Latest news with #MacEwanUniversity
CTV News
13 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Downtown developers partner with MacEwan University to offer discounted rent to students
An aerial image of downtown Edmonton, including Rogers Place and the Stantec and Bell Towers, taken over MacEwan University's clock tower on May 23, 2024. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton) A new pilot project initiated by MacEwan University aims to assist students with off-campus housing in downtown Edmonton. The project is in collaboration with Qualico Properties and MacLab Development Group and will help to ensure students have access to housing that is affordable, said a statement from the university. 'Improving housing accessibility and affordability takes a creative approach to address the pressures our students are experiencing,' said Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor at MacEwan University. The off-campus housing pilot program will begin in summer 2025, offering students discounts on select downtown rentals that are close to campus. Students who are interested in accessing the housing initiative can do so by contacting select property owners to learn what units and lease terms are available. A lease on an eligible unit must be signed before Sept. 1, 2025, to qualify for the discount. Participating properties with available units are The Switch at 10465 101 Street and The Parks at 10135 108 Street.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Partnerships are key to providing student housing
Access to safe and affordable housing has become one of the most pressing issues faced by university students across Canada. While the impact is greatest on students themselves, their lack of accessible housing has serious downstream effects on our economy, downtown vibrancy, and the ability to grow to meet needs of industry and our community. Edmonton is experiencing significant increases in rental rates. The average rent for a one-bedroom unit in October 2024, was $1,362 — up 30 per cent from the average rent of $1,049 just three years ago — and rents are still rising. This financial burden is compounded by similar increases in food and transportation costs. Students are having an increasingly difficult time balancing their responsibilities at school with the need to earn enough income to cover their cost of living. This has serious impacts on Alberta's economic future as industry and local communities are telling us they need more talent to drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth. MacEwan University takes great pride in our place in O-day'min, our ward in the city, and our contributions to the vibrancy and safety of the downtown area. We currently bring over 20,000 people to the core every day during our fall and winter terms, and with our plans to grow to 30,000 students by 2030, we will have an even greater impact on downtown revitalization. We are not growing for growth's sake. We are growing to meet the demographic demands of youth in high school and the demands from the economy. Roughly one third of MacEwan's students rent their accommodations and as we grow, more students will be looking for places to live, particularly downtown. The Downtown Investment Plan identified we need to double downtown's population by 25,000 residents, and the Downtown Action Plan echoes this as a priority for downtown's growth. Students can be part of the solution. Our student residence of 846 beds is at capacity. We do not want to own, operate, or maintain a new residence; we are focusing on our core mission of post-secondary education. Our approach to housing has been to identify and work with partners to support housing options for our students. We want the housing industry to do what it does best: Support accessible housing for our students. About 18 months ago, we began bringing people together to find new and creative ways of ensuring downtown has more accessible housing for our students. We brought developers, property managers, social-housing leaders, the municipal government, and students together. We surveyed our MacEwan students. We did predictive modeling of our growth. We've been working with this information and listening to these needs over the past many months. We believe we're developing a responsive approach to MacEwan's student housing that focuses on partnerships. As a result, MacEwan invited potential partners to submit proposals for accessible housing for students. Interested vendors responded and committed to a set number of units at a discount for MacEwan students. Simply put, students have another option for accessible housing in proximity to MacEwan, and properties get help attracting renters to their building. This fall, we will be piloting this new approach. If successful, the plan is to add more units with a variety of properties over the next few years, adapting the number and variety of units as demand and the housing market evolve. Helping the private sector understand the affordability challenges that students are experiencing provides benefits beyond this project. Many housing options are not designed for students, and the conversations we've had will help the housing sector conceive and plan projects that take the needs, wishes and concerns of students into consideration. Things like 24-7 security, high-speed internet, laundry facilities, reasonable rent, intergenerational connections, and gathering spaces are important. Improving housing accessibility takes a creative approach and a sustained commitment from all stakeholders — government, business, industry, and other key players — to address the pressures our students and broader community are experiencing. This is a pilot and we anticipate, if successful, a new approach to securing housing for our students. Dr. Annette Trimbee is president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University. 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@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal |The Edmonton Sun.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
UK may need to consider digital and eco-friendly graveyard solutions as space for dead runs out
UK may need to consider digital and eco-friendly graveyard solutions as space for dead runs out Innovative ways to bury the dead will be needed in the near future, especially in overcrowded urban areas, according to a new study by a professor at Canada's MacEwan University Graveyards could go digital in the future as UK towns and cities run out of space (Image: Getty Images ) Experts warn that cemeteries may need to adopt digital solutions as urban areas in England and Wales are rapidly running out of burial space. With the global death rate projected to reach nearly 90 million by 2048, innovative burial methods will be necessary, especially in overcrowded cities. In 2024, England and Wales recorded 568,613 deaths, prompting The Law Commission to suggest reusing old graves and reopening closed burial grounds, some of which have been declared "full" since the Victorian era, to address the shortage. To ensure respect for the deceased, safeguards would be implemented, allowing graves to be repurposed only if the last burial occurred at least 75 years ago. A recent study by Dr. Farzan Baradaran Rahimi, an assistant professor at MacEwan University in Canada, proposes alternative ways to remember the deceased, such as living on as trees, generating green electricity, or even as holograms that can converse with loved ones. The Necropolis 4.0 report highlights that factors such as population growth, climate change, land shortage, resource constraints, and social inequalities are contributing to the diminishing availability of burial space. Graveyards are running out of space (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images ) It emphasises "there is still an increasing need to find new ways to design for death as a social space in the urban future to make it less resource-demanding and isolated, but more nature-friendly and social leveraging emerging technologies and techniques". In the future, cemeteries may transform from traditional headstone rows into interactive spaces where we engage with our ancestors. The report envisions people uploading their memories to extensive databases during their lifetimes, reports the Mirror. Article continues below Artificial intelligence will be utilised to create holograms, enabling future generations to interact with virtual versions of ourselves. In parallel, our remains could be placed in biodegradable pods with seeds, fostering the growth of trees and shrubs. Thermal towers could harness the heat emitted to generate electricity through turbines. Dr Rahimi is optimistic about the potential shift in conventional attitudes towards death, particularly among younger generations. He commented: "While some will embrace the idea of 'digital immortality', others may resist it, particularly due to cultural or spiritual understandings of death, the afterlife, and the nature of existence. But younger generations - and those that follow - may be more receptive to these ideas. "They might see such concepts as a natural evolution of the world they inhabit, where identity and presence can extend beyond the physical realm." Experts suggest greener and more digital orientated solutions could be the answer (Image: Getty Images ) Dr Rahimi led a group of specialists to explore radical ideas about mortality. His study, featured in the journal Cities, suggests: "A nature-human-machine relationship... paves the way for... a novel, green, and sustainable design for death in the urban future. Necropolis 4.0 eliminates the need for physical burial spaces, significantly reducing the environmental footprint." Article continues below Necropolis 4.0 envisions a system of subterranean centres where individuals can preserve their memories. These hubs would also serve as places for people to interact with holograms that replicate our voices and facial expressions. The deceased would be laid to rest in biodegradable pods alongside seeds to cultivate plants. The report further notes: "This paves the way for the spread of greenery, extending even to the rooftop gardens of skyscrapers. "As the plants flourish, they contribute to the natural beauty of the surroundings while also purifying the air. Thermal energy created in the rapid composition process will serve the power grid across the city."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Towns and cities are running out of space to bury the dead
Innovative ways to bury the dead will be needed in the near future especially in overcrowded urban areas Graveyards could be forced to go digital as towns and cities are set to run out of room to bury the dead, experts say. The United Nations estimates total annual global deaths will reach nearly 90 million in 2048. So innovative ways to bury the dead will be needed in the near future, especially in overcrowded urban areas. Last year The Law Commission warned urban areas across England and Wales are fast running out of burial space. In 2024, there were 568,613 deaths registered in England and Wales. They suggested old graves could be reused and closed burial grounds - some of which were declared 'full' in Victorian times - should be reopened to tackle a shortage of space for the dead. Safeguards would also be in place for each individual grave, with plots only eligible for repurpose when the last person was buried at least 75 years ago. Now a study by Dr Farzan Baradaran Rahimi, assistant professor of design and immersive learning at Canada's MacEwan University, says we're destined to live on as trees, green electricity and even holograms that can chat to relatives. The Necropolis 4.0 report states population growth, climate change, land shortage, resource constraints, and social inequalities are all factors in the declining amount of burial space. It says 'there is still an increasing need to find new ways to design for death as a social space in the urban future to make it less resource-demanding and isolated, but more nature-friendly and social leveraging emerging technologies and techniques'. Instead of rows of headstones future cemeteries will become an interactive experience with our ancestors. The report predicts that during their lifetimes, people will be able to upload memories into vast databases. AI will create holograms, allowing future generations to share our experiences with virtual versions of ourselves. Meanwhile, our bodies would be interred with seeds in biodegradable pods which will help bushes and trees grow. The heat given off will be gathered in thermal towers to power electricity turbines. Dr Rahimi believes his ideas would change conventional views on death – and is convinced the young generations will understand. He said: 'While some will embrace the idea of 'digital immortality', others may resist it, particularly due to cultural or spiritual understandings of death, the afterlife, and the nature of existence. But younger generations - and those that follow - may be more receptive to these ideas. 'They might see such concepts as a natural evolution of the world they inhabit, where identity and presence can extend beyond the physical realm.' Dr Rahimi convened a panel of experts to think the unthinkable about death. His report, published in the journal Cities, states: 'A nature-human-machine relationship… paves the way for… a novel, green, and sustainable design for death in the urban future. Necropolis 4.0 eliminates the need for physical burial spaces, significantly reducing the environmental footprint.' Necropolis 4.0 would see a network of underground hubs where the living will drop in and upload their memories. And they will also be where loved ones will later visit holograms that mimic our voice and facial expressions. Bodies would be interred with seeds in biodegradable pods to grow plants. The report adds: 'This paves the way for the spread of greenery, extending even to the rooftop gardens of skyscrapers. 'As the plants flourish, they contribute to the natural beauty of the surroundings while also purifying the air. Thermal energy created in the rapid composition process will serve the power grid across the city.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oil-Rich Alberta Could Vote to Separate from Canada
Alberta could vote next year on whether to separate from Canada if a citizen-led petition gathers the requisite number of signatures requesting such a question to be put to a referendum. That's what Danielle Smith, the Premier of the Alberta province, which is the heart of Canada's oil industry, said this week, just after the Liberals led by Mark Carney won the federal election and ahead of Carney's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Smith stressed that the provincial government itself would not be seeking a referendum on an Alberta secession. 'To be clear from the outset, our government will not be putting a vote on separation from Canada on the referendum ballot; however, if there is a successful citizen-led referendum petition that is able to gather the requisite number of signatures requesting such a question to be put to a referendum, our government will respect the democratic process and include that question on the 2026 provincial referendum ballot as well,' Smith said. The government of Alberta will create an 'Alberta Next' panel aimed at protecting the province from 'any current or future hostile policies of the federal government,' including attempts to block Alberta's resource development. Following the federal election, Alberta will take steps to protect itself from overreaching federal policies and will pursue a new 'Alberta Accord' within Canada, require Alberta's consent on any export restrictions of Canadian resources, and demand guaranteed port access for Alberta energy and resources, Smith said. Related: U.S. Freeport LNG Export Plant Set to Resume Service After Outage The premier reiterated that 'I do not support Alberta separating from Canada. I personally still have hope that there is a path forward for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a United Canada.' 'So I am going to do everything within my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new Prime Minister,' Smith noted. For years, Alberta has been opposing federal legislation regarding emissions and resource development. Alberta has been fighting the federal government on the plan to cap emissions from oil and gas production, which the province and the industry see essentially as a cap on output. Analysts are skeptical about whether citizens in the province will gather enough signatures to include a vote on separation in a referendum. 'These grievances are serious,' John Soroski, a political scientist at MacEwan University in Edmonton, told Associated Press. 'I think the prospects of separation are highly unlikely.' The issue of a possible referendum on Alberta's separation was raised hours before the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney headed to the U.S. to meet with President Trump. The meeting appeared friendlier than many expected, although Trump once again raised the proposal of a 'wonderful marriage' of incorporating Canada into the U.S. Carney firmly rejected the marriage proposal with a carefully worded reply, 'As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,' and likened Canada to the Oval Office and to Britain's Buckingham Palace. 'Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale. Won't be for sale, ever.' Before the meeting, President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to express his frustration with the U.S. trade deficit with Canada. 'We don't need their Cars, we don't need their Energy, we don't need their Lumber, we don't need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain,' President Trump wrote on Tuesday, referring to Canada. But the fact is that the U.S. needs Canada's energy, especially its crude oil, which is being refined in many refineries in the Midwest and on the Gulf Coast. Canada is the single biggest crude oil supplier to the United States, accounting for about 50% of U.S. gross petroleum imports with volumes of more than 4 million barrels per day (bpd). The U.S. trade deficit with Canada jumped to $4.9 billion in March 2025, sharply higher compared to previous months, data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showed on Tuesday. It was higher imports of cars, crude oil, and finished wood products – goods that Trump claims the U.S. doesn't need from Canada – that pushed up the U.S. deficit with its neighbor to the north. By Tsvetana Paraskova for More Top Reads From Read this article on
