The Pulse
Oct. 2, 2026

This week's calls for public engagement include an in-person meeting about short-cutting in Belgravia, a public hearing about changes to Leduc's municipal development plan, and an online survey about neighbourhood renewal in Beacon Heights.

The City of Edmonton will host an information session at the Belgravia Community League on Oct. 8 to discuss potential solutions to traffic in the neighbourhood. Residents can also share their thoughts at the urban planning committee meeting on Oct. 20.

The session is one of the final installments in an 18-month process aimed at addressing traffic and short-cutting in Belgravia. The roadways that surround and bisect Belgravia are considerably congested during rush hour periods because of heavy use from drivers going to and from the University of Alberta and the Groat Road Bridge, as well as those waiting for the LRT on the line running along 114 Street NW. The $100,000 budget for the project comes from the priority growth area project, which proactively upzoned properties near the university to prepare for denser development.

The city summarized feedback from April, which revealed a tension between a desire to relieve traffic congestion for Belgravia residents who want to leave the neighbourhood during rush hour and a fear that proposed solutions would make the problem worse. "There is a concern that any measures designed to enhance vehicle flow through and out of the neighbourhood might inadvertently encourage more short-cutting, which would further degrade the safety of local neighbourhood streets," reads the feedback summary.

The city presented traffic-calming and diversion measures for the intersection of 76 Avenue and 114 Street, as well as the area around University Avenue. It also contemplated measures within the neighbourhood, including converting some roads to one-way, closing road segments, and adding speed bumps. Feedback on all changes was mixed, as participants brought up competing factors such as parking and loading zones, school drop-off, LRT signals, and crosswalks.

Participants supported a cautious, staged implementation, using adaptable infrastructure that can be adjusted as needed. They also said that navigation apps encourage short-cutting on neighbourhood streets when arterial roads are congested.

Two adjacent community leagues, McKernan and Windsor Park, said they were concerned that the proposed solutions would simply move traffic into their neighbourhoods. The leagues requested that the city revisit their respective traffic management plans after the first phase of Belgravia's plan is implemented.

The project team will use the feedback to develop short-term recommendations. It will also review a mid-term development scenario to test how the traffic measures could support infill growth in the area. Staff will review the wider network to highlight any longer-term measures that can improve traffic operations. All measures will be brought to council's urban planning committee. Council would be required to approve a funding source to implement any future improvement measures.

• As Edmonton marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Troy Courtoreille, who leads the City of Edmonton's Indigenous Relations Office, said the City had made progress on 14 of its 28 reconciliation commitments. By 2025, more than 9,200 city employees had taken Indigenous awareness training and Courtoreille said attendance at amiskwaciy Academy rose 40% during the first two years of subsidized transit passes.
• Ahead of Diwali, the City of Edmonton reminded residents that fireworks are illegal in Edmonton without a permit and can bring fines of up to $10,000 and possible criminal charges. Officials encouraged residents to attend permitted displays. Permits can take up to 10 business days to process.
• RCMP charged Edmonton man Dwight Peter MacIntyre, 44, with uttering a death threat against Prime Minister Mark Carney following alleged posts on the social media platform X. He is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Edmonton on Nov. 25.
• In an opinion column published in Postmedia, University of Alberta criminology professor Temitope Oriola argued the Edmonton Police Commission went too far by barring public speakers from meetings through year-end. He argued that moving meetings online did not justify barring public speakers.
• Edmonton's restaurant industry is facing a wave of closures as rising food, rent and operating costs squeeze already-thin margins. Several downtown restaurants including Khazana, Greta YEG, Kommune and Wilfred's have closed this year, with some owners citing prolonged construction and reduced access. Construction is one factor, alongside inflation, competition and changing consumer habits, Postmedia reported. RGE RD co-owner Blair Lebsack said his profit margins have fallen from about 10% to two per cent, while OTTO Food and Drink owner Ed Donszelmann said some ingredient costs have nearly doubled. Despite the closures, Alberta restaurants recorded nearly $1.14 billion in sales in May, up 5.7%
• The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve with a lower-body injury he suffered at practice on Sept. 28.
• A proposed $300 million AI data centre at Junction 42 in Red Deer County, is awaiting approval pending a rezoning process. The site, spanning 12 acres, aims to house a five-megawatt research lab. Approval requires a public hearing and rezoning consistent with the Municipal Government Act.

On this day in 1964, the recent amalgamation of Jasper Place and Edmonton was playing a part in the mayoral election.

Starting in the early 1870s, Jasper Place was homesteaded, once the Dominion Land Survey started distributing land that Indigenous people had long lived on and travelled through. By the turn of the century, there were hundreds of small farms set up in the area, a short distance west of a growing Edmonton.

Within 10 years, that distance had largely disappeared, and Jasper Place and Edmonton were side by side, separated by a road where 149 Street now runs. The area was subdivided in 1912 in anticipation of more residential development. But those plans would stall due to economic depression and population declines just before the First World War, and the area stayed largely agricultural. Jasper Place did not have the same infrastructure as neighbouring Edmonton. Roads were largely unpaved, and the homesteads didn't have the same access to running water and electricity that city-dwellers enjoyed.

The 1930s saw the population of Jasper Place boom, mostly due to people moving west to escape the comparatively higher taxes in Edmonton. That population growth would become a surge in the late 1940s, after the discovery of oil at Leduc #1. By 1948, Jasper Place's population was 4,000 people, making it the largest hamlet in Alberta. Within the next two years, that population would more than double, and Jasper Place would become a village and then a town at a breathtaking pace.

That growth continued into the '50s and '60s. But it came with costs. A growing population demanded more services — infrastructure, recreation areas, and schools. But as a mostly residential development, Jasper Place lacked the diverse tax base needed to pay for such things. The Jasper Place council held a plebiscite on merging with Edmonton in 1962, which would take on the town's debt and the responsibility for municipal services. Two years later, the town officially amalgamated with Edmonton, adding 38,000 residents to the city's population.

The new addition got some attention in the 1964 mayoral election, held a few months after the merger. Candidate George Prudham lamented the end of a policy to allow public use of Jasper Place school auditoriums and gymnasiums. Meanwhile, the ultimately successful candidate, William Hawrelak, made sure he had a campaign office in Jasper Place to try to woo new voters.

The site of the former town now spans nearly two dozen neighbourhoods, including West Jasper Place, Jasper Park, Britannia-Youngstown, and Glenwood. No longer on the western boundary of the city, these neighbourhoods are considered mature, with opportunities for infill development under the City Plan. Not everyone loves that. Jasper Park residents were among those who protested against infill and densification on Sept. 27.

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.

• Oct. 2: Golden Bears vs. Manitoba Bisons starting at 6:30pm at Foote Field
• Oct. 2: Elliot Freedman Group starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite
• Oct. 3: Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party starting at 10am at Garneau Theatre
• Oct. 3: Art, Story & Circle: An Indigenous Art Park Gathering starting at 11am at ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park
• Oct. 3: Edmonton International Film Festival: Closing Night Gala: Funny Money – The Dane Cook Story starting at 6:30pm at Landmark Cinemas 9 (Edmonton City Centre)
• Oct. 3: Mariachi Loco starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite
• Oct. 3: Gateway to the Stars starting at 9pm at Elk Island National Park
• Oct. 3-4: Greater Edmonton Model Train Show at Edmonton EXPO Centre
• Oct. 4: Book Launch with James Hees starting at 2pm at Audreys Books
• Oct. 4: Chronos Vocal Ensemble in Concert starting at 2pm at Glory Lutheran Church
• Oct. 4: Big Beautiful BBQ with paired wines by Gurvinder & Blind Enthusiasm Beers starting at 5:30pm at Little Wolf Restaurant
• Oct. 4: Los ríos starting at 7pm at Garneau Theatre
• Oct. 4: Script Salon: Pieces by Jezec Sanders starting at 7:30pm at Holy Trinity Anglican Church

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 18-25: Edmonton Games Week
• Nov. 6: 37th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase at Westin Edmonton
• Nov. 22-24: Canadian Innovation Conference at Edmonton Convention Centre

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

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