The Pulse: April 30, 2025

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Essentials

  • 15°C: A mix of sun and cloud. Wind becoming northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 in the morning. High 15. UV index 5 or moderate. (forecast)
  • White/Blue: The High Level Bridge will be lit white and blue for Goodwill Week. (details)
  • 3-1: The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 29. The Oilers lead the series 3-2. (details)

A woman holds a microphone and remote and stands in front of banners for Alberta Innovates and Alberta Catalyzer.

Linda Ha sets sights on helping freelancers avoid burnout and stay afloat


By Colin Gallant

Linda Ha, a long-time entrepreneur, consultant, and hair professional, is trying to make running a business easier for massage therapists as the CEO of Hivemanager.

"I felt like with my experience of community building, my knowledge of being a self-employed person, and scaling that from being self-employed to managing and consulting with self-employed barbers, then also (my experience) owning a business was something I could bring to this space," Ha, who owned Barber Ha until it closed in 2023 and now works at her sister's BTeam Barbers, told Taproot.

Hivemanager is a software platform that was launched to the public in March. It offers booking, scheduling, payment, staff management, appointment reminders, automation, analytics, and more. The tools are tailored to massage therapists, but are similar to ones that barbers use and could apply to many self-employed service providers and business owners, Ha said. Part of why she took the CEO job, she added, is because the software she used to run Barber Ha was not up to snuff.

"I was paying a lot of money for features that I didn't understand and that I didn't use," she said. "The features that were promised to me were just not doing the trick. On top of that, (the software services kept adding new features). I don't need you to come up with a new feature, I need you to fix what I'm already using."

Ha said training for barbers and massage therapists provides hands-on skills, but does not provide the nuts and bolts of running a business. That's why systems to make running the business easier can be the difference between failure and success.

To illustrate this point, Ha reflected back on her Barber Ha days. "There was all of a sudden this explosion of barbers becoming self-employed," she said. "The problem (for them) is they would only last one or two years. They didn't realize that as soon as they were on their own, they now have to do what they were already doing while working for someone like me, but then they also have to understand how to run the business."

Ha estimates that 80% of massage therapists are self-employed, and the same percentage leave the industry within three to five years due to burnout. "I feel like the self-employment model is very misleading," she said. "It's been promoted as having a lot of freedom and a lot of flexibility — which is all true — but there also is a missing chunk of information and knowledge that is needed in order for people to be successful. Not everyone is getting the whole picture."

One way barbers and massage therapists differ is in opportunities for interaction. At a barber shop, workers chat and can share business skills as they go about their days. Massage therapists "work in isolation," Ha said, because the service hinges on privacy, leaving workers without an immediate peer community.

To foster camaraderie and knowledge sharing, Ha will bring people together to learn how to use tools at workshops and "mix-and-mingle" events. Hivemanager has 60 paid users right now, and these events are also meant to drive the company's growth with word of mouth and customer familiarity. "Our approach is community first, and we want to get our name out there by connecting with people," Ha said.

Ha took the position as CEO in February, and shortly after was part of an Alberta Catalyzer Velocity cohort (of which Zylotex, an innovative fibre maker, was also a part). She is the startup's leader but not a founder. The two co-founders of Hivemanager are Ha's barber clients, own six massage clinics, and don't want to share their names because massage competitors may use Hivemanager.

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Headlines: April 30, 2025


By Mariam Ibrahim

  • Premier Danielle Smith called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to "reset" the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta following the April 28 federal election, vowing to protect Alberta against "future hostile acts" from Ottawa. She invited Carney to improve relations, while also stating that Albertans are frustrated with the re-elected Liberal government. Smith said her UCP government will hold a special caucus meeting to discuss next steps. Meanwhile, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has suggested the party may break ties with the federal NDP.
  • Eleanor Olszewski of the Liberal party won the Edmonton Centre seat with 44% of the vote on April 28. Conservative candidate Sayid Ahmed trailed with 38%, while NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks finished third with more than 15%. Olszewski, a lawyer and business owner, replaces incumbent Boissonnault, who did not run this year. She said her key issues are global uncertainty, rising costs, and the state of healthcare. Olszewski will be the party's lone voice in the Alberta capital.
  • Amarjeet Sohi lost his bid to return to Ottawa, as Conservative Jagsharan Singh Mahal won in Edmonton Southeast. Sohi, Edmonton's mayor who took an unpaid leave to run, conceded to Mahal, who secured 53.5% of the vote. Sohi said he will return to city hall and will not seek re-election as mayor in the Oct. 20 municipal election. Voters reacted to Amarjeet Sohi's federal election loss, with some expressing disappointment, while others were pleased, criticizing his mayoral spending. Edmonton mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell said Sohi's campaign was a distraction from his duties as mayor.
  • The Conservatives performed strongly in Alberta in the federal election, particularly in rural ridings where many incumbents secured victories. While the Liberals are expected to form a minority government, the Conservatives gained two new ridings on Edmonton's south side. In Edmonton Griesbach, Conservative Kerry Diotte defeated NDP incumbent Blake Desjarlais, who had unseated him in 2021. However, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy.
  • A deliberately set fire at an under-construction 16-unit development in Crestwood on April 23 is raising concerns among residents. Some residents fear that first responders might not be able to reach the property due to congestion on the mature neighbourhood's narrow streets. The developer, Eight Block Ltd., says it is taking the concerns of neighbours seriously. Coun. Andrew Knack says he's had many conversations with Crestwood residents and will take their feedback into the one-year review of the zoning bylaw in June.
  • After nearly 72 years in Jasper Place, Ben's Meat and Deli will relocate to a larger west Edmonton space this summer. Owner David van Leeuwen says the move will offer much-needed upgrades like better parking, a gluten-free café, and expanded freezer space. Van Leeuwen said challenges with limited space, poor parking, and rising safety concerns in the current area pushed the decision to move.
  • The Edmonton Police Service has charged three Montreal men after uncovering a sophisticated auto theft ring targeting high-end Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Investigators have recovered five vehicles so far, although more than 20 have been reported stolen in 2025, with investigators linking the thefts to advanced electronic equipment and overseas shipping. Police are urging owners of newer Lexus and Toyota models to boost security measures, such as installing kill switches and steering wheel locks.
  • Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to a fire in the area of 202 Street and 9 Avenue SW on April 29. Firefighters were called to the fire near the river valley around 3:20pm. The extent of the damage was not clear.
  • The Alberta government has introduced Bill 54, the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, proposing several changes to election laws. These include reinstating corporate and union political donations up to $5,000, banning electronic vote tabulators, and eliminating voter vouching while expanding acceptable ID types. The bill also seeks to lower the signature threshold and extend the collection period for MLA recalls and citizen-initiated referendums.
  • The Edmonton Oilers kept their lineup the same for Game 5 against the Los Angeles Kings on April 29, despite only holding leads during Game 3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins emphasized the importance of putting a lot of pucks on net and building the team's game from there. Calvin Pickard has back-stopped the team to consecutive victories after taking over the crease for Game 3.
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Two smiling men sit on the ground in front of a group of happy children, some of them holding soccer balls

From Everest to exports: The Earth Group's journey of growth and impact

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A message from Edmonton Global:

It all began on the icy trails of Mount Everest. In 2005, while trekking to Everest basecamp, Kori Chilibeck met a barefoot man carrying a heavy load of Coca-Cola cans, who was being paid a meagre $0.25 USD per day. This stark contrast between the wealth of major corporations and the extreme poverty of local workers left a lasting impression on Chilibeck.

"Some of the biggest companies in the world are making money off the backs of the poorest people on the planet," Chilibeck reflected. He returned home with a question: Why couldn't a company compete with the giants, make great products, and also give back to those in need?

That was the birth of The Earth Group, a social enterprise with a unique mission. The Earth Group sells products like Earth Water and Earth Coffee and is the only company in the world with the United Nations World Food Programme label on its products.

For every product sold, a portion of the profits funds school meals and education for children in need worldwide. Since its humble beginnings with just a van and a laptop, The Earth Group has expanded its impact to more than a dozen countries, providing support for hundreds of thousands of children annually.

The company started with Earth Water, sold in its distinctive and environmentally friendly aluminum bottles. Chilibeck explored selling them in grocery stores and on campus at the University of Alberta, where he was a student. Eventually, he discovered a strong market in food service for places like hotels, restaurants, and offices.

The Earth Group's products can be found in high-profile establishments like IKEA and Hilton Hotels across multiple countries, and the company serves every major production filmed in Canada from Netflix, Paramount+, and HBO.

Learn more about how this "20-year overnight success" came about and why the Edmonton region has been a strong home base.

The "Trade Heroes" series highlights companies in the Edmonton region that have 'exportitude' — the mindset and commitment to think globally when it comes to their business.

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Happenings: April 30, 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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The Taproot Not So Mini? - No. 21

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Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge with this puzzle from Brandon Cathcart. Complete the puzzle online.

This is the last puzzle in our month-long experiment with a daily crossword in The Pulse. Please fill out this short survey to let us know what you think. And if you know someone who would like to sponsor this feature, get in touch at hello@taprootedmonton.ca.

This puzzle is brought to you by YEGwords. Get a fresh, handcrafted 11x11 puzzle every Friday morning, plus fun insights and discussion — delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free today!

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