Latest news with #Edmontonian
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
‘They're ready': Edmonton Oilers fans full of hope heading into Stanley Cup rematch
EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers fans are once again living the dream, but hopes are high that this year comes without the nightmare ending. The Oilers completed a backdoor sweep of the Dallas Stars on Thursday — losing the first game of the series then winning four in a row — to punch their second straight ticket to the Stanley Cup final. Standing between the Oilers and glory are the Florida Panthers, who came out on top against the Oilers last year to win their first Cup in team history. 'I'm not nervous at all,' Oilers fan Nikolina Maljevic said outside the Oilers' home arena of Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton Friday afternoon. 'I think they're ready for this.' Arena staff were seen bustling about to make sure Edmonton's Ice District surrounding the rink was also ready for the rematch. The fan park was getting a power wash while racks of T-shirts and other merchandise were being loaded into the official team store, though restocking efforts were interrupted by fans, including Maljevic, stocking up. 'I got some amazing stuff,' Maljevic said, showing off two jackets from the brand owned by the wife of Oilers captain Connor McDavid, as well as a team T-shirt she got for her father. While Game 1 on Wednesday will surely see a sell-out crowd in Edmonton, thousands more will flood the area outside the rink, dubbed the 'Moss Pit' out of respect for the late and beloved team equipment assistant Joey Moss. Maljevic said her family's game-day traditions mean she'll be cheering on from home. 'My family's a bit superstitious,' she said, adding that no new faces are allowed inside so as not to throw off the winning formula of family watching together. Maljevic isn't the only Edmontonian whose home is intertwined with feelings and memories of the local team, but they all pale in comparison to the home of Warren Sillanpaa. Sillanpaa's downtown home is protected by a hand-painted fence depicting the jerseys of Oilers stars and fan favourites from McDavid to Corey Perry. His yard also sports a row of Oilers flags, near life-sized aluminum cutouts of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that make it look like they're hopping over the boards for a shift, and a hand-made oil derrick that he can light with a torch. There's also a sign that reads 'Honk if you want the cup,' which Sillanpaa said doubles as an alarm clock. 'I got up the other morning and it's like 6:45 a.m. I'm just laying up there, and the windows open, (and I'm wondering if I) should I get up or not,' he said. 'I just hear this guy walk by saying 'Let's go Oilers!' and 15 minutes later someone honked, (so I was up).' Like Maljevic, Sillanpaa said he too had nothing but confidence Edmonton will bring home the Cup. 'Everybody seems to be on the same page with everything,' he said. The graphic designer's home isn't the only sign of Oilers life in Edmonton ahead of the Stanley Cup final. Transit bus destination signs shift back and forth between displaying their route and tickers that say 'Let's Go Oilers!' while it's no unusual sight to see cars and trucks drive by with plastic Oilers flags flapping in the wind. Community organizations, and local governments, are also pulling out all the stops. Performers with the Edmonton-based Ukrainian Shumka Dancers have gone viral for taking their skills to new stages, and in new costumes. Donning Oilers jerseys, members of the company's professional squad have been attending watch parties downtown and, after every goal from the home team, orchestrate an elaborate manoeuvre where a dancer is thrown back and forth by a team of 10. It's similar to a windshield wiper in action and speed. 'They made the Stanley Cup final, and you can expect that throw to keep flying,' said the company's rehearsal director, Paul Olijnyk. Final fever is also spreading outside the city limits. Municipal leaders in the Edmonton suburb city of St. Albert held what could only be described as an emergency council meeting on Monday to unanimously sign off on spending up to $70,000 to host watch parties for the final. For roughly $10,000 per game, the city is renting a projector and speakers and inviting fans to pull up a chair in the local rec centre parking lot on game nights. Coun. Sheena Hughes, a budget watchdog, said the city shouldn't have to spend as much as they think. 'They're going to win in six games.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘They're ready': Edmonton Oilers fans full of hope heading into Stanley Cup rematch
EDMONTON – Edmonton Oilers fans are once again living the dream, but hopes are high that this year comes without the nightmare ending. The Oilers completed a backdoor sweep of the Dallas Stars on Thursday — losing the first game of the series then winning four in a row — to punch their second straight ticket to the Stanley Cup final. Standing between the Oilers and glory are the Florida Panthers, who came out on top against the Oilers last year to win their first Cup in team history. 'I'm not nervous at all,' Oilers fan Nikolina Maljevic said outside the Oilers' home arena of Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton Friday afternoon. 'I think they're ready for this.' Arena staff were seen bustling about to make sure Edmonton's Ice District surrounding the rink was also ready for the rematch. The fan park was getting a power wash while racks of T-shirts and other merchandise were being loaded into the official team store, though restocking efforts were interrupted by fans, including Maljevic, stocking up. 'I got some amazing stuff,' Maljevic said, showing off two jackets from the brand owned by the wife of Oilers captain Connor McDavid, as well as a team T-shirt she got for her father. While Game 1 on Wednesday will surely see a sell-out crowd in Edmonton, thousands more will flood the area outside the rink, dubbed the 'Moss Pit' out of respect for the late and beloved team equipment assistant Joey Moss. Maljevic said her family's game-day traditions mean she'll be cheering on from home. 'My family's a bit superstitious,' she said, adding that no new faces are allowed inside so as not to throw off the winning formula of family watching together. Maljevic isn't the only Edmontonian whose home is intertwined with feelings and memories of the local team, but they all pale in comparison to the home of Warren Sillanpaa. Sillanpaa's downtown home is protected by a hand-painted fence depicting the jerseys of Oilers stars and fan favourites from McDavid to Corey Perry. His yard also sports a row of Oilers flags, near life-sized aluminum cutouts of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl that make it look like they're hopping over the boards for a shift, and a hand-made oil derrick that he can light with a torch. There's also a sign that reads 'Honk if you want the cup,' which Sillanpaa said doubles as an alarm clock. 'I got up the other morning and it's like 6:45 a.m. I'm just laying up there, and the windows open, (and I'm wondering if I) should I get up or not,' he said. 'I just hear this guy walk by saying 'Let's go Oilers!' and 15 minutes later someone honked, (so I was up).' Like Maljevic, Sillanpaa said he too had nothing but confidence Edmonton will bring home the Cup. 'Everybody seems to be on the same page with everything,' he said. The graphic designer's home isn't the only sign of Oilers life in Edmonton ahead of the Stanley Cup final. Transit bus destination signs shift back and forth between displaying their route and tickers that say 'Let's Go Oilers!' while it's no unusual sight to see cars and trucks drive by with plastic Oilers flags flapping in the wind. Community organizations, and local governments, are also pulling out all the stops. Performers with the Edmonton-based Ukrainian Shumka Dancers have gone viral for taking their skills to new stages, and in new costumes. Donning Oilers jerseys, members of the company's professional squad have been attending watch parties downtown and, after every goal from the home team, orchestrate an elaborate manoeuvre where a dancer is thrown back and forth by a team of 10. It's similar to a windshield wiper in action and speed. 'They made the Stanley Cup final, and you can expect that throw to keep flying,' said the company's rehearsal director, Paul Olijnyk. Final fever is also spreading outside the city limits. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Municipal leaders in the Edmonton suburb city of St. Albert held what could only be described as an emergency council meeting on Monday to unanimously sign off on spending up to $70,000 to host watch parties for the final. For roughly $10,000 per game, the city is renting a projector and speakers and inviting fans to pull up a chair in the local rec centre parking lot on game nights. Coun. Sheena Hughes, a budget watchdog, said the city shouldn't have to spend as much as they think. 'They're going to win in six games.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Edmonton Journal
27-05-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: A dynamic downtown will benefit all of Edmonton
Article content It is time to double down on Edmonton's downtown — not just for the sake of our city's core, but for the future of Edmonton as a whole. In recent years, Edmonton's downtown has faced considerable challenges which have taken a serious toll on our city's overall financial health. Downtown is not just central to our city's identity and culture, it is core to our economic sustainability citywide. When downtown underperforms, every Edmontonian pays the price.
Calgary Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
High density nodes get pushback at Edmonton public hearing
Edmonton city council hosted a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed rezoning bylaw that would affect parts of Wîhkwêntôwin, University-Garneau, Stony Plain Road, 124 Street and 156 Street. Article content Article content What does the bylaw do? Article content Bylaw 21128 is a city-led initiative that proposes applying standard residential and mixed-use zones in select priority growth areas. The goal is to support medium- and large-scale housing and mixed-use development in transit-connected areas and streamline redevelopment in alignment with the City Plan and district plans to support a population of two million. Article content Article content The approach removes the need for individual rezoning applications, aiming to cut red tape for builders and homeowners. Article content Article content Why these areas? Article content According to the administration, a technical review helped select the priority growth areas based on land use patterns, redevelopment potential and transit access. Several corridors are slated to be served by the Valley Line West LRT and bus rapid transit routes B1 and B2, making them ideal candidates for higher-density, mixed-use development. Article content In the University-Garneau major node, for example, the rezoning would allow buildings up to 75 metres in key locations, like 109 Street and 82 Avenue. Other areas, such as between 109 Street and 110 Street, have been scaled down to 23 metres in response to concerns from nearby small-scale residential areas. Article content A divided community Article content Public feedback has been mixed. While many speakers voiced strong support for the initiative, citing the need for more housing and more efficient development processes, others raised concerns over the impact on existing communities, transparency and the city's engagement process. Article content Article content Brian Murray, a partner at B&A Studios, voiced his 'strong support' for the rezoning proposal which he described as a 'real, tangible step toward delivering more housing, greater affordability, and more sustainable growth.' He argued the bylaw would reduce red tape, ensure faster delivery of new housing in the city, and create certainty for redevelopment, especially in well-connected areas like Garneau. Article content Article content 'It will allow for a broader mix of housing types that reflect the diverse needs of Edmontonians,' he said. Article content Ryan Jakes, a 24-year-old lifelong Edmontonian, also backed the plan, calling it an 'important step in the right direction' that balances long-term goals with neighbourhood context to provide a more affordable, livable Edmonton. He also applauded the city's youth engagement efforts.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Fire... meet gas': Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dismayed at Carney cabinet picks
OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith didn't hide her dismay at Prime Minister Mark Carney's choice of Toronto-area MP Julie Dabrusin as his new environment minister on Tuesday. 'I am very concerned the prime minister has appointed what appears to be yet another anti-oil and gas environment minister,' said Smith in a statement on Carney's cabinet picks. 'Not only is (Dabrusin) a self-proclaimed architect of the designation of plastics as toxic, but she is a staunch advocate against oil sands expansion (and) proponent of phasing out oil and gas(.)' Smith also said she was put off by Dabrusin's close ties to longtime thorn in her side Steven Guilbeault, to whom Dabrusin served as a parliamentary secretary for four years. The premier's chief of staff, Rob Anderson, was even more blunt in his reaction to Dabrusin's appointment. 'Fire… meet gas,' wrote Anderson on social media. Carney's promotion of Dabrusin to Guilbeault's old job keeps Ottawa and Alberta on a collision course over Liberal net-zero climate policies. Smith has warned Carney repeatedly that he'll need to scrap several of these policies — including the federal cap on oil and gas emissions and federal clean electricity regulations — if he wants to avoid an unprecedented national unity crisis. On Monday, Smith announced that she was indefinitely freezing Alberta's industrial carbon price at $95 per tonne, setting up a clash with the Carney Liberals over their escalating federal carbon price. Just one Alberta MP, Edmontonian Eleanor Olszewski, was named to Carney's 28-member cabinet. Rookie Calgary Liberal MP Corey Hogan was snubbed of either a cabinet or secretarial post. The reaction to Carney's new cabinet in Alberta wasn't all negative, as some in the province's business community said they were encouraged by the appointment of ex-banker Tim Hodgson as energy minister. 'Tim (Hodgson) has real life experience with Alberta's energy sector… he's seen firsthand the challenging policy environment that the federal government has put in place for the past ten years,' said Business Council of Alberta President Adam Legge. Hodgson was previously an executive with Calgary-based oil sands producer MEG Energy. Calgary-based energy analyst Heather Exner-Pirot agrees that Hodgson's appointment is good news for Alberta's energy sector. 'I don't think there's anyone else in the entire Liberal caucus who could've given as much cause for optimism as Hodgson,' said Exner-Pirot. National Post rmohamed@ Newfoundland echoes Danielle Smith's call to fix equalization Doug Ford says Carney should extend an olive branch to the West. Liberal strategists agree Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
