Edmonton Minute: Vaccine Requirements, Land Expropriations, and More Corporate Welfare

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• City Hall will be pretty busy this week, starting with a City Council meeting at 9:30 am today. Council will discuss a 17 item agenda including various expropriations for the Yellowhead conversion and 50th St rail overpass, a potential amendment to the (now lapsed) mask bylaw, and a City Plan Implementation Update.
  
  
• On Tuesday at 1:30 pm, there will be a City Council Public Hearing to discuss 25 zoning amendments. Then, on Wednesday at 9:30, am there will be a Non-Regular City Council Public Hearing to discuss safe passing distances for bicycles.
  
  
• With the new semester starting, the University of Alberta has said that students, faculty and staff will not need to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter places like classrooms and labs. This contrasts with some other universities around the Province have been setting requirements.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• We hosted our first ever Common Sense Edmonton get-together at Brewsters Unity Square. We had about 25 or so people show up at short notice for some casual drinks, and had a great time meeting everyone, so thanks to each and every one of you that came. We'll let you know when our next get-together will be!
  
  
• The Edmonton Elks season was put on hiatus as 14 players on the team tested positive for COVID-19 since the team's game against the BC Lions on August 19th. The CFL said the team will not practice or travel until chief medical officers and public health officials have assured the league it is safe to do so.
  
  
• Imperial Oil will attempt to build a renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona Refinery just outside of Edmonton. The facility will use blue hydrogen and local crops to produce low-carbon diesel fuel and could produce up to 1 billion litres of diesel per year. While we're in favour of the project and hope local and provincial governments do not put up any unnecessary obstacles, we're wary of the part where Imperial says it needs government "support". Alberta taxpayers have been burned enough times providing corporate welfare to what should be private ventures. See the North West Upgrader for a perfect example of how that can go south fast.

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