The Pulse
Feb. 4, 2026

A bakery and baking school in Bonnie Doon could be one of the first commercial establishments to open within a mature residential neighbourhood under Edmonton's renewed zoning bylaw, more than two years after the overhaul made such developments easier.

The bylaw, which went into effect in January 2024, has delivered on its goal of adding more housing through infill development. But another major goal — to encourage everyday services such as cafés, shops, and small businesses within walking distance — has been slower to materialize.

City administration told Taproot it has issued a development permit at 8820C 92 Street NW to convert the main floor of a house to a bakery and commercial baking school, and to convert the garage into a commercial kitchen. The owner doesn't have a building permit or business licence yet. The property in the French Quarter is zoned small-scale residential (RS) and is adjacent to another commercial building with a café from The Colombian. It's in the vicinity of a small node of non-residential buildings, including Duggan's Boundary Irish Pub and Café Bicyclette.

Lisa Drury, a senior planner with the City of Edmonton, said the potential new bakery is exactly the sort of development city planners hoped to incentivize with the new zoning bylaw.

"There's already neighbourhood commercial activity happening, and it's kind of a natural progression where we're seeing a new commercial opportunity occur with residential," Drury said. "They didn't have to rezone to get these permissions, and their development permit is under their existing zoning."

The updated bylaw makes it easier to open commercial spaces in residential areas by reducing and broadening land‑use categories. Under the previous system, business owners often had to seek rezoning or change‑of‑use permits for relatively small shifts in activity. For example, a clothing store switching from selling new items to secondhand goods required a separate approval. "Now, with the new zoning bylaw, because we have these broader use categories, you wouldn't have to do that," Drury said.

The RS zone, which applies to most of Edmonton's mature neighbourhoods, allows for restaurants, cafés, dental offices, retail stores, hair salons, and offices on some lots within residential areas, in addition to up to eight housing units on a typical lot (which has drawn the ire of some). The zone prohibits outdoor speakers and storage, and caps the size of a restaurant patio to 20 square metres. The bakery in the works "really reflects how the regulations in the RS zone have allowed that sensitive development of commercial to occur within the neighbourhood," Drury said.

This streamlining was a main selling point of the new zoning bylaw when administration was educating residents before it was implemented. A public engagement video from late 2023 said the zoning bylaw renewal initiative would make it a lot easier for a small convenience store or coffee shop to open within a residential neighbourhood. But Drury said this bakery, should it open, will be the first food service establishment in the RS zone, more than two years after the new zoning bylaw went into effect.

Drury said slower-than-expected uptake may reflect market dynamics more than zoning constraints.

"The zoning bylaw enables opportunities for commercial, but a lot of it is guided by the demand," Drury said. "The zoning bylaw is trying to enable and encourage those kinds of uses. However, if that demand is not there, maybe that's part of what we're seeing. Obviously, I can't say that for certain, but I do think that's part of the conversation."

• The City of Edmonton has awarded Hyundai Rotem a second contract to provide light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the city's Metro Line and Capital Line expansions. The agreement for 32 LRVs builds on Hyundai Rotem's existing partnership with Edmonton, facilitating the ongoing growth and development of the city's LRT network. In 2021, Hyundai Rotem signed a contract with the City to provide 46 LRVs for the Valley Line West LRT project.
• Edmonton city council approved zoning changes at Century Park to allow on-street parking in front of a planned retail development. Developers argued the move is key to attracting tenants and making street-level shops viable. The K&H Developments project includes about 12 condo towers with retail on the former LRT park-and-ride site. A housing advocate at the meeting supported density near transit but said pedestrian-focused streets are more vibrant. Councillors approved the changes, saying the city must work within what developers can deliver.
• The City of Edmonton revealed the recipients of the 2026 Black History Month Initiative Fund during an event at City Hall on Feb. 2. The Congress of Black Women of Canada – Edmonton Chapter was among the recipients. The City partnered with the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Heritage Council to create the fund, which is managed by the Africa Centre, in 2024.
• The in-hospital registered midwifery program at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton will continue offering 12-hour day shifts, seven days a week, after talks between the Association of Alberta Midwives and Primary Care Alberta prevented a full transition of services to Fort Saskatchewan. While the hospital previously offered 24/7 support, midwives involved in that program have now transitioned to Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital, providing 24/7 low-risk maternity care for communities in the east Edmonton corridor and surrounding rural areas.
• An opinion piece in Postmedia by Alvin Ntibinyane, an assistant professor at MacEwan University, argues that focusing on Black inclusion solely during Black History Month creates a "February Trap," where visibility doesn't translate into real power. Recalling Lulu Anderson's 1922 lawsuit after being denied entry to the Metropolitan Theatre in Edmonton, Ntibinyane notes that while overt segregation ended, Black Edmontonians still face barriers to leadership. Despite making up 5.7% of Edmonton's population, they hold only 1.1% of senior management roles, according to a 2024 report.
• Premier Danielle Smith said that Alberta will withhold funding for new judicial appointments until Ottawa allows the province a formal role in selecting judges for Alberta's courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith proposed a special advisory committee with provincial appointees, arguing it would strengthen public confidence and better reflect Albertan values. She also urged relaxing bilingualism requirements. Shawn King of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association warned this ultimatum could "implode" the justice system, causing catastrophic delays.
• Alberta's governing United Conservative Party raised more than $9.3 million in 2025, while the Opposition NDP raised $6.3 million, Postmedia reported. Dustin van Vugt of the UCP attributed its success to a strong message and noted it was a record for any Alberta political party in a non-election year. A late 2025 increase for the UCP was partly due to the reversal of the ban on union and corporate contributions. Heather Wilson of the NDP said the party relied on individual contributions and had its best fourth quarter.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• ULI Alberta Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 starting at 7:30pm at JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
• Interfaith Breakfast: Belonging in a Time of Uncertainty starting at 9am at The University Club
• Community Coffee Takeover: PCL starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Tours for Tots - Tied Together starting at 10am at Art Gallery of Alberta
• AgeTech for Aging in Place – A Standards-Based Approach to Inclusive, Secure, and Scalable Innovation starting at 12pm online
• Inn Echo starting at 2pm at Arden Theatre
• Wildfire Festival: Wildfire Junior starting at 5:30pm at Rapid Fire Exchange
• University of Alberta-Augustana vs. NAIT Men's Ooks starting at 6pm at NAIT
• VERS/E: A Queer Poetry Reading Series + Open Mic starting at 6pm at Felice Cafe
• CHCP & EPL + The Kitchen: Beef and Vegetable Macaroni starting at 6pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Film Screening: Stop Filming Us starting at 6:15pm at Garneau Theatre
• Wildfire Festival: Nosebowl TheatreSports Tournament starting at 8pm at Rapid Fire Exchange

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Feb. 12: Solving the Canadian ScaleUP Gap at Fu's Repair Shop
• Feb. 19: Soprano Book Club at Audreys Books
• Feb. 24: Mental Health Foundation Annual Fundraising Breakfast at Edmonton Convention Centre

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

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