The Pulse
June 4, 2026

An organization that facilitates group rides for cycling students has expanded to two more schools in Edmonton and may be on its way to other Alberta cities, too.

"All the big things are really happening behind the scenes that are going to help this really explode in the coming years," said Kellen Westman, president of Bike Bus Alberta.

Westman started a bike bus at Rutherford School in Bonnie Doon at the beginning of this school year. It kept going through winter, and in the spring, Westman helped community members launch routes to Westglen Elementary in Westmount and Lendrum Elementary in south Edmonton.

Each bike bus's route has designated meeting zones along it, though kids can also join when the group passes their house, too. Adults help out at the front of the ride as pilots; at the back to support riders and make sure no one is left behind; and in the middle as crossing supervisors to help everyone navigate intersections safely. Once the students make it to school, they lock up their bikes and get a snack.

The past nine months have been an opportunity to learn what the organization needs to do to scale, said Westman, who would like to expand to 60 elementary schools in five years. He is still running the Rutherford route, but he can't lead the new ones, so he has created operations manuals and training materials for those who want to start a route. There is also a new app that ride leaders use for tasks such as marking attendance and filing incident reports, he told Taproot.

The existing routes have been started by parents, but educators are also expressing interest, Westman said. "I've also had schools specifically reach out to me and say, 'Hey, we as a school, we want a bike bus program here — how can we do it?'"

Westman said he is leveraging data from the school boards to find schools that would potentially be interested in a bike bus. Proximity is a key indicator. "Do the kids in this school generally live within three kilometres, and are they mostly in the neighbourhood, or does this school draw from a very large area and (a bike bus) wouldn't be as impactful?" he said.

Westman registered the organization as Bike Bus Alberta so that he can help get the program going throughout the province. He said he has spoken to interested parents in Calgary and has reached out to a group in Banff that started its own bike bus to see if he can help.

• Edmonton's ICE District will host free watch parties for 97 World Cup games, including all of Team Canada's matches, OEG Sports and Entertainment, the City of Edmonton, and Explore Edmonton announced. Dubbed "Edmonton's Summer of Soccer," the event offers food trucks, DJ entertainment, and family-friendly activities.
• Edmonton Coun. Anne Stevenson has proposed revisiting property tax relief for businesses affected by prolonged construction, following the closure of Khazana Restaurant in downtown Edmonton. The restaurant, a staple since 1998, cited ongoing LRT construction and reduced accessibility as reasons for its closure. Stevenson emphasized the need for council to consider compensating businesses lacking proper municipal services due to construction. Mayor Andrew Knack previously advocated for similar compensation plans, which were not implemented.
• Starting July 2, Alberta will issue integrated driver's licences that include healthcare numbers, replacing the longstanding paper health cards. These new licences will also indicate citizenship to streamline government service eligibility and voting rights. Applicants must show proof of legal Canadian residency and may add their health number. The revised card features an oil derrick, wild rose, and "Alberta Strong and Free" slogan.
• Edmonton is experiencing an increase in tick populations, with some carrying Lyme disease, warns University of Alberta entomologist Janet Sperling. Recent reports indicate that ticks are increasingly found in urban areas, such as Edmonton's river valley and as far out as Mill Woods. Factors contributing to the rise include climate change and urban sprawl. Dog owners are advised to use tick prevention treatments and wear protective clothing.
• The Edmonton Police Service has charged a 40-year-old man with 27 criminal offences, including five counts of arson, related to fires at under-construction homes in late 2025. The incidents happened in the King Edward Park, Strathcona, Belgravia, and Glenora neighbourhoods from Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, 2025. Police believe the fires were deliberately set.
• Edmontonian Mildred Thill, who spearheaded the restoration of Edmonton's W.C. "Tubby" Bateman Park 25 years ago, criticized EPCOR's three-year closure of the park's grassy field. "Kids need outdoor recreation," Thill said. The closure, since March 2023, is due to underground utility work. EPCOR said the replacement of the utility infrastructure was necessary, and that sloping on the field is necessary for drainage. The fencing is set to stay up until the City of Edmonton completes inspections.
• Alberta received a "D-" in an annual poverty report card from Food Banks Canada, largely due to challenges in healthcare access, housing affordability, and food insecurity. Edmonton's Food Bank has seen a surge in demand, serving more than 46,000 people last month. Executive Director Marjorie Bencz emphasized the troubling trend of increasing need.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Older, Bolder, Better Exhibition and Symposium starting at 9am at River Cree Resort and Casino
• Voices of Alberta Entrepreneurs with Aaron Tong starting at 12pm online
• ECAMP Curiosity Walking Tours - Strikes, Struggles and Success starting at 12pm at Royal Alberta Museum
• Annual Homeless Memorial starting at 12pm at Homeless Memorial Plaza
• 124 Grand Market: Thursdays at 108 starting at 4pm at 124 Grand Market
• Perplexity Meetup starting at 6pm at Goodspace by Mercer
• BeerFest Days at Churchill Square
• Nextfest Opening Ceremonies starting at 7pm at Roxy Theatre
• Opening night for Fully Committed starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 8: Understanding & Thriving with ADHD, Autism, and Queerness online
• June 11: State of Morinville 2026 With Mayor Boersma at Morinville Cultural Centre
• June 18: Anti-Hate Intervention Training - In Person Session at NorQuest College

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.

Learn more about 6-Across and 2-Down in this episode of Speaking Municipally.