More than 250 people have come to discuss the future of food and agriculture in Edmonton.

“Cities can work with the ‘leveraging power’ of food to make improvements in almost every area of city life,” said Wayne Roberts, keynote speaker at the conference. Roberts is former manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council and a well known speaker and author on local sustainable food policies.

Roberts cited examples of “food as street furniture” – such as outdoor markets and cafes – and how they contribute to active dynamic street life. He spoke of the opportunities cities have to convert vacant spaces, which can pose a public safety risk, into growing spaces for food and by doing so creating “neighbourhood based food infrastructure.”

“Food can also bring cities and rural growing areas together,” Roberts said, “linking all the people involved with food from producers to consumers.”

The Food in the City conference is one of the key events of the City’s Food and Agriculture project.

“The City of Edmonton is well positioned to be one of the cities embracing food and agriculture as part of its planning and sustainability agenda,” said Councillor Dave Loken, who also spoke at the conference opening.

“And this conference is part of the conversation we want to have to promote and celebrate the innovative and ground-breaking work being done all around our city to help build a resilient local food system.”

The conference will include a variety of presentations and workshops. A highlight will be a summary of the work done to date on a food and agriculture strategy, including research findings on food and agriculture opportunities for Edmonton.

The City of Edmonton wants to hear what residents think about the proposed downtown arena designs.

Until June 10, 2012, people can view the designs and give their feedback by:

• Completing a survey online
• Attending a public presentation (listed below)
• Viewing the display at City Hall (May 28–June 7, 2012)
• Citizens who don’t have access to the internet can call 311 and request a package be mailed to their home

The results of the public consultation, along with an updated design package, will be presented to City Council on July 4, 2012. City Council will then decide if the preliminary design is approved.

The public presentations are being held:

Tuesday May 29, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
Santa Maria Goretti Centre
11050-90 Street

Tuesday June 5, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
Terwilliger Community Recreation Centre, 2051 Leger Road NW
Multipurpose Room

Wednesday June 6, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
MacEwan University South Campus, 7319-29 Avenue
Gallery

Thursday June 7, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
MacEwan University City Centre Campus, 104 Avenue, west of 109 Street
Robbins Health Learning Centre, Building Foyer

The $30 million for design work is included in the overall building budget of $450 million, as approved by City Council in October 2011.

“We mail the property tax bills every year at this time,” says Rod Risling, Manager of the Assessment and Taxation Branch. “Property owners should watch for their annual tax bill so they can be sure to pay it on time or switch to the monthly payment plan before the deadline.”

The deadline for paying taxes on all properties is June 30, 2012, except for property owners who are on the monthly payment plan.

Tax bills can be paid at most financial institutions, by telephone, internet banking, in person or by mail. Property owners can submit a request to enroll in the monthly payment plan, with equal monthly installments made through automatic bank transactions.

Those who do not receive their City of Edmonton Property Tax Notice by June 1, 2012 should contact the City information line at 311 or by email to taxinquiry@edmonton.ca. Failure to receive a tax notice is not sufficient reason for late payment or non-payment; penalties will be applied after June 30, 2012.

Property taxes include provincial education tax

Taxes on residential and non-residential properties cover 54% of the cost of City operations. The remainder is funded by grants, fines, user fees, permits and investment returns.

The City also collects the education tax on behalf of the Province of Alberta. The education tax is roughly 35% of each residential property tax bill. The City will collect a total of $1.4 billion in property taxes this year, of which $392 million is provincial education tax.

The municipal portion of each tax bill pays for civic services such as police, fire rescue, public transit, pothole repair, snow clearing, recreation programs and parks.

The total amount of each tax bill is based on each property’s assessed value as of July 1, 2011. Property owners received their 2012 assessment notice in January 2012. 

“By paying property taxes, property owners contribute to Edmonton’s financial stability and our high standard of living in Edmonton,” says Risling.

With the Edmonton Rush heading to the National Lacrosse League Champion’s Cup for the first time in franchise history, Mayor Stephen Mandel has made a friendly wager with the Mayor of Rochester, New York, Thomas S. Richards.

The Rush and Rochester Knighthawks will compete for the 2012 lacrosse title in Rochester on Saturday, May 19, 2012.

“The City of Edmonton is thrilled to participate in a friendly rivalry with Rochester, New York, to encourage our teams as they play for the National Lacrosse League's Champion’s Cup!” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “Both the Rush and the Knighthawks have worked extremely hard to get to this game, and these stakes pump up the excitement for fans while giving our cities a chance to get to know each other a little better.”

If the Knighthawks come out on top, Mayor Mandel will wear the team’s jersey during an Edmonton City Council meeting. If Edmonton emerges triumphant, Mayor Richards will wear a Rush jersey during a Rochester City Council meeting.

Regardless of the game’s outcome, the Mayors will provide each other a gift basket from their respective cities. Edmonton’s basket will include Cheemo Perogies, Mundare sausage, an Edmonton picture book, locally-brewed Alley Cat beer, a copy of the recently released Edmonton Poets Laureate anthology, and a CD of local singer-songwriter Colleen Brown. Rochester’s basket will include Lilac Hill wine, Zweigle white hots, Genny Beer, Stever’s Candies and Sticky Lips BBQ Sauce.

The Edmonton Rush joined the National Lacrosse League in 2006. The team entered the NLL playoffs as the lowest-seeded team. The Knighthawks will be going after their third National Lacrosse League title, winning the NLL championship in 1997 and 2007.

City Council was presented with a new set of designs for the downtown arena and related facilities, including the winter garden and community rink. Public consultation on these designs will begin May 22, 2012. Edmontonians can provide feedback online, in person and by contacting 311 and requesting a package be mailed to them. Go to www.edmonton.ca/downtownarena for full details.

Plan for City Centre Redevelopment project approved

Council approved the Area Redevelopment Plan for the City Centre Redevelopment project. This provides clear direction to move ahead with redevelopment of the site and achieve Council’s vision of building a world-class, sustainable community.

City Council greenlights emergency vehicle pilot

Edmonton Fire Recue Services and Traffic Operations received the go ahead to pilot a GPS-based technology designed to improve public safety and response times for emergency crews. The technology, called a traffic light pre-emption system, automatically triggers green lights at intersections as emergency vehicles approach, giving them the right of way. Work on the system will begin during the summer of 2012.

Edmonton’s new Historian Laureate named

The City of Edmonton introduced its new Historian Laureate, Shirley Lowe. The role of Historian Laureate is to promote Edmonton’s heritage through research, writing and public appearances. Lowe is the City of Edmonton’s second Historian Laureate, succeeding Ken Tingley.

The City of Edmonton has released a package of images showcasing designs for the new downtown arena, images that incorporate much of the feedback that Edmontonians provided in earlier consultations.

“Edmontonians said they wanted a pedestrian-friendly design that connected with the surrounding community. We’re designing an arena that will be a welcoming, iconic landmark for Edmonton,” says Scott Ralston, Principal with 360 Architecture, selected as the lead architect on a team that includes several local firms including Dialogue, Carlyle and Associates, Stantec, Bundt and Associates, and Arndt Tkalcic Bengert.

The new package includes never-seen-before images of the community skating rink, and new images of the arena and winter garden overpass. The designs show visually engaging facilities that complement the area, encourage pedestrian street traffic, and feature glass panels to bring in natural light and allow people to see in and out to the street.

The presentation to City Council made on May 16, 2012 can be viewed on the City’s website at edmonton.ca/downtownarena. City Council has set a $450 million maximum for the design and construction of the arena, which includes $30 million for the design.

“The architecture is inspired by an oil drop and is symbolic of Edmonton’s economy and its position as the capital city of one of the world’s great oil regions," says Bob Black, Executive Vice President for the Edmonton Arena Corporation. "We aspire to create a landmark building that also celebrates our status as a great winter city and makes a bold statement about our future.”

The City will begin public consultations on the designs on May 22, 2012. Residents will be able to view the designs and provide their feedback online, request a package with the designs by calling 311, attend one of the open houses, or view the designs at City Hall from May 28, 2012 to June 7, 2012.

“We hope that these designs will spark excitement in the community and we look forward to hearing what Edmontonians think,” says Rick Daviss, Executive Director for the Edmonton Arena District with the City of Edmonton. "We have an opportunity to design and build a facility that truly becomes a symbol of pride for our community and will contribute greatly to the revitalization of Edmonton's downtown core.

Public open houses will be held:

Tuesday May 29, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
Santa Maria Goretti Centre, 10050-90 Street
Main Hall

Tuesday June 5, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
Terwilliger Community Recreation Centre, 2051 Leger Road NW
Multipurpose Room

Wednesday June 6, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
MacEwan University South Campus, 7319-29 Avenue
Galleria

Thursday June 7, 2012
Presentation starts at 6:30pm
MacEwan University City Centre Campus, 104 Avenue, west of 109 Street
Robbins Health Learning Centre, Building Foyer

The results of the public consultation and an updated design package will be presented on July 4, 2012 to City Council, who will make the final decision on the preliminary design.

The $30 million for design work is included in the overall building budget of $450 million, as designated by City Council.

The City of Edmonton has named Shirley Lowe as its new Historian Laureate.

“Edmonton has a great story as a city and it’s important for people to know about it,” said Lowe. “It’s a tremendous honour to be selected as Historian Laureate and to be given the trust and responsibility to tell Edmonton’s story.”

Lowe has been active in Edmonton’s heritage community for years, bringing history out of the lecture halls into more informal settings, including walking tours and the Historic Edmonton Week Festival which she helped found.

Lowe, a life-long Edmontonian, has worked with the City of Edmonton in achieving designation for Old Strathcona as an Alberta Historic Area. She has served on numerous historical boards in Edmonton and co-authored several local history books.

“This is very exciting for the City of Edmonton,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “Identifying and preserving our heritage is extremely important to our city. Shirley Lowe has a passion and commitment to bringing Edmonton’s history to life and I look forward to seeing her in the role of Historian Laureate. I know she will do Edmonton proud.”

Edmonton is the only municipality in Canada with a Historian Laureate.

The role of Historian Laureate is to promote Edmonton’s heritage through research, writing and public appearances. Lowe is the City of Edmonton’s second Historian Laureate, succeeding Ken Tingley.

As Historian Laureate, Lowe plans to continue the work she’s done in gathering stories of the changes in some of Edmonton’s older neigbourhoods such as Oliver, Westmount, Glenora and Inglewood.  

Lowe will join Edmonton’s Poet Laureate, Anna Marie Sewell, in marking important civic occasions. She will work closely with the Edmonton Historical Board and Edmonton Heritage Council which administer the Historian Laureate program.

“This upswing in employment, particularly in the high-paying, full-time sectors of oil and gas, manufacturing and construction, means the greater Edmonton area can be optimistic about our economic outlook, as we look forward to a boost in retail, housing and personal services over the remainder of the year,” said John Rose, Chief Economist for the City of Edmonton.

Rose also noted that Edmonton CMA’s service sector was less buoyant, with net job losses in professional services, education and health care. As well there was a shift from full-time to part-time jobs in several service sectors between March and April.

“One month’s numbers don’t necessarily signal a return to the remarkable job growth Edmonton experienced in 2011,” Rose cautions, “and at a provincial level, although 10,000 job were added between March and April, Alberta’s drop in unemployment to 4.9% could signal a labour market potentially moving towards a shortage of key skills and more experienced workers, making it more difficult for employers to attract and retain qualified staff.”

At the national level, 58,000 new jobs gained in April were offset by a significant increase in the number of people looking for work, with the result that the national unemployment rate moved up slightly to 7.3%. Excellent gains in manufacturing, resources and agriculture more than made up for a loss of over 30,000 public sector jobs between March and April.

A contractor doing work in the Eskimos dressing room at Commonwealth Stadium has been transported to hospital following a ceiling collapse on May 9, 2012. The condition of the individual is not known at this time.

Earlier in the day, Edmonton Fire Rescue received a 911 call reporting a “structure collapse” at the Stadium. The first crew on scene confirmed the concrete ceiling had collapsed on and trapped an individual doing work in the Eskimos steam room, a 12-by-12-foot space within the dressing room.

Fire Rescue’s technical rescue team carefully cut away and moved the concrete using special tools. It took about an hour to free the man so paramedics could transport him to hospital. At the time of transport, he was conscious and able to interact with emergency responders.

City of Edmonton staff, including Occupational Health & Safety, were on-site shortly after the incident occurred. “We are taking this matter seriously. The area was not open to the public at the time of the incident and will remain closed until we complete a full investigation into what occurred,” says Joe Kabarchuk, Branch Manager for Building and Landscape Services.

The strategy will apply to both the development of new neighbourhoods and infill development of existing neighbourhoods in the city’s core and mature areas.

“Wherever growth happens, in new or existing neighbourhoods, it is important for the City to understand the implications of growth and manage the future financial costs and public obligations of that growth,” says Janet Omelchuk, senior planner with Sustainable Development.

“Coordinating where, when and how growth happens,” adds Omelchuk, “will make it possible for the City to balance the demands for greenfield development of new neighbourhoods with infill development of mature neighbourhoods, the downtown, and around LRT stations and transit centres.”

The City has consulted with several groups over the past year-and-a-half to begin drafting a strategy. The City is now moving into the next phase of consultation by making a draft Growth Coordination Strategy available for review and comment by the public. A draft strategy is available for viewing at www.edmonton.ca/GrowthCoordinationStrategy 

It is expected that a draft strategy and recommendations will go to City Council for approval in the fall of 2012.
 
“The Growth Coordination Strategy is important,” says Omelchuk, “because it will ensure that the build-out of new and existing neighbourhoods happens in a sustainable, efficient, timely and appropriate manner.”