The Pulse: May 12, 2025

City administration is set to ask councillors to allow it to pursue discussions with potential sponsors about naming rights for 29 city-owned facilities, arguing in a report set for discussion on May 12 that it could generate up to $21 million over the next 10 years if allowed to do so.

The report details proposed amendments to the three city policies that govern the naming of city-owned facilities, one of which currently states that administration will not actively seek naming sponsors. The report notes the assets that city staff propose to offer naming rights to include large, medium, and small recreation facilities; small community ice rinks; outdoor pools; and specialty facilities like The Orange Hub and Commonwealth Stadium.

Councillors on the community and public services committee will first discuss the proposal on May 12 and could recommend it go to city council for discussion at a later meeting. If council ultimately approves the policy changes, administration will be allowed to pursue discussions with sponsors, but each individual naming agreement will also require council approval.

The report comes after council asked administration to look into expanding naming rights opportunities as a way to lower property tax increases. In March, Taproot reported that a request to discuss renaming one of the fields at Commonwealth Stadium to Play Alberta Field came to Edmonton's Naming Committee. That story noted that the Facility Name Sale Policy, adopted in 2007, allows city-owned facilities to be named after corporations or businesses as recognition for financial support. The policy states that city facilities must only be linked with organizations that are "compatible with, complementary to, and reflective of the City's values and mandate."

The renaming of a field at Commonwealth is confirmed in the May 12 report.

The report said administration will protect the city's interests by ensuring potential sponsors align with the city's brand and that the agreements provide good value. The 10-year revenue is an estimate; the exact amount received by the city will be determined as agreements are negotiated.

The proposed changes would also remove the current requirement in the Name Sale Policy for Edmonton's Naming Committee to play a role in names sponsors propose for city-owned facilities through naming-rights purchases. Matt Dance, chair of the Naming Committee, told Taproot that the committee is "agnostic on the names that come forward through the Name Sale Policy ... We just don't feel that we're in a capacity to approve or disapprove something that's being approved by a different process." The committee made a motion that said as much during a meeting to discuss the renaming proposal at Commonwealth Stadium.

In July 2020 and November 2024, the city conducted surveys that asked residents if they supported selling naming rights. Most respondents said they were comfortable with doing so.

• A new 40-unit housing project for homeless veterans is scheduled to open in north Edmonton soon. Spearheaded by Veterans' House Canada, the facility will be only the second of its kind in Canada outside of Ottawa. The City of Edmonton donated the land for the project. According to Veterans' House Canada, veterans represent approximately 1% of the Canadian population but an estimated 4% to 5% of the homeless population. The housing units will offer support and shelter for an unlimited duration.
• A jury found former Edmonton Police Service officer Oli Olason not guilty of assault regarding the 2021 arrest of Lee Van Beaver. The charge stemmed from an incident where video footage appeared to show Olason with his boot on Beaver's head during the arrest. Olason, who left the police service in 2021 and now lives in Iceland, testified that his boot "slid" onto Beaver's head. Another officer, Sgt. Dustin Adsett, was acquitted of assault with a weapon in a separate trial related to the same incident.
• Ashley Salvador launched her re-election campaign for Ward Métis on May 10, running as an independent with a focus on protecting public services, fiscal responsibility, and advancing affordability, safety, and sustainability. Salvador highlighted her work on the problem properties initiative, which led to a 34% reduction in structure fires, and the introduction of a new tax subclass for owners of derelict properties.
• Reed Clarke, former CEO of the Edmonton Stingers and current CEO of Sport Edmonton, announced his candidacy for city council in Ward Nakota Isga, running on a platform of community engagement, collaboration, and economic vitality. Clarke, who grew up in the ward, aims to enhance community leagues and make Edmonton "the best place in Canada to do business." The ward is currently represented by Coun. Andrew Knack, who is not seeking re-election.
• The black-billed magpie was named as Edmonton's official city bird. The announcement was made by Bird Friendly Edmonton following two rounds of voting by the public.
• Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek criticized the idea of a potential separatism referendum in Alberta, calling it "dangerous" and a distraction that would hurt local economies. Sohi expressed concerns that a referendum would cause investors to pull out of Edmonton. The criticism follows a new bill from Premier Danielle Smith's government that would lower the number of signatures needed for a citizen-led referendum on constitutional questions. Sohi noted that he has heard from Edmonton business leaders who are concerned about the possibility of a referendum.
• A new Angus Reid Institute poll indicates that 36% of Albertans would vote to leave Canada, with that number rising to 65% among UCP voters. Republican Party of Alberta leader Cameron Davies, a former UCP organizer, is travelling Alberta and signing up members who disagree with Premier Danielle Smith's stance on remaining in Canada. Some political watchers anticipate a divisive referendum in 2026. The poll also suggests that support for remaining could increase if the federal government built an east-west pipeline, removed the emissions cap on oil and gas, and repealed Bill C-69.
• Bike Edmonton is pushing back against a provincial threat to stop the City of Edmonton's Bike Plan and override local control of streets. A petition and volunteer campaign are underway to defend active transportation.
• The City of Edmonton awarded its annual Edmonton Arts Prizes, worth $100,000, at a ceremony at Roxy Theatre on May 7. Darrin Hagen won the Film Prize for his documentary Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, margø received the Music Prize for her album, who are you when you're alone?, Benjamin Hertwig won the Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize for his novel Juiceboxers, and Raneece Buddan won the Eldon and Anne Foote Visual Arts Prize for her art show Adorned in our Thread. The Edmonton Arts Council manages the awards.
• In an opinion piece for Postmedia, authors Braden Manns, Jon Meddings, and Paul Parks raise concerns about the UCP's Bill 55, which allows the government to designate someone other than a provincial health agency as the operator of an approved hospital, could lead to for-profit hospitals in Alberta. They argue that for-profit hospitals may lead to lower staffing levels, a decline in the quality of care, and the cherry-picking of patients.
• Experts are warning that Alberta could see more measles cases than have been reported, and are urging people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date. Health officials are monitoring the situation closely and emphasizing the importance of vaccination to prevent further spread.
• MHCare Medical released a letter sent to Alberta's deputy minister for Jobs, Economy and Trade on April 8, responding to allegations made by the former CEO of Alberta Health Services and subsequent media reports. The letter addresses concerns about contracts, children's analgesics, company CEO Sam Mraiche's interest in the Prairie Surgical Centre, the sale of a property at 14425 124 Avenue NW in Edmonton, and MHCare's relationship with the Alberta government. MHCare asserts it complied with all procurement rules and regulations and seeks to correct misinformation and unfair characterizations.
• Edmonton ranks as the second-most affordable Canadian city for both homebuyers and renters, according to recent reports. Rick Reinhardt of Century 21 Masters noted that higher wages are attracting more people to Alberta. Challenges remain, as a shortage of inventory has caused many homes to sell for more than asking price. For renters, Edmonton is also the second most affordable city in Canada, with an average rent of $1,621 per month.
• For the first time in more than 60 years, Kehewin Cree Nation welcomed a baby born within the community through a new midwifery program. Maelan Simaganis-Tsatoke drove from Edmonton to Kehewin, located 240 kilometres east of the city, to give birth in a traditional setting that incorporated Cree songs, smudging, and the involvement of kokums (grandmothers). The program, which received funding from Indigenous Services Canada, aims to provide culturally safe health care and address the disparity in infant mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.
• Alberta's chief electoral officer Gordon McClure is warning that Bill 54 will impair the election commissioner's power to investigate election rule breaking, including financial contribution rules and limits. The proposed legislation would reduce the time period for Elections Alberta to impose sanctions after alleged misconduct occurs, and introduce a new threshold for investigations. The bill also lowers the threshold for a citizen-led referendum.
• A report from Alberta's Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod found the provincial government used policies that violated access to information laws when processing requests for public records. The 21-month investigation, prompted by reporting from The Narwhal and The Globe and Mail, found 27 public bodies relied on policies that didn't align with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. McLeod's report cited breaches related to structuring requests, creating new records, and assisting applicants. The FOIP Act is set to be superseded by the Access to Information Act, which has been criticized for narrowing the scope of accessible records and extending response timelines.
• During a conference call on May 9, Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel said he is encouraged by Prime Minister Mark Carney's promise to make Canada an "energy superpower" and the Trump administration's push for oil and gas development. Enbridge reported a first-quarter profit of $2.3 billion, up from $1.4 billion in the same quarter last year, and is growing its presence in the Permian basin in Texas.

This week, council committees will meet to discuss the restoration of the historic Douglas Manor, a plan to invest in downtown, and the business case for an African Multicultural Community Centre.

There is a community and public services committee meeting scheduled for May 12, an urban planning committee meeting scheduled for May 13, and an executive committee meeting scheduled for May 14.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• The developer reconstructing the historic Douglas Manor at 10757 83 Avenue NW, which was destroyed by fire in 2022, has requested additional funds from the heritage resources reserve to help complete the project. Before the fire, the property owner rezoned the Garneau property to allow for a six-storey addition to the south elevation of the building and designated the property as a municipal historic resource. The designation meant the property owner received $380,000 to restore Douglas Manor. Since the fire destroyed the building, the property owner has started designing a detailed replica and is requesting an additional $119,000 from the city. The projected total cost of the reconstruction is nearly $2 million. The developer plans to use bricks salvaged from the original building for the reconstruction, and will still build the six-storey addition. Council's executive committee is scheduled to review the request for funds at a meeting on May 14, and if it approves it, the request will be sent to council for a final vote.
• Administration has developed a Downtown Action Plan with the goal of increasing property value, residential population, and visitors, and reducing commercial vacancy. The plan outlines eight actions and 45 sub-actions that would cost about $553 million. Nearly all of the funds are contingent upon council approving the extension of the downtown capital revitalization levy. The proposed actions include creating more car-free streets, installing public washrooms, enhancing cleaning, increasing the presence of transit peace officers, and developing incentives for student housing. Council had asked for this plan in December after a coalition of downtown organizations authored its own Downtown Investment Plan. Notably missing from the city's plan is one of the coalition's main asks — a per-door incentive for residential development, including office-to-residential conversions. "The reason why we need a per-door incentive comes down to the market rates in Edmonton," Alex Hryciw, then chair of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition, told the co-hosts of Episode 281 of Speaking Municipally, Taproot's civic affairs podcast, in October. "Our rent hasn't increased like the rest of the country, and we're not facing as big of an affordability crisis as other cities, luckily. But because of that, because rents haven't kept up with inflation, it's very hard for builders to actually convince banks to lend them the money to get these things started (downtown)." Council's urban planning committee is set to review the Downtown Action Plan at a meeting on May 13. Because so much of the plan's funding relies on whether the downtown CRL is extended, and because council and the provincial government have yet to approve that extension, it is unclear when the actions outlined in the plan might begin.
• Council's executive committee is set to review a business case for Africa Centre's planned African Multicultural Community Centre on surplus school land in the Athlone neighbourhood. The organization ran programming out of the former Wellington Junior High School at 13160 127 Street NW between its closing in 2005 and its demolition in 2016. Plans for a permanent multicultural centre on the site fizzled out until November 2022, when council voted to spend $300,000 on a new business case. The centre is envisioned as a cultural hub for people of African or Caribbean descent, providing a space for programs benefiting youth, seniors, families, and for arts and skill development. The business case and accompanying report outlines several risks involved in the project. The city's standard practice is to publicly list surplus land for sale; other organizations may see the sale direct to Africa Centre as unfair, the report said. Based on the number of land requests that administration has received, a sale to Africa Centre would create increased expectations and pressure for support, the report said. The Africa Centre has outlined a clear strategy to secure capital for the project from the federal and provincial government and other funding streams, but those funds are not yet confirmed. As for operating costs, the report said a more detailed assessment of revenue projections is needed to validate the financial sustainability of the project. The city acquired the parcel of land using funds from the Parkland Purchase Reserve Account. If administration were to sell the land to Africa Centre for $1, the standard practice would be to reimburse the reserve account for the market value of the site, which is around $4 million. If executive committee supports selling a portion of the site to Africa Centre, administration will negotiate a sale agreement conditional on the organization refining the business case, confirming its equity position, and meeting other conditions.

The State of Our City 2025 event, traffic congestion, and the Edmonton Police Commission's relationship with city council were on the minds of the hosts of Episode 307 of Speaking Municipally. Here's a quick glimpse:

1. State of Our City 2025

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce's State of Our City event broke with tradition. The annual luncheon has been called State of the City and featured the mayor. But this year, given the uncertainty of who would be mayor, with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi recently running, unsuccessfully, for a seat in the federal election, the event was instead planned to feature a panel of city-involved types, including city manager Eddie Robar, chamber president Doug Griffiths, Traci Bednard from Explore Edmonton, Kalen Anderson of BILD Edmonton Metro, and Tim Shipton of OEG. Ryan Jespersen moderated.

Taproot reporter Stephanie Swensrude attended, and told the Speaking Municipally co-hosts afterward that the panel talked of their love for the Edmonton Oilers and how the city could cut more red tape to stimulate business and build housing

"(Anderson said) we're the best in the country for approving permits and cutting red tape, but we're the best city in the slowest country, because as a country, we are building the same amount of housing units that we were in the '70s, when we only had 20 million people," Swensrude said. "Now we have 40 million people and, of course, so many people are moving here."

2. Traffic headaches

The City of Edmonton is discussing two hot topics that involve traffic: shortcutting in Begravia, and $1.5 billion worth of construction this year. For the former, Coun. Michael Janz's recent motion that asks administration to explore solutions for Belgravia, such as one-way segments of Saskatchewan Drive, passed. For the latter, the city said it strategizes road disruptions to cause the least inconvenience for drivers.

Co-host Mack Male said the Belgravia problem may offer the city benefits, too. "If you do want to shift people's behaviors, (traffic congestion) might be effective," he said. "If we could convince those drivers to get out and get on a bike, we'd be on our way to a mode shift."

Co-host Troy Pavlek, meanwhile, said that making driving inconvenient for commuters also makes driving inconvenient for local residents, which is not likely to inspire good feeling toward the city.

3. Police and council getting along?

Male and Pavlek noted the recent absence of public friction between the Edmonton Police Commission and city council. The commission, which has had a rash of resignations, has resumed having public meetings as it seeks a new chief to replace Dale McFee, who is now the head of Alberta Public Service.

Pavlek said McFee's absence and the lack of disputes may be related. "Maybe we actually didn't give Dale McFee enough credit," he said. "Perhaps some of the toxic relationship really did just fall on his shoulders, and without him in the chair, maybe (the police commission has) moved on."

The May 9 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast included a discussion on the rise in private contracts for the Edmonton Police Service, a chat about the comeback legacy of the Edmonton Oilers, and 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.

• A Conversation with Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Dan Williams starting at 8:30am at World Trade Centre Edmonton
• Mega Meetup Monday starting at 4pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• TEDxUAlberta Presents: InnovaTED starting at 6pm at Horowitz Theatre
• Green Drinks May starting at 7pm at EPIC Market
• C2UExpo 2025: Partners in Place at MacEwan University (until May 15)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• May 17: UX Camp 2025 at Allard Hall
• May 20-23: Upper Bound 2025 at Edmonton Convention Centre
• May 20-25: From Cradle to Stage – New Play Festival at Walterdale Theatre

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