Below is the Ocober issue of THE MILL WOODS MOSAIC. Read on!

Hello KEP Neighbour,

Here’s what’s happening around the community this October! Inside you’ll find updates from the King Edward Park Community League - upcoming events and programs, City news, road and construction updates, local resources, and more.

Know something happening in the neighbourhood or have an idea for the newsletter? Let us know — we’d love to hear what you’d like to see featured here!

Thank you,

Your KEP Community League Board

 League Membership 

Community League News

Souper Social

Looking for a cozy way to connect with your community? Join us for Souper Social on the last Thursday of every month!

Come enjoy a warm bowl of soup, good conversation, and the company of neighbours in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. With both vegan and non-vegan options available, there’s something for everyone!

When: Thurs, Oct 29 | 6:00–8:00 pm

Where: KEP Small Hall, 8008 – 81 Street NW

What to bring:

1. Your own bowl & spoon
2. A container for any delicious leftovers

Bring your appetite, invite a neighbour, and stay awhile. We look forward to sharing a bowl of soup and building community together! 💛

Zumba Alert - Big Energy, Big Changes!

When: Thursdays, 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Where: KEP Large Hall (7708 - 85 Street)

💰 Drop-in: $10

🎟️ KEP Community League members: Just $5!

💃 Get ready to dance, sweat, and SMILE! 🕺🔥

Shake off the week with Zumba and your King Edward Park neighbours! No experience needed, no perfect moves required, just good music and great energy. All ages and all fitness levels welcome.

Girl Guides at KEP

66th Edmonton Guides (9-11 years) has just moved into KEP’s Community League on Tuesday evenings and currently has room for 5 more youth members. Register Today

Girl Guides helps girls and youth build confidence, friendships and skills that last a lifetime. From outdoor adventure to STEM and leadership, they explore, try new things and discover what they’re capable of. Give them a space to grow and thrive - and develop a lifelong advantage along the way.

For More Info: Email 66thedmonztonguides@gmail.com or text Julianne at 780-224-0370

KEP Community League Day Success!

What a success Community League Day was! 🎉

Days like this remind us why we do what we do. From the programs we offer to the events we organize, it's all about bringing neighbours together, building connections, and creating a stronger, more vibrant community.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out, volunteered, and helped make the day so special. This is what community is all about! 💚

See the photo’s from the event!

Community Shout-Outs

• MADE Week

Community Events & Happenings

• Pumpkins After Dark
• Queer History Month in Edmonton
• PcickleFest
• Halloween

City Info & Updates

• Change in Accepted Recycling Items
• Litter Kit Program Closing October 31
• Elm Tree Pruning Ban Lifted October 1
• ReUse Centre Programs - October 2026
• Municipal Public Engagement Opportunities

City & Community Resources

• Edmonton Community Programs
• Contact 311: Issues related to City services, programs or bylaws
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Edmonton Community Resources
• HELP Community Resources List
• Edmonton Reuse Directory
• Edmonton Current Traffic Disruptions

Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw Never Had Public Legitimacy

Edmonton’s new zoning bylaw had many serious failings, none more serious than its lack of public legitimacy. Public engagement on the new zoning bylaw was so poor that even after five years of it, most Edmontonians had never heard of the zoning bylaw.

In May 2023, when the city wrapped up the public engagement it began in 2018 and the zoning bylaw was on its way to councillors for approval, only three percent of Edmontonians were familiar with its details. The large majority had never heard of it. Those were the findings of a statistically valid poll undertaken by Pollara Research, one of Canada’s leading polling companies.

Though Better Infill warned city council that the public wasn’t on board, in October 2023 council voted 11-2 to approve the zoning bylaw. Only councillors Principe and Rice voted against it. In hindsight, it seems Edmonton’s experiment with zoning was pushed through from the very top of city hall, and the core of the zoning bylaw was determined before public consultation began.

A reality check on city claims of engagement. To show how the city’s public engagement on the zoning bylaw failed to engage the public, let’s dig into the records.

The city produced five What We Heard reports describing its public consultations on zoning. The first, in October 2020, counted a total of 692 participants over 26 events, an average of 27 people per event. More than 100 of these participants were stakeholders and industry representatives.

The second What We Heard report, in January 2021, reported on the next round of engagement. There were 3,084 visits to the engagement website, but of these 3,084 visits, only 228 involved a comment or question. It’s likely some people both made a comment and asked a question, so the number of individuals is probably less than 228.

The final round of engagement was held in 2023, when the zoning bylaw was effectively completed. The city’s May 2023 What We Heard report said the city received 1400 comments on the bylaw (that’s 1400 comments, not 1400 people). Notably, the second most common theme among the comments was that public engagement was unsatisfactory.

This report trumpets 18,297 visitors to the Engaged Edmonton website and 9,688 views of the “guided feedback tool.” But digging deeper, the city also reported that “direct contact with the zoning renewal bylaw team” amounted to receiving 84 emails, answering 13 questions, and holding 20 one-on-one chats with interested people. It’s in direct contact that real engagement happens, and these are tiny figures for a city of over one million residents.

The fact only 13 questions were asked should have signalled to city hall that it was out of touch. Instead, it was mistakenly taken as a vote of confidence.

Compare and contrast. Let’s compare the city’s five-year multi-million-dollar public engagement with what volunteers have achieved in much less time and zero taxpayer cost. The group that became Better Infill held its first public meeting on infill in April 2023. We expected a couple of dozen people; more than 75 turned up from about twenty neighbourhoods. This was almost triple the average turn-out the city got for its 2021 engagements. Since then, our public meetings have ranged from 50 to 150 people, and our webinars have been watched by over a thousand people. As of October 8, 2026, Better Infill’s website had 11,819 unique visitors, comparing well to the city’s numbers.

But Better Infill’s public engagement pales in comparison with Edmonton Neighbourhoods United (ENU). This is what the volunteers at ENU have achieved in less than eighteen months:

•39 neighbourhood presentations to just under 4,000 people, with comments and questions too numerous to count.

•77,000 website hits.

•4,000 lawn signs, paid for by the people who take them.

•6,100 signatures on an e-petition.

•2,200 people leaving comments (not 2,200 comments, 2,200 people).

If we add what other groups have done, such as the Residential Infill Working Group, Infill Action Committee, and SaveYeg, the numbers are almost overwhelming. The Infill Action Committee organized a campaign that saw about 42,000 letters and emails sent to the provincial government, including 2,653 letters to the premier in one week.

Edmonton city council has an opportunity to genuinely engage the public on the zoning bylaw and city plan. It’s clear the public is eager. Let’s hope city hall opens its mind instead of closing its doors.

• City Council will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is Administration's annual report on the grants, subsidies, rebates, and sponsorships the City gives to outside organizations. In 2025, the City provided $262.8 million to 1,351 recipients, up from $236.4 million in 2024 and $218.2 million in 2021. Of that, $137.0 million went to operating subsidies for 10 agencies, boards, and commissions, including the Edmonton Public Library, Explore Edmonton, and REACH Edmonton. Funding directed by Council outside the City's internal application and review process jumped from $7.4 million in 2024 to $20.1 million, including $10.6 million to Qualico for public spaces at the Station Lands site and $4.0 million to the Edmonton Ski Club for a new lodge. The totals leave out 130 below-market leases of City property to non-profits, which Administration estimates are worth about $40 million a year in rent subsidies, and Administration is recommending that the value of each individual lease stay private. The report also acknowledges that most funding arrangements still lack clearly identified outcome objectives, which limits the City's ability to judge whether the money is achieving its goals.
• Premier Danielle Smith announced that the Province will force Edmonton to repeal its zoning bylaw and return to the rules on housing types, density, and height that were in place before 2024. The City has three months to make the change and must also restore the minimum on-site parking requirements that were in place before 2020, followed by an 18-month review of its land-use bylaws. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said the directive will be formalized through a cabinet order in council and called the pace and scale of high-density infill in the city "too far, too fast." Since the bylaw took effect, the City has permitted 5,187 five- to eight-plexes in mature neighbourhoods, about 13% of all homes permitted. Mayor Andrew Knack argued the directive will make the city less affordable and drive up property taxes. He asked the Premier to pause it and said he will call an emergency Council meeting to assess what it means for the City. Knack estimated the directive will cost the City millions of dollars and pull staff time away from the finance team preparing budget documents for release on November 2nd.
• City Council voted 8-5 to raise the electricity franchise fee the City charges EPCOR from 17.65% to 19.4% of distribution charges, a cost that is passed on to customers' power bills. Ward 11 (Karhiio) Councillor Keren Tang moved the increase, which takes effect on January 1st, 2027, arguing that the fee is one of the City's limited ways to raise revenue and that 19.4% matches Calgary's rate. The Utility Committee had proposed the 20% maximum allowed by the Alberta Utilities Commission, which Administration estimated would raise a typical household's monthly franchise fee from $9.06 to $10.27 and bring in an extra $14.8 million in 2027. At that rate, Administration also estimated that post-secondary institutions could pay about $31,500 more per month on average and the largest businesses about $10,400 more. Councillors Erin Rutherford, Karen Principe, Thu Parmar, Michael Elliott, and Reed Clarke voted against the increase. Rutherford warned that it would add to the affordability challenges Edmontonians already face, while Elliott argued that a small monthly increase adds up over time.
• City Council received the process for its upcoming four-year budget deliberations, with draft budgets to be published on the City's website on November 2nd. Council is deciding on five budgets - capital, operating, the utility services operating and capital budgets, the Office of the City Auditor budget, and a climate budget presented for information only. Registration to speak at the November 23rd public hearing opens when the drafts are released and closes once the meeting begins. The hearing can then remain open for up to 10 days, until December 18th or until the budgets are approved, with proposed reductions voted on before increases. Mayor Andrew Knack said that because of affordability concerns, the next four-year budget has to be less than the current one, and that Council cannot have the same level of increases seen from 2023 to 2026. Administration is also trying to bring the financial stabilization reserve back to its required $150-million baseline.
• City Council voted 7-6 to keep the 25-cent fee businesses must charge for paper bags, defeating a motion to scrap the fee for fast-food bags. Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan had proposed exempting restaurants at the Utility Committee on October 5th, arguing that the fee is unfair to customers, particularly at drive-throughs, and has done little to reduce waste. Ward 9 (pihêsiwin) Councillor Michael Elliott, who said he first raised the issue months ago, argued that the charge hurts seniors and others on fixed incomes who still eat out. Under the single-use item bylaw introduced in July 2023, businesses must charge at least 25 cents for a paper bag and $2 for a new reusable bag, and they keep the fees. Administration reports that single-use waste has dropped 30% since the bylaw took effect and that the number of disposable bags the average Edmontonian throws out at home has fallen 77%, though its data does not separate fast-food bags from grocery or retail bags. In a June 2026 survey of 196 restaurants, many said they were recovering costs or making a profit from the fees, while respondents also reported that customers were frustrated by them.

YEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEGYEG

ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, council will discuss its autonomy, look at outcome reports from municipal funding, and consider several rezoning applications.

There is a public hearing on Oct. 13, a non-regular council meeting on Oct. 14, and a special city council meeting on Oct. 16.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Council will hold a special meeting on Oct. 16 to discuss the Oct. 8 directive from the provincial government ordering Edmonton to revert its zoning bylaw to parameters that were in place before 2024 and restore minimum parking requirements to where they were before 2020. Smith said at a news conference on Oct. 8 that the current bylaw has led to “irresponsible” infill development, pointing to multifamily complexes in neighbourhoods dominated by single-family homes. “Let me be clear — the goal should not simply be more housing, but more housing that is planned and integrated in a way that works for both existing residents as well as future families,” Smith said. The city has been given three months to amend its bylaw and 18 months to conduct a comprehensive review of its land-use bylaw. Mayor Andrew Knack urged the province to pause the directive, which he called “chaotic,” noting that it will result in higher taxes and reduced affordability. Knack told Ryan Jespersen the special council meeting is to see if council is in agreement about municipal autonomy: “I think we’ll need to have a clear discussion … do we want to make a public statement as a council on local autonomy?”
• Administration will report on the outcomes of $262.8 million provided to 1,351 recipients, including $137 million in operating subsidies to civic agencies, boards, and commissions, as well as $125.8 million supporting individuals and other external organizations. This is only the second year that the ABCs, individuals, and organizations have been required to report on outcomes, and many are still developing processes and performance measurements, the report said. Council-directed funding, which usually arises from a report to council, through advocacy by a non-profit, or as a solution to complex issues, nearly tripled from $7.4 million in 2024 to $20.1 million in 2025. This stream of funding does not go through the city’s internal program funding process to ensure consistency, accountability, equity, and transparency, administration said. More than $10 million of council-directed funding went to Qualico for its publicly accessible private spaces in its Station Lands development.
• A landowner has proposed rezoning a lot in Ritchie at 9905 80 Avenue NW from a direct control zone that allows for a 20-storey building to a standard zone that allows for a four-storey building. Administration said the proposed rezoning would facilitate new development in a primary corridor close to bus routes and bike networks.
• Administration said it does not support a rezoning application for a property that is partially in the boundary of the Westmount Architectural Heritage Area. The site at 11038 126 Street NW was consolidated from three separate lots, two of which were zoned for four-storey residential development with no architectural controls, and the third zoned for 2.5-storey residential development in line with the architectural controls of the Westmount area. Residents who oppose the rezoning said the heritage area is a historically significant area that should be preserved.
• BM Homes has proposed rezoning a property in McKernan at 11302 75 Avenue NW to allow for a three-storey residential building that is taller than what is currently allowed. Administration said it supports the application because the property is a corner lot near the McKernan-Belgravia LRT station and the 76 Avenue secondary corridor. Some residents oppose the rezoning because they believe infill properties are being used for lodging houses or short-term rentals, and that the development would increase pressure for on-street parking.
• Council will receive a private update from the city manager.

• Premier Danielle Smith announced that the Government of Alberta is ordering Edmonton to roll back its infill rules, and plans new province-wide limits on infill development. Within three months, Edmonton must revert its rules on housing types, density, and height to those in place before its 2024 zoning changes, and restore the minimum on-site parking requirements it had before 2020. The City will also have 18 months to review its land use bylaws, while Calgary was directed to finish its own ongoing bylaw review next year. Smith cited concerns from residents about utilities, traffic, parking, and property values, and Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said the changes will be made through a cabinet order in council and described them as a "pause" or "reset". Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi accused Smith of overriding the democratic will of Edmontonians, saying infill is a municipal responsibility. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, who defeated several challengers who backed tougher infill rules in last October's election, warned that the Premier is underestimating the consequences and that the move could cause tremendous chaos.
• Federal Defence Minister David McGuinty visited Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, alongside Premier Danielle Smith, to highlight $8 billion in ongoing federal military spending in Alberta. The spending includes $550 million to establish the western operating base for the Royal Canadian Air Force's CC-330 Husky fleet, nearly $4 billion to support fighter capabilities at the Cold Lake base, and over $580 million over three years for maintenance and repairs across Alberta's military bases. McGuinty described Confederation as "a bargain of reciprocity" and said Alberta will help lead the way in leaving Canada stronger. Smith said the Province and Ottawa have been working together to use existing military assets in Alberta to help meet the federal target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2035. She said she hopes announcements like this one will give people more confidence to vote to remain in Canada.
• The Government of Alberta is walking back some of the changes it made over the summer to benefits for people with disabilities, citing community feedback. Eligible couples where both people receive Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) or the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) will again receive full benefit amounts. Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Nathan Neudorf said couples were considering divorce to get back to full payment, which he called not the intended outcome. ADAP launched in July, and the Province says about 45,000 Albertans were moved onto it from AISH, while about 35,000 remain on AISH. The Province says ADAP clients can earn up to $45,240 a year before losing benefits, and that those moved from AISH will receive a transition benefit covering the difference in monthly benefits until December 31st. It has also shortened the non-medical application process for moving to ADAP by 75% and now lets nurse practitioners sign off on medical reports.
• The Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that the federal Impact Assessment Act, which sets out how the environmental, economic, health, and social effects of projects like ports, mines, and pipelines are reviewed, is still unconstitutional. In a 4-1 decision, the court found that although Ottawa modified the law after the Supreme Court struck down much of it in 2023, the new version still infringes on provincial jurisdiction. Among other things, the court said the act still lets Ottawa stop a project in provincial jurisdiction if it has even the smallest impact on federal jurisdiction. It was the Province's second challenge to the Act, and Ontario and Saskatchewan both backed Alberta in the case. The ruling comes as Ottawa tries, through the newly tabled Bill C-39, to move the assessment of pipeline and energy transmission projects from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to the Canada Energy Regulator. Ottawa has said the Regulator will still be bound by the Impact Assessment Act when it carries out those reviews. The office of federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin said the government is reviewing the decision and considering next steps.
• Premier Danielle Smith is brushing off the Opposition NDP's court challenge to her government's new voter list rules, and says legislation is coming this fall to add safeguards on voter information. The rules, published in September, allow Elections Alberta to give political parties only the number of voters in each voting area and municipality, instead of lists with full names, addresses, and phone numbers. Smith says elections officials called for the restrictions after a major data breach earlier this year, and that the NDP asked for the restrictions too, which the Opposition denies. At a court hearing, the NDP argued that the Government is acting beyond its power and undermining the democratic purpose of a voter list. Smith says she hopes to win the NDP's support for the coming legislation.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Check out new exhibitions by Raymond Thériault and Wenda Salomons at Harcourt House; explore delightful adventures and Edmonton’s hidden gems at the book launch of The Wonderful Worlds in Edmonton by Mila Bongco-Philipzig; embark on a musical journey across countries, eras, and traditions at Classical Elegance: Soprano and Piano Recital; enjoy a powerful night of live music featuring four dynamic, female-led Alberta acts at Women of Song — A Celebration of Singer-Songwriters at the Arden Theatre, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

Woodvale Community League OCTOBER Updates

You’re invited to our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM at the Mill Woods Golf Course.This is more than just a meeting—it’s a chance to connect with neighbours, celebrate what’s happening in our community, hear what’s ahead, and have a voice in the future of Woodvale.

Interested in getting more involved? We’re always looking for neighbours who want to help make Woodvale an even better place to live. If you’ve ever thought about joining the Woodvale Community League Board, this is a great opportunity to learn more, meet the people involved, and discover how you can contribute. Whether you have lots of experience or simply have ideas and a heart for our community, we’d love to have you consider getting involved!

Tuesday, October 20 • 7:00 PM

Mill Woods Golf Course

Come meet your neighbours, share your thoughts, ask questions, and be part of the conversation. Bring a neighbour and come be part of what’s happening in Woodvale. We’ll see you there!

RULE #1: LICENSE YOUR PET

It's mandatory, it's their ID, and it's their fastest way home.

BARKS, BITES AND BIG PENALTIES

Stricter penalties for dog attacks, with penalties ranging from $250 to $3,000, and new rules for vicious dogs.

PAWSITIVE ACCESSIBILITY

Discounted license fees for seniors and people on income support, waived licensing fees for non-profit local animal rescues and small changes to license fees.

PAW-LEASE PUT MY SAFETY FIRST

Your pet's safety is your responsibility. Avoid animal welfare fines for:

- Unsafe transportation of an animal.

- Leaving an animal unattended (hot vehicles, cold weather) or in a yard without access to shelter.

BEE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR

New rules, regulations, and limits on backyard hens, beehives and rabbits.

Looking to learn more about the Animal Care and Control Bylaw? Please visit edmonton.ca/animalbylaw or email AnimalBylawRenewal@edmonton.ca 

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

Stay connected to Woodvale Community League by visiting our website www.woodvale.org 

event calendar

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Time-travel to the 1940s for the Royal Alberta Museum's next Retro Craft Night for grownups; hop from venue to venue with the second annual CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeo) Backroads Series, a free celebration of country, roots, Americana, honky tonk, folk, blues and song slingers; bring your choice albums to spin at Rubaboo Indigenous Arts Festival’s Indigenous RPM at the CKUA Arts Den; attend the emotional unveiling of Busyrawk's Black Tortoise of the North 北方玄武, which will centre on the mural's themes of grief, remembrance, and healing; discover and support local authors and artists at the Harvest Art + Book Fair, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Community and Public Services Committee will meet today at 9:30 am. One of the items on the agenda is a bylaw that would require unsolicited flyers showing images of a deceased fetus to be delivered in a sealed, opaque envelope marked with a content warning and the sender's name and address. Anyone who fails to comply would face a minimum fine of $500 per offence. Council ordered the change on July 4th, 2025, after residents complained to Councillors about graphic flyers with abortion-related messaging left in their mailboxes. Administration acknowledges that the rule would limit the sender's Charter right to freedom of expression, but claims the limit is justified because it is narrowly focused. Because Canada Post is federally regulated, the bylaw would apply only to material hand-delivered to homes, not to flyers sent through the mail. Administration did no consultation beyond notifying Edmonton Prolife, Woman's Health Options, and the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, and the bylaw is ready for all three readings at City Council.
• Also on today's agenda is a one-year review of the Public Spaces Bylaw, which came into effect on May 12th, 2025, along with a set of amendments. The biggest change would ban the use of sound amplification devices within 10 meters of a doorway or bus stop and inside transit facilities, with exceptions for people who keep moving and for uses allowed by a permit. The bylaw's harassment rule would be narrowed to target degrading communication aimed at a protected personal characteristic, after a review found the existing wording was unintentionally overbroad, and a new offence would ban cameras in recreation facilities where signs prohibit them. In the bylaw's first year, transit and downtown peace officers issued 69,564 warnings and 5,068 tickets, up from 54,015 warnings and 4,656 tickets the year before. Complaints to the City's other peace officers rose by more than 350% between May and November 2025, compared with the same months of 2024. Administration recommends keeping the $25 fines for public drug use, panhandling on a roadway, and temporary sheltering, and extending that fine to the related offence for structures. Any further expansion of those nominal fines would wait for a report on a possible Community Court, due to the Committee in the last quarter of 2026.
• The Committee will also receive a report on options for expanding affordable housing into Edmonton's developing neighbourhoods, which lie largely outside the Anthony Henday. Just 1% of housing in those areas is affordable, or 794 units, compared with 6%, or 18,338 units, in the city's redeveloping areas. Administration reviewed claiming municipal reserve land, co-locating housing with civic facilities such as fire stations and libraries, and buying private land, but notes that neither the Municipal Government Act nor the City Charter gives the City a way to acquire land strictly for affordable housing. That leaves buying land at market rates or converting reserve land set aside for parks and schools, which would require public hearings and leave less room for those uses in new neighbourhoods. Since 2019, the City has put $317 million in land value and grants toward affordable housing, and it estimates it has given up $58.5 million in land sale revenue since 2015 by offering land below market value. Its land acquisition budget is expected to be fully allocated under the current 2023-2026 plan, so buying more land would need new funding in the 2027-2030 budget. The report is for information only.
• The Executive Committee will meet on Friday at 9:30 am. Among the items on the agenda is a request, postponed from the Committee's September 2nd meeting, to amend the City's single-source agreement with Azolla Hydrogen Ltd. by increasing its total value and extending its term. Azolla supplies hydrogen for a City fleet fuelling pilot, and already runs a unit at the Ellerslie fleet facility that makes hydrogen from methanol. The amendment covers changes to the design and construction of a second unit at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, as well as three years of operating the fuelling stations. The size of the increase is not public, because Administration wants the updated terms kept private, citing harm to a third party's business interests and to the City's own economic interests. Administration claims there is no net budget impact, since the cost is covered by an existing fleet capital budget and by up to $6.9 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta toward a project costing about $18 million. Its own report notes that the pilot's climate benefit depends on where the methanol comes from.
• City Administration and the Edmonton Police Service announced last Monday that they will review how the City's community services branch and the police work together on public safety, following closed-door meetings between City Council and the Edmonton Police Commission. The final report, due to Council in late 2027, will set out what it would take to keep the current model, options for closer collaboration, and the risks and costs of each organizational model. It will be reviewed by a third party before it is published, and the City insists there will be no changes to service delivery until then. Police Chief Warren Driechel said the pressures of social issues, crime, disorder, and violence are becoming more acute, and that the service must assess whether its current approach is the right fit. Much of the discussion between Council and the Commission was held in private under sections of the Access to Information Act covering public safety, law enforcement, and intergovernmental relations. City Communications Manager Brent Wittmeier said portions of the report would also stay private, including personal and labour information, legal advice, and security details, while the mandate, timeline, and non-sensitive milestones will be public.

ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, councillors are set to review the first year of the public spaces bylaw, hear an update on the city’s accessibility progress, and consider changes to the planning and business development model.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Sept. 28, an urban planning committee meeting on Sept. 29, and an executive committee meeting on Oct. 1.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Transit and downtown peace officers issued 29% more warnings in the year after several bylaws were consolidated to create the public spaces bylaw. During the same period, there was a 9% increase in tickets issued, says a report that is set to be presented community and public services committee. The majority of warnings were related to proof of payment, controlled substances, inappropriate behaviours, and using transit spaces for non-transit purposes. At the same time, the Community Outreach Transit Team, known as COTT, recorded a 59% increase in engagements and interactions, which it attributes to enhanced operational alignment between transit peace officers and outreach teams, as well as increased community awareness following the opening of the Wa’awiyagabi Welcome Space at Central LRT Station. Administration said the data suggests “enforcement officers are using the public spaces bylaw for lawful placement purposes to intervene in problematic conduct, but are exercising discretion to use escalating enforcement and diversion tools as appropriate.” Administration said it does not believe the changes can be attributed solely to the bylaw change, and that changing social programs and services have contributed. Council had requested the analysis after advocates said the new public spaces bylaw would have harsh consequences for vulnerable Edmontonians. Administration has proposed several amendments, including a new definition to distinguish privately owned public spaces, such as malls and lobbies, from municipal public spaces that are directly owned and controlled by the City of Edmonton. The regulation change also applies to the part of the bylaw that regulates temporary sheltering. “Limiting certain regulation to ‘municipal public spaces’ avoids the risk of unintentional overbreadth, provides clarity to the public on the extent of regulation, and ensures minimal impairment of activities that may have expressive or other protected aspects,” the report said.
• Administration highlighted the progress it has made on the accessibility for people with disabilities policy. The city has updated its accessibility design guide, enhanced visibility of benches in four LRT stations, and offered additional employee training. It has also made progress on addressing a backlog on sidewalk maintenance and reviewed nearly 400 pedestrian crossing signals. Administration plans to develop a plan to support adaptive recreation, improve booking and scheduling for DATS, and review service levels for clearing sidewalks and bike lanes of snow and ice.
• Administration has presented options to bring the planning and development business model (PDBM) closer to its target level after years of increased construction activity resulted in a surplus in the reserve. The PDBM is funded by the fees charged for land development applications, development permits, building permits, and other associated services. The projected year-end balance of the reserve is $77.6 million, which is 105% of budgeted operating expenses. Council policy mandates that the balance should not exceed 75%. Administration recommends pausing inflationary fee increases in 2027, increasing staff levels, and investing in technology. It also recommends three actions that would require a policy exception: a one-time, $12-million transfer to the infill infrastructure program; a hold on funds for future growth planning studies; and a revision to the PDBM policy. Urban planning committee is set to review the changes, after which council will make the final decision.

Administration has proposed amendments to the public spaces bylaw to add a new definition to distinguish privately owned public spaces, such as malls and lobbies, from municipal public spaces, such as LRT stations. (Sara Sheydwasser)

Here are some more key items:

• Representatives from the Highlands Historical Society suggested turning an existing unnamed landscaped area into a park to commemorate the neighbourhood’s history after a notable transit stop was turned into a supportive housing site. Last summer, council’s executive committee approved the sale of three sites to Jasper Place Wellness Centre for supportive housing, including a former transit loop that was once the end of the streetcar line that served Highlands, which was then a new suburb. When the sale was approved, councillors had asked for options to honour the neighbourhood’s history.
• Offering an incentive for early payment of parking tickets would cost the city up to $1.15 million in capital costs as well as up to $300,000 annually, says a report that will be presented to community and public services committee. A jurisdictional scan of seven large Canadian cities found that five of them use tiered fines and early payment incentives. Implementing tiers and incentives would require the city to modernize its ticketing process, the report said. It could also reduce revenue by $300,000 to $700,000 annually.
• Building affordable housing on the same site as municipal assets, such as fire stations or libraries, could help get more built in the suburbs, administration said. A report set for community and public services committee says 6% of the total dwellings within the redeveloping area — generally, the area within Anthony Henday Drive — are affordable units, compared with 1% in newer neighbourhoods outside of the ring road. Council has previously considered affordable housing co-location at the Walker Fire Station, but ultimately decided against it due to high planning and design costs. Other options include using municipal reserve land and purchasing private land and offering it to affordable housing developers.
• Administration recommends using the heritage commemoration initiatives in the new heritage places strategy to recognize the heritage design characteristics along 129 Avenue in Calder. A report that will be presented at urban planning committee says council could also introduce a direct control zone to conserve the heritage character, or introduce a special character area zone, as exists in Westmount, Cromdale, Garneau, and Old Strathcona, though either option could limit future development.
• Edmonton Transit Service could add more stops to existing on-demand transit zones after three on-demand neighbourhoods are converted to conventional service next year. A report that is set to be presented to urban planning committee adds that administration is now able to add onboard fare collection to on-demand transit vehicles.
• A partnership between 911 dispatch and social services resulted in customer service training, new call diversion processes, and data sharing, but lacked capacity to make significant improvement to Edmontonians, according to a report to be presented to community and public services committee. The Integrated Call Evaluation and Dispatch (ICED) initiative aimed to “move from a traditional emergency response model toward getting the right response at the first call to Edmontonians,” the report said. Since the program launched in 2022, mental health calls are now automatically routed to 211, a social services helpline, or 988, the suicide crisis helpline. Administration said the partnership is limited because, unlike police, most social services don’t have the capacity to operate 24/7; privacy laws protect an individual’s data but can make it difficult for service providers to share information quickly and develop plans for supporting callers with complex needs; and wage inflation has meant that fewer 911 dispatch workers can be employed within a static budget.
• Executive committee will review a proposal to offer the premium version of the Transit app to all Edmontonians. About 85,000 riders use the third-party app to plan trips in Edmonton, and about 4,300 more people download it each month, a report said. Administration is seeking approval for a four-year contract of up to $2.5 million that would provide free access to the “Royale” version of the app for all Edmonton region riders. The premium version of the app provides access to all route schedules and real-time trip data across the region, allows riders to plan trips in advance, provides more trip options, and gamifies app customization features that make the app more appealing and user-friendly, the report said. The agreement would also let administration access rider feedback submitted through the Transit app. The proposal requires executive committee approval only.
• Executive committee will review applications to designate the Campbell Residence and Reed Residence in Westmount, and the Judge Downes Residence in Strathcona, as municipal historic resources. If committee approves, city council will make the final decision.
• Administration has drafted amendments to the community standards bylaw that would require unsolicited mail containing images of a deceased fetus to be contained in a sealed, opaque envelope with a content warning. A report set to be presented to community and public services committee says the city has heard from residents who have been traumatized by receiving graphic mail with messaging related to abortion. The changes require council approval.
• Administration has proposed a minor change to the city’s ward boundaries to place the entirety of the Glenridding Ravine neighbourhood within Ward pihêsiwin and the entirety of the Chappelle neighbourhood within Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi. About 400 residents in Glenridding Ravine would move to Ward pihêsiwin from Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi once the proposed adjustment came into effect, while the segment of the Chappelle neighbourhood currently has no residential population. City policy requires the returning officer to review municipal boundaries in the year following a municipal election. The population of each ward is supposed to be within 25% of the mean ward population of 103,700 people, and all wards are currently within the acceptable variance. If executive committee approves the proposal, it is ready for first reading; if approved, the final council vote will take place in the future.

• Premier Danielle Smith announced on Tuesday that the Province will suspend its 13-cent-per-litre fuel tax on gasoline and diesel from October 1st until the end of the year. Under Alberta's Fuel Tax Relief Program, the tax is fully removed when West Texas Intermediate crude averages more than $90 a barrel, and it averaged $90.54 during the latest review period. The Province estimates the change will bring the average price of gas from about 175.5 cents to about 162.5 cents per litre, and it warns that businesses caught price gouging face fines of up to $300,000 or up to two years in jail. The move reverses the government's decision in June to keep the tax and instead offer a one-time $100 rebate to households earning $225,000 a year or less, which Albertans can still apply for until September 30th. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation welcomed the suspension, while NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the government is now implementing a policy it spent months arguing against, only after losing the Calgary-Shaw by-election to his party. The next review period, running from November 17th to December 15th, will set the quarterly rate for January 1st, 2027.
• Premier Danielle Smith is floating a $1,900-per-person fee for temporary residents to access public health care, ahead of the October 19th referendum question on charging certain non-permanent residents a fee or premium for health care and education. Smith pointed to the United Kingdom, where adult visa applicants pay about $1,950 a year for health care, and argued that people who are in Alberta temporarily should pay their own way. She claims Alberta's 246,000 temporary residents cost more than $1 billion a year in health care and education while contributing $150 million in provincial tax revenue, though those estimates have faced scrutiny over how the revenue figure was calculated. Calgary Chamber of Commerce president Deborah Yedlin warned that the fee would add to business costs, with employers likely to cover it for lower-wage workers in thin-margin sectors like hospitality. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called Smith "out of touch" and noted that temporary workers already pay taxes. Finance Minister Jason Nixon said the government would consult before deciding whether current temporary residents would be exempt, and that any legislation would likely not take effect until after the 2027 provincial election.
• Premier Danielle Smith also says her government is considering changes to the Municipal Government Act that could let councils in larger municipalities operate more like the provincial cabinet, holding private briefings and then debating issues in public. Speaking at the Alberta Municipalities convention in Edmonton on Wednesday, Smith said constituents have raised concerns about municipal governance and that councils should conduct their business in public, as the Province has to. The issue gained attention after a Calgary Councillor leaked a confidential document from a closed-door meeting that showed a potential 20% property tax increase to cover $510 million in funding requests. Alberta Municipalities president Dylan Bressey pushed back, saying councils use in-camera time judiciously and that he does not think the province has a transparency issue. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack also said he would prefer not to have private meetings before public discussions. Bressey instead asked the Province for 10% of its $2-billion surplus, about $200 million, for municipal infrastructure, noting that provincial infrastructure funding for municipalities has fallen by 50% over 10 years.
• Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced on Tuesday that two new mandatory Grade 10 courses are ready for field testing: a revised Career and Life Management course and a new physical education and wellness course. The revised course puts more emphasis on career planning and financial literacy, and it would replace the existing Career and Life Management 20 course, which was last updated in 2002. Under the proposed changes, sexual health education would move out of Career and Life Management and into the physical education and wellness course. A new junior high science curriculum is also being prepared, adding lessons on artificial intelligence, coding, and machine learning, along with more content on green energy sources, fossil fuel extraction, carbon capture, and critical minerals. Teachers can apply to field test the new drafts starting in October, with updated drafts expected in spring 2027, optional pilots in fall 2027, and the new material becoming mandatory in fall 2028. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling warned that the changes add to the workload of teachers already piloting new junior high curricula in four other subjects, and said physical education teachers are concerned that health lessons are cutting into students' active time.
• The Province is working on a potential framework that would let municipalities allow and enforce the use of privately owned e-scooters and other micromobility devices. Privately owned e-scooters are currently not allowed on municipal property in Alberta, while companies like Lime and Bird operate in the bigger cities through a provincial exemption for approved vendors. A spokesperson for the transportation ministry said the framework could be one of several changes to modernize the Traffic Safety Act, but gave no timeline. Premier Danielle Smith said on September 12th that the Province could set limits on speed, where the devices can go, rider age, and protective gear, and invited Albertans to send feedback to the transportation ministry. Alberta Municipalities, which has advocated for a provincial framework for years, hopes to see a change this fall that would take effect by spring. Its president, Dylan Bressey, wants municipalities to decide where e-scooters can be used, though he says he could support provincewide limits on things like speed or weight.

In keeping with the times the latest issue of the BOYLE MCCAULEY NEWS is below.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? With Alberta Culture Days in full swing, there is so much to see and do! Attend the premiere of FRACTURA, a new work by Edmonton-based artist Deviani Andrea, search for your new favourite artwork at SNAP’s Fine Art Garage Sale, share some laughs with friends at Grindstone’s Improv in the park, check out the exhibitions, performances, and workshops at ArtsHub Ortona, celebrate the 30th anniversary of YouthWrite with a block party at ArtsHub McLuhan House, join the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton as they open an exciting new season with an evening of live music featuring Rafael Hoekman, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS