The Pulse: April 14, 2025

Here's what you need to know about Edmonton today.

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Essentials

  • 16°C: A mix of sun and cloud. Becoming sunny near noon. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h near noon. High 16. UV index 4 or moderate. (forecast)
  • Teal: The High Level Bridge will be lit teal for Teal Up Day - Month of the Military Child. (details)
  • 4-2: The Edmonton Oilers (46-28-5) defeated the San Jose Sharks (20-48-11) on April 11. (details)
  • 4-1: The Oilers (47-28-5) defeated the Winnipeg Jets (55-22-4) on April 13. (details)
  • 8pm: The Oilers (47-28-5) host the Los Angeles Kings (46-24-9) at Rogers Place. (details)

A drone flies above grass with a city skyline in the far background.

New drone rules see regional companies plan for takeoff


By Colin Gallant

Two companies from the region are already capitalizing on Transport Canada's planned November 2025 updates to its rules, which will allow drones to fly beyond the line of sight of their operators for the first time.

"There are more and more uses for drones, and they are becoming more and more mainstream," Mark Palka, the director for Project Safe Canada and manager for Papaschase Security Services, told Taproot about the new laws.

Palka is working on a new security project with Ermineskin Cree Nation in Central Alberta, based on upcoming changes to beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) permissions, to make security services safer for workers. It will be delivered by Project Safe Canada, and Papaschase Security Services will assist.

"Security guards don't have a lot of protection. They can't carry weapons, they can't carry any kind of protection," Palka said. "(The guards in Ermineskin are) going to be armed with drones, so they're going to be able to keep a safe distance. They're going to be able to communicate a potential problem, and the videos coming off of those drones will come to the command centre and will be disseminated to a responding police officer or firefighter, depending upon what the emergency may require."

Drones will be dispatched from a hangar atop a building in the community, Palka said.

As the new regulations enable new uses for drones, managing flights and airspace to avoid collisions becomes more important. That's where St. Albert's AIRmarket comes in. The company wants to be a private provider of air traffic control services for drone usage regulated by Transport Canada.

"There's appetite from Transport Canada to enable emergency services as the first users of (BVLOS drone flights) because it's in the interest of public good," Lindsay Mohr, AIRmarket's CEO and founder, told Taproot. "There's a bunch of services that we're going to put up in place and line up this airspace to allow emergency services organizations, starting with the Strathcona County, to fly in that airspace. We expect that to bleed into Edmonton emergency services."

AIRmarket is currently piloting a drone project with Strathcona County that sees drones fly ahead of first responders on emergency calls in an effort to increase the efficiency of deploying employees and vehicles.

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Headlines: April 14, 2025


By Mariam Ibrahim

  • Edmonton Centre Conservative candidate Sayid Ahmed will not attend a candidates' forum on April 16 at the Matrix Hotel. Ahmed's campaign said he will be "knocking on doors every evening until election day." Liberal candidate Eleanor Olszewski and NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks will be at the forum organized by the Wîhkwêntôwin Community League. Estabrooks criticized Ahmed for avoiding forums and media questions, while Olszewski expressed disappointment that Conservative candidates often don't attend debates.
  • Postmedia published a look at YEGWAVE, a popular Edmonton-focused social media account with hundreds of thousands of followers that has faced both praise and criticism since its launch in 2020. The account, which posts videos of car crashes, crime scenes, and local happenings, was accused in late 2024 of being operated from Russia, a claim YEGWAVE denied, stating it is based in Edmonton and uses VPNs for privacy. Critics have also raised concerns about YEGWAVE's content, including its focus on immigrants and exploitation of vulnerable people, as well as its moderation policies.
  • Pollsters suggest a few urban ridings in Alberta may be tight contests between the Conservatives and Liberals in the April 28 federal election. Political scientists believe four Calgary ridings and a few in Edmonton will be competitive. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is running for the Liberals in Edmonton Southeast, while lawyer Jagsharan Singh Mahal is the Conservative candidate. According to political scientist Lori Williams, Alberta has gone from a "flyover province" to a "stopover," due to the campaign focusing on affordability and the economy.
  • The Indigenous Child Welfare Conference is set to take place at the Edmonton EXPO Centre from April 15 to 17. The conference will feature various speakers and guests, including a keynote speech from Cadmus Delorme, the former Chief of Cowessess First Nation. The conference will share information on Indigenous CFS Laws, Jordan's Principle, Coordination Agreements, and the Band Designate Role.
  • According to data website Numbeo, the cost of living in Edmonton remains lower than in Calgary. A family of four in Edmonton has estimated monthly expenses of $5,237, which is $390 less than in Calgary, while a single person's monthly expenses are $100 less in Edmonton. University of Alberta professor Damian Collins said Edmonton's open housing policies and housing starts contribute to the rental supply and make it more affordable.
  • Alberta Health Services issued a public warning on April 11, after detecting four new measles cases in central Alberta, bringing the total to 58 confirmed cases in the province. One case is linked to a person who was at Edmonton International Airport on April 2 between 7am and 11am before boarding Sunwing Flight 4387 to Cancun. Albertans are urged to get vaccinated, especially in communities with low immunization rates.
  • In a first-person piece for The Globe and Mail, Beaumont writer Karli Drew, who has spinal muscular atrophy, describes how Alberta's self-managed care program fails to meet the daily needs of people with disabilities like her. Despite her eligibility and relentless self-advocacy, Drew receives just 8.25 hours of care per day, which leaves her unsupported for much of her life. "I say this with full confidence and no hyperbole: I won't survive without meaningful systemic and social change," she wrote. She calls for urgent reforms to ensure disabled Canadians can live safely and with dignity at home.
  • The family of Shae-Lynn McAllister, who disappeared from Fairview on July 7, 2019, is hoping a new billboard campaign and a $10,000 reward will generate leads in the case. McAllister, a member of Horse Lake First Nation, was 20 years old when she went missing after finishing work at an A&W in Fairview, which is 550 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Her children are being raised by their paternal grandparents. Advocates note that such billboards are relatively new in northern Alberta, and hope this case will lead to increased awareness for other missing persons.
  • Despite clinching a playoff spot with a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on April 11, the Edmonton Oilers suffered more injuries, with Mattias Ekholm re-injured and Zach Hyman leaving the game early. Connor McDavid recorded seven assists in two games after returning from injury, joining Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only NHL players with seven 70-assist seasons. Veteran Corey Perry acknowledged the challenge of losing key players but expressed confidence in the team's depth.
  • With several injuries affecting the roster, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled forward Derek Ryan and defenceman Cam Dineen from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on an emergency basis ahead of the team's games against the Winnipeg Jets on April 13 and the Los Angeles Kings on April 14. The Oilers have also signed goaltender Samuel Jonsson to a three-year entry-level contract.
  • Two provincially appointed board members of the Alberta Law Foundation have resigned in protest over proposed legislation that would give Justice Minister Mickey Amery final say on grants more than $250,000. Seun Ogunsola stated the bill would strip the foundation of its independence, and Dawn-Lyn Blake said the changes have stalled the creation of an Indigenous law institute at the University of Alberta. Since the bill was tabled one month ago, Amery has reportedly vetoed $10 million in grants.
  • Alberta is looking to allow hydrogen blending into the province's natural gas distribution system for heating residential and commercial properties, with a proposed blend of 5% hydrogen. According to Alberta Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf, a pilot project in Fort Saskatchewan already supplies blended hydrogen to more than 2,000 homes. ATCO and Qualico are also studying a 100% pure hydrogen community in Strathcona County. Bill 52 also includes plans for a day-ahead market and a cost-causation model for transmission infrastructure, shifting costs from ratepayers.
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A man in a lab coat handles a hose connected to a box with the words 'Danger High Voltage' on it

NAIT partners with startup to develop industrial batteries that use saltwater

Sponsored

A message from NAIT Applied Research:

You'd be forgiven for walking into Keith Cleland's space at NAIT's Centre for Grid Innovation (CGI) and having no idea what it is that he and his company, Aqua-Cell Energy, have built.

To the untrained eye, the device is an indecipherable collection of hoses, valves, gauges, small plastic tanks, and, anchoring it all, what resembles an undersized gurney surfaced with a thick blue metal plate. A "high-voltage" sticker on it adds a sense of danger to the mystery.

But that sticker also hints at the machine's purpose. While it bears no resemblance to, say, the ubiquitous alkaline cell that powers a flashlight, or the increasingly recognizable, boxy lithium ion cells that set EVs in motion, Cleland's device is a battery. And it's one of a kind, built onsite in partnership with staff from NAIT's Applied Research group.

It may, however, prove to be as transformative as its more common counterparts. Since arriving at CGI around the middle of 2023, Aqua-Cell has been driven by primarily one goal: to harness the power of renewable energy. But just as its battery runs counter to expectations, the company intends to do that harnessing in a uniquely sustainable way.

Hence the hoses and tanks. Aqua-Cell's battery – big enough to provide power at an industrial scale – runs on inexpensive, safe, and readily available saltwater. That leads naturally into Aqua-Cell's other, loftier goal.

"We would like to be a key part of the clean-energy transition," says Cleland.

Read the rest of Scott Messenger's story in techlifetoday to find out more about how Aqua-Cell fills a gap in the energy-storage market.

_Learn about NAIT Applied Research's expertise in cleaner energy solutions

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A title card that reads Taproot Edmonton Calendar: edmonton.taproot.events

Happenings: April 14, 2025


By Debbi Serafinchon

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

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

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