Posts of Reg Rygus RSSTue, 16 Jun 2026 07:25:43 GMTSummer may be late in coming but the latest issue of MILL WOODS MOSAIC is right on schedule.

]]>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:25:43 GMTON THE AGENDAStephanie SwensrudeThis week, council is set to make some adjustments to the final year of the 2023-2026 capital budget, examine options for building the southeast transit garage to its original scope, and hear an update on the state of community league facilities.There is a public hearing scheduled on June 15 and a council meeting scheduled on June 16 and 17.Here are some key items on the agenda this week:Administration recommends several adjustments to the final year of the 2023-2026 capital budget, including new projects totalling $45 million, scope changes totalling $44 million, and recosting adjustments totalling $4.8 million. A report to be presented to council says most new projects are related to projects previously approved that are moving to a new stage and require funding. However, one new funding request is for $600,000 to demolish the Koermann Block, one of the few buildings along The Armature, which the city had listed for sale for affordable housing. The report said the building needs to be demolished immediately due to critical structural failures, safety hazards, and ongoing liability risks. The interior of the building is collapsed, there are large holes in the roof, and the basement is flooded, posing a risk to unauthorized occupants, the city said. The building is listed on the inventory of historic resources, meaning it is deemed to have historic value, but it doesn’t have full legal protection from alteration or demolition. The building is historically significant for its connection to the local German community prior to the First World War. Council will also discuss changes to the capital budgets for waste services and renewable energy systems.Administration has laid out four options for building the southeast transit garage to accommodate more buses. In April, councillors learned that plans for the garage had been scaled down from a capacity for 430 buses to between 255 and 290. Emily Stremel, chair of Edmonton Transit Riders, to... Read more

]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:52:54 GMTThe provincial government has filed its appeal of the court ruling that quashed the petition seeking a vote on Alberta leaving Canada, arguing that the judge made 14 errors in her decision. Court of King's Bench Justice Shaina Leonard found that the petition should not have been issued under provincial law and that the government neglected its duty to consult First Nations, after a group of First Nations challenged the petition. The campaign's leaders have said almost 302,000 Albertans signed the petition before it was thrown out. In the appeal, filed Wednesday in Edmonton court, the Province argues that issuing the petition did not trigger the duty to consult and that the judge failed to give weight to the democratic purpose of the petition process, though it will not be applying to have the appeal expedited. Stay Free Alberta, the group behind the petition, filed its own appeal last month, making many of the same legal arguments. Premier Danielle Smith, who called the original ruling "anti-democratic", has since announced a separate referendum on October 19th asking whether Albertans want to remain in Canada or start the process toward a second, binding referendum on separation.Speaking of the referendum, Elections Alberta has launched the largest recruitment campaign for electoral workers in Alberta's history, saying a minimum of 60,000 workers will be needed for the October 19th vote. The agency says that with 10 questions on the ballot, that workforce is required to meet the 48-hour deadline for completing the unofficial count. It will print 45 million ballots, far more than the 1.8 million ballots cast in Alberta's 2023 provincial election and the 19.8 million cast in the 2025 federal election. By comparison, the 2023 provincial election used 13,095 workers and cost approximately $37 million, while Elections Alberta normally operates with 48 permanent staff. The agency told Postmedia there is currently no budget for the referendum and there will not be one unt... Read more

]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:46:35 GMTWhat's on in Edmonton this weekend? Celebrate Pride with Fruit Loop’s Pride Dance Party in support of Rainbow Refuge, observe a paper-making performance at Latitude 53 with artist Amy Leigh, enjoy an unforgettable evening of Caribbean energy at the Calypso Cultural Showcase, catch the final performance of Tiff Hall’s Very Lit Music Show for a night of improv, live music, and burlesque, join textile artist Naomi Pahl at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse for a hands-on workshop upcycling recycled sweaters into your very own mushroom plushie, and so much more!SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

]]>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 01:26:16 GMTThe Community and Public Services Committee meets today at 9:30 am. One of the items on its agenda asks the Committee to recommend that Council rescind a motion that Council itself passed at its December 2025 budget meeting. That motion directed Administration to amend the agreements governing community leagues so the City would directly pay all stormwater charges that EPCOR levies against the leagues, ensuring the leagues are never billed for those fees. After reviewing the billing process, Administration now recommends that community leagues keep being billed directly by EPCOR, arguing the agreements already make leagues responsible for their own utility costs and that Council has already approved $995,648 in annual funding that fully offsets the charges. Reverting to City-paid billing would mean removing that roughly $1 million from the community league budget, shifting it to the City's utility budget, and amending every individual league agreement.Also on today's agenda, the Committee will receive a report evaluating future spending on day spaces, which are daytime facilities offering respite and basic services for people experiencing homelessness. Council put $1 million into extending hours at four existing sites between December 2025 and March 2026, during which 6,634 unique individuals visited 37,663 times, a 51% increase in clients and a 169% increase in visits over the previous winter. Administration says there is currently no sustainable ongoing funding for day spaces and lays out four options, ranging from no new investment, to a seasonal winter respite model, to a year-round model, to a comprehensive community service hub, which is the costliest and the one sector partners preferred. Should Council direct an investment, Administration would bring an unfunded service package through the 2027-2030 budget.The Executive Committee meets on Wednesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a discussion about whether to approve a below-market-value sale of a City-owned pr... Read more

]]>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:37:53 GMTAlbertans will begin receiving new all-in-one identification cards on July 2nd, as promised last year with the passage of Bill 10. The new cards will combine existing driver's license or ID cards with Alberta health cards and proof of citizenship. Alberta is the last province in Canada still using paper health-care cards, despite countless governments promising to phase them out over many years. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said there is no political or Big Brother motivation behind the citizenship marker, noting that more than 60 jurisdictions worldwide integrate citizenship information on licences and that proof of status is already required to apply for programs such as student aid and income supports. Nally said there are hundreds of thousands more health-care cards in circulation than there are Albertans, pointing to what he called rampant fraud that the new secure cards are meant to curb. He said the discrepancy may partly reflect people who have died but remain in the system, or those who move away and leave their paper cards behind. The redesigned cards also add enhanced security features.The Alberta Prosperity Project is publicly disputing Premier Danielle Smith's estimate of what independence would cost, after Smith said Monday that separation would carry almost $400 billion in transitional costs plus $25 billion to $50 billion in annual costs to stand up a new national government. Smith cited expenses such as assuming Alberta's share of the national debt and the Canada Pension Plan, regulating banks, railways and telecoms, running border control and post offices, meeting NATO commitments, and renegotiating trade deals. Jeffrey Rath, general counsel for the group, called Smith's numbers completely false, arguing many of those systems already exist and would simply be taken over, and pointed to the group's own costed plan projecting a fiscal surplus of $29.4 billion to $48.3 billion. University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe has called that plan a... Read more

]]>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:34:58 GMTHello KEP Neighbour,Here’s what’s happening around the community this June! Inside you’ll find updates from the King Edward Park Community League - upcoming events and programs, City news, road and construction updates, local resources, and more.Know something happening in the neighbourhood or have an idea for the newsletter? Let us know — we’d love to hear what you’d like to see featured here!King Edward Park’s 25th Annual Reuse Fair The 25th Annual Reuse Fair!Bring your gently used household items and help give them a second life while supporting local community groups and charities.Event Highlights📚 Book Exchange — take some or leave some!🪴 Plant Sale — hosted by the Edmonton Horticultural Society♻️ Free Table — give useful items a new home🗑️ Large bin available for non-toxic household waste (Please note: no mattresses, fridges, or freezers.) This event is made possible by caring community volunteers. Volunteers are needed for setup, unloading vehicles, sorting donations, and cleanup. If you can spare a few hours, please contact Renée at 780-462-7001.Come meet your neighbours, support local organizations, and help make a positive impact on the environment. We look forward to seeing you there!🚴‍♀️ 2026 BIKE Month Challenge Dust off your bikes and join the challenge! This June, Community Leagues across the city are teaming up for a month of riding, exploring, and friendly competition. ✨ Ride with friends ✨ Track your kilometres ✨ Discover new routes ✨ Win prizes ✨ Enjoy the outdoors HOW IT WORKS: 1️⃣ Download the Stava app & join the KEP club 2️⃣ No Strava? Then email your monthly KM to grants@kingedwardpark.org every Saturday 3️⃣ Ride throughout June 4️⃣ Help your League top the leaderboard 🏆 Categories include: • Total Participants • Total Team Kilometres • Scavenger Hunt ChallengeCity of Edmonton Program 🌿 Green Shack is Back at KEP This Summer!The City of Edmonton’s Green Shack Program is back this summer ... Read more

]]>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:31:44 GMTWhat's on in Edmonton this weekend? Check out a reading of new stories and scripts at the Citadel Theatre’s Collider Festival, discover local artists and live performances in the heart of Stony Plain Road at the Jasper Place Arts Festival, celebrate Pride Month at Fruit Loop’s Pride Block Party, treat yourself to a sound experience featuring the Cosmopolitan Music Society’s concert bands, jazz bands, handbells, and chorus at Prism — Music of the Community, and so much more!SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:58:37 GMTWard 4 (Dene) Councillor Aaron Paquette is bringing a motion to City Council asking Administration to research how Edmonton could protect itself from economic fallout if Alberta separates from Canada - including exploring whether the city could remain part of Canada independently of a separating province. The motion directs Administration to examine a range of options: new provincial-municipal partnership frameworks, collective action with other municipalities, leveraging Edmonton's location within Treaty 6 territory and its relationship with Enoch Cree Nation, and the constitutional possibility of Edmonton seeking territorial or special federal status. Paquette cited the experience of Montreal and Quebec City during Quebec's separation debates, warning that investment flight and head office departures during that period are effects "they're still recovering from." He also noted that the federal government owns significant assets in Edmonton - including military properties - that could anchor a case for the city remaining Canadian. Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt described the question of Edmonton separating from a separating Alberta as "interesting," noting that if Alberta can secede from Canada, the same logic raises questions about Indigenous reserves and national parks. Experts note, however, that provinces are constitutional entities, while municipalities are not, meaning that the Supreme Court's reference case on secession applies to provinces, but not municipalities.Mayor Andrew Knack told the Infrastructure and Environment Committee that the replacement for the 113-year-old High Level Bridge will need to be what he described as a "mega bridge," accommodating vehicle lanes, dedicated bus rapid transit lanes, multi-use paths, a streetcar connection, and potentially high-speed rail if the province builds its planned Edmonton-to-airport rail link. The High Level Bridge and the Low Level Bridge will both be decommissioned and replaced rathe... Read more

]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:48:38 GMTPremier Danielle Smith's cabinet issued an order-in-council confirming the official wording of the October 19th referendum question, which asks Albertans whether the province should remain in Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process required under the Constitution to hold a binding separation referendum. Some critics have labelled this as just a referendum-to-have-a-referendum, but Smith says this is the only wording that would work given the recent court ruling that is under appeal. Some proponents of independence have actually welcomed the wording, believing it will allow some undecided voters to vote to "continue the discussion", without having to fully commit to separation. The question will sit at the top of a stack of 10 colour-coded ballots covering constitutional and immigration matters, and voters may decline to answer any or all of them.ATCO is awaiting a final regulatory decision that would allow it to begin building a $2.9-billion, 235-kilometre natural gas pipeline from the hamlet of Peers, west of Edmonton, to the Fort Saskatchewan area. The Yellowhead pipeline would move more than 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily through a high-pressure, 36-inch underground steel pipe. The company says the line is needed to serve the fast-growing industrial heartland north of Edmonton, where demand from power generation, petrochemical processing, and residential development continues to rise. ATCO filed its final application with the Alberta Utilities Commission in November 2025, and a hearing was held in recent weeks. A decision is expected within months, with construction possibly beginning as early as September if approval is granted.Alberta is requiring daycare facilities to post visible notices of high-risk incidents involving children within one business day of being reported, effective today. A corresponding notice will also be published on the government's website listing the facility's name and the date the incident was repor... Read more

]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:38:51 GMT