New fees of nearly $7,000 for businesses that use public land for year-round patios will go ahead this summer, after Edmonton city council voted 9-3 against a motion by Ward tastawiyiniwak Coun. Karen Principe to pause the increase for the 2026 season. Bars, cafés, and restaurants were previously allowed to operate large patios — ones without small furniture that can be removed nightly — at no charge. But that will change when annual fees of $3,700 for seasonal patios and $6,900 for year-long ones come into effect on April 1.
Administration noted during discussion of the motion that 90% of the 115 businesses that had such patios last year have already applied for a permit this year, while seven have cancelled their patios. The Hub on Whyte Avenue is among the businesses that will not open a patio this season, co-owner Peter Keith said when news of the fee first came out. The Hub is part of Scale Kitchens, an incubator of sorts for fledgling food brands to grow their customer base. Those businesses will now compete against nearby businesses that do have patios during the busy festival season. Across the river on 104 Street, Flavius Joita of Century Hospitality Group and Birdog told CityNews he may not open a patio this year.
Quinn Phillips of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association had urged council to waive the fees, noting the ongoing effects of inflation, tariffs, and the pandemic hangover on downtown restaurants. Her former boss, Puneeta McBryan, weighed in as well, saying the city has misjudged the effect on businesses while highlighting the dissonance between the fees and the city's ambitions for downtown vibrancy. But Coun. Anne Stevenson, whose Ward O-day'min includes downtown, said she was swayed by the fact that there hasn't been a significant drop in patio permits, adding that the city can make a bigger difference overall for businesses "if we're more disciplined and focused in our funding."
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Cree filmmaker Georgina Lightning is working with Edmonton Screen to make Alberta the "Indigenous film capital of the world," she first told Alberta Native News. She said she was partly inspired to build an Indigenous film fund because her son, Cody Lightning, was the only filmmaker to receive a grant from Telefilm Canada to make an Indigenous film last year. Cody is the auteur behind Hey, Viktor! and the forthcoming Smudge the Blades; Georgina's vast credits include directing Older than America and acting in Die My Love.
Explore Edmonton has introduced its Visitor Experience Roadmap, a five-year plan outlining priorities and projects for improving visitor experiences. "It's important that we welcome, attract, and reach visitors completely different than we did pre-COVID," the destination marketing organization's Rachel Appels said during an event. "We don't want to just revert back to projects and initiatives that were once successful prior to COVID, because we know that those visitor trends and movements and the way (visitors are) seeking out information is dramatically different."
The Edmonton International Airport nearly reached pre-pandemic passenger levels in 2025, serving 8.14 million passengers, a 2.8% increase from 2024. Domestic travel, including new services to Kamloops, Hamilton, and Prince George, drove much of the growth. Cross-border traffic declined, but the airport added new routes to Houston, Chicago, and Salt Lake City, and non-stop flights to Iceland's capital are set to return in June.
Rob LeLacheur of Road 55 is trading upwards for NAIT students. The One Lollipop campaign most recently swapped donated pies from Fifendekel for an Apple Watch. "I'm trying to at least double or triple the value each time," he said. LeLacheur, a NAIT grad, said his approach is inspired by a trade journey one man took from a single red paper clip to a house. He plans to sell his final trade to fund tuition for NAIT students. Potential traders have until April 17 to assist him in the quest.
Wyvern has launched two international partnerships, one with US-based Orbital Advisors for oil and gas pipeline monitoring, and the other with Saudi government-backed Neo Space Group for agricultural applications in Saudi Arabia.
Samdesk founder James Neufeld joined the Fed Gov Today podcast to argue that AI-powered information infrastructure is not competing with military readiness but is essential to it. Meanwhile, the Samdesk blog examined the "messy middle" of disruption — the phase between a first alert and effective response when information is incomplete and events are still unfolding — and outlined how organizations can bridge the gap between detecting a crisis and acting on it.
Shani Gwin of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and wâsikan kisewâtisiwin is among the women cited by Abi Awomosu in a piece on women who are building sound and responsible AI. "The dominant industry built AI by fathering it — directing it, shaping it, deploying it — before mothering it. Before the foundational work of attunement, reciprocity, and genuine care for the being being brought into the world," Awomosu wrote. "Shani built the mothering first."
If you live in Alberta and have a solar PV system at your home, business, or farm, Park Power can offer you some of the best solar power buy back rates in the province. Get rewarded for your contribution to Alberta's renewable energy.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation predicts Edmonton's record-breaking new homes construction will moderate through 2028 as population growth slows and inventory builds. Housing starts this year are forecast to be between 16,500 to 24,500 units. Meanwhile, data from the Canadian Real Estate Association shows average home prices rose across Alberta in February 2026 compared to the previous February, but not in Edmonton, where the average home price dropped by $8,000.
Edmonton is launching the Attainable Housing Incentive, a 10-year tax rebate program to increase downtown residential density. Applications open later this month. The incentive is expected to help add up to 850 attainable units and 3,400 total units.
Edmonton city council voted 12-1 to direct Mayor Andrew Knack to advocate to the provincial government for a ban on grocery store restrictive covenants. This push aims to prevent food deserts in Edmonton by stopping grocery companies from placing clauses in property sales that restrict competitors from using former store locations.
YWCA Edmonton has appointed Rachel Foley as its next CEO. She brings more than a decade of senior leadership experience, including executive roles with the Government of Alberta in health, housing, and education.
Edmonton's single-use item bylaw has significantly reduced plastic bag and straw use since coming into force — retail bag use is down 80% and straw and utensil consumption down 26% — but city council's utility committee voted to await a waste characterization study before making any changes.
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