Paige Parsons
Edmonton Journal
Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Past articles by Paige:
Committee hears pitch for spending $10 million on missing sidewalk links
A recommendation to spend $10 million to fill in gaps in the city’s sidewalk system will be considered as part of supplemental city budget discussions in the fall. City council’s urban planning committee heard Tuesday that, if approved, the cash will pay for about 20 kilometres of new sidewalk to be built by the end […] → Read More
'We seem to have a space race going': Three tower projects head to public hearing
City council will hear public input Thursday on three separate proposals that, if built, would bring a total of seven towers and about 2,000 new units to central Edmonton neighbourhoods. Two of the pitches — one in Oliver and one in Queen Alexandra — going to city council’s public hearing on Thursday got the stamp […] → Read More
Valley Line West LRT shortlist includes SNC-Lavalin
The city has announced three contenders to build the west leg of the Valley Line LRT. The shortlist for the 14-kilometre extension from downtown to Lewis Farms includes three teams made up of a consortium of companies and guarantors—including one from SNC-Lavalin, the Quebec engineering firm at the centre of a federal government political scandal. […] → Read More
City recommends ending affordable housing moratorium in city centre
Affordable housing is not linked to neighbourhood crime or social disorder, according to the findings of a new city report recommending lifting a moratorium on non-market housing investments in five core neighbourhoods. In 2012, the city put a “pause” on non-market housing in Alberta Avenue, Central McDougall, Eastwood, McCauley and Queen Mary Park, following years […] → Read More
Edmonton Shakespeare festival worries over building plans for Hawrelak Park
If all the world’s a stage, it’s going to be awfully hard to hear the actors during the city’s annual summer Shakespeare festival. The Freewill Shakespeare Festival is worried that a new plaza to be built abutting its venue — the amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park — will cause problems during the annual multi-week festival. To […] → Read More
Happy trails?: City forges ahead on repairing erosion on river valley trails
Trail users can expect closures of some favourite river valley pathways through the summer as city crews continue to try to mitigate erosion and slope failure throughout the park. Public frustration with crumbling pathways has bubbled for years, but the city didn’t have the money necessary to tackle the work. But following a re-think of […] → Read More
Safety inspection shuts down Edmonton's problem-plagued composting facility
Edmonton’s $97-million composting facility is being shut down after failing a safety inspection. The problem-plagued composter was only operating periodically, but was expected to re-open for the summer season. However, a spring inspection found the building is unsafe, waste services branch manager Mike Labrecque said, speaking to media Wednesday. “We knew this day would come. […] → Read More
Youth council launches mental health survey, calls for increased services
A new survey by the city’s youth council seeks to identify gaps in mental health supports for young people in Edmonton. Data collected will be used to suss out what resources are a priority for young people, said the council’s health and wellness committee chairwoman Kasey Enockson, speaking at city hall on Monday. The online […] → Read More
Fort McMurray First Nation councillor reinstated in federal court appeal
A federal judge has reinstated a Fort McMurray First Nation councillor, lifting a suspension following blockade of the nation’s assets in January and allegations by the councillor that other council members and staff misappropriated funds. Coun. Samantha Whalen was suspended with pay for “wrongful conduct” on Jan. 9, following a protest that blocked access to […] → Read More
Petty crime in southwest points to city-wide social challenges: police chief
A rise in neighbourhood petty crime is a symptom of social woes, best solved by targeted interventions, a group of southwest Edmonton community leagues heard Saturday. Ward 10 Coun. Michael Walters organized a “crime breakfast” at a south Edmonton hotel where community league leaders met with police Chief Dale McFee, other officers and a city […] → Read More
Community comes out in support of creating new rave bylaw
Event promoters and harm reduction advocates came together Wednesday to endorse a plan for a new bylaw that would mandate increased safety measures at raves in the city. Work on a strategy for large electronic music dance events got underway after city council members declined to enact a moratorium that city police requested following a […] → Read More
City councillors order pilot project for ticketing noisy muffler owners
The city will test out cracking down on noisy mufflers in a pilot project this summer. City council’s community and public services committee passed a motion Wednesday directing administration to send out peace officers to accompany audio/video recording equipment, and to issue tickets for violating noise laws. In its latest report, administration recommended further data […] → Read More
Edmonton puts 2019 property tax bills in the mail
Property tax bills from the City of Edmonton will be arriving this week after being put in the mail Tuesday. Owners of a typical single-family home, which the city values at $399,500, will pay $3,628 in property taxes, said assessment and taxation branch manager Rod Risling at a news conference Tuesday. He said a typical […] → Read More
Councillor hopes to revive Mill Creek 'daylighting' project touted to restore fish
Proposed work to repair erosion of the trail system around Mill Creek is an opportunity to revive efforts to uncover the parts of the waterway buried underground, a city councillor says. The city is working on plans for realigning some of the trail network around the creek due to erosion. A report going to city […] → Read More
'A really simple error': Court documents reveal how EEDC fell prey to $375,000 scam
A missing ‘L’ in an email address. That was the key that allowed an alleged fraudster who ran a phishing scam against the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), to make away with $375,000. “It was so simple and so tricky at the same time,” EEDC vice president of communications Terry Curtis said in an interview […] → Read More
Latest city rave report suggests new bylaw
The city is working on a new bylaw to increase safety at raves. The recommendation comes in a report going to city council’s community and public services committee Wednesday, and is the outcome of a directive to find ways to reduce harm at large rave events that councillors made when they backed away from a […] → Read More
Expo Centre ponders automated parking
Automated parking may finally be coming to the Expo Centre, replacing the work done by cashiers who staff entry booths to its lots. A request for proposals to operate automated parking services for the five lots surrounding the Expo Centre opened on May 7, and will close May 31. So far, about 30 businesses or […] → Read More
Driver safety: ETS begins testing, installation of retractible shields for bus drivers
Testing is underway for retractable shields that will be installed on all city buses to increase driver safety. Edmonton Transit branch manager Eddie Robar showcased the first shield installed on a bus parked outside city hall Wednesday. “I think this will be the first instalment of powered bus shields in any fleet in North America,” […] → Read More
Lower residential speed limits on horizon; final vote in 2020
City council moved one step closer to lowering residential speed limits Tuesday, but the final debate will spill into 2020. Council passed a multifaceted motion, asking city administration to return early next year with proposed bylaws that would see speed limits on local and collector roads in core neighbourhoods drop to 30 km/h, and the […] → Read More
Mayor hopes province's P3 plans won't be prescriptive for municipal projects
As the province plans to rev up use of public-private funding models for infrastructure projects, Edmonton’s mayor hopes to retain local control of the type of procurement used for municipal building projects. So-called P3 agreements are public-private partnerships that can see private companies design, build, finance and maintain public infrastructure, leasing it back to public […] → Read More