Reg Rygus

What'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

• The 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 property on 118 Avenue in Alberta Avenue for a community arts development. The City reacquired the former arts site for a nominal value in May 2025, then listed it for six months with requirements that any buyer deliver an arts project including a black box theatre, gallery, studio and maker spaces, and housing. Despite emailing more than 8,300 subscribers on its property sales list, the City received only two proposals. Council has set aside $3,304,823 from a reserve to fund the arts components of the site, and both bidders are seeking to draw on that money. Because the sale is below fair market value, Committee approval is required before Administration can begin negotiating with its preferred proponent.
• Also before Executive Committee on Wednesday are two linked information reports on the City's economic development work. The first is a refreshed ten-year strategy, called Edmonton Advantage, which aims to reverse what Administration describes as a "business-unfriendly perception" and a tax base in which residential growth outpaces business and industrial growth, and which Administration says will need roughly $70 million over 2027-2030. The second is a review of the four City-funded agencies that receive taxpayer funding: Explore Edmonton at $22.7 million annually, Edmonton Unlimited at $5.3 million, Edmonton Global at $3.3 million, and Edmonton Screen at $1.2 million. An independent consultant found the agencies' mandates clear and recommended adding mid-stage business support, but Administration does not recommend mandate changes or a new agency. The review also notes Edmonton Global's membership has fallen from 14 municipalities to 9, with 3 more giving notice they will leave.
• Mayor Andrew Knack joined the Big Cities Mayors' Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on Thursday in asking the federal government to commit billions of dollars to downtown revitalization ahead of Ottawa's fall budget. The caucus wants the federal government to follow its Parliamentary Budget Officer's recommendation to invest $3.5 billion annually to cut chronic homelessness by at least 50% by 2030, to raise the Canada Public Transit Fund from $25 billion to $30 billion over ten years, and to at least double the Build Communities Strong Fund. Knack argued the homelessness and safety crisis cannot be solved by any one order of government acting alone and called for a coordinated federal-provincial-municipal response. The push follows an April report from the Downtown Revitalization Coalition flagging visible drug use and disorder, and a CBC investigation that found transit-related crime in Edmonton more than doubled over nine years.

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This week, Edmonton city councillors will discuss day spaces for vulnerable Edmontonians, a review of economic development agencies, and potential changes to city-owned parking.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on June 8, an urban planning committee meeting on June 9, and an executive committee meeting on June 10.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• There are no sustainable municipal funding options for day shelter spaces, says a report set to be presented to community and public services committee. Mayor Andrew Knack’s first motion of this term directed administration to allocate $1 million to expand access to day shelter spaces, and for administration to report back with an evaluation of the options to build out the service. The report said the funding allowed hours at four sites to increase from 99 per week to 252; the sites were visited nearly 38,000 times by more than 6,600 people. Administration laid out investment options for winter respite day spaces, year-round day spaces, and a community service hub with clinical healthcare and holistic supports. More options for supporting vulnerable people will be included in a report coming later this month that is meant to outline a way to transition the city out of providing services to people experiencing homelessness, which administration called a provincial responsibility.
• Administration has refreshed its economic development strategy, titled Edmonton Advantage, to adapt to current and anticipated market realities. The strategy outlines three primary issues: Edmonton is perceived as unfriendly to business, there is a lack of awareness around the city’s business proposition, and residential growth is outpacing business and industry growth, resulting in a tax imbalance. The strategy’s pillars aim to enable a strong business environment, market the Edmonton advantage, and drive investment. A cross-referenced report about four of the city’s economic development agencies — Explore Edmonton, Edmonton Global, Edmonton Screen, and Edmonton Unlimited — said a review found that the organizations have clear and complementary mandates with no significant duplication, and that the agencies are delivering measurable economic outcomes. While the ecosystem supports growth, there is a gap in mid-stage business retention and expansion support, which could limit firms transitioning from startup to growth and expansion, the report said. The consultant who examined the agencies recommended setting up a new economic agency to add scale-up supports for local businesses, but administration did not endorse that idea.
• Administration is considering changes to city-owned parking, including increased rates, the elimination of the free 15-minute period, and a pilot project for paid parking at facilities such as the Muttart Conservatory, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and Fort Edmonton Park. A report to be presented to urban planning committee says demand for parking has increased as Edmonton grows, and curbside space is supporting a broader range of uses than parking, including deliveries, transit access, festivals, patios, activations, and micromobility devices such as e-scooters. The proposed changes are expected to manage demand and improve turnover while increasing revenue. A cross-referenced report outlines options for parking benefit districts, a system where parking revenue would be invested into the area it is collected from. While administration doesn’t recommend implementing parking benefit districts at this time, it said it will bring forward options in 2027 once the overall parking system is more financially stable and effective.

• Albertans 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 fiscal fantasy, noting that scrapping income and sales taxes would cut nearly $80 billion from revenues, more than half of what the group assumes the new country would collect. The group also believes Canada owes Alberta around $334 billion in pension costs but expects an actual transfer of about $167 billion. Smith says the Province will release its own costing document to Albertans before August.
• The provincial government announced a new patient-focused funding model that ties hospital funding to the volume of care delivered rather than a fixed budget. A dozen hospitals are operating under the first phrase, 9 run by Alberta Health Services and 3 by Covenant Health. The model applies to hip replacements, knee replacements, cataract surgery, and shoulder rotator cuff repair, covering 26,000 procedures in 2026-27. Per-surgery funding varies by classification, with hip replacements ranging from $8,900 to $33,440, knee replacements from $8,530 to $24,790, cataract surgery from $880 to $1,600, and rotator cuff repairs set at $6,800. Premier Danielle Smith said the model will drive surgery costs down as chartered surgical facility operators bid to perform blocks of procedures at lower prices. Officials described the first year as a learning year and said they will monitor quality using patient experience scores, 30-day unplanned readmission rates, and average length of stay.
• Alberta public service managers quietly received a double-digit pay increase late last year. Executive Director salary ranges rose from $136,631 to $179,559 last October to between $153,903 and $202,256, a 12.6% increase at both the minimum and the maximum. An internal document circulated to staff said the timing was driven largely by collective bargaining results, so that some frontline managers would not end up paid less than the staff they supervise. A statement from the office of Finance Minister Jason Nixon said the increase for senior officials was adjusted down from the 3% negotiated for bargaining-unit employees, producing an estimated $4.8 million in savings for taxpayers. The changes also reclassified some Chiefs of Staff positions as Executive Director roles. They come as 8 government MLAs serving as parliamentary secretaries began receiving a newly approved $6,000 annual allowance on Monday.
• A special committee of MLAs overseeing changes to Alberta's electoral boundaries has named former justice Brian O'Ferrall as chair of the independent advisory panel. The appointment passed on Tuesday despite Opposition concerns about a lack of applicants and the transparency of the process, with the acting chief justice, the Canadian Bar Association, and the law society all declining to participate. The NDP said O'Ferrall donated just under $2,800 to the UCP between 2022 and 2025 and $6,850 to the federal Conservative Party between 2023 and 2024, raising questions about the panel's independence. UCP MLA Garth Rowswell, who moved the motion, said retired judges are permitted to donate to parties and that the contributions, made in compliance with the law, do not affect O'Ferrall's ability to act impartially. Several NDP motions, including one to rescind the appointment and another to interview both candidates, were defeated

Hello 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 Challenge

City of Edmonton Program

🌿 Green Shack is Back at KEP This Summer!

The City of Edmonton’s Green Shack Program is back this summer in King Edward Park! Join the fun at the playground behind the Large Hall, where City program leaders host free games, crafts, challenges, and activities to keep kids active and having fun all summer long.

📍 Location: Playground behind the Large Hall - 7708 85 Street

📅 Dates: June 29 – August 21, 2026

🕙 Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The Green Shack program is a free, drop-in program designed for children ages 6–12, though all ages are welcome. Please note that this is not a childcare service — children are free to come and go throughout the program, and parents/guardians should determine whether their child can attend independently. Children under 6 are welcome with a parent or guardian.

Weekly activities and special events will be posted at the Green Shack throughout the summer.

For full program details, locations, policies, and updates, visit the City of Edmonton Green Shack webpage.

Casino Volunteers Needed

Help support KEP — No Experience Needed!

July 14 & 15

Community league casinos are one of our biggest fundraisers, helping support neighbourhood events, programs, rink maintenance, hall improvements, and more.

As a volunteer, you’ll help with simple behind-the-scenes roles like cash counting, chip running, or record keeping. Don’t worry — training is provided, and experienced volunteers will be there to help.

Sign up Here

What to expect:

• Easy-to-learn volunteer roles
• Half-day or full-day shifts (depending on the role)
• Meals, snacks, coffee, and drinks provided
• A fun way to meet neighbours and support your community

What to bring:

• Government-issued photo ID
• Comfortable clothing (business casual recommended)
• Reading glasses, if needed

Every volunteer helps make a difference — we couldn’t do it without you

What'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

• Ward 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 rather than rehabilitated. Updated structural testing found that maintaining the High Level Bridge over the next 75 years would cost more than $1 billion, making rehabilitation no longer cost-effective. Ward 2 (Anirniq) Councillor Erin Rutherford raised concerns about whether the City can bear those costs without provincial or federal support. City planners noted that major infrastructure projects of this scale typically attract higher-order government funding. Heritage advocates argued the City should preserve the High Level Bridge rather than demolish it, pointing to pedestrian promenades built from adapted historic bridges in New York, Paris, and Seoul - though City planners said the foundation, not just the deck, needs replacement, making adaptation nearly as costly as full replacement. The northbound span of the Low Level Bridge, which is in better structural shape, might be able to be repurposed as a pedestrian bridge. Design and planning for the High Level Bridge replacement is scheduled to begin in 2031, with full replacement targeted by 2042.
• About 300 residents of Grovenor, a west-end neighbourhood, have signed a petition handed to Ward 1 (Nakota Isga) Councillor Reed Clarke, calling for a rethink on the City's planned active transportation network expansion in their area. The proposed bike lanes would run along 148 Street from Stony Plain Road to 104 Avenue, along 104 Avenue from 142 to 149 Street, and along 144 Street from Stony Plain Road to 107 Avenue. Clarke toured the route and counted six disabled parking spots that would be displaced by the installation. One petitioner, midwife Carly Beaulieu, said she spent $35,000 in legal fees over two years to rezone her home for an attached birthing centre, and is now reconsidering that investment if street parking is removed, given her clientele is pregnant women who need easy front-door access. Community league president Marissa Loewen said residents support cycling infrastructure but not at the expense of disabled access. A further complication is provincial: Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen has announced legislation that would give the province oversight over municipal bike lane plans and possibly require municipalities to remove existing active transportation corridors. Clarke said this leaves Edmonton "in a bind" - whether to proceed with the plans or pause while provincial rules take shape. Mayor Knack said he is confident the province would not require the tearup of existing lanes, noting that Dreeshen indicated the new rules would apply prospectively.
• The Edmonton Police Commission presented the results of a public opinion survey to its monthly meeting, drawing on 1,025 panel respondents and 560 online respondents. Reducing crime and ensuring officer accountability were the top priorities - each rated as somewhat or very important by 92% of panel respondents - followed by building community trust at 88%. The biggest safety concerns among panel respondents were addictions and drug use at 44%, repeat offenders not facing enough consequences at 36%, and homelessness at 36%; violent crime ranked lower at 31%. Online respondents ranked repeat offenders higher at 51% and homelessness lower at 25%. On the question of police funding, 37% of panel respondents said the Edmonton Police Service is underfunded, compared with 17% who said it has too much funding. Almost 50% of panel respondents said the City needs to spend more on social programs to address disorder. Police Chief Warren Driechel said the results were "something to pay attention to," noting that Edmonton is one of the fastest-growing cities in North America and that police capacity is not keeping pace. Commission chairman Ben Henderson claimed there is a perception gap, meaning that people are statistically safer than they feel. The survey results will inform future Edmonton Police Service budget proposals.
• The Edmonton International Airport is raising its airport improvement fee from $35 to $40 per departing passenger, effective July 1st - a $5 increase tied to a five-year terminal revitalization initiative. The immediate trigger for the fee hike is a two-year redevelopment of the airport's north tower, which first opened in 1963 and housed air traffic control and corporate offices until the Central Tower opened in 2013. The 63,000-square-foot north tower will receive safety upgrades, building envelope improvements, elevator modernization, interior refreshes, and new infrastructure for potential future tenants. The construction will have a significant near-term impact on departures traffic: three lanes in the departures drop-off area will be narrowed to one lane for approximately one year.

• Premier 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 reported. Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced the policy change following three separate incidents at Edmonton facilities - including one where parents waited two months before learning of sexual assault allegations against a former worker who had already left the country before a second victim came forward. Since those revelations, a former worker at Learn-N-Share Daycare pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, and a worker at Kidstown Daycare was charged with sexual assault. A broader review of the Early Child Learning Act is ongoing, with the new notification requirements introduced as an interim measure.
• Alberta's Virtual MD program, embedded within Health Link's 811 service, is expanding to cover children and newborns for the first time. Joining the program's roster in June are eight new pediatric emergency physicians. Care for newborns up to three months old - currently excluded from the service - is expected to follow later this summer. Since its launch in 2022, the program has handled more than 150,000 referrals, with approximately 115 patients directed to a physician each day. Of those, about 60% receive home-care advice and only 8.5% are directed to an emergency department, with the remainder referred to a primary care provider or walk-in clinic. The expansion will be run by Primary Care Alberta and is intended to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits for parents of young children who lack access to a family doctor.
• Premiers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba presented an overall message of "unity, certainty and stability" at the Western Premiers Conference in Kananaskis, though Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew did have a public disagreement over treaty rights and the constitutional duty to consult at the closing press conference. Smith said she believes courts need to clarify whether the duty to consult applies to citizen initiative petitions, referencing a recent Alberta court decision that quashed a separatist group's referendum question on the grounds that the province had failed to consult First Nations. Kinew, who is Anishinaabe and had met with Alberta First Nations representatives the day before, rejected Smith's framing, saying the duty to consult rests with the provincial government - not with private petition gatherers. Kinew seemed to have misunderstood Smith, however, as she wasn't suggesting that signature collectors were responsible for consultation. Rather, she was saying that only government actions, not citizens collecting signatures, should trigger the duty to consult. Alberta has announced it will appeal the court decision and expects the question to reach the Supreme Court of Canada.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Explore the notion of rebellion against everyday complacency through shifting cycles of ​“work” and ​“rest” at Fall(se) Circ(us), celebrate Ukrainian culture at UFest 2026 at Borden Park, enjoy spectacular live performances and nonstop entertainment at the Edmonton Drag Festival, groove to feel good rhythms at Big Soul! Live with The Get Downs and the Cantilon Chamber Choir, join the Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus as they close their 2025 – 2026 season with Bach to LIFE!… eternal inspiration, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Infrastructure Committee will meet on Monday, with one of the most significant items on its agenda being a major reassessment of what to do with the High Level Bridge. Administration is recommending Council scrap the previously approved $200 million rehabilitation plan and instead plan for full replacement - a strategic pivot triggered by updated cost estimates that came in at $380 million at the 30% design stage, nearly double the original figure. The bridge, built between 1910 and 1913, carries 24,000-27,000 vehicles per day and has an estimated remaining service life of only 10-15 years. The total cost of the broader central area bridge renewal program - encompassing the High Level Bridge, the Low Level Bridges, and Dawson Bridge - is estimated at approximately $1.3 billion. Because the High Level Bridge holds a Municipal Historic Resource designation, Council must formally repeal that designation before demolition can proceed. The construction and decommissioning timeline runs from 2031 to 2039, with debt servicing costs beginning at $6.6 million in 2033 and rising to $28 million annually by 2036.
• Also this week, the Council Services Committee will consider a request from Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan for $3,000 from the Common Travel Budget to attend the Calgary Stampede from July 3rd to July 12th, 2026. The request reveals that Ward 9 (pihêsiwin) Councillor Michael Elliott and Ward 11 (Karhiio) Councillor Keren Tang had already received Stampede travel approvals of $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, earlier in the year. The total Common Travel Budget for 2026 is $73,002, and with $58,500 already approved or estimated for other travel this year, only $14,502 remains. The committee must decide whether to approve Morgan's additional request from that remaining balance.
• The Audit Committee meets on Wednesday, and among the items on its agenda is the City Auditor's follow-up dashboard on outstanding audit recommendations. Across all City departments, 35 audit recommendations remain unresolved and five are now overdue. The most delayed item is the Historic Resource Management Program recommendation, originally due December 31st, 2024, and now revised to June 30th, 2026, making it 16 months past its original deadline. A Fraud Risk Management recommendation is four months overdue and has been extended to June 30th, 2027, with Administration citing staffing challenges as the reason for the delay. A Cybersecurity recommendation is also four months past due, and two items in the Taxation, Assessment and Collection System category are one month overdue. Financial Services has the highest number of outstanding recommendations, at 9. The Audit Committee received administrative explanations for the delays, but those explanations rely on revised timelines rather than completed action.
• The Council Services Committee's agenda this week includes Administration's 2026 financial update for Councillors' offices. Each Councillor receives an individual ward office budget of $214,304, and the report provides a line-by-line breakdown of spending by councillor, allowing direct comparison of how individual ward budgets are being managed through the first four months of the year. The total approved budget for all Councillors' offices combined is $6.088 million for the year. As of April 30th, the combined offices carry a "net favourable variance" of $74,000, meaning they are running 3.1% under budget overall. Ward office budgets collectively are 9.3% under-spent, while the common budget is in a slight deficit of $6,000.
• Edmonton Police Service and Recovery Alberta are opening an Integrated Stabilization Centre designed to detain people causing public disorder who have not been charged with a criminal offence. The centre uses authority under the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act to hold intoxicated individuals for up to 24 hours without a criminal charge being laid. The facility is staffed by Recovery Alberta clinical workers rather than police officers, and is intended to divert individuals away from emergency departments and jail cells. The arrangement raises civil liberties questions, as individuals can be held for nearly a full day based on an administrative determination rather than a criminal process. However, supporters of the model argue that it connects people in crisis to addiction and mental health services more effectively than either an arrest or a hospital visit would.

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Stephanie Swensrude

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

•   The High Level Bridge and Low Level Bridges will be decommissioned and replaced over the next 10 to 15 years, says a report to be presented to infrastructure committee. While the Low Level Bridges have been slated for demolition for some time, the city had planned to rehabilitate the High Level Bridge to extend its lifespan. But updated testing shows it could cost more than $1 billion to keep it in operation over the next 75 years. Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged that the High Level Bridge is iconic, but said there comes a time when rehabilitation is no longer feasible. “We’ll have to think about how we rebuild it in a way that respects that heritage and legacy,” Knack told CTV Edmonton. The tentative timeline, pending budget deliberations in the fall, would see a new Low Level Bridge funded in the 2027-2030 budget cycle and a new High Level Bridge funded in the 2035-2039 budget cycle. Replacement bridges would be built before demolition, and the northbound Low Level Bridge would be maintained for active transportation
•   Administration has prepared amendments to the landscape securities program in the zoning bylaw, which it has put forward as an alternative to a private tree protection bylaw. The city collects a security from a developer when it gets a development permit and returns it when the developer plants the required trees and shrubs. If the landscaping isn’t done, the city uses that money to do it. The program is currently applied to large-scale residential, mixed-use, and non-residential developments, and the proposed amendments would add small-scale developments. The city recommends a phased approach starting in January 2027. If council approves the changes, administration estimates that the number of securities collected would increase from 300 to nearly 5,000 annually, with two more full-time employees and two seasonal employees required. The resources for the program would come from fees that developers pay to the city. Council will vote on the amendments to the zoning bylaw at a public hearing.
•   The ward budgets for the Office of the Councillors have a surplus of $74,000, in part because councillors are not fully using personnel budgets for executive assistants and council assistants. The common budget, which funds travel, office furniture, and salaries for councillors and administrative assistants, is in a deficit of $6,000 due to non-personnel costs.
•   Council will consider a rezoning application on a corner site in the Balwin neighbourhood that would allow the landowner to build a four-storey building. Administration said it supports the application because the property is near the 82 Street secondary corridor, and it would match the rest of the zoning on the property’s block. Some residents said they oppose the application because they feel a larger development would reduce available parking and increase crime.
•   A landowner has proposed consolidating two lots in the Belgravia neighbourhood at the corner of 80 Avenue and 119 Street NW and rezoning it to allow a building up to three storeys tall. Administration said it supports the application because the site is both large and surrounded by roadways and alleys on all sides, which would mitigate the impacts of a larger building. Some residents said they oppose the rezoning because it would increase traffic and parking congestion, and they feel there is already too much development happening in the neighbourhood.
•   Council services committee will consider a request from Coun. Jon Morgan to add $3,000 to the common travel and conferences budget to attend the Calgary Stampede.
•   Council will receive a private update on its strategic priorities.

• Premier Danielle Smith announced that Albertans will vote this October on whether the provincial government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. The proposed ballot question asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the government should move toward a binding provincial referendum on separation, and Smith emphasized that a “yes” vote would not immediately trigger separation itself. Smith said she personally plans to vote for Alberta to remain in Canada, while also criticizing a recent court ruling that halted a separatist petition backed by Stay Free Alberta. Separatist organizers, including lawyer Jeff Rath, accused Smith of watering down the issue and abandoning supporters who wanted a direct vote on independence. Meanwhile, pro-Canada advocates, First Nations leaders, and municipal officials pushed back against the referendum plan, arguing it creates division and distracts from issues like health care, homelessness, and the economy.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney is emphasizing national unity and saying Alberta remains “essential” to Canada after a referendum was announced that could lead to a binding vote on separation. Carney framed the moment as part of a broader effort to strengthen “co-operative federalism,” arguing that Canada is actively improving and that Alberta plays a central role in that progress. His comments come in response to growing separatist sentiment in Alberta, which has been fuelled by long-standing disputes over energy policy and the province’s role in Confederation. Smith has defended the referendum plan as a way to reflect public frustration and give Albertans a democratic voice, even as she personally says she would vote to remain in Canada. Federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre also weighed in, promising Conservatives will campaign to keep the country united while criticizing Liberal leadership for failing to prevent regional division. The debate comes alongside a new federal-provincial energy agreement and proposed pipeline development, which Carney says demonstrates ongoing cooperation and Alberta’s importance to the national economy.
• Premier Danielle Smith has shuffled Alberta’s cabinet, moving six ministers into new roles. Veteran UCP minister Jason Nixon was promoted to finance minister, replacing Nathan Horner, who asked to leave cabinet because he does not plan to run in the 2027 election. Adriana LaGrange moved from primary health care to hospital and surgical services, while Justin Wright was promoted to oversee primary health care as part of the government’s continuing health system restructuring. New MLA Tara Sawyer joined cabinet as agriculture minister, replacing RJ Sigurdson, who moved to affordability and utilities. Smith said the changes are aimed at advancing priorities such as health-care reform, tax competitiveness, and investment growth.
• The Alberta government is replacing the longtime “Wild Rose Country” slogan on border-crossing signs with the new phrase “Welcome to Alberta. Strong and Free.” The updated signs will begin appearing this fall at 22 entry points along Alberta’s borders with British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Montana. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the new branding is meant to better reflect Alberta’s identity and align with the Province’s broader “Strong and Free” messaging. The change comes as the government also rolls out new licence plates this summer featuring the same slogan and an image of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. According to the Province, the current “Wild Rose Country” signs are more than 40 years old and have deteriorated due to weather exposure. Replacing the signs is expected to cost about $3.5 million.
• The Alberta government says it will begin consultation sessions later this year on a long-term strategy for managing oilsands tailings ponds and mine wastewater. The engagement process will include Indigenous communities, municipalities, environmental organizations, industry representatives, and federal agencies as the Province considers recommendations made by a steering committee last year. Those recommendations include the controversial idea of releasing treated tailings water into the Athabasca River and exploring the use of reclaimed end-pit lakes at former mine sites. Tany Yao, the UCP MLA who chaired the committee, said existing technology can address environmental concerns, but some Indigenous leaders strongly disagree. Leaders from communities downstream of the oilsands, including Mikisew Cree First Nation, have argued that releasing treated wastewater into the river poses unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. Environmental groups such as the Pembina Institute say Alberta needs more transparency and stronger safeguards before any final plan is adopted. The Province estimates there are currently more than 1.5 trillion litres of fluid tailings and 380 billion litres of mine water in the oilsands region, making long-term cleanup and reclamation a growing environmental challenge.

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What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Join Latitude 53 and Metro Cinema for a free special screening of Perfect Days, learn about the business of bookselling with bookstore owner and author Brandi Morpurgo, enjoy an evening of heavy drones and experimental sounds with special guest Tim Olive from Kobe, Japan, check out Brianna Tosswill’s inagural solo exhibition Romantic Tensions at dhARTworld, join Lana Skauge for the Edmonton launch of her new book, Made of Snow and Story, celebrate the diverse African traditions of Edmonton community members at the Africa Day Song & Drum Circle, and so much more!

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