The Pulse: Nov. 4, 2025

It's Halloween, and five 7pm-ish screenings at Landmark Cinemas inside Edmonton City Centre have mostly sold a quantity of tickets that can be counted on two hands. The only proper horror movie on this day of days for horror movies is Shelby Oaks, and it has just one paying viewer: Me.

You can tell how many tickets have been sold by using the kiosk just beyond the theatre's roll shutters, where ticket buyers reserve seats by snagging a ticket. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia, a singalong showing of KPop Demon Hunters, and the found footage-horror film Shelby Oaks have sold less than 10 tickets. Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein has sold 11.

Three employees and about 10 moviegoers are in Landmark's lobby. Inside, dim lights illuminate a patterned, beige-and-black carpet. A small video game arcade to the right is empty. Only one of two concession stands, the one on the right, is operating, with four people in line. The smells? Popcorn, butter, salt. Sounds? An eerie hum from the heating system and little else.

Though Halloween trails Christmas and the summer blockbuster season for movie box office sales, especially when it falls on a weekend (though there are exceptions), Edmonton's downtown Landmark is often quiet, something I've noticed for years.

When I saw Saltburn in November 2023, I was also alone in the theatre.

This extremely slow Friday night at Landmark mirrors the decline of the mall it calls home. Edmonton City Centre entered receivership (a legal status of an insolvent business similar to bankruptcy) in July, reportedly owing creditors close to $140 million. Insolvent malls are often sold, demolished, or redeveloped, a consultant previously told Taproot.

But Landmark and downtown are vital in ways beyond first appearances. Landmark is the only dedicated movie theatre in the central core for first runs of major theatrical releases (the comparatively nearby Garneau Theatre, the home of Metro Cinema, plays just some major releases, and typically weeks after their first run). Landmark is also a haven for local non-profit arts organizations and indie filmmakers. The Edmonton International Film Festival, FascinAsian Film Festival, and the Mosquers Film Festival all use it as a venue. Coming up, Brimstone Pictures's new film Contamination will screen at Landmark from Nov. 14 to 16.

It's also the only first-run cinema in the city with low-floor LRT service right to the front door.

Landmark City Centre is a meaningful place for people who care about movies, the head of the Edmonton International Film Festival told Taproot. "EIFF has had an outstanding relationship with both Landmark Cinemas and the downtown community," Vincent Brulotte, the artistic director of the festival, said in an email. "We hope to continue that relationship through whatever changes may come in the future, and we are proud to host our festival in the downtown core and help contribute to its ongoing revitalization."

• A home under construction at 7139 Saskatchewan Drive in south Edmonton burned down on Nov. 2, marking the sixth infill construction fire in the city in recent weeks, with four cases ruled arson. Edmonton Fire and Rescue Services responded before midnight to the fully engulfed home. The blaze follows infill fires in the Belgravia and Glenora neighbourhoods. Contractors expressed concern, with some planning to hire security for properties.
• Edmonton city council voted unanimously to create more daytime shelter spaces on Nov. 3, allocating $1 million from an existing city fund. Mayor Andrew Knack, in his first motion, aimed to improve public safety by providing alternatives for homeless Edmontonians currently using public spaces like libraries and parks. Knack hopes for additional provincial funding, despite the provincial Ministry of Social Services asserting that daytime spaces are the city's sole responsibility.
• Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack appeared on Global News to discuss orientation for the new city council. "There's a lot to absorb, there's a lot to learn," he said, noting that while many councillors are returning, there are four new members. He said his focus for the first meeting will be setting the tone for the next four years and discussing what each councillor heard from voters during their campaigns.
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo has bid farewell to its Grevy's zebras after housing the endangered species for decades. The male zebras, Cody and Tufani, departed Nov. 2 for other accredited Canadian facilities, with the females set to leave this week. The move, described by animal care staff as "bittersweet," comes as the zoo prepares for a new construction project. The zoo has cared for zebras since the 1970s, and says details about upcoming exhibit changes will be announced later. Fewer than 2,500 Grevy's zebras remain in the wild.
• In his latest article, Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein writes that Edmonton's new city council under Mayor Andrew Knack began its term in a spirit of harmony, but that such unity won't, and shouldn't, last. Gerein argues that disagreement is both inevitable and necessary for good governance, especially with major tests ahead like a possible strike, homelessness policy, and budget debates. Gerein also points to the city's failed electric bus program as a lesson against rushing into unproven technology.
• In an opinion piece for Postmedia, Daniel Witte, chair of Edmonton Transit Riders, writes that while Whyte Avenue is lively and vibrant, its car-centric design makes it dangerous for pedestrians. He argues the city should expand pedestrian spaces and create dedicated lanes for transit and emergency vehicles. Witte says these changes, already envisioned in city plans, would make Edmonton's busiest street safer and more welcoming.
• A 31-year-old man in a wheelchair and another pedestrian were struck by a red SUV in a hit-and-run collision on Oct. 25 at 123 Street NW and 127 Avenue NW in Edmonton. The man in the wheelchair sustained non-life-threatening injuries and required medical treatment. Police say the driver of the SUV briefly stopped before fleeing east on 127 Avenue. The Edmonton Police Service is seeking witnesses, dashcam footage, or CCTV from businesses in the area.
• Premier Danielle Smith announced that Alberta will form a class size and complexity task force to address issues raised by the Alberta Teachers' Association during contract negotiations with the province. In June, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides created an "aggression and complexity in schools action team," which will finalize its report in November. The new task force will follow, he said. Meanwhile, the province will resume annual public reporting of class sizes and composition, collecting data from school boards by Nov. 24 for public release in January. The data will guide additional funding for new teacher and education assistant hires in schools.
• Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced new legislation proposing to mandate math and reading assessments for students in kindergarten to Grade 3. The bill would make these screenings a legal requirement for school boards and independent early childhood services operators. The province allocated $11 million in Budget 2025 to support these assessments, which are not graded tests.

All has changed, but little is new at city hall, the co-hosts of Episode 330 of Speaking Municipally found as they ventured to the building to watch the new mayor and council be sworn in on Oct. 29, holding the mic as they went.

Andrew Knack is back, again, but this time the three-time councillor is going by a new title. "He's the mayor, but he doesn't feel like the mayor yet," co-host Mack Male said. "You know, it hasn't sunk in."

Male and co-host Stephanie Swensrude discussed Knack's opening speech ("hit all the right notes," Male said), his plan to create a plan, and a provincial report on how to balance voting districts with Alberta's population growth. Here's a quick snapshot.

Knack's strategic vision

The co-hosts noted that Knack said in his opening speech that no one moves to a city in decline, and that more than 200,000 people have moved to Edmonton in recent years. Swensrude noted that while the Edmonton-is-broken rhetoric is tiring, Knack may be overstating things. "Respectfully, I don't think people are like, 'Edmonton, the new hottest city in Canada,'" she said.

A city that's growing but could be doing so with some people reluctant to be here could need some vision. That's exactly what Knack is pushing for as mayor — a strategic vision co-created with the rest of council.

"I want to start off early on to make sure that this council sets a clear strategic vision, something that we can make sure we're holding our city manager accountable to, something that I know city staff want to get behind and work together on, and then something that we can the public can also hold us accountable to," Knack told Taproot at the ceremony.

Electoral boundaries

The electoral boundaries commission's report grabbed the co-host's attention. The report authors propose that Edmonton should gain one seat, from 20 to 21, before the next provincial election in 2027. Swensrude noted the commission's proposal is to redraw districts and consolidate some central ridings. "That's because several of the inner city, central core neighbourhoods are not growing as fast as the ones on the (edge) of Edmonton," she said.

Male noted one of the proposed new ridings, Edmonton West Enoch, is particularly interesting.

"This one's urban, rural, and Indigenous (folks) all together into one," he said. He added the report's authors noted that many Albertans are against so-called hybrid ridings where rural and urban constituents are mixed together.

The Oct. 31 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast also includes discussion of a post from former mayor Don Iveson, the end of the teachers' strike, and more. Listening and subscription options are all right here.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Clean Air Forum 2025: Clean Air, Thriving Communities starting at 9am at Strathcona Community Centre and County Hall
• Multi-Employer Job Fair starting at 10am at Chateau Louis Conference Centre
• Ed Talks - Thriving Through Change starting at 1pm at The Edmonton Construction Association
• Alberta Block Sub-penthouse tour & Homestead Co-op Info Session starting at 3:30pm at Alberta Block
• Equity Isn't Extra: Why Inclusion is Essential starting at 5:30pm at University of Alberta (Donadeo Innovation Centre For Engineering)
• A Sichel Wine Tasting starting at 6pm at Sherbrooke Liquor (St. Albert Trail)
• On Women, On the Land starting at 6:30pm at St. Albert Public Library (downtown)
• Hollerado starting at 7pm at The Aviary
• Friends of the Library meeting starting at 7pm Spruce Grove Public Library (Central Branch)
• Tuesday Jam Hosted by The Worst Pop Band Ever starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 10: Sakihta Kikinaw — Women's Flexible Housing online
• Nov. 13: Building Community In and Around Affordable Housing online
• Nov. 15: Community Regeneration Conference - By Dr. Ronald Pate at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse

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.

You can find news about local businesses like those mentioned in 1-Down and 4-Down in the Business Roundup.