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Headlines: Oct. 9, 2026

· The Pulse
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  • The Alberta government plans to force Edmonton to revert to its pre-2024 zoning bylaw and restore minimum parking requirements that were eliminated in 2020, arguing current rules have enabled inappropriate infill development. Mayor Andrew Knack criticized the directive, warning it could cost the city millions of dollars, complicate budget planning and undermine housing affordability. Edmonton's current zoning rules have supported increased housing construction, including permits for 5,187 five- to eight-unit buildings in mature neighbourhoods. University of Alberta housing scholar Damian Collins warned the reversal could create uncertainty for developers who have made investment decisions under existing regulations.
  • The People's Choice Award at Edmonton Startup Week was presented to 7 Summits Snacks, which makes chocolate bars formulated for athletes. "It's truly an honour, especially because this is such a tech-focused group of startups at a tech-focused event," co-founder Kristyn Carriere told Taproot during Launch Party, the signature event of the weekat Edmonton Unlimited. "To have a food innovation company in Edmonton be the people's choice winner truly pleases my heart, and it shows the power of our community."
  • The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team watchdog is investigating the case of a 54-year-old man who died three days after being arrested in northwest Edmonton on Sept. 16. The Edmonton Police Service responded to reports of a man acting erratically near Rapperswill Drive and 173A Avenue, where he was allegedly attempting to enter homes and damage vehicles. An officer handcuffed the man after ordering him to the ground, and bystanders reportedly helped restrain his legs as he struggled. The man lost consciousness shortly afterward, received CPR from an off-duty nurse and was taken to hospital in serious condition.
  • Edmonton educators Sandra Chaulk, Hawra Khalaf, Uswa Riaz, Fizzah Aleem and Angeline Gagnon are among the recipients of the 2026 Prime Minister's Awards. Chaulk, who teaches at Ignite Centre for eLearning, received a Certificate of Achievement for Teaching Excellence, while Khalaf, Riaz and Aleem were recognized for STEM education at Al Mustafa Academy. Gagnon, of Edmonton Northwest Early Learning and Child Care Centre, received a Certificate of Achievement for excellence in early childhood education. The awards recognize educators for their teaching practices and contributions to student learning. Nominations for the 2027 awards are open until Jan. 13.
  • Former Edmonton Police Service civilian employee Yasin Cetin has been acquitted of child luring and sexual assault charges involving a 14-year-old boy in December 2023. Court of King's Bench Justice Kent Teskey ruled the Crown had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Cetin was the man who sexually abused the teen, citing problems with the police investigation and identification process. The case centred on a meeting arranged online, but video footage was inconclusive and facial recognition software did not identify Cetin as the suspect.
  • Leduc-area school boards added suicide and traumatic-event response procedures to a violence threat risk assessment protocol first created in 2014. Black Gold School Division student services director Niki Gill said the change formalized the protocol into three parts.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has declined to specify what level of support would constitute a strong mandate for nine proposed immigration and constitutional changes in the Oct. 19 provincial referendum, CBC News reported. Smith said the government would consider voter turnout and the results before outlining its next steps on Oct. 20. While she has identified 50% plus one as the threshold for a vote on whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a second referendum on separation, she offered no firm benchmark for the other questions.