The Pulse
Aug. 11, 2026

A new program called Alberta Capital Connect is meant to open doors for early-stage companies in addition to celebrating them at this year's ASTech Awards.

"This gives us an opportunity to go one level deeper," said Rus Matichuk, who chairs the boards of both the ASTech Awards and Alberta Capital Connect. "We've had a number of people coming out to the events over the last five years that said, 'We don't see a lot of investors coming to the events,' and we had investors that we called, and they said, 'Well, I'm not sure it's the right place for us.' So, how do we bring those two a little closer together?"

Alberta Capital Connect seeks to close the gap by connecting selected companies to investors, mentors, and advisors through one-on-one meetings and opportunities to get useful, focused feedback. The goal of the free program is not to raise capital, Matichuk told Taproot, but rather to set up companies in the startup-to-Series-A range for success.

"It's to simply create a clear path … where they'll be meeting an investor and then getting some feedback," he said. "Then they can grow their company and potentially follow up with those investors or mentors after the event is over."

Applications are open until Aug. 18 for innovators and advisors, while investors and mentors have until Aug. 31 to register. Innovators are asked to make the case for why they would be a good company to invest in — that is, what makes the opportunity significant and why they are well-positioned to win.

Based on their applications, 35 innovators will be invited to meet with investors and mentors in Calgary in conjunction with the opening ceremonies of the ASTech Awards on Sept. 18. After that, 15 will advance to a second session in Edmonton tied to the ASTech Awards gala on Nov. 6. Investors will choose one of those companies to receive the Breakout Venture of the Year Award at the ceremony.

Although the trajectory leads to an award, that's not the main goal, Matichuk said. "The award is an outcome of a process."

• Westrich Pacific has acquired Edmonton City Centre in a court-approved receivership sale. The downtown property fell into receivership last July, owing $140 million to its creditor. The Edmonton-based developer said it plans a multi-phase redevelopment of the 1.4-million-square-foot site, including about 1,500 residential units where the former Hudson's Bay store once stood. New retail, entertainment space, and a rooftop Nordic spa are also planned, with construction on the first phase expected to begin in early 2027. Westrich co-CEO David Sanche said in a statement that this is "the most exciting project of our careers."
• Two more people have been infected in a tuberculosis outbreak spreading among people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton's inner city, bringing the total to five confirmed cases tied to a strain first identified in October 2025. The province said risk to the general public remains low, but contact tracing is ongoing. The outbreak "is a concerning and disturbing reflection on health conditions in Edmonton," said infectious disease specialist Stan Houston, adding that long-term control requires addressing the lack of adequate housing. "This is fundamentally not a problem that has a technological solution," he told CBC. "It's a problem that has a social solution. And until we address some of those issues better, TB is not likely to go away."
• Edmonton city councillors approved a pilot project to expand naloxone training to transit inspectors, stopping short of letting any city employee who wants it to volunteer for the overdose-reversal training. More than half of Alberta's opioid deaths happen in Edmonton. Mayor Andrew Knack asked, "If you have first-aid training, if you can do CPR, why shouldn't you be able to do that?" University of Alberta physician Sumantra Monty Ghosh dismissed safety concerns raised in a report to community and public services committee, while Civic Service Union 52 president Bryce Jowett said any expansion must let employees opt out "free of coercion or consequences." Council will revisit the issue in October.
• City council's community and public services committee has declined to advance debate on the long-planned Rollie Miles Recreation Centre. The south-side project, intended to replace the Scona Pool that closed in 2022, will remain unfunded through at least the next four-year budget cycle. Mayor Andrew Knack said the $130-million project would eat up 10% of the city's capital budget over four years. Coun. Michael Janz of Ward papastew, whose query brought the issue to committee on Aug. 10, expressed frustration at the delay, given how treasured the shuttered pool was and how eager residents are for a replacement.
• Members of Edmonton's Somali community are rallying around the family of Faisal Hussein, the 12-year-old boy whose remains were found near Calling Lake on Aug. 6. Jibril Ibrahim of the Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton told Postmedia the group is trying to determine how the boy ended up so far from home. RCMP told CBC the boy was not reported as missing before his body was found. They are investigating his death as a homicide.
• Sturgeon County formally declared an agricultural disaster for the 2026 growing season after record rainfall flooded fields, delayed harvests, and left many farmers unable to get equipment onto saturated land. County council voted unanimously to request additional support from the provincial and federal governments. One hay and grain farmer said he measured about 22 inches of rain this year — an all-time record — and had yet to harvest a single bale.
• The board of the St. Albert Public Library has estimated it will cost about $100,000 in 2027 to comply with the UCP government's Bill 28, which requires certain books to be held in secured storage areas. Former library CEO Peter Bailey, now a senior fellow at the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said most Alberta libraries appear to be opting for compliance rather than mounting a constitutional challenge, which he considered disappointing. "Freedom of expression is at the core of what libraries are," Bailey told David Climenhaga of AlbertaPolitics.ca.
• More than 7,000 athletes between the ages of 6 and 21 are competing across Edmonton this week during the nine-day Alberta Indigenous Games. The annual event has been held in the region since 2011 and is expected to generate $28.5 million in economic impact, the city said in a release. "The Games begin with sport, but their impact lasts much longer," said Martha Campiou, the event's president and chair. "Young people leave with greater confidence, stronger relationships and a deeper sense of what is possible."
• A Court of King's Bench justice has granted the University of Alberta permission to dissolve a research trust named for Yaroslav Hunka. The Ukrainian veteran served in a Nazi-linked Waffen SS unit during the Second World War. Justice Debra Yungwirth said she was not deciding whether Hunka was a Nazi or a war criminal, but rather whether the university had the right to return the $30,000 trust because of reputational damage. Hunka's son Martin, who made the donation, is considering an appeal. The university said it will keep eight similar endowments for the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies intact, but will spend $100,000 over three years on education about the Galicia Division's history.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Alberta on the Plate
• VegFest starting at 10am at Athlone Community Hall
• Edmonton Community Foundation's Community Grant Sessions: Coffee, Conversations & Funding Ideas starting at 2pm online
• Beverly Towne Farmers' Market starting at 3pm at Riverview Crossing Mall
• The Public Farmers Market starting at 3:30pm at Ritchie Community Hall
• Saving Seeds for Food Security - Gardeners' Speaker Series starting at 6:30pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Why Newsletters Are Essential Tools for Artists & Writers starting at 7pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Trivia Night starting at 7pm at The Pizza Spot (West Edmonton Mall)
• Sounds from the Valley: Jon Martin starting at 7pm at Snow Valley

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 21-23: Edmonton Dragon Festival at Kinistinâw Park
• Aug. 22: Fruit Loop Summer Sensation at The Banquet
• Aug. 27: In Conversation: How do you want to be remembered? at Royal Alberta Museum

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 4-Across and 7-Across? You'll find the story here.