The Pulse: March 2, 2026

This week, councillors will begin hearing presentations about the 2027-2030 budget, review a new attainable housing incentive, and get an update on the Chinatown Strategy.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on March 2, an urban planning committee meeting on March 3, an executive committee meeting on March 4, and a special city council meeting on March 5 and 6.

Here are some key items on the agenda:

• City departments will begin delivering presentations at a special city council meeting on March 5 and 6 as part of the new results-based budget process. Staff will present an overview of the branch with a line-by-line budget and information on the funding model, key drivers of cost increases, structural budget variances, staffing composition, outputs and deliverables, services and service levels, benchmark comparisons with other municipalities, and audit information, where applicable. The presentations are expected to continue throughout March and will give council an overview of department and branch budgets before it decides on the four-year budget in December.
• Council's executive committee will review the Downtown Attainable Housing Incentive, which is expected to fund between 570 and 850 units fixed at 30% of Edmonton's median renter income. The incentive would be funded through the extended downtown community revitalization levy and is structured as a 10-year tax rebate. Applicants are required to construct a new rental building with at least 25% of units meeting the attainable housing criteria for at least 10 years. Executive committee is expected to recommend a course of action to council, which will make the final decision at a future meeting.
• Executive committee will review a report weighing the benefits and drawbacks of selling a parcel of land in the Edmonton Research Park to Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation for a nominal fee. API leased two parcels from the city for $1 starting in 2023, and has requested an unconditional nominal-value land sale without development timelines to help it obtain financing to complete its new facility. The sale would increase property tax revenue for the city, help remove barriers to research-intensive economic development, and finalize the sale or lease of the last parcel of city-owned land in the research park. However, the report said, the sale comes with reputational risk and creates preferential treatment within the city's biotechnology leasing program.
• Construction of the new Harbin Gate in Chinatown is expected to begin soon, according to an annual update on the city's Chinatown Strategy. The previous gate was removed in 2017 during construction of the Valley Line Southeast LRT. The new gate will be built on 97 Street between Jasper Avenue and 101A Avenue, where the original Chinatown began. Administration said the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative is working with the University of Alberta to create a tourism strategy for the neighbourhood. The report also highlights achievements from 2025. The city renovated Mary Burlie Park, worked with the Chinatown Business Improvement Association to retain businesses, and advanced neighbourhood renewal with a focus on walkability, accessibility, and streetscape quality. Executive committee will review the update on March 4. Applications for the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund closed on Feb. 28. Council has directed administration to bring options for extending the fund to the 2027-2030 budget deliberations in December.

• Edmonton city council approved four strategic priorities for its current four-year term during an in camera meeting on Feb. 20. The priorities are economic development, growth management, quality services, and safety. Three guiding principles — affordability, fiscal sustainability, and relationship-driven — were also established. Mayor Andrew Knack said the approach aims to restructure the city's budget and prevent distractions from day-to-day concerns. "It was just making sure that we were thoughtful about identifying what Edmontonians told us loud and clear," he said.
• A rare total lunar eclipse will be visible over Edmonton early on March 3. Also known as a blood moon, it is the only total lunar eclipse visible from the region this year. Frank Florian of the TELUS World of Science - Edmonton said a partial eclipse will begin around 2:50am, with totality lasting about half an hour from 4:04am. The science centre will hold a free public viewing at its observatory, which opens at 2am. The next total lunar eclipse visible in Edmonton won't be until June 25, 2029.
• Some members of Edmonton's Iranian community expressed hope after United States and Israeli strikes in Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. More than 200 people rallied in downtown Edmonton supporting regime change on March 1. Payman Parseyan, former president of the Iranian Heritage Society of Edmonton, expressed a newfound hope, while Behnam Arbabi, who owns Lotus House of Kabob, said that his family members in Iran want a better life. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand backed the military action but confirmed that Canada is not participating.
• CBC News profiled the Skillcity Institute in Edmonton, which helps marginalized newcomers and youth forge meaningful careers. The non-profit, operating from the Clareview Recreation Centre, has supported more than 6,000 people over the past decade, including 4,260 who found employment or additional training.
• Edmonton Police Service officers joined more than 100 participants at Summerside Lake on March 1 for the annual Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics Alberta. The event raised funds and awareness for inclusive sport programs. The money will provide training, competition opportunities, and leadership programming for more than 3,000 athletes living with cognitive challenges across Alberta.
• The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs of Treaty No. 6, Treaty No. 7, and Treaty No. 8 unanimously passed a vote of non-confidence in the United Conservative Party government on Feb. 26 during a meeting at the River Cree Resort in Enoch. Chiefs cited the government's refusal to respect Treaty-based constitutional responsibilities, its perceived support for a separatist agenda, and what Treaty No. 6 First Nations Grand Chief Joey Pete described as "promoting ignorance and intolerance."
• Red Deer city council unanimously approved zoning for Project Nexus, a contentious permanent homeless shelter campus. The proposal, transforming a north-end warehouse into a centralized hub for shelter, health care, and social resources, followed a two-day public hearing on Feb. 25 and 26. The Red Deer Homeless Foundation will spearhead the project with Hope Mission.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Make Tax Time Pay starting at 3pm at Edmonton Public Library (Abbottsfield - Penny McKee)
• The $0 Go-To-Market Plan: How to find your first paying customers starting at 6pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Come ye, and behold, as we assuredly DIE-NASTY starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 10: More Than Just a Bad Day – Understanding Depression online
• March 12: Start Your Engine: Adding an Advisory Board for Growth at Edmonton Unlimited
• March 15: Behind the Apron: Creative Sustenance with Titilope Sonuga at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)

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 week's puzzles were made by guest constructor Jeff Nachtigall. Enjoy!