Reg Rygus

Fall Transit Service Adjustments

School Routes and Trips: Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) is looking forward to welcoming students back to transit as part of regular fall service adjustments. Beginning August 30, ETS will implement service adjustments to various bus routes and On Demand Transit, including the resumption of school routes and trips.

There are changes coming to some school specials, including major route adjustments, minor route adjustments (including route 664 in Walker) and school special cancellations due to low ridership and/or changing ridership patterns. You can see a list of all adjustments at edmonton.ca/SchoolSpecialBusRoutes. 

Other changes for Ward Karhiio: ETS will be reassigning the following bus bays at the Mill Woods Transit Centre

• Route 509A will move from Bay O (#3915) to Bay F (#3906)
• Route 509B will move from Bay P (#3916) to Bay E (#3905)
• Route 517 will move from Bay F (#3906) to Bay C (#3903)
• Route 518 will move from Bay E (#3905) to Bay O (#3915)
• Route 521 will move from Bay C (#3903) to Bay P (#3916)
• Routes 509A, 509B, 518, & 521 will also reverse direction in the
• immediate vicinity of Mill Woods Transit Centre

All Fall adjustments are available at edmonton.ca/TransitServiceChanges, through 311 and by accessing trip planning tools (Google Maps, edmonton.ca/transit).

Interested in Serving on the Woodvale Board?

We’re looking for individuals who would like to get involved and help make a difference by serving on the Woodvale Board.

Our next board meeting is Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00 PM at the Millwoods Golf Course. If you’re interested in learning more or would like to get involved, we’d love to have you join us!

Need help setting out your garbage? Try Assisted Waste today

Since 2010, Edmonton’s Assisted Waste Program has helped Edmontonians with limited mobility move their recycling, garbage and food scraps to the curb for collection. Edmontonians with temporary or long-term mobility challenges can apply for the following services:

• Curbside collectionResidents sort their waste into carts and bags. The collector moves them to the curb or alley for collection and returns the carts to their storage location afterward.
• Residents provide their sorted waste to the collector at their home. The collector places the waste in the appropriate carts, sets out the carts and bags for collection and returns the carts to their storage location afterward.
• Apartment and condo collectionCollectors pick up sorted waste from the resident’s door and take it to the property’s collection container for disposal

Learn more about the program and how to sign up at edmonton.ca/AssistedWaste.

Save the Date: Community League Day is Saturday September 19th 

There are 163 community leagues in Edmonton, with 8 in Ward Karhiio. Wherever you live, there’s a league of volunteers giving their time to build a better city. Community League Day on Saturday September 19, is a chance to meet your league and find out what they can do for you. Meet neighbours, get your membership, and learn about programming and volunteer opportunities. 

Many leagues are still in the process of planning their Community League Day events, You can find local events at efcl.org/community-league-day/, or by checking your local leagues website or social media throughout the next month. 

Community Connections

Millwoods Mosaic

Community League Memberships And Renewals Are Now Online

League memberships are still only $25 per household and are available at www.woodvale.org or from the League Office located at the Facility Building on the Mill Woods Golf Course (Call 780-462-2101 ext 3).

View all the benefits and sign up here:

https://www.woodvale.org/membership

• The Community and Public Services Committee meets today at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is a review of the City's snow and ice control policy and program. Administration is asking the Committee to recommend that Council approve an updated policy that adds accessibility as a core outcome, but keeps service levels for the 2026-27 winter season largely unchanged. For the 2027-2030 budget deliberations, however, Administration is pitching a "Well Maintained City" service package of approximately $23.6 million in ongoing annual operating funding and $11.5 million in one-time capital funding, which would add more frequent residential blading, expanded parking ban enforcement and other measures. Optional add-ons, contingent on that package, include enhanced school zone clearing at $2.1 million per year and a calcium chloride system upgrade costing $2.5 million per year plus $4.4 million up front, which would return the controversial de-icer to major roadways. The report also recaps a volatile 2025-26 season, when December brought 59.9 centimeters of snow, nearly four times the monthly average, and enforcement officers issued 5,516 parking ban fines and 2,706 tickets for uncleared sidewalks.
• Also on the Committee's agenda today is a review of enforcement and penalties under the City's traffic bylaw, prepared in response to a Council motion from March. The report shows ticket volumes fell from 168,832 in 2015 to a low of 79,976 in 2020 before climbing back to 115,161 in 2025, with insufficient payment in EPark zones alone accounting for 35% of all tickets. Administration is proposing targeted fine increases for infractions it says threaten safety or block access, which it estimates would generate between $1.5 million and $1.7 million in additional revenue in 2027. Rather than automatic inflation indexing, fine amounts would be reviewed on a five-year cycle, with the next review in 2031. Administration has also temporarily added $1 million per year to the parking enforcement contract for 2026 and 2027, an increase it expects to be offset by roughly $2 million in fine revenue.
• Edmonton's bike lane expansion will continue as planned, after City Councillors on the Infrastructure Committee voted down Administration's recommendation to rework the remaining routes last Wednesday. The recommendation, made ahead of expected provincial legislation that could give the Province approval power over municipal bike lanes, would have seen more complex projects where construction has not yet started re-evaluated for alternative designs. Council approved $100 million in the 2023-2026 capital budget to rapidly expand the active transportation network, which has delivered about 35 kilometers of new routes in 2024 and 2025, with another 24 kilometers expected this year. The City has received more than 1,000 email and phone inquiries about the program since 2023, only about 2% of which were positive, with complaints focused on parking removal and changes to traffic patterns. More than 60 people registered to speak at the meeting, the majority in favour of continuing the expansion. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says the Province's planned legislation could result in some existing bike lanes being removed.
• The City has laid out a detailed timeline for replacing the Low Level Bridge, with construction of a new span expected between 2029 and 2031. The plan would keep the bridge's northbound half, a protected historic structure built in 1900 as the community's first bridge across the North Saskatchewan River, for walking and cycling, while tearing down the southbound portion built in 1948. The replacement would be a four-lane crossing slightly west of the current bridge, with a pedestrian sidewalk on one side and an active pathway on the other. Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz is questioning whether the project needs to be funded in the 2027-2030 budget cycle, saying he wants more data on why the bridge needs replacing given the span is not at full capacity. Council is slated to include the replacement in the upcoming budget cycle, while the High Level Bridge replacement waits for the 2031-2039 cycle.
• City Council is taking another look at LRT fare gates, narrowly passing a motion from Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan to develop a proposal for a pilot fare-gate program at a yet-to-be-determined station. The motion passed 7-6, though several supporters said they backed it only to get more information and would need convincing to fund the program in the upcoming four-year budget. Council examined fare gates in 2024 but decided against them, citing the cost and station designs that make barriers easy to get around. Morgan, a veteran of the Edmonton Transit Service, argues riders should pay their fair share for the taxpayer-funded system and suspects fare evasion is higher than the roughly 5% previously reported. Mayor Andrew Knack voted in favour but called it "extremely unlikely" he would support the program at budget time, saying the money would be better spent rebuilding LRT stations to improve safety.

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This week, councillors will review new climate action priorities, a proposed update to the snow-and-ice-control policy, and a new heritage places strategy.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Aug. 31, an urban planning committee meeting on Sept. 1, and an executive committee meeting on Sept. 2.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Administration will present an updated policy and program for snow and ice control after a scheduled review. Resources and service levels this winter are expected to remain consistent with previous years; however, council can choose to fund an enhanced service level starting in winter 2027-2028. Administration said the “well maintained city” service package would stabilize operations and create year-round positions to provide festival and event support, “ensuring consistent, high-quality services that keep Edmonton’s economy moving throughout the year.” Council will vote on the policy at a future meeting. During record snowfall in the winter of 2025-2026, Mayor Andrew Knack said he wanted to significantly increase funding for snow clearing.
• A third-party review of the city’s climate strategies and action plans highlighted the need for more focused actions, closer alignment with the municipal budget cycle, and better monitoring and evaluation, says a report set to be presented to executive committee. Administration has identified 27 action items in its update to the climate implementation priorities. The report says the first priority is to establish an ongoing and accountable relationship with Indigenous peoples regarding climate. The remaining priorities are divided into the following categories: buildings and land use, transportation, infrastructure, nature and water, and low-carbon energy and waste. About $257 million would be required to meet all 27 priorities, about half of which is planned to be presented for consideration in the 2027-2030 budget process. About $5 million can be met with existing budget, and the remaining $129 million has no planned or existing funding source. Administration said it will also transition the carbon budget to a more comprehensive climate budget, which will use the priorities as its basis and also evaluate all other city projects in the 2027-2030 budget for their contribution to both climate risk and emissions.
• Urban planning committee will review the updated heritage places strategy following nearly two years of work. The proposed new heritage places strategy includes four pillars: natural heritage, Indigenous heritage, community and cultural heritage, and built heritage. Its guiding principles are to be inclusive, integrated, community-led, living and evolving, visible and accessible, and collaborative. The strategy is presented alongside a new council policy that outlines how the strategy will be implemented. A main goal of updating the strategy is to widen the definition of “heritage places” to include not just historic buildings, but also natural spaces, cultural landscapes, and community landmarks.

Snow covered the streets during record snowfall in January 2026. The proposed update to the snow-and-ice-control policy would keep service levels consistent with recent years. (Stephanie Swensrude)

Here are some more key items:

• Administration has prepared three options for enhancing cleanliness in Chinatown. The first option involves maintaining the cleanliness funding the neighbourhood receives, which is already more than other neighbourhoods. The second option is to increase funding of city-provided services, at a cost of $600,000 to $900,000. The third option would involve a city-funded and community-led cleaning service. The Chinatown Transformation Collaborative and YEG Chinatown Re:VITA have proposed separate community-led programs. CTC’s program focuses on professionally delivered operational cleaning services, while Re:VITA’s emphasizes community stewardship, neighbourhood activation, and placemaking. Administration didn’t include the cost of the third option as it may involve a request for proposals.
• Administration is increasing the fees that construction companies must pay when they obstruct road lanes. The daily on-street construction and maintenance (OSCAM) permit fee will rise to $32 from $25 in an effort to further incentivize faster completion of construction projects that necessitate road closures. Administration is also introducing a $10 daily fee for waste bins that are placed on public roadways. A report that will be presented to urban planning committee says that construction-related road closures were in place for an average of 43 days before a daily fee was introduced in 2019. That number fell to an average of 25 days in 2025.
• Administration plans to use more technology in parking enforcement, says a report that will be presented at a community and public services committee meeting. Parking complaints have increased by about 45% since 2023, creating a persistent backlog of unresolved complaints, the report said. The city plans to launch automated parking enforcement in 2028. Staff will also explore digital tickets, which the report said could save about 7,500 operational hours annually.
• A report says 81% of 311 complaints in 2025 were resolved within established timelines. The report, which is to be presented to executive committee, said administration has continued to improve the service experience of Edmontonians using 311.
• Executive committee will be asked to amend an agreement with Azolla Hydrogen to align with an extended timeline for the Alberta Zero-Emissions Fleet Fuelling project. Because it is a single-source contract, committee must approve changes; however, no additional funds are required because the extension will be covered by the already-approved city budget and grant funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta.
• Executive committee will be asked to recommend that the historic designation of the Arlington Apartments be rescinded. The building, formerly located at 10524 100 Avenue NW, was Edmonton’s first apartment building, and was designated a municipal historic resource in 1998. A fire damaged the building in 2005, but three facades were saved, and the lot was rezoned to allow for development that retained the historic elements of the remaining structure. The owner did not develop such a building and instead demolished the remaining walls in 2008. Administration now requires council approval to rescind the historic designation.

And here are updates on some of the items we told you about last week:

• Infrastructure committee rejected administration’s proposal to drop 14 planned routes from the city’s $100-million active transportation network expansion, leaving the existing plan in place. More than 60 people registered to speak, and most supported continuing the expansion, as the province prepares legislation that could affect municipal authority over bike lanes. Coun. Ashley Salvador said she intends to introduce a motion to direct administration to provide options for increasing funding for the active transportation infrastructure capital profile to complete all routes that were planned for the 2023-2026 budget cycle. The motion will also call for administration to include an unfunded capital profile to build active transportation infrastructure as informed by the forthcoming updated active transportation implementation guide.
• Infrastructure committee recommended that council approve proposed changes to the public art policy. The program was previously called Percent for Art, and provided about 1% of eligible costs from capital projects to cover the cost of the artwork’s creation and installation, as well as the Edmonton Arts Council’s costs to oversee the project, plus lifecycle management costs, care, conservation, and restoration. Since 2021, the definition of “1% of eligible capital projects” has been based on historic spending patterns dating back several years. Now, administration has proposed amending the policy to say that the city will allocate funding for a public art reserve through the operating budget approved by council, with reserve funding levels based on historical public art investments and collection maintenance requirements. Council is set to vote on the change at a future meeting.
• Councillors recommended that council approve the revised climate resilience policy that introduces a sustainable return on investment (S-ROI) metric. This means projects would incorporate climate-resilient requirements to a point where a positive S-ROI is demonstrated, and while this responds to financial constraints, it could also result in reduced environmental outcomes, administration said. Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Reed Clarke said that even though the policy is not perfect, he supports it, especially the S-ROI.“I think it’s a good, practical, systematic way to move forward,” he said.
• After a public hearing on Aug. 25, council approved a rezoning application to allow the Hope Mission to turn its support facility in the Girard industrial area into a year-round emergency shelter. During the discussion, Coun. Michael Janz wondered aloud whether Edmonton should cease approving new social services until other municipalities in the region start “pulling their weight.” He cited a March 2026 memo that indicated there are no emergency shelter beds open permanently to the general public in the municipalities surrounding Edmonton. “It just feels like Edmonton is being used as the blood bag for the rest of our region and the rest of our province,” Janz said.
• Representatives of the construction sector say they need to be involved in how extreme weather risks are addressed in project planning, procurement, and contract delivery. Infrastructure committee heard from representatives from the Edmonton Construction Association, which represents the industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sectors, including contractors hired for public projects such as roads and neighbourhood renewal. The shortness of Edmonton’s construction season has been exacerbated by repeat storms, and it can be hard to make up for weather-related delays, said Ryan Christensen, chair of the ECA’s board. Record-breaking rain in Edmonton this summer caused $42 million in uninsurable damage to infrastructure and projects, City of Edmonton staff told city council’s infrastructure committee meeting on Aug. 26. The City plans to recover costs through the province’s Hazard Assistance and Resilience Program, which would cover 90% of losses, leaving the city responsible for the rest. Severe weather affected work on the Valley Line West and Capital Line South LRT projects, among other ongoing projects.
• Utility committee directed administration to accelerate parts of the 20-year storm management plan after the summer’s record rainfall. EPCOR told councillors that it doesn’t yet know the full financial impact of the summer’s repeated severe storms, but it estimates there will be minimal operational costs and some emergency repairs needed.
• Coun. Michael Janz questioned whether the Low Level Bridge replacement should be funded as part of the 2027-2030 budget, as administration has proposed in a report to infrastructure committee. The project will likely be classified as growth instead of renewal, and administration has said that dollars for growth will be constrained in the upcoming budget. “I want to see more data why it has to be done now. It’s not at full capacity. I understand that we want to build for the future, but right now it’s a tough budget, and I want to make sure we’re not building before we need to,” Janz told reporters.
• Council postponed a public hearing for a mixed-use building in Glenwood.
• Council voted to rezone a parking lot downtown to allow for a small park.

• Alberta is now projecting a $2-billion surplus for 2026-27 instead of the $9.4-billion deficit forecast in February's budget, according to the provincial government's first-quarter fiscal update released last Thursday. The $11.4-billion turnaround is driven largely by oil prices, with non-renewable resource revenue now expected to come in more than $9.7 billion higher than budgeted. Budget 2026 assumed a benchmark oil price of $60.50 US per barrel, but prices have averaged about $88 US since the US-Iran conflict squeezed tanker access to the Strait of Hormuz, and the new forecast assumes prices will fall back to average $73.50 US over the fiscal year. If prices stay near current levels instead, the surplus could grow by several billion dollars more. The update also puts the Heritage Fund on track to reach $32.1 billion by year-end and forecasts real GDP growth of 2.3% this year, 0.5% higher than expected at budget time. Finance Minister Jason Nixon cautioned that the government "cannot mistake a temporary windfall for a permanent trend".
• Former Premiers Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley are joining forces to co-chair a Canadian Chamber of Commerce campaign, called Canada and Alberta: Stronger Together, that will urge Albertans to vote to remain in Canada in the October 19th referendum. Chamber president Candace Laing said prolonged uncertainty around separation brings real risks for investor confidence, economic growth, and Canada's competitiveness. The campaign launched amid mounting calls to cancel the vote altogether, with Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi and Forever Canadian founder Thomas Lukaszuk both arguing that a referendum on Alberta's place in Canada weakens the country during the escalating trade war with the US. Premier Danielle Smith rejected those calls last Wednesday, saying the vote will go ahead because hundreds of thousands of Albertans signed the citizen petitions that prompted it, and urging Albertans to "vote with me" to remain in Canada. Albertans will face 10 questions on the October ballot, including whether the province should begin the process toward a future binding referendum on secession.
• Meanwhile, Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish was met with jeers, boos, and profanity at the provincial government's first two town halls on artificial intelligence data centres, held in Lacombe and Redwater. Residents demanded specifics on safeguards for water, land, and electricity, with some saying they no longer trust the government to regulate projects like Meta's planned $13-billion data centre north of Edmonton, which would be fed by a $4.6-billion natural gas-fired power plant. Glubish defended the project, saying the site has been zoned for that use for over 30 years and that the 300 jobs it represents are worth taking. Premier Danielle Smith joined Glubish for a virtual town hall last Thursday, the third of four sessions, saying the events are meant to find "blind spots" in the province's rules. Smith says the government is already considering guidance on limiting water use and rules on how close data centres can be built to homes. A final in-person town hall is planned for Grande Prairie in September.
• Elections Alberta has received more than 175,000 requests for special ballots ahead of the October 19th referendum, nearly triple the 59,589 requested for the 2023 provincial election. The agency attributes part of the surge to the end of the province's "Vote Anywhere" system - under recent changes to the Elections Act, voters must now cast their ballot in their own electoral division, while special ballots no longer require a reason to apply. Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams says voters may also want extra time with a ballot that contains 10 questions totalling more than 400 words. Elections Alberta will begin mailing ballot packages on September 1st, applications remain open until October 9th, and completed ballots must be received back by 5:00 pm on October 16th. Advance voting runs from October 13th to October 17th.
• Recovery Alberta is permanently closing the addiction treatment program at Edmonton's Henwood Treatment Centre, the largest provincially run voluntary addiction treatment centre in the region, according to reporting by the Investigative Journalism Foundation. The 62-bed facility has been closed since late June because of flooding, and staff were told on August 20th that the program will not reopen. Almost 600 people were on Henwood's waiting list when it stopped accepting applications, and they were told their referrals were being closed. Staff members say they believe the province is using the flood damage to cut the program, pointing to a confidential 2025 planning document that had earmarked Henwood as an interim site for secure beds under the province's involuntary treatment legislation. The Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction says the centre is closed "for the foreseeable future" and that clients have been moved to other local providers, citing a $30-million investment it says will add more than 400 treatment, housing, and stabilization beds in the Edmonton area.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Celebrate two decades of Music for Mavericks with live performances from cornerstone artists including Politic Live, Kreesha Turner, K‑Riz, Oozeela, Mouraine, and other Mavericks alumni; catch a one-night-only screening of VAMPYR featuring original live accompaniment from post-rock provocateurs Applied Silence; enjoy authentic cuisine, live music and dance at Jerk & Jollof Fest; be among the first to experience a brand-new augmented reality application created for one of Edmonton’s Chinatown murals; join Bent Stick Brewing as they celebrate their 10th anniversary with a two-day musical festival, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Infrastructure Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is a recommendation that would sharply scale back Edmonton's bike lane expansion. Administration is recommending that routes under the $100-million Active Transportation Network Expansion Program that have not yet started construction be removed from the program if they would affect travel lanes or parking, leaving 13 route packages to continue as planned and 14 others, including the contested Grovenor routes, to be re-evaluated only if money remains. Administration says the change responds to community pushback, with the program receiving over 1,000 email and phone inquiries since 2023 of which only about 2% were positive, and to new provincial legislation on municipal bike lane authority expected in late 2026 that could have significant impacts on current and planned bike lanes. About 35 kilometers of new routes were installed in 2024 and 2025, with another 24 kilometers estimated for completion this year. If the Committee agrees, the change goes to City Council for approval.
• On Wednesday at 9:30 am, the Infrastructure Committee will also receive the results of the City's call for partners to help build unfunded infrastructure projects. The City received 13 submissions containing 20 development ideas for the Woodcroft Library, the Cumberland and Big Lake fire stations, the Windermere North Transit Centre, and arenas across the city, with arena projects the most numerous and several proposals pitching mixed-use developments that combine civic facilities with residential or commercial space. Most submissions propose that the City provide land, sometimes for $1 or through a lease, along with capital support or ongoing lease payments. Administration cautions that privately financed projects still count against the City's debt limit, and that private financing typically costs more than the City's own borrowing rates through the province, so any partnership would require rigorous evaluation. The detailed proposals are being kept private to protect the business interests of the companies that submitted them.
• City Council voted 9-4 last Tuesday to have Administration study whether small scale infill housing is affecting the market value of nearby homes. Ward 3 (tastawiyiniwak) Councillor Karen Principe brought the motion after hearing from residents, saying some are concerned their property values are decreasing while others are seeing property taxes rise on the back of higher assessments. Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz tried unsuccessfully to have the findings delivered as a private memo to Council rather than a public report, arguing a public committee presentation would attract residents with preconceptions about infill. City staff cautioned the results may not be definitive, with the City's business operations director Stephen Leroux saying it may never be possible to say with certainty whether infill has raised or lowered values on a broad mass-appraisal basis. The public report is due at the Urban Planning Committee in the third quarter of 2027.
• Also last Tuesday, City Council unanimously passed a motion from Ward 11 (Karhiio) Councillor Keren Tang directing City staff to conduct a signal timing and optimization assessment of the southeast leg of the Valley Line LRT. The 13-kilometer line between downtown and Mill Woods has been operating for nearly three years, and multiple vehicles have collided with trains in that span. Tang says her constituents, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, blame confusing lights and signals at intersections, describing road users unsure of who has the right of way. The review comes as the City prepares to take over operation of the line from private operator TransEd. Tang argues that fixing the problems is vital to public acceptance of low-floor LRT, since whatever is learned will inform the Valley Line West as it approaches completion in the coming years.
• More than 40% of the entries in the top 50 complaint categories reported to Edmonton's 311 line in 2025 were related to parking, according to City data. Abandoned vehicles topped the list with 20,570 reports, followed by a catch-all parking safety category at 19,646 and parking on private property at 5,451. City bylaw officers issued 114,059 parking tickets last year, worth at least $5.7 million in fines, though just 986 of those tickets were for abandoned vehicles, the single largest source of complaints. The City's superintendent of parking enforcement attributes part of the backlog to losing access to a tow lot off Yellowhead Trail for almost a year, and expects abandoned vehicle reports to fall now that 150 impound spaces have opened. Ward 6 (Métis) Councillor Ashley Salvador is asking Administration what it would cost to assign more bylaw officers to parking enforcement and whether fine amounts are an adequate deterrent, with a report due to a Council committee on August 31st.

ONTHEAGENDA ONTHEAGENDA ONTHEAGENDA ONTHEAGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, councillors are set to discuss a pause on future bike lanes that take away parking or travel lanes, amendments to the city’s climate resilience policy, and early designs for the Low Level Bridge replacement.

There is a utility committee meeting on Aug. 24, a public hearing on Aug. 25, and an infrastructure committee meeting on Aug. 26.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Administration has proposed pausing planned active transportation infrastructure that takes away parking spaces or vehicle travel lanes because of expected provincial legislation, as well as community pushback. A report due at infrastructure committee said that because the previous council chose the “rapid” approach to building bike lanes and other active transportation infrastructure, public engagement was limited and adaptable infrastructure was often used. The report said this has garnered significant negative feedback and pointed specifically to the recent decision to redesign infrastructure on 50 Street. The new design — retaining parking and vehicle travel lanes — costs about double the initial construction costs. Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen spoke to residents in Capilano about that project in July. Dreeshen applauded a recent Ontario court decision that overturned an earlier ruling that stopped the provincial government from replacing protected bike lanes with car lanes in Toronto. “The appeal court made clear that governments have the authority to make and change transportation policy and that there is no constitutional right to a bike lane,” Dreeshen wrote. Though the provincial legislation limiting active transportation infrastructure doesn’t yet exist, the city report said making a proactive decision could help mitigate legal implications, which will be discussed in camera. The change in direction requires council approval; infrastructure committee is expected to give a recommendation to council, which will make the final decision at a future meeting. Additionally, administration is in the process of updating the Active Transportation Implementation Guide, which will be presented to council before the four-year budget deliberations. Administration has already cancelled planned infrastructure in Grovenor. That project didn’t involve separated bike lanes, but rather traffic calming features and reduced parking.
• Administration has prepared amendments to the climate resilience policy that incorporate the optimal point for capital investment that yields the best return for taxpayers when considering economic, environmental, and social benefits. The proposed change introduces a sustainable return on investment (S-ROI) analysis, meaning that projects would incorporate climate-resilient requirements to a point where a positive S-ROI is demonstrated, the report said. While this responds to financial constraints, it could also result in reduced environmental outcomes, meaning alternative solutions may be required to meet the city’s emissions targets, administration said. The policy update also includes a new community adaptation target, which would combine data across multiple climate hazards to provide a measurable, citywide view of risk related to climate change. This work involves tracking the climate risk and adaptation of individual neighbourhoods. Fifty-seven neighbourhoods have a high or very high climate risk, and administration aims to reduce that number to zero by 2050. Infrastructure committee will review the changes before council makes the final decision at a future meeting.
• Administration has released its preliminary plans for replacing the Low Level Bridge. A report set to be presented at infrastructure committee said that the city will likely build a functional roadway bridge rather than a “signature” structure. The report added that the initial traffic analysis suggested the replacement may need more than four lanes, but to align with city goals of reducing the number of people who use cars to meet their daily needs, a four-lane bridge will be considered. The alignment is expected to be to the west of the existing bridge. Administration had initially said the Low Level Bridge replacement project could involve simplifying the road network surrounding the bridge, as well as daylighting Mill Creek. However, this report says the replacement can be done without reconfiguring the road system. Public engagement will begin in the fall; the report notes that there are “no immediate risks when moving forward with only the Low Level Bridge replacement work at this time.” Starting in 2027, the northbound bridge is expected to close for a construction season for repairs, and administration will create the preliminary design for the replacement bridge. Construction is expected to take place from 2029 to 2031. The following year, the southbound bridge is expected to be decommissioned and the northbound one converted to active transportation.

• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging Ottawa and Washington to return to the negotiating table after trade talks collapsed and the US imposed new 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian exports. Smith said the terms proposed by American negotiators were too costly for Canada to accept, but warned that an escalating tariff war would also hurt businesses and consumers on both sides of the border. She expressed concern about Canada’s planned retaliatory tariffs, particularly their potential impact on farmers, manufacturers and small businesses that rely on American imports. While Alberta’s oil and natural gas exports are expected to be less affected, industries such as furniture manufacturing and honey production could face significant challenges. Smith said Alberta’s cabinet will meet Tuesday to review the new trade measures, federal relief plans and the province’s next steps.
• Premier Danielle Smith has called a by-election in the southern Calgary riding of Calgary-Shaw for September 14th. The seat has been vacant since May, when former cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz resigned and later became an executive with oil and gas producer Whitecap Resources. Four candidates have so far said they intend to run: Mike Derry for the UCP, Kyle Campbell for the NDP, Alberta Liberal Party Leader John Roggeveen, and Kyle Joseph, who is seeking the nomination for the new Progressive Tory Party founded by former UCP cabinet minister Peter Guthrie. Nominations close on Thursday. The riding has historically voted conservative, with the NDP winning it only once, in 2015, but some political observers see the vote as a bellwether for next year's provincial election, coming just five weeks before October's referendum.
• The provincial government is delaying new rules restricting which flags schools can fly, a requirement to play the Canadian national anthem weekly, and a change that would give Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides the power to name or rename public schools. The changes, part of an omnibus education bill the Legislature approved in the spring, were to take effect on September 1st to coincide with the start of the school year. The incoming law permits only Canadian and Alberta flags on school grounds, though Nicolaides has said schools will also be allowed to fly the Franco-Albertan flag. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling said teachers' biggest questions were about whether Pride, Metis, and francophone flags could still be displayed in classrooms. The ministry says it remains committed to implementing the changes and is taking a thoughtful and measured approach, while other parts of the bill, including a new student code of conduct and digital provincial exams, are still set to take effect September 1st.
• Premier Danielle Smith says a binding referendum on Alberta independence would need to be held in spring 2027 if Albertans vote in October for her government to pursue one. Speaking to UCP members at a town hall in Lethbridge last Tuesday, Smith said the question would have to be settled before the next election. October's referendum will ask Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or have the government begin pursuing the legal path toward a binding vote. Smith said fulfilling the government's duty to consult First Nations would take at least two and a half months, after which the federal government would need to approve the referendum question and ensure it complies with the Clarity Act. In May, a court quashed Stay Free Alberta's petition for a binding referendum, ruling that the province and Elections Alberta had failed to consult First Nations and other groups, and both the group and the government are appealing. Smith's timeline would put a binding vote in March or April.
• The Alberta Utilities Commission has denied an application from Synapse Real Estate Corp. to build a natural gas power plant that would have powered a massive data centre complex in the town of Olds. The company proposed a 10-building campus with 1.4 gigawatts of power generation, plus 1.8 gigawatts of emergency and backup diesel generation. In a decision published last Monday, the commission said the project was too close to the surrounding community, noting that Synapse itself reported more than 700 residences within 800 meters of the site. The proceeding drew applications from about 1,500 parties wanting to participate in hearings, with standing granted to more than 900, compared to a few hundred in typical cases. The office of Affordability and Utilities Minister RJ Sigurdson said decisions like this prove that the province's framework is working and that its regulatory bodies are protecting the interests of Albertans and their communities.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Catch a show at the 2026 Edmonton International Fringe Festival, watch top teams compete in the Pan American Lion Dance Championship and enjoy cultural performances at the Edmonton Dragon Festival, enjoy a free performance with Brianna Lizotte and The Whitlows at Afternoon Sound Sessions on 124, experience the simple beauty of flying kites while enjoying live cultural performances at the Winds of Unity Multicultural Kite Festival, and so much more!

There has been a lot happening in Edmonton over the past few weeks and we wanted to bring you up to speed on a few important developments.

P.S. Don’t stop halfway through this one…. we’ve saved something pretty exciting for the end. For the first time, you’ll be able to see ENU across Edmonton!

Sincerely,

Edmonton Neighbourhoods United

www.edmontonneighbourhoodsunited.ca

DISTRICT PLANNING: A SHIFT TOWARD MORE THOUGHTFUL GROWTH?

On August 11, Edmonton's Urban Planning Committee discussed potential changes to how Secondary Corridors are identified and planned within Edmonton's District Plans.

Secondary Corridors were intended to be areas where additional density and development could be strategically directed - generally along important streets, near transportation and amenities, while transitioning into surrounding neighbourhoods.

The City is now taking a closer look at portions of the Secondary Corridor network and considering where more detailed, location-specific planning may be appropriate.

We have consistently advocated for thoughtful density in thoughtful locations… growth that considers infrastructure, transportation, neighbourhood context, schools, amenities and the people already living there.

Rather than treating every residential lot the same, Edmonton has an opportunity to be much more strategic about where and how we grow.

We will continue following this work closely and keeping neighbourhoods informed as it moves forward.

RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

Over the past several months, interest in Restrictive Covenants (RCs) has grown significantly across Edmonton.

Residents in a number of neighbourhoods are now exploring (and in some cases actively pursuing) restrictive covenants as one tool available to property owners who want greater certainty about future redevelopment on their blocks.

ENU has now hosted and supported information sessions to help residents understand:

What is a Restrictive Covenant?

What can it do?

What can't it do?

What does activation involve?

Is it the right choice for my block or neighbourhood?

Does this affect the value of my home?

Restrictive Covenants aren't the answer for every neighbourhood or every homeowner. But residents deserve accurate information about the options legally available to them.

Interested in exploring an RC in your neighbourhood? edmontonneighbourhoodsunited@gmail.com

AND NOW… SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WAITING TO SHARE

Edmonton Neighbourhoods United is officially launching our new Interactive Neighbourhood Map!!!!!!!

This has been a BIG project… and we're incredibly excited to finally put it in your hands.

ENU has always believed that one of the most powerful things we can do is connect Edmonton residents with one another.

Now we're making that easier.

FIND YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD. SEE WHO'S ACTIVE. GET CONNECTED.

Our new interactive map allows Edmontonians to explore ENU's growing network across the city and find out what's happening in and around their own neighbourhood.

Whether you've been involved with ENU from the beginning or you're discovering us for the first time, this is a new way to see something we've been building for more than a year:

A city-wide network of NEIGHBOURS.

 Click Here to see the map 

EXPLORE THE NEW ENU INTERACTIVE MAP

Click around. Find your neighbourhood. Explore the city.

And if your neighbourhood isn't represented yet?

Maybe you're the person we've been waiting for

What started with a few concerned residents sitting around a table has grown into neighbours connecting across Edmonton.

This map helps us see that network… and keep building it.

It gives residents a way to find each other, share what’s happening in their neighbourhoods, get organized and have a stronger voice in the decisions affecting their communities.

We’ve come a long way.

AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

ENU began with neighbours talking to neighbours.

Those conversations have now spread across Edmonton.

Whether you're concerned about infill, infrastructure, parking, affordability, mature trees, neighbourhood character, transportation…. or simply how decisions affecting your community are being made.

YOUR voice belongs in this conversation.

Our goal is helping Edmonton Grow… Better

Looking for:

One of the best ways to keep the momentum going is to have a few people in each neighbourhood who can help us stay connected locally - whether that means helping with Restrictive Covenants, sharing information with neighbours, organizing locally, or simply lending a hand when needed.

Even one neighbourhood contact can make a huge difference.

We’ve created a quick volunteer form where you can let us know how you'd like to be involved. We’re also looking for people with other skills or interests who may want to help with one of our ENU committees.

Volunteer with ENU :

No huge commitment. No need to be expert. Just neighbours helping neighbours and keeping ENU truly neighbourhood-led.

Notice of Meeting! Come learn about the concerted letter-writing campaign, whereby we are all urging the province to step in on our behalf to stop predatory infill. Nita Jalkanen will also be speaking briefly about the class action movement. All are welcome. Spread the word.

We're in the last stages of summer and right on schedule is the latest edition of THE MILL WOODS MOSAIC.

ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, Edmonton city council will discuss rezoning applications in the new neighbourhood of Gorman and the old neighbourhood of Garneau, as well as in the Girard Industrial area for a wellness facility.

There is a public hearing on Aug. 17, a council meeting on Aug. 18 and 19, and a special city council meeting on Aug. 21.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Council will review broad planning documents for the future Gorman neighbourhood in north Edmonton, which is envisioned as a transit-oriented community built around an LRT stop. The developer proposed amendments to the area structure plan and neighbourhood structure plan to re-designate some areas for higher density than what is currently allowed. Administration said the application is an improvement to the plan because it maintains the NSP’s vision of a transit-oriented community while providing more opportunities for medium- and high-density uses in logical areas served by amenities.
• The Hope Mission has submitted a rezoning application for a lot at 7011 Girard Road NW, to allow for an emergency shelter and wellness facility that would support up to 125 people experiencing homelessness. Some nearby residents said they oppose the facility because they think it would bring crime to the area; they also cited the site’s proximity to Pure Casino Edmonton on Argyll Road as well as liquor and cannabis stores, which could conflict with the path to recovery for occupants.
• Council will review a rezoning application for a property in Garneau that would allow for increased site coverage, an additional 2.5 metres in building height, and a reduced rear setback. Administration said it supports the application because the scale of development is appropriate within the University major node and provides additional housing units near local businesses, open space, school sites, and active transportation. Some Garneau residents said they oppose the rezoning because the proposed development would alter the historic character of the area and preempt the Garneau Community League’s pending proposal to designate part of the neighbourhood as a special character heritage area.

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• City Council holds a public hearing today at 9:30 am, with 19 planning and rezoning bylaws on the agenda. The most contested is a Hope Mission application to rezone 7011 Girard Road NW from medium industrial to business employment so that an existing thrift store building can be converted into a permanent emergency shelter and wellness facility for up to 125 people. Of the 33 responses the City received from the 72 nearby property owners it notified, 32 opposed the rezoning, and none supported it, with the concerns raised most often being public safety and crime, the site's position beside a heavy rail corridor, and the effect on the economic viability of surrounding businesses. Administration supports the application, arguing the business employment zone was designed as a buffer between industrial and non-industrial uses and that the site's industrial capacity would not meaningfully shrink. Also on the agenda are rezonings for small- to medium-scale housing in Garneau, Central McDougall, Fulton Place, and Carlton, a small commercial centre in Tipaskan, and an amendment that shifts responsibility for several arterial road upgrades in the Castle Downs area from the City onto developers. 
• City Council meets tomorrow at 9:30 am, and ten Councillor motions are queued for debate. Ward 3 (tastawiyiniwak) Councillor Karen Principe wants Administration to report on how infill housing affects surrounding property values, a motion she first gave notice of in June and which was laid over from the July meeting. Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan is asking for an unfunded capital profile for a fare gate pilot at one or more LRT stations to be considered during the 2027-2030 budget deliberations, along with five years of monthly ridership, fare compliance and on-time performance data for the high floor LRT. Ward 6 (Métis) Councillor Ashley Salvador is seeking analysis of new off-site levies to help pay for facilities and infrastructure in the City's future growth area, and a separate memo on enforcement of the Centre City Temporary Parking Program, including how many downtown surface lots are still operating without a valid development permit. Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz wants options for protecting neighbouring properties during construction, including shoring, plus an update on the centralized infill inquiry line run through 311. The meeting is scheduled to carry over to Wednesday at 9:30 am if the agenda is not finished.
• Four borrowing bylaws also come before City Council tomorrow, all flowing from budget adjustments Council approved in June. One would raise the borrowing authority for the downtown Community Revitalization Levy projects by $1.85 million, from $54.28 million to $56.13 million, to cover a net $2.97-million cost increase driven mainly by a new streetscape project at 103A Avenue and 99 Street that carries a total cost of $23.50 million. A second adds the $14.52-million rehabilitation of Fire Station 22 in Wîhkwêntôwin to the City's climate resilient facility upgrades borrowing, funded in part by $2.50 million of tax-supported debt shifted out of another project in the same bylaw, and pushing that group of projects from $118.03 million to $124.41 million. A third reduces borrowing for planning and design work on the same downtown levy program. The fourth would authorize $704,059 in tax-supported debt for the Gariepy neighbourhood and alley renewal, a project now costed at $34.39 million, and it receives first reading only tomorrow before returning to Council on October 27th.
• The City of Edmonton has expanded its order of new high-floor rail cars for the Capital and Metro lines from 32 to 40, at a total cost of $368 million. The cars will be built by the Hyundai Rotem Company, which is also supplying the low-floor trains for the Valley Line, with design and manufacturing to begin later this year and delivery expected by 2030. They will replace the Siemens U2 cars that have been running since the system opened for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, one of which has logged more than two million kilometers. LRT expansion and renewal branch manager Bruce Ferguson said the City increased the order because buying additional vehicles now is cheaper than adding them later if demand turns out to be higher than projected. The new trains are timed to arrive with the first phase of the Capital Line's southern extension, a $1.38-billion project that will run 4.5 kilometers to the Heritage Valley Transit Centre by 2029 and includes an underpass at 23 Avenue and two new bridges.
• Elsewhere on the transit file, City Councillors on the Community and Public Services Committee decided last Monday to explore offering naloxone training to Edmonton transit inspectors, who are not currently among the staff issued the overdose-reversal drug. Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan, who worked as a transit inspector before his election, put the proposal forward and said he wished he had more tools to respond to overdoses. Administration had prepared a report warning that administering naloxone carries risks for employees, including exposure to opioids and drug paraphernalia, potentially violent reactions from people who receive it, and occupational health and legal implications. Several speakers pushed back on that assessment, including a nurse who told the Committee she has reversed more than 100 opioid poisonings without ever encountering a violent reaction. The report noted that Calgary, Toronto, and Strathcona County take approaches similar to Edmonton's, and that sworn police officers in Calgary and Edmonton are already trained and encouraged to administer the drug

• Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says the provincial government will introduce bike lane legislation when MLAs return to the Legislature in late October, after more than 13,000 people used a provincial website launched last month to identify problem bike lanes. Under the plan, a city wanting to build a new bike lane would have to show evidence that it is needed and will not have negative impacts on the community, and would have to make a case to the Province to keep lanes already in place. Dreeshen says the legislation would give the provincial government authority to demand detailed data on any bike lane, including usage, effects on traffic and neighbouring roads, and impacts on local businesses, and to remove existing lanes that do not meet the threshold. He says neither Calgary nor Edmonton has handed over those numbers, and argues that either councils lacked the data when they made the decisions or the data is weaker than they have let on. Dreeshen acknowledges the plan will draw opposition, saying there will be "loud special interest groups" but that the government is not afraid of making the right decisions.
• On another file, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says Alberta has eliminated 20 unsafe carriers from its roads and issued 443 administrative penalties since October as part of a continuing crackdown on commercial trucking. Of those, 13 were what the Province calls chameleon carriers, companies that change names, create new entities or relocate operations across jurisdictions to evade regulatory oversight. One of them, Conquer Transportation, was shut down in June after an investigation into a fatal collision in Brandon, Manitoba, found wilful and sustained non-compliance. The carrier was fined $16,500 and had its safety fitness rating downgraded to unsatisfactory, which halted its operations immediately, and Manitoba says the same company had lost its safety certificate there in 2021 before re-registering in Alberta under a slightly different name. Dreeshen also says 5 fraudulent Class 1 trucking schools have been shut down, and that a three-day check stop in May found 20% of the 81 commercial drivers stopped were suspected of being misclassified as independent contractors. Alberta is working with other provinces and the federal government on a national database intended to close the interprovincial data-sharing gap that chameleon carriers exploit.
• Albertans will face 10 questions when they vote in the October 19th referendum. Four of them are related to constitutional issues, asking whether Alberta should work with other willing provinces to name its own Court of King's Bench judges, opt out of federal programs with no loss of funding, establish the supremacy of provincial laws over federal law, and abolish the Senate. Justice Minister Mickey Amery argues that provinces lack a meaningful voice in the appointment of superior court judges, a federal power dating to 1867, and Premier Danielle Smith has said provincial control would help ensure judges reflect Alberta's "distinct legal traditions". The Canadian Bar Association counters that the language implicitly impugns sitting judges, and a retired Court of King's Bench justice said she is at a loss to identify what a distinct Alberta legal tradition would be.
• Alberta has likely accumulated a surplus of $3.8 billion so far this fiscal year, according to University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, a sharp reversal from the $9.4-billion deficit the provincial government tabled in February. Tombe estimates that every US$1 per barrel change in the price of oil is worth about $680 million to the province's bottom line, and West Texas Intermediate crude sat at US$83.09 on Tuesday afternoon against US$60.50 when the budget was tabled. He calculates that Alberta needs oil at US$66 per barrel to balance the budget, and that at current futures prices the year could instead close with a surplus of roughly $6 billion. Tombe cautions that high prices do not fix what he considers the province's underlying problem, a deepening reliance on a volatile revenue source that will eventually fall again. A press secretary to the minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration said the Province will publish an update on the impact of oil prices on the deficit later this month, and that the long-term effects remain uncertain. Sustained high prices cut the other way for households, and Tombe earlier estimated that oil holding near US$90 a barrel would cost the average family about $1,000 more a year.
• The Alberta government is delaying some of the changes included in its new education legislation. The postponed measures include restrictions on which flags schools can display, a requirement to play the national anthem weekly, and giving the education minister authority to name or rename public schools. The government says it remains committed to the changes but wants more time to ensure schools and education partners are prepared. Critics, including teachers and the Opposition, have raised concerns about the impact of the flag rules on schools’ ability to recognize different communities and cultures. Other parts of the legislation, including changes to student conduct, provincial exams and school board responsibilities, are still expected to take effect September 1st.