The Pulse: April 8, 2025

The Toronto-based company that gained welcome from the provincial government in 2020 to test and build a hyperloop that would travel at 1,000 kilometres per hour between Edmonton and Calgary said it now hopes to construct a full-scale test guideway in Edmonton in 2026, after pausing for the province to complete its Passenger Rail Master Plan.

"We unveiled our first demonstrator (at one-third of the scale of the final version) two years ago, and we continue to work on it," Sebastien Gendron, the co-founder and CEO of TransPod, told Taproot. "There's actually a bigger one currently being designed, a half-scale one … In parallel, we'll also start, probably by the end of this year, the full-scale demonstrator."

In 2020, the provincial government and TransPod signed a memorandum of understanding. That memorandum committed the government to work to find the company suitable land to build a test guideway. In 2021, TransPod released a feasibility study that suggested its prototype FluxJet technology (which differs from the magnetic-levitation technology already used in China) could someday offer passengers a 45-minute trip between Alberta's two major cities. The study also suggested a hyperloop could create more than 140,000 jobs in Alberta and would cost around $22 billion.

Gendron told news media in 2023 that TransPod had stalled plans to conduct testing that year until Alberta's Railway Act recognized its technology, which would then allow it to secure land near the Edmonton International Airport.

Today, Gendron said TransPod has delayed building the testing guideway, and the investment and job creation it would mean, because the province has been working on the Passenger Rail Master Plan, which is due this summer and would potentially go into effect in the fall. "Because of the government stepping into this project (with the master plan for rail), we kind of paused a little bit to know where we're going with them," Gendron said. "Having said that, we already have the commitment from the Edmonton airport and the City of Edmonton to work with us."

Starting the prototype guideway from the Edmonton International Airport to the south side of the city will cost between $200,000 and $500,000, based on land acquisition and construction permits, Gendron said. He added that Sener, a Spanish engineering firm with experience in rail, aerospace, and data centres, estimates an infastructure cost of $1.8 million. He told CBC in February that the test alignment is agreed upon with the City of Edmonton but is also waiting on the province's rail plan. Gendron told Taproot that TransPod could begin construction on the test guideway, depending on the province's rail plan, by 2026.

Taproot asked the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors for comment on the Passenger Rail Master Plan and TransPod, but did not receive a response. The province's webpage for passenger rail says the plan will examine connections between Edmonton, Calgary, the Rockies, and explore a Crown corporation "to develop the infrastructure, oversee daily operations, develop a fare collection/booking system, keep up with system maintenance, and plan for future system expansion." The page also says delivery of rail could be provided publicly, privately, or as a combination of the two.

• Alberta domestic violence shelters turned away a record 31,983 people between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, due to capacity limits, a new report from the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS) shows. For the first time in a decade, children comprised 40% of those turned away. ACWS executive director Cat Champagne said the province's rapid population growth has increased demand.
• Rehabilitation work beginning April 27 on the Coliseum LRT bridge will reduce Capital Line weekday frequencies to 10 minutes until 7pm, and 15 minutes after 7pm, until mid-September. The work means only one track will be available. To compensate, weekday Metro Line frequencies will increase to every 10 minutes from NAIT/Blatchford Market to Century Park until 7pm, resulting in five-minute frequencies between Churchill and Century Park. After 7pm, Metro Line trains will revert to 15-minute service and run between NAIT/Blatchford Market and Health Sciences/Jubilee Station.
• Edmonton Global published a statement from the mayors of the 14 municipalities comprising the Edmonton Metropolitan Region expressing united concern about the economic pressures facing their communities due to U.S. tariffs. The mayors anticipate significant impacts on key sectors, including agriculture, energy, advanced manufacturing, and tourism. They are calling for federal investment in trade-enabling infrastructure to strengthen transportation corridors, more access to global markets for Alberta energy, action to strengthen tourism through facility investments, and a coordinated interprovincial trade strategy.
• With Edmonton's Hudson's Bay stores closing, retail real estate expert Paul Raimundo of Avison Young says this creates an opportunity to reimagine the spaces in West Edmonton Mall, Southgate Centre, and Kingsway Mall. He notes that these large spaces have access to the outside, which allows for renovations to entrances or the creation of a new wing. The University of Alberta purchased the former Hudson's Bay building on Jasper Avenue in 2005, before reopening it as Enterprise Square.
• Bike Edmonton has launched the 2025 Advocacy Priorities Survey to gather input from local cyclists. The organization wants to understand what matters most to riders, including rising transportation costs due to tariffs and the impact of upcoming elections.
• An Edmonton gay bar is opening a new location in central Edmonton. Evo will open on Jasper Avenue and 115 Street, while its original location Evolution Wonderlounge will remain open until October. According to the bar's co-owner, this will be the first time since 2016 that two gay bars will operate in Edmonton during the summer.
• The former Edmonton Mill Woods riding has been split into two new constituencies, Edmonton Southeast and Edmonton Gateway, following a federal boundary redistribution. The new ridings have attracted high-profile candidates, including Conservative MP Tim Uppal and former Liberal MP Amarjeet Sohi. Analysts say both ridings are now considered competitive, with shifting demographics and redrawn lines making the outcome of the April 28 federal election too close to call.
• Alberta will tie public hospital funding to the number and type of procedures performed, starting with some surgeries in 2026. Premier Danielle Smith said the "activity-based" model will foster competition and efficiency, while critics warn it will accelerate privatization and prioritize quantity over quality. The Health Sciences Association of Alberta is concerned the model will incentivize private companies to focus on low-complexity surgeries, leaving public hospitals under-resourced.
• The Alberta government is taking steps to establish an independent police agency through Bill 49, which amends the Police Act to designate the agency as a Crown corporation operating independently of the government. Municipalities will have the option to choose the new agency as their local police service. The Alberta Police Review Commission will launch later in 2025 to handle complaints against municipal and First Nations police services, absorbing ASIRT and expanding its mandate.
• Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced Pierre Poilievre at an Edmonton Conservative Party rally attended by thousands on April 7. Harper endorsed Poilievre for prime minister during his remarks. The rally was held in a business park south of Edmonton, and was the first in Alberta. The race between the Conservatives and Liberals has tightened since Justin Trudeau resigned as prime minister in early 2025 and was replaced by Liberal Leader Mark Carney.
• Alberta's inflation rate has increased by 13.7% since the 2021 federal election, according to a CBC News analysis. The increase has affected residents like Rachel Chiasson, who experienced homelessness after being "renovicted" from her Calgary apartment and struggling to find housing in Edmonton. Homeward Trust estimates that more than 2,900 Edmontonians experienced homelessness in 2023, an increase of about 1,100 since 2021, citing inflation as a contributing factor. The six major federal parties have promised initiatives, including tax breaks and changes to social programs, to address the rising cost of living. The federal election is on April 28.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Tourism Week Open House starting at 3pm at World Trade Centre Edmonton
• Edmonton Sports Talk Bids for Kids starting at 6pm at The Bell in Scona
• Getting an Early Start and Companion Planting / Bokashi (Fermentation) Composting starting at 7pm at Millhurst Community Hall
• Tellaround - Story Sharing Circle starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Idylwylde)
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by Tom Van Seters starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 12: Culinary Arts Cook-Off at Highlands Schools
• April 16: Energy Talks: Understanding Methane Emissions: Insights from Satellite Data and AI at Edmonton Public Library (Strathcona)
• April 24: Capital City in Conversation: Shopping Local online

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