The Pulse: Dec. 2, 2025

The owners of Duchess Bake Shop have purchased the building that's been their long-time headquarters on 124 Street, as well as an adjacent property, to allow for an ambitious renovation and consolidation project that's soon to be complete.

"When I conceived of Duchess, it was always going to be a long-term, permanent fixture of the city," co-founder and co-owner Garner Beggs told Taproot. "This is the culmination of a very long-term plan … It (was never intended to be) a startup that you start up and spin off and then run away."

In 2023, Beggs and his business partners, Ewa Jastrzebski and Jay Downton, purchased the main storefront that Duchess has rented since 2009. Then, about a year later, they purchased the building next door (Beggs said he was unable to provide sales figures for the deals). The adjoined properties have roughly doubled Duchess's interior space.

Beggs and his team are now midway through renovating that space to consolidate its bakery and café, its retail offerings for home bakers, and its production and teaching kitchen all under a shared roof. The company's retail and kitchen operations have been previously housed at a building a few blocks away.

Since the acquisitions, the Duchess team has remodelled the main dining area, and will next open a new section for retail products in mid-December. The south addition has a basement that Beggs said will eventually become an event space. The dual-purpose kitchen, meanwhile, will open in January.

Each phase of the renovation represents one part of Duchess's "three-legged" model, which Beggs said aims to inspire Edmontonians to expect better.

"I think the stronger a food culture you have, the stronger and better your culture is — period. That was the thing I wanted to focus on with the company," Beggs said. "A huge element of that is just (sharing) the knowledge of it … I think people then expect more. If you go to some giant chain store, and you're paying $10 for a rock-hard, garbage scone, people know that that's not how it's supposed to be. That was kind of the 'grand why' (behind Duchess)."

• Five years after Edmonton made parking optional for infill developments, some developers report difficulty renting units without parking, causing some banks to tighten financing for such projects, especially if they are not near public transit, Postmedia reported. While some residents express anger over large infills affecting existing homes, Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson said it empowers Edmontonians to choose parking based on their needs, citing examples like an Inglewood duplex where car ownership varies.
• Edmonton city council is considering reintroducing physical parking kiosks during its 2026 budget talks, just months after removing the last units and switching to mobile-only payments via the HotSpot app. The previous move aimed to save taxpayer money, but bringing back kiosks could cost approximately $2.8 million for fewer machines. Edmontonians have mixed opinions, with some preferring the app's convenience, while others, including seniors and those with accessibility issues, find physical kiosks easier. Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged concerns and suggested app improvements, such as banking unused parking time.
• Edmonton Transit Service will discontinue accepting paper tickets in 2026. The change marks a full transition to the Arc for transit fare payment in Edmonton.
• Edmonton's Food Bank and its volunteers are preparing for a busy holiday season due to increasing demand for food hampers. Tamisan Benz Knight of the food bank said that an average of 43,000 people request hampers monthly. The organization emphasized the need for donations of food, funds, or volunteer time to help meet its goals of 300,000 kilograms of food and $4.5 million.
• The new Alberta Police Review Commission launched on Dec. 1, aiming to enhance transparency and speed up police complaint investigations across the province. The province said the commission will absorb the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team and replace municipal police professional standards branches. It will oversee the entire police complaint and investigation process, along with disciplinary hearings for municipal and First Nations police services. Interim CEO Michael Ewenson said the commission will provide liaisons to inform families about case statuses.
• Elections Alberta verified nearly 405,000 signatures for the "Alberta Forever Canada" petition, exceeding the 294,000 threshold. Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk launched the initiative to affirm Alberta's place in Confederation and counter separatist movements, such as the Alberta Prosperity Project. The petition asks if Alberta should remain within Canada, setting the stage for a government committee to decide if the issue will be addressed by MLAs or put to a provincewide referendum.
• The Edmonton Elks signed defensive lineman Noah Taylor to a contract extension after a strong 2025 season. Taylor played all 18 games and matched the team lead with four sacks, adding 26 defensive tackles. The Maryland native joined Edmonton as a free agent in mid-2024 and has since become a key part of the pass rush.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• A Novel Gathering starting at 10:30am at Spruce Grove Public Library (Central Branch)
• Holiday Magic starting at 11am at Edmonton City Hall
• Top Gunn 2: A Supersonic Spoof starting at 11am at Jubilations Dinner Theatre
• Investing in Alberta's Manufacturing Future starting at 1pm at Westin Edmonton
• Torskeklubben starting at 6pm at Chateau Nova Yellowhead
• Fort Saskatchewan Writers' Group starting at 6:30pm at Fort Saskatchewan Public Library
• Sales Management Bootcamp: from Pipeline to Profit starting at 6:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Minnesota Wild at Edmonton Oilers starting at 7pm at Rogers Place
• Book Launch: Betty Jane Hegerat starting at 7pm at Audreys Books
• Serena Ryder starting at 7:30pm at Winspear Centre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Dec. 5: Founder Fridays online
• Dec. 10: Intentional Discussions with Entrepreneurs from across Alberta Series online
• Dec. 15: The Vox Collective: Sing Your Heart Out at Garneau Theatre

Visit 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.

This is the second of a trio of Taproot Minis constructed by Jeff Nachtigall, a new puzzle-maker and an old friend of Taproot.