The Pulse: Jan. 30, 2026

The City of Edmonton is inviting feedback until Feb. 8 on the draft design for neighbourhood renewal in Wîhkwêntôwin, which could see several new active transportation routes and changes to make the area more friendly to pedestrians.

The renewal process is intended to bring the infrastructure of a neighbourhood up to current city standards, with the capacity to serve for the next 30 to 50 years. Wîhkwêntôwin is Edmonton's most populous and densest neighbourhood, with a greater than average share of residents who rely on walking or transit to get around. Public engagement has gone through several stages, and the community is now invited to offer feedback to refine the plan.

The proposed changes — which are said to take into account the Valley Line West LRT, Imagine Jasper Avenue, and alley renewal along 124 Street — are intended to "create safe spaces for all modes of transportation," says a video on the draft design. A traffic analysis of the draft design predicts "a potential increase in travel time for people driving of up to 90 seconds, and a reduction in travel time and improved safety for people walking and biking."

Still, the Edmonton Bike Coalition wrote that some of the most ambitious ideas in previous draft designs were watered down or replaced with compromises that prioritize vehicles over active transportation. The group contends the design leans too heavily on local street bikeways, which don't offer protection or separation from vehicles, and shared-use paths, which create conflicts between people walking, rolling, and cycling.

The online survey is open until Feb. 8. There will also be a drop-in event with the project team on Jan. 31 at Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ School.

• The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters is urging residents to show support for shelters throughout February with its provincewide Love a Shelter campaign. The initiative aims to make residents of women's shelters feel "seen, valued, and not alone" by encouraging the public to send Valentine's Day cards and make donations.
• Edmonton resident Quinn Marcacinni, who has a spinal disability, was denied Dedicated Accessible Transit Service (DATS) last week because snow windrows outside his west Edmonton home prevented the bus ramp from deploying. Marcacinni filed complaints with the City of Edmonton over the denial. Edmonton Transit Service paratransit manager Paul Schmold said the service did not receive any reports from operators or clients about refusal of service due to conditions, but said in such cases "DATS staff are deployed to assess the safety of the location, and work with clients, caregivers or facility staff to address the safety hazard, so service can resume as quickly as possible."
• Alberta's 9,000 unionized provincial employees are planning a "brown bag protest" as they return to full-time office work this weekend. Bobby-Joe Borodey, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), said workers will place bags with "Hybrid work tastes better" notes on desks, symbolizing pushback against the government's October 2025 decision. AUPE argues the move stems from a desire to revitalize businesses, while the provincial government said the return to office work would strengthen collaboration and service delivery for Albertans.
• The Edmonton Police Service investigated a weapons complaint at West Edmonton Mall on Jan. 29, after reports that a man discharged what appeared to be a firearm at another person in the Bourbon Street area around 12:24pm. The mall was placed on a brief lockdown, which was lifted by 1:45pm, with no injuries reported. Police continue to investigate the incident.
• The Alberta government will introduce new rules on April 1 to curb predatory towing practices. These regulations require tow truck drivers to disclose all towing and storage costs and obtain consent before towing, with penalties up to $300,000 or two years in jail for violations. Additionally, drivers must use the most direct route and provide itemized invoices. The province said these rules aim to hold operators accountable and ensure fairness for Albertans.
• First Nations chiefs from Treaties 6, 7, and 8, during a meeting at the west Edmonton office of Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta on Jan. 29, rejected claims by separatist lawyer Jeffrey Rath that Indigenous people would be better off in an independent Alberta. During the meeting, several chiefs also spoke about how the effort to collect signatures to trigger a referendum on Alberta's separation is contributing to racial tensions in the province. Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, the Blackfoot Confederacy, and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation have launched lawsuits against the petition and the province's Bill 14.
• The Edmonton Elks signed wide receiver Austin Mack to a two-year deal ahead of CFL Free Agency. Mack played a key role in the Montreal Alouettes' 2023 Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg, contributing 103 yards and a touchdown. He previously had stints with the New York Giants and other NFL teams. The Elks also announced they have extended defensive lineman Jared Brinkman through the 2027 season. Brinkman, entering his second season with the Elks, achieved career highs in 2025 with 16 games played, 23 defensive tackles, and two sacks. He previously played three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, winning two Grey Cups in 2022 and 2024.

On this day in 1935, tensions were rising between Edmonton's mayor and the province over food relief during the Great Depression.

The dispute concerned 14 single men who had been cut off from the province's aid program due to "alleged agitation." In response, then-mayor Joseph Clarke stepped in, demanding that the men be fed and housed for the next few days on the city's dime.

This didn't go over well with the chairman of the relief commission, who said it would lead to more single, unemployed men swamping Edmonton.

Officials may have been wary of an influx of needy men because of memories of 1932, when thousands of farmers, industrial workers, and others gathered in Edmonton to demand more relief from the provincial government. The Hunger March, as it was called, began in the city's market square (where Churchill Square now is), with the intent of marching down to the legislature, despite being denied a parade permit by the city. The marchers set out anyway, soon finding themselves in a fierce fight with police armed with truncheons and mounted on horseback. Eventually, representatives of the marchers were able to meet with Premier John Brownlee, who dismissed their demands. Plans for a second strike were crushed when police raided the headquarters of the organizers a few days later. Dozens of the demonstrators were arrested and tried.

It might be odd that the emphasis was on single men, but at the time, that was an important distinction. During the Depression, every level of government invested in make-work projects and relief programs in the face of devastating unemployment. But the need far outweighed the investment — by 1933, an estimated 25% of Edmonton's working population was unemployed, with about 13% on some sort of relief. What resources were available were largely reserved for married men, who were seen as the primary breadwinners for their families. In 1929, the city commission said Edmonton's emergency relief programs were "for unemployed married men who are bona fide residents," adding that "the city is not in a position to consider others."

For those without families, the message was clear: Leave the city. Some left to scratch out subsistence farms outside of the city limits. For others, their best hope was the remote work camps set up by the federal government, which offered room, board, and a meagre wage. Alberta was the site of three major camps, including ones in Elk Island and Jasper national parks. Since Edmonton was a major rail hub at the time, many of the men travelling to the camps would pass through the city, often riding on the tops of trains when they couldn't pay the fare.

Some of those who chose to stay in the city found shelter wherever they could, including among the trash heaps at the Grierson Dump. The small shanty town eventually grew to about 60 residents, many of them unmarried men who were unwilling or unable to take work placements on farms and work camps. City officials were constantly concerned about the public health risks surrounding the settlement, which saw a couple of outbreaks of typhoid fever. The residents were eventually evicted, and the houses were bulldozed.

The Great Depression might be history at this point, but hunger in Edmonton remains a pressing concern. In 1981, Edmonton's Food Bank opened as the first food bank in the country. In recent years, the problem has grown, with the Food Bank seeing increased demand and not enough donations to keep up. The organization announced that it recently hit its monetary fundraising goal for its holiday campaign, but fell about 20% short of its goal for food donations.

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.

• Jan. 30: A Soirée for Creators and Entrepreneurs starting at 6pm at ArtsHub Ortona
• Jan. 30: Rising Through the Fray starting at 7pm at Garneau Theatre
• Jan. 30: A Taste of Italy starting at 7pm at Cask and Barrel
• Jan. 30: Tamar Ilana & Ventanas starting at 7:30pm at Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts
• Jan. 30: Shoes That Fit starting at 8pm at Westbury Theatre
• Jan. 30-Feb. 1: Global Game Jam at Edmonton Unlimited
• Until Jan. 31: Flying Canoe Volant in Mill Creek Ravine
• Jan. 31: Waffle Bird Drag Brunch Hosted by Gogo Fetch starting at 10:30am at Waffle Bird
• Jan. 31: The Great Housing Debates: Lessons from Calgary City Hall with former Councillor Courtney Walcott starting at 4pm
• Jan. 31: Safe & Sweet: A Celiac Community Night starting at 5:30pm at Sweet Castle Bakery
• Jan. 31: Vibro-Playground Fundraising Party starting at 6pm at Latitude 53 Gallery
• Jan. 31: Annual Hearts Pageant: Love on Mars starting at 7pm at Norwood Legion
• Feb. 1: Central European Gems starting at 3pm at Robertson-Wesley United Church

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Feb. 9-13: Nonprofit Week at Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations
• Feb. 20: Chinese New Year Celebration – Year of the Horse at Northgate Lions Seniors Recreation Centre
• Feb. 28: Get Us Together Presents: Midnight Peg Album Release at The Aviary

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.

Did you miss a Mini this week? Find them all in the archive.