• 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.

Things to Do This Week

Things to do this week: the Edmonton Fringe Festival, Open Farm Days, Mushroom Expo & MORE!

• Catch an Edmonton Fringe Festival show (various locations)
• The 45th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival returns this week August 13 to 23, spotlighting more than 200+ theatre productions across 37 venues with more than 1,600 artists! I’m going to catch Just Felice Makes Friends on Opening Night!
• Head out to rural Alberta for Open Farm Days (various locations)
• Alberta Open Farm Days returns this weekend Aug 15 & 16. This is your opportunity to take a free, behind-the-scenes look at the province’s agriculture and local food system, learning where your food comes from, how it’s produced and the meet the farmers, ranchers, brewers, and more producers who make it happen. Browse farms by distance, type, events and activities offered, and plan your rural route. Plenty of options close to home!
• Taproot has a round-up of food-focused Open Farm Days events!
• Celebrate Ukrainian Day (Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village)
• Ukrainian Day 2026, an annual celebration of Ukrainian culture and heritage in Alberta featuring a vibrant afternoon of traditional music, song and dance, is at Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Enjoy historical village activities, children’s activities, community pavilions, vendors, food services, performances and more!
• Check out Youth Day Edmonton (Castle Downs Park Pavilion)
• The 15th annual, FREE, Youth Day Edmonton presented by SOS Safety Magazine takes place Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Castle Downs Park Pavilion. The all-ages event includes bouncy castles, free food, face painting, DJ, special guest appearances, lots of big prizes, and MORE!
• There’s a few art-themed events to take in this weekend:
• The Highlands Art Walk runs Saturday, Aug. 15 from 1-8 p.m. at 65 Street south of 112 Ave.
• The Station Park Art Walk on Whyte Ave. runs Saturday, Aug. 15 from 12-8 p.m. at 8115 Gateway Blvd.
• Catch an Afternoon Sound Session on 124 Street and area this Saturday, Aug. 15. (various locations) from 12-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. There are three more summer Sound Sessions after this weekend too.
• You may also be interested in these events & activities:
• The Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival runs August 14-16. Check out the race at Telford Lake (Leduc Boat Club). I guess the North Saskatchewan River is too low so they had to switch to the lake.
• FAVA, Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta presents a FREE summer BBQ (and Edmonton’s littlest Folk Fest) on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.
• Peach Fest and the Orchard Seed Market is taking place at Steve And Dan’s Wildflower Farm Store on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Spruce Grove’s last Summer Night Market is Saturday, Aug. 15 from 4-9 p.m.
• Home in Chinatown is offering a FREE Family Photo Day on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Edmonton Chinatown Multi-Cultural Centre from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Share feedback about what makes you feel at home in the neighbourhood and enjoy free family portraits, snacks, and more.
• You can get tickets to the Edmonton Love & Unity Reggae Festival at the Heritage Amphitheatre Hawrelak Park on Aug. 15.
• Check out The Summer Series curated Saturday pop-ups, tasting, and meet-the-maker moments at Little Brick Cafe (the next one is Aug. 15)
• The Wild Mushroom EXPO presented by the Alberta Mycological Society runs Sunday, Aug 16 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. One day only, hundreds of wild mushrooms in one place!
• Attend a FREE Garden Party at CO*LAB Courtyard on Sunday, August 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food, games, community connection and more!
• Stop by my non-profit Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society’s entertainment booth at the Edmonton Marathon this Sunday, August 16 between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. (approx) and join us in cheering on runners! We have a local Vietnamese BSMT DJ TINA spinning Vinahouse & Top 40s to keep the energy up and thanks to Banh Mi Diddy and Rachel Fung & Associates we are sharing free, cold Jasmine green tea as bonus hydration!
• Don’t miss Stony Plain Road’s free Music on the Road outdoor concert series taking place Saturdays through the summer.
• And here’s some things happening just outside of Edmonton:
• Mundare Agri Days runs this weekend Aug. 14-16 in the central Alberta Town of Mundare, about an hour drive from Edmonton. There’s a parade, ball tournament, beach bash, street party, entertainment, market, bouncy castles, and more including:
• Mundare’s World’s Largest Sausage is turning 25! Celebrate 25 years of one of Alberta’s most recognizable roadside landmarks located at 5212 50 Street, Mundare. Come for the party from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Take a photo with the sausage, and celebrate a big piece of Mundare history!
• Head out to Stony Plain, Alberta on Thursday, Aug. 13 (evening) for a FREE outdoor film screening of the Smurfs movie.
• Also on Saturday, August 22, check out the Stony Plain Artwalk.

Food to Eat This Week

• Enjoy the return of SABOR’s Fish & Chips Friday Fundraiser (10220 103 St.)
• Fish & Chips Friday by SABOR is back for August! Line-up for affordable and delicious $15 fish & chips with 100% donated to Ronald McDonald House Alberta and Santa’s Anonymous. Starts at 11 a.m. until they run out (and they do often sell out so come early!) Remaining dates: August 14, 21, 28.
• Check out the first Edmonton Food Truck Frenzy! (Klondike Park, EXPO Centre)
• 10 Edmonton food trucks including some longtime favourites Drift Food Truck, Calle Mexico, and Smokehouse BBQ, are coming together on Friday, August 14 from 5-9 p.m. at Klondike Park, Edmonton EXPO Centre for the first Edmonton Food Truck Frenzy. It’s FREE to attend plus free parking, family-friendly, bar available for drinks, DJ for vibes, and Edmonton’s Food Bank is collecting donations on site.
• Matcha lovers you may be interested in the Matcha Social (10242 106 St.)
• Brewkada and neverthesame are hosting a MATCHA SOCIAL at Last Modern Events in downtown Edmonton (10242 106 St.) this weekend Aug. 15 & 16. It’s free to attend, there’s giveaways, passports, prizes, and $5 or less for mini matchas! I’m looking forward to checking it out (I love matcha lol).
• Go on a little 110 Street & Area Food Crawl (110 St. between 105 & 106 Ave.)
• The 110 Street strip between 105 & 106 Avenue (and surrounding streets) near downtown Edmonton just north of MacEwan University has become such a fantastic local food zone! For my belated birthday, my friend and I planned a delicious lunch food crawl featuring three spots that were all conveniently located right on the same street!
• Stop 1: Banh Mi Diddy for cold cut ($11) & chicken ($12) Vietnamese sandwiches (freshly baked daily with the best mayo) and a comforting cup of pho.
• Stop 2: White Rabbit Ice Cream for a kids cup of mango sorbet ($4) & Cookie Monster single scoop ice cream ($6).
• Stop 3: Rari-Tea for strawberry matcha lattes ($8) & passion fruit teas ($6.50).
• All three are great spots to support with tasty food & drink to try, and they’re all Asian-woman owned (Vietnamese, Japanese and Filipino). Copy this food crawl or add in some other stops at great local spots on 109 St. and 111th St.!
• Here’s a few Edmonton food events & activities you may be interested in:
• Congratulations to Coliseum Steak and Pizza on 50 years in business!
• Props & Hops (ages 18+) takes place at Alberta Aviation Museum on Aug. 14.
• The Willow Park Wine & Cheese Tasting Fundraiser is on Aug. 14 supporting Hope Lives Here Animal Rescue Society.
• There’s a few Edmonton restaurants participating in Alberta on the Plate Dine Around Festival, a tasty food festival running until August 16!
• The Taco Shop is offering a three-course Oaxacan Dinner with Three Mezcal pairings on Aug. 17.
• Get tickets to West Block Food Crawl taking place August 19, September 16, and 23.
• Stop by The Butchery by RGE RD for a Summer Patio BBQ on Aug 21 or 27.
• Ignite Market, a new Edmonton night market, runs August 28-30.
• The Common’s Streetcar Cask parties take place on Thursdays every week this summer. Sister restaurant Dolly’s is doing streetcar parties Wednesdays.
• Edmonton’s Chinatown Dragon Food Tours run Wednesday through Sunday throughout the summer.
• The Old Red Barn’s Farm to Flame Dinners run weekly through September.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Don’t miss out on free live music and performances this summer at Afternoon Sound Sessions on 124 St, experience energetic performances at the Edmonton Love & Unity Reggae Festival, enjoy an evening of great food, live music and community at the FAVA Summer BBQ and Edmonton’s Littlest Folk Fest, join author RM Briggs for the launch of Science Fiction Tales: Volume III, catch American singer songwriter Sean Rowe with Exandra Fang at the Buckingham, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Community and Public Services Committee meets today at 9:30 am, where Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz has asked Administration to report on the long-delayed Rollie Miles Recreation Centre, proposed to replace the Scona Pool that closed in 2022. Design work is complete, but the project remains unfunded, and Administration says construction was estimated at $138 million back in 2023, plus another $13.5 million for related park work, with those figures needing to be revalidated. Finishing the detailed design alone would cost $8 million to $10 million, and the facility's net operating cost is projected at about $2.9 million a year, equal to a roughly 0.11% property tax increase. Even if Council funded the project in the 2027 to 2030 budget, the earliest it could open is 2031. Administration notes the surrounding area is already served by the Kinsmen Sports Centre and Confederation Leisure Centre, and says future decisions will be weighed against the City's broader infrastructure backlog. Community groups, including Friends of Scona Rec, have pressed Council to follow through since the pool's closure.
• The Urban Planning Committee meets tomorrow at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is a proposal to help pay for infrastructure tied to private development near transit and in the City's priority growth areas. Administration is recommending a new Infill Infrastructure Program that would have the City cover part of the cost of public infrastructure upgrades, such as sewer, stormwater and electrical work triggered by new housing and commercial projects, then recover money from later developers who benefit. The report pegs the average infrastructure cost at $3,200 per unit and suggests a $12-million budget could support up to 3,800 dwelling units over four years, noting that a predecessor fund spent $39 million to help build more than 4,600 units over three years. Administration says it is preparing an unfunded request for the 2027 to 2030 budget. It also acknowledges the program would redirect growth revenue away from general revenue and cannot guarantee that subsidized projects would not have gone ahead anyway. The item is for information only, with no vote scheduled tomorrow.
• Also on the Urban Planning Committee's agenda tomorrow is an update on Edmonton's shared e-scooter and e-bike program, prepared after Councillors asked in May for a move toward mandatory, geofenced parking. The program now handles more than 1.4 million trips a year across a 220-square-kilometer service area, a 190% jump in trips since 2022, with the City setting the rules while private vendors own and operate the fleets. Administration reports that complaints through 311 have stayed relatively flat even as ridership climbed, and that parking and rider behaviour remain the most common concerns. A pilot in the Mill Woods service expansion will test requiring devices to be left only in designated areas, add 21 parking corrals, and future vendor contracts could impose fines on riders who park improperly. E-scooters are capped at 20 kilometers per hour and e-bikes at 32, which the report says is at the lower end of comparable cities.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is publicly criticizing the Edmonton Police Service over a video encouraging residents to report hate, saying police should focus on violent crime, theft, drugs, and vandalism rather than speech. In a post on X, Smith argued that free speech is a foundational Alberta value and that the province does not believe in policing unpopular or religious statements, even controversial ones, warning of a slippery slope she said other countries have gone down. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis added that the province would contact police agencies to make sure their priorities are on violent crime, and said law enforcement should not be policing opinions or, in his words, "hurt feelings". Ellis said the government does not condone hate speech or violence but is committed to upholding free expression regardless of religious or political belief. The Edmonton Police Service refused to comment.
• Alberta recorded its highest-ever number of opioid-related emergency calls in 2025, and Edmonton accounted for nearly 70% of the province's 10,562 responses. However, overall opioid deaths in Alberta fell to 1,154 in 2025, the lowest since 2019. Addictions physician Dr. Monty Ghosh of the University of Alberta said Edmonton has become the country's worst spot for overdoses, driven by an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply that now includes new opioids far more potent than fentanyl. Carfentanil, which is more than 100 times stronger than fentanyl, was detected in 89% of Edmonton's opioid deaths in 2025, up from 17% the year before. Ghosh warned that the province's closure of supervised consumption sites, including one at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, would push more people into emergency rooms. The province acknowledged that no community is being hit harder by addiction, but noted that it has invested more than $30 million in addiction and mental health supports in Edmonton, including more than 400 treatment and stabilization beds, and that the declining death statistics show it's plan is working.

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ON THE AGENDA

This week, Edmonton’s city council returns from its summer recess to discuss the financial statements from the associations that oversee business improvement areas, potential updates to the City Plan, and the implications of allowing city employees to administer naloxone while working.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Aug. 10, an urban planning committee meeting on Aug. 11, and an executive committee meeting on Aug. 12.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• An auditor has found that the Chinatown and Area Business Association’s 2025 financial statements did not include sufficient and appropriate audit evidence for the second year in a row, says a report to be presented to executive committee. The auditor also found issues including a lack of segregation of duties, poor organization of source documentation, limited review of financial statements, and no tracking or reconciliation of gift cards. Administration said it will bring forward options later this year that could result in the organization suspending or disestablishing. Administration said it will continue to work with the association to obtain financial updates.
• Administration will begin updating the City Plan, as Edmonton is expected to reach its first population threshold of 1.25 million in 2026. A report to be presented to urban planning committee said that city staff will analyze the progress of the plan’s targets and metrics and make minor administrative corrections. Next, staff will create a plan for the work to follow, which could range from targeted amendments and new implementation projects to a comprehensive renewal of the plan itself. Some metrics can be measured with available data, while others would use data from the 2026 federal census, which won’t be available at a neighbourhood level until 2028.
• Allowing city employees to administer naloxone on shift would require a dedicated program, says a report set to be presented to community and public services committee. Only trained city employees, such as peace officers and firefighters, are allowed to administer the opioid overdose reversal while on shift. Councillors inquired earlier this year about allowing other employees, including transit operators and library staff, to volunteer to use naloxone. The report said the city would be required to train those employees in administering first aid and naloxone, as well as in safety de-escalation and self-defence. The change would also come with legal implications and increased litigation risks and union implications, the report said. In 2025, 770 people died of overdoses in Edmonton, setting a new record and exceeding Calgary’s death rate from drug poisoning.

• Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta's public safety minister have criticized the Edmonton Police Service over a social media post that urged residents to report hate incidents. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said officers should concentrate on violent crime, theft, illegal drugs, and vandalism rather than policing opinions or hurt feelings, and said the Government would press police agencies to make those crimes the priority. Smith backed him, describing free speech as a foundational Alberta value and warning against a "slippery slope" of policing controversial or religious statements. Critics, including a former member of the Edmonton police commission, called the ministers' intervention an overreach and argued the issue belonged to the police commission, not the Government. Others warned the response could discourage people from reporting hate and undermine public trust in the police. The police service declined to comment.
• A week into Alberta's new self-referral system for medical imaging, clinics and technologists are questioning whether it will work. Under the change, patients can book and pay up front for tests such as MRIs, X-rays and ultrasounds without a doctor's referral, and the Government will reimburse the cost only if a scan uncovers a previously undiagnosed cancer. Some clinics are turning away self-referrals while they work out how the policy operates. Gina McRae of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists said the province does not have enough technologists to meet current demand, pointing to a shortage her organization estimated at about 202 full-time positions and expected to double by 2028. She warned that patients with no history of cancer could book scans and lengthen waits for higher-risk patients in the public system. Critics also argue nothing in the rules guarantees that publicly referred patients keep priority, raising questions about whether the move edges Alberta toward two-tier care, though the Government says physician-referred tests will still come first.
• The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the Alberta government to scrap its provincial fuel tax as oil prices climb. At a Calgary news conference, the federation's Alberta director, Kris Sims, said drivers pay roughly 27 cents per litre in tax at the pump, including a provincial fuel tax of 13 cents per litre that she argued the Government should remove immediately. Sims said many Albertans had been counting on fuel-tax relief and noted that the province's $100 rebate must be claimed through an online form, which she said is harder for seniors to access. She also called on Ottawa not to restore its 10-cent-per-litre excise tax, which the federal government has suspended. The appeal came with oil trading around $75 a barrel.
• A new report from the Fraser Institute estimates the average Canadian family will pay between $6,464 and $21,115 for public health care in 2026, arguing that most people underestimate the true cost because the system is free at the point of use. The think tank found that a family earning about $88,572 will contribute roughly $8,644 toward health care through taxes, while the top 10% of earners, those making $454,221 or more, will pay about $66,350. Households in the lowest income bracket, earning $17,654 or less, will pay around $637. Comparing insurance costs from 1997 to 2026, the study found the price of public health care has climbed 2.3 times as fast as the cost of food and 1.5 times as fast as the cost of shelter. The authors argue that because Canadians pay for health care indirectly through taxes, they cannot easily judge what they are contributing or what they receive in return.
• Alberta's new integrated driver's licences have led to long delays at registries for some applicants. Rolled out on July 2nd, the cards now embed a person's citizenship status and health care number, and applicants must show proof they are legally in Canada along with photo identification and their health card, where previously a current licence and a piece of secondary identification were enough. Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally acknowledged the added steps are lengthening wait times and said he regrets the stress the process is causing. Some long-time residents have been turned away repeatedly, including a Grande Prairie woman who immigrated in 1975 and made four visits totalling more than four hours at the registry without obtaining a card. Alberta's privacy commissioner has separately raised concerns that putting health numbers on the cards increases the risk of fraud, and the Government is offering an interim 60-day card to those still gathering documents.