The Pulse
March 27, 2025

As city administration prepares a Downtown Action Plan, Puneeta McBryan, the executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, says the Downtown Core Patrol service that her organization contracts to Hiregood, a company that employs people with lived experience with being unhoused, needs more money.

The Downtown Action Plan goes to the city's Urban Planning Committee on May 13. It includes reviews of the Capital City Downtown Plan, the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy, the Downtown Investment Plan by a group of non-city entities, and more.

McBryan said she hopes it yields funding for the Downtown Core Patrol, a service that responds to safety issues downtown and tries to prevent problems before they happen.

"(The Downtown Core Patrol) was the result of years of conversations with our members and our board and the community about how many challenges we were having," McBryan told Taproot about the initial nighttime program that launched in November 2022. "We basically decided (that) emergency services are obviously not able to be out and about the way we need eyes and ears out on the streets overnight."

In 2024, what used to be called the Downtown Night Patrol & Outreach Services responded to 3,221 incidents, of which 1,088 were wellness checks. The other biggest numbers were for garbage (595), property trespassing and disturbance (550), and property vandalism (549). The patrol was initially staffed by one private security guard and one Hiregood team member. The City of Edmonton's Downtown Vibrancy Fund invested $400,000 to pilot the program from November 2022 to November 2023, while the EDBA spent approximately $100,000 that year on staff and "other expenses," McBryan said.

"(It) was made very clear to us from the Downtown Vibrancy team that it was not to be ongoing operational funding," McBryan said. "The pilot did everything we needed it to — to prove that there was value in us providing this service. We did learn a lot along the way. We didn't see a lot of value in the security guard component of it."

The EDBA got half of the $400,000 for its second year from the Downtown Vibrancy Fund. Roughly $80,000 of that went to a daytime patrol pilot that lasted from late October 2024 through January 2025. Those funds ran out at the end of 2024, so the EDBA now funds the core patrol out of its operating budget. The patrol is now made up of two units per night, from midnight to 8am, which comprise two Hiregood staff each.

"It really feels like the city should be paying for part of that," McBryan said, adding that the city has denied two applications by the business association to the Community Safety and Well-being Grant Program.

Hiregood is also no longer the subcontractor for Bee-Clean Building Maintenance, which hired a different subcontractor to run the washroom attendant program in 2024, the City of Edmonton told Taproot in an email.

Hiregood CEO Jodi Phelan said that boiled down to a salary dispute. "We were getting paid only $23.50 per person to do the work," Phelan told Taproot. "We have a lot of staff, and we were starting to lose money, so we couldn't maintain it. We're not a profit-driven business, but we have to be able to sustain what we do to keep doing what we do."

• The City of Edmonton, along with municipalities across Alberta, is adopting the province's Extended Producer Responsibility framework, which shifts costs for managing recyclable material and hazardous household waste from local governments to producers. Starting April 1, three Producer Responsibility Organizations will make decisions about service changes in Edmonton, which may include adjustments to residential recycling collection, drop-off facilities, and outreach programs. The framework has allowed the City to lower residents' waste utility rates by 10.7% starting in January.
• High domestic airfares make it harder for Edmonton to attract domestic tourists, as flying within Canada is often more expensive than flying to the U.S. or Mexico, Postmedia reported. Adrian Warchola with the Edmonton International Airport said its fees are on par with other Canadian airports, but prices are set by airlines. While the airport reached 97% of pre-pandemic passenger levels in 2024, domestic growth has been "steady" rather than increasing, said Warchola. About 50% of tourists visiting Edmonton come from Alberta.
• An Alberta judge is calling for a public inquiry into the death of an Edmonton Institution inmate who was stabbed and killed in 2011. At the time, police were investigating guards' involvement in a reported "prison fight club" and recommended charges against three guards in connection to the death, but the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service declined to lay charges.
• The Calgary Journal, a news outlet produced by students in Mount Royal University's journalism program, published a piece fact-checking the claim by the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service that it can't win a case against Const. Ben Todd, the Edmonton Police Service officer who badly injured Pacey Dumas in 2022. Earlier this month, the Crown once again declined to prosecute Todd even though the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team recommended charges.
• In recent months, the Alberta Court of Appeal has ordered the release of two people who were detained in Edmonton psychiatric hospitals despite not having a mental illness. In October, the court released Chando Jackson, whose 2012 crime was determined to be substance-induced. This month, the court released Brandon Ross after a psychiatrist suggested his 2012 crime was linked to personality disorders and problematic marijuana use. Ross's lawyer said the cases illustrate that "once people are in the system — rightly or wrongly — it is very difficult to get them out."
• Postmedia columnist Keith Gerein wrote in an op-ed that Edmonton's municipal election is set for a "big shakeup" after Amarjeet Sohi's decision to run for the federal Liberals and forego another municipal election bid. While Coun. Andrew Knack is currently the likeliest candidate to compete against Coun. Tim Cartmell for the mayor's seat, he will need to decide whether to "lean into" to being seen as Sohi's successor or divert from the "status quo," Gerein wrote.
• Postmedia spoke to poll analyst Philippe J. Fournier about how Edmonton voters are trending before the federal election. Fournier said the updated electoral map is "good for the Conservatives," but Liberals are forecast to gain about 10 points in Alberta, mostly in Edmonton and Calgary.
• In its Municipal Benchmarking 2024 Study, the Canadian Home Builders' Association has ranked Edmonton as the most builder-friendly city in Canada for the second straight year. Edmonton ranked sixth for planning features, fourth for approval time, second for high-rise fees, and sixth for low-rise government fees.
• The Leduc, Niksu and Wetaskiwin Regions Chamber of Commerce held an event March 21 for businesses, officials, and analysts to discuss how U.S. tariffs will affect the local economy. Jeff Bell with Edmonton Global said not all sectors will be affected equally. Dairy and forestry sectors are especially concerned, while sectors like tourism could benefit from more Canadian travellers, said Bell. Experts disagree about how Alberta will be affected by tariffs, considering oil and gas tariffs are at 10% instead of 25%.
• Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Connor McDavid will be off the ice longer than anticipated as he recovers from a March 16 lower-body injury, although Leon Draisaitl may return for the team's four-game road trip starting March 31. Meanwhile, Trent Frederic remains in rehab and could return for the final week of the regular season, and Evander Kane is not expected back until post-season.
• Edmonton soccer star Alphonso Davies has been sidelined "for a lengthy period" following a knee surgery sustained during a game between Canada and the United States for the Concacaf Nations League. Davies' agent issued a statement saying he was pressured by Canada Soccer to play the game. The news comes 15 months before Canada, the United States, and Mexico are set to co-host the 2026 World Cup.
• The Alberta government said it plans to reduce Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped payments by $200 for people who qualify for the federal government's Canada Disability Benefit, which will provide $200 per month once it rolls out this summer. Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said AISH payments are already the highest in Canada. Some advocates say the province is "clawing back" disability benefits.

Here are opportunities to inform municipal decisions about recreation, parks, and more. Please only answer surveys from the municipality where you live.

• Engage and Play: Shaping Public Recreation — The City of Edmonton is working on a sports and recreation plan, which will affect decisions about programs, facilities, and budgeting. Residents are invited to share ideas and stories about local sports and recreation until March 28.
• Community Park in Rosenthal — The City of Edmonton proposed two design options for a community park being planned alongside a new public K-6 school in the Rosenthal neighbourhood. Residents can review the design options and take a survey until April 2.
• Holiday Display Feedback — Strathcona County is considering updating holiday décor in and around county facilities to be more inclusive. Residents can provide feedback on holiday displays by completing a survey before April 3.
• 2025 Winter Park Use Survey — The City of Edmonton is gathering feedback about how residents use river valley parks in the winter months. Results will help administration determine what opportunities to explore in the future. A survey will be open until April 7.

More input opportunities

• Until March 31: 2026 Budget Planning Survey (City of Leduc)
• Until April 15: Passenger Rail Master Plan Survey (Government of Alberta)
• Until April 18: Naturalization 2025 (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 21: Building a Safe and Inclusive Edmonton for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 25: Agricultural Workshop Interests — Leduc County
• Until April 30: Green Industries Questionnaire (City of Edmonton)

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Birds & Beasts: Wearing Honour and Order in the Qing Dynasty starting at 12pm at University of Alberta (TELUS International Centre)
• SDX 48: Strengthening our Collective Pitch for Social Innovation starting at 1pm at Action Lab
• Trade Connections: Women Leading and Building Canada's Future starting at 3pm at Ernest's Dining Room
• Sustain YEG: Monthly Meetup starting at 4pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• NurtureHer: Building Bridges to Inclusive Hiring Series starting at 4pm at Grow Women Leaders
• DAMA Edmonton Meetup starting at 5pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Juried Shows and Critiques Workshop starting at 6:30pm at AJ Ottewell Centre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 3-12: The Laramie Project at Timms Centre For the Arts
• April 8: Getting an Early Start and Companion Planting / Bokashi (Fermentation) Composting at Millhurst Community Hall
• April 11-13: Ukrainian Film Festival at Metro Cinema

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