a co-organizer of Edmonton Cocktail Week, which takes place from March 17 to 23.

"Reintroducing the bitters into the Japan market, as the cocktail scene evolves, that's where we see a lot of upside," Pascal told Taproot before flying to Japan. "The (number of) bars per capita there is like eight or nine times what it is in Canada. They have a lot of small bars, like a six-seater or like an eight-person bar. Here, we have larger concepts."

Token Bitters is one of 3,000 vendors at the FOODEX Japan trade show, which features vendors from 170 countries from March 11 to 14 in Tokyo. It is one of several Edmonton companies at the show with Edmonton Global, including SYC Brewing Co. and BeeMaid Honey. The trip is part of the economic developer's work to grow exports to countries other than the United States.

Pascal said the potential connections are both external and internal. "I think that's one of the best things you get out of these trade missions — travelling with Edmonton-based businesses," Pascal said. "In Japan, (you can go on a) night out and to karaoke, and you've got a new business deal kind of put together. I think there's a lot of opportunities to cross paths."

Token Bitters was established in 2016. It offers aromatic bitters, a flavour agent used in cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and cooking, as well as mocktails, sodas, and syrups. Token products are on the shelves of both liquor stores and non-alcoholic retailers around Edmonton.

After FOODEX, Pascal's company is next focused on Edmonton Cocktail Week, which showcases Token Bitters during a bartender contest on March 17 at Fu's Repair Shop. There, the finalists will duke it out for $500, bragging rights, a trophy, and other rewards. Tickets to attend and taste are just less than $30.

Pascal organizes Cocktail Week alongside Faaiza Ramji, a prolific entrepreneur who co-founded Jaya Chai Liqueur out of another company called Field Notes, as well as Dan St. Pierre of the communications and public relations firm Dept. of External Relations, and Robert Pellerin, who organizes the Alberta Spirits & Cocktail Festival that happens at the Edmonton Convention Centre during cocktail week.

Ramji's Jaya is taking a victory lap for its big win at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Signature cocktails made with Jaya will be offered by Bar Henry, Woodwork, and others throughout the week. But cocktail week isn't only about its organizers' success, Ramji said.

"We know that building success in one industry depends on success in the ecosystem around it," Ramji told Taproot in an email. "For the beverage industry to thrive, we need bartenders to stay here, build a following, and hone their craft; we need restaurants and bars to thrive and create a sense of vibrancy as well as successful businesses; and we need retailers to support and showcase innovative products being made here in Alberta."

Other vendors and venues taking part in Edmonton Cocktail Week include Above Average Drinks, EPIC Market, Sherbrooke Liquor, and more. You can find the full list of events here.

• Forecasters are predicting heavy snowfall in Edmonton and across central and northern Alberta starting March 13. In Edmonton, roads and walkways may be difficult to access, and there may be significant rush hour traffic, Environment Canada said. Colder temperatures are expected into the weekend.
• The City of Edmonton is evaluating its procurement practices in light of the Alberta government's directive for the province, municipalities, and other provincial entities to source goods and services locally amid the Canada-U.S. trade war. Sohrab Sohrabi, branch manager for procurement and supply services, said the City is awaiting more details about the directive. In total, the City buys about $3 billion worth of goods and services a year across 400 contracts. Last year, a review of publicly listed contracts found most are already awarded locally, especially for services, Postmedia reported.
• City of Edmonton administration is recommending council reallocate $5 million from security guard contracts with Commissionaires toward increasing peace officer presence at transit stations. In a report going to council on March 18, administration says it will create an "enhanced Transit Peace Officer (TPO) deployment plan for citywide coverage" and increase the number of TPOs from 96 to 126, while phasing Commissionaires out of the 19 transit facilities they currently cover.
• The Court of King's Bench denied a review of the Crown's 2023 decision not to pursue charges against Const. Ben Todd for seriously injuring Pacey Dumas, even though the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team recommended charges. In his decision, Justice Michael Kraus said Dumas "failed to meet the threshold" for a judicial review. Dumas's lawyer Heather Steinke-Attia said the standard is "so high, it's basically impossible." Last year, the province hired a retired judge to oversee a review of Crown prosecution services and ASIRT, which criminologist Temitope Oriola suggested was long overdue.
• The federal government announced a proposed out-of-court settlement on March 6 in response to a class-action lawsuit seeking damages for abuse and mistreatment at the 33 so-called "Indian hospitals" that operated across Canada between 1936 to 1981. If the settlement is certified, claimants will be eligible for compensation between $10,000 and $200,000. The former Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton's Inglewood neighbourhood is one of the facilities named in the lawsuit. The hospital was the subject of a short documentary from the Edmonton Heritage Council in 2016.
• Edmonton resident David Stupnikoff has launched a GoFundMe campaign to revive the historic Princess Theatre on Whyte Avenue, which closed in 2020 and has been listed for sale at $2.7 million since 2022. Stupnikoff said he has collaborated with architects and contractors on a plan to transition the main theatre to a stage and leave the second theatre as a screening room for movies. He said he is seeking $9.2 million to buy and revive the building, with plans to eventually register as a charity to accept corporate donations.
• Nearly a dozen bronze plaques honouring Edmonton soldiers who died during the First World War have been stolen from a cemetery in recent weeks, with several showing up in antique stores and flea markets, said Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum historian Joe MacDonald. Last week, a bronze statue of Emily Murphy was stolen, followed this week by another statue in Ambleside Park.
• Keith and Ken Harcus, twin brothers who own the long-running Edmonton art supply store Colours Artist Supplies, said they plan to close up shop and retire. The brothers, who took over the business in 1984 before expanding it to Vancouver and Winnipeg, say they've employed more than 1,000 staff over the years.
• Woodlands County, about 150 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, is considering nuclear energy as a way to power the region. In February, county council recommended buying an associate membership for the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities, which has 16 member communities, mostly in Ontario. Woodlands County is at the start of its journey, and installing small modular reactors would require extensive engagement, the organization's chair said.
• Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the 2025 Alberta budget will "alleviate pressure on classrooms" and help manage class sizes by spending $1.1 billion to hire more than 4,000 teachers, education assistants, and support staff. Student enrolment in Alberta has risen by about 89,000 since 2020, with much of the growth in the Edmonton and Calgary areas, the province said. Meanwhile, an auditor general report found Alberta Education is lacking effective processes to ensure school authorities follow annual reporting requirements.
• Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act that the province says will "modernize" hunting and trapping legislation. The roughly two dozen changes include allowing children as young as 12 to shoot guns without supervision, allowing hunters to kill black bears and cougars without needing to preserve the hides, allowing hunters to use laser sights, and making it legal to hunt in a wheelchair.

Here are opportunities to inform municipal decisions about accessibility, rezoning, affordable housing, and more. Please only answer surveys from the municipality where you live.

• Accessibility Policy Updates and New Corporate Plan Survey — The City of Edmonton is updating its Accessibility for People with Disabilities Policy and corporate accessibility policies to align with best practices. A What We Heard Report captures feedback from the first phase of engagement. Residents are now invited to share their thoughts on proposed updates and draft accessibility actions by completing a survey before March 16.
• Rossdale Centre Rezoning — The City of Edmonton is considering an application to rezone the Rossdale Brewery area, along 100 Street NW between 98 Avenue NW and Rossdale Road NW. If approved, the application would preserve the Rossdale Brewery while allowing development around it, including up to 17-storey buildings and up to 490 dwellings. Residents are invited to ask a question or share their thoughts to a discussion board until March 16.
• Belgravia 76 Avenue Rezoning — The City of Edmonton received two rezoning applications for two lots on 76 Avenue: 11607 76 Avenue NW and 11618 76 Avenue NW. Both lots are currently zoned as Small Scale Residential, while the developer wants them changed to Medium Scale Residential and Small-Medium Scale Transition Residential, allowing for a six-storey and a four-storey building, respectively. Feedback on these rezoning applications may also be applied to other rezoning applications in the McKernan and Belgravia neighbourhoods. Residents can ask a question or share their thoughts to a discussion board until March 23.
• Accessible Affordable Housing Survey — The City of Edmonton wants to understand the current state of accessible and affordable housing, including supply, quality, location, and challenges faced by developers. Residents can complete a survey on the topic until March 24.

More input opportunities

• Until March 19: Youth Transit Experience Survey — Riders Aged 12 to 18 (City of Edmonton)
• Until March 19: Youth Transit Experience Survey — Parents and Caregivers (City of Edmonton)
• Until March 21: Toward 40 Wagner Road — Draft Design (City of Edmonton)
• Until March 23: Rossdale Neighbourhood Renewal — Explore (City of Edmonton)
• Until March 28: Engage and Play: Shaping Public Recreation (City of Edmonton)
• Until March 31: 2026 Budget Planning Survey (City of Leduc)
• Until April 15: Passenger Rail Master Plan Survey (Government of Alberta)
• Until April 30: Green Industries Questionnaire (City of Edmonton)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Business Model 101 starting at 1pm online
• STEAM Lab starting at 3pm at Edmonton Public Library (Mill Woods)
• Spotlight on Arts Audiences Edmonton #4 starting at 3pm at Roxy Theatre
• Women United Signature Event: Compassion in Command starting at 5:30pm at NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre
• Startup TNT Happy Hour starting at 6pm at Pub 1905
• Mammoth Bites: Big Stories, Small Chunks starting at 6pm at Royal Alberta Museum
• Family Research Night starting at 6pm at St. Jacques Heritage House Museum
• Dark Matters: The Science of Sex starting at 6:30pm at TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
• B2B Sales Management for Tech-Based Founders Workshop starting at 6:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 21: NAT x UAC Demo Night at University of Alberta (Student Innovation Centre)
• March 21: YEG Craft Spirits and Charcuterie Tasting at Meuwly's
• March 21-22: The Wizard of Oz at Jubilee Auditorium

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