Edmonton Headlines: Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Alberta is facing an affordable housing problem. I might even go so far to use the word crisis. Edmonton’s waitlist for such housing has recently tripled. And, as a new story in Alberta Views explains, “As of 2015, no new social housing had been built in Edmonton since 1993.”

This is starting to change under Alberta’s NDP government, which is putting money into fixing up the old housing stock. And new federal commitments to housing and homelessness are also encouraging. Both are overdue and will need champions at the higher levels of government to keep up the money.

There’s also some hope around a private member’s bill here in Alberta, Bill 202, the Alberta Affordable Housing Review Committee Act, which could create a committee to investigate housing issues that have been ignored. Some of those items include rent subsidies and rates. It’s certainly ridiculous that landlords can increase rent any old amount they want here (that’s not allowed in some other provinces), so hopefully there are some protections that would come of the work.

Around the city

The police chief is rallying more people (and money) for renovations to the old remand centre, converting it to a wellness centre to serve social and homeless needs.

The City is looking into whether those big, bright digital signs should be banned around Churchill Square.

A conference in our city is looking at homicides, and the people left behind by the killings. Part of the conference is for family members of people killed to learn how to heal. Another part explores the relationship with police and justice officials, including around unsolved murders. Edmonton has nearly 200 unsolved homicides.

Work is underway to build a new healing garden in St. Albert, which is the former home to two residential schools.

There’s a new app you can use to take a historic walking tour of the U of A and Alberta Legislature.

Outside of Edmonton

You can take the newest survey to help the Alberta government revamp our school curriculum.

Meanwhile… Alberta teachers have a new contract. It doesn’t give them any raises but it does have a new fund to put more teachers and aides into classrooms with students who have specialized needs.

The Alberta agency that investigates police cases that involve death or serious injury is keeping an eye on what’s going on in B.C. and Ontario, as similar agencies face pushback from officers.

Edmonton MP Rona Ambrose is going to leave federal politics and her seat representing Sturgeon River-Parkland. Let the speculation about her future begin!

One of the best dinosaur finds in recent memory is making some some splashes. It was discovered up near Fort McMurray and is one of the best preserved examples of a dino like this yet to be found.