The Pulse: April 1, 2025

Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fuelling station has been shipped back to the United States, its American owner has filed for bankruptcy, and the company’s once convicted former CEO has been pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

When it opened in March 2024, the station was described as a “huge milestone” by the provincial government. But Clarence Shields, the owner of Blackjacks Roadhouse, told Taproot the Nikola fuelling station was removed from his Nisku property on Feb. 23.

The station was installed last year in a private deal between Blackjacks and Nikola, in concert with a $4.4-million investment from Prairies Economic Development Canada meant to enable the Alberta Motor Transportation Association and the University of Alberta to work to validate and build access to fuel for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.

The $4.4 million in funding came alongside contributions from Alberta Innovates, Emissions Reduction Alberta, and industry, PrairiesCan said.

Neither PrairiesCan nor the AMTA gave money to Nikola, both parties confirmed to Taproot. Instead, Nikola built the station as an in-kind investment, with fuel coming from Suncor. The AMTA said Blackjacks nonetheless spent time and money to clear land for the station, while AMTA staff spent working hours on the project.

Government endorsement

In March 2024, Alberta officials said the Nikola station was significant. “The launch of Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fuelling station is a huge milestone in advancing Alberta as a global energy supplier,” Brian Jean, the minister of energy and minerals, said in a press release on Nikola’s page. “Hydrogen is the next step in our commitment to reducing emissions, and projects like this demonstrate that we have the resources, expertise, and interest in our province to drive innovation and become leading suppliers of responsibly produced clean hydrogen.”

Both Jean and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith attended the opening ceremony for the fueller.

Taproot requested comment from Smith and Jean, but received an email statement from Kevin Lee, the press secretary for the ministry of municipal affairs, in response. “Alberta’s government worked closely with the proponent to try to get this project to completion,” Lee said in the statement. “Unfortunately, as the proponent was not able to provide the required documentation to verify that the equipment was built to Alberta’s safety standards, this project was unable to move forward.”

Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Feb. 19, and on March 24 announced plans to deregister with the Securities and Exchange Commission and therefore delist from the Nasdaq exchange. An investor FAQ page on Nikola’s website said the Chapter 11 filing will allow it to “wind down” the business “while conducting a structured process to solicit interest in the sale of all, substantially all, or a portion of its operations.”

The company, which is based in Phoenix, did not respond to Taproot’s repeated requests for comment.

• To address Edmonton’s housing supply issues, the Community Mobilization Task Force on Housing and Houselessness has proposed recommendations to city council, including allocating $3.5 million for community-led initiatives. The funding would support retrofitting underutilized properties, developing a bridge housing platform, and creating a peer support service for vulnerable tenants. According to Homeward Trust, as of February 2025, 2,980 Edmontonians have unstable housing. The task force, which includes representatives from housing service agencies, academia, and the business community, will present its recommendations to the city council on April 8.
• The City of Edmonton’s City Operations department released its 2024-2025 Annual Service Plans for Edmonton Transit Service, Fleet and Facility Services, Parks and Roads Services, and Waste Services. These plans detail 2024 accomplishments and 2025 objectives, including expanding bus service by 50,000 hours, supporting the Zero Waste Framework, revising the Urban Forest Management Plan, and improving sidewalk accessibility.
• As more downtown office spaces remain empty in early 2025, Edmonton residents are expressing concerns about the area’s vibrancy. A report from CBRE indicates the downtown office vacancy rate decreased slightly to 21.4% because two buildings are being taken off the market, including one being converted to apartments. The suburban vacancy rate increased to 16.3%. Mark Anderson with CBRE anticipates a challenging year for the office market as tenants downsize, but said he hopes more downtown housing will bring a different kind of vibrancy.
• Experts are considering how the influx of new residents to Alberta may affect voting patterns in Edmonton ridings for the April 28 federal election. The Edmonton census metropolitan area has grown by more than 159,000 since 2021, driven by migrants from other countries, B.C., and Ontario. Federal electoral district boundaries were redrawn in 2023 to adjust for growth, leading to the creation of new ridings such as Edmonton Southeast and Edmonton Gateway, and the separation of St. Albert from Edmonton Northwest. While it’s unclear how the newcomers will vote, some, like Danyal Niro of Beaumont, suggest they may have an impact in the more diverse battleground ridings in the city centres.
• The Ewaka LGBTQ2S+ housing project for refugees and newcomers held its grand opening in Edmonton on March 31. The project provides up to six months of low-cost transitional housing for its residents. Rent is $550 per month and includes utilities.
• Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein wrote that the departure of Coun. Sarah Hamilton after two terms will be a loss for Edmonton’s city council. Hamilton, mother to a young son, is seeking a different type of leadership experience. During her tenure, she made contributions to Indigenous relations, the creation of Big Island Provincial Park, and Edmonton Unlimited. Her time on the Edmonton Police Commission coincided with the arrival of former police chief Dale McFee and negotiations over police funding.
• Edmonton bookstores are concerned about the potential effects of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., which could take effect on April 2. Steve Budnarchuk of Audrey’s Books says a hardcover book costing $35 could increase in price to $44 if the tariffs are implemented. With more than half of the store’s books imported from the U.S., Budnarchuk worries about the long-term impact on businesses. Daisy Chain Book Co. owner Brandi Morpurgo also expressed concern that the tariffs will make it harder for small businesses to survive. The Edmonton Public Library anticipates a “profoundly negative impact” and expects a 10% reduction in the number of books and magazines it can purchase.
• Porter Airlines is expanding its network across North America in summer 2025 with several new routes, including a daily flight between Edmonton and Hamilton starting June 11.
• Edmonton’s Robyn Coleman, 19, wants to become the first woman to swim the length of Okanagan Lake in B.C. Coleman is training for the swim at the Kinsmen Sports Centre.
• Suraiya Liapis, a 13-year-old who moved to Edmonton in November 2023, will be the official anthem singer for the Edmonton Elks during the team’s 2025 season. Liapis, who previously performed for the Edmonton Oilers, said she has been singing since she could walk. Her first performance is scheduled for June.
• Research on obsidian artifacts unearthed in Alberta is offering new clues about prehistoric trade routes and the movements of Indigenous people across Western Canada. Obsidian, a volcanic glass not native to Alberta, was used to make tools and weapons. By tracing the geochemical markers of more than 1,200 artifacts, archaeologist Timothy Allan of Ember Archaeology in Sherwood Park found that trade networks extended as far as Fort McMurray, Texas, Idaho, and Wyoming, dating back 300 to 13,000 years. The North Saskatchewan and Red Deer Rivers acted as natural boundaries between trade routes.
• Alberta will begin a limited spring COVID-19 vaccination program on April 28 for high-risk Albertans, including seniors aged 65 and older, all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people six months of age and older, immunocompromised Albertans six months and up, and adults living in care homes. All other Albertans who have not received a shot since Oct. 1, 2024, will also be eligible for a KP.2 dose.
• The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Damien Carfagna to a two-year entry-level contract, which will begin in the 2025-26 season. Carfagna, 22, played for Ohio State University for the past two seasons, recording nine goals and 25 assists in 72 games.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Day of Pink: Business Insights on Inclusion and Resilience starting at 11:30am at World Trade Centre Edmonton
• Beverly Farmers’ Market starting at 2pm at Riverview Crossing Mall
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by Gareth Gilliland and Kija Lado starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 2-27: Edmonton Poetry Festival
• April 7: Plastics, Health & Action: A World Health Day Event at Metro Cinema
• April 8: Getting an Early Start and Companion Planting / Bokashi (Fermentation) Composting at Millhurst Community Hall

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