The Pulse
May 27, 2026

Pride festivities in Edmonton are gathered from the bottom up, not dominated by one top-level organizer, says the curator and historian who collects those celebrations of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

"We're very unique," said Ron Byers of Pride Edmonton, which gathers and shares events from myriad organizers, great and small. "In most cities around the globe, they have one organization that celebrates Pride. It's made up of a group of people from the community, they get together, they plan a weekend or a week of fun and activities, and it's all focused around that."

In Edmonton, Pride is more distributed, Byers said, and the celebration extends over several months. The approach jibes with Explore Edmonton's efforts to display the city's queer-friendly nature to the world.

"Something that we consider a unique selling point for our destination is just how collaborative we get," Gina Schopfer of Explore Edmonton told Taproot. "Something that I think really makes Pride in Edmonton unique is how it extends into this grander Summer of Pride."

Pride in Edmonton kicks off this year with the Edmonton Drag Festival, taking place at Churchill Square from May 29 to 31. The festivities continue through June, widely known as Pride Month in recognition of the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969. Explore Edmonton is among those who will keep the party going in July with queer programming at KDays. The Edmonton Pride Festival gears up in August, with large events planned between Aug. 21 and 23, including a parade on Aug. 22. (The parade returned last year for the first time since 2018; the Edmonton Pride Festival Society cancelled it and dissolved in 2019 amid protests about police inclusion, the treatment of racialized people, and other concerns.)

Pride and Explore Edmonton go way back, at least spiritually. A year after the Pisces Bathhouse raid in May of 1981, which galvanized queer people in Edmonton to rise up against persecution, Michael Phair entered a Pisces bathhouse-themed float into the Sourdough Raft Race, one of the signature events in what was then called Klondike Days (long before Explore Edmonton existed or was the steward of the annual summer festival).

"(Phair) is known to do outrageous things like that, and that really was kind of the most visible presentation of the Pride community in our history," said Byers, who shares queer history through the Rainbow Story Hub. "It was kind of an odd thing to have an actual raft race as the kickoff to Pride celebrations."

• Edmonton property owners will soon receive their 2026 property tax notices by mail or email. This year, a typical single-detached home assessed at $492,500 will pay about $426 monthly in combined property taxes. The City of Edmonton said 75% of property taxes will support municipal services, while the remaining 25% will contribute to provincial education funding. This year's municipal tax increase is 6.9% and the provincial education tax increase is 10.2%. The deadline for property owners to sign up for monthly payments is June 15.
• The City of Edmonton is calling on residents to help combat invasive weeds, which grow rapidly and outcompete native plants in Edmonton, affecting biodiversity. Key invasive weeds in the area include Himalayan balsam, creeping bellflower, purple loosestrife, and garlic mustard. The City is hosting more than 50 weed pull events this season. Resources on identifying and reporting invasive weeds, as well as regulatory information, are available for those interested in conservation efforts.
• A Court of King's Bench justice found Dennis Okeymow guilty of manslaughter for selling a gun used by 16-year-old Roman Shewchuk to kill Edmonton Police Service officers Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan in March 2023. This marks the first time in Canadian history someone has been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with gun trafficking. Justice John Little found Okeymow guilty of 10 offenses, including three counts of manslaughter, for selling the semi-automatic rifle to Shewchuk, who also injured others before killing himself. The verdict may influence future prosecutions related to firearms trafficking.
• The City of Edmonton has approved a permit for the construction of a new Costco location, set to be built in the northeast area of the city at Manning Town Centre.
• Edmonton Fire Rescue Services reported a 66% increase in fires at homes under construction and vacant properties from 2022 to 2025, with more than half deemed deliberately set. The Edmonton Police Service is investigating these fires, and some may be linked to "Project Gaslight," a probe into extortion targeting South Asian homebuilders.
• A dispute over Alberta separation and Indigenous treaty rights overshadowed the close of the Western Premiers' Conference in Kananaskis on Tuesday, as Premier Danielle Smith and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew sparred over the province's duty to consult First Nations on a proposed independence referendum. Smith defended Alberta's plan to appeal a court ruling that quashed a separatist petition over inadequate consultation, while Kinew said the responsibility lies with the provincial government, not petition organizers.

Correction: This file has been updated to correct an item about the new Costco.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Lunch N Learn: Tax for Businesses starting at 11:30am at St. Albert Chamber of Commerce
• In The Loop: A Social Innovation Mixer for Edmonton's Circular Economy starting at 4:30pm at Brighton Block
• Author Visit: Jessica Waite starting at 6pm at Stony Plain Public Library
• Salsa in the Square – Chacha starting at 6pm at Churchill Square
• Tin Can Lantern Workshop starting at 6pm at Earth's Refillery Coop
• Streetcar Terroir with Fu's Repair Shop starting at 6pm at High Level Bridge Streetcar (Jasper Plaza Terminal)
• Odd Wednesday starting at 7pm at Rapid Fire Exchange
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Connect Event starting at 7pm at Heavy Metal Place
• Moonlight Cocktail Club - Fermentation Masterclass starting at 8:30pm at Fu's Repair Shop
• May 27-28: Nisku Energy Show at Silent Ice Centre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• May 31: Official Launch of Bikeology Guild of Canada at Garneau Theatre
• June 11: Unpacking Multiplexes Edmonton at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• June 13: Roots & Routes - Curiosity Walking Tour starting at 10:30am at ArtsHub Ortona

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.

Need a hint for 5-Across? Here you go.