The Pulse: Aug. 11, 2025

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is calling for the city to invest in repairing infrastructure at many of its 163 community leagues, as one-quarter of the facilities have defects that are affecting league budgets.

The community league system needs more than $30 million to repair aging infrastructure at neighbourhood facilities across the city, according to a report that is scheduled to be presented to city council's community and public services committee on Aug. 11. But the report also points out that there is no funding within the city's operating or capital budgets to pay for these repairs.

"I think we need to start having a good conversation about what these spaces bring to every part of our city ... not only from a recreation standpoint, but also around the potential that they hold, from even emergency preparedness to opportunities for education in the neighbourhood," Laura Cunningham-Shpeley, the EFCL's executive director, told Taproot. "We look at what we need, the $30 million, and this is across the city ... And we look at some of the (recreation) centres that have recently been built, and they're $300 million, and they're serving one small part of the city."

The report notes that money is needed to address life safety requirements and immediate repair needs for community league infrastructure in the next one to three years. It also notes that leagues need an additional $72 million in the next four to 10 years to repair assets set to reach the end of their life cycles, and that the median community hall is nearly 50 years old.

City administration is working with the EFCL to develop criteria for which repairs are most dire. Assessments performed in 2023 and 2024 found that 55% of league facilities were in "fair" condition, meaning the asset is fit for its intended purpose but has known defects that aren't yet affecting operating costs. One quarter of league facilities are in "poor" condition, meaning defects are currently affecting the league's operating costs.

Stantec also performed an assessment of league infrastructure in 2010 that led the city to create the Community League Infrastructure Program. Leagues are encouraged to apply for money from this program to repair issues identified in that assessment, but new volunteers joining the board might not be aware of what needs to be repaired, let alone that funds are available, Cunningham-Shpeley said.

"These are not the fun, 'sexy' things to do — these are not the repairs that get people excited and motivated in a community League, but they're really important to get done. So there were years that the grant, unfortunately, was under subscribed," Cunningham-Shpeley said. "I think we need to always have someone at the EFCL whose role is to help remind every new board of directors about that report, because people change over. This is just a report that gets shelved sometimes."

Leagues can also reach out to the provincial and federal governments for funds. However, because the city owns the land on which facilities operate, leagues are ineligible for some grants.

Cunningham-Shpeley said the operating funding formula for community leagues is set to change next year. The current formula gives a league a base of $4,900, plus more funding based on how many people live within the league's boundaries. That formula led to leagues in newer, more populous neighbourhoods receiving more funding than central neighbourhoods with fewer residents but with much older facilities. Starting next year, the base funding will be $12,000, plus more based on the number of programs and events a league offers, plus a per-capita component. "What we're going to see is a bit of a shift — where we saw some of the larger neighbourhoods that had large populations that received the bulk of the funding, their funding will be reduced, and we'll see neighbourhoods that are a bit smaller balance out again," Cunningham-Shpeley said.

• Buffalo Keeper NehiYaw Centre will open new transitional housing units in Edmonton for Indigenous families in October 2025. Co-founder Brad Seneca said the Seneca One building, offering six units, aims to assist those moving from Indigenous communities, addressing the disproportionately high Indigenous homelessness rates in the city. The federally funded project provides two-year stays, employment services, and cultural support, with plans for additional housing for women exiting prison by 2026.
• Edmonton mayoral candidate Andrew Knack took his campaign to the sidewalk, setting up a desk outside his office on Aug. 10 to hear directly from voters. The effort aimed to make him directly accessible to Edmonton residents, allowing them to discuss city issues and ask questions face-to-face.
• Edmonton police are searching for individuals who intentionally struck a cyclist with an SUV in Edmonton's Beverly Heights neighbourhood early on Aug. 5. The incident, near 42 Street and 113 Avenue, was allegedly recorded and posted to social media for "online entertainment." Edmonton Police Service acting Staff Sgt. Richard Windover described the act as an "incredibly disturbing" disregard for life. The cyclist was hospitalized in stable condition, and police have released security footage of the suspected vehicle.
• The Edmonton Police Service is investigating arson at an under-construction house in southwest Edmonton, located at 20 Avenue SW and 190 Street SW. Fire crews responded to the blaze on the morning of Aug. 7, reporting heavy smoke. The fire was brought under control within an hour and fully extinguished by 9:07am, with no injuries reported.
• Edmonton police are seeking five persons of interest following an arson that destroyed the accessible "Purple Park" playground at St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School in Edmonton's Sherbrooke neighbourhood on July 12. The Sherbrooke Community League and St. Pius X Parents Association, which spent a decade fundraising for the park, are now working to rebuild it, having raised more than $10,000 toward a $50,000 goal.
• The University of Alberta has released a request for proposals, seeking assistance to manage its infrastructure and reduce its physical footprint by up to 30%. Facing more than $1 billion in deferred maintenance and aiming to enroll 60,000 students by 2033, the university manages more than 400 buildings, with more than 60% over 40 years old. The two-year project will identify how to efficiently use assets, consolidate space, and determine which buildings should be disposed of.
• Popular pickle brand Bick's is no longer stocked at some Canadian retailers, including several Safeway stores in Edmonton, due to a 25% Canadian counter-tariff on cucumbers and gherkins. The tariff, a response to U.S. tariffs, makes the product too expensive, according to Steven Oakland of TreeHouse Foods Inc., Bick's owner.
• Alberta Health Services announced its program to redirect non-urgent 911 calls to Health Link 811 has surpassed 50,000 transfers since its launch in February 2023. The initiative aims to free up ambulances for critical emergencies. Patients redirected to Health Link 811 receive guidance from registered nurses and other professionals.
• On Aug. 8, the Edmonton Police Service Major Collision Investigations Section announced it located a 2017 blue Mazda 3 in Edmonton, linked to a fatal hit-and-run on May 29, 2024. The collision killed a 13-year-old cyclist near 48 Street and 34 Avenue in southeast Edmonton. Acting Sgt. Chris Deslaurier said the vehicle was found at a repair shop after tips from the public. The driver remains at large, and police continue to seek information regarding the collision or the vehicle's owner.
• The Alberta government changed its expense disclosure policy on Aug. 1, removing the requirement for the premier, ministers, deputy ministers, and senior staff to publicly disclose receipts for expenses more than $100. The new policy also removed eight years of historical expense reports from public view. A government spokesperson said the changes "improve government operations and reduce red tape" and align with other provinces, but critics say it reduces transparency.
• Alberta recorded Canada's largest employment drop in July 2025, with a net loss of 17,000 jobs, a significant reversal from its leading job growth in June. The construction industry was hit hardest, losing 20,300 jobs, with agriculture and natural resource extraction also declining. Prime Minister Mark Carney attributed some losses to tariff uncertainty, while ATB deputy chief economist Rob Roach noted challenges in filling positions due to reduced numbers of temporary foreign workers.
• The Edmonton Oilers face crucial questions, notably whether captain Connor McDavid will re-sign as he enters the final year of his current contract. McDavid, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, indicated he will take his time making a decision, a choice vital for the team's ongoing success. His future follows teammate Leon Draisaitl's recent eight-year, $112 million contract extension.

Councillors will return this week from their summer break to attend committee meetings, where they will discuss snow removal, animal control, and the state of infrastructure at community leagues.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Aug. 11, an urban planning committee meeting on Aug. 12, an executive committee meeting on Aug. 13, and a city manager and city auditor performance evaluation committee meeting on Aug. 14.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Administration has presented four options to enhance snow removal and maintenance for sidewalks and active pathways. The city currently spends about $30.15 million to remove snow from 1,450 kilometres of active pathways and sidewalks, and $5.9 million to repair sidewalks across the city each year. The funding option that represents the biggest change would include a one-time capital spend of $5.31 million and an increase to the operating budget of $19.01 million to prioritize snow clearing on 800 kilometres of sidewalks, proactively repair 45.5 kilometres of sidewalks, and hire more bylaw officers to enforce snow-clearing standards on private sidewalks. The report detailing the options, which is scheduled to be presented to council's community and public services committee on Aug. 11, noted there is no funding available in the 2025 and 2026 budgets to enhance snow removal and maintenance, but that council can request the enhancements be added to the 2027-2030 budget.
• Administration has proposed an incentive program to encourage more student housing in the core. A report that is set to be presented to council's executive committee meeting on Aug. 13 describes a program where projects would receive up to $30,000 per new student unit if they are located downtown, create housing for 10 to 150 students, keep rents at market rates for the next 10 years, and demonstrate the ability to meet construction milestones such as obtaining permits. The proposed program would be funded through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Accelerator Fund. Edmonton has been allocated $192 million through the fund to fast-track more than 5,700 new housing units by 2026. If executive committee approves the program, council will vote on it at a future meeting.
• Administration has prepared amendments to the animal control bylaw, which will be presented to council's community and public services committee on Aug. 11. Administration proposes dog owners face more serious consequences when their animal attacks or bites people or other pets. The bylaw would also change practices for returning unowned, roaming cats to their neighbourhoods, and allow caretakers who trap and neuter feral cats to continue managing those colonies. If the committee approves the changes, council will vote on them at a future meeting.
• Edmonton community leagues need more than $30 million to repair aging infrastructure across the city, according to a report that is scheduled to be presented to city council's community and public services committee on Monday. However, the report said that there is no funding within the city's operating or capital budgets for these repairs. Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues executive director Laura Cunningham-Shpeley told Taproot that while she appreciates the city is in a tough financial position, it's important to invest in Edmonton's community leagues. "I think we need to start having a good conversation about what these spaces bring to every part of our city ... not only from a recreation standpoint, but also around the potential that they hold, from even emergency preparedness to opportunities for education in the neighborhood," Cunningham-Shpeley said.
• Council's urban planning committee is scheduled to review the environmental impact assessment for the 76 Avenue trestle bridge and culvert replacement project in the Mill Creek Ravine. The project involves daylighting a portion of Mill Creek, as the culvert will be replaced with a vehicle bridge. The report said the project is expected to have minor environmental impacts. If the committee approves the assessment, council will vote on it at a future meeting.
• Council's executive committee will be asked to approve the city selling a land parcel in Heritage Valley Town Centre at 11955 32 Avenue SW, as the sale is above the delegated authority of the city manager. The report said the city will lose money on the sale due to high development costs, but that future developments in the area will reduce the loss over time. The buyer intends to build rowhouses and semi-detached houses.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

Also: What issues do you care about as you consider who to vote for in the 2025 municipal election, and why? The 2025 municipal elections are approaching. Let us know what matters, and read more about what we plan to do with what we gather.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• We Care For Patients - Pitch Application Information Session starting at 12:30pm online
• Wild Mushroom Walks starting at 2pm at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• Orchards Farmers' Market starting at 4pm at 4059 Orchards Drive SW
• Botanical Alchemy: A Modern Mocktail Workshop starting at 6:15pm at Spilt

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 15: Toronto Argonauts vs. Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium
• Aug. 15-16: Afro Music Fest at Fan Park
• Aug. 16-17: Dragon Boat Races at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

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

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

Want to know more about how this crossword project came about? We wrote a post about it back in April.