The Pulse: Sept. 3, 2025

As the Sept. 22 kick-off to Life Sciences Week approaches, sources from the event's presenter said Alberta is charging ahead in the sector faster than other parts of the world.

"We have a sector that suddenly started rapidly growing," Andrew MacIsaac, the CEO of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, told Taproot. "It's also bucking a trend here, too, because globally, there's a downturn in the life sciences that began in late 2021."

MacIsaac said the life sciences sector contributed around $750 million to Alberta's GDP in 2018, the year API was founded. He also cited a report from BioAlberta that showed the contribution increased to $4.7 billion in 2024. The same report also showed that the total economic output of life sciences in Alberta for 2024 is $9.2 billion, the sector has 34,415 full-time equivalent employees, and research and development spending reached $327.3 million in 2022, which is a 32.2% increase compared to 2020.

MacIsaac said Edmonton's portion of the sector has further developed since the last Life Sciences Week, in September of last year. Those developments include API opening the Life Sciences Campus in collaboration with the Edmonton Research Park, where renovations to API's Biotechnology Business Development Centre are now complete; Entos Pharmaceuticals announcing it will spend nearly $200 million to build a facility; Future Fields securing US$8 million in Series A funding and opening its biomanufacturing facility; and Nanostics receiving an undisclosed amount of investment from Genome Canada (via Genome Alberta).

"Even if you look at the tech updates for the city, so many of them are life science related," MacIsaac said. "The global sector is stagnant, and we're growing, because there's a huge amount of potential here that hasn't really been tapped before. Now, it's coming to the surface."

MacIsaac said the reasons for this success include leading researchers, like those at the University of Alberta, lessons about Canada's lacking production capacity for medical supplies that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a growing, non-partisan desire from policymakers to diversify the province's economy. Two of those factors converged in a $100 million provincial investment to overhaul the biological sciences building at the U of A into the Life Sciences Innovation and Future Technologies Centre. API, meanwhile, runs the nearly $200 million Canadian Critical Drug Initiative in partnership with the university.

As for API's own momentum, Launa Aspeslet became its first chief translational officer this year. Her role is to help life science companies take products "from bench to bedside," or from prototype to profit. The organization is also nearing the completion of its Critical Medicines Production Centre, in 2026. Taproot has reported that the facility could rapidly produce vaccines or other medications in an emergency.

"The CMPC is the equivalent of an oil refinery," MacIsaac said. "Its main task is to provide the very expensive final step of production, which is the aseptic filling of vials and bottles with product, as well as packaging and all those other components. You could have a company like Future Fields that makes the active ingredient that then gets shipped to the CMPC (for the final steps in production)."

Life Sciences Week offers the chance for a glimpse of the CMPC, the Life Sciences Campus, and the Biotechnology Business Development Centre during a tour and reception that features food trucks, drinks, and music.

Another Life Sciences Week event of note is the Health Tech Showcase. Co-hosted by the Glenrose Hospital Foundation and the Edmonton Regional Innovation Network at Edmonton Unlimited, the showcase will feature regional health innovators and spotlight the Glenrose's clinical validation efforts. The week wraps up on Sept. 26 with a party at the Art Gallery of Alberta where participants will experience a hybrid game show-pitchathon created in collaboration with Rapid Fire Theatre.

• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a new order will soon replace a paused directive to remove books with explicit sexual content from school libraries. The initial order, set for Oct. 1, led Edmonton Public Schools to list more than 200 books, including classics like The Handmaid's Tale, for removal, drawing criticism from Smith, who accused the school board of "vicious compliance." The updated ministerial order will explicitly target "graphic pornographic images" while ensuring literary classics remain available in schools across Alberta.
• Wildfire smoke from fires near Fort Providence, NWT, blanketed northern Alberta and Edmonton. Edmonton's air quality health index reached 10+ on Sept. 1 but improved to a moderate risk of five by Sept. 2, leading the City of Edmonton to lift its poor air quality response. Anne Hicks, a University of Alberta professor, warned of increasingly "smokier summers" and long-term health risks like heart disease and lung damage, even at moderate levels, advising vulnerable groups to limit outdoor exposure.
• Edmonton's Animal Protection Unit rescued 87 animals from a city home on Aug. 20. The seizure included 83 snakes, a leopard gecko, a tarantula, and two cats. More than 80% of the snakes were found emaciated, dehydrated, and suffering from respiratory and bacterial diseases, all requiring immediate medical treatment at the Animal Care and Control Centre. An investigation is ongoing to determine if charges will be laid.
• Edmonton's 200-acre Exhibition Lands are set for a two-decade redevelopment into a residential, commercial, and community hub following the Coliseum's scheduled 2026 demolition. Cantiro is negotiating to start the first phase on the south side, with plans for 200 units. The framework calls for two new LRT stations, potentially replacing the existing Coliseum station. BILD Edmonton Metro and Explore Edmonton anticipate the project will significantly boost the north central district. The Alberta Avenue Business Association has expanded its borders to support the future of Edmonton's Exhibition Lands.
• The opening of a new Zellers location in Edmonton's Londonderry Mall was delayed on Sept. 1. Several dozen shoppers arrived anticipating the store's opening but left empty-handed as it failed to open on schedule. The store was expected to open later this week.
• As the new school year began on Sept. 2, Edmonton schools experienced morning drop-offs for the first time since the City of Edmonton removed photo radar. The Edmonton Police Service is adopting a targeted approach to catch unsafe drivers near school and playground zones, responding to specific concerns rather than random patrols.
• The City of Edmonton is accepting offers for two more weeks on the Connaught Armoury, one of the city's oldest buildings. The historic building is up for sale, with the City seeking bids for its future redevelopment.
• University of Alberta students are struggling to find affordable housing near campus. The Elev app, created by U of A alumni, helps students locate rentals, noting affordable and furnished options are quickly snapped up. The City of Edmonton has launched a $15 million Downtown Student Housing Incentive, providing grants of up to $30,000 for each unit for below-market student housing projects in the downtown core, an initiative welcomed by the University of Alberta Students' Union.
• NorQuest College is mourning the death of Priscilla McGreer, a 39-year-old instructor, who was fatally shot in an SUV at Jasper Avenue and 119 Street in Edmonton just after 4am on Aug. 30. Police charged Kyle Laumen of Edmonton with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and breach of probation. Police said the victim and accused knew one another. NorQuest College issued a statement calling McGreer a "well-respected and well-liked instructor" and is offering support to its community.
• Red Deer residents are opposing a proposal to rezone a Clearview Ridge green space from low-density single-family homes to allow duplexes and townhouses. Residents expressed concerns about increased traffic, parking problems, and decreased property values. This opposition follows Red Deer city council's unanimous rejection in August of a federal housing grant requiring blanket zoning for four units per lot without public consultation.
• The Edmonton Elks have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Carter O'Donnell. O'Donnell, 26, previously spent five seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, and played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

Correction: This file has been updated to correct how much is offered through City of Edmonton grants for student housing.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• EV Roadshow: NAPA Auto Parts starting at 10am at NAPA Distribution Centre
• Callingwood Farmers' Market starting at 12pm at Callingwood Farmers' Market
• Edmonton Mural Fest - Mural Tour - Downtown West starting at 2pm at MacEwan University
• Pours & Pages Book Club starting at 7pm at Relish Bar and Market
• Book Launch: Laurier Tiernan starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 10: Meet and Greet: PACE team for City Council at Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton South
• Sept. 12: Edmonton's Mayoral Debate at JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
• Sept. 13: Down by the River Festival at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

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

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

If you'd like to go back and do a puzzle you missed, here's the archive.