The Pulse: March 25, 2025

The incoming CEO of Edmonton Screen says he’s leaving a nearly 18-year career as film commissioner with Calgary Economic Development to help nurture Edmonton’s film, TV, and digital media talent and attract outside productions.

“There are a lot of great content creators up there, a lot of people that work within the creative economy,” Luke Azevedo, who will take the job on April 21, told Taproot on a call from Calgary. “It gives me an opportunity to go up there, try to help, become part of that community, and build the community over a period of time so that we become a much more relevant component of the city and province’s ecosystem, foreign direct investment, and job creation.”

Azevedo is replacing Tom Viinikka, who left as head of Edmonton Screen to take the reins at Edmonton Unlimited in 2024. Azevedo is also relieving Dorian Rowe of his post as interim CEO.

While in Calgary, Azevedo was vice-president of creative industries at Calgary Economic Development, as well as film commissioner, and part of the team that convinced HBO to film The Last of Us in 180 different locations across Alberta, including in both Edmonton and Calgary.

Calgary is Canada’s fourth largest film jurisdiction, and receives 80% of spending in Alberta for film, TV, and commercial production. Notable productions in Calgary include The Revenant, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Under the Banner of Heaven, Prey, the TV version of Fargo, and more. The city has easy access to diverse backdrops like the Rockies and the Badlands.

Azevedo said Edmonton has success, too, and that he plans to sing its praises more loudly at Edmonton Screen. “There’s been lots of productions that have gone through that have done unit shoots or done their entire production in (Edmonton),” he said. “I think over the years, because of the growth that was happening in Calgary, maybe (Edmonton) didn’t get the same kind of exposure.”

One way Azevedo is building the screen industries across Alberta, alongside various public-funding bodies, is with the new Screen Access Alberta platform. It’s a portal that helps people enter screen industries with an aptitude test, education resources, job postings, and more.

“We’re hoping that it becomes the de facto location for people that want to get into the industry or learn more about the industry,” Azevedo said. “We’ve never had anything like this in the province.”

Azevedo said his work with Edmonton Screen will also include him figuring out what Edmonton needs to grow. “We’re creating a balance between how we’re growing, and when it’s time to start going out there and actually recruit these major (TV and film productions) — if a show comes into the region, absolutely, we’ll take it on,” he said. “My job is to try to evaluate where we sit within that structure, and how we create a positive environment for growth locally, and then looking at the foreign market.”

• Edmonton Transit Service is rearranging its schedule to add 50,000 annual hours of service to busier bus routes, including increased frequency on the 747 route from Century Park Transit Centre to Edmonton International Airport. ETS is also adding 20 new buses to its fleet. In late April, a new route in Keswick and Glenridding Ravine will replace On Demand Transit. Regular service in Riverdale, Belgravia/Windsor Park, and Lendrum/Malmo will be replaced with On Demand Transit in June. Some school routes will see reduced service or be replaced with On Demand Transit in September, while some busy school routes will run more frequently. ETS transported 61.6 million riders last year.
• Coun. Andrew Knack says he is considering a run for Edmonton mayor after Amarjeet Sohi took an unpaid leave of absence to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Edmonton Southeast. Knack, who previously announced he won’t run for re-election in the October municipal election, said public encouragement has prompted him to reflect on how he can best serve the city. During a special council meeting on March 24, councillors unanimously approved Sohi’s request for leave, allowing him to step away until after the April 28 election. With Sohi absent, councillors will rotate mayoral duties. Tim Cartmell, who is running for mayor, criticized Sohi for not resigning outright, while Sohi said he will return to finish his term if he loses.
• Raj Uppal, former president of CUPE Local 41 in Edmonton, was elected president of CUPE Alberta on March 21, defeating incumbent Rory Gill. Uppal, who previously worked as a mortgage broker, has served as president of CUPE 41 since 2019, representing members at Grey Nuns and Edmonton General Hospitals. She has also served two terms on CUPE Alberta’s executive board as diversity vice-president. The union said Uppal appears to be the first woman of colour to lead a major union in Alberta.
• In an opinion piece published in Postmedia, Danielle Dolgoy and Roxanne Droppo of Jewish Family Services denounced recent hateful actions in Alberta, including anti-immigrant slogans and Nazi salutes in St. Albert, and racist symbols left outside community agencies in Red Deer. They called on all Albertans, including governments, institutions, organizations, and individuals, to actively support one another against hate. “We must collectively reject the rhetoric of fear, division, and hatred that seeks to fragment our communities,” they wrote.
• Since 2022, Albertans have lost millions to employment scams, with losses of $4.8 million in 2024 alone, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Edmonton Police Service Det. Scott Abbott said scammers often post ads for remote work with high wages and then convince people to pay for things. The RCMP noted scammers are increasingly using cryptocurrency because it’s less regulated.
• Premier Danielle Smith denied claims that she asked the U.S. to meddle in Canadian politics, after she told right-wing media outlet Breitbart she hoped U.S. tariffs could be paused until after the federal election. In the interview from March 8, Smith said the trade dispute was boosting Liberal support and that Poilievre, aligned with Trump, would manage U.S. relations better. Critics accused her of overstepping by discussing Canadian elections with American officials, while her office insisted she only advocated for delaying tariffs. The controversy emerged as party leaders launched their campaigns for the April 28 federal election.
• The Alberta government introduced Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance Act, to implement a “care-first” auto insurance model. Finance Minister Nate Horner said the new rules would limit lawsuits to at-fault drivers convicted under the Traffic Safety Act and apply to accidents occurring in or after January 2027.
• The Guardian published a feature on the Edmonton Grads, a women’s basketball team based out of Edmonton’s McDougall Commercial High School that achieved a record of more than 95% wins between 1915 and 1940. The team dominated the sport internationally, winning the Underwood International Trophy and exhibition games at the Olympics. Despite facing challenges such as limited funding during the Great Depression, the Grads, known for their stamina and short passing, secured their legacy as one of the most dominant teams of all time, before disbanding in 1940 due to the outbreak of war.
• Edmonton Oilers players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be out for at least a couple of games, coach Kris Knoblauch said on March 24. Their absence could allow other players to step up, gain confidence, and find their game, Knoblauch said. The team’s March 22 game against the Seattle Kraken was the first time injury prevented both Draisaitl and McDavid from playing in the same game since McDavid joined the team.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Coffee with the Chamber starting at 9am at Bountiful Farmers’ Market
• Womanition Connect Group Meeting starting at 11:30am at Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre
• Beverly Farmers’ Market starting at 2pm at Riverview Crossing Mall
• GameCamp Edmonton starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 1: Day of Pink: Business Insights on Inclusion and Resilience at World Trade Centre Edmonton
• April 4: Friendly Fridays: April Edition in Spruce Grove at Elks Social Hall
• April 9: Chef Bruno Feldeisen Book Launch at Audreys Books

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