The Pulse
Sept. 16, 2026

Jerry McFeeters met a man in a bad situation with few options to get out of it. His clothes were dirty. His shoes didn't fit. He was in no shape to take a bus, and no one would let him use a washroom to clean himself up.

All McFeeters could do was try to direct him to Value Village.

"I was looking for any which way that he could possibly get something clean," said McFeeters, an outreach navigator with the Stony Plain Road Business Association. "I said, 'We need a dignity kit. We need some way that he can have a bag where there's a pair of pants in there, maybe some wipes and some water, some shampoo, something to help clean him.'"

Building kits with such supplies for businesses to hand out became part of the work of McFeeters and fellow navigators Justine Flores and Ivy Gu, who were hired by the business improvement area with the help of an $81,000 enhanced services grant from the City of Edmonton. The money came from $850,000 split among the 10 Edmonton BIAs that do not get subsidies for addressing social disorder and/or cleanliness, as the three most central ones do.

The outreach navigators also provide literature listing resources, give businesses advice on dissuading crime, take calls for assistance, and conduct patrols.

Although city council directed administration to keep the enhanced services grant as an ongoing program when it funded it in the 2024 fall budget adjustment, its continuation will depend on the outcome of deliberations of the next four-year budget.

"I think on behalf of all of the BIAs, we're very appreciative, and we think the enhanced services grant needs to stay," Todd Janes, executive director of the Stony Plain Road BIA, told Taproot. He noted that businesses "pay considerably more than residents do" in terms of taxes, and these kinds of programs are warranted.

• Edmonton's transit peace officers issued more than $3 million in trespass tickets to individuals with no fixed address in 2025, according to data released by local advocacy groups. Critics, including Chris Wiebe of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association and University of Alberta criminologist Temitope Oriola, argue this targets marginalized individuals and call for broader housing solutions. Mayor Andrew Knack emphasized the importance of connecting individuals with social supports, but noted that enforcement occurs in only 7% of transit peace officer interactions. The Providing Accessible Transit Here program offers free transit passes to those in need.
• Edmonton city council is set to debate tighter lodging-house rules that would redefine a lodging house as three or more individually rented bedrooms and cap them at eight or 12 bedrooms per lot depending on zoning. The proposed bylaw would also bar lodging houses from row housing and secondary suites.
• Edmonton Public Schools is considering new ward maps for the 2029 civic election, including options that would keep nine trustees or reduce the board to seven. Trustees voted 7-2 to postpone a final decision until October, and any change would require provincial approval.
• The Edmonton Arts Council has returned a sculpture commonly referred to as Lunchbox Joe to Churchill Square after about 18 months of repairs following an attempted theft. The restored sculpture, formally titled Lunchbreak and created by John Seward Johnson, was first installed there in 1983.
• West Edmonton Mall has revealed its Mindbender replacement will be a Nerf-themed roller coaster. The ride is slated to open at Galaxyland in spring 2027 with a standard core mode and a more intense quantum mode.
• Strathcona County has declared an agricultural state of disaster after what it called historic rainfall left 20% to 30% of annual crops submerged and cut yields. The declaration does not trigger aid automatically, but the county plans to press the Alberta government for support.
• A 42-year-old Edmonton man has been charged with arson for fraudulent purposes in the fire that destroyed Wetaskiwin's Memorial Arts Centre. RCMP said the charge alleges intent to defraud insurance, and the man is due back in court on Oct. 13.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office blamed a conservative vote split for the UCP's Calgary-Shaw byelection loss, while critics across the political spectrum argued the Oct. 19 referendum on whether Alberta should remain in Canada hurt the party more. The Alberta NDP won the longtime conservative riding by 582 votes.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Pivot, Preserve, Prosper: Lessons from Building Bliss starting at 9am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Business Link Alberta's 2025-26 Report to the Community starting at 12pm online
• The Politics of Blame: Immigration and Alberta's Referendum starting at 12pm online
• Walk a Mile in a Ribbon Skirt Day starting at 5pm at Edmonton City Hall
• Tech Wednesdays starting at 5:30pm at The Pint Public House
• Hugh Hamilton Wine Dinner starting at 6pm at RGE RD
• Gerard Bertrand Wine Dinner starting at 6pm at The Marc
• Intro to Hybrid Publishing & Wild Skies Press starting at 7pm online
• Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry starting at 7pm at Starlite Room
• At Ends We Rest: Book Launch with Samantha Gibbon starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 21-25: Life Sciences Week at various locations downtown
• Sept. 24: eHUB SPARK Pitch Night at University of Alberta (eHUB)
• Sept. 24-Oct. 3: Edmonton International Film Festival at Garneau Theatre and Landmark Cinema

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? It came up in a recent Business Roundup.