The Pulse: Dec. 17, 2025

Creating art with vulnerable Edmontonians doesn't tend to lead to massive transformation on its own, but positive changes do arise, says the first artist-in-residence for Boyle Street Community Services.

"It's lots of just little things, like people choosing to be around for their kids, feeling like they have a community to support that," said hip-hop artist, producer, and composer Kaz Curtis, who performs under the moniker Kaz Mega. "That community is something that holds everyone accountable, and not in ways where ... people are frowning at you, but just reasons to choose to be the best person you can be."

Curtis's 12-month residency, which started in the fall, is supported by Boyle Street and the Edmonton Arts Council. He was "the ideal choice for this residency" because of the creative way he combines hip-hop, teaching, and community care, the arts council's executive director, Renée Williams, said in a release.

The artist-in-residence program is "an exciting step for our organization," added Jordan Reiniger, executive director of Boyle Street Community Services, which officially opened okimaw peyesew kamik this week. The new facility at 10740 99 Street NW will be one of the spaces in which Curtis will practice.

"Access to creative expression and arts learning should be barrier-free, and we are thrilled to see the inspiration, growth, and community connection that Kaz's presence, talent, and vision will spark across our organization," Reiniger said earlier this year.

In his work with Boyle Street Community Services, Curtis visits sites around the city to provide whatever he senses is needed.

"Sometimes it's just to sit and be quiet, create, but a lot of times, as people start to see me, a lot of really good conversations come out of that," he told Taproot. "These spaces carry a lot of spiritual people, with a closer, more intimate relationship with spirituality, so I get to access that, and kind of intertwine that with art and creation."

• An Alberta clipper is set to bring blizzard conditions and heavy snow to Alberta on Dec. 17, with warnings issued across the Edmonton region and central Alberta. Environment Canada anticipates 10 to 20 centimetres of snow by Wednesday evening, leading to poor visibility and treacherous travel conditions. In Edmonton, temperatures will drop to -17 C, feeling like -27 C with the wind. A Phase 1 parking ban for arterial roads, bus routes, collector roads, and roads in business improvement areas, takes effect on Dec. 17 at 7pm as city crews prepared for heavy snowfall. The ban was implemented to better facilitate snow removal on city streets.
• Edmonton Coun. Jon Morgan is set to bring a motion to council on Dec. 17, seeking data to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced cleaning measures on all Edmonton Transit Service buses and LRTs. The permanent cleaning program, initially implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased social disorder, aims to create a more welcoming transit environment and address safety hazards. Steve Bradshaw, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, supports the cleanliness but emphasizes the need to tackle broader social disorder issues affecting transit systems.
• The Edmonton Police Service is supporting the City of Edmonton's move to reinstate photo radar. The police service emphasized the importance of this initiative, citing a need to "do better" in improving traffic safety within the city. "Unfortunately, it feels like because of the lack of consequences, people are choosing to drive more dangerously on our streets," Mayor Andrew Knack said.
• The City of Edmonton's local economy census revealed that small businesses drive nearly 97% of Edmonton's economy. This finding highlights the significant contribution of small enterprises to the city's economic landscape. According to the results, the largest sectors, including retail, services, accommodation/food, real estate/rental, and healthcare/social assistance, comprise 62% of businesses and 43% of jobs. Local post-secondary students conduct the annual census from May to August.
• The City of Edmonton received a national award from IAP2 Canada for its public engagement practices. The City said the recognition highlights years of work across municipal departments to build trust, foster inclusive engagement, and ensure Edmontonians have a meaningful voice in city decisions.
• Edmonton Public Schools' annual education results report shows significant declines in student satisfaction, impressions of education quality, and access to supports. Trustee Julie Kusiek noted 10 caveats from Alberta Education, including impacts from COVID-19, funding changes, new curriculum, and wildfires, complicating how the results are interpreted. Job action by support workers and changes to English as an additional language (EAL) student identification also affected the data. EAL students saw a 10-point drop in Grade 9 provincial achievement test acceptable grades and a nearly 15.4-point decrease in three-year high school completion rates.
• The University of Alberta Hospital opened its new Atrium space on Dec. 15. This $2.9-million project, funded entirely by donations, aims to provide a calming, peaceful area for staff, patients, visitors, and families away from the busy hospital environment. The space has been in development since 2001.
• The Alberta government followed through with plans to shut down a supervised drug consumption site located at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The province said the site will be replaced with a treatment-focused centre, but details on when that will become operational were not available.
• Skate Canada has cancelled events in Alberta, in response to the provincial government's new Fairness and Safety in Sport Act. The law bans transgender girls from amateur female sports, restricts gender-affirming care, and requires parental consent for name/pronoun changes in schools. The Alberta government, under Premier Danielle Smith, used the notwithstanding clause to prevent legal challenges to the legislation. This decision drew mixed public reactions and condemnation from groups like Egale Canada, which highlighted economic implications from event cancellations and privacy concerns for athletes subject to sex verification.
• The Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo) named Ray Gilmour as its permanent CEO on Dec. 16. Gilmour, formerly Alberta's deputy minister of executive council, became interim CEO on Nov. 8, 2024. This appointment follows a government shakeup initiated by Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner, which saw the previous board and CEO Evan Siddall removed due to concerns over rising costs and inadequate returns. Former prime minister Stephen Harper was appointed AIMCo's chair as part of the reorganization.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Christmas Community Coffee starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Festive Lunch Buffet starting at 11am at Chateau Lacombe Hotel
• 500 Tech Jobs: A Closer Look At Alberta's Hiring Companies starting at 12pm online
• Movie Afternoon starting at 12:30pm at Devon Public Library
• The Future of Tech Wednesdays in 2026 starting at 5:30pm at GRETA Bar YEG
• Beaded Snowflake Ornaments starting at 5:30pm at The Arts Foundry Downtown
• Library Board Meeting starting at 7pm at St. Albert Public Library (Downtown)

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Dec. 20: Celebrate the Season at Alberta Legislature
• Dec. 21: Ice Cream 101 at Made by Marcus
• Dec. 24: Felice Open Mic at Felice Cafe

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

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