THIS WEEK IN EDMONTON

• Ward 1 (Nakota Isga) Councillor Reed Clarke is pushing a proposal to offer businesses a tax credit for expanding within Edmonton rather than relocating to neighbouring counties, an idea he has developed with Administration and hopes to bring forward as a motion. Clarke argues Edmonton is steadily losing industrial and commercial activity to places like Acheson in Parkland County and Nisku in Leduc County, where industrial tax rates can be as low as one-third of the City's. Edmonton's tax base sat at nearly an 80-20 split between residential and non-residential property in 2024, compared with roughly 60-40 in the surrounding counties, shifting more of the burden onto homeowners. The City issued 224 permits for industrial and commercial repair or construction in 2024, its lowest total in a decade and down from 389 in 2021. Mayor Andrew Knack has made keeping businesses in the city a priority. Some in the industry are skeptical, with commercial real-estate broker Bronwyn Scrivens calling the incentive a Band-Aid and arguing the City is trying to spend its way out of a problem caused by overspending, while York Realty president Matt Woolsey said Council needs to address its own spending before businesses will stay.
• The Government of Alberta has launched an online portal for residents to file complaints about bike lanes, part of a provincial push that Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says will inform legislation this fall giving the Province power to review or remove bike lanes in municipalities. The form asks residents to select concerns such as reduced parking, cost to taxpayers, low usage, or added congestion. The move escalates a dispute that began at City Council this month, when Edmonton redesigned a planned bike lane on 50th Street to preserve 30 street parking stalls at an added cost of $2.5 million. Dreeshen travelled to Edmonton's Capilano neighbourhood on Thursday to meet residents opposed to that project. Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan, who opposed the redesign, said the concession will fall on taxpayers, noting the extra cost comes when many residents want the City to keep taxes low. Premier Danielle Smith defended the portal, saying some bike lanes are well used while others are barely used and create disruption, while supporters such as Bike Edmonton argue the Province is intervening in a local matter.
• Ward 8 (papastew) Councillor Michael Janz is at the centre of a controversy over social media posts about the war in Gaza, with the Jewish Federation of Edmonton calling on Mayor Andrew Knack to intervene. The Federation says posts Janz shared, including one claiming a newborn anywhere in the world is now more likely to be killed by Israel than to die any other way, demonize Israel and the local Jewish community and create a security risk. Federation CEO Stacey Leavitt-Wright said she wants Janz to stop, arguing the issue falls outside a City Councillor's role. Janz has doubled down, defending his posts as criticism of the Israeli government rather than antisemitism and suggesting the Israel pavilion be removed from the Heritage Festival in August. Mayor Knack said Councillors are free to speak on any issue but must share information that is accurate and factually verified, adding that elected officials should hold themselves to a high standard. Ward 9 (pihêsiwin) Councillor Michael Elliott and provincial Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams both criticized the posts, with Elliott arguing that international conflicts fall outside Council's jurisdiction and risk dividing the community.
• Emergency calls for overdoses at Edmonton transit locations more than doubled last year, according to Alberta Health Services data obtained through a freedom of information request. Edmonton recorded 368 such calls in 2025, up from 154 the year before and about 2.5 times the 146 calls logged in Calgary. Churchill station drew the most calls in the city, with 48 last year and 211 since 2018, while Central and Coliseum stations were the only others to top 100 over that period. The figures track only opioid-related calls. The press secretary for Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson acknowledged Edmonton remains an outlier, citing high rates of opioid-related deaths involving carfentanil, even as provincial drug poisoning deaths fell to 1,423 in 2025 from a peak of 2,141 in 2023.
• After a weekend storm flooded Edmonton roads, sidewalks and recreation facilities, the City and utility provider EPCOR are pointing to a long-term plan they say will reduce the damage from future downpours. The two are in the sixth year of a $1.6-billion Stormwater Integrated Resource Plan, a 20-year strategy to slow and redirect storm water away from high-risk areas through measures such as dry ponds, upgraded sewers and water-absorbing features in older neighbourhoods. Ward 6 (Métis) Councillor Ashley Salvador said extreme weather events are becoming more common and that the City needs to be proactive with the infrastructure it builds. EPCOR also offers residents a stormwater rebate, free flood-prevention home inspections and a backwater valve subsidy to improve flood resilience. University of Alberta engineering professor Alireza Bayat said underground pipe and sewer systems across all jurisdictions need more frequent maintenance, but cautioned that replacing them takes time and that heavy rainfall can overwhelm even new infrastructure. The City said it responded to a record volume of fire and rescue calls during the storms and cannot yet estimate the cost of cleanup and repairs.

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HEADLINES by Mariam Ibrahim

• The City of Edmonton said that westbound Yellowhead Trail between 97 Street and St. Albert Trail has reopened after crews completed emergency repairs for flood damage caused during recent heavy rains. The City thanked contractors, municipal crews and EPCOR for their help in completing the necessary work. The recent storms caused about $230 million in insured damage in May and June, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
• The City of Edmonton was set to lift its extreme heat response at 9am on July 19 as conditions were expected to improve. Potable water stations will remain open through Sept. 30. Free bottled water and N95 masks are also available at city facilities.
• A meeting between Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and Capilano-area residents opposing a planned 50 Street bike lane was interrupted by a pro-bike-lane rally as the province gathered input for fall legislation. Meanwhile, the government launched a bike lane concerns portal, which received mixed reviews, CBC reported.
• Trisha Estabrooks said she will seek the Alberta NDP nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona after Naheed Nenshi announced he will run in Calgary in the next election.
• The City of Edmonton is investigating a Grovenor infill property that was being used as an Airbnb rental, Postmedia reported, despite receiving Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation financing for affordable rental housing. Mayor Andrew Knack said properties built under affordable housing agreements must comply with funding rules, while critics called for stronger oversight of short-term rentals.
• The former Italian Bakery site on 97 Street in Edmonton’s Chinatown has been put up for auction with a minimum opening bid of $990,000, less than half its previous $2.3-million listing price. The landmark property, which housed the bakery for more than 60 years before the downtown location closed in early 2025, includes retail, office and residential space. The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce hopes new ownership will help spur redevelopment and revitalize the surrounding area.
• Registered third-party advertisers supporting Alberta separation have raised more than $458,000 ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum, outpacing federalist groups by more than $365,000, according to the latest Elections Alberta figures. Separatist organization Let Alberta Decide is leading fundraising with about $257,000, while Alberta’s Voice is the top-raising federalist group at slightly more than $51,000. Under Alberta’s referendum rules, registered advertisers may spend up to $607,000 on advertising, while individual, corporate and union contributions are capped at a combined $5,000 annually.
• The Alberta government spent about $309,300 on an external agency to develop its official 2026 referendum website, according to documents obtained by Postmedia through an access to information request. The site, which launched in April and later added the question on Alberta separation from Canada, provides information, videos and FAQs on the province’s 10 referendum questions ahead of the Oct. 19 vote. The government said the contract was awarded through a competitive procurement process and that more than 40,000 people have visited the website.
• The Edmonton Elks drew 20,020 fans to Commonwealth Stadium on July 17 for a 19-17 win over the B.C. Lions, a turnout the team framed as a sign attendance is rebounding. “This was the best crowd we’ve seen outside of Labour Day. Full credit to the fans for showing up,” head coach Mark Kilam said.