- Happy Beer Street has been officially designated as Edmonton's third entertainment district, allowing people to walk freely with alcoholic beverages during designated events on 78 Avenue between 99 Street and 100 Street. City council approved the bylaw establishing the district at its meeting this week, following a recommendation from executive committee earlier this month. Businesses in the area have planned more than a dozen events throughout 2026, with the first market scheduled for May.
- Edmonton fire crews battled a blaze in the abandoned Jasper Place Hotel on Stony Plain Road on Feb. 19, with firefighters facing challenges due to temperatures in the low -20s and the age of the building. The hotel previously caught fire in December 2019 while 41 people were living in it, resulting in it being declared unfit for human habitation by Alberta Health Services. Firefighters confirm the damage is so extensive the building will need to be torn down.
- Policing the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup Playoffs run last year cost the Edmonton Police Service $979,096 in unrecovered costs over 28 games, the Edmonton Police Commission heard at its Feb. 19 meeting. There were 60 to 150 officers deployed to ICE District for each game, compared to 12 for a typical regular season game.
- The City of Edmonton said its digital waste collection calendars, available online and through the WasteWise app, have helped reduce the amount of printed calendars by more than 99% since the city completed its transition to paperless calendars in 2024.
- PrairiesCan is investing $6.5 million through its Regional Defence Investment Initiative in two Edmonton companies to expand Canadian defence manufacturing capacity. Zero Point Cryogenics is receiving $5 million to advance commercialization of dilution refrigerators and cryogenics for defence prototyping and mission-critical systems, while Logican Technologies is receiving $1.5 million to expand advanced manufacturing capabilities for defence-related technologies including sonar and naval communications.
- The Edmonton Elks will play a preseason game against the Calgary Stampeders on May 29 at Clarke Stadium, which the Edmonton team called home from 1949 to 1978. Dubbed "Night at the Knothole," the game will feature vintage activations and an expanded concourse to accommodate a larger capacity. Clarke Stadium was famous for the Knothole corner and the "Knothole Gang," a section for Edmonton youth with tickets going for just 25 cents back in the 1950s.
- About half of the surplus Turkish-made children's pain medication imported by the Alberta government in 2023 has been destroyed, Postmedia reported. Alberta Health Services stated that 700,000 bottles were donated to eight countries including Ukraine, while the other 700,000 bottles were disposed of due to looming expiration dates and logistical challenges. The medication cost $478,000 to store between 2023 and 2025, and disposing of it cost a further $718,000. The bottles were among those imported amid a Canada-wide shortage as part of a $70-million deal with Turkish manufacturer Atabay and Edmonton-based importer MHCare, though $49 million of that contract remains unfulfilled.
- During a televised address on Feb. 19, Premier Danielle Smith announced a plan to hold a referendum on Oct. 19 with nine questions on immigration and constitutional issues. The non-constitutional questions would ask Albertans whether the province should take more control over immigration, require a one-year residency before accessing provincial social support programs, charge non-permanent residents fees for health care and education, and require proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections. Constitutional questions would ask about allowing provinces to choose justices for superior courts, abolishing the Senate, and permitting provinces to opt out of federal programs while still receiving funding. Smith blamed what she called "disastrous open-border immigration policies" for straining Alberta's services, though she did not mention her government's "Alberta is Calling" campaign to attract workers from other provinces.
