The Pulse: May 5, 2025

This week, council is scheduled to discuss travel budgets and expenses, and review several rezoning applications.

There is a utility committee meeting scheduled on May 5 and a non-regular city council meeting scheduled on May 6. There is a council services committee meeting scheduled on May 6 and a public hearing scheduled on May 7.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Administration has prepared amendments to the councillor budget and expense policy. These clarify that councillors must disclose transportation, food and incidentals, accommodation, registration, and miscellaneous costs. The changes also add a line that travel expense costs are "expected to be reasonable, prudent, cost-effective, and defensible to an impartial observer." Council services committee is set to review the changes at a meeting on May 6, after which council will vote at a future meeting.
• YSR Ventures has applied to rezone a lot at 16222 92 Avenue NW to build a four-storey building. Administration supports the rezoning application because the lot is located on the edge of the neighbourhood, along a collector roadway, and a short walk from three schools and a leisure centre. Some residents oppose the rezoning, saying it will worsen parking and traffic congestion. Council is scheduled to debate the application at a public hearing on May 7.
• A property owner in Highlands has applied to rezone a parcel to allow for a mixed-use development. The house at 11203 63 Street NW is a few blocks away from the existing Highlands commercial area. The rezoning would allow for residential, commercial, and/or community uses and a height of about 3.5 storeys. Council is set to review the application on May 7.
• Administration proposes closing a block of 108 Avenue NW in McCauley to vehicle traffic to build a shared-use path and landscaping as part of the McCauley Neighbourhood Renewal project. Council is scheduled to vote on the closure at a public hearing on May 7.
• The City of Edmonton has proposed rezoning a greenway to facilitate a future shared-use path through the southeast neighbourhoods of Greenview and Hillview. The path would be built on existing open space and connect 50 Street NW with Woodvale Road E NW. Council is scheduled to review the application at a public hearing on May 7.
• Council's utility committee is set to review the waste services 2025 supplement budget adjustment, which adds two new profiles for changes to facilities. Council approved upgrades to the water distribution system at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre in October and an expansion at the Coronation Eco Station in March. The projects will be funded from existing budget sources, so there is no rate increase expected. After the utility committee reviews the changes at a meeting on May 5, council will need to give final approval at a future meeting.
• Council's utility committee is set to discuss a funding opportunity for the Blatchford renewable energy utility at a private meeting on May 5.
• Council services committee will receive a report explaining when it is appropriate to use the city crest. The symbol is not to be used in political or religious advertisement or election materials, the report said.
• Council will receive a verbal report on Alberta Municipalities protocol and a private intergovernmental update at a non-regular council meeting on May 6.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

Also: What issues do you care about as you consider who to vote for in the 2025 municipal election, and why? The 2025 municipal elections are approaching. Let us know what matters, and read more about what we plan to do with what we gather.

• The Old Strathcona Farmers' Market opened on a Sunday for the first time in 40 years on May 4. The market was busy with shoppers, vendors said. "It's the right time, and there's a strong desire to support local," market manager Corinne Olson said.
• The City of Edmonton and Civic Service Union 52 have reached a tentative agreement after months of negotiations. Details of the agreement won't be released until after the union holds a ratification vote with its members. Both parties said they were pleased to reach an agreement that balances the needs of union members and the City's financial sustainability.
• Alberta Health Minister Adriana Lagrange will provide an update on measles on May 5, after 17 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 210 in Alberta. She will be joined by interim Chief Medical Officer of Health, Sunil Sookram. Healthcare professionals, including Alberta Medical Association president Shelley Duggan, have urged the UCP government to expand public messaging and set up booster clinics. Of the 210 cases, 26 are active, and most are Albertans between five and 17 years old.
• Sturgeon County declared a state of local emergency on May 4 after a large wildfire broke out in the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area on May 3. The fire, which spans roughly 110 hectares, prompted the RCMP to direct traffic and issue evacuation notices to residents. One home was lost in the fire, but crews put fire suppression systems around buildings near the town of Redwater. The county is asking residents to stay away from the area.
• A recent episode of the "In Development" podcast explored the relationship between public and active transportation and infill development in Edmonton. Guests Daniel Witte of Edmonton Transit Riders and Shannon Lohner, former chair of Paths for People, discussed transportation financing and policy implementation. Lohner's organization advocates for improved active transportation infrastructure, while Witte's group focuses on using public transportation as a city-building tool.
• A wildfire prompted the County of Grande Prairie to issue an evacuation alert for residents living south of Township Road 710 to 27th Avenue, and east of Range Road 64 to Highway 40, southwest of the City of Grande Prairie, on May 4. Alberta Wildfire reported the fire grew from two to 35 hectares in approximately one hour.
• A fatality inquiry has called for improvements to mental health care at the Edmonton Remand Centre following the death by suicide of Timothy "TJ" McConnell in January 2021. The inquiry found that the jail's mental health and addictions services are inadequate, causing inmates to fall through the cracks. Recommendations include establishing a specialized psychiatric clinic, increasing mental health staffing, hiring a full-time psychiatrist, and implementing stringent protocols for monitoring inmates in segregation. McConnell's mother, Lana Greene, who launched a lawsuit against Alberta Health Services and the province in 2022, hopes the recommendations will be adopted.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney was a "positive first step" toward resetting the relationship between Alberta and Ottawa. Smith spoke with Carney about policies and legislation she says are holding back Alberta's energy economy. They also discussed the ongoing trade dispute with the United States. Carney said he is focused on bringing down the cost of living and increasing opportunities in the energy sector for Albertans. The conversation comes after Smith's UCP government tabled legislation that lowers the bar for citizens to initiate referendums, including on Alberta separating from Canada. Smith's government also initiated court action against Ottawa regarding the constitutionality of federal clean electricity grid regulations.
• Hundreds of Albertans rallied at the Alberta Legislature on May 3 to advocate for separation from Canada following the federal Liberal's election win. Rally attendees expressed frustration with federal policies affecting Alberta's energy industry and a perceived lack of representation. Counter-protesters raised concerns about the impact of separation on treaties with First Nations, with Piikani Nation Chief Troy Knowlton asserting Alberta's lack of authority to interfere with treaty rights.
• Prairie Boys Supply Co. and Fresh Nets Foundation have partnered to fund new basketball and hockey nets in Edmonton through sales of a playoff beard oil. All proceeds from "Oil Oil" support local sports gear and infrastructure.
• The NHL released the schedule for the second-round series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights. The series begins May 6 at 7:30pm in Las Vegas. Games 3, 4, and 6 will be played in Edmonton on May 10, May 12, and May 16, respectively. This is the second time in three years that Edmonton and Vegas have met in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
• Alberta NDP members voted to end automatic membership with the federal party, a move party Leader Naheed Nenshi says will attract more provincial support. Members will now be allowed to opt out of federal party membership. Nenshi called the federal link a political burden that hurt the party in past elections. Critics warned it could divide the movement. The vote marks a clear shift from former party leader Rachel Notley's approach.
• The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Alec Regula to a two-year, two-way contract extension with an average annual value of $775,000. The Oilers claimed Regula, a 24-year-old right-shot defenceman, via waivers from the Boston Bruins on Dec. 11.
• The Edmonton Elks have signed American quarterback William McElvain. The team also released quarterbacks Jarret Doege, defensive back Kai Gray, defensive lineman Daniel Joseph, wide receiver Jerminic Smith, and defensive back Jake Taylor.

With council passing a motion to make the transition from physical EPark machines to an app easier, Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette joined the hosts of Episode 305 of Speaking Municipally to provide more context. Here's a quick glimpse:

1. Free evening, weekend parking downtown

The transition to mobile-only parking payments was criticized in an op-ed from Cheryll Watson of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition. Watson called for the city to make downtown parking free on evenings and weekends to help downtown businesses.

Paquette said he has asked administration to determine how much extra parking revenue has been earned since the city started charging for parking on evenings and weekends. "Because if it's not substantial, maybe we should revisit that, and they're looking into it right now," he said.

2. App improvements

Co-hosts Mack Male and Troy Pavlek identified several issues with the HotSpot parking app: Users can't access the app's wallet, the option to refund unused parking time is turned off, and most of the listed FAQs don't apply to Edmonton. Paquette told the co-hosts that he has talked to administration about these issues. "I have been reassured that they are going as fast as possible, working with HotSpot in order to address these concerns — time will tell," he said.

Paquette added that if the issues aren't fixed in the next few months, he will introduce a motion in council chambers calling for specific app fixes. "I may have to wade in there and make a very specific motion, but at the same time, you want to give people a chance to actually do their work before strong-arming them with a motion on something that they may already have planned to do."

3. Austerity rears its head

The transition to mobile-only payments for parking was taken to save the city money. The city's rationale for the shift is that upgrades required for the machines to accept chip and pin payments would cost $2.8 million, plus annual operating costs. But Paquette said people are starting to feel cuts to services, especially with the city retiring programs like Front Yards in Bloom and the City Farm.

"I think we've reached — no, we've passed the point of diminishing returns, where this is affecting quality of life for folks," Paquette said.

Change is never easy, he added, but every effort should be made to make the changes more palatable. "One of my big frustrations is that if you're going to roll out something so fundamentally different, front load your effort with impeccable communications and tools that actually function and function well."

The May 2 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast also discussed how Edmonton fared in the federal election and changes to how votes will be counted in the upcoming municipal election, and included an update from the Taproot newsroom. Speaking Municipally comes out on Fridays. Listening and subscription options are all right here.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Community Connections Awards starting at 12pm at Edmonton City Hall
• CSW Cohort 6 Demo Day starting at 4pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Cooking 4 Community: Slavic Cuisine starting at 4:30pm at Ukrainian Centre
• Sweet Mezza Tabouli Cooking Class starting at 6pm at Athlone Community Hall
• Verbena Mexicana starting at 6pm at L'OCA Quality Market (Sherwood Park)
• Public Lecture – The Art and Science of Addiction starting at 6:30pm at Myer Horowitz Theatre
• Silent Book Club starting at 7pm at St. Albert Public Library (downtown)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• May 11: Titilope Sonuga - Sis: A meditation on sisterhood through poetry and song at TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
• May 14: What's on your mind, municipally speaking? online
• May 15: Cultivating Work-Life Balance online

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