Edmonton Headlines: Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Everybody else tired today from staying up to watch B.C. election results? No, just me? It’s probably not just me, since the result has a lot of potential impact in Alberta, particularly around the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The other interesting thing, of course, will be to see how things shake out with the final vote (re)counts and what the Green Party does if it’s holding the balance of power in a minority government.

Back here, St. Albert is the first school board that I’ve seen that is about to find out how Bill 1 is going to affect boards when it comes to charging fees. The education minister is watching their recent bus fee increases for some students, and it likely won’t be the last school board trying to figure out how the legislation to limit some school fees hits their budgets and what other fees or budgeting they are allowed to use to make up any deficits.

The Edmonton Public School Board is asking to include more financial literacy in the new curriculum. And since that might not roll out for a few years, they may consider adding some pilot programs to start teaching students more about how to bank, budget and become smarter consumers. This is good news because we don’t know money so good.

At Edmonton’s other school board, trustee Patricia Grell is firing back at her Catholic School District board members for not asking her about her comments about graduation ceremonies printed by Postmedia Edmonton. She’s also firing at the reporter from Postmedia, saying she won’t grant Janet French another interview.

The thing is, she’ll probably have to talk to Janet French again. French is (just about) the only regular education reporter in Edmonton’s daily newsrooms. Either way this all shakes out, the Edmonton Catholic School District continues its infighting and dysfunction.

Around the city

Edmonton police, and police forces across the province, will soon have to follow a standardized response to sexual assault cases, as the Alberta government looks to roll out new rules to help make it easier for people to report the crime. One goal is to let people know they will be treated with fairness and respect if they have to report such crimes to police.

Edmonton is expanding a program to give vulnerable and homeless community members transit passes, to allow them to get to important appointments, job interviews, and to make other trips.

Just like we now have a program to improve our neighbourhood roads and sidewalks, the City is moving to fix and maintain our alleys and back lanes. The program would start in a year or two, and continue for the next few decades. This could really help make laneway housing look like a better option, since you wouldn’t just be stepping out into a potholed mess.

Edmonton has its first historically designated sign.

Stop peeing all over the downtown! No, really. Stop it. Why can’t you stop it. Seriously, stop peeing.

Are you peeing right now? Come on!

And, watch for the new robo-falcons at the Edmonton International Airport.