Edmonton Minute: Golden Rebranding, Revitalization Funding, and the Behaviour Bylaw Approved

Edmonton Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Edmonton politics

This Week In Edmonton:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Community and Public Services Committee. The agenda largely centers around a Violence Prevention Action Plan. On Tuesday, at 8:30 am, the Agenda Review Committee will meet to set the agenda for the March 18th meeting of City Council.
  
  
• The Urban Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will discuss a report on the Perception of LRT Safety as well as a report on Increasing Efficiency of the Top Bus Routes.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, the Executive Committee will meet. On the agenda is a report regarding the Downtown Workspace Optimization project. The project aims to see the City dispose of Century Place and Chancery Hall and to relocate employees primarily to Edmonton Tower and other existing City buildings. The Committee will also discuss designating the Hardisty Residence as a Municipal Historic Resource.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Council has approved a new public spaces bylaw to regulate behaviours in public areas, including bans on spitting, drug use, panhandling near roads, and loitering in bus shelters. The bylaw also addresses other issues, such as prohibiting weapons and making it easier for food trucks to operate. The bylaw was amended from its original version to ensure it would not restrict protest rights, with no permits required in this iteration for peaceful demonstrations. Fines for violating the new rules range from $25 to $1,000, depending on the offence.
  
  
• The Alberta government has pledged $106 million over three years to revitalize downtown Edmonton, focusing on the ICE District and Exhibition Lands. The funding agreement, reached between the City, the Province, and OEG Sports and Entertainment, includes plans for an event park and additional housing. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said that this investment is a long-overdue step toward "fairness", as Rogers Place did not receive provincial support when it was built, unlike the arena in Calgary. The agreement also covers the demolition of the old Coliseum. The overall revitalization plan, expected to cost $408.2 million, aims to add 2,500 housing units and boost economic activity in the area.
  
  
• A McDonald's in south Edmonton temporarily rebranded as "McDavid’s" to celebrate Connor McDavid’s golden goal for Canada in the 2025 4 Nations tournament. The name change honoured a previous promise to rebrand if the Oilers won the Stanley Cup, though the team fell short in Game 7 of the 2024 final. Franchise owner Chat Sangha said the move was about celebrating a great Canadian hockey moment. As part of the promotion, Edmonton locations are keeping the Big Mac-David burger on the menu and offering small fries for $0.97 in tribute to McDavid’s jersey number. Another McDavid’s location has also popped up in Newmarket, Ontario, McDavid’s hometown.

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