Reg Rygus

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Edmonton Neighbourhoods United newsletter.

Our goal is to keep residents informed about planning decisions, neighbourhood redevelopment, City initiatives, and opportunities to become involved in shaping the future of our communities.

This newsletter will be published approximately every 3–4 months and will focus on education, awareness, community stories, and practical resources for residents.

Sincerely,

Edmonton Neighbourhoods United

www.edmontonneighbourhoodsunited.ca

AT ISSUE

Residential Infill Safety & Development

Edmonton continues to experience increasing concerns related to residential infill construction. According to the City's Infill Compliance Dashboard, resident complaints increased from 196 to 514 in a single year.

Residents have reported concerns including:

• Emergency access being obstructed during construction.
• Excavation and shoring issues affecting neighbouring properties.
• Construction site safety and cleanliness.
• Blocked sidewalks and public right-of-way concerns.
• Questions surrounding the implementation of Edmonton's Blanket Zoning Bylaw and redevelopment in mature neighbourhood.

 Learn more 

KNOW YOUR BYLAW

Each newsletter we'll simplify one section of Edmonton's Zoning Bylaw and explain it in plain language.

We'll answer questions like:

• What does this rule actually mean?
• How does it affect my property?
• Why was it created?
• What should residents know?

Our goal is to make planning information understandable and accessible for everyone.

 Learn More 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Redevelopment can be confusing. Knowing your rights and understanding the process can make a significant difference.

Future editions will provide practical guidance on:

• Development permits
• Appeal timelines
• Construction safety concerns
• Reporting bylaw violations
• Who to contact
• Helpful City resources

COMMUNITY STORIES

Neighbourhood experiences matter.

If you have photos, construction concerns, safety issues, or redevelopment stories you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you.

Community input helps identify recurring issues and strengthens our ability to advocate for practical solutions.

ON THE AGENDA

Mariam Ibrahim

This week, council will debate rezoning applications and a design change for active transportation during its last week before going on summer recess.

There is a public hearing scheduled for July 6 and a council meeting scheduled for July 7 and 8.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Westrich Pacific has applied to rezone two properties in Wîhkwêntôwin. The developer has proposed rezoning a lot at 10004 112 Street from a direct control zone that allows for a 35-storey building to the mixed use zone, which allows for a 12-storey building. Westrich has also applied to rezone three lots at the corner of 100 Avenue and 111 Street from a direct control zone that allows for an 18-storey building to the medium-scale residential zone, which allows for an eight-storey building.
• Yorkton Equity Group has applied to rezone the Pacific Mall site and an adjacent parking lot in Chinatown to allow for an 18-storey building and a six-storey building, respectively. The current zoning allows for buildings up to 38 storeys high. Administration said it supports the application because the proposed buildings would align with Chinatown’s economic development plans.
• Coun. Ashley Salvador will move to direct administration to pause the current plans for active transportation infrastructure along 50 Street NW through Capilano, Gold Bar, and Fulton Place. The design would remove street parking to make way for a protected bike lane. Salvador said there is an alternative design that would maintain parking.
• Edmonton city council’s infrastructure committee has approved the creation of a Dedicated Renewal Fund to help ensure long-term infrastructure repair work can happen. Mayor Andrew Knack said the city needs to ensure consistent funding instead of relying on fluctuating external sources. The fund will be financed by raising the property tax levy from 0.5% to 1% by 2033. It is intended to address Edmonton’s $2.7 billion annual infrastructure renewal needs by 2046.
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo has reopened its Nocturnal Wing after extensive habitat enhancements for its Jamaican fruit bats. Director Gary Dewar highlighted new features such as a rock wall and specialized lighting that improve bat well-being and visitor experience. “We hope the experience encourages people to learn more about bats and the conservation challenges they face,” Dewar said.
• More than a year after the disappearance of 14-year-old Samuel Bird in west Edmonton, his mother, Alanna, is channeling her grief into a film project to honour his life and shed light on Indigenous youths’ experiences in Canada. Samuel’s mother has partnered with Indigenous filmmaker Corben Bowen on Every Day Gets Closer to Winter, which is still in development and seeking funding. Bryan Farrell is charged with second-degree murder in connection with Samuel’s death, with court proceedings adjourned to November.
• A $4.6-billion power station has received approval to supply energy to a planned data centre near Edmonton, potentially achieving Alberta’s data centre investment goal. The facility is slated for completion by mid-2030. The station will be built in an industrial area owned by Pembina, which is funding the project along with Morgan Stanley and Kineticor. Scott Burrows of Pembina said the project has received all necessary regulatory approvals and that construction will begin soon.
• St. Albert officials are urging residents to avoid the Sturgeon River after high water levels submerged sidewalks, signs, and park areas, after a record 255 millimetres of rain in June. St. Albert has closed several trails, including the Ray Gibbon Drive and Boudreau Road underpasses, and implemented flood mitigation measures.
• Elections Alberta rejected Corb Lund’s ‘Water Not Coal’ petition, which is aimed at banning new coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. Although the petition initially gathered more than 196,000 signatures, only 172,088 were verified, which is below the required 177,732.
• The Edmonton Oilers have extended contracts for defencemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Spencer Stastney. Mukhamadullin, acquired from San Jose, signed a two-year extension with an average annual value of $1.75 million. Stastney secured a one-year deal with an average annual value of $1.525 million after joining from Nashville.

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• There will be a City Council Public Hearing today at 9:30 am, with eight planning and rezoning bylaws on the agenda. One proposal would rezone a vacant lot at 10004 - 112 Street in Wîhkwêntôwin for mixed use development up to 40 meters, or roughly 11 storeys, with the City hearing concerns during public notification that the proposed height is too tall for an area that already has enough high rises. Other items would allow medium scale housing on 111 Street in Wîhkwêntôwin and in the Prince Rupert neighbourhood, medium and large scale mixed use development in McCauley, and light industrial and small commercial businesses in Pembina. Council will also take up three related Rossdale items postponed from the June 23rd hearing, which would amend the Rossdale Area Redevelopment Plan, add a new River Crossing Special Area to the City's zoning rules, and rezone a set of riverside properties near 102 Street and 96 Avenue for medium and large scale development. Administration supports all eight bylaws, and each could receive final approval at the same meeting.
• City Council will meet tomorrow at 9:30 am, and two of the items on the agenda deal with how the City will pay to fix its aging infrastructure. Council will decide whether to formally create a Dedicated Renewal Fund Reserve, a step the Infrastructure Committee recommended at its June 24th meeting in response to a renewal funding shortfall projected at $2.8 billion over the 2027-2030 budget cycle and $10 billion over the next decade. Even if all available unconstrained funding went to renewal, Administration projects only 30% of the ideal investment in the City's $39.8-billion infrastructure portfolio would be funded over the next ten years. The report also details a proposed "enhancement" that would add a 0.5% tax increase every year from 2029 to 2036 dedicated to renewal - and even then, dedicated tax levies would cover only 60.7% of the projected renewal need in 2048. A companion report lays out Administration's draft priorities for renewing arterial roads, bridges, facilities, open spaces, and transit assets, with renewal of existing infrastructure prioritized over new growth projects in the next budget cycle. The 2027-2030 budget itself will be deliberated by Council in December.
• Ward 2 (Anirniq) Councillor Erin Rutherford is targeting amplified noise in Edmonton's public spaces, with the Community and Public Services Committee passing her motion on June 29th to draft amendments to the City's public spaces bylaw aimed at reducing unnecessary noise from amplification. Committee chair Ward 12 (Sspomitapi) Councillor Jo-Anne Wright said the push stems partly from concerns voiced by downtown businesses, including about an individual who regularly uses a megaphone and amplifier near Churchill Square at lunch time to spread his religious views. City solicitor Michael Gunther cautioned that any such bylaw must be carefully prepared to avoid violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms' guarantee of free expression, though he noted municipalities may legally regulate amplification to prevent noise pollution. Administration had recommended tailoring noise limits to the distance from a doorway, but the Committee set that idea aside following a private session. Other options under consideration include requiring a permit to use amplification in public, designating specific "speakers corners", and defining disruptive noise in the bylaw itself. Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto already have rules on where and when amplification is allowed, and the proposed changes will come back for review on September 25th before any public hearing.
• The same June 29th Committee meeting also took up fireworks, where John Adria, the owner of Uncle John's Fireworks, told City Council's Community and Public Services Committee that putting restrictions on fireworks has created far more problems than it has solved. Adria argued there were no issues before the regulations changed in 2019, and that permit conditions are now so tough that community groups have no legal path to holding the displays they safely ran for decades. He pointed to Saskatoon, which allows fireworks use by all adults without restrictions on several days each year, and suggested Edmonton's red tape is contributing to racism against southeast Asian communities, who he says get blamed whenever fireworks are used illegally. Chief bylaw enforcement officer David Jones told the Committee that fireworks complaints to 311 have increased 1,400% since 2020. After a home burned down during Diwali last year, the City is trying to chart a path that allows fireworks during the November holiday while ensuring fire safety, with Administration proposing to contribute $20,000 from the City's anti-racism fund toward one or more community-based celebrations. A representative of the Edmonton Diwali celebration steering committee urged members to proceed with a celebration at Mill Woods Park, which they declined to do, and Committee chair Ward 12 (Sspomitapi) Councillor Jo-Anne Wright said she was disappointed there was no bylaw review - though the Committee will review the City's fireworks rules in September.
• The City of Edmonton has opened a new impound lot near 122nd Street and 124th Avenue to help clear a backlog of hundreds of abandoned vehicles left on streets, alleys, and parking lots. The City and Edmonton police stopped towing cars earlier this year after the main impound lot filled up, and an overflow parcel is unavailable until December because construction crews are using it as a staging area for the Yellowhead Trail freeway conversion. The new lot can handle about 150 vehicles, but almost 400 are on the list to be towed. Ward 2 (Anirniq) Councillor Erin Rutherford says requests for parking enforcement have risen 45% in the last two years, and she doubts the new lot will solve the problem in the long term. As of June 26th, 362 abandoned vehicles were in the towing queue, down from 693 a month earlier, with crews moving 10 to 15 vehicles a day. Rutherford wrote to the Edmonton Police Commission in April urging it to relocate the tow lot to a larger site as a capital project in the next four-year budget, but the Commission says the current lot provides "suitable functionality" for the foreseeable future.

• The provincial government submitted its application for the West Coast Oil Pipeline to the federal Major Projects Office last Thursday, seeking to have the project listed as being in the national interest. The proposed pipeline would carry more than one million barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim to a deep-water port on BC's southwest coast, largely following the existing Trans Mountain corridor, a southern route the government says is the fastest and most cost-effective option and one that avoids the federal oil tanker ban on BC's north coast. The government says the project would help meet its goal of doubling Alberta's oil production to eight million barrels per day over the next 10 years, and the province will partner with Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline to build it, answering questions about who would construct the project after months with no private proponent identified. Indigenous communities wishing to partner in the project will be offered equity opportunities through the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation and the federal Canadian Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program. Under the memorandum of understanding signed with Ottawa in the fall, the federal government has committed to a timely review, with the goal of a national-interest listing by October 1st and construction receiving permission (though not actually starting) as early as September 1st, 2027. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Ottawa's support for the pipeline is linked to building the Pathways carbon capture and storage project, and the province says it is finalizing a tripartite agreement with the federal government and the Oil Sands Alliance on regulatory reforms and growth incentives to expand oilsands production, with details expected in the coming days. British Columbia Premier David Eby said the deal does not require BC to support any pipeline proposal from Alberta, but he acknowledged that pipelines are federal jurisdiction and that the province will not go to court to fight a pipeline project.
• Meanwhile, separatist group Stay Free Alberta has secured a partial win at Alberta's top court in its fight to put its own independence question to voters. Last Monday, Court of Appeal Justice Alice Woolley ruled that the chief electoral officer can resume verifying signatures on the group's referendum petition, which the group says gathered more than 300,000 signatures, and can report the results to the public. However, the judge stopped short of allowing the results to be reported to the justice minister and referred to the lieutenant governor, a step that could trigger a constitutional referendum, saying a full stay risked the petition proceeding to a referendum before the appeal is decided. In May, Court of King's Bench Justice Shaina Leonard quashed the petition, finding the provincial government neglected its duty to consult First Nations and the chief electoral officer made an error in law in approving it. Both Stay Free Alberta and the provincial government have appealed that ruling, and Premier Danielle Smith has since announced a different question for the October 19th referendum, asking Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on separation in the future. A date for the appeal has not been set, and Woolley declined to order an expedited hearing.
• The provincial government is directing $100 million toward supporting complex classrooms across Alberta by hiring more teachers, educational assistants, and support staff. Much of the funding will go toward creating 221 new classroom complexity teams, including 158 for grades 7-12 and 63 for kindergarten to Grade 6, with every school district in the province receiving at least one new team. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said $75 million will go toward hiring the complexity teams, with the remaining $25 million directed to staff support, including a portion set aside to help rural and remote school divisions bring specialized staff to their communities. The teams for grades 7-12 will include one teacher and one educational assistant, with school boards able to hire two additional specialized staff as needed. The money was earmarked for classroom complexity in Budget 2026 and builds on the Province's commitment to hire more than 1,400 teachers, along with the 476 complexity teams for the younger grades announced in February. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling called the funding welcome but long overdue, saying classroom complexity was one of the key issues behind the teachers' strike last October.
• The Legislature committee overseeing the panel redrawing Alberta's electoral boundaries voted last Tuesday to let the panel bring on a political scientist and a pollster to offer expertise on voting behaviour. UCP committee members also approved allowing panel chair Brian O'Ferrall, a retired judge, to enlist a lawyer for legal advice. Opposition NDP committee member Kathleen Ganley argued that drawing the map based on how residents might vote would harm Albertans' right to vote, and said the advice will be kept under "the dome of secrecy" after the UCP shut down NDP efforts to make it public. UCP committee member Garth Rowswell countered that the committee is simply approving the panel's ability to hire the people it wants to consult, and accused the NDP of intruding on the panel's independent work. The dispute follows the government's decision earlier this year to set aside most of a report from a previous independent public commission and restart the boundary process, saying it wants to ensure fair representation for rural areas as the province's population shifts to urban centres. The NDP contends the UCP is using rural representation as cover to redraw ridings in its favour ahead of the next election, set for October 2027.
• Elections Alberta rejected musician Corb Lund's Water Not Coal petition last Friday, saying it failed to meet the requirements for a citizen initiative petition. The petition, which called on the province to ban all new coal mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, needed 177,732 verified signatures, representing 10% of electors in the last provincial election, and while organizers submitted more than 196,000, Elections Alberta says only 172,088 could be verified. The agency says it found duplicate signatures and others with invalid dates or incomplete information during validation, while some signatories later could not be reached or were unable or unwilling to verify their information. Lund said he had "grave concerns" about the fairness of the process, pointing to provincial changes to electoral legislation that quashed his original petition application last year and forced him to reapply. The premier's office said it respects the integrity of the verification process, and that the government is finalizing a new coal development policy that will require new mining projects in the Eastern Slopes to use underground mining techniques to keep selenium out of rivers and will ban new open-pit mine projects.

Hello KEP Neighbour,

Here’s what’s happening around the community this July! 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.

🌿 Green Shack is Back at KEP This Summer!

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

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

📅 Dates: June 29 – August 21, 2026

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

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

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

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

📰 The Southeast Voice is Back

The community newspaper, the Southeast Voice, shut down in January 2026. It was a well-loved source of local news and information for many in Southeast Edmonton, and King Edward Park had only recently become part of its distribution.

If you, or your neighbours, have been missing the community newspaper, there's good news! The publisher of the Southeast Voice, Southeast Edmonton Community League Association (SECLA), is starting up a new publication called the Southeast Edmonton Community Voice with the first issue coming out in September.

We're excited to share updates on King Edward Park programs and events in every issue, helping us reach even more neighbours who may not subscribe to our e-newsletter.

If you know someone who used to read the Southeast Voice, let them know it's coming back—and feel free to share today's newsletter with them!

What’s Being Built on 76th Avenue?

Ever wonder what exactly they're building on 76 Avenue? Local creator Mark Connolly had a tour and shared what it looks like up close. Be sure to check it out.

Got a video showing off something in our community? We're always looking for well-made, community-focused content to share with our neighbours. Send us a link!  

Borrow Tools with Your Community League Membership 🛠️

Edmonton Tool Library

Need a power drill, hedge trimmer, ladder, or specialty tool for your next project? As a King Edward Park Community League member, you now have access to the Edmonton Tool Library—at no additional cost! The League has purchased a community membership so all current KEP members can borrow from their extensive collection of hand, power, and garden tools.

Simply show your virtual Community League membership card in Communal when you visit.

The Edmonton Tool Library is a registered non-profit that makes home improvement, gardening, and DIY projects more affordable by giving members access to hundreds of tools without the cost of buying them.

Opening Hours Summer

• Wednesdays: 6:00–8:00 p.m.
• Saturdays: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.*
• Closed on Saturdays of statutory holiday weekends.

Before visiting, be sure to check their calendar for any schedule changes.

🔧 Browse the Tool Inventory

Our Neighbourhood in Bloom

Our Neighbourhood in Bloomcelebrates the creativity, care, and community spirit Edmonton residents pour into their front gardens. We invite you to recognize beautiful and inspiring gardens in King Edward Park and the hardworking gardeners behind them. 

• How to nominate a garden: Fill out this form 
• Nomination criteria: 
• Must be a front yard that is visible from the street (not a backyard) 
• Must be located within the boundaries of the King Edward Park community
• Can be a private residence or a business 
• All types of front gardens are welcome, from traditional flower beds to more naturalized yards, container gardens to balconies loaded with flower pots

Our volunteers will deliver recognition cards to gardens that are nominated, to let our neighbours know we appreciate the beauty they cultivate in our community.

Nominations are open until mid-July. Recognition cards will be delivered in late July.

Community Shout-Outs

Looking to stay active, meet new people, or learn a new skill? The South East Edmonton Seniors Association (SEESA) is a welcoming, volunteer-driven non-profit dedicated to helping adults 55+ (under 55 are welcome as well) stay connected, healthy, and engaged in the community.

Choose from a variety of fitness and wellness classes, dance, painting and art workshops, music, pickleball and badminton, technology and lifelong learning, and social clubs—all led by experienced instructors in a friendly, supportive environment.

New to SEESA? Try a class or club!

1. Choose a class you'd like to attend.
2. Call 780-468-1985 to check if there's room for a drop-in.
3. Register by phone or in person.
4. Enjoy your class!

SEESA members receive discounted class fees, but many classes are also open to non-members as drop-ins, space permitting. To view the full class schedule or learn more about membership, visit seesa.ca or call 780-468-1985.

Help Create the Donnan Park Community Garden Mural

This summer, the Donnan Park Naturalization Committee is bringing a beautiful wooden community mural to the back of the Hobbit House in Donnan Park (like a giant jigsaw puzzle) —and you're invited to help!

No artistic or woodworking experience is needed. Volunteers can assist with everything from sanding and wood burning to assembling the mural, with guidance from local artist Dave Cunningham. Come for a few hours or make it a regular summer activity.

The project is proudly supported by the King Edward Park Community League, the City of Edmonton, Right at Home Housing Society, and the Donnan Community Gardening Group.

Workshop Dates: Most Saturdays throughout the summer (10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)

If you have any woodworking skills or tools you might like to share or would simply like to be a part of building our mural, please contact Kory at korybh@gmail.com.

The Donnan Park Naturalization Committee hosts a variety of neighbourhood events like potluck's, workbees building cool things as well as garden and other neighbourhood get-togethers at Donnan (Arena) Park.

Community Events & Happenings

July is one of the busiest festival months in Edmonton:

• Art Buffet x Community Tapestry Weaving |Until July 29
• Broadway in Hawrelak Park: Something Rotten! | July 1 - 12
• Grindstone Comedy Festival | July 2 - 12
• Edmonton International Street Performers Festival | July 3 - 12
• The Edmonton Open Mic Festival | July 4
• Rugby Canada Fan Fest| July 5
• Ram Architecture and Design Tour for Doors Open Festival| July 5 - 12
• Edmonton Historical Festival & Doors Open Edmonton | July 5 - 12
• Whyte Avenue Art Walk| July 10 - 12
• Taste of Edmonton| July 16 - 26
• KDays| July 17 - 26
• Neon Skies Festival | July 17 - 18
• Great Outdoors Comedy Festival | July 17 - 19
• River Valley Sound: Susan Isaac at Little Brick| July 22
• 2026 Family Nature Nights: Urban Birds | July 22
• Kaleido Fest | Sept 18-20 (want to volunteer? Register here

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Celebrate Indigenous culture at the 2nd Annual 2 Spirit Pow Wow, join National Magazine Award-winning profile writer Omar Mouallem for an interviewing and profile writing bootcamp, experience Polish culture and performances by talented young artists at Chopin in the Park, attend the opening reception of Rhapsody in Colour: 38th Annual Members’ Exhibition + Art Sale at Harcourt House, enjoy a hilarious celebration of words at the Citadel Theatre’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and so much more!

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Community and Public Services Committee meets today at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is a review of how Edmonton regulates domesticated pigeons. Administration concluded that existing business and zoning rules are sufficient and that no bylaw amendments are needed, after finding that all 94 licensed pigeon owners inspected in 2025 were in compliance and that pigeon complaints made up just 0.15% of all animal-related complaints, 16 out of 11,031. A survey of adjacent property owners found that 91% had no concerns about licensed pigeons, with the small number of complaints citing droppings, cleanliness and pests. Current rules cap pigeons at 75 per residence and require birds to be kept in a loft or aviary acceptable to the City. Administration will add two new licence conditions effective January 2027, requiring owners to join a recognized pigeon association and to fit all birds with official identification leg bands. Association membership runs roughly $30 to $80 a year, which the report acknowledges could weigh on lower-income owners, though no change to the licence fee is recommended beyond a previously approved increase of one dollar per year for three years.
• Also before the Committee today is Administration's plan for fireworks communications and a 2026 Diwali celebration, the first of two reports responding to a Council motion. Administration will reallocate $25,000 a year from existing budgets for an enhanced, multilingual fireworks safety campaign, of which $17,000 would be an ongoing cost, stressing that setting off fireworks without a permit is illegal and unsafe. For 2026, the City will continue hosting its own celebratory Diwali event at City Hall, funded by $20,000 from the existing Anti-Racism budget, while adding a one-time $10,000 to help community groups build toward a larger event in 2027. The community's preferred option, a centralized fireworks show at Mill Woods Park, carries a $110,000 price tag under a cost-sharing model with $90,000 from community partners and $20,000 from the City, but the report notes most of that community funding has not yet been secured. Administration points to a permitted display on a Laurel-area school field that it says cut illegal street-level fireworks complaints by 70%. A separate report on regulatory options to address the unsafe purchase and discharge of fireworks is expected back at Committee in the fall.
• The Committee will also review a report on the legacy outcomes of major sport and cultural events the City helps attract, prepared at Council's request. Administration reports that Edmonton hosted 23 attracted events in 2024 and 2025, with a collective economic impact of $148.2 million in 2024 and $145 million in 2025, and that 12 events are scheduled for 2026 with an estimated combined impact of $222.4 million. Rather than apply Council's $3-million economic-impact threshold for requiring formal legacy plans in funding agreements, Administration recommends raising it to $6 million, arguing larger events are better placed to deliver lasting benefits. Examples of planned 2026 legacies include the CPKC Women's Open's goal of raising more than $3.9 million for the Stollery Children's Hospital and food-rescue efforts tied to the World Juniors. Administration says it will finalize a legacy measurement framework by the end of 2026 and begin implementing it in 2027, funded by reallocating money from an existing events budget rather than new spending. Oversight would be shared among the City, Explore Edmonton, Sport Edmonton and event rights holders.
• City Council voted at a public hearing on Tuesday to reduce the on-site parking required for new neighbourhood daycares, with the change taking effect immediately. Under the old rules, daycares needed two spaces for the first 10 children and one for each additional 10, but providers now need only one space for every 10 children, halved again in areas with unrestricted street parking. The City says that means a 40-child daycare that once needed five parking spaces could now need just two. Administration argued the change removes a regulatory barrier for small operators, pointing to a fall 2024 traffic study that found 17% of daycare trips are made on foot or by bike and that parking demand ran about 20% below the old requirements. Mayor Andrew Knack said the goal is to make daycare drop-offs less car-reliant by letting families walk or bike, while Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz, a longtime supporter, said he would like to go further and allow daycares on mid-block lots. Ward 7 (sipiwiyiniwak) Councillor Thu Parmar and Ward 3 (tastawiyiniwak) Councillor Karen Principe were the only members to vote against. One Cavanagh resident appealing a daycare permit next to her home warned the City must balance adding daycares in residential areas against protecting existing residents' quality of life.
• City Council is wrestling with how to keep up service levels as Edmonton's infrastructure repair backlog widens, with aging swimming pools used to illustrate the scale of the problem. The Infrastructure Committee released previously in-camera projections showing it would cost roughly $1 billion to maintain current aquatic service levels, with eight pools already more than 50 years old and four expected to be in poor condition by 2037. City officials told the Committee that 10.2% of Edmonton's total assets are in poor or very poor condition and that about 60% of city alleys need renewal. Overall, the City projects a $2.8-billion renewal gap between 2027 and 2030, ballooning to $10 billion by 2036, and says it can currently cover only 30.7% of its renewal needs, excluding bridges. Administration is weighing cost-saving measures such as repaving rather than reconstructing roads, deferring some downtown projects, and using boardwalks instead of new concrete sidewalks. Mayor Andrew Knack said the figures reinforce why a dedicated renewal fund is critical, while Deputy City Manager Stacey Padbury cautioned the problem cannot be solved in four years.

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ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, council will discuss its policy for engaging Indigenous groups regarding river valley development, review regulations for megaphones in public spaces, and discuss Diwali celebrations and the use of fireworks.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on June 29, an audit selection committee meeting on June 29, an executive committee meeting on June 30, and an urban planning committee meeting on July 2.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Urban planning committee will discuss a report on Indigenous engagement regarding redevelopment on River Valley lands, on the heels of a contentious public hearing on June 23 regarding a zoning decision in Rossdale. Council postponed its decision about new zoning regulations for Rossdale in anticipation of future development, citing concerns that Indigenous groups had not been consulted adequately. Mayor Andrew Knack encouraged those concerned about the development to attend the July 2 committee meeting, as well as a July 9 public hearing. The report to committee says municipalities do not have a legal duty to consult Indigenous groups under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, but Edmonton has established its own framework for Indigenous engagement, and administration said it is endeavouring to follow it, as well as the city’s memoranda of understanding with the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, Otipemisiwak Métis Government, and Enoch Cree Nation.
• Administration has laid out ways that council can regulate amplification in public spaces. A report that will be presented to community and public services committee said that while noise pollution is a legitimate concern, regulating it is complicated because limiting the use of megaphones or speakers could potentially impact Charter rights. Some Edmontonians said they were against amplification in public spaces, while others said it can be important for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Administration said it could develop a time, duration, place, or volume (TDPV) regulation, which puts a restriction on when, how long, where, or how loud a disruptive sound may occur. It could also prohibit sound amplification unless someone has a permit.
• Administration plans to host an invite-only Diwali celebration at City Hall in 2026, with the possibility of a larger event in 2027, says a report that will be presented to community and public services committee. The report said community members would prefer a large event at Mill Woods Park in 2026, but the city has not confirmed about $90,000 of the event’s funding. The city will also improve communications about the use and sale of fireworks with signage as well as online and print communications in multiple languages. Diwali fireworks were blamed for property damage in 2025.

• Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally announced that the recent hike in the minimum price Alberta bars and restaurants must charge for alcohol has been reversed, effective immediately. The original increase, announced by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis agency on June 9th, had set the minimum price for draft beer at $0.25 per ounce, up from $0.16, which meant a 20-ounce pint would cost at least $5, up from $3.20. The minimum prices of bottled or canned beers, ciders, coolers, spirits and liqueurs were also raised from $2.75 to $4 per can or bottle. The AGLC had said the increase was made in part to reduce alcohol-related harms by encouraging moderation. Nally said the government directed the agency to reverse the decision to give businesses and consumers greater certainty, and Premier Danielle Smith thanked him for the move. The Alberta Hospitality Association, which represents roughly 900 restaurants, said the biggest concern among members was a lack of communication and the effect the higher minimums would have had on pricing incentives such as happy hours and Stampede specials. The AGLC said it understood the concerns and that an updated policy has been posted.
• Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams has announced a new minister's council to study financing options that could change how municipalities pay for roads, water systems, transit and other core infrastructure as communities grow. Announced Tuesday in Jasper, the council is expected to deliver recommendations before the end of the year, and the Province says the goal is to close the municipal infrastructure gap and expand the ability to invest in housing and critical infrastructure without increasing the tax burden on Albertans. Williams pointed to tax-increment financing, municipal bonds, pooled borrowing and public-private partnerships as examples of tools used in other jurisdictions, saying he wants municipalities to have options beyond taxes and off-site levies. The announcement does not include new municipal funding and does not name specific projects, though the Province will provide $50,000 to support research already underway through BILD Alberta and the University of Alberta Cities Institute. The cities of Calgary and Edmonton, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, Alberta Municipalities, the Alberta Mid-sized Cities Mayor's Caucus and BILD Alberta have been invited to take part. Scott Fash, CEO of BILD Alberta, said the way upfront infrastructure is financed can affect the cost and pace of new housing, since higher commercial borrowing costs can be passed on to homebuyers. The Province says its three-year Budget 2026 Capital Plan already includes $7.1 billion to support municipal infrastructure.
• The provincial government is pausing the rollout of its ambulance contract strategy for seven municipalities that run integrated fire and ambulance services, where firefighters are also trained paramedics. Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange announced the pause on Monday, delaying a new benchmark price that had been set in March and that, for these municipalities, was lower than what they had been receiving from the Province. Under the original plan, Red Deer, St. Albert, Strathcona County, Leduc, Spruce Grove and Lethbridge had until the end of May to choose between accepting less provincial funding and raising taxes to keep their decades-old model, or handing the contract back to the Province. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has until 2029 to decide. The benchmark will now be implemented by 2028-29 rather than this fall, though LaGrange said the change was not a shift from the original objective. Municipalities had raised concerns about potential layoffs and slower response times, and several mayors, including Red Deer's Cindy Jefferies, said the initial timeline had felt rushed. The pause follows another recent reversal in which LaGrange halted a rebrand of the Province's paramedic service provider. What happens between the current contracts expiring in September 2026 and the 2028-29 implementation has not yet been determined.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to defend Canadian unity ahead of Alberta's separation referendum, warning that a vote to leave would prompt years of uncertainty and put the country's reputation as a trustworthy place to do business on the line. Speaking at an end-of-sitting news conference on Thursday, Carney said he will spend part of the summer convincing Albertans that while Canada is already the best country, it can still improve, pointing to his memorandum of understanding with Premier Danielle Smith on resource development and a possible pipeline to the Pacific as evidence of "co-operative federalism." Drawing on his experience with Brexit, Carney called the referendum question "a dangerous bluff" and cautioned that the fall vote, which is actually a vote on whether to hold a second referendum on leaving, would disrupt the economy and national life. He pointed to weak economic growth in Britain after it left the European Union as a warning. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Carney to get more involved in the campaign, saying the Prime Minister "hasn't spoken to Albertans" and that he is waiting for him to make a direct appeal. Poilievre said he would rather the referendum were not happening but has planned a summer tour of the province as part of the remain campaign. The referendum is set for October 19th.
• A new report from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce claims that separating from Canada could shrink Alberta's economy by as much as $62 billion a year and trigger a business exodus from the province. For the analysis, the Chamber tasked University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, a member of the federalist group Lead Not Leave, who based his estimate on the measured effect of Brexit and found that an 8% increase in trade costs could cost Alberta 175,000 jobs. The Chamber also surveyed its members and found that just under half said they would be likely to relocate their business if the province votes to begin separating, though only 137 of their 1,600 business members responded to the survey. Keith Wilson, a lawyer and advocate for separation with the third-party advertiser Let Alberta Decide, argued the comparison to Brexit is "fundamentally different" because Alberta independence would move the province closer to its largest market, the United States. Wilson contends the survey measures "fear, not opportunity," noting that the agriculture, oil and gas, and resource sectors that anchor Alberta's economy cannot move. The figures add to a wide range of competing estimates, with Premier Danielle Smith pegging the cost of leaving at up to $400 billion in transition costs and the Alberta Prosperity Project putting it closer to $6 billion. The provincial government has separately commissioned the University of Calgary to study the costs of leaving, with that report expected by the end of the summer.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Experiencing street dance culture at One For The City Vol. 6, join Zachary Ayotte in conversation with Gendai Collective as they talk about their work around alternative art economies, learn about traditional moose hide tanning with Jess Sanderson-Barry from Chakastaypasin Band, join Edmonton Vocal Minority for their presentation of unapologetic — being our authentic self at the Westbury Theatre, enjoy the grandeur of gospel music at GospelFest—Edmonton’s first-ever gospel music festival and showcase, and so much more!

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ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, councillors will discuss priorities for infrastructure renewal as well as how capital projects impact future operating costs.

There is a utility committee meeting on June 22, a public hearing on June 23, and an infrastructure committee meeting on June 24.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Administration has listed sections of roads and bridges that it would like to prioritize for some level of renewal in the 2027-2030 budget cycle. Arterial roads can receive a paving treatment, a paving treatment with concrete or base repairs, or, for the roads in the worst condition, a full reconstruction. Administration said it recommends focusing on paving treatment for the upcoming cycle. This may seem counterintuitive, given the inclination to fix the worst roads first, a report to infrastructure committee acknowledges, but it says this is the best way to manage the network “within a fiscally constrained environment.” Council will debate funding for renewal projects during the 2027-2030 budget deliberations in the fall.
• Infrastructure committee will be asked to approve the creation of a dedicated renewal fund reserve, which aims to address a widening funding gap for the renewal of city-owned infrastructure. The reserve will be funded through a dedicated tax levy of up to 1% annually for the next 20 years, which would fund about 43% of the total ideal renewal needed in 2048. To narrow the gap further, council could choose to increase the renewal tax levy by 0.5%, which would fund about 60% of the total ideal renewal needed in 2048. If committee approves the fund, council will vote on it at a future meeting.
• Administration will include a capital project’s operating impacts — the day-to-day funds required to operate an asset once construction is finished — in the 2027-2030 budget deliberations, says a report that will be presented to infrastructure committee. Improving projections for the operating impacts of capital (OIC) is part of the total cost of ownership (TCO) project — in other words, the cost of building, operating, maintaining, and renewing an asset through the end of its service life, as opposed to just building it. “The enhanced integration of TCO, including OICs, into budgeting processes provides council with a more robust understanding in order to evaluate long-term operating costs before approving capital infrastructure investments,” the report said.

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• The Utility Committee will meet today at 9:30 am, and EPCOR Water Services will present a set of reports on how Edmonton's water and wastewater systems are performing financially and what the utility plans to measure next. EPCOR's progress report for the year ended December 31st, 2025 shows In-City Water earned a 10.96% return on equity, higher than the 10.54% it had forecast, driven largely by stronger than expected revenue and customer growth. Wastewater Treatment came in slightly under forecast at 10.85% and Wastewater Collection landed at 10.26%, roughly in line with its plan. The reports also reveal that projected water capital spending for 2022 to 2026 has reached $719.8 million, which is $209.4 million, or 42%, above the original forecast, with similar overruns in wastewater treatment. EPCOR is also seeking Committee feedback on the performance measures it intends to use in its next rate application covering 2028 to 2031, the framework that ultimately shapes what Edmontonians pay on their water bills. All three reports are listed for information only, meaning the Committee will receive them rather than vote.
• Also on the Utility Committee's agenda today is a report on how the City handles illegal dumping at apartment and condo buildings, prepared after Councillors asked Administration in March for options to address the problem. The report notes that between January 2021 and the end of March 2026, the City received over 600 complaints of illegal dumping on private property, which usually takes the form of abandoned furniture and garbage or waste dumped in another building's bins. Administration points to existing tools such as four Eco Stations, eight annual Big Bin events and free disposal weekends, and says it is studying further measures, including a new large item collection program and tougher fines. The Community Standards Bylaw currently sets a $250 fine for common dumping on private property and a $1,000 fine for large items or construction waste, figures property managers told the City are too low. Any new spending, including a possible large item pickup service to be piloted in 2027, would be brought forward through the 2027 Waste Services rate filing expected before Council in late 2026.
• The Infrastructure Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am, where one of the items is Administration's draft approach to renewing the City's existing infrastructure in the 2027 to 2030 budget cycle. The report values Edmonton's total infrastructure portfolio of roads, bridges, facilities and transit at $39.8 billion, and signals a deliberate shift toward maintaining and renewing those assets rather than building new ones. It cites an earlier forecast of a renewal investment gap of $2.8 billion over the four years from 2027 to 2030, climbing to $10 billion over the decade to 2036. Administration says renewal projects will be ranked not only on physical condition but also on strategic alignment with Council priorities and service needs, with growth projects funded only when required for safety, mandated by law or eligible for outside funding. The draft priority lists for bridges, roads, facilities, open space and transit are presented as unranked and subject to change once the capital budget is finalized in late 2026.
• In other Council business, members voted 7-6 to build a larger transit garage in southeast Edmonton, taking on an additional $66 million in borrowing to do so. The decision, made during a multiday budget adjustment, reversed an earlier recommendation from City Staff to scale the project down to keep it inside its $367-million budget. The original plan envisioned storage for 430 buses, Administration proposed a smaller facility for 250 to 290, and Council settled on a garage holding 330 to 380 buses, with a federal grant covering part of the cost. Ward 4 (Dene) Councillor Aaron Paquette argued the investment must be made now because construction costs and transit demand will only rise, while Ward 2 (Anirniq) Councillor Erin Rutherford warned the garage could sit half-full and leave less money for projects like the Metro Line extension, saying "we don't have an infinite pool of funding". More than half of Edmonton's bus fleet is rated in poor or very poor condition, and with a standard diesel bus costing roughly $1 million, the City is approaching its debt limit ahead of a four-year budget later this year. Mayor Andrew Knack took a more optimistic view, acknowledging a period of austerity in funding from other governments but saying transit has been chronically underfunded for decades. The garage is expected to be completed in 2032.
• Council also voted unanimously on Wednesday to proceed with a 2SLGBTQIA+ safe spaces action plan aimed at making City facilities and operations more responsive to the community's needs. Council had previously committed $750,000 to the effort last fall, distributed to support groups through grants, and a further $750,000 a year to continue the program will be weighed during the City's four-year budget deliberations. Mayor Andrew Knack tied the plan to provincial policy, noting the City is "being told what kind of flags we can hang in our buildings" and citing provincial legislation affecting transgender youth in sports, medical treatment, and school libraries. The City's report says there are hate crimes targeting sexual and gender expression trending upward, with 50 such incidents recorded in Edmonton in 2024, and to a local survey in which 81% of community members reported negative public interactions. It also says that a disproportionate share of Edmontonians experiencing homelessness identify on the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum, just under 12% of the roughly 800 unhoused people who disclosed their orientation. The report estimates more than 40,000 Edmontonians identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, including more than 2,000 who identify as "gender diverse."

• Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange announced that eligible Alberta doctors will be able to work in both the public and private systems starting this fall, with an expression of interest process opening June 22nd and formal applications later in the summer. To qualify for dual practice, physicians must also complete a minimum number of public-system hours, which the Government says will be set by specialty and region and will serve as a safeguard, and doctors who fail to keep up those hours will lose their dual-practice status. LaGrange said the model will help shorten wait times, arguing the status quo is not working, and that eligible procedures include non-hospital surgeries such as carpal tunnel release and joint surgery, while cancer and other life-threatening procedures are excluded. Family doctors are excluded unless they hold a subspecialty in anesthesia or surgical skills, and dual-practice physicians must keep separate private records and report to the Government. The provincial government compares the approach to systems in Sweden, the United Kingdom and France, but NDP critic Sharif Haji called it an American-style two-tier system that Smith did not campaign on in 2023, and urged the Government to put it on a ballot.
• On the fiscal front, Premier Danielle Smith announced that Albertans with combined household incomes of $225,000 or less who filed a 2025 tax return are eligible for a one-time, tax-free payment of $100 under the new Alberta Energy Rebate, with applications opening July 1st. The Government estimates about 3.4 million Albertans will receive the money, and Finance Minister Jason Nixon said roughly 70% of residents will qualify. The rebate replaces the fuel tax relief program that paused part of the provincial fuel tax when oil prices were high, and Smith said it directs more dollars to those who need it most, whether or not they drive. The Government's treasury has benefited from high oil prices tied to conflict in the Middle East, with West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark Alberta uses, reaching as high as $104 a barrel on May 19th. Critics called the amount too small to matter. The plan has invited comparison to former premier Ralph Klein's $400 cheques in 2006, though Alberta's finances are weaker now than they were then.
• Smith is also pushing back after a group of Indigenous chiefs accused her of potentially treasonous activity for calling a fall referendum on Alberta's place in Canada. The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, which represents Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 First Nations across the province, voted unanimously to ask the RCMP to examine whether the referendum amounts to criminal treason by Smith and her United Conservative Party. The chiefs argue the vote is an intentional violation of the treaty relationship, ignores risks to Canada's sovereignty, and has proceeded despite what they describe as significant risks of foreign interference. Smith called the accusation disgraceful, saying she has had her own differences with the federal government but has never used such language, and that it has no place in a democracy. She said her government and the assembly have a collaborative relationship she wants to continue, and asked the chiefs to respect Alberta's pursuit of a new relationship with Ottawa that respects provincial jurisdiction. Albertans are set to vote on October 19th on whether to remain in Canada or begin the process toward a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
• Ahead of that vote, the provincial government has commissioned the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy to analyze the cost of Alberta leaving Canada and formed an expert advisory panel to review the work, at a combined cost of up to $1.5 million, according to a spokesperson for Finance Minister Jason Nixon. The panel is led by economist Jack Mintz and includes former Saskatchewan NDP finance minister Janice MacKinnon, former Alberta finance minister Ted Morton, Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge, and Cenovus Energy board chair Alex Pourbaix. The School of Public Policy's Director, Martha Hall Findlay, said the report will assume separation is legally possible and estimate the cost of Alberta delivering services the federal government now provides, from passports and the RCMP to aviation regulation and the military, with completion expected by the end of summer. Premier Danielle Smith has estimated that quitting Confederation could cost the province $400 billion plus an annual price tag of up to $50 billion, while separatist leaders peg startup costs at no more than $5.7 billion.
• Finally, Premier Danielle Smith says it may be too late to add a question on banning new coal mining to the October 19th provincial vote, despite a petition led by musician Corb Lund that delivered more than 200,000 signatures. If Elections Alberta verifies the required 178,000 signatures, the Government would be forced either to consider a law banning new coal mining or to send the question to a province-wide referendum. Smith said Elections Alberta needed all final questions by June 1st to prepare, and with signature validation still underway, the petition could instead go to a legislature committee. She said that the committee could recommend a province-wide vote in October of 2027, and warned that a bill could get complicated because existing legislation requires compensation when private property rights are taken away. Lund has said he expects the Government to use the petition's exact wording, including project-specific development bans, and does not trust it to do so.

What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Stop by Latitude 53 as it turns into a bustling local craft market for the L53 Summer Market, celebrate storytelling through artist showcases and workshops at the 2026 Thousand Faces Festival, explore free art exhibits and installations at The Works Art & Design Festival, catch incredible live performances and shop art from local artists at the Make Music Edmonton with 124 Street Art Walk, enjoy an evening of drag, music, singing, and multidisciplinary arts in an all two-spirit and Indigi-Queer showcase at the inaugural Indigi-Pride Gala, commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day for a special screening of nanekawâsis at the Royal Alberta Museum, and so much more!

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