The Pulse: Nov. 17, 2025

This week, Edmonton's new city council is scheduled to hold its first public hearing of the term to consider rezoning applications, and discuss partnerships with the private sector.

There is an orientation meeting scheduled for Nov. 17, a council meeting scheduled for Nov. 18, and a public hearing scheduled for Nov. 19.

• Administration is scheduled to give presentations on the following topics on Nov. 17 and 18: The city structure, city culture, and City Plan; the fundamentals of finance, taxation, and reporting; and growth planning.
• The Canada Palestine Cultural Association's Edmonton chapter has applied to rezone its building located in the Peter Lougheed Multicultural Village to allow for childcare, food and drink services, and limited retail. The CPCA building is located at 13312 142 Street NW, next to several other community centres such as the Italian Cultural Centre, the Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara of Alberta, the Hindu Society of Alberta, the Jain Society of Alberta, and Chrysalis: An Alberta Society for Citizens with Disabilities.
• Council will consider a report that proposes more city partnerships with the private sector to build future infrastructure, including arenas and libraries, on Nov. 18. The strategy aims to address the city's growing population and challenges in maintaining and expanding needed facilities. Administration identified the Woodcroft Library renewal, Cumberland Fire Station, Windermere North Transit Centre, and various arenas as potential collaboration projects.
• MJD Childcare has proposed to rezone a site that's home to Elks Lodge No. 11, which the Elks of Canada fraternity organization established around 1959. The lot is located at 11823 129 Avenue NW, kitty-corner to a commercial area. MJD Childcare proposes to rezone the lot from the small-scale residential zone to the neighbourhood mixed-use zone, which would allow for a multi-unit, mixed-use building of up to four storeys.
• Council is scheduled to review a rezoning application for two houses located at 10421 and 10417 70 Avenue NW, respectively, in the Allendale neighbourhood. Polar White Investments has proposed the land be rezoned as the medium-scale residential zone, which would allow for a building of up to four storeys and limited community and commercial uses. Three people expressed opposition to the application, suggesting a four storey building would be too tall, and that the development would lead to parking and traffic congestion. Administration said it supports the application because a four-storey building would act as a transition at this location.
• A landowner has applied to rezone a property in Belvedere at the corner of 66 Street NW and 134 Avenue NW to allow for a building of up to four storeys. Administration said it supports the application because it will add additional density on a corner of an arterial and collector roadway. Twelve residents expressed opposition to the application, noting the potential impacts on the long-term residential rental tenants who live on the existing site, the report said.
• Council will receive a private update on intergovernmental relations and on procurement at a meeting on Nov. 18.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

• The City of Edmonton is developing a new city initiative to fast-track infill projects, particularly multiplexes, under its new zoning bylaw that allows automatic approvals. Despite lobbying efforts from groups like Edmonton Neighbourhoods United and attempts by residents in areas such as Crestwood and Glenora to enact restrictive covenants, Edmonton voters re-elected most city council incumbents and Andrew Knack as mayor, signalling continued support for infill. A City of Edmonton official acknowledged residents' concerns but stressed infill's necessity for housing.
• Tim Cartmell, co-founder and former mayoral candidate for the Better Edmonton party, announced his departure from the party on Nov. 14. Cartmell, who previously served eight years as an Edmonton city councillor, co-founded the party for the October municipal election. His departure follows two of the three councillors elected under the Better Edmonton banner, Mike Elliott and Reed Clarke, who also left the party last week.
• Jasper Avenue fully reopened from 114 Street to 117 Street on Nov. 15 as the first stage of the Imagine Jasper Avenue Phase 2 project wraps up. While all lanes will be available, intermittent single-lane closures during off-peak hours will continue for two weeks to finish installing new street lights. Stage 1 brought upgraded sidewalks, reconstructed roadways, better pedestrian crossings, and improved transit access. Work on the next section, from 117 Street to 121 Street, is scheduled to resume in spring 2026.
• Postmedia opinion columnist Keith Gerein discussed the federal budget's implications for Edmonton in his latest article, noting its $51 billion commitment over more than 10 years for urban infrastructure, including housing-related projects, and post-secondary institutions. Gerein wrote that there is hope the funding will benefit the University of Alberta, MacEwan University, and NAIT, as Edmonton seeks greater municipal empowerment. Mayor Andrew Knack had a lukewarm reaction to the budget, emphasizing the need for a substantially larger, stable, and consistent pool of funding for Canadian cities instead of project-specific grants.
• A 58-year-old woman walking her dog died after being struck by a person driving a 2024 Nissan Rogue while crossing at a marked crosswalk with her dog in north Edmonton on Nov. 15. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said it happened at 8:57am at 153 Avenue and 82 Street when the 36-year-old woman driving the SUV turned left and hit the pedestrian. The woman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and later died. Her dog was found and returned. EPS confirmed this is the 30th traffic fatality of 2025.
• An inner-city tuberculosis outbreak in Edmonton poses little risk to the general public, according to Ryan Cooper, head of Alberta's tuberculosis clinic. Declared internally in October and publicized on Nov. 13, the outbreak is concentrated in the inner city among people who are experiencing homelessness. Health officials identified 12 cases connected to central Edmonton, with three sharing the same strain. The province said it is working with partners to provide primary care resources to shelters, while the City of Edmonton is helping.
• Postmedia profiled the Alberta Sheriffs' Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, which works to shut down drug houses by focusing on problem properties rather than individuals. In Edmonton, the unit recently secured a 90-day closure order for a property at 6707 32 Avenue NW, effective July 10. While effective in holding landlords accountable, and reducing local harms, the program often displaces drug activity and vulnerable tenants without support, warned Canada's Federal Housing Advocate. Since 2008, SCAN has investigated more than 10,000 properties across Alberta.
• The Edmonton Police Service confirmed that Luzia Tome, a 79-year-old senior with dementia, was found safe and unharmed on Nov. 12. Tome had been reported missing after last being seen at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Police had expressed concern for her well-being due to her dementia.
• Ongoing mediation between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta has resulted in recommended terms of settlement for a new collective agreement. Both parties have agreed to bring the mediator's recommendations forward for a ratification vote in the coming days.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Second Chances: How Preloved Furniture Transforms Lives starting at 12pm online
• Supportive Housing Visit starting at 12pm at Sandy's Place
• New Wave Documentary - English-language, Vietnamese-centered story starting at 6pm at NAIT Shaw Theatre
• Trans Visibility in Engineering: Stories, Struggles, & Strength starting at 6pm at University of Alberta (Donadeo Innovation Centre For Engineering)
• Audreys Genre Book Club starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nerd Nite Edmonton #90: Space, Community, and Alternate History at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• Blatchford Boogie Woogie at Alberta Aviation Museum
• Stuff A Bus at various Save-On-Foods locations

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

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