Good Morning, Edmonton! 🌥️

It has been quite the week about town with playoff hockey underway, some interesting civic news, and festivals galore to keep you, your friends, and your family entertained!

I’ve got it all for you here…there’s also a really interesting story behind Edmonton’s streetcars in the Worth Your Time section that I think you’ll like...

I love learning about who’s reading River City Lights. Our audience is so diverse, and I know many of you are starting/running businesses and building something just like me.

I want to know about it! So for the business owners, can I ask you…👇

Looking forward to all the great things we can achieve together! I hope you enjoy this week’s River City Lights.

—Eric

Today’s Edition:

  • 🏒 Oilers split Round 1 + watch party energy takes over the city

  • ☀️ Big civic shifts: patio fees, time change talks & Exhibition Lands reset

  • 🌿 Free weekend plans: indie bookstore crawl, Naturecore Expo & Snow Goose Festival

  • 🍫 Events lineup: ChocoFest, R&B Fest + live music & theatre all week

  • 🌉 Edmonton’s streetcar comeback story + a must-try local pizza spot

This Week In YEG

  • Daylight Saving Time could finally be over in Alberta! ☀️ Alberta is seriously considering ending the twice-yearly clock changes, with the government now consulting industries on what a permanent time zone would look like. Nothing is locked in yet, but the move would mean staying on one time year-round (likely aligning with Saskatchewan).

Are you in favour of a permanent time zone and not having to change the clocks twice per year? | Photo: iStock

  • New Patio Fees Are Hurting Local Restaurants ☀️ Some Edmonton restaurants are rethinking patios altogether as new city fees kick in. With costs now around $3,700 (seasonal) or $6,900 (year-round), some businesses say it’s just one more expense on already thin margins, raising concerns about fewer patios and less vibrancy downtown and on Whyte Ave this summer.

Rocky Mountain Icehouse co-owners Wayne Jones and Susan Forscy feel like the move is a “bait-and-switch” by the city after they invested heavily in their patio space to improve the downtown core. | Photo: Rocky Mountain Icehouse

  • Exhibition Lands Plan Back to the Drawing Board 🏗️ Edmonton is reworking its redevelopment plans for Exhibition Lands after concerns that proposed housing would leave too little room for major events at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The city now aims to better balance new mixed-use, transit-oriented development with preserving space for large gatherings like K-Days. This means the vision is still moving forward, but with a reset to protect one of Edmonton’s key event hubs.

Edmonton Coliseum, which sits within the Exhibition Lands area. | Photo: CBC

  • Edmonton Eyes Global Hydrogen Opportunity ⚡ The Edmonton region is teaming up with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to explore building a liquefied hydrogen supply chain, with the potential to turn Alberta into a major energy exporter. The partnership brings together local groups like Edmonton Global and the region’s Hydrogen HUB to study everything from production to shipping—eventually sending hydrogen by rail to the West Coast and overseas to markets like Japan.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Tuesday at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention between Kei Nomura of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Brent Lakeman of the Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB, and Mark Plamondon of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association. | Photo: Colin Gallant; Taproot Edmonton

  • Edmonton Tower Sets Global Solar Art Record 🌞 SunRise Residential Tower has earned a Guinness World Record for the largest solar panel artwork, featuring a massive mural called “The Land We Share.” The design uses colourful solar panels to symbolize connection between people, land, and energy, reflecting Alberta’s natural landscapes while generating power for the building itself. It spans 379 meters—see it for yourself! 📍 10609 101 Street NW

A stunning display that carries not only powerful cultural significance, but also further imbues the city with a sense of global capability and recognition. | Photo: Avenue Living

The boys will be looking for two big wins starting Friday in Anaheim. | Photo: Sportsnet

Free Things To Do

  • 🆓 Indie Bookstore Crawl Takes Over Edmonton (April 24-25) Book lovers, this one’s for you. 📚 Edmonton’s indie bookstores are teaming up for a city-wide passport-style crawl celebrating independent shops and local reading culture. Over the weekend, you can visit multiple bookstores, collect stamps, and enter to win prizes, all while discovering some of the city’s best hidden literary gems.

16 different bookstores around the city are participating! | Photo: Edmonton Events

  • 🆓 Naturecore Expo coming to the river valley (Saturday, April 25th) This one’s for plant lovers. Naturecore Expo, Edmonton’s biggest botanical shopping experience, is back with 60+ local vendors selling everything from rare houseplants to botanical art. Plus there will be food trucks, live music, and even flash tattoos! It’s free to attend, and great for the whole family! 🌿

  • 🆓 Snow Goose Festival Just Outside Edmonton (April 25-26) Looking for something different this weekend? 🪶 The Snow Goose Festival runs this weekend in Tofield (about 45 mins from Edmonton), where you can witness thousands of migrating snow geese and other birds passing through Beaverhill Lake. Expect guided bus tours and hikes, a free trade show, speakers, and even a banquet. It’s a unique, family-friendly way to experience one of Alberta’s most impressive natural events!

Paid Events You’ll Love

  • 🎟️ ChocoFest returns this weekend 🍫 (Apr 24–25) Alberta’s premier chocolate tasting festival is back at Millennium Place in Sherwood Park. It brings together top chocolatiers from across Canada for two days of tastings, desserts, and hands-on experiences. Expect everything from artisanal bonbons to a full cookie bake-off, plus an adults-only Friday night and family-friendly Saturday (kids 12 & under get in free). Get tickets!

A sweet treat type of weekend as ChocoFest rolls into town! | Photo: ChocoFest

  • 🎟️ R&B Fest Brings Throwback Vibes to Edmonton (Saturday, April 25th) R&B Fest is coming to Temple Ballroom this Saturday, 4–9pm, delivering a full-on throwback party packed with 90s and 2000s R&B anthems. 🎶 Expect DJs spinning classics, dancers, confetti, and a high-energy club atmosphere—it’s a DJ-led experience (not live performers) built for singing along and dancing all night. Tickets here!

A 90s and 2000s themed party happening this weekend! | Photo: Like It, Love It

Meghan Patrick + Hailey Benedict are at Midway next Tuesday! | Photo: CISN Country

  • 🎟️ The East Coast Sound of The Ennis Sisters (Tuesday, April 28th) JUNO-winning folk trio The Ennis Sisters are coming to Studio96 next Tuesday at 7:30pm, bringing their signature blend of Celtic-inspired harmonies and storytelling to the stage. 🎤 With over 25 years of music and 14 albums behind them, the Newfoundland group is known for heartfelt performances that capture the spirit of the East Coast. Get your tickets!

After spending part of my life in the Maritimes, I’m looking forward to checking out this performance! | Photo: The Ennis Sisters

  • 🎟️ A Love Letter to Sondheim Hits Whyte Ave (Wednesday, April 29th) Musical theatre fans won’t want to miss A Love Letter to Sondheim put on by Brave Space Theatre next Wednesday 7–8pm. A one-night showcase celebrating the legendary composer behind classics like Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and West Side Story. 🎭 Featuring a lineup of local performers, the show brings together some of Sondheim’s most iconic songs for an intimate, nostalgia-filled evening. Tickets here!

Only $15 to experience a fantastic night of composition at Grindstone Theatre! | Photo: Brave Space Theatre

Next Week Notables 👇

Worth Your Time

READ: How Edmonton’s streetcars refused to disappear 🌉
Edmonton’s streetcar system officially shut down in 1951, with nearly every car scrapped except for one, which sat abandoned for years…slowly deteriorating from weather and vandalism. What could’ve been the end of the story turned into something else entirely: in the 1960s, volunteers stepped in to restore that original car, eventually getting it running again and sparking a decades-long revival effort.

Built in 1912 and restored by volunteers of the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, the Edmonton 33 streetcar can be seen here travelling across the High Level Bridge. | Photo: CBC News

From there, it grew into something much bigger. A group, which eventually came to be known as the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, began tracking down old streetcars across Western Canada (some had been repurposed as cottages, barns, even roadside diners) and painstakingly restored them piece by piece. By the 1980s, streetcars were running again at Fort Edmonton Park, and by the late ’90s, they were crossing the High Level Bridge under their own power for the first time in decades.

Today, that same volunteer-driven effort keeps the system alive, with historic streetcars running every summer (plan your ride here), turning what was nearly lost into one of the most unique and meaningful experiences in Edmonton.

Local Finds

Birch & Bear Pizza 📍 Jasper Ave, Ritchie & Forest Heights

Birch & Bear Pizza is a local Edmonton pizza spot known for its unique sourdough crust and creative toppings. They operate multiple locations across the city, including spots in Forest Heights, Ritchie, and Oliver, making them a popular choice for high-quality, artisanal pies in several neighborhoods.

Pick up the phone and order from these guys TONIGHT! | Photo: Birch & Bear Pizza

They emerged as a creative spin-off of Toast Culture, fueled by owner Josh Wilhelm’s passion for traditional Neapolitan techniques and his West Coast culinary background. This locally owned shop offers a curated fusion of artisanal plant-based "Birch" creations and hearty, meat-driven "Bear" favourites.

Give them a follow 👇 and grab yourself a pie today!

📸 @birchandbearpizza

📍 Forest Heights: 8210 106 Ave NW
📍 Ritchie: 9918 76 Ave NW
📍 Oliver: 11965 Jasper Ave

Before You Go…

Stay warm out there, Edmonton! We’ve all seen the forecast…so I’ll say no more. 👀

Have a wonderful rest of the week, and I’ll talk to you next Thursday!

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