| Monday, Dec. 2
. City columnist Keith Gerein takes a lengthy look a the six-year tenure of Edmonton Police chief, Dale McFee, and what his exit means for the future of policing in the city...
Red Deer's fire chief is taking the results of a national census to his federal counterparts highlighting a number of growing concerns for fire departments across the country, including a lack of wildfire preparedness and the steep, rising costs to repair and replace aging fire equipment...
The Edmonton Oilers have won three games in a row after dispatching the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 Saturday night. Three wins counts as a streak, right? They'll be in Vegas tomorrow to play the Golden Knights...
And who's ready for above-zero temperatures? After -25 C lows over the weekend, we'll find ourselves in snow-melting territory by tomorrow. Quite the swing...
Thoughts on today's edition? Email trobb@postmedia.com — Trevor Robb
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Keith Gerein: Edmonton needs a major reset on police governance, but who will lead the changes?
No matter what you think of Dale McFee’s six-year tenure as chief of the Edmonton Police Service — and many of you have strong opinions — it’s fair to say his time with the top badge has been a product of the tumultuous, politically polarized era we live in. It is indeed a strange and telling turn of events that the same man who was hired by EPS in 2019 as a reformer will be leaving the post in February as a reactionary — at least in some minds. That said, the most controversial part of the police chief’s tenure has been the ongoing tension with city council and other progressive figures in town.
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'Quite alarming': Red Deer fire chief taking grim survey results to national stage
A lack of preparedness for wildfire, threats to municipal fire insurance, and steep spikes posed by aging fire equipment are top of mind for Ken McMullen, the president of the Canadian Fire Chiefs Association. With newly beefed-up data from the annual nationwide fire census in hand, the Red Deer fire chief is headed to Ottawa this week to plead for a national fire administration. About one-fifth of the nation’s 3,248 fire departments participated in the census, which sampled departments in proportion to their place in Canada’s demographics.
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Vehicle crashes into gas station, triggers explosion and fire east of Edmonton
A vehicle crashed into a gas station east of Edmonton on Sunday, triggering an explosion and fire that destroyed the building, according to authorities. Strathcona County Emergency Services received a 911 call after 8 a.m. saying a vehicle struck the natural gas meter at the Tempo gas station in Ardrossan at Highway 16 and Range Road 223. Crews evacuated the building and waited for Atco Gas to arrive to “isolate the gas feed to the building,” the county said.
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Canada Post presents union with ’framework’ to reach deal as strike continues
Canada Post has presented the union representing some 55,000 striking postal workers with a framework to reach negotiated agreements, the corporation said. A statement issued Sunday said the framework includes proposals to bring greater flexibility to Canada Post’s delivery model and shows “movement on other key issues” in the labour dispute that’s stretching into the holiday season. “It is our hope that these proposals will reignite discussions and, together with the support of mediators, help the parties work toward final agreements,” said the statement, which was provided to media over email.
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Outpouring of support leads to new Edmonton home for displaced Indigenous family: 'Such a blessing'
Carol Powder and her family have the keys to her new Edmonton home — they just have to plan a moving day. The grandmother of 10, who shared her story with Postmedia earlier this month, has received an outpouring of support in helping her find a home for her family. “It’s amazing all the support we’ve got since I shared my story. I pray every day for good things, and the things I pray for are starting to come true. I feel so blessed,” said Powder. "To say now that we have a home — I can’t stop staring at it. I love that feeling of having my own home again.”
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Around the province and beyond
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Local firm urges Alberta government to revisit fate of former museum building
The Alberta government announced its decision this summer to demolish the former Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) building in the Glenora neighbourhood, upsetting Edmontonians, but a local development firm says its vision for repurposing the iconic locale is not just a better use of the space to honour its legacy but is also a more financially prudent option.“I know the amount of resources and time and money spent on building new, and when you can see something that’s already built, but just reimagine it in a different way — there’s just a lot of savings on money and time," said Ivan Beljan, owner of Beljan Development.
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Oilers mailbag: How big was the loss of Philip Broberg? Is Jeff Skinner salvageable? David Savard to Edmonton?
With the season one quarter over, Edmonton Oilers fans have some concerns, some worries, a bit of angst, and a number of questions about a team that almost won the Stanley Cup last June in Florida. Oilers scribe Jim Matheson answers questions from fans:
Q: Is Jeff Skinner salvageable with the Oilers? Or does he get moved? (Ed Helinski)
A: Hold on here. It’s awfully early to be writing off a guy with 361 goals, just 24 games into the season. But Skinner, signed as a second-line LW panacea for Leon Draisaitl on a low-risk, one-year $3 million free-agent signing in the wake of Buffalo buying him out, has been beaten out on the second line by Vasily Podkolzin. |
Mark Kilam returning to Edmonton as Elks new head coach
Mark Kilam has more of a history here on the north side of the Battle of Alberta than you might realize. A former team captain of the University of Alberta Golden Bears, where he played linebacker from 1997-2001, the 45-year-old native of Lethbridge is returning to the capital region to become the next head coach — and the first hired in the Larry Thompson era of private ownership — of the Edmonton Elks. The official announcement is on its way Monday, but this move is one that’s been a long time coming for Kilam.
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Frank's Community Pub offers up grilled cheese sammies and family room vibes
We can credit Sean Thompson’s parents for the vibe at his new southside pub, Frank’s Community Pub. “I pulled a lot of inspiration from their rumpus room,” says Thompson, owner-operator of the community pub on 99 Street and 89 Avenue. “They used to have these amazing parties where my dad would play vinyl all night, and they would invite people from the neighbourhood over and have these epic little jams. At some point, my mom would come down with all kinds of snacks, including grilled cheese sandwiches and chips and whatnot.” Those grilled sandwiches live on at Frank’s, with variations from the familiar classic including kimchi, caramelized onion, jalapeno and even spanakopita.
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Sam Rompain stays cool during his run with Brooklynn Del Frari on Saturday, November 30, 2024 in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam/Postmedia |
Donald Trump pressures Canada to put its border in order. Cartoon by Malcolm Mayes |
Letters To The Editor welcome
We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@edmontonjournal.com |
Saturday's letters: Border security a two-way street
I can see Canada as an easy crossing for border drugs and illegal immigrants. And our promise to tighten the crossing is part of our two countries negotiating. This shouldn’t be a one-way street. Canada, as part of what matters to us, needs the U.S. to be more diligent on the illegal firearms that originate south and find their way into our neighbourhoods. Let’s negotiate as a strong, unified and equal neighbour for results on both sides of the border.
Shane McLean, Leduc |
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