Hi Edmonton,
We were so close. A few warm afternoons, patio debates starting up, and then Environment Canada dropped a special weather statement for snow through the weekend (because of course). Inside today: the 6.9% tax hike is officially locked in, Edmonton's doubling down on urban beekeeping just in time for spring, the Oilers head to Anaheim tied 1-1, and there's a free bus running between indie bookstores on Saturday.
⚡ Quick Hits
Council formally confirmed the 6.9% tax increase this week. On a home assessed around $492,500, that's roughly $318 a month for municipal services.
Oilers and Ducks are tied 1-1 after a 6-4 loss at Rogers Place on Tuesday. Game 3 is Friday at 8 p.m. our time.
Residential street sweeping is underway, and leaving your car on a posted route is now a $250 ticket, no tow.
🌤 Edmonton Weather
Giphy
Today sits at -2 with snow and blowing snow pushing into the afternoon. Saturday is more of the same, a high of -3 and snow continuing through the morning before things start to ease.
The special weather statement covers Edmonton, St. Albert and Sherwood Park, with heavy snow bands possible and totals up to 10 cm in some pockets. Sunday finally turns, mix of sun and cloud near +1, so if you've got outdoor plans, save them for the back half of the weekend. Boots, not runners.
📰 What's Happening
Edmonton loosens urban beekeeping rules just in time for spring
City of Edmonton
Starting May 19, Edmonton residents will be allowed up to two hives per property instead of the current one-hive cap. It's a small rule change with a surprisingly big fanbase, given how many people in this city are quietly raising bees on their garages and rooftops.
Edmonton now counts more than 200 licensed urban beekeepers, which is honestly more than I would have guessed. The update comes as MacEwan University restarts its own rooftop beehive program downtown, this year expanded to eight insulated hives. That program turns 10 this spring, which makes it older than a lot of the coffee shops within walking distance of it.
What's nice about the timing is that it gives anyone thinking about getting into it a full summer to learn, plus a reason to talk to the neighbour who's been doing it quietly for years. Urban beekeeping isn't a casual hobby. It's a real commitment around your neighbours, pollination, and getting a colony through an Alberta winter.
But it fits Edmonton in a way that surprises people who assume our climate would rule it out. May 19 is the date to watch. The city's licensing info should be refreshed closer to then, and MacEwan's rooftop is worth keeping an eye on if you want to see how it's done at scale.
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Save the Memorial Organ at U of A
A petition is circulating as the University of Alberta prepares to remove the historic Casavant pipe organ from Convocation Hall, with renovations set to begin after April 30.
The organ’s origins date back to 1925, when it was installed as a memorial to 80 U of A community members who died in the First World War, later rededicated after the Second World War. The current instrument, built by Casavant Frères in 1978, continues that legacy and is listed on Veterans Affairs Canada’s national war memorial inventory.
The university says the removal is needed to modernize Convocation Hall, improve accessibility, and increase capacity, noting the official memorial designation remains tied to the original 1925 installation.
Critics, including professor emerita Marnie Giesbrecht, say the decision lacked proper consultation and should not be rushed given the organ’s historic significance.
The petition, “Unite to Save the Pipes,” is calling on the university to pause and reconsider the plan.
🏛 City Update
Council finalizes 6.9% municipal tax increase for 2026
Council made it official on April 17, confirming the 6.9% municipal property tax increase first approved back in December.
For a household with a property assessed at $492,500, that pencils out to about $318 a month going toward municipal services (roads, fire, transit, recreation, the usual). The bylaw setting the official tax rates is expected on April 28. If you want a say in where the next few years go, public engagement for the 2027 to 2030 budget is open until May 1.
Learn more about the budget: https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/budget-and-finances
Residential street sweeping underway, $250 fine for vehicles left on posted routes
Residential road cleaning kicked off Monday, April 20. Temporary parking bans run weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on posted routes, and signs go up 24 hours in advance.
If you leave your car on a posted street, it's a $250 ticket, and the city has been clear there's no tow, so you'll just come back to a fine and a dusty car. The full schedule is online so you can actually plan around it.
Check out the sweeping map and schedule here: https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/on_your_streets/street-cleaning
🏒 Sports
Oilers vs. Ducks, series tied 1-1, Game 3 in Anaheim
The Oilers dropped Game 2 on home ice Tuesday, 6-4, with Cutter Gauthier burying two for Anaheim and Connor Murphy and Josh Samanski each grabbing their first career playoff goals.
Not exactly the send-off to California most of us were picturing. The good news from Game 1: Kasperi Kapanen's late third-period winner, and Leon Draisaitl back in the lineup after a 14-game absence, which is the kind of return that can change a series on its own. Game 3 is Today(Friday) at 8 p.m. MT at Honda Center.
There's a $10 watch party at Rogers Place with concession combos, an alumni autograph session and a face-painting setup if you're bringing the kids, plus the usual free Moss Pit and Fan Park at ICE District. Game 4 goes Sunday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
Real talk, what’s your gut saying about the Edmonton Oilers this time?
Cup run… or emotional damage?
📅 Things To Do (Next 3 Days)
Edmonton Indie Bookstore Extravaganza
Date: April 25 to 26
Location: Participating indie bookstores across Edmonton (Audreys, Wee Book Inn and others)
Cost: Free
Year three of this, and it's still the best low-effort, high-charm weekend on the calendar. There's a free Bookstore Bus, a self-guided bike map, and a passport-stamp system with prize draws, all timed to Canadian Independent Bookstore Day.
→ Info: https://yegindiebookstores.ca/
ChocoFest 2026
Date: April 24 to 25
Location: Millennium Place, 2000 Premier Way, Sherwood Park
Cost: $16 and up
Twenty-eight chocolate vendors from Canada, Peru and Denmark under one roof. Go hungry, pace yourself, bring a friend who'll actually talk to you between samples.
→ Info: https://chocofest.ca/
Naturecore Spring 2026 Expo
Date: April 25
Location: Event Centre Northeast River Valley Park, 903 153rd Ave NE
Cost: Free
Eighty-plus vendors of houseplants, local art, flash tattoos (yes, really) and food trucks from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free parking. If your apartment needs one more monstera, this is the Saturday.
Oilers Watch Party, Game 3 vs. Anaheim
Date: April 24
Location: Rogers Place, 10220 104 Ave NW
Cost: $10
Doors at 8 p.m., $10 concession combos, alumni autographs, photo booth, face painting for the kids. Net proceeds go to the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, and the Moss Pit and Fan Park outside are still free if the ticket isn't in the budget.
L-ART-T Pop-Up at Corona Station (Finale)
Date: April 25
Location: Corona Station LRT
Cost: Free
The last of the Edmonton Arts Council LRT pop-ups, noon to 5 p.m., with spoken word and illuminated towers. Pairs well with the bookstore crawl if you're already riding the train around.
Saturday Toonie Swim
Date: April 24 to 25
Location: Eastglen Leisure Centre, 11410 68 St NW
Cost: $2
Two bucks, drop in, get in the water. The cheapest way to feel like you did a thing this weekend, especially with snow outside.
Classical Guitar Open Mic
Date: April 26
Location: Liberta coffee lab, 6547 99 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 3P5
Cost: Free
Low-key, intimate, and surprisingly good. Sit back and listen to local classical guitarists or bring your own piece and play. No pressure, just strings and people who actually care about them.
Vagabond Bar à Vin Pop-Up at Bibo Strathcona
Date: April 24 to 25
Location: Bibo Strathcona
Cost: $10 (includes a welcome glass of bubbly)
Two nights, 5 p.m. to late, with seafood, larger plates, low-intervention wines, cocktails and non-alcoholic options. Worth knowing about if you like your Friday with a little more effort than a pint.
Exodus Equine Sanctuary Horse Birthday Celebration
Date: April 25
Location: Exodus Equine Sanctuary (near Edmonton)
Cost: Free (hot dogs $5.25)
A rescue horse birthday party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free cake while it lasts and weather-permitting horse-leading rides at the main corral. One of the kinder things on the calendar this weekend.
Music
🍽 New In Edmonton
Chevapi King
Neighbourhood: 10425 51 Avenue NW
Status: Now open
A proper Balkan spot, which is genuinely rare in Edmonton. If you don't know what a ćevapi is yet, you're about to have a very good week.
Qing Hua Dumpling
Neighbourhood: 708 Tamarack Way NW
Status: Now open
The Quebec-based dumpling chain has landed its first Edmonton location in Tamarack. The menu runs deep, with lamb and seafood fillings in the mix alongside the usual suspects.
💛 Community Spotlight
Edmonton's Ply Pasarj wins the 2026 Canadian Cup Tasters Championship
Ply Pasarj, part of the Rogue Wave Coffee team here in Edmonton, just took the national Cup Tasters title. For the uninitiated, Cup Tasters is the discipline where you identify the odd coffee out in sets of three, blind, against the clock. It's one of the most technically brutal competitions in specialty coffee, and Pasarj will now represent Canada at the World Cup Tasters Championship in Bangkok next month.
This is a quietly huge deal for a local coffee scene that, not so long ago, was treated as Calgary's shy cousin. Worth a visit to Rogue Wave this week. Buy a cup, say congratulations.
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The more locals we have, the better every edition gets.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading. Seriously. You make this thing worth making.
See you Tuesday,
The Edmonton Edit