The Pulse: Aug. 25, 2025

Council is scheduled to debate the ICE District event park proposal and continue hearing rezoning applications.

There is a non-regular city council meeting on Aug. 25 and a continuation of a public hearing on Aug. 28 and 29.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Council will be asked to approve a master agreement between the City of Edmonton and the Oilers Entertainment Group. The agreement covers building a $250-million event park beside Rogers Place, the infrastructure for the Village at ICE District, as well as demolishing the Coliseum. If council approves the agreement, the City of Edmonton will contribute $102.8 million from the downtown community revitalization levy that will, in theory, be repaid through the increased property tax revenues the investment enables. It will also contribute $35 million in capital costs to demolish the Coliseum, which has already been approved by council. The province will provide $158.4 million in grant funding towards the projects. OEG, meanwhile, will contribute $3 million, plus $22 million in the form of the land for the event park, and $62 million of debt financing. If council approves the agreement, it will then vote on borrowing bylaws. If those are passed, city administration will then finalize the project with the provincial government.
• City administration has recommended that councillors do not support a proposed rezoning in the northeast neighbourhood of Newton to allow a residential building up to four storeys tall. The current zoning allows a three-storey building. Administration does not support the application because the property is located in the middle of the neighbourhood. Council is set to debate the proposed rezoning on Aug. 28 or 29.
• Administration has engaged developers working in the Lewis Farms area on a plan to widen roads sooner than expected to address traffic congestion. Pending council approval, developers would be financially responsible for widening 215 Street southbound between 100 Avenue and 92 Avenue; Whitemud Drive westbound between Lewis Estates Boulevard to east of 215 Street; and Webber Greens Drive westbound from the commercial area to east of Suder Greens Drive. Developers would also fund pre-grading for the north side of Whitemud Drive between 215 Street and 231 Street. Council is set to vote on the plan on Aug. 28 or 29.
• Six single-family homes on 155 Street, near 95 Avenue in West Jasper Place, could be demolished and replaced with a four-storey mixed-use apartment building if council approves a rezoning application. The parcel is one block away from the future Glenwood LRT stop. Some residents said they support the rezoning application because the proposed building's location makes it ideal for medium-scale development. Others said the proposed building is too large and will block sunlight and exacerbate parking issues. Council is scheduled to vote on the application on Aug. 28 or 29.

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

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• The City of Edmonton is activating its extreme weather response starting Aug. 25, as temperatures are expected to climb above 30C until Aug. 29. The response is expected to continue until Sept. 1. Measures include 28 drinking water stations, additional water at transit/LRT stops, peace officers distributing bottled water to vulnerable populations, and open city facilities (libraries, pools, and recreation centres) serving as cooling centres with free water and N95 masks. Fire advisories are in place for surrounding counties and Elk Island National Park.
• The Edmonton Police Service is treating the disappearance of Samuel Bird, a 14-year-old Indigenous boy from Paul First Nation, as suspicious. Bird was last seen on June 1 in west Edmonton's Canora neighbourhood. Insp. Sean Anderson from the major crimes branch said in a release that the investigation is open and that police are committed to finding Bird, whose prolonged absence without a phone or money is out of character. The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations has requested a formal "search and recovery" designation to enhance resource access for the family's ongoing efforts.
• The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival has smashed its all-time ticket sales record by selling 138,500 tickets and returning a record $1.47 million directly to artists, surpassing its 2019 milestone. More than 490 performances sold out. Despite this success, organizers warn that long-term sustainability requires more than box office revenue. The Fringe is seeking to reach 1,000 monthly donors to fund free community programming. A 2025 Holdover Series will run from Aug. 27 to 30.
• Edmonton city council is recruiting members for the Edmonton Police Commission to provide civilian oversight of the Edmonton Police Service. The non-political body seeks professionals with financial, legal, information technology, or human resources experience, alongside an understanding of public accountability and board operations. Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resumé, and two references by Sept. 21. The search comes after two previous appointees resigned following concerns from the police service over potential conflicts of interest.
• Edmonton city council approved a $50,000 pilot project to test cameras and microphones that can identify vehicles exceeding noise limits. Coun. Michael Janz said the technology will provide data to better target problem areas and could eventually support ticketing if provincial laws change. However, critics argue the project is costly and diverts funds from more immediate safety measures. Experts note the technology is effective and reliable but caution it offers only a localized fix, while broader enforcement and urban planning are needed to address systemic noise and health impacts.
• Edmonton's suburban retail market is thriving and steady, contrasting with ongoing efforts to revive downtown, according to James Young, vice-president of retail services for CBRE. CBRE's Canada retail rent survey for the first half of 2025 indicates mixed-use suburban rental rates rose to $36 per square foot, particularly in the southwest, while downtown's mixed-use urban rates remained unchanged at $33-$42 per square foot. Young said more residential activity is needed downtown to stimulate demand.
• Edmonton's Northlands Coliseum is scheduled for major demolition work starting in summer 2026, expected to take about two years. The vacant venue costs the city more than $1 million annually to maintain. Edmonton has allocated $35 million for the demolition.
• The City of Edmonton is seeking input from migrants through an online survey, launched in August 2025, to inform an action plan for its migrant inclusion policy. The initiative aims to address challenges for Edmonton's migrant population, which makes up one in three residents, including those with undocumented status. Challenges often involve accessing city services, housing, health care, and work accreditation. Cynthia Palmaria of Migrante Alberta, a grassroots group, welcomed the survey, which closes Sept. 15.
• Thousands gathered in Edmonton for Ukrainian Independence Day on Aug. 24 to show support for Ukraine. "It's a bittersweet time because obviously Ukraine is still at war defending its freedom," Orysia Boychuk of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council told CTV News.
• Edmonton's Aurora Academic Charter School has seen an uptick in enrolment interest from parents hoping to avoid disruption from a potential Alberta teacher strike. Superintendent Ian Gray attributes this to charter school teachers generally not being part of the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) bargaining group. Aurora is full with a 2,800-student waiting list, primarily due to space limitations. In June, Alberta teachers voted 94% in favor of a strike, seeking better classroom sizes, resources, and wages. The ATA and the government will return to the bargaining table on Aug. 29, ahead of the Oct. 7 strike deadline.
• The University of Alberta celebrated 19 Indigenous undergraduates on Aug. 23 for their environmental research, including a project focused on assessing wildfire hazards. This recognition is part of an internship program designed to connect Indigenous students to research and career opportunities.
• Lee Easton, president of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations, and Shauna MacDonald, president of the Alberta Colleges and Institutes Faculties Association, published an op-ed in Postmedia outlining six crucial steps to restore Alberta's post-secondary education system. They advocate for ending political interference in campus decisions, investing in vital rural institutions, and restoring research competitiveness with stable, ideology-free funding. The authors also call for predictable operating grants, strengthening university governance, and funding a broad skill base across all disciplines.
• The Alberta government is updating its fall COVID-19 vaccine program into a two-phase plan starting in October, to streamline access and reduce vaccine wastage. Phase 1 provides free vaccines to eligible high-risk Albertans, including continuing care residents, home care clients, individuals 65+, healthcare workers, and those with underlying medical conditions. Phase 2 makes vaccines available to all other Albertans for a $100 administration fee.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Rural Roots Fair 2025 starting at 10am at Beaumont and District Agricultural Society Fairgrounds
• Wild Mushroom Walks starting at 2pm at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• Student Founders: Launch Showcase starting at 6pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Botanical Alchemy: A Modern Mocktail Workshop starting at 6:15pm at Spilt

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 27: Opera al Fresco at University of Alberta Botanic Garden
• Aug. 30: In the Woods Music Festival at SebaHub Recreation and Event Centre
• Sept. 5: Purple City Music Festival

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

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