ColinGallant
PUNCHCARD, an Edmonton Tech company has just lauched a new app CHECK THE LABEL to help consumers get information on products they are thinking of purchasing. They can find out if the product they are considering is Made in Canada, Product of Canada, Assembled in Canada, or Imported by Canada. The app was developed in part by the recent tariff threat and to encourage people to buy local and support our economy. The app is available for both Android and iOS.
Its well known that the Blatchford development on the former city airport site has received both some praise and much criticism in its 10+ years of tenure. The initial vision was for it to lead an energy-focused re-development which to date has not been successful using standard building metrics. There have been fewer residences built and those that have cost more than comparable residences in other parts of the city.
Blatchford has been a costly project not just for builders and residents. The city says they have invested at least $167 million thus far, though Councellor Tim Cartmell suggests the amount is closer to $232 million.
Last April Mayor Amarjeet Sohi suggested Blatchford was “not a huge success." Councellor Anne Stevenson says Blatchford hit several milestones in 2024 which were an “inflection point” to judge the project’s success.
The city initially marked 2042 as when it expects Blatchford to house 30,000 residents within its 536 acres. From where we are today it may be too early to label Blatchford as a blight or a late bloomerr for Edmonton.
When Ryan Young became the new Director of the Social Enterprise Fund in October he made it his mission to find new ways for one of the largest social funds in Canada to maximize benefits for Edmontonions. He wants identify the top issues that will create the biggest impact in Edmonton.
The Social Enterprise Fund was created in 2008 by the Edmonton Community Foundation in collaboration with the City of Edmonton. Rather than grants the Fund invests through loans with interest rates between one and three points above bank prime rates. The Fund has invested in excess of $90 million into more than 110 projects since its founding.
If you know of a project that may benefit from the Social Enterprise Fund bring it to their attention.
I think Blatchford was largely driven by a council who bought into a "climate change, green agenda." They may well have thought they were leading the way but the fact that few are yet following calls that into question.