The Pulse
Sept. 26, 2024

As British Columbia legalizes the construction of new multi-family buildings with a single staircase, a developer is pushing for Edmonton to adopt the same rules.

"I think this product type, which is built all over the world safely, is something that hasn't really been permitted in Edmonton or most of North America, frankly, and it's a real missed opportunity," Paul Lanni, CEO of Averton, told Taproot. Averton has built townhomes and single-family homes in the Edmonton region and Ontario, and earlier this year rezoned a land parcel in Wîhkwêntôwin to allow for a highrise building.

Multi-family buildings with a single staircase are referred to as single-egress buildings and are common around the world. Canada is one of the only countries in North America and Europe that restricts these buildings to a maximum height of two storeys. The national building code, which provinces use as the model to build their codes, allowed these buildings until the 1970s.

Lanni said permitting this design could lead to denser development and family-oriented apartments that are more affordable.

"I think part of the solution that it offers is that you don't need as large a footprint to build," Lanni said, adding that single-egress buildings can fit on smaller lots. "It gives developers another tool in their toolkit to figure out a way to make the economics work for building higher densities."

The design also changes how three-bedroom apartments can be laid out, Lanni said. "The form itself is more conducive to multiple windows, which certainly is a lot nicer, but more practically, more windows means more bedrooms," he said. Three-bedroom units in multi-family buildings that are legal under the current rules are usually large corner units, making them expensive both for consumers and developers, he said.

Edmonton city administration is examining if it can allow multi-family buildings with a single egress, also referred to as "point access blocks," with a report scheduled to be presented at city council's urban planning committee in early October. These buildings would be up to six-storeys tall with a maximum of four units per floor.

Real estate advocacy group BILD Edmonton Metro has encouraged the province to follow B.C.'s lead by modifying the provincial building code to allow single-egress buildings to be up to eight-storeys tall.

The main argument against the building design is that two exits ensure people have an alternate way out if there is an emergency and one exit is blocked.

• Edmonton's fall yard waste collection will begin Sept. 30 and run until Nov. 25. Residents with curbside collection will have two fall yard waste collection days during that period, with specific dates listed online or through the WasteWise app. Dutch elm disease has been detected in the city, so residents are asked not to mix cut elm wood with yard waste, and instead dispose of it immediately by burning it or taking it to the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
• Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast LRT has been involved in more than 20 accidents since opening last November, including two this week, data shows. At least 18 of those collisions involved vehicles, and five involved pedestrians or cyclists that either hit or were hit by trains. The City of Edmonton says it isn't planning any immediate safety changes and that it's confident road users will safely adjust to the LRT line if they follow posted signs and signals.
• A Maru Public Opinion poll conducted for CityNews found that just 26% of respondents think Edmonton's mayor and councillors should be re-elected. The survey found 60% believe Mayor Amarjeet Sohi should be replaced, while 14% said they didn't know. In a statement, Sohi acknowledged that "this year's property tax increase was difficult for Edmontonians," adding that he has directed administration to "cut costs, find efficiencies, and minimize tax increases while protecting the core municipal services." The survey of 400 residents in Edmonton was conducted as part of a CityNews series on municipal issues.
• The Edmonton Police Service is rolling out a mobile app called InterpretManager to help officers overcome language barriers when they interact with people from diverse communities. The app, developed by Calgary-based Languages in Motion, allows officers to connect with interpreters in more than 300 languages. It was initially piloted in 2021 and is now available to 1,100 Edmonton police officers, with plans to reach all sworn members by the end of 2024.
• The City of Edmonton will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 through efforts to raise awareness about the legacy of the residential school system and honouring survivors and their families. The City will host various events, including educational programs, an Orange Shirt Day Run and Walk, and display Indigenous artwork. A full list of events is available online. Municipal services will have adjusted hours, and the Edmonton Service Centre, 311, Eco Stations, and the Animal Care and Control Centre will be closed.
• The City of Edmonton marked National Tree Day at Hermitage Park on Sept. 25 with more than 200 volunteers from the Root for Trees program planting 2,000 trees as part of the City's goal to plant two million trees by 2030. Since 2013, Root for Trees has planted 323,484 trees and shrubs in Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Police Service and the City of Edmonton's automatic traffic enforcement issued 902 traffic violations during its most recent Operation 24 Hours on Sept. 12. Speeding accounted for 733 of the tickets, while the remaining 169 included a variety of infractions, including red light violations, distracted driving, and criminal code driving offences.
• The Crime Stoppers Association of Edmonton and Northern Alberta has partnered with the Edmonton Police Service and the provincial government to launch a Report Hate campaign to encourage residents to report incidents of hate crimes and discrimination. Officials hope the campaign, which features ads on city buses and within the LRT system, will help address the rise in hate crimes in Edmonton since 2022.
• A new C5 Hub has opened in Edmonton's Northgate neighbourhood. The location is open weekdays from 9am to 3pm and offers a market, donation centre, and connection to various social programs. It's the third such hub to open in the city's north side.
• In the latest episode of CBC's This is Edmonton podcast, host Clare Bonnyman speaks to Laura Cunningham-Shpeley, the executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, to explore how these organizations started in the city and the role they play today. Cunningham-Shpeley said community leagues started in Edmonton's Crestwood neighbourhood in 1917 by a group of residents who wanted to come together to discuss issues they cared about.
• Edmonton native and cannabis advocate Tommy Chong appeared on CTV Morning Live to discuss his journey from his early days in Alberta to becoming a significant figure in cannabis culture. Chong will be featured at the Grow Up Conference, which runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Tour: Digital Scholarship Services at Sperber Library starting at 10am at Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
• Core Canadian Science Infrastructure at the UofA starting at 1:30pm at University of Alberta
• Artist Activation | Brin Steeves: "Artist for Hire" starting at 2pm at Art Gallery of Alberta
• Collaborative Hubs for Advancement of Translational Research starting at 4pm at Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research
• Morinville National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Event starting at 5:30pm at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre
• Bugs and Beers starting at 6pm at Royal Alberta Museum
• Edmonton International Film Festival (until Oct. 5)
• Sip, Savor & Song: A YEG Networking Event starting at 6:30pm at CKUA Performance Space
• Nerd Night: Back to School starting at 7pm at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• The Grapes of Wrath starting at 7:30pm at Festival Place
• Massimiliano Rolff Trio starting at 8pm at Yardbird Suite

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 19: EPL Gala: Books and Cooks at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Oct. 22: Entrepreneur Talks: Networking Through Narrative at Rhubarb Cafe & Cocktails
• Oct. 24: Harvest Luncheon at the Food Bank Annex

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