The Pulse: May 7, 2026

Two people look to the right while seated on bleachers.

Investment in Fairly Staffing lets dental hygienist scale in a new way

May 7, 2026
By Colin Gallant

A former dental hygienist is scaling her staffing management company after she learned the hard way that things could be better — for her industry and others.

"I felt like I wasn't getting treated fairly," Aisha Abdul, founder of Fairly Staffing, said of her former life in a dental clinic. "Time off was very much capped, I felt like I wasn't getting paid what I deserved, and there was no flexibility in my schedule … So I quit my job at a time where it was very scary, because I was surrounded by people that were working at the same clinic for like 20 to 30 years."

Abdul then worked for temp agencies, but she found herself double-booked for shifts and facing other irritations. To solve the kinds of problems she was encountering, she started Fairly Staffing in 2022. It is a platform to allow dental clinics to fill vacancies more efficiently and to give freelance dental workers more freedom. The platform now serves 600 dental clinics with 3,000 dental temps. And it has features such as tools for payroll and tax reporting, as well as an AI-powered "career coach" and now pay advances for workers.

"I feel like I'm hitting two birds with one stone here," Abdul told Taproot. "It's not only empowering temps, but also helping out dental offices by adding so much more value than just, you know, 'Here's a temp for the day.'"

Four years later, she counts the Accelerate Fund as an investor. Fairly Staffing is among Scale Up Canada's Edmonton50 for 2026, a list that recognizes the city's most scalable (and thus investable) companies. Fairly was also among the top 20 companies pitching for investment at Startup TNT's latest Edmonton summit.

Hiring a CEO with a successful track record helped Abdul move Fairly Staffing to that next level.

"One of the things I brought on was a product focus — 'How do we evolve this?'" said Amir Reshef, who co-founded legaltech company DealCloser and served as CEO there until 2023. "I was able to bring with myself a network of investors from my first company that invested in Fairly. Raising money is a big aspect of a startup."

Reshef said the Accelerate Fund investment is helping Fairly Staffing go where it can capitalize on demand. Ontario is a particularly attractive opportunity because of its population size and its concentration of head offices for dental support organizations, which provide administrative support such as human resources to clinics.

"We want to move up into getting more dental support organizations (as clients)," he told Taproot. "We work with a lot of clinics that belong to DSOs, but we want to work more with the head office level," he said.

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Headlines: May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026
By Mariam Ibrahim

The City of Edmonton is launching its free forest bathing program, with weekly sessions set to begin on May 14. Residents can improve their well-being through a guided sensory experience in city parks, fostering a mindful connection with urban forests. Certified guides from the City's Community Forestry team will lead participants in these forest therapy sessions throughout the summer. Registration is available online.
Edmonton will host more than 2,500 delegates for the 125th annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities in its downtown core from June 4-7. Mayor Andrew Knack hopes to facilitate debate on how municipalities are funded, noting that they manage 60% of infrastructure but receive only eight cents of every tax dollar. The conference, themed "Building the Future Together," will showcase Edmonton's businesses, arts, and culture through tours and events, while delegates discuss national municipal policies and attend a trade show.
Edmonton business owners on 124 Street are frustrated over the City of Edmonton's parking app, citing confusion from outdated EPark signs and difficulties for seniors who don't have smartphones to use the new "HotSpot" app. While Coun. Michael Janz acknowledged "growing pains" and emphasized improving the digital experience, Mayor Andrew Knack said he wants to explore options for physical parking payments for those without smartphones.
The Edmonton Police Service has laid additional charges against William McMullin, 56, in an ongoing sexual assault investigation, bringing the total to 22 charges. Nine women have now come forward, including five since police released information about the case in March, alleging their were drugged and sexually assaulted. Investigators believe that incidents may date back to 2021 and potentially involve victims in Calgary.
The Edmonton Police Service charged two 13-year-old boys in connection with an attack on a 66-year-old woman who was sprayed with a fire extinguisher at a bus shelter on McConachie Boulevard and 64 Street in northeast Edmonton on April 19. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene following the random attack. One teen faces charges including assault with a weapon, housebreaking with intent, mischief, and theft, while the other is charged with assault with a weapon and theft.
The Alberta government is investing $8.9 million to launch a provincial forensic DNA laboratory just east of Edmonton in Sherwood Park. The province said the facility will reduce turnaround times and cut costs by up to 40% per DNA case. Edmonton Police Service Chief Warren Driechel expects that the lab will lead to quicker case resolution for Albertans. The province aims for a federal cost-sharing model to potentially operate the lab at "net-zero cost." by 2031. Services will phase in, accepting property crime DNA by 2029 and expanding to serious crimes like homicides by 2031.
The United Conservative Party caucus confirmed staff attended an April online meeting hosted by the Alberta separatist group Centurion Project, where, the Alberta NDP alleges, participants were shown a database containing personal voter information. The NDP says video from the meeting shows organizer David Parker searching former premier Jason Kenney's name in a "search electors" tool, though CBC News has not independently verified the footage. The allegations surfaced after a judge ordered the group to shut down the database amid investigations by Elections Alberta and the RCMP into a possible voter data breach.

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Diners at long tables dig into brunch dishes

Diners invited to brunch for a good cause

Sponsored May 7, 2026

A message from Edmonton Meals on Wheels:

Several restaurants are engaging in a friendly competition to crown the Edmonton region's top brunch dish, while raising money for meal programs that serve Edmontonians in need.

Participants in Best of Brunch YEG are offering featured brunch dishes until May 31. For every one sold, $1 goes to Edmonton Meals on Wheels. Diners are invited to scan a QR code at their table or visit the Best of Brunch website to vote for their favourites. Winners for the best overall, bestselling, best alternative, and most creative dishes will be awarded.

"It's a fun opportunity for everyone to show their appreciation for good food and support a good cause at the same time," said Joelle Fagan, communications and fund coordinator at Edmonton Meals on Wheels.

This is the first time in its 56-year history that Edmonton Meals on Wheels has run such a fundraiser (aside from a successful Hot Dog Fest in 2021). The response from restaurants for Best of Brunch YEG exceeded expectations, Fagan said. "The passion and enthusiasm is really telling," she said. "Our restaurant participants are all-hands-on-deck."

For Jiju Paul, executive chef of Golden Sparrow, Best of Brunch YEG is not just a chance to highlight the KFC Waffle.

"Edmonton has one of the most underrated and hardworking culinary scenes in the country, and Best of Brunch YEG is the ultimate celebration of that community," Paul said. "For Golden Sparrow, getting involved was about more than just showcasing a dish; it was about connecting with our neighbours and contributing to the city's identity as a premier food destination."

Central Social Hall is offering a gluten-free vegetarian dish called "That's What She Shells" at both its Ellerslie and St. Albert locations. Getting involved in Best of Brunch YEG was an easy decision, said regional operations manager Vance Bosch.

"One of our core values at Central Social Hall is 'to be central to our community,' which means to serve and support the communities we live and work in," Bosch said. "So this campaign was a no-brainer for us to support!"

Edmonton Meals on Wheels has operated since 1969 and has more than 500 active volunteers. In 2025, it delivered more than 71,000 fresh meals and logged roughly 40,000 volunteer hours. The organization serves not only seniors but anyone facing barriers to healthy eating — including people with disabilities, financial constraints, or caregiving responsibilities. Funds raised through Best of Brunch YEG will support the development of new meal programs, including those serving schoolchildren and transitional housing residents.

Beyond fundraising, Fagan sees the campaign as a way to connect the broader community with the mission of Edmonton Meals on Wheels. "We're about making sure that healthy meals are accessible to everyone in the community," she said.

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