The Pulse: Sept. 15, 2025

It's the last week of meetings for Edmonton's 2021-2025 city council. This week, council is scheduled to finish off the downtown event park deal, squeeze in several requests to administration, and review rezoning applications.

There is a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 15, a city council meeting scheduled for Sept. 16 and 17, and a special city council meeting scheduled for Sept. 19.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Council is scheduled to vote on the bylaw that would finalize the event park deal between the City of Edmonton, Oilers Entertainment Group, and the province. Council voted 9-4 in late August on the first reading of the bylaw that finalizes the deal, and now the bylaw is ready for the third reading. The agreement covers building a $250-million event park beside Rogers Place, the infrastructure for the Village at ICE District, as well as demolishing the Coliseum. If council approves the agreement, the City of Edmonton will contribute $102.8 million from the downtown community revitalization levy that is to be repaid through the increased property tax revenues the investment is intended to catalyze. It will also contribute $35 million in capital costs to demolish the Coliseum, which has already been approved by council. The province will provide $158.4 million in grant funding towards the projects. OEG, meanwhile, will contribute $3 million, plus $22 million in the form of the land for the event park, and $62 million in debt financing.
• Edmonton is expected to receive up to $164.2 million to replace, upgrade, and expand core transit infrastructure over the next 10 years from the new Canada Public Transit Fund. To put that number into context, council approved spending $446 million on transit growth and renewal in the 2023-2026 capital budget. A report that is scheduled to be presented to council on Sept. 26 said the federal government will fund up to 40% of the delivery and 80% of the planning and design of capital projects. Edmonton must pay the rest in order to receive the federal funds. Administration has also indicated interest in the fund's Metro-Region Agreements Stream, which is intended to fund transformational projects such as major fleet growth, as well as BRT and LRT growth. The city is working with Strathcona County, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Leduc County, Beaumont, Stony Plain, and Parkland County to apply for the regional stream. Administration said it will bring forward the budget adjustments needed to leverage the federal funding at the next capital budget adjustment later in the fall.
• The Métis Capital Housing Corporation has proposed the first affordable housing site in Blatchford. The development would include 55 housing units for vulnerable families requiring supportive recovery. The units will be rented at 80% of the average market rental rate for 40 years. The site was not offered to the public. Instead, the city presented MCHC with a list of potential sites for an affordable housing project, and the organization chose the Blatchford site. While the city typically encourages transparency by listing for sale all developable properties, administration said it recommended a direct sale to MCHC because the proposed project aligns with the city's priorities. The site is valued at $2 million, and administration aims to sell it to MCHC for $1. Council is set to vote on the proposal on Sept. 16.

Here are some other notable items on the agenda:

• Edmonton's ICE District developers, Katz Group and ONE Properties, have listed the Connect Centre retail complex and its associated development air rights for sale. The two-storey, 113,776-square-foot Connect Centre, located next to Rogers Place, is 89% occupied by tenants like Loblaws CityMarket, CIBC, National Bank, and the Edmonton Oilers. Commercial real estate brokerages Avison Young and TD Cornerstone Commercial Realty are managing the listing.
• Five Edmonton mayoral candidates — Tim Cartmell, Rahim Jaffer, Andrew Knack, Omar Mohammad, and Michael Walters — participated in a televised debate on Sept. 12. Hosted by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and Global News at the JW Marriott hotel, candidates addressed critical city issues, including municipal taxes, council's performance, basic city services, economic development, downtown revitalization, core safety, homelessness, and infill. Edmontonians will vote in the mayoral election on Oct. 20.
• A new Echelon Wellness healthcare clinic, the company's fourth, has opened in Edmonton, providing services for military and RCMP veterans. Within a month, 300 patients signed up for treatments, along with individual and group mental health sessions. Veterans Affairs Canada directly compensates the privately funded clinic, meaning veterans never pay. CEO Igor Gimelshtein said the clinic addresses service-related injuries like PTSD and related conditions, aiming to improve overall quality of life.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney launched a new federal housing agency called Build Canada Homes, allocating $13 billion for affordable housing. The new agency will develop 4,000 factory-built homes on federal lands in six cities, including Edmonton. Of the total, $1 billion will support transitional and supportive housing, and the agency will manage the $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the initiative, saying it would create bureaucracy and delay construction.
• Cando Rail & Terminals in Strathcona County unveiled a new electric-powered locomotive. This zero-emission, lithium-ion battery locomotive is the first in Canada designed to withstand harsh winters. Retrofitted from a diesel-electric unit, it was tested in Winnipeg at temperatures below -40 C and is intended for short-distance railyard operations. Emissions Reduction Alberta contributed $2 million in funding.
• Edmonton-based startup Aqua-Cell Energy will pilot its saltwater flow battery in Medicine Hat starting in early 2026, following its selection in the city's Energy Innovation Challenge. The technology, the size of a shipping container, aims to offer an alternative to expensive electrical grid upgrades and help manage grid congestion. CEO Keith Cleland, who partnered with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology for research, hopes the battery will support Medicine Hat's clean energy transition by stabilizing power from renewable sources.
• In his latest newsletter, former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson recounted being told he had "ruined downtown" and reflected on the weight of the criticism. While acknowledging ongoing concerns about safety, housing, and addictions, he cautioned that fear-driven narratives oversimplify the challenges cities face. Iveson pointed to stalled progress on homelessness after provincial support waned, despite the proven success of Housing First and supportive housing models. He argues that meaningful solutions require compassion, stronger investment in housing, and a shift away from divisive rhetoric.
• Country music star Morgan Wallen was joined on stage by Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid at Commonwealth Stadium during his first of two concerts in Edmonton. Wallen frequently walks out with local athletes during his tour, a tradition that has included figures like Jose Bautista and Brett Favre. McDavid has previously said that Wallen is one of his favourite musicians.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Wild Mushroom Walks starting at 2pm at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• Business Model 101 starting at 6pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Botanical Alchemy: A Modern Mocktail Workshop starting at 6:15pm at Spilt
• Truth, Reconciliation, and the Path Forward: An Evening of Learning + Dialogue starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Audreys Genre Book Club: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 21: Art is for Everyone at Art Gallery of Alberta
• Sept. 22-26: Life Sciences Week 2025
• Sept. 25: EBA Talks at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel West Edmonton

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

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