The Edmonton Riverhawks are planning ahead in anticipation of major changes to the Rossdale neighbourhood. On April 15, city council is set to vote on giving the green light to the first phase of the River Crossing Community Redevelopment Project, which would see the first steps toward housing development on the parking area north of Re/Max Field. "If it's done right, it's going to be the most happening area in Edmonton," said Steve Hogle, the Riverhawks fun advisor and 2026 Edifier, adding, "it does create some challenges for us in terms of the movement of people, for sure."
The Riverhawks will introduce a park-and-ride with shuttles departing from Churchill Square this season to help improve access to the field. "This will be the first time that transit is a viable option, because the transit service to the ballpark in the past has been spotty at best, so this will help to address that," Hogle told Taproot. The organization also encourages people to use rideshare services, e-scooters, and cycling to get to games. If council approves the project at a meeting on April 15, construction staging and underground work could limit access to some or all of the parking spots in the lot starting in the fall. Hogle estimates the lot holds up to 2,500 vehicles.
The River Crossing Community Redevelopment Project aims to eventually provide housing for up to 4,000 people. The project will also see an upgraded transportation network and improved underground infrastructure. If approved, the first phase will create three lots for medium-density housing and one for high-density housing on the field where Riverhawks fans now park; lot sales are targeted for late 2027. City administration said future phases will expand the underground work, create a park honouring the rich history of the area, and support the redevelopment of the Rossdale Power Plant.
Heidelberg Materials has completed its acquisition of BURNCO's assets in Edmonton. The acquired assets include six aggregates sites, two asphalt plants, a bitumen storage terminal, three ready-mixed concrete plants, and one rail-served cement distribution terminal. Oliver Patsch of Heidelberg Materials said the move strengthens its integrated footprint in the Edmonton market, expands its product portfolio, and will improve customer service.
Hydrogen needs as much attention as bitumen as Alberta and Ottawa chart the course for developing energy, wrote Rebecca Goldsack of Diesel Tech Industries and Maike Althaus of the Canadian Hydrogen Association. "If Alberta limits its ambition to bitumen, it risks missing a chance to diversify exports, hedge against long-term oil demand uncertainty, and leverage its skilled energy workforce to anchor next-generation hydrogen and industrial value chains as global markets shift," they wrote in an op-ed for Postmedia.
Edmonton's downtown community revitalization levy could post a $412-million surplus by 2044, but only if no new projects are approved and revenue targets are met. The fund is currently in deficit and is expected to dip further before recovering as developments generate tax revenue. Council has already earmarked $33.4 million for the Winspear Centre expansion, which could reduce the surplus. Officials say the outlook depends on market conditions, as several projects still await funding.
Boston Pizza, a longtime fixture on Jasper Avenue at 106 Street, closed this week amid ongoing concerns about downtown Edmonton's recovery. Quinn Phillips of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association noted that a newer Boston Pizza nearby remains open and is often busy.
The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute has launched AI Pathways: Technical Track, a specialized follow-up to its AI literacy program for Canadian energy workers, targeting professionals with software development or computer science backgrounds. The track focuses on machine-learning operations, scalable deployment, and legacy systems integration, and reached full capacity immediately upon release.
The Alberta government is accepting expressions of interest to join a trade mission to Asia Tech X Singapore, Asia's largest annual technology event, running from May 20 to 22.
Parkland County is accepting applications for several advisory committees, including its economic diversification committee. The application deadline is April 16.
Startups and SMBs
Four Edmonton companies that were acquired in 2025 were honoured at the second annual YEG Acquisition Party on March 26. "This is more than just an award — it's a reminder that the journey from idea to acquisition is never walked alone," wrote Amit Anand, founder of ez enRoute, which was acquired by Zonar Systems last fall. "It's built on community, resilience, late nights, pivots, and the belief that what we're building here in Alberta can compete on any stage." The other honorees were ElectionBuddy, IronSight, and PanTHERA CryoSolutions.
Khadija Jiwani of Aliya's Food Limited told Canadian Grocer about her work growing her family business's Chef Bombay line into a massively distributed frozen food brand. Today, Jiwani is leading a 150,000 square-foot manufacturing expansion to produce Mexican-American foods from a brand Aliya's purchased in 2023. "Mexican cuisine is very similar to Indian in the way the sauces are cooked," she said. "We had the expertise in frozen food, it was a really good opportunity to expand our culinary side and our capacities."
Duchess Bake Shop co-founder and co-owner Garner Beggs will step away from the business after 17 years of growing the pâtisserie into a staple of 124 Street NW. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over the years, and I feel like I am now at the point in my life where I am ready to step back from the bakeshop and into my next chapter," he wrote on Instagram. The news follows real estate acquisitions and renovations for Duchess.
Habesha Cravings is receiving more than $10,000 and a membership in Restaurants Canada from DoorDash Canada. It's part of more than $300,000 split among 30 Black-owned and Black-led restaurants across Canada in partnership with the Black Opportunity Fund."Habesha Cravings is a place where friends can come together over the incredible flavours of authentic food from Ethiopia and Eritrea," said Nunu Deslange, owner of Habesha. "We are incredibly lucky that we were able to turn our passion into our life's work.
My Viva received an Innovation Award from Obesity Canada at the organization's 2026 summit in Montreal, recognizing its digital health tools supporting behaviour change and improved outcomes for people with chronic diseases.
Plantae Technologies is raising $140,000 through Goparity Canada, a crowd-lending platform to raise capital outside of traditional investment means. It's part of a $280,000 goal to scale production of its sustainable materials for industrial applications.
Aqua-Cell Energy is planning to launch a new pilot in Medicine Hat this spring after raising $3.5 million to develop saltwater flow batteries. The startup says the batteries could cost 80% to 90% less than lithium-ion equivalents.
Representatives of Black Business Edmonton sat down with Global News ahead of the BBE Voices and Ventures event at the Alberta Aviation Museum on April 11. "This event is a platform created by Black Business Edmonton to bring together creatives, professionals, and entrepreneurs," said event lead Naomi Otogbolu. "It's a chance for people to showcase their talents, to connect with local business owners within the community, to gain exposure, and to network all at once."
Sam Jenkins, managing partner and co-founder of Punchcard Systems, spoke to Digital Journal about the consequences of organizations adopting AI without redesigning how work is done. "AI doesn't reduce work by default," he said. "It reduces work when you redesign how work happens. If AI is just making our teams busier, that means we didn't adopt AI. It means we adopted another piece of software." Jenkins is among the 2026 honorees named to a list of Canada's Workplace Health Leaders.
Real estate
Edmonton city council's executive committee started a four-year process to tackle derelict properties, aiming to address vacant commercial spaces that foster crime. The committee unanimously voted to prepare a new property tax subclass for derelict non-residential buildings. Challenges include defining "derelict," upgrading city tax software, and dealing with the provincial Municipal Government Act, which restricts punitive tax increases.
The Norwood Legion has been closed since early February and will sell its aging building east of downtown. Officials cited "administrative reasons" for the shutdown, with members now planning to relocate. The branch, known as the "Fun Legion," has struggled with financial and infrastructure issues.
Edmonton's industrial sector has added 9.5 million square feet of new inventory since 2022, reports Avison Young, driven by steady population growth, while the regional vacancy rate remained tight at 3.7%. With about two million square feet currently under construction, the report notes the market has maintained disciplined growth without speculative oversupply.
Edmonton has avoided the "missing-middle" housing problem prevalent in other Canadian cities, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s Spring 2026 Housing Supply Report. Favourable zoning rules, downtown revitalization, and infill development opportunities contribute to affordable housing options. In 2025, middle housing starts, including townhomes and low-rise apartments, reached nearly 12,000. In February, the average single-family detached home price in Edmonton was more than $571,000.
Edmonton offers the largest average square footage and cheapest price per square foot for rentals among the six most expensive markets in Canada, a Rentals.ca and Urbanation report finds. Edmonton's units average 771 square feet and $1.99 per square foot, while Vancouver is the most expensive and smallest average per unit, at $4.11 and 650, respectively.
Sturgeon County council voted down a proposed residential subdivision called Century Hills after residents complained about density, traffic, and the loss of rural character at a public hearing. Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said the proposal fell short but expressed hope that residents and the developer could work together on "a better product."
St. Albert Mayor Scott Olivieri spoke to CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about the city's work to update its land use bylaw. City administration is also completing an assessment to determine current and future housing needs.
Losing the Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator, which helped companies focus on public good, investment, and scale, is a "big loss," says one successful grad of the defunct program. "Seeing how there was a really focused support in the community safety and wellness space was such a vote of confidence for us," said Lana Cuthbertson, co-founder and CEO of Areto Labs and one of the entrepreneurs from the CSW's first cohort. "(We felt) validation in hearing there was a real market need for what we were doing — and on top of that, a societal need — from these significant voices in the landscape."
SNDL Inc., the largest private-sector liquor and cannabis retailer in Canada, has parted ways with Tyler Robson, who served as president of cannabis. Ryan Hellard, SNDL's chief strategy officer, will serve as interim president of cannabis.
The University of Alberta board of governors approved a controversial new hiring policy that removes equity, diversity, and inclusion practices. This ends the previous policy of favouring candidates from historically underrepresented groups when equally qualified. Student groups and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta opposed the decision. Bill Flanagan, the university's president, said the change reflects a commitment to eliminate barriers for everyone. The university said it will comply with federal research funding EDI requirements.
NorQuest College in Edmonton is reducing its workforce by about 100 positions by mid-April 2026 due to financial strain and enrolment projections. The University of Alberta has also made strategic workforce reductions, while NAIT and Lakeland College report no current layoff plans. The trend across Alberta post-secondary institutions stems from stagnant provincial funding and a 65% drop in international student approvals following federal immigration cuts. The 2026 provincial budget includes a 3% operating support increase.
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