The Pulse: July 25, 2025

Those organizing to stop, slow, or change infill told Taproot they want new housing in mature neighbourhoods to be smaller, the pace of developments to calm, and for neighbours to have more say in what gets built in their communities.

As part of our ongoing coverage of this year's municipal election, Taproot is working to explain issues that are dominating election discussions. Infill has taken up a lot of airtime in recent months. Some have said they are angry or sad to see infill housing change their neighbourhoods, while others have urged city council to continue to allow more homes to be built in the city's core to address climate change and a shortage of housing. Others land somewhere between these positions, supporting infill but being frustrated with how it is being built.

The new zoning bylaw, which made it easier to build infill, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. In the bylaw's first year, the city approved more than 16,500 new dwelling units, a 30% increase compared to 2023. The proportion of housing units approved in the redeveloping area, the part of the city generally within the boundaries of Anthony Henday Drive, increased. In 2024, 40% of approved housing units were located in the redeveloping area. The city's goal is to add 50% of new housing units through infill in developing areas.

In June, after about 18 months of tracking how the bylaw has changed development in Edmonton, council debated several amendments to it that councillors proposed. The proposed amendments included decreasing the maximum number of units allowed on mid-block lots in the small-scale residential (RS) zone from eight to six and altering the design requirements for rowhouses to make them smaller and have fewer entrances facing neighbouring homes. Council voted to keep the unit maximum the same, but approved the design changes. Coun. Tim Cartmell, who is also running for mayor, introduced a motion calling for a moratorium on development approvals for mid-block properties in the RS zone, which would have been illegal. The motion was ruled out of order.

Taproot spoke with representatives from two groups that voice concerns with infill — Edmonton Neighbourhoods United and the Residential Infill Working Group — to ask what they believe is wrong with Edmonton's approach and what should be done to fix it.

Public engagement

Both groups said residents were not properly engaged or notified of changes coming to their neighbourhoods.

"With something as big as this new zoning bylaw, there should have been a referendum to engage more people before they just rolled this out," Dallas Moravec, the treasurer for Edmonton Neighbourhoods United and a resident of Mill Woods, said. "Now they're trying to do the public engagement piece that they should have done prior to bringing this new zoning bylaw."

The city engaged residents on the new zoning bylaw starting in 2018. It also engaged residents on the City Plan, which helped shape the zoning bylaw. Council approved the City Plan in 2020.

Jan Hardstaff, a Parkallen resident who spoke on behalf of the Residential Infill Working Group, said that because some of the public engagement for the zoning bylaw took place during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, it was not as effective as the workshops and other engagement opportunities the city held in the past. "You'd come together, there'd be industry people there, there'd be community people there, and residents and councillors would come, and we'd all sit in a big room, and we'd go from table to table and talk about different things," Hardstaff said. "It was interactive and it was collaborative, but this wasn't like that."

Moravec said Edmonton Neighbourhoods United is calling for the former version of the zoning bylaw to be reinstated, as that bylaw wasn't "broken" and made it easier for neighbours to make appeals against new builds. Moravec also suggested that wards should be divided into quadrants, and those communities should meet to discuss where infill would be best suited. The city did something similar in 2024 with the priority growth area rezoning project, when residents were able to point to specific lots on a map that they thought would be ideal for increased density. The city collected that input, and after Garneau residents asked for some properties to be removed from the project, the city obliged. Moravec said this was a good example of administration listening to residents.

• Starting July 28, the City of Edmonton will begin rehabilitation work on the southbound Low Level Bridge to extend its lifespan. During construction, northbound traffic will be detoured to the James MacDonald/98 Avenue Bridge, and there will be temporary single-lane closures on the southbound bridge during off-peak hours. In August, southbound traffic will shift to the northbound bridge with two lanes resuming. Two ETS bus stops that service northbound traffic on the Low Level Bridge will be temporarily closed, and routes 8, 500X, 511, and 523 will be on detour. The City anticipates construction will be completed by the end of 2025.
• S&P Global raised Edmonton's long-term issuer credit and senior unsecured debt ratings to AA+ from AA on July 22, citing strong budgetary performance as LRT construction winds down. The agency affirmed its 'A-1+' short-term rating and A-1(High) Canada scale commercial paper rating, with a stable outlook. S&P noted Edmonton's experienced management, strong financial policies, and transparent finances, expecting continued strong financial performance despite international trade uncertainties. The improved rating helps Edmonton access long-term borrowing from Alberta at favourable rates.
• To mark National Drowning Prevention Week, the City of Edmonton is emphasizing water safety at pools and in the North Saskatchewan River. The Lifesaving Society has a "#SaferTogether" campaign highlighting the importance of constant supervision of children near water, swimming with a buddy, wearing properly fitted lifejackets, and staying sober around water. As of July 21, Edmonton's five outdoor pools are open, with a total attendance of 36,607 so far this season. The City also offers a free Welcome to Swimming program at select recreation centres.
• The Edmonton Movie Club plans to build a multi-purpose arts and culture incubator in Sherwood Park near the Holiday Inn Express off Broadmoor Boulevard. The 5,000-square-foot building would include a performance space with retractable seating and a black box studio. According to executive director Madhan Selvaraj, the incubator would address the shortage of creative venues, as 80% of surveyed local arts groups lack dedicated rehearsal or screening space. The club has applied for an Alberta Community Facility Enhancement Plan grant and will seek additional funding from Strathcona County and the federal government.
• Rolling Tales Pop Culture, a downtown Edmonton comic shop, is closing its doors due to a lack of foot traffic and the stigma of downtown being unsafe, according to owner Jay Bardyla. Break-ins and theft also contributed to the decision. Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, called the closing "sobering news."
• A City of Edmonton peace officer has been charged with sexual assault and impersonating a police officer. The City is aware of the charges, but it has not released any further information.
• Michael Ewenson, current executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, was appointed interim CEO of the new Police Review Commission on July 24. The commission is scheduled to launch in December with approximately 150 staff and will replace municipal units like the Edmonton Police Service Professional Standards Branch. The arm's-length commission will handle complaints against police officers. ASIRT, which investigates allegations of criminal wrongdoing against officers, will be rolled into the new organization.
• The Alberta RCMP is pushing back against claims made by the province's Alberta Next panel regarding RCMP operations in Alberta. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux addressed concerns about the Alberta Next panel sharing untrue information and emphasized the RCMP's commitment to contract policing beyond 2032. The Alberta Next panel has raised concerns such as Ottawa not providing the promised number of RCMP officers, officers being moved frequently, the federal government determining policing priorities, and the need for bilingualism for senior posts. Kara Westerlund, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta, expressed concern about the political dispute affecting police services.

On this day in 1961, plans were underway that would eventually lead to the creation of the Yellowhead Highway and Edmonton's Yellowhead Trail.

These days, Yellowhead Trail is an extremely busy route in Edmonton. Up to 80,000 vehicles travel on it each day, with one-fifth of those vehicles being semi trucks or other heavy vehicles. But long before the highway was built, the route was part of an ancient trail that people had travelled for centuries.

The part of the highway that runs through Edmonton is known as the Yellowhead Trail. It's connected to the larger Yellowhead Highway, which runs for more than 3,000 kilometres from Haida Gwaii in British Columbia to Portage la Prairie in Manitoba. The highway gets its name from the Yellowhead Pass, which Indigenous peoples used for centuries as a path through the Rocky Mountains. The pass was later used by fur traders, and then the continental railroad was routed through it. The Yellowhead name supposedly comes from a blonde Métis explorer and fur trader named Pierre Bostonais, who led parties from the Hudson's Bay Company through the pass multiple times.

Almost as soon as cars hit city streets, there were calls for a highway to connect Edmonton to B.C. In the 1920s, an Edmonton automotive club even offered gold medals for the first successful car trip to Victoria through the Yellowhead Pass.

In the 1940s, demand for a trans-Canadian highway intensified, but much of the discussion focused on a highway that would run south through Calgary. In 1947, the Trans Canada Highway System (Yellowhead Route) Association, headed by then-Edmonton mayor Harry Ainlay, was formed. The group advocated for a second route that would connect people in the northern Prairies before heading through the Yellowhead Pass into northern B.C. Construction began, and the Yellowhead Highway officially opened in 1970.

But Yellowhead Trail, the Edmonton portion, would take a little longer to be built. During the 1960s, as Edmonton's footprint and traffic woes grew, there was increasing demand for a freeway through the city that could link up to the imminent highway system. Highway 16 already ran through Edmonton, but it twisted and turned as it did so, increasing travel time. During the 1960s, the METS development plan envisioned a loop of freeways surrounding downtown, including an east-west corridor at around 106 Avenue similar to the modern Yellowhead Trail. The entire plan was scrapped, however, as it included plans for a freeway running through the river valley, which was met with intense public protest.

With the METS plan abandoned, planners looked north for a bypass through the city for the existing Highway 16. They zeroed in on the collector roads that run along the CN Rail line at 125 Avenue. Using both municipal and provincial funds, work started to expand the route. The new Yellowhead Trail opened in 1970, although work to add lanes continued until 1984.

In the years since, Yellowhead Trail has seen more interchanges added as the city has grown, now stretching from the border of Strathcona County in the east to 213 Street in the west. With traffic estimates expected to double over the next 20 years, the city sought federal funds to convert Yellowhead Trail into a true freeway, with three lanes of free-flow traffic in both directions. The project is being funded by provincial and federal money, but that doesn't cover land purchases and other costs, meaning it was originally projected to cost the city around $510 million. But in December, city council announced a $105 million shortfall in the project, partially due to inflation and increased land prices.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.

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

• July 25: Props & Hops starting at 7pm at Alberta Aviation Museum
• July 25: Friday Nite Live - Hannah Goa starting at 7pm at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse
• July 26-27: Roll and Stroll On 83 at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
• July 26: The Emperor's New Groove at the Capitol starting at 10am at Capitol Theatre
• July 26: Afternoon Sound Sessions on 124: Jananie starting at 12pm at 124 Street
• July 27: Callingwood Farmers' Market starting at 10am at Callingwood Farmers' Market
• July 27: Let's Bike There: Queen Mary Park starting at 11am at Queen Mary Park playground

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• July 31: Love Pro Wrestling x Clandestine Wrestling Society #27 at Rec Room (South Common)
• Aug. 2-5: Edmonton Heritage Festival at Borden Park
• Aug. 5-10: WSWC Canadian National Water Ski Championships at Shalom Ski Park

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