Keith Gerein: How Edmonton's old CKUA building is being used to 'crowd-fund' Downtown revitalization
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City council's recent public hearing on the proposed development deal with the province and Oilers Entertainment Group provoked this very debate
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One narrative says primary responsibility should go to the market and major private capital. The other says government must be highly engaged with dollars and direction. Some say both forces are needed.
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Essentially, the project is trying to provide an answer to the question, if you want to invest in Downtown Edmonton but don't have millions of dollars, what can you do?
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'This whole thing is new and different and hasn't been done before the way we are doing it. You create the opportunity and put it out there and hope other people see value in it,' said Martin-Drysdale.
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The roots of this collaboration go back a long way to when Iveson was still a young city councillor and Martin-Drysdale was cutting her teeth in the real estate industry. The two met back then as part of Edmonton's NextGen, which residents may remember as a kind of cool, groundbreaking city initiative to bring together young entrepreneurs and community leaders.
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In Martin-Drysdale's case, she started RedBrick Real Estate Services, which has grown into a significant player with a number of developments around Edmonton — including in Blatchford and Riverdale — and is working on projects with northern Indigenous communities.
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Cision Canada
16 hours ago
- Cision Canada
100% INDIGENOUS OWNED: K'en T'em Purchases Merritt Herald, Honouring Legacy and Amplifying New Voices
MERRITT, BC, Aug. 1, 2025 /CNW/ - nłeʔképmx Territory - K'en T'em Limited Partnership is proud to announce the purchase of the Merritt Herald from Glacier Media, marking a new chapter in the paper's long history and a milestone in Indigenous ownership of local media. Founded in 1905, the Merritt Herald has been a steady presence in the Nicola Valley for more than a century. Printed weekly on Thursdays, it covers local news, events, sports, opinion, and public notices, serving readers throughout the Nicola Valley. Now under the ownership of K'en T'em, the economic development arm of the Citxw Nlaka'pamux Assembly (CNA), the paper will continue to serve the community while opening new doors for inclusive, locally grounded journalism. "This is an opportunity to bring together different ways of seeing the world," said Chief Lindsay Tighe of Shackan, Director on the K'en T'em Board. "Through this partnership, we can create space for stories that reflect who we are as nłeʔképmx people, while continuing to serve the wider community. It is about respect, collaboration, and the power of being seen and heard." Chief Lee Spahan of Coldwater, Director on the K'en T'em Board, reflected on the broader meaning of the acquisition. "This is a moment we can be proud of. It brings long-term value to our people, not only through business, but through visibility. Our communities have important stories, perspectives, and knowledge to share. This is a way to ensure those voices are part of the conversation and the future of the region." The acquisition was guided by a shared vision between K'en T'em and Glacier Media, with a focus on continuity, collaboration, and long-term community benefit. It reflects a broader shift toward Indigenous leadership in media and the meaningful partnerships that make it possible. "This is an exciting opportunity to support local journalism in a way that reflects the region and the people who call it home," said Nicole Johnny, Acting General Manager of K'en T'em and Executive Director of CNA. "We're looking forward to growing the Merritt Herald sustainably and collaboratively, while creating space for new ideas and shared success." "Glacier is excited to hand over ownership of the Merritt Herald to a very capable and successful local group," said Orest Smysnuik, Chief Financial Officer for Glacier Media. "We anticipate that this local ownership group will breathe new life into this very important community publication." "After being with the paper for 31 years and seeing the changeover of hands multiple times, I'm excited to see that the Herald will find a permanent home in the community it has served for over 120 years," said Theresa Arnold, Publisher at the Merritt Herald. "Our readers trust us to reflect what matters in their lives. We are looking forward to working with K'en T'em, and continuing to grow that trust together, one edition at a time." Day-to-day operations at the Herald will remain the same. A new joint committee made up of K'en T'em and Herald staff will help guide collaboration and identify opportunities to further strengthen the paper's role in the region. "This is an exciting step forward," said Marius Auer, Communications and Engagement Manager at K'en T'em. "The Merritt Herald has been part of this valley's story for over 120 years. We see this as a chance to keep that story going, with more voices at the table and stronger ties to the communities we serve." About K'en T'em Limited Partnership – Established in 2015, K'en T'em Limited Partnership (KTLP) is a 100 percent Indigenous-owned for-profit corporation committed to providing the nłeʔképmx people of the eight Citxw Nlaka'pamux Assembly (CNA) Participating Bands with the resources that will help them efficiently create, manage and operate business opportunities. K'en T'em is mandated to explore business opportunities that are created by proponents working in the unceded territory of the nłeʔképmx people. Building relationships with proponents is a vital step for K'en T'em to support our Participating Bands in becoming self-sustaining and vital economic communities. K'en T'em offers environmental monitoring, cultural heritage, and printing/design services. We are leaders at putting cross-cultural values at the forefront of our business while prioritizing simple, efficient, integrative solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients. and industrial projects.
CBC
20 hours ago
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Sask. First Nation celebrating settlement with Ottawa over broken treaty promises
The Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation is the latest community to receive compensation in an agricultural benefits claim, also known as a cows and plows settlement. The nation is receiving nearly $99 million.
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Preferential treatment for northerners key for trade zone between territories: N.W.T. premier
The N.W.T.'s premier says an eventual trade zone between Canada's three territories will ideally make sure northerners benefit from economic activity in the North. The three territorial premiers announced Tuesday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding to create a territorial trade zone. In a joint news release, Yukon Premier Mike Pemberton, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson and Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said the memorandum — which is non-binding — would help improve both the economy across the North and labour mobility, and would include a shared credential registry so workers can move more freely between the territories. It was signed in Huntsville, Ont., last week when the premiers were attending a three-day meeting of the Council of the Federation (new window) . In an interview with CBC, Simpson said territory-and province-specific laws about goods and services are inefficient and costing our economy money. He added efforts to break down those barriers in the North have to be tempered by other considerations, though. What we don't want to do is drop all of our trade barriers and become, essentially, a colony for the South again, where companies from southern Canada would come up here, extract resources and then leave and not leave anything in the territory, he said. We want to be able to give preferential treatment to northern businesses to ensure that there's benefits for northerners when there is activity in the North. The agreement also allows the northern governments to co-ordinate efforts to lobby the federal government and the private sector for investment. Tuesday's news release mentioned that any agreement must respect land claims agreements and other deals governments have made with Indigenous nations and organizations, along with actively supporting Indigenous participation in the economy. CBC News has requested an interview with Pemberton, whose office first announced the deal on Monday. Akeeagok was not made available for an interview prior to publication. Cautious optimism among industry The deal is still in its early stages. Simpson said he doesn't expect N.W.T residents to see any immediate impacts from this, saying it's more of a longer-term vision. In Nunavut, Tony Rose, the executive director of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, said it's too soon to speculate on the potential impacts, but that the organization will be getting input from its members about the proposed trade zone. Enlarge image (new window) Tony Rose is the executive director of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce. He says the memorandum allows them to communicate with the incoming Nunavut government to discuss the priorities of businesses in the territory. Photo: CBC / TJ Dhir This is a very interesting time for this to be happening, because there's a brand new government coming in the fall, Rose said, referencing Nunavut's upcoming territorial election. For us, this represents a really interesting opportunity to communicate with that incoming government to discuss the priorities of businesses, both within the Baffin region and throughout the rest of the territory. The Yukon will also be having a territorial election this fall. This theme of cautious optimism was echoed by at least two companies that have a major presence in the North. In respective statements, Agnico Eagle Mines said they welcome regulatory reform that can help streamline processes and support a stronger Canadian economy, while Northwestel said the trade zone is a positive step for private businesses operating across all three territories. Both of them added that they would be following any developments before commenting further. The memorandum comes amid national economic uncertainty, as the federal government continues to negotiate a new trade deal with the United States under the threat of more tariffs. The deadline before tariffs kick in automatically is this Friday. With files from Lawrence Nayally
