The Pulse: March 3, 2026

Colliers is adding a conference centre and other amenities to ATB Place in an effort to lure more people downtown and provide a better experience for tenants.

"Large complexes need to invest in the overall occupant experience to encourage things like return to office, to make it compelling to come out of your studio apartment in downtown Edmonton and come and interact with the people that you work with at a more casual level," said Brad Merchant, senior vice-president of asset management for Colliers, which manages the complex at the corner of Jasper Avenue and 100 Street.

The ATB Place Reimagined project will replace the building's current conference centre with a larger one that can accommodate 200 people or more. Food and beverage options and a new fitness facility with added bike lock-ups will also be added, Merchant told Taproot, and the main entrance will see a refresh. The improvements are intended to enhance the complex's accessibility and sustainability, the project page says.

The point is not merely to draw more people downtown during office hours, Merchant added.

"We also have a vision to make our complex as compelling from 5pm to 9pm as it is from 9am to 5pm," he said. "We really anchor what would be the south side of the downtown and core, immediately adjacent to the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald and within a block of the Edmonton Convention Centre, among all the other neighbours … As we see more and more team members coming back to work in the office, let's give them an opportunity to hang around for a meet-and-greet with friends and colleagues after work, as well."

ATB Place consists of the tower by that name at 10025 Jasper Avenue NW and TELUS House at 10020 Jasper Avenue NW. They were completed in 1969 and 1971, respectively, and Merchant said they were ahead of their time in offering amenities such as a food court, a fitness facility, and ground-floor retail.

"This complex really pioneered what we are seeing in current thinking around office complexes and amenitization so long before it was in vogue," he said. "Now, it's become almost table stakes."

The renovation project is scheduled to be completed in 2027. The overarching name for the two towers will then be 100 Jasper, though ATB and TELUS's branding will remain. (ATB renewed its lease through 2034 last year.)

"We felt that with some of the changes to the tenancy mix here at the building, we want to claim 100 Jasper as our home," Merchant said. "It's a bit of a sub-brand, if you will. It's 'ATB Place at 100 Jasper,' but that's a mouthful. The general public is just always going to call it ATB Place. That's the fact of the matter."

• The City of Edmonton paused some bylaw complaint services following widespread non-compliance with a residential parking ban, with only 10% of people moving their vehicles. This prompted the city to reallocate three bylaw officers and hire six more to issue tickets. Mayor Andrew Knack and Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette emphasized the need for more aggressive penalties, including towing, to improve snow-clearing quality, address accessibility and safety issues, and ensure compliance. Edmonton residents that CBC News spoke to generally supported towing as an effective deterrent.
• Covenant Health is touring Alberta to host engagement sessions aimed at better understanding the needs and concerns of Indigenous patients. Officials say participants frequently raise issues of racism and limited access to care in remote communities. The organization plans to compile feedback into a report that will guide the development of an Indigenous health plan by the end of the year.
• Alberta is considering making daylight time permanent, following British Columbia's decision to remain on daylight saving time year-round after clocks change March 8. Premier Danielle Smith's office noted that with both B.C. and Saskatchewan now foregoing seasonal time changes, Alberta will evaluate a similar move to create consistency across western provinces. In 2021, Albertans narrowly rejected a referendum to adopt year-round daylight saving time by a 50.24% to 49.76% margin. The referendum did not offer the option of permanent standard time. Clocks in Alberta are scheduled to spring forward on March 8 and fall back on Nov. 1.
• Howie Draper is retiring after nearly three decades as head coach of the University of Alberta Pandas women's hockey team. Draper began as coach in 1997, leading the Pandas to 15 Canada West and eight national titles over his career, recording a school-best 465 conference wins. Draper also won four national coach of the year awards and briefly coached the New York Sirens in the Professional Women's Hockey League. The university will begin searching for his replacement this spring.
• The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenceman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick. Chicago will retain 50% of Murphy's $4.4 million contract. The 32-year-old, who has played 805 NHL games, recorded four goals and nine assists in 60 games this season with Chicago, where he led defenders in blocked shots.
• The Edmonton Oilers have recalled forwards Josh Samanski and Isaac Howard from the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors. The Oilers also assigned forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenceman Alec Regula to the Condors after they cleared waivers, and placed forward Mattias Janmark on long-term injured reserve.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Brand Strategy Workshop: Crafting a Brand That Builds Real Business Value starting at 8:30am at Supreme Steel in Acheson
• Trini Street Food Pop-Up starting at 11am at O-day'min Park Pavilion
• MIT REAP Town Hall starting at 4:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Build, Test & Learn Session 4: Building Fast with AI starting at 6pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Curious Brews starting at 6pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
• Let's Find Out: About The Whale Society of Edmonton starting at 6:30pm at City of Edmonton Archives
• Thoughtful Tuesday - Push: The Film starting at 6:30pm at Earth's Refillery Coop
• I Meant What I Said starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 12: Start Your Engine: Adding an Advisory Board for Growth at Edmonton Unlimited
• March 18: Venture Pilots: Built World Tech Showcase at Edmonton Unlimited
• March 21: Love Pro Wrestling: Four Year Anniversary Event at The Rec Room (South Common)

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. He holds the all-time record for referring people to Taproot. Try to catch him by using the referral code at the bottom of The Pulse in your inbox!