The Pulse: June 16, 2025

This week, council committees will hear updates from administration on the city’s supply of industrial land, debate a new policy for street design, and explore options for what would have been the ArtsCommon project.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on June 16, an urban planning committee meeting on June 17, and an executive committee meeting on June 18.

Here are key items on this week’s agenda:

• Edmonton has 230 hectares of shovel-ready industrial land, 1,150 hectares of partially serviced industrial land, and 7,000 hectares of land that are vacant and can be developed or is planned for development, according to an update on the Industrial Investment Action Plan that will be presented to council’s executive committee on June 18. The update said there are 747 vacant industrial sites in the city. To streamline approval processes for non-residential investment, administration has created a program that will provide new proposals for industrial buildings that meet certain criteria a guaranteed timeline of 40 days for development and partial building permits. Administration has also worked with 12 regional partners to create a collaborative economic development program where Edmonton could invest in non-residential sites outside of its boundaries. Municipalities would share in the costs of making a site shovel-ready and also share in the resulting revenue. The action plan was developed to address Edmonton’s decreasing share of non-residential land in the region. Such land is critical to the city’s finances because industrial land is taxed at a higher rate than residential properties and can therefore lessen the tax burden on residents.
• Administration has prepared amendments to the Complete Streets policy, which will guide Complete Streets design and construction standards. The amendments align the policy with other new city documents like the City Plan, Accessibility for People with Disabilities Policy, and the Energy Transition and Climate Resiliency Strategy.
• Administration intends to list the property that would have held the ArtsCommon 118 development for sale, according to a report set to be presented to council’s executive committee on June 18. The city will place conditions on the sale that encourage developers to align with the original vision for the community-based arts facility, and will accept proposals for about six months. Developers will be required to start construction within two years and complete the project within four years of closing. Administration will return to council with a summary of the proposals. The ArtsCommon project, in the works since at least 2018, was planned to create 78 live-work artist studios, two floors of market space for artists, performance spaces, a rooftop garden, and industrial kitchen space at the corner of 118 Avenue NW and 92 Street NW.
• The Edmonton Arts Council gave artists and collectives nearly 20% less money in 2024 than it did in 2023, according to numbers within an update on the Connections & Exchanges arts and heritage plan that will be presented to city council next week. As the update shows, the total amount provided to artists and collectives through grants in 2024 was $3.4 million, or 18% less than the $4.2 million provided in 2023. Nearly 1,100 individuals and collectives applied for EAC grants in 2024, and 254 were successful. More than 60% of the successful applicants self-identify as Indigenous or from another equity-deserving group, the report said. Funding to arts festivals and organizations declined, too, but less drastically, falling from $11 million in 2023 to $10.7 million in 2024, according to the report, or a 2.7% decrease. The report also includes updates from the Edmonton Heritage Council. That organization updated the Edmonton Commonwealth Walkway digital story map with 46 Indigenous stories. The council also convened 30 Edmontonians who are interested in saving the old Royal Alberta Museum building from demolition. Lastly, the report contains updates from Arts Habitat Edmonton, which reopened the rehabilitated Ortona Armoury Building in July 2024.
• The budget for the Edmonton Convention Centre and the EXPO Centre cannot be absorbed into city-wide budgets without a decrease in the level of service at the facilities, according to a report set to be presented to council’s executive committee on June 18. Council had asked administration to analyze if it could take over the operating and maintenance costs for those buildings from Explore Edmonton.
• The former home of Ernest William Morehouse, an architect who heavily influenced the early development of the Highlands neighbourhood, could be designated a municipal historic resource. The current owner of the home would receive about $53,000 to rehabilitate the property. If executive committee approves the designation at a meeting on June 18, it will go to council for a final vote.
• Council’s urban planning committee will examine the environmental impact assessment for the replacement of the Mill Creek trestle bridge and culvert under 76 Avenue NW. The project involves daylighting Mill Creek, as the culvert will be replaced with a vehicle bridge. The report said the project is expected to have minor environmental impacts. The committee will also review the environmental impact assessment for the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance skills park, which is planned for Queen Elizabeth Park. The assessment said the park is expected to have low to moderate impact on the environment, as it is proposed to be located on the site of a former wastewater treatment facility that was demolished and reclaimed.

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.

• Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack launched his mayoral campaign on June 14 at the Meadowlark Community Hall, emphasizing his independence from political parties. Knack, a three-term councillor, pledged to release strategies to match Edmonton’s population growth with economic development and address social issues. He faces competition from fellow mayoral candidates Coun. Tim Cartmell (Better Edmonton party) and Tony Caterina (independent). The municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 20.
• Ahead of the October municipal election, most Edmonton mayoral candidates are distancing themselves from party politics. Coun. Tim Cartmell, who formed the Better Edmonton municipal party with a full slate of council candidates, including current Coun. Karen Principe, says it is “not a traditional party.” Coun. Andrew Knack, who is against political parties in local democracy, plans to file his nomination package after collecting signatures at his June 14 campaign launch. Tony Caterina, a former councillor, is also running as an independent, while Abdul Malik Chukwudi, a geological engineer and former city employee, also expressed his lack of support for party politics at the municipal level.
• Nichole Brown, a Cree and Saulteaux woman from Louis Bull Tribe, is preparing to open Helen Hazel House, Edmonton’s first Indigenous-led second stage women’s shelter, to offer transitional housing for women and their children recovering from domestic violence. Brown has been planning the shelter since 2022. It will prioritize Indigenous leadership roles, in response to the disproportionate impact of violence on Indigenous women, who account for more than 28% of clients at Edmonton’s Wings of Providence shelter and an estimated 60% of women in shelters across Alberta. Named after Brown’s aunt, Helen Hazel Desjarlais, the shelter aims to provide “an auntie’s love” and culturally relevant support for all women.
• Strathcona County Council is exploring the creation of a community foundation to pool donations into endowment funds for sustainable funding of local initiatives. At the June 10 meeting, council supported a motion to investigate partnering with the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF), which already partners with St. Albert, Westlock, and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. A report on the options, including the partnership with ECF, will return to council in September.
• The Digital Publishing Awards presented a gold medal to Danielle Paradis for best topical reporting on climate change for The Place That Thaws, a podcast for APTN News. Jana Pruden and Amber Bracken received gold for The Audacity of Rope, a feature article for The Globe and Mail. They were also part of the team awarded silver for the true crime podcast In Her Defence: 50th Street. Pruden’s team also won the Landsberg Award from the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
• After a 5-2 defeat at Rogers Place on June 14, the Edmonton Oilers are on the brink of losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, now trailing the series 3-2. The Panthers secured their third win after another strong first period, where they scored two goals. According to defenceman Mattias Ekholm, the Oilers have struggled with slow starts throughout the series. Coach Kris Knoblauch remains confident the team can overcome the setback.
• According to Scott Mitchell of Vistar Media, there’s been a surge in marketing that focuses on Canadiana, including the Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup run. Mitchell notes brands are buying ad space near Rogers Place, and that Canadian pride is more pointed this year due to tensions with the U.S.
• Laurie Radostits, owner of Sweet Convenience in Edmonton, almost had to close her candy store in March due to slow sales resulting from tariffs and the “Buy Canadian” movement. The store, which specializes in American treats, faced dwindling sales as consumers opted for Canadian-produced goods, with 48% of Canadians replacing, or planning to replace, US products with Canadian alternatives.
• With 15 fatal collisions already recorded in the first half of 2025, the Edmonton Police Service is increasing enforcement against street racing, stunting, and other dangerous driving behaviours. Sgt. Kerry Bates of EPS notes that street racing is a weekly occurrence in Edmonton during the summer. EPS has already issued 133 dangerous operation charges and 76 stunting tickets in 2025. Police released a video of a crash to warn against the dangers of street racing.
• Alberta’s new access to information rules came into effect on June 11, following approval of four orders-in-council. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally introduced the Access to Information Act in November 2024, replacing the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The new rules include an extended timeline for responding to information requests. Critics argue the changes limit disclosure by exempting communications between political staff and ministers, and by lengthening the appeal process to the information and privacy commissioner.
• Starting July 1, 2025, the Alberta government will increase prescription costs for seniors and Albertans under non-group coverage, marking the first increase since 1994. The maximum co-payment will rise from $25 to $35, increasing by $1 per month until April 1, 2026. The province says the hike is necessary to keep pace with rising costs. Critics say seniors may be forced to choose between medicine, food, and rent. The province said low-income seniors can apply for assistance.
• Premier Danielle Smith is defending Alberta’s new policy that will require many Albertans to pay out-of-pocket for COVID-19 vaccinations, arguing the move focuses on those who need it most and is necessary to avoid wasting money on unused doses. The government will still cover costs for those with compromised immune systems, those on social programs, and seniors in congregate settings. The province estimates the cost to Albertans could be $110 per shot.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Free Bike Tune Up starting at 12pm at Woodlands Skatepark
• Library Lunchtime Concerts starting at 12:15pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Exclusive Wine Dinner with John Griffiths of Faber Vineyard starting at 6pm at Butternut Tree
• Fulton Place Garden Tour starting at 6pm at The Sunshine Garden

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 20-22: Collider Festival at Citadel Theatre
• June 21-22: Thousand Faces Festival at Alberta Avenue Community Centre
• June 21-July 1: Ground Works: The Works Art and Design Festival at Churchill Square

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