Taproot Edmonton
Your turn: Referendum mail-in ballots due, advance polls open soon
This week's roundup of calls for public engagement begins with a reminder to get your special ballot in the mail or get ready to vote in person in the Alberta referendum.
Municipalities grapple with communicating about data centres
An Edmonton-based communications company is helping Alberta municipalities talk about AI data centres as public opposition grows as rapidly as demand for the facilities.
Edmonton-made film explores Eritrean life in Canada
Two newcomers from very different places are working on a documentary called Frozen Injera to capture both the joys and the hardships experienced by members of the Eritrean community in Edmonton.
Aqtiva heads into Edmonton Startup Week on a winning streak
A company that helps farmers with crop yields is riding a wave of recognition as Edmonton Startup Week shines its annual light on promising companies.
In this edition: Your turn: Referendum mail-in ballots due, advance polls open soon; Alberta government says it will force Edmonton to reverse zoning bylaw changes; and more headlines and happenings
Business Roundup: Oct. 9, 2026
With news from the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Startup Week, Sport Edmonton, reVerb Communications, Infinite Event Services, Vertical City, and more.
Featuring an event pick from Taproot co-founder Karen Unland and a listing of film events that you can add to your calendar.
The provincial government is forcing Edmonton to amend its zoning bylaw and restore minimum on-site parking requirements to appease infill critics. Plus, a study found that apartment and condo dwellers are only sorting a third of their waste correctly.
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On the agenda: Waste, budget process, city manager's power
This week, councillors will hear about the results of a waste characterization study, vote on a recommended process for the four-year budget deliberations, and consider changes to the city manager's authority.
A moment in history: Oct. 2, 1964
On this day in 1964, the recent amalgamation of Jasper Place and Edmonton was playing a part in the mayoral election.
Your turn: Belgravia traffic, Leduc MDP, Beacon Heights
This week's calls for public engagement include an in-person meeting about short-cutting in Belgravia, a public hearing about changes to Leduc's municipal development plan, and an online survey about neighbourhood renewal in Beacon Heights.
Agritourism grows in Strathcona County
As Strathcona County aims to attract more visitors with its newly launched Go Strathco brand, agritourism is an important piece of the puzzle, advocates say.
Edmonton ordered to revert to former zoning bylaw
The Alberta government says it will force Edmonton to revert its zoning bylaw to where it was before 2024 and reinstate minimum parking requirements to where they were before they were removed in 2020.
LitFest connects nonfiction authors with passionate readers
This week, we're highlighting an event pick by Taproot co-founder Karen Unland. Karen recommends LitFest 2026 Opening Night Event and Reception, featuring Trina Moyles in conversation with Conor Kerr.
Indie game studios seize moment to lead
A contraction in the games industry that especially affects heavy hitters has helped spur a boom of indie studios led by top talent, attendees of an Edmonton Startup Week event heard.
Edmonton needs buyer-led innovation, MIT REAP cohort says
Entrepreneurs in the Edmonton region are full of good ideas, but all of that creativity is for naught if they're solving problems that no one wants to pay for, the Edmonton cohort of the MIT Regional Entrepreneurial Acceleration Program has concluded.
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Business Roundup: Oct. 9, 2026
With news from the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Startup Week, Sport Edmonton, reVerb Communications, Infinite Event Services, Vertical City, and more.
Featuring an event pick from Taproot co-founder Karen Unland and a listing of film events that you can add to your calendar.
With news from Edmonton Startup Week, Royal Tusk, Stewart Steinhauer, Section 35, Tiny Bear Jaws, Agatha Press, NorthwestFEARFest, and more.
Regional Roundup: Oct. 7, 2026
With news from Edmonton Startup Week, Agritourism Alberta, AIHA, BGRE and CPP Investments, Muslim Association of St. Albert, Perry Kincaide, and more.
Health Innovation Roundup: Oct. 7, 2026
With news from Edmonton Startup Week, Startup TNT, MagnetaMR, RWI, Health Cities, Silvertech Summit, EBDA, the Stollery, Alberta Innovates, and more.
With news from 7 Summits Snacks, The Connected Kitchen Project, JACEK Chocolate Couture, Roam Cafe, Felice Cafe, RGE RD, Tesoro Caffè Bar, and more
With news from Edmonton Startup Week, Aqtiva, Startup TNT, Sarcomere Dynamics, Steminai, Amii, Alberta Innovates, data centres, and more
Please present your boarding pass
The new owners of Edmonton City Centre proposed strict security measures at each entrance of the downtown mall, and councillors endorsed changing the definition of public space. Plus, an American company has a vision to turn an industrial park in northeast Edmonton into one of the largest data centre campuses in North America.
Stephanie is back! We chat about some of the big and small municipal news you might have missed in the past month. Plus, we hear all about Stephanie's travels and her fresh reflections on cities and how Edmonton stacks up.
This week, heritage advocate Andy Grabia talks about the fight to keep the University of Alberta's Casavant organ in Convocation Hall. We also look at Edmonton's uneasy relationship with its heritage and, a decade after Rogers Place opened, revisit the arena debate and the fate of Rexall Place.
We speak with Mike Mellross of Alberta Ecotrust about Edmonton's updated climate priorities and the important decisions coming up during the four-year budget. We talk climate ambition, competing pots of funding, and why good city building might be climate action, too.
Taproot at 10: Still building after Launch Party 7
On Oct. 20, 2016, Karen and I spent an evening explaining Taproot Edmonton to curious people at Startup Edmonton's Launch Party 7. Ten years later, we look back on that night as a key milestone in our journey.
Taproot wins award for excellence in journalism
We have wonderful news to share: Taproot has received the Dr. Eric Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism for our 2025 election project.
Taproot at 10: Celebrating the beginning
Ten years ago this week, we took our first step toward finding out whether Taproot was worth building.