The Pulse: April 14, 2026

The Common saw a 20% increase in sales during Downtown Dining Week in March, a welcome boon heading into a summer that will see increased fees for patios.

"We saw a good uptick this year — I think it was one of the more successful years that we've had," said Kyla Kazeil, one of the owners of The Common, Dolly's Cocktails, and Fu's Repair Shop, all of which participated in the week from March 11 to 22.

The Common sold 75 of its $35 dinner features, Kazeil told Taproot, noting that the restaurant is not open for lunch, nor on Mondays and Tuesdays, so longer hours may have led to more purchases. Still, sales were up 20% on the whole.

Established restaurants such as The Common — which has operated on 109 Street since 2009 — have the most to gain from the initiative coordinated by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, Kazeil said. Fu's and Dolly's have more novelty than The Common, which can be taken for granted.

"It's been nice to help The Common stay relevant and have new features and market to people that maybe haven't tried it," Kazeil said. "I mean, it's hard being an established restaurant because there's always so many new places — and then for our group, we're all competing against ourselves."

Regardless of their vintage, there's a communal benefit for downtown restaurants during dining week, thanks to the marketing efforts of the EBDA and participants, Kazeil said.

"I think it just casts a wider net, where everybody is kind of sharing, so they're getting the visibility," she said. "When other restaurants are sharing dining week, … it has the power of a combined network."

March saw 79,000 visits to the Downtown Dining Week webpage, the EDBA's Quinn Phillips told Taproot, with more than $22,000 worth of downtown gift cards redeemed in that month compared with $6,700 in February and $7,400 in January.

As the days get longer and warmer, it's easier to attract customers than in the dead of winter. But Kazeil's restaurant group now faces new fees for patios on sidewalks or other public land. Her team is reducing The Common's patio footprint from 60 seats to 20 to avoid a $3,700 fee. The new configuration will incur a $500 fee instead.

• Documents and emails obtained by CBC News reveal new details about an Edmonton Police Service pilot use of AI facial recognition on body-worn cameras, the first such program by a Canadian police agency. The technology, from Israeli company Corsight AI, scanned about 7,000 "high-risk offenders" from a watchlist. The records flag privacy concerns, including language that could allow sharing sensitive data. Alberta's privacy commissioner continues to review the project after criticizing its launch without a completed assessment, while the Edmonton Police Commission said it had no objections and followed standard oversight processes.
• Traffic enforcement data released by the City of Edmonton revealed that Gateway Boulevard and Calgary Trail were home to the city's busiest red-light cameras in 2025, Postmedia reported. Cameras at these major south Edmonton thoroughfares issued 6,574 tickets, comprising more than 19% of the more than 34,000 red light citations across the city. The Gateway Boulevard and Whitemud Drive intersection alone issued 2,994 tickets, making it the most active site.
• Twin Brooks residents in Edmonton expressed frustration over limited access to their community as construction on the Capital Line continues. Residents say they only have two vehicle access points to their community, both crossing the construction. Coun. Jon Morgan said he has been advocating for a new access point even before he was elected to council last October. An info session on the construction is planned for April 25.
• Alberta is testing artificial intelligence-powered drone technology to combat invasive wild boars, which are a significant agricultural and ecological threat. A collaboration between Alberta Agriculture and the University of Calgary deployed thermal drones with AI programs in spring 2024, including at a farm near Edmonton, to identify and track the nocturnal animals with over 75% accuracy. A habitat map developed with Mathieu Pruvot from the University of Calgary also identifies potential hot spots around Edmonton and Grande Prairie.
• The Alberta government introduced Bill 29 on April 13 to allow residents to privately pay for diagnostic screening and testing services, such as MRIs and CT scans, without a referral. While patients will generally pay out-of-pocket or through private insurance, those receiving a "life-altering" diagnosis from a self-referral may be reimbursed. Specific test eligibility and reimbursement details will be determined by regulations this fall. The Health Statutes Amendment Act also proposes allowing community pharmacies to carry limited supplies of addiction-treatment medications.
• Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is skating again and said he feels "fine" as he progresses toward returning to play after an injury. Draisaitl said he is taking it "one day at a time." Head coach Kris Knoblauch said he hopes Draisaitl will be "available sometime in Round 1" of the playoffs, ideally Game 1, but acknowledges it might be Game 3 or 4.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Innovation in Gaming for Entertainment and Health starting at 12pm online
• Ward Sspomitapi In-Person Engagement for 2027-2030 Budget starting at 5:30pm at Ridgewood Community Hall
• "The Pitch" a documentary on the creation of the Northern Super League starting at 6pm at Citadel Theatre
• 30/30 Chapbook Launch starting at 6:30pm at Upper Crust Cafe
• Dolph: Unbreakable starting at 7pm at Garneau Theatre
• Marjorie Prime starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre
• Shaun Majumder starting at 7:30pm at Dow Centennial Centre
• Buffet Infinity starting at 9pm at Garneau Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 23: YEG Trivia Night with ECAMP and Taproot at The Canadian Brewhouse (Downtown)
• April 28: Literary Editions 2026 at University of Alberta (Rutherford Library South)
• April 30: The Ethics of AI in Marketing at Fu's Repair Shop

Visit 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.

We've mentioned 6-Across before in the Food Roundup.