Latest news with #EdmontonDowntownBusinessAssociation
Edmonton Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
'Resurgence of WAGs': Sport researchers say spouses of athletes growing in popularity
Article content The woman behind the venture, seen at the event clad in a glittery pink dress, is Lauren Kyle McDavid, the wife of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. 'To have this star's wife putting money into our city and investing in our city is really special,' said Quinn Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Edmonton Downtown Business Association and a former sports reporter. 'Everything is kind of buzzing now in downtown.' Kyle McDavid was not immediately available for an interview, but she is one of several modern WAGs — an acronym for wives and girlfriends — making names for themselves. Judy Liao, who teaches sociology of sport and gender studies at the University of Alberta, says the buzz Kyle McDavid's business has been getting online shows how much of an interest people take in the lives of athletes' significant others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sports wives saw their social media followers go up as they began posting more, Liao says. The popular streaming service Netflix has also created shows following the lives of WAGs in recent years.
Edmonton Journal
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Pop-up entertainment district bylaw brings vibrancy, giant patio concept Downtown
Article content New pop-up entertainment districts are bringing vibrancy to Edmonton's Downtown, thanks to a new bylaw and some out-of-the-box thinking by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. Every Saturday between now and Thanksgiving weekend, for example, there will be at least one place and time where you can stroll with a beer and a dog in the city's core while browsing market bounty.
Calgary Herald
31-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Pop-up entertainment district bylaw brings vibrancy, giant patio concept Downtown
New pop-up entertainment districts are bringing vibrancy to Edmonton's Downtown, thanks to a new bylaw and some out-of-the-box thinking by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. Article content Article content Every Saturday between now and Thanksgiving weekend, for example, there will be at least one place and time where you can stroll with a beer and a dog in the city's core while browsing market bounty. Article content Article content It's the Edmonton Downtown Business Association's extension of the Downtown Farmers Market, courtesy of a special licence closing the road and turning that whole 'pedestrianized' multi-block section of 104 Street by Kelly's Pub into a giant patio Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in market season. Article content 'What we're really trying to achieve here is to continue to support our businesses and make Edmonton Downtown a vibrant place. It is really great to see that our businesses are able now to sell more of their products to all of the shoppers, not just the ones that want to enjoy their patio or inside the restaurant,' said Quinn Phillips, director of marketing and communications for the EDBA. Article content 'This gives the people the ability to grab a cocktail somewhere, and then come out onto the streets and drink it within the entertainment district,' Phillips said. Article content Article content 'I think that every business is really excited, because it does just drop into the area and increase vibrancy in the area. I think that everybody is very excited to see this happen and just continue to create different ways for people to enjoy Downtown.' Article content If a business wants to put on a street event, they can seek a road closure (with city approval), and then the entertainment district template can be implemented. Article content For example, the new bylaw means EDBA's Winterval festival can go from a beer garden with a sole vendor to a licensed massive patio where existing brick-and-mortar businesses can sell their drinks for people to enjoy as they meander the street in search of handmade beard balm (Crowsnest Pass fragrance, or perhaps eau de Old Strathcona), bear claws, crocheted crustaceans, or custom cat perches.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton committee endorses extension for downtown revitalization program
Edmonton city council's executive committee has voted to recommend the city extend a program aimed at revitalizing downtown, as it struggles to recover post-pandemic. On Wednesday, committee members voted in favour of renewing the downtown community revitalization levy program by 10 years. The program is an example of a community revitalization levy (CRL), which uses a framework set in the Municipal Government Act to help communities invest in infrastructure. Community revitalization levies allow municipalities to borrow against future property tax revenues to help pay for infrastructure development required in a specific area. Councillors said Wednesday they want to keep funding downtown projects, but need a more stable and long-term source of funding. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told the committee that there are many projects the city wants to accomplish by extending the program, but they also must prioritize getting more people living downtown. "More residential is the key," he said at executive committee on Wednesday. "So within the projects that we have on the list, we should be prioritizing within those projects as well." A report to the committee says extending the program by 10 years will allow the city to address those barriers to redevelopment. "Infrastructure that supports public activity, including streets and open spaces, should be a base-level in the downtown and not a nice-to-have. Poor condition infrastructure reflects negatively on downtown," the report says. The levy originally came into effect in 2015 and can still remain in effect until 2034, if an extension isn't approved, the report states. The program area covers about half of the downtown neighbourhood, as well as small portions of the Central McDougall and McCauley neighbourhoods, The program has so far contributed to Warehouse Park, Alex Decoteau Park, stormwater servicing upgrades, the 103A Avenue Pedway and several other improvement and streetscape projects. Projects that the city would be able to fund with the extension include an event park, more transit infrastructure, and site servicing at the Village at Ice District. Puneeta McBryan, CEO of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, said she strongly supports extending the revitalization program. "I have to say what's keeping me up right now about this is I don't know that there's enough money today with the 2034 end date to finish Jasper Avenue New Vision," McBryan said at the meeting. She said committee should pass the motion, "if for no other reason [than] we can't proceed with the very necessary, very overdue infrastructure projects that were already supposed to be funded under the CRL." Although the committee passed the motion unanimously, several councillors were critical of the plans at Wednesday's meeting, with some questioning whether it was the best way to build housing and whether public funds should be used for private projects. The one member of the public who spoke in opposition was concerned about public money going to OEG and questioning the benefits of the strategy. A 10-year extension is estimated to generate between $705 million and $976 million in revenue. The recommendation still has to be passed by city council, and the province also has to approve the change.
