The Pulse: Oct. 31, 2025

The Old Strathcona Business Association has launched Old Strathcona On-Call, a 10-person team from Hiregood that responds to calls and maintains a proactive presence on the area's streets from Tuesdays to Sundays.

The business association is one of 10 eligible to receive close to a cumulative $1 million from the City of Edmonton through its Enhanced Services Grant, signalling a shift toward funding these organizations to play a role in managing social disorder in their neighbourhoods.

"We've done member surveys for the past three years, and every time, safety and security is a primary concern," Andrea Donini, the interim executive director of the OSBA, told Taproot. "There used to be … broken window repair grants available to businesses, and there no longer are. (Our member businesses) feel the cost of some of this social disorder a little bit more directly now than they did previously."

Donini previously worked as an independent consultant to build the on-call program for the OSBA (she has since become the interim executive director). She said she was hired for the safety program work because of her experience with EndPovertyEdmonton (which recently relaunched), and was careful not to replicate a social program with Old Strathcona On-Call.

"We are not a social agency, we're a business membership association," Donini said. "We ended up going with a design that was more about the idea of security with dignity."

The city's $850,000 Enhanced Services Grant was funded through fall budget adjustments in 2024, with money reallocated from the community safety and well-being profiles to the community standards budget. The program is meant to be annual, and the funding is meant to pay for cleaning and/or community outreach teams. The grant opened in March to all BIAs, but was not open to those participating in the Centre City Optimization program, which includes the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, Chinatown and Area Business Association, and the North Edge Business Association.

Stony Plain Road's outreach navigators

Over at the Stony Plain Road Business Association, two outreach navigators will be on the neighbourhood's streets as of November for a four-month pilot that could lead to a permanent program, Todd Janes, the executive director, told Taproot.

"If there's a problem with graffiti, or an encampment, or people sleeping, our navigators will be trained and empowered to deescalate a situation," Janes, who is also the chair of the Edmonton BIA Council, said. "But (they are) also partnering with The Mustard Seed and Jasper Place Family Resource Centre in our area to really look at listening to individuals that may be in crisis, whether it's the business or other individuals, and finding other pathways for them."

Janes said the organization will refine the program once the navigators begin, and the pilot may evolve as time goes by. At first, he expects the program to be reactive, but hopes coordinators can eventually be proactive. For example, they may work with member businesses on security improvements to prevent problems from happening. The BIA received $81,000 for the project.

Navigators will be in the field four days a week, with a fifth day for training, administration, or recharging. "If I'm sending people out on the street, I want them to be the best that they can be," Janes said. "I want them to be aware and able to function the best way possible."

• Alberta students staged walkouts on Oct. 30 to protest the provincial government's decision to force teachers back to work. The students held rallies at the Alberta legislature and the Alberta Teachers' Association building to support teachers. The protests followed the Alberta government's passage of Bill 2, the "Back to School Act," which invoked the notwithstanding clause. The bill ended a provincewide teachers' strike, which began Oct. 6, by forcing 51,000 teachers back to work and imposing a deal 90% had rejected. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides acknowledged students' right to protest but urged them to remain in class.
• Thousands of Alberta parents with children aged 12 and under are receiving provincial payments totalling $480 per child. These payments, $30 per day for 16 days, compensate for children being out of school during the recent teachers' strike. Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said that payments began Oct. 31 for those who applied by Oct. 27. The application portal remains open until Nov. 14.
• Edmonton Waste Services is set to transition to its winter collection schedule starting Nov. 4. Curbside collection will feature bi-weekly garbage and food scraps (alternating weeks), while recycling remains weekly. Edmonton's four Eco Stations (Ambleside, Coronation, Kennedale, and Strathcona) will also adopt winter hours, operating Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, effective Nov. 4, after being closed on Nov. 2 and 3. Residents should clear snow from carts and bag food scraps.
• A second home under construction in south Edmonton's Belgravia neighbourhood caught fire on Oct. 29, just three days after a previous blaze destroyed another multiplex in the same area on Oct. 26. Edmonton Fire and Rescue Services responded to the mid-block six-plex fire near 74 Avenue and 118A Street, extinguishing it by 4:45am with no injuries. Spire Developments built the multiplex. Both EFRS and Edmonton police are investigating. Police said it is too early to link the incidents. This marks the third construction home fire in Belgravia within the past year.
• Edmonton resident Eric Abrahamson received a Glenrose Courage Award for his remarkable determination to regain the ability to walk. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery and resilience in their health and rehabilitation journeys, specifically highlighting Abrahamson's efforts in his recovery.
• The UCP government has reinstated public reporting of Alberta class sizes, six years after eliminating the practice. The change comes after legislation forcing striking teachers to return to classrooms. Class size and complexity were key bargaining issues for the Alberta Teachers' Association. An annual census will collect detailed data on student numbers, teacher ratios, and student demographics, including those with disabilities, gifted students, and English as a Second Language learners. School boards must submit data by Nov. 24, to be publicly released annually by January.
• The Alberta government introduced Bill 4 on Oct. 30, moving forward with plans for an Alberta Provincial Police Service. The legislation would allow permanent residents to become provincial police service officers and modify their inclusion in various acts. It also proposes amendments to the Disclosure to Protect Against Domestic Violence (Clare's Law) Act, giving the Integrated Threat and Risk Assessment Centre legal authority to access police databases for threat assessments.
• NDP MLA Kathleen Ganley tabled a bill on Oct. 30 proposing to increase Alberta's minimum wage by one dollar annually for three years, starting December 2025, to reach $18 per hour by October 2027. Bill 201 also calls for indexing the minimum wage to the consumer price index and eliminating the youth minimum wage differential. Alberta's $15 per hour minimum wage is currently the lowest in Canada, with no increase since 2018.

On this day in 1985, Edmonton officials were offering tips on how to have a safe Halloween.

In sharp contrast with the photo that accompanied the story in the Edmonton Journal, which depicted a toddler trying to escape someone in a horrifying chicken mask, the advice being doled out was pretty standard stuff: Wear bright clothes, don't go into a stranger's home, and carry flashlights. The story also noted that more than 100 volunteers were driving around the city to keep an eye on kids during the spooky fun.

The story shows that Halloween traditions have evolved in Edmonton. Celebrations on Oct. 31 have been held in the city since the 1880s, and public Halloween parties and dances date back to 1902.

Trick-or-treating is probably the most iconic part of the holiday, and it began to appear in the city in the 1920s and '30s. Instead of the modern practice of knocking on doors at houses, early trick-or-treaters focused on businesses, especially along Jasper Avenue. "Trick or treat" was less of a catchphrase and more of a threat back then, the implication being that pranks or vandalism would happen if sweets were not forthcoming. Apples were a standard bribe — so much so that local businesses would advertise apple sales before the big night. Other treats included popcorn and nuts.

Of course, the safety of trick-or-treaters was always important. But there was also once a much greater concern about protection from the costumed revellers. Pranks and damage to property were much more common in the first half of the century, and some Halloween nights could get pretty destructive. Often, papers like the Edmonton Bulletin would post stories on Nov. 1 discussing the rowdiness of the previous evening.

After the Second World War, the candy collection became focused less on Jasper Avenue businesses and more on homes in neighbourhoods. This was also the time that pranks and vandalism on Oct. 31 became less common (although they never completely went away).

Recent decades have seen further shifts in Edmonton's Halloween traditions. Going door-to-door for candy is still a practice, but indoor trick-or-treating at malls and other businesses has also become commonplace. The indoor events have become popular with some due to safety concerns and the unpredictable nature of Edmonton's weather in late October.

Other Halloween traditions have taken root in the city in recent times, with elaborate, theatrical haunted houses being one of them. Deadmonton, which got its start in 2014, has grown into the city's largest and most prominent. Other Edmonton institutions have also gotten into the game, with events like DARK at Fort Edmonton Park proving popular. The holiday is now a far cry from just being a night for kids to threaten businesses into handing over apples. It is now closer to a month-long celebration, with pumpkin walks, film festivals, and ghost tours all becoming a part of today's Halloween.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• Oct. 31: The Headless Carrot Halloween Party starting at 4pm at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse
• Oct. 31: Night of the Living Core starting at 7:30pm at The Aviary
• Oct. 31: Spooktacular Psychedelic 60s Yardbird Suite Fundraiser with Pepperland Plays the Beatles starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite
• Oct. 31: The Raving Dead Halloween Party starting at 9pm at Pendennis Building
• Nov. 1: Orchid plant and media sale starting at 10am at Orchid Resource Centre
• Nov. 1: deleTABLE | Closing Reception and Artist Talks starting at 2pm at the Art Gallery of Alberta
• Nov. 1: Halloween/Day of the Dead Critical Mass starting at 5:30pm at Churchill Square
• Until Nov. 1: The Ha-Ha-Haunting at Rapid Fire Exchange
• Until Nov. 1: Seance Experience at 5087 22 Avenue SW
• Nov. 2: Matcha & Mingle: Networking Mixer for Entrepreneurs & Businesses starting at 11am at Boa and Hare
• Nov. 2: Book Signing: Arlene Laskey starting at 12:30pm at Audreys Books
• Nov. 2: Art Battle and Concert starting at 5pm at The Rec Room South Edmonton

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 7: Brewed by Hand - Beginner-Friendly Workshops at Felice Café
• Nov. 14: Tipi Confessions 10th Anniversary Show at Horowitz Theatre
• Nov. 20: The Tyee & Taproot Edmonton Meet-Up starting at 5pm at Rocky Mountain Ice House

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.

Readers of the Food Roundup may have a leg up on a couple of these clues!