The Pulse
June 10, 2026

An Edmonton-based startup with a successful pilot under its belt is now taking its direct lithium extraction technology global.

"Western Canada is the perfect place for us to start these pilot projects because of proximity and ease of transportation," said CANDLE Lithium founder and CEO Salman Safari. "But we have multiple international projects, (and) these are all high-profile projects."

CANDLE Lithium (whose name is derived from "Canadian direct lithium extraction") pulls lithium out of brines rather than mines. Lithium is typically mined from hard rock or extracted from brines using an evaporation-and-capture method. Direct lithium extraction differs because it can pull lithium out of highly salinated water rather than evaporating it; CANDLE then gives the water back to the energy company for deep-well injection or fracking.

CANDLE completed its first pilot at an active energy site this year with an unnamed natural gas producer as part of Venture Pilots: Built World Tech, a program at Edmonton Unlimited to connect startups, investors, and industry partners to drive innovation in the built environment. Safari and CANDLE had results in the lab, which formed the basis of a pitch at the finale of Startup TNT's investment summit in November of 2024. Built World Tech gives companies the opportunity to translate research to real-world situations, and CANDLE went on to do just that.

"Here, we showed that we can extract lithium, and our process is efficient," Safari told Taproot. "Without doing this pilot, we didn't know whether our process would work on a live industrial operation."

There is a race to corner the direct lithium extraction market. Safari said his company's tech is different because it can handle complex oil and gas brines with minimal treatment, making it cheaper than the alternatives. It can run continuously and start to pull lithium within 30 minutes. Safari would not say how the lithium itself is commercialized, noting the competitive landscape of direct lithium extraction.

Why should anyone care about lithium or how it's extracted? For starters, it's in the batteries that most of us use every day, and we will need more of it soon.

"Batteries are being used in a lot of applications — laptops, cellphones, electric vehicles," Safari said. "They use a lot of lithium product components in their batteries, and (lithium has been used) more recently in stationary energy storage systems for backup energy storage for data centres that are being built worldwide."

• Edmonton Transit Service will take over as the long-term operator of the Valley Line LRT from TransEd, the City of Edmonton announced Tuesday. The one- to two-year transition begins immediately and covers both the operating Valley Line Southeast and the Valley Line West, which is scheduled to open in 2028. City Manager Eddie Robar called it "a business decision in the interests of taxpayers and transit riders — not a reflection on TransEd."
• Edmonton Transit Service has announced summer service changes taking effect June 21, including suspending school routes and replacing conventional bus service in the Capilano and Gold Bar neighbourhoods with On Demand Transit. Route 31 will begin using the new dedicated bus lane on Terwillegar Drive, and Route 701 will detour to Gateway Boulevard as part of the Summer Streets program.
• Edmonton city council is planning a pilot program in 2027 to charge for parking at the Muttart Conservatory, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and Fort Edmonton Park. Council hopes to generate $5.4 million in revenue to help offset rising costs without raising property taxes. A low-income option and a potential system for escalating parking fines will also be considered.
• Community members, Elders, and leaders gathered at Edmonton City Hall for Okîsikow Way Day to stand against domestic violence. The event commemorates the renaming of Okîsikow (Angel) Way in 2024. Co-hosted by the city's Indigenous Relations Office and the Okîsikow Way Community Working Group, the event included a civic proclamation and emphasized public recognition of Indigenous languages.
• Following province-wide restrictions on photo radar, Edmonton saw a 128% increase in vehicles exceeding speed limits by over 30 km/h. A report for city council's urban planning committee cited analysis suggesting speeds would have been lower if photo radar had remained in place. Edmonton recorded 32 traffic deaths last year, predominantly on arterial roads, and incident severity has risen. Financially, revenue from traffic enforcement has plummeted by 90% since 2019, putting pressure on municipal budgets. Edmonton is considering expanding traffic safety measures, possibly increasing funding needs by $5.53 million.
• Alberta's new liquor service regulation permits bars, restaurants, and pubs to serve alcohol starting at 6am, offering flexibility for special events, like the upcoming FIFA World Cup games. Previously, early service required individual approvals for each event. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission said the changes are applicable to Class A, B, C, and F licensees. Theresa Shaw, owner of Crown and Anchor Pub in Edmonton, welcomed the change, expecting easier planning for events. Closing hours remain at 3am, with last call one hour earlier.
• During a mechanical test on the North Saskatchewan River on June 9, the Edmonton Queen riverboat became stranded on a sandbar due to unexpected river conditions, despite its engines passing inspection. Owner Eric Warnke said they were awaiting assistance to tow the boat. On May 11, a hydraulic pump failure stranded 200 passengers during a Mother's Day cruise, but all were safely brought ashore.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has appointed Monte Solberg, a former Conservative MP and lobbyist, to an independent advisory panel tasked with redrawing Alberta's electoral boundaries. The panel includes four members, with two nominated by Smith and two by Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. Solberg and Darwin Durnie have faced scrutiny from opposition members for their ties to the UCP and involvement with Calgary district redrawing proposals. The panel will report its findings by Oct. 22.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Edmonton Riverhawks vs Victoria HarbourCats: School Spirit and Mascot Mania Game starting at 11am at Re/Max Field
• Make the Most of NAGIS starting at 12pm online
• Purchase with Purpose: Sustainable Procurement Network Event starting at 1:30pm at Fort Edmonton Park
• Mill Woods: A City Within a City starting at 2pm at Edmonton Public Library - Mill Woods
• Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market starting at 3:30pm at Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar
• Bioeconomy Guild Night - Summer Social starting at 5pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
• Making the Most of Your Artwalk Experience starting at 7pm at The Bell in Scona
• Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences: 30th Anniversary Gala starting at 7pm at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
• Cue the Queers – An Open Mic starting at 7pm at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• Crime and Punishment - An Evening with Dan Jones starting at 7pm at Windsor Park Community Hall

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 17-22: Summer Solstice Music Festival
• June 20: Zoobrew Vol. 1 at Edmonton Valley Zoo
• June 24: Tech For Good Alliance Working Group at Arcadia Brewing Co.

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.

You'll find the answer to 5-Across in this story.