City council continues to meet virtually this week. Council will discuss actions following its declaration of a homelessness emergency, as well as the public spaces bylaw and further financial assistance for Explore Edmonton.

There is a special city council meeting scheduled for Feb. 12. There is a city auditor recruitment committee meeting scheduled for 9:30am on Feb. 13 and a special audit committee meeting scheduled for 1:30pm on Feb. 13. There is a non-regular city council meeting scheduled for Feb. 14, and a city manager and city auditor performance evaluation committee meeting on Feb. 16.

Here are key items on the agenda:

• A list of potential city actions to alleviate the housing and homelessness challenge includes mandating affordable housing in new developments. Council requested the list at its emergency meeting in January, when it declared a housing and homelessness emergency. Other proposals are to streamline processes, like eliminating public engagement not legally required for affordable housing and emergency shelters, and to allow the city to sole-source providers. Tiny and modular homes, and using underutilized land like surplus school sites for affordable housing, are other ideas. The list is set to be discussed at a special city council meeting on Feb. 12. Council is also scheduled to receive a verbal report on the integrated encampment response.
• Council is set to examine the public spaces bylaw at a non-regular city council meeting on Feb. 14. The bylaw would replace the current parkland, code of conduct, and public places bylaws. Under the proposed new bylaw, people who panhandle at intersections could be fined $250. Visible drug use would be banned in all public spaces and subject to a fine of at least $500. Bradley Lafortune of Public Interest Alberta said this could lead to more deaths. "If people are not able to use drugs where they feel safe, they're going to use drugs in back alleys, where it's not visible and more people essentially are going to die," Lafortune said. A city survey conducted in 2023 found 89% of respondents were concerned about visible drug use. The proposed bylaw would also increase the fine for cycling on the sidewalk from $100 to $250, and introduce a fine for cycling on grass in parks.
• Explore Edmonton is requesting nearly $1 million to cover taxes, utilities, and insurance, on top of a $2 million increase to its annual budget to account for inflation, at a special city council meeting on Feb. 12. The corporation's base budget is $11.7 million. It requested a $10 million increase during the fall 2023 supplemental operating budget adjustment, with representatives saying its mandate has grown significantly since the budget was set. If council approves the request, the money would come from the financial stabilization reserve, which is expected to be $35 million below its minimum balance in 2024. This is the second time in two weeks Explore Edmonton has asked for financial assistance. On Feb. 7, councillors at an executive committee meeting recommended the city forgive more than $1 million in Explore Edmonton's unpaid taxes from 2021 and 2022. Councillors will debate forgiving the unpaid taxes at a future council meeting.

Here are some other agenda items:

• City council is set to begin readings on a bylaw that would establish a permanent Clean Energy Improvement Program. The program to finance clean energy retrofits and installations has been popular in Edmonton, with funding often running out ahead of schedule. If council approves the bylaw, applicants could receive loans of up to $50,000 for residential projects and $1 million for commercial projects, repaid through property taxes. The program is estimated to cost the city about $20 million over the next four years.
• Council is scheduled to debate whether it should forgive $73,900, plus associated penalties, in unpaid taxes from Al-Mustafa Academy and Humanitarian Society. Executive committee recommended forgiving the taxes during a previous meeting.
• A proposed bylaw would increase the maximum amount of taxes that business improvement associations can charge in certain core areas. The maximum would increase from $10,000 to $15,000 in the downtown area, from $7,000 to $7,500 in the Kingsway area, and from $4,000 to $4,100 in the North Edge area. The city said the changes are required to generate sufficient revenues to fund business improvement areas. The bylaw is set to be debated on Feb. 12.
• Councillors will receive private reports during a special audit committee meeting on Feb. 13, a city auditor recruitment committee on Feb. 13, and a city manager and city auditor performance evaluation committee meeting on Feb. 16.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

The Calgary Police Service spent nearly double its overtime and call-out budget in 2023, according to an internal email sent to senior leadership.

The Continued Companionship Program is meant to assist senior citizens with pets who may not have access to the right support systems.

Paul Zizka was co-leading a group of mostly Canadian photographers on a trip through Iceland when a volcanic eruption occurred two kilometres away. 

Former NDP deputy leader Sarah Hoffman has officially joined the NDP leadership race.

An Alberta Health Services investigation into a long-running dispute involving six physicians and conflict of interest allegations has been animated by new counter-accusations and legal warnings.

Justice Sheilah Martin said she was introduced to Alberta in the best way possible — through a scholarship that allowed her to continue her studies.

The executive director of the society that operates Calgary's Grand Theatre said a feasibility plan was rejected by the building's landlord at the 11th hour, leaving the historic arts and culture hub to face an uncertain future. 

We've all been there. An appointment runs late, or you enter your licence plate wrong, and you return to your car to find the dreaded ticket under your wiper blade. If you complain about it enough, chances are that someone in your social circle will advise ignoring the ticket. But what happens if you do? And how much power do private parking companies have to enforce payment? That’s what we wanted to find out.

Deferring to her mother, Kelley Korbin left out the fact that her father had a medically assisted death in his obituary — a decision she regretted.

As King Charles steps back from public duties while undergoing treatment for cancer, other senior members of the Royal Family will continue their appearances and are likely to stand in for the monarch at some events.

The former mayor and three former city councillors argued in court that the decision to dismiss them caused 'irreparable harm.' On Friday, a judge disagreed with them, dismissing their application to be reinstated.

Edmonton police are trying to reassure members of the city's South Asian community as they continue investigating an extortion scheme targeting local home builders of Indian descent.

The City of Edmonton spent nearly $1.7 million to clean up homeless encampments last year — nearly 65-per cent more than in 2022, according to data provided by the city.

Critics are questioning the operations and transparency of an Alberta office that investigates allegations of abuse against people receiving publicly funded care.

The City of Calgary has begun some preliminary work in preparation for the new arena complex in Victoria Park, clearing the way for new construction and readying the utility networks below.

Business coach and Edmonton AM workplace columnist Margot Ross Graham shares her tips for the most effective ways to talk to your manager about your salary.

Love, fatherhood and music: Edmonton AM sits down with Juno nominee Josh Sahunta.

At the age of 50, Gen Segger was a finalist at the recent Strongman world championship as Canada's only female competitor in her age category. CBC’s Tara McCarthy talks with Segger about fitness, pulling vehicles and pushing herself.

A federal private member's bill to restrict fossil-fuel advertising earns bipartisan scorn out West.

George Parkin, born Aug. 24, 1940, in Creston, B.C., passed away Jan. 6, 2024, in Victoria, B.C.

George spent a lot of his life working in the oilfield industry all through Western Canada. He always enjoyed his work, travelling and his family. George always called Pincher Creek home and enjoyed the mountains and wildlife.

When George moved to Crofton in 2016, he never failed to mention that there was no wind out there, and his first question would be, “Is it windy there today?”

George always had time for a scotch or a coffee and a story or two. You never knew if the story was true or not because George always made it so believable, however there were always some parts that made you think it was probably made up.

Growing up, George enjoyed playing hockey with his brothers and friends, and pestering anyone that could take it.

George loved spending time with his grandkids, if it was playing crib, camping at the river, going for drives, going for a coffee and butterhorn or breakfast at Mrs. P’s.

He had a smile that would light up a room, and a kind word for everyone.

George will be greatly missed by his wife, Linda Beer; children Kevin (Colleen), Marc (Lisa) and Vickie; grandchildren Amanda (Nathan), Nicole, Jessica (Andrew), Alyssa (Jack), Tamara (Ian), Spencer, Quinn (Meranda), Tyree (Brittany), Kyra (Mark) and Krysten (Coady); stepson Ken (Shannon); and 17 great-grandchildren.

George is survived by brothers John (Carole) and Ken (Sharon), sisters Mary and Gert (Herb), and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

George was predeceased by his late wife, Betty (2006); his parents, John and Johanna; brothers Hank (Ev), Gary, Lorne and Brian; stepdaughter Kristine; and daughter-in-law Carrie.

The post George Ernest Parkin Obituary | 1940 – 2024 appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Kenneth Courtorielle, 38, received a 13-year total sentence for three criminal convictions in connection to the 2020 death of Billie Johnson.

Former Edmonton Oilers legend Mark Messier gives team props for rebounding after disastrous start to NHL season.

An apparent thief or thieves targeting the coin box at the Pincher Creek water standpipe, operated by the MD of Pincher Creek, managed to put the entire unit out of commission.

In a social media post Friday morning, the MD reported that due to vandalism, the standpipe is currently not operational.

At this point, there’s no indication how long it will take to get it back up and running.

Those needing potable water will need to travel to Cowley.

Unlike the MD’s standpipes in Pincher Creek and near Beaver Mines, which are both lower and upper fill, the Railway Avenue water station in Cowley is only upper fill.

The post Vandalism behind temporary shutdown of Pincher Creek standpipe appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Enbridge could benefit from increased volumes on its Mainline oil pipeline network if the startup of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is significantly delayed, the Calgary-based energy infrastructure company says.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians shouldn’t fall for Vladimir Putin’s propaganda after the Russian president appeared in an interview with U.S. media personality Tucker Carlson.

Roughly 200 members of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce gathered on Tuesday to discuss how the city’s business community can offer and implement solutions to Edmonton’s homelessness crisis.

Alberta will field more firefighters, more volunteers and more high-tech gear as it braces for what it expects will be another busy wildfire season, the province's forestry minister said Thursday.

Edmonton's steadily rising population is coming head-to-head with a strained housing market, in which the cost of buying a home has become too high and the supply of rental units has hit its lowest point in a decade.

A subsidiary company of the Katz Group is suing a local agency that provides services to the city’s homeless population for breach of contract.

Edmonton Global is hiring two consultants as it embarks on a roughly six-month "listening tour" to gather concerns from its 14 member municipalities and consider how it might convince those who want to leave to change their minds.

The organization's move follows decisions late last year by Devon, Fort Saskatchewan, Parkland County, Strathcona County, and Sturgeon County to state their intentions to leave the regional economic development body. The earliest those decisions can take effect is 2025.

An Edmonton Global spokesperson told Taproot via email that the listening tour is "process driven rather than time driven," though the members have requested updates by June.

Ozone Advisory Group Inc. will work with the stakeholders and chief administrative officers in each of Global's 14 member municipalities. Meanwhile, Christopher Steele of Boston-based EBP US will meet with their economic development teams. Details about the engagements are confidential but could result in recommendations for Edmonton Global's board and shareholders.

"Part of this listening tour is really trying to figure out what is the crux of the concerns from those five member municipalities," Edmonton Global CEO Malcolm Bruce told Taproot. "I also think it's important to highlight that the remaining nine municipalities are always looking for continuous improvement, but they're quite happy with the structure, too."

Edmonton Global is an organization that seeks to find foreign direct investment for the region. It was created in 2017.

During a Jan. 25 in-camera meeting among the organization's municipalities, the mayors of Edmonton, St. Albert, Beaumont, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Morinville, and Strathcona County formed a new subcommittee. Details of the meeting are confidential, even to Edmonton Global's board and staff, though board chair Enzo Barichello gave attendees an opening presentation.

The subcommittee includes urban and rural mayors; two of them represent municipalities that voted to depart Edmonton Global — Fort Saskatchewan and Strathcona County. Morinville Mayor Simon Boersma acts as the new subcommittee's chair. Its first meeting was Feb. 5. St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron said the subcommittee will meet every three weeks, and has said since it formed that changing Edmonton Global's fee structure could create a path towards harmony.

"It's not a main part of it, it's just something that's on the table," Heron told Taproot. "One of the things I suggested at our first little working group is to find those mayors that were around the table back in 2016 and '17 when this was all really starting — they must have explored governance structures and fee structures — and ask them why they settled on the one they did. I've already had drinks with (former Edmonton mayor Don) Iveson to talk to him about it."

Member municipalities set Edmonton Global's fees and these are based on population and tax base. Sturgeon County has contributed $600,000 since Global's formation in 2017; Strathcona County, meanwhile, pays around $500,000 annually. An Edmonton Global spokesperson said it receives $5 million yearly from members, up from $500,000 in 2017, and that there are no plans to increase fees.

Heron said that making Edmonton Global better for all members involves discussions within the subcommittee about diverging investment opportunities that interest its urban and rural members. Counties have much more land for industrial development; towns and cities, on the other hand, are best suited for housing investments.

"There's been hesitation about how it's never fair that the counties get all the heavy industrial with high investment dollars and very little servicing fees," Heron said. "It's like winning the lottery for a county, and the cities just don't have that opportunity."

Despite Heron's observations on dissatisfaction, she said the news that municipalities had decided to leave Edmonton Global shocked her.

"I was honestly quite upset that they didn't bother to let the rest of us know because we're all in this together," Heron said. "We're a family, and we should be talking about these things."

Bruce said knowing in advance is not an important issue for Edmonton Global. It's the discussions that come out of the decisions that matter.

"This, to me, is a perfect opportunity to figure out how we can improve, how we can do better, and hopefully that will lead to some of those member municipalities deciding that, actually, they want to stay in the family," he said.

What happens if municipalities choose to pay lower fees? "The reality is less money does mean less impact," Bruce said. "I can't presuppose the future. At the end of the day we're at the beginning of the discussions. We're not even sure that this may become an issue."

What happens if the five departing municipalities don't reverse course?

"I can't imagine a regional entity without the entire region," Heron said. "I love them to death but they're tiny and far away, so maybe Edmonton Global could survive without Devon. But you really can't survive without Strathcona and Sturgeon."

However, she and Bruce are both optimistic that membership will remain intact.

Bruce said tweaking Edmonton Global is par for the course.

"We're at about the six-year mark, in terms of Edmonton Global's existence," he said. "This regional collaboration thing is relatively new, even though this region has talked about it for about 50 or 60 years. I think this is a really important pivot in our evolution, where it's time to reexamine some of these things."

What's important, Bruce said, is if members remain committed to regionalism and the idea of regionalism. But what that might look like "may change over time," he said.

Edmonton Global before councils

Edmonton Global appears before member councils annually, and this year's schedule falls within the six-month tour timeframe. It has already visited St. Albert, Gibbons, and the City of Leduc. Heron said the visit to her city was "very constructive," though perhaps the organization should visit more than once per year.

The remaining dates are below, aside from Edmonton and Sturgeon County, which are still to be decided.

• Devon on Feb. 12
• Morinville on Feb. 13
• Parkland County on Feb. 20
• Fort Saskatchewan on Feb. 27
• Stony Plain on March 4
• Strathcona County on March 5
• Spruce Grove on March 11
• Leduc County on March 12
• Beaumont on March 12

Planned renovations at the Airdrie Urgent Care Centre have been put on hold while the provincial government considers a new pitch by an Airdrie doctor in partnership with a developer that could see a new facility built and leased to the province.

National organization Katimavik is teaming up with Calgary's youth employment centre to recruit young Calgarians to live and work outside of Alberta. It's also seeking employment partners to bring Canadian youth to Calgary.

Registrations in apprenticeship programs have rebounded from pandemic lows and are at their highest level since 2014, according to the latest available data from Statistics Canada.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was directed to investigate allegations about off-duty officer in October 2020.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. bolstered its international presence Thursday with a deal to buy the 90 per cent of Australian medical cannabis company MedReleaf Australia it didn't already own.

Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Rakhi Pancholi has entered to the race to replace Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP.

An Alberta government document suggests the province has made little progress in protecting its 15 threatened caribou herds, despite having signed an agreement with Ottawa that promised it would. The agreement was made under threat of Ottawa stepping in to protect critical habitat for the herds.

Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis's two-day law society hearing wrapped up Wednesday with lawyers agreeing to file written submissions before returning in April for oral arguments.

Thursday's meeting is being promoted as a platform for concerns and information after EPS issued an appeal for tips at the beginning of the year, urging anyone who's been targeted to report it.

The Canmore Nordic Centre feels like home to Antoine Cyr. The cross-country skier hopes that's to his advantage at a rare Canadian World Cup stop. The 25-year-old from Gatineau, Que., leads a host team of 26 athletes into the first World Cup held in Canmore, Alta., in eight years.

Alberta's privacy commissioner directed the City of Calgary to release the names of donors who gave money to third party advertisers in the 2021 municipal election.

A group of researchers are giving hands-on experience to members of Indigenous communities to teach them how to monitor remediation efforts of oil and gas companies on their traditional lands. 

Here are opportunities to help shape the city's development by providing feedback on designs and proposals.

• 103A Avenue and 99 Street Streetscape and Pedway (advise) — The city wants feedback on its latest designs for two downtown revitalization projects: a streetscape project around 103A Avenue and 99 Street and an underground pedway between Churchill LRT Station and the upcoming Station Lands development. Residents can share thoughts in a discussion board until Feb. 13.
• Mill Woods Town Centre Land Development Application — The city received a request to rezone a portion of Mill Woods Town Centre to allow for the construction two 20-storey residential towers on a single six-storey podium. The developer wants to rezone 2331 66 Street NW as a Direct Control Zone, a new zoning category introduced as part of the city's zoning bylaw renewal, to increase maximum height and setbacks between the buildings and the LRT station. The project is considered phase 1 of the redevelopment of Mill Woods Town Centre into a transit-oriented hub in line with the city's Transit Oriented Development (TOD) guidelines. Residents can ask a question about the application or share their thoughts until Feb. 25.
• Hillview Neighbourhood and Alley Renewal (refine) — The city released a draft design for its renewal of the Hillview community in Mill Woods, which is based on previous public input and meets city standards and policies. Residents can meet the project team at a drop-in event on Feb. 15 or complete a survey by Feb. 25.

More input opportunities

• Until Feb. 12: 124 Street Business Improvement Area Alley Renewal
• Until Feb. 12: North Saskatchewan River flood study
• Until Feb. 14: 2023 Public Satisfaction Survey (Strathcona County)
• Until Feb. 16: Public Washroom Strategy (interactive map, survey)
• Until Feb. 19: Winterscapes photo contest (nominations)
• Until Feb. 20: Active Transportation Network Survey
• Until Feb. 26: Voter Engagement Initiative (survey)
• Until Feb. 26: Housing Strategy (City of Leduc)
• Until Feb. 29: Northeast River Valley Park Strategic Plan

Photo: Maclab Development Group requested a rezoning of 2331 66 Street NW at Mill Woods Town Centre, which the firm acquired in 2022. (Maclab Development Group)

As Metro Cinema opens its annual call for community programming applications, the non-profit society expects to review roughly 70 proposals and commission up to 15 community-produced series and events — all to reach more people.

"It's written into our mandate that we are a community-based, not-for-profit society," Heather Noel, Metro's programming manager, told Taproot. "So we take that word 'community' really seriously. We want Edmonton as a city involved in deciding what we screen."

Sometimes guest-programmed series at Metro are so popular they become regulars. Nicole Boychuk, who writes about film, art, the occult, and culture on Substack, has organized Not Your Final Girl for the past three years. It explores feminism within horror and genre cinema. Reel Family Cinema, family-friendly films screened for free for children 12 and younger, began as a guest-programmed series. It is now part of Metro's regular calendar.

Submissions can be for one-off events, but Noel said the majority of successful proposals run for a month. This gives the programming team an "anchor" to centre other selections around. The online form includes fields for everything from basic contact details to more thoughtful prompts about a target audience, marketing ideas, and whether there's an option to add components like guest speakers.

Noel said applicants should give thought to answering the questions asked. "I think sometimes people rush the application because they're really excited about the movies they want to screen," she said. "What we're looking for is a way to give depth to the experience. So it's not just seeing a movie, but seeing it and understanding it within a greater context of film or its connections to real-world events, or communities, or whatnot."

Noel began as a volunteer with Metro's programming committee in 2014. She became the full-time programming manager in 2021. The role follows her experience co-owning Alternative Video Spot, which later became The Videodrome (now closed). She then spent seven-and-a-half years at The Film and Video Arts Society, better known as FAVA.

"It's my job to know a lot about the diversity of film, but there's just such a richness to what we can present when we're giving other people, who might have specific niche expertise, or who are connected to different community groups, a space to present films," Noel said. "Films that maybe aren't on our radar, or they are on our radar, but we haven't found a way to prioritize putting them into our programming. I think that helps us."

It's not just about how the program benefits Metro or its home at the Garneau Theatre. Noel said community programming works with a spirit of reciprocity.

"It goes both ways. It's a way we can bring all of these different interest groups and community members together," she said. "We really recognize that it's a huge platform to have — a big screen in front of 500 seats. When we partner with either an individual or an organization and their guest programming, that's giving them an opportunity to get a certain message across, if that's what they're trying to do."

There is no hard boundary when it comes to content, Noel said. However, particularly sensitive or upsetting works proposed for screenings receive a greater degree of scrutiny. Though it boils down to the context it's being presented in, Metro would more likely take the risk and responsibility of presenting this content on its own.

"We would require greater contextualization," Noel said. "When we're getting these applications, we do ask for a bio from the applicant, but we don't know very much about who you are. We have had applications where we felt that we weren't confident that it would be best handled by a guest programmer. So with some content, it's something that we might consider doing on our own at some point with careful consideration."

There are many reasons why submissions don't get picked. For starters, it's a matter of volume. The programming team also looks at submissions holistically. It doesn't make sense to have two martial arts series in a calendar year, for example, and there is sometimes overlap in specific film choices even if they are presented in different contexts. Films submitted by their makers are not eligible for consideration (though Metro will accept these proposals separate from this program), nor are series intended to be ongoing or recurring.

"Sometimes people are proposing things that are absolutely great, and there's a logistical issue," Noel said. "Sometimes the movies that they're looking for are just not available to screen, especially if they were initially made for TV or something and the rights were never negotiated for theatrical screenings."

Guest programming can also evolve between submission and realization. If a certain film isn't available, Noel will bring suggestions back to the guest and prompt them to come up with their own alternatives.

"I'm really handling the logistics, the scheduling, the communications with distributors, and (the guest programmer is) the creative force behind it," Noel said.

Not all guest-programmed films are feature length. While Noel cited budgetary constraints as a limit to how many short films Metro can book, she said they are not out of the question. Last March's Film Florale by Elisabeth Belliveau and Anna Hawkins included both features and shorts.

Metro's community programming applications are open until April 30, and Metro will notify successful applicants by Aug. 15. This round of guest-programmed screenings takes place from October to September 2025. Guest programming is a volunteer role and submissions do not include a fee.

February marks the return of Slowed Down Sundays, guest programmed by Thomas Wishloff, a writer for online film publication In The Seats. Each Sunday, he's showcasing a film from the slow cinema arthouse movement.

Alberta Wildfire has been responding to an increased number of winter wildfires due to warmer and drier weather this season, which officials expect will carry over to this spring.

Black History Month events are planned across the city and that identity — being Black — is something that can shift over time, and between generations.

Josée Bergeron didn’t grow up with a strong sense of Indigenous identity. When she began exploring it as an adult, she realized forging a sense of identity is complicated when the politics of who is Indigenous are so fraught.

The Calgary Board of Education couldn't provide numbers of how many students took part in Wednesday's walkouts, only that they ranged from small groups to hundreds of students.