The Pulse
Aug. 10, 2026

This week, Edmonton's city council returns from its summer recess to discuss the financial statements from the associations that oversee business improvement areas, potential updates to the City Plan, and the implications of allowing city employees to administer naloxone while working.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Aug. 10, an urban planning committee meeting on Aug. 11, and an executive committee meeting on Aug. 12.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• An auditor has found that the Chinatown and Area Business Association's 2025 financial statements did not include sufficient and appropriate audit evidence for the second year in a row, says a report to be presented to executive committee. The auditor also found issues including a lack of segregation of duties, poor organization of source documentation, limited review of financial statements, and no tracking or reconciliation of gift cards. Administration said it will bring forward options later this year that could result in the organization suspending or disestablishing. Administration said it will continue to work with the association to obtain financial updates.
• Administration will begin updating the City Plan, as Edmonton is expected to reach its first population threshold of 1.25 million in 2026. A report to be presented to urban planning committee said that city staff will analyze the progress of the plan's targets and metrics and make minor administrative corrections. Next, staff will create a plan for the work to follow, which could range from targeted amendments and new implementation projects to a comprehensive renewal of the plan itself. Some metrics can be measured with available data, while others would use data from the 2026 federal census, which won't be available at a neighbourhood level until 2028.
• Allowing city employees to administer naloxone on shift would require a dedicated program, says a report set to be presented to community and public services committee. Only trained city employees, such as peace officers and firefighters, are allowed to administer the opioid overdose reversal while on shift. Councillors inquired earlier this year about allowing other employees, including transit operators and library staff, to volunteer to use naloxone. The report said the city would be required to train those employees in administering first aid and naloxone, as well as in safety de-escalation and self-defence. The change would also come with legal implications and increased litigation risks and union implications, the report said. In 2025, 770 people died of overdoses in Edmonton, setting a new record and exceeding Calgary's death rate from drug poisoning.

• Edmonton recorded its worst year on record for overdose deaths in 2025, logging 770 fatal overdoses even as rates fell elsewhere. "It's incredibly disturbing to see that the trend elsewhere in the province — in the country — has been going down, but in our city (it) has been consistently going up," Coun. Keren Tang said. A city memo said that transit peace officers responded to 2,359 overdose-related events last year, using naloxone 522 times — a 41% increase since 2024.
• Infill housing built in Edmonton from 2024 to 2026 could add $15 million a year in property tax revenue in perpetuity, estimates data scientist Jacob Dawang of Grow Together Edmonton. Coun. Michael Janz confirmed the math with the city manager and said the added supply has helped push rents down. "There are townhouses in Michener Park right now going in the ($300,000s)," Janz said. "That's unheard of. That's a price that you used to have to cross the Henday for."
• Decades of altering natural creeks to make way for growth has led to urban creek syndrome, and it could be worsening flooding in areas like Mill Creek Ravine, according to Jillian Calvert of the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. The city is considering "daylighting," or uncovering, sections of Mill Creek as part of the Low Level Bridge rehabilitation, an option a decade-old feasibility study estimated could cost $80 million to $130 million. The city faces $30 million in flood cleanup costs this year alone due to heavy rainfall.
• The City of Edmonton confirmed Dutch elm disease in one tree each in the Downtown and Delwood neighbourhoods, the 15th and 16th cases found in Edmonton since the disease was first detected in 2024. Both trees are being removed, and the city has established one-kilometre protocol zones with heightened monitoring around each site. Edmonton has about 90,000 elms, making up 22% of its open space and boulevard tree inventory.
• CBC reviewed city data from Edmonton's nearly 50 cycling sensors and found total cycling traffic has risen every year since 2019, with almost 1.3 million trips recorded through the first seven months of 2026. Most activity is concentrated around downtown, the High Level Bridge, and the Garneau and Strathcona neighbourhoods, though suburban routes still see tens of thousands of trips a year.
• The City of Edmonton has signed a contract for eight more high-floor light rail vehicles from Hyundai Rotem Company, expanding its order to 40 rail cars in a $368-million deal that will replace Siemens U2 trains dating to the 1978 Commonwealth Games. The new vehicles, expected to arrive between 2029 and 2030, will support the Metro Line Northwest and Capital Line South expansions. Deputy city manager Craig McKeown said one train, numbered 1001, has logged more than two million kilometres.
• The City of Edmonton launched a pilot program allowing shared e-scooters and e-bikes in Mill Woods, restricting riding to Mill Woods Road and areas within 50 metres of the active transportation network. Riders must park devices in designated corrals located through the Bird and Lime apps or face ongoing per-minute charges. "Mill Woods was selected for the pilot because there was strong community interest and because it gives us a great opportunity to test new operating requirements," said Jordana Kulchar, the city's general supervisor of planning and permitting.
• The Edmonton Elks reopened upper bowl seating at Commonwealth Stadium for the first time since 2023, drawing a season-high crowd of 31,757 for a 28-26 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 1. The Purolator Tackle Hunger drive collected $52,448 for Edmonton's Food Bank during the game.
• The Edmonton Heritage Festival's return to Hawrelak Park drew an estimated 100,000 visitors on its busiest day, but the shuttle system got mixed reviews after parking filled up at the Edmonton Valley Zoo and Laurier Park. Coun. Michael Janz said the Edmonton Transit Service park-and-ride ran smoothly but was slowed by single-occupancy vehicles cutting into the shuttle lane. Parking enforcement issued 266 tickets and 43 tows during the festival, the city said. Roughly $50,000 and 18,000 kilograms of food were raised at the event for Edmonton's Food Bank.
• Old Strathcona residents held a block party to renew their push for the long-planned Rollie Miles Recreation Centre near 70 Avenue and 105 Street, which would include a pool, gyms, fitness areas, an outdoor rink, and a tennis court. Design work on the facility, first proposed in 2021, is finished, but detailed design and construction remain unfunded pending council's next four-year budget cycle.
• Wildlife researchers are asking Edmontonians to help track monarch butterflies for the 10th annual International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, running to Aug. 9, by photographing the butterflies and the milkweed plants they depend on using the iNaturalist or Mission Monarch apps. More than 9,000 volunteers took part across Canada last year, and organizers hope to more than double that participation this year.
• The Edmonton Corn Maze opened on Aug. 5, three weeks later than planned after rain and a hailstorm slowed the corn's growth this summer, owner Jesse Kraay said. This year's design celebrates Alberta Motor Association's 100th anniversary, with the organization's logo and trivia cut into the maze.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Summer Reading Fest - Spandy Andy's Big Balloon Party starting at 2pm at Edmonton Public Library (Riverbend)
• Summer Reading Fest - WILDNorth Wildlife Rescue starting at 2pm at Edmonton Public Library (Capilano)
• The Orchards Farmers' Market starting at 3:30pm at 4059 Orchards Drive SW
• Ward Métis Bikes: Bellevue starting at 6:30pm at Bellevue Community Hall
• Rough Cut Comedy - Weekly Comedy Showcase starting at 8:30pm at River City Revival House
• Alberta on the Plate at various restaurants

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 21-23: Edmonton Dragon Festival at Kinistinâw Park
• Aug. 22: United In Movement: Family Wellness Community Event at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park
• Aug. 22: Field of Dreams Festival at Re/Max Field

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 6-Across? Here you go.