Edmonton Headlines: Monday, April 3, 2017

If we start this week slowly, can we still blame Daylight Saving Time?

If you’re always looking for new ways to get up and at them earlier, then you share some traits with Edmonton Transit (well, their upper management anyway). As part of major overhaul expected to be put forward in June, the ETS is going to talk to Uber and other rideshare and taxi companies about how they could work together. This could have a few advantages as Edmonton considers reduction of suburban routes and doesn’t want to have to keep building big parking lots.

Over in Prince Charles, the neighbourhood is happy with traffic calming measures that have been tested out. In fact, the community feels like it’s making it whole again.

We can assume from the lack of protests and riots that people who happen to need to drive through the Prince Charles area have not been adversely effected by the changes. As is the reality for any changes that make streets and roads safer for all users. Don’t let ’em tell you different.

Inclusivity

Edmontonians with disabilities should find it easier to get a service dog, after changes announced by the provincial government on the weekend. This is great news for getting more people back into their lives and opening things up for people too often underemployed, unemployed and left out of education and training opportunities.

The City of Edmonton is looking into ways to make seniors’ housing more inclusive of LGBTQ residents. Obviously, for anyone who has older friends and family on Facebook, you know people who grew up in the middle of last century aren’t always as open and accepting as younger generations.

Crime watch

After reducing their use of force in 2016, Edmonton Police have gunned-down their third suspect in the last month. Details are still a bit scarce on this shooting, even though it happened last week.

Police are also asking for people to come forward with information on a decade-old missing person case which recently became a homicide file.

Societal change

What it means to be a man has to change. Toxic masculinity is among the many problems we see feeding recent (public) increases in racism and sexism. And, make no mistake, any masculinity that includes pushing aside emotions or acting out in violence is toxic, and it gets people killed.

If you are looking for some help in this direction check out Men Edmonton, who put on a screening of The Mask You Live In this weekend in Edmonton. (If you want to start by talking to someone who isn’t a friend or family, try searching the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta website for someone to talk with.)

Alberta’s two dozen post-secondary schools may work together to get a better idea of what’s happening on campuses with sexual assault. While schools survey students about the crime, a province-wide effort would give us a better sense of how things look school-to-school and what’s working/what’s not at specific schools to make things safer.

Public engagement

Community and Public Services Committee meets today, at 9:30 a.m. You can see the agenda online. You can also watch or listen to the meeting live.

West Rossdale river crossing open house today, 5 – 7 p.m. at the Edmonton Tower. There’s also a survey you can take if this project in the river valley interests you.