The Pulse
June 26, 2026

This week's batch of calls for public engagement includes surveys about road safety in three Edmonton neighbourhoods, a draft design of a playground in Hawks Ridge, and a survey about Leduc's proposed annexation of land from Leduc County, among other matters.

The City of Edmonton is collecting feedback about proposed safety improvements to a road that runs through the southern neighbourhoods of Ermineskin and Keheewin, as well as on a section of road in Prince Rupert.

The city implemented a default speed limit of 40 km/h in 2021 in an effort to improve traffic safety. While the city uses Vision Zero Street Labs to improve safety across an entire residential neighbourhood, the Towards 40 program targets roads with low speed compliance and "exception roads" that did not transition to a 40 km/h speed limit in 2021. The city said exception roads will be converted to 40 km/h once they are permanently reconstructed.

Speed limit compliance is as low as 13% in some areas of Ermineskin and Keheewin, the city said. It has proposed curb extensions and centre medians to narrow the road, thus slowing traffic and providing shorter crossing distances for pedestrians.

One section of road in Prince Rupert — 114 Avenue from 119 Street to Tower Road — is a low-compliance road, with about 68% of drivers obeying the speed limit, the city said. There were 19 crashes on the 600-metre section of road between 2020 and 2024, four of which resulted in minor injuries. Three crashes involved hitting parked cars. Residents were asked to place pins on a map identifying traffic safety issues in the neighbourhood, and many said 114 Avenue was an area of concern.

Administration suggests adding speed tables, which are longer and flatter than speed bumps and allow drivers to pass at a steadier speed. At the intersection with Tower Road, the options include extending the sidewalk and two configurations with a centre median.

Residents are invited to give feedback on the draft designs until July 5. The feedback will be used to advise the final design.

• A three-year, $34-million renovation project has been completed, upgrading nearly 2,000 subsidized homes across Edmonton. Mayor Andrew Knack and federal minister Eleanor Olszewski toured the renovated properties, which include subsidized townhomes and apartments. The project was supported by $19.6 million from the federal government and $14 million from the City of Edmonton, modernizing buildings with improved insulation, windows, and accessibility features. However, more than 10,000 families remain on Civida's waiting list for housing, according to CEO Bree Claude.
• In a shift from light rail transit, Edmonton could prioritize bus rapid transit (BRT) for future mass transit developments due to its scalability and lower initial costs. Proposed routes include a north-south line from Castle Downs to Century Park, and an east-west line connecting West Edmonton Mall and Bonnie Doon. However, BRT's long-term costs may exceed LRT by 20% to 30%. City councillors determine later this year whether the proposed routes will get funding. Public feedback on the new BRT routes is currently being gathered through a survey.
• Edmonton is set to experience more rain over the weekend, following a heavy rainfall last weekend that saw some areas receiving more than 100 millimetres. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a special weather statement predicting an additional 30 to 60 mm of rain. The risk of overland flooding and infrastructure impacts is heightened due to already saturated ground. The forecast remains uncertain in terms of precise rainfall locations. Another system could bring more heavy rain to central Alberta starting the night of June 28 and into next week.
• June's near-record rainfall has severely affected outdoor sports in the Edmonton area, flooding golf courses and delaying sports events. The Fort Saskatchewan Golf and Curling Club shut down after waterlogged conditions made play impossible. The Edmonton Minor Soccer Association postponed more than 300 games. Meteorologist Chloe Katsademas reported that 203 millimetres of rain fell this month, forecasting more rain that could surpass the June 1914 record of 216.5 millimetres.
• The City of Edmonton is closed the east sidewalk on the High Level Bridge because of slope instability triggered by recent heavy rainfall. The west sidewalk remains open. Additionally, part of the left-turn lane on the 109 Street hill will be closed, though left turns to Saskatchewan Drive and Walterdale Hill will continue. The City will monitor the conditions and continue to provide updates.
• As camping season arrives, the City of Edmonton is urging residents to refrain from moving firewood and contribute to stopping Dutch elm disease by following guidelines: avoid moving firewood, remove beetle habitats by adhering to the provincial pruning ban, and report symptoms like wilting leaves, outlined by city officials. The disease was first identified in Edmonton trees in 2024. A total of seven cases have so far been identified.
• An internal disciplinary hearing has reprimanded an Edmonton Police Service officer for misconduct related to a Feb. 24, 2024, highway incident, where Const. Tanelle Achtymichuk was stopped for dangerous driving and refused a breath test. Initially charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle, Achtymichuk pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in March 2025, receiving a conditional discharge, a $100 surcharge, and seven months of probation. Despite the misconduct, she has resumed active duty.
• Residents in Edmonton's Mill Woods area are considering the use of restrictive covenants to oppose infill developments, such as eight-plexes. At a gathering at the Knottwood Community League centre, Sheena Kolacz led the initiative to preserve neighbourhood character, citing concerns about traffic, parking, and waste. The legal tool restricts land title changes, aiming to maintain existing community structures. Rio Terrace has successfully used this method to curb infill for more than a decade. The City says infill zoning is necessary for future urban density needs.
• The recent Game Con Canada (GCC) and North American Games Industry Summit (NAGIS) in Edmonton attracted about 40,000 attendees, highlighting the city's importance in Canada's gaming scene. Edmonton-based Lucid Rain showcased its game Inferius at GCC, winning notable awards, thanks partly to support from Edmonton Screen. The event, which also featured a BioWare panel, underscored the potential of Alberta's gaming industry, despite the lack of a provincial tax credit.
• In an op-ed for Postmedia, MacEwan University President Annette Trimbee emphasizes the necessity of redesigning Alberta's post-secondary funding framework to address enrolment growth, community impact, and operating costs effectively. MacEwan anticipates 30,000 students by 2030, with programs tailored to labour market demands. Trimbee highlighted MacEwan's strong community connection, noting that more than 90% of its alumni stay in Alberta, contributing to the economy and various professions.
• The Alberta Utilities Commission has approved a proposal for the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a 1,864-megawatt power plant northeast of Edmonton in Sturgeon County. This facility, a joint venture between Pembina Pipeline and Kineticor, aims to power the province's burgeoning data centre industry. Construction is set on 98 hectares in Alberta's Industrial Heartland and may employ 1,500 workers at its peak. While touted as a boost for local industrial growth, the project has raised environmental concerns due to its reliance on natural gas, prompting calls for renewable alternatives. Completion is targeted for 2031.

On this day in 1924, the captain of the world-famous Edmonton Grads basketball team shared the news of her engagement.

The fact that word of Winnie Martin's engagement hit the newspapers shortly after she announced it to her teammates shows just how enraptured the city was with their star women's basketball team. (The article goes so far as to publicly speculate about her fiancé's identity.)

Martin was born in 1899 in Ontario, though her family would soon move to Edmonton, where she was raised along with her two siblings. She attended McDougall Commercial High School, where teacher and coach J. Percy Page started a basketball program in 1914. When Martin graduated the next year, she and several other players wanted to continue playing the game. So, they formed the Edmonton Grads basketball team in 1915, with Page staying on as head coach and Martin serving as the team's first captain.

The Grads were a very strong team as a whole, but even then, the Edmonton Journal identified Martin as a "star performer" in 1915. As the team's captain, she led the Grads to win the provincial championship in their first year of play. At the time, any team could challenge the championship holders for the title at any point in the year. The Grads were challenged two dozen times, only losing to the University of Alberta's Varsity team in 1917, regaining the title, and then losing it to them again in 1920.

The Grads won the national championship in 1922 (a title they would hold for 18 years, only giving it up when the team disbanded). Martin also led the Grads to their first international championship, when they beat the Cleveland Favorite-Knits to win the Underwood Trophy, prevailing over other teams from the U.S. and Canada.

Women's basketball wasn't an Olympic sport at the time. But the Grads were invited to Paris in 1924 to play exhibition matches organized by the Fédération sportive féminine internationale to coincide with the Summer Games. Martin would be the only original member of the Grads to play in the Paris games, where the team dominated. They won every one of their games, often outscoring their opponents by dozens of points, and they were named World Champions in women's basketball.

Martin retired from the team that year, marrying a medical student and fellow athlete. (Her married name was Winnie Martin Tait, so it appears the rumored identity of her fiancé was accurate.) After her basketball career, Martin and her husband would get involved in a mining business in northern B.C. She also spent some time teaching at the Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division in Edmonton during the Second World War. She passed away in Vancouver in 1974.

The Grads would continue to rack up more championships and trophies after Martin's retirement. The team has been credited with more than 430 games and just 20 losses over its history. Martin was inducted into both the Canadian and Alberta Sports Halls of Fame and remains one of Edmonton's most successful sports stars.

It's hard to beat the attention showered on the Grads, but the FIFA World Cup has turned a spotlight on another star from Edmonton: Alphonso Davies. The captain of the Canadian men's soccer team has not yet played in the tournament due to an injury, but there is a chance he will appear in Canada's knockout game against South Africa on June 28.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• June 26: BTF Summit 2.0: Leveraging AI to Accelerate Inclusive Innovation starting at 5pm at Citadel Theatre
• June 26: Taste of Thailand starting at 5pm at Cask and Barrel
• June 26: Group Ride: Critical Mass starting at 5:30pm at Alexander Circle
• June 26-28: Justice4Reel Film Festival at ArtsHub Ortona
• June 26-28: International Health for Longevity Conference at Lister Centre
• June 27: The Ultimate Community Garage Sale starting at 9am at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse
• June 27: ECAMP Curiosity Walking Tours - Strikes, Struggles and Success starting at 10am at Royal Alberta Museum
• June 27: A Multicultural Family Festival starting at 11am at Sisters Dialogue-Amanah
• June 27: Poetry In the Park starting at 2pm at O-day'min Park Pavilion
• June 27: Chinatown After Dark starting at 6pm at 10640 98 Street
• June 28: Stretch & Snuggle: HLH Kitten Yoga Fundraiser starting at 1pm at Cedarbrae Garden

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• July 10-12: Whyte Avenue Art Walk
• July 16-26: Taste of Edmonton at Churchill Square
• July 21-23: Innovation Zone at Edmonton EXPO Centre

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 9-Across in this Taproot story.