The Pulse
July 23, 2026

Essentials

29°C: Sunny in the morning and early in the afternoon then a mix of sun and cloud with 30% chance of showers in the afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. High 29. Humidex 34. UV index 7 or high. (forecast)
2-15: The Edmonton Riverhawks lost to the Kamloops NorthPaws on July 22. (details)
7pm: The Edmonton Elks play the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium. (details)

A sign in the foreground says "No parking except during ballpark events," with a puddle-filled parking lot in the background

Rossdale debate reflects differing worldviews and capacities, advocates say

July 23, 2026
By Stephanie Swensrude

Decisions such as the land-use changes that Edmonton's city council recently made in Rossdale tend to draw imaginary lines as if they are real, says an Indigenous relations expert.

Colonial ideas of land use posit that "one side of the fence equals this and the other side of the fence equals this," said Miranda Jimmy, who has worked in Indigenous relations with the City of Edmonton, the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations, and the Government of Alberta and now works in the private sector. "But what about that tree that grows on the fence line? It is impacted by the decisions on every side of the fence … What about the watershed that feeds that tree? What about the mammals that walk through that field?"

The neighbourhood dubbed Rossdale, on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River in the centre of the city, is on land whose history long pre-dates the establishment of Edmonton. Indigenous engagement is especially important there, and it needs to be undertaken with sensitivity, said archeologist Kisha Supernant, director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology at the University of Alberta.

"The people who work within (Indigenous governments) are often extremely overloaded with so many other things, and knowing how to even route the right requests to the right people can sometimes be really challenging," said Supernant, who joined Jimmy on Episode 366 of Speaking Municipally to discuss Rossdale and broader issues of engagement. "It's often on timelines that are completely unworkable for Indigenous people."

Administration heard a similar message when it looked into what Indigenous engagement is legally required on city-owned land in and adjacent to the river valley for a report presented to urban planning committee at the beginning of July. Indigenous nations and communities told the city they need flexible timelines, the report said, and insufficient capacity and resources affect their ability to engage.

This came up when city council considered rezoning a plot of land in Rossdale, most of which is used as a parking lot for baseball games at Re/Max Field. The rezoning application, submitted by the city's real estate and land development branch, sought to slightly change the height of future buildings that are already allowed on the lot, aligned with what has been approved in the wider River Crossing Business Plan.

Administration said it notified governments of Treaty 6, 7, and 8, as well as the Métis government and Lac Ste. Anne Métis Community Association, and heard no feedback. Councillors questioned whether that meant the groups were fine with it.

Supernant agreed. "Assuming that non-response means compliance or means support is really problematic," she said.

Administration said that while feedback was limited on that particular rezoning application, staff had been engaging extensively with Indigenous communities on the wider River Crossing plan. After a public hearing at which a number of Indigenous representatives spoke in opposition, while Enoch Cree Nation and the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations spoke in favour, city council approved the rezoning. It was later revealed that Enoch and the Confederacy have submitted an expression of interest for the River Crossing project.

Continue reading Share

Headlines: July 23, 2026

July 23, 2026
By Mariam Ibrahim

A tree in the Calder neighbourhood tested positive for Dutch elm disease, the 10th confirmed case in Edmonton since it was first detected in the city in 2024. The City of Edmonton said it removed the infected tree, expanded a one-kilometre protocol zone, and planned one proactive nearby removal. The City said Edmonton has about 90,000 elm trees in its open space and boulevard tree inventory.
The City of Edmonton and EPCOR received more than 4,500 storm-related calls in July as heavy rain caused flooding, road closures, slope failures and infrastructure damage across the city. EPCOR said Edmonton's stormwater system has generally held up despite consecutive months of rainfall, though saturated soil has slowed drainage and left some areas with standing water. The City has also closed three facilities because of flooding, while EPCOR credited a $1.6-billion, 20-year flood mitigation program with helping the system withstand the extreme weather.
The Edmonton Downtown Revitalization Coalition was among business leaders calling on city council to treat downtown construction impacts as a crisis, while Mayor Andrew Knack said work to expedite construction timelines and improve downtown safety has already started. "We've got more work coming, and we're not done by any stretch. So these recent investments are positive, but they should not be seen as the end," Knack told Postmedia. His comments come after a series of restaurant closures in Edmonton's downtown.
Edmonton extended its poor air quality response as wildfire smoke kept the Air Quality Health Index at about six to seven. The City also activated an extreme heat response as temperatures climbed. As part of the response, 29 fire hydrant water stations were available around the clock, alongside indoor cooling spaces, bottled water, and N95 masks.
DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen in downtown Edmonton said no one attended a free Zumba class despite 13,000 invitations, and its owner said nearby construction had cut sales by half as several core businesses closed. "Of course it's disappointing. But if there's one thing we've learned over the past few years, it's that building community means showing up — even when it's hard," the restaurant wrote on social media.
Alberta doctors said booming mosquito populations were driving more emergency visits for children with "skeeter syndrome" reactions. The reactions can cause significant swelling but are usually not life-threatening, doctors said.