The Pulse
May 24, 2024

Variant Edition has opened a new sanctum after catastrophic flooding at Revolution Square forced it and at least nine businesses to leave. Now the indie comic shop's owners are forging a future where the bricks-and-mortar store is just the origin story in a hero's arc.

"We thought to ourselves, 'What ways can Variant Edition adjust to really see through to tomorrow?' One of those ideas was building a space that was more like a comic book store as a showroom," co-owner Brandon Schatz told Taproot.

The new space at 10086 164 Street NW is slightly smaller in square footage than the Revolution Square location: about 1,700 compared to the square's footprint of 1,800. That's not a problem for Schatz and co-owner Danica LeBlanc, because they are experimenting with a new business model, with a more tightly curated sales floor and space for multimedia endeavours."

"You still have a lot of our product, but in more of a storage capacity," Schatz said of the store, which opened on May 15. "You have that common shared space, and you have the ability to do videos or podcasts, and … act as sort of Canada's local comic book store, that you can visit through these videos and conversations and livestreams."

A flood in late January resulted in more than a million litres of water rushing into the basement of Revolution Square at 15115 Stony Plain Road NW, Schatz said. He and LeBlanc spent much of their time between then and mid-May operating as a pop-up at Pe Metawe Games. The tabletop gaming space at 11805 94 Street NW, which hosts a monthly queer board game night and held a fundraiser for Nék̓em last year, did not charge Variant Edition rent or commissions on sales.

"It wasn't a permanent fixture at Pe Metawe, although (owner David Plamondon) would love us to be," LeBlanc told Taproot with a laugh. "We had a blast being there."

LeBlanc and Schatz felt the need to move along quickly after the flood due to insufficient updates from property managers Property Masters, even though she appreciated the company's position. (Property Masters would not comment for this story.)

"The women we've worked with (at Property Masters) have been amazing," LeBlanc said. "At some point, the communication dropped. I don't want to come out of this blaming them, because this is literally something no one could have planned for."

Variant Edition wasn't the only tenant to head for drier ground. Revolution Cycle's Edmonton location permanently moved into a former car dealership at 11445 Jasper Avenue NW, and Wolfhouse MMA is temporarily located at 4120 101 Street NW. The square's future remains uncertain.

"Regardless of what happens, we hope that if that building needs to be levelled, I think it's a great opportunity to reimagine what that site could be," said Todd Janes, the executive director of the Stony Plain Road Business Association.

• Edmonton Transit Service plans to increase fares starting in February 2025, including for low-income riders, while youth and student rates will decrease. City data shows transit is producing less revenue than before the pandemic despite ridership nearing 2019 levels. Bus ridership in Edmonton has rebounded but LRT ridership has not, which is linked to changing travel behaviour, hybrid work, and safety and security concerns, said ETS branch manager Carrie Hotton-MacDonald. ETS also expects a $10-million shortfall in its low-income pass program this year due to high demand for discounted fare products.
• The Edmonton International Cat Festival is returning for a 10th anniversary celebration on May 25 at MacEwan University. The festival, which aims to connect cat lovers and raise money for local rescues, has raised $146,000 since 2014 and is the biggest of its kind in Canada. Thousands of people are expected to attend this year's event. Among them will be representatives of Taproot Edmonton, which is teaming up with Zoe's Animal Rescue Society.
• CBC reported on the University of Alberta staff and student associations that are calling for an independent investigation of administration's decisions that led to the removal of a pro-Palestine camp on May 11. The story was previously covered by The Gateway, the U of A student newspaper. The associations met with the president and other senior decision-makers on May 22. Kristine Smitka, vice-president of the Association of Academic Staff, said another meeting with leadership will happen in two weeks.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is reopening after a "transformative" two-year renovation, including upgrades to 165 of its 198 guest rooms and seven communal spaces. General manager Cole Millen called the renovations a "tribute to the vibrant history of Edmonton." Rooms at the luxury hotel start at $372 per night.
• Ian Bushfield, executive director of the B.C. Humanist Association and former Edmonton resident, published an op-ed in Postmedia arguing in favour of ending tax exemptions for religious properties. The Municipal Government Act requires the City to provide tax exemptions for such properties. Property taxes in Edmonton subsidized 656 religious properties by $20.3 million last year, according to Bushfield, who write that each "under-utilized religious property is a missed opportunity for new housing in a city that's forecast to grow by 100,000 in the next two years."
• CBC spoke to some Edmonton Oilers fans who travelled to Texas for Games 1 and 2 of the round three Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Dallas Stars. Back home, some passionate Oilers fans are making sure they don't do anything to jinx the team.
• Wildfire activity in Alberta was subdued by recent rains, but officials say it could easily increase if there are stretches of dry, windy conditions. Only 29,000 hectares of forest have burned across Alberta so far in 2024, compared to 520,000 hectares by this time in 2023. Provincial officials are urging caution against careless recreational behaviour that can cause fires, with 77% of wildfires this year being human-caused. A total of 33 new fires were detected over the May long weekend, most of them human-caused and in the Calgary area.
• The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees launched a letter-writing campaign urging the province to address various firefighter workforce challenges that are affecting retention. The union says it has been seeing a trend of about 50% of seasonal wildfire fighters not returning the following year. New wildland firefighters make 22.5% more money in B.C. and 33.4% more with Parks Canada, and those in Alberta don't receive benefits, says AUPE.
• The Alberta government and the federal government signed a bilateral funding agreement for the province to receive $627 million over five years to improve health care for seniors. Most of the money will go to continuing care facilities to cover staffing and operating costs, with a focus on improving access in rural and remote areas.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• May 24: Skate World In-Person Tour starting at 12pm at the Art Gallery of St. Albert
• May 24: Gather with Purpose Dinner starting at 5:30pm at the Allegro Italian Kitchen
• May 24-25: UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival at Borden Park
• May 24-26: St. Albert Rainmaker Festival at The Kinsmen Club of St. Albert
• May 25: Morinville Town Wide Garage Sale starting at 8am at the Morinville Leisure Centre
• May 25: Edmonton International Cat Festival starting at 10am at the MacEwan University (Robbins Health Learning Centre)
• May 25: Women of the AGA: Celebrating 100 Years of Achievement Open House starting at 11am at the YWCA Edmonton Cushing House
• May 25: Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids starting at 12:30 at Westbury Theatre
• May 25: Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Elks starting at 2pm at Commonwealth Stadium
• May 25-26: Tasty Truck Food Festival at Fan Park
• May 26: Arbour's Drag Brunch hosted by Gogo Fetch starting at 11am at the Arbour on Whyte
• May 26: Connect, Create! starting at 3pm at McDougall United Church

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• May 30: Speaking Municipally Live: Untangling the housing knot at the Foundry Room
• June 12: BioAlberta Celebration of Summer Social Event at Brewsters (Unity Square)
• June 19: Dr. Marie Wilson: Keeping Reconciliation Alive at the Citadel Theatre

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.