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Regional Roundup
May 13, 2026

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'Edge cities' should maintain unique identity, says urban scholar

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While much effort has been put into creating a cohesive identity for the Edmonton metropolitan region, something important will be lost if the municipalities around the big city lose themselves, says Murtaza Haider, executive director of the Cities Institute at the University of Alberta. "What we have to do is build this sense of identity for smaller towns where people can say, 'Yeah, I live in Leduc, I'm not in Edmonton, that's perfectly fine,'" he told Taproot. "But that kind of only develops when you have a city with a heart, with a purpose, and with things to do other than sleep and work."

Haider's comments built on his address to St. Albert's Business Breakfast in April. St. Albert is no longer a suburb but an "edge city," he said. Now it needs to capitalize on its assets to develop "a durable, distinctive economic identity before the growth wave arrives." His playbook includes ensuring that housing and employment co-exist; treating industrial zones as economic engines, not eyesores; elevating schools to attract families; and considering transit between St. Albert and Edmonton as a multiplier, not a cost.

Haider noted that a streetcar once ran from St. Albert to Edmonton. "I think what we need to do is to find a way to revive these streetcar routes from downtown Edmonton all over and create that hub-and-spoke system so that we can have a connectivity that is regional," he said on Taproot Exchange, a live-streamed conversation for Taproot members. That involves getting many governments on board, however, and not everyone is enthusiastic. Coun. Erin Rutherford has asked for a memo outlining alternatives to continuing to build the Metro LRT line up to St. Albert, citing prohibitive costs and unacceptable delays in improving transit for people in her Ward Anirniq in Edmonton's northwest.

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Economic development

Municipalities

  • The deadline is approaching for Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Strathcona County, Leduc, Red Deer and Lethbridge to decide whether to accept the province's restructured ground ambulance service agreement. Spruce Grove council voted against absorbing the additional costs of the contract, a decision that will end the city's integrated Fire-EMS service when its current contract expires in September. Leduc also voted to transition out of the agreement. Meanwhile, Strathcona County council voted to accept the provincial agreement, which will result in an estimated 0.73% property tax increase, with the county estimating additional increases in future years due to inflation and collective agreement costs.
  • Sturgeon County residents got a first look at plans for the West Rail Outline Plan, a proposed 48-hectare development east of Sturgeon Road in the Sturgeon Valley South area that could include about 600 homes and up to 2,000 residents. The development plan is yet to be approved by Sturgeon County council.
  • The Stony Plain Public Library has joined other Alberta libraries in raising concerns about Bill 28, which it says creates new barriers to access, shifts decision-making away from local boards and trained professionals, and raises privacy concerns. The Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries has written to Premier Danielle Smith requesting a meeting.
  • Spruce Grove crews will begin installing equipment at intersections along Jennifer Heil Way and Highway 16A to support a traffic signal optimization project.
  • Parkland County is inviting residents to help plant native wetland species near Rolling Meadows on May 30, in partnership with Sweetflag Environmental.
  • Parkland County's not-for-profit grant intake for 2027 is open from May 20 to July 9. Attendance at one of five information sessions is mandatory for all applicants.
  • Strathcona County is bringing back Project TENSOR East, a seasonal traffic enforcement initiative targeting excessive vehicle noise, speeding, and equipment violations on county roadways. Peace officers and local RCMP conduct enforcement from May through early fall, focusing on hotspots identified through citizen complaints.
  • Leduc city council approved a 6.3% decrease in the residential property tax rate for 2026, the city's largest residential rate decrease in six years.
  • Leduc has received a second $1.9-million installment of its $7.6-million federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant, having achieved 76% of its housing unit targets. The city has completed three of seven planned initiatives, including a housing incentive program, a project to streamline approvals, and a parking and public transportation study.
  • Leduc city council has identified a fieldhouse, twin arena, climbing gym, and multiuse program space as top priorities for the West Campus project. A fieldhouse and twin arena are slated for the first phase, with an aquatics centre in the second phase.
  • This week's edition of Your turn, Taproot's roundup of public engagement opportunities in the Edmonton region, include feedback on Fort Saskatchewan's parkland bylaw and public hearings on land use redistricting in Leduc and Sturgeon County.

Headlines

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

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

Correction: This file has been updated to correct the spelling of Eugene Lapotac's name.

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