| Tuesday, Dec. 3
. Alberta is doing away with 70 per cent of all photo radar locations, limiting sites to just playgrounds, school zones and construction sites. Columnist David Staples offers his thoughts on the new plan...
The Edmonton Elks introduced their new head coach, Mark Kilam, who is no stranger to the Battle of Alberta having spent nearly 20 years with the Calgary Stampeders...
Budget deliberations at city hall kicked off Monday with Explore Edmonton making the ask for another $6-million in funding or it will be forced to turn operations of the Edmonton Expo Centre and Edmonton Convention Centre over to the city...
Thoughts on today's edition? Email trobb@postmedia.com — Trevor Robb
|
|
|
David Staples: Province finally axes Edmonton's sketchy photo radar 'fishing holes'
If Edmonton politicians don’t like the province’s move to axe all speed trap “fishing holes,” they only have themselves to blame. Edmonton had three of Alberta’s top five revenue-generating sites last year, Gateway Boulevard at 34 Avenue, 170 Street at 118 Avenue, and 127 Street at 126 Avenue. Between them they pulled in $7.1 million in fines. Those “fishing holes,” as Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen calls them, will be gone as of next April 1, along with 70 per cent of Alberta’s 2,200 current photo radar sites.
|
Budget 2025: Explore Edmonton asks city for $6M or won't run Expo centre and convention centre
The head of Explore Edmonton says the local tourism organization needs $6 million more or the City of Edmonton will have to take over running the Edmonton Expo Centre and Edmonton Convention Centre. Edmonton city council kicked off a week of budget debates on Monday with a potential 8.1 per cent tax increase hanging in the balance for 2025. Council spent much of the afternoon asking questions of Explore Edmonton, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues and the Edmonton Police Commission.
|
Edmonton's record of 110 frostbite amputations hits unhoused heavily
In one of Canada’s cold weather capitals, a device that uses culinary sous vide technology is the next hope for saving toes from amputation. Among those who are “sleeping rough,” the numbers are horrifying. Edmonton amputations due to frostbite hit a record 110 amputations last year. That’s a jump of about 50 per cent over the still-elevated 70 amputations of 2021. “It has been worsening over the last three years,” said Matthew Douma, critical care researcher, registered nurse and adjunct professor of critical care medicine at the University of Alberta
|
Man accused of selling gun used to kill Edmonton police officers admits to separate uttering threats charge
The man accused of selling the gun used to kill two Edmonton police officers has admitted to threatening a youth in a separate case. Dennis Okeymow, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to a single count of uttering threats, admitting he used Snapchat to send menacing messages to a Sherwood Park teenager last year. Okeymow was also charged with sexually assaulting the same 16-year-old girl, though that charge was withdrawn by the Crown as part of a joint submission. Court of King’s Bench Justice Michael Lema sentenced Okeymow to two years probation — the sentence proposed by Crown and defence.
|
Around the province and beyond
|
'Absolutely concerned': Edmonton mayor, councillors react to Alberta photo radar plan
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said city administration is “absolutely concerned” with the loss of photo radar revenue, but specified that revenue from photo radar supported creating safer roads, not a tax levy relief. “It’s not what you take away, it’s what you leave behind, and they have not committed to a strategy to keep Edmontonians and children safe on the roads,” said Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz. Apart from the revenue, the City of Edmonton says photo radar has made Edmonton roads safer. From 2019 to 2021, the city attributes photo radar with a 63 per cent drop in the number of drivers who received a ticket.
|
Alberta premier tables sovereignty act motion challenging federal emission cap
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled her government’s signature sovereignty act in the legislature on Monday afternoon in an effort to frustrate the coming federal emissions cap. In a speech in the legislature Monday afternoon, Smith cited the potential for job losses and economic shortfalls as prompting the government to invoke the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act for a second time. "The way that Ottawa has been treating Alberta over the last number of years is unacceptable,” she said inside the legislature on Monday afternoon. “We are not using this act lightly, but this is the mechanism that we have to tell the federal government that we believe they are acting in a way that is illegal and unconstitutional.”
|
Game Day: Edmonton Oilers in a clash of heavies against Vegas Golden Knights
The Oilers began their three-game win streak right at the same point on the calendar where they kicked off an eight-win run a season ago. And that was after an even worse start that ended in Jay Woodcroft being replaced by current head coach Kris Knoblauch. A win Tuesday in Las Vegas would give this year’s Oilers a season-high four-game streak with eight of their next nine at home heading into the holidays. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
|
New head coach Mark Kilam is where rubber meets road for Edmonton Elks
There is tinkering and fine tuning, and then there is the Edmonton Elks. Boy, talk about a complete engine overhaul. From the very top of the new private ownership hierarchy with the one behind the wheel (and steering things straight into the Calgary Stampeders bench, no less), to a new president, to a new general manager, it’s an entirely new driving force behind this tea. And sure, the engine’s output will only be as good as the sum of its parts when it comes to the makeup of the roster. But Monday at Commonwealth Stadium, it was all about the transmission, with the introduction of new head coach Mark Kilam, who is hands down the most integral part of it all.
|
Big Wreck, Matthew Good, Crash Test Dummies to headline Pigeon Lake Music Fest
The Pigeon Lake Music Festival, happening in 2025 over the August Long Weekend announced a plethora of Canadian rock icons from the halcyon days of big, crunchy guitars: Big Wreck, Matthew Good, Crash Test Dummies, I Mother Earth and the Watchmen. Tickets are currently on sale, though the early-early tier has already sold out. Early bird tickets start at $189 plus taxes and fees for a full weekend pass. More info at plmf.ca
|
Mason Ward ,10 and sister Ella, 5 get a candy cane after having their picture taken with Santa at Kingsway Mall, prior to the opening of the mall for children and families with sensory sensitivities or mobility challenges to help create a calm and welcoming environment for children. The music and lights in the mall are turned down to create a calm atmosphere and ensure that all families can take part in this holiday tradition., These sessions are happening on December 1st, 8th and 15th, outside of mall hours (9:30am–10:30am & 5:30pm–6:30pm) and must be pre-booked. Photo by Greg Southam/Postmedia
|
Steven Guilbeault's federal impact assessments block Alberta. Cartoon by Malcolm Mayes |
Letters To The Editor welcome
We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@edmontonjournal.com |
Tuesday's letters: It's not affordable being green
Re. “Municipalities can do much to lower emissions,” Opinion, Nov. 28
Marielle Papin and Brendan Boyd admonish Edmontonians for exceeding our collective carbon budget. For we small folk, it is a virtuous genuflection we cannot afford. Our entire country offers only 1.5 per cent of total carbon emissions, and Edmonton but a fraction of this. That we have reduced our emissions by 9.3 per cent already is both laudable and plenty. Forget not that these measures are borne by the average citizen. Items like subpar electric buses were a failed experiment our people can no longer afford; $100-million investments in cycling infrastructure, which remain grossly underused, are an affront to taxpayers.
There seems to be no allowance for the idea that cycling, or taking ETS, is simply impractical for a family of four going for groceries at Costco or Superstore. Unlike the European cities the authors so desire to emulate, our city is not replete with a local baker on the same block as the greengrocer, and such would be beyond the reach of the average person. Lip service is paid to the effects of pollution on the homeless. Yet there is nary a mention of repeated tax increases and how this increases rent and housing costs. Lowered housing costs would do more for the unhoused than any number of empty climate measures. O.R. Kump, Edmonton |
|
|
|
