Regional Roundup
April 15, 2026
Gibbons town council is raising a red flag about proposed changes to the viability review process laid out in the Alberta government's Bill 28. At the end of a municipal viability review, residents currently vote on whether to remain a municipality or to dissolve into the surrounding county. If the bill passes, the vote would become a non-binding plebiscite, and cabinet would make the final decision on the municipality's future. "Making votes non-binding allows cabinet to consider community input alongside sustainability and regional impacts," reads a provincial document about the proposed changes.
Gibbons started its viability review process in February after the incoming council learned the extent of the financial issues the town was facing. Changing the vote when the town is partway through the process "raises significant concerns regarding fairness and process integrity," wrote Gibbons council in an open letter to Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams. The change risks undermining the value of the work that has been put in so far and diminishes the role of residents in shaping the future of their municipality, the letter said. It also raises broader issues with how municipalities engage in provincial processes if key elements can change midstream, council said. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs did not respond to Taproot's request for comment on the matter by press time.
Council ended the letter with a request to meet with the minister to discuss the bill and potentially pausing its viability process. Other changes included in Bill 28 have garnered opposition from public library boards and from the president of Alberta Municipalities.
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Economic development
- Finalists are posted for the Edmonton Tourism Awards, which will be presented on June 5 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Métis Crossing is up for Attraction of the Year, competing with Old Strathcona Farmers' Market and the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. "Métis Crossing was conceived to share the Métis story from our perspective," said CEO Juanita Marois in a release. "Our goal has always been to create a destination that Métis people, Edmontonians, Albertans, and Canadians can be proud of, and that the world wants to experience. This nomination tells us we're on the right path." Other nominees include the Canadian Hydrogen Convention, the Edmonton International Airport, The Old Red Barn, and River Cree Resort and Casino.
- Skies Mag profiled Volatus Aerospace and its work delivering medical supplies by drone from the Edmonton International Airport to Montana First Nations Clinic — a complex beyond-visual-line-of-sight route through active airspace. The company, which has completed over 11,000 commercial operations across Canada, also announced a 200,000-square-foot drone manufacturing hub near Montreal to serve civil and military markets.
- The City of St. Albert has launched a survey to better understand the needs and priorities of local businesses. Deloitte Canada will conduct the telephone and email survey between April 20 and May 8. Results will be shared with council and the community in early summer. Business owners can opt in on the city's website.
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Municipalities
- A proposed mosque in St. Albert's Campbell Business Park is facing opposition from some residents who argued it is incompatible with the industrial area and will cause traffic and parking issues. The Muslim Association of St. Albert, which is currently located nearby in the business park, said the new mosque would have enough parking stalls to alleviate on-street parking pressure. The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board will reconvene on April 15 to allow for additional speakers for and against the development.
- St. Albert Coun. Amanda Patrick is looking to add street parking along St. Anne Street near St. Albert Place, after courthouse parking was restricted to employees and courthouse visitors in January. A city report said it would cost around $10,000 to add parking, though planned utility construction limits opportunities until 2029.
- St. Albert council approved bylaw amendments to address construction waste blowing into natural areas, requiring debris be placed in covered receptacles and stored in an orderly manner.
- St. Albert council passed two motions that revise how new assessment growth is allocated.
- Beaumont council voted unanimously to develop an artificial intelligence use policy by June 30, with interim guidance on responsible AI use in the meantime. Administration will also evaluate an enterprise-level AI solution for inclusion in the 2027 budget.
- Elk Island Public Schools has received provincial funding to begin planning for a new collegiate school in Fort Saskatchewan that will replace Rudolph Hennig Junior High and Fort Saskatchewan High. The Elk Island-Heartland Collegiate School will be built in the city's Southridge area with a capacity of up to 1,600 students and is one of 30 projects funded through Budget 2026's $110 million allocation for new schools and modernizations.
- Parkland County is launching County Chats, a series of open-house events where residents can meet mayor and council, ask questions, and learn about county initiatives. The events take place between April and November.
- Parkland County is replacing its current online services platform for taxes, utilities, and accounts receivable with a new system offering improved self-service features and e-billing. Residents will need to create new accounts after the system launches; a two-to-three-day service outage is expected during the transition.
Test your Edmonton knowledge!
Join us for a local history trivia night on April 23 at the downtown Canadian Brewhouse. Chris Chang-Yen Phillips of the Edmonton City as Museum Project and Colin Gallant of Taproot will quiz you about Edmonton's food history, among other things. Tickets are only $5, and fabulous prizes are up for grabs!
Headlines
- Daily Hive listed chain restaurants opening in St. Albert this year, including Jersey Mike's, Five Guys, Waves Coffee House, BarNaan, OEB, Chick-fil-A, Denny's, and Sip Soda Co..
- Parkland County Fire Services celebrated the graduation of 20 new firefighters from its 2025 recruit class and recognized staff for service milestones ranging from three to 35 years.
- Strathcona County is recognizing its telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
- RCMP are looking for a thief who broke into a Leduc cigar shop wearing a Spider-Man mask, making off with roughly $65,000 in cash and merchandise. The suspect entered through the ceiling of an adjacent vacant business and cut security camera lines before the theft.
- The Dr. Woods House Museum in Leduc will reopen on a limited seasonal basis this summer, after being closed while staff catalogued and preserved the collection.
- Saskitoba in Nisku is hosting a Ukrainian poutine eating contest on April 23 in support of the Kiwanis Club of Leduc. Contestants must register by April 20.
- Stawnichy's Mundare Sausage is offering 100 sausage rings in exchange for information on the identity of thieves who broke in at its Mundare location. The intruders made off with only around $80, while causing between $4,000 and $5,000 worth of damage.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- April 15: Silent Book Club starting at 7pm at St. Albert Public Library (Jensen Lakes Library)
- April 16: Christine Tassan et Les Imposteurs starting at 7:30pm at Arden Theatre
- April 17: RavenWood Music Club: ØStella starting at 7pm at Salisbury Greenhouse (Sherwood Park)
- April 17: Twilight Time - A Tribute to The Platters and Doo-Wop staring at 7:30pm at Horizon Stage Performing Arts Theatre
- April 17-19: St. Albert Lifestyle Expo & Sale at Servus Place
- April 18: Waskahegan Trail Association Annual General Meeting starting at 2pm at St. Thomas Anglican Church
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- May 1: Celeigh Cardinal at Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts
- May 5-6: Clean Fuels Canada Summit at Strathcona Community Centre and County Hall
- May 20: Leduc Music Festival at Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.
This roundup was sponsored by Park Power.
Park Power is your friendly, local utilities provider, offering electricity, natural gas, and internet throughout Alberta. Park Power offers low rates, awesome service, and through their Community Partners program, shares 10% of electricity profits with some awesome Alberta charities. Their Green Power program supports the production of renewable energy in Alberta and their Solar Club helps Albertans gain more value from their investment in solar power.