Good Morning, Edmonton! 🌦️

Brace yourselves! It looks like we might get our first taste of winter this weekend with snow in the forecast…fall is always too short in our neck of the woods! ⛄

So many fun Halloween attractions popping up this week. 🎃

A small ask…I could really use your help with news stories each week! I would love to include more grassroots stories about things going on as opposed to just major headlines and civic updates. They can be hard to find through all the noise…

Reply to any newsletter or send me an email anytime: [email protected]

Have the most wonderful end to your week!

—Eric

Snowy Start to the Weekend Expected in Edmonton ❄️ Edmonton could see its first real taste of winter this weekend, with rain expected to turn to snow Friday night and 2–5 cm of accumulation possible by Saturday. Temperatures are expected to hover just above freezing Saturday before conditions gradually improve into next week.

Edmonton Power Bills Set to Increase Next Year ⚡ Edmonton City Council has approved an increase to the city’s electricity distribution franchise fee, raising it from 17.65% to 19.4% starting January 1. City administration says the change will add a little over $1 per month to a typical residential power bill while generating about $20 million more annually for the city.

Edmonton’s 25-Cent Bag Fee Stays in Place 🛍️ Edmonton City Council has narrowly voted to keep the city’s 25-cent paper bag fee for takeout and retail purchases. The single-use item bylaw was introduced in 2023, and a city report found single-use waste has since dropped 30%, with paper bag waste down 10%.

Firm Helps Municipalities Navigate Data Centre Backlash 💻 Edmonton-based reVerb Communications has launched a campaign aimed at helping Alberta municipalities communicate more clearly about large-scale data centre proposals as public concern grows around power use, noise, land impacts, and consultation. The issue is becoming increasingly relevant locally, with a major data centre campus currently proposed for NE Edmonton.

St. Albert Votes Against Major Infill Changes 🏘️ St. Albert city council has voted against land-use changes that would have made it easier to build more infill housing in established neighbourhoods and add higher-density development along major transit corridors. The rejected amendments were tied to the city’s $11.8-million federal Housing Accelerator Fund agreement.

Presented by our Official Arts Partner: NUOVA Vocal Arts

🆓 CFR Pancake Breakfasts (October 8 & 10) 🥞 Kick off Canadian Finals Rodeo Week with two free community breakfasts. The Premier’s Pancake Breakfast runs Thursday from 8–10 AM at ICE District Fan Park, while Saturday’s Community Pancake Breakfast runs 8–11 AM at the Edmonton Inn & Conference Centre with live music, a petting zoo, glitter tattoos, and a free shuttle to the CFR matinée.

🆓 Cinch Canadian Country Expo (October 6–11) 🤠 You don’t need a CFR ticket to get in on the western festivities. The Edmonton EXPO Centre hosts a free tradeshow plus ranch sorting, youth rodeo, and other competitions throughout the weekend.

🆓 Spook Fest Halloween Night Market (October 10) 🎃 The Alberta Aviation Museum fills up with more than 90 vendors, Halloween characters, a photo booth, giveaways, and plenty of spooky-season atmosphere from 4–9 PM. Costumes are encouraged, and admission is free.

🆓 Farmers’ Market Season Finales (October 8 & 11) 🛍️ Two Edmonton markets wrap up their outdoor seasons this week. 124 Grand Market hosts its final Thursday market from 4–7 PM and Sunday finale from 11 AM–3 PM, while Callingwood Farmers’ Market closes out Sunday from 10 AM–3 PM with up to 125 vendors, entertainment, workshops, and kids’ activities.

🆓 Sunday Community Board Game Night (October 11) 🎲 West Jasper Sherwood Community League hosts a free drop-in board and card game night from 6:30–10 PM. Bring a favourite game or just show up and join a table.

🎟️ Canadian Finals Rodeo (October 8–10) 🤠 Canada’s top rodeo competitors take over Rogers Place for three days of championship action, with Retro Night Thursday, Canadian Night Friday, Family Day Saturday afternoon, and the championship finale Saturday night. Each performance runs about 2.5 hours. Get your tickets here!

🎟️ Pumpkins After Dark (October 8–14) 🎃 Borden Park transforms into a kilometre-long nighttime trail filled with thousands of illuminated hand-carved pumpkins, live carving demonstrations, entertainment, and fall treats. It’s family-friendly, designed without jump scares, and runs through October 31. Grab your tickets!

🎟️ DARK at Fort Edmonton Park (October 9–11) 👻 Fort Edmonton Park’s massive Halloween event returns with four haunted attractions, two scare zones, live DJs, food, and spooky drinks. General admission is $50 plus fees and GST, with Fast Pass options available. Recommended for ages 14+. Get scared here!

🎟️ Deadmonton Haunted House (Select Nights October 8–14) 😱 One of Edmonton’s biggest Halloween haunts is back at the former Edmonton Sun building with three haunted houses to explore this season. The event runs through November 7, with multiple ticket options available. Get your tickets if you dare!

🎟️ Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty (October 10) 🩰 Sleeping Beauty gets a glowing makeover at Triffo Theatre, with dancers performing in illuminated, glow-in-the-dark costumes during the one-hour show. Tickets start around $43 depending on seating and session availability. See the show!

How Edmonton Became the “Gateway to the North” ✈️

With Spook Fest taking over the Alberta Aviation Museum this weekend, it’s a good time to look back at the site that helped shape Edmonton’s identity as the “Gateway to the North.” Blatchford Field opened in 1927 and quickly became an important base for bush pilots carrying people, mail, supplies, and medical aid to remote northern communities.

One of the best-known examples came in 1929, when a diphtheria outbreak in Fort Vermilion created an urgent need for antitoxin. With winter making overland travel painfully slow, pilots Wop May and Vic Horner flew the medicine north instead. The famous “Mercy Flight” drew international attention and showed how aviation could make Edmonton a lifeline for the North.

That role grew during the Second World War, when Blatchford became part of the Northwest Staging Route, helping move aircraft, personnel, and supplies north through Alaska. Today, much of that history still lives on at the Alberta Aviation Museum. ✈️

Swish 👗 10826 124 St NW

A longtime fixture in Edmonton’s 124 Street shopping district, Swish has been curating vintage fashion and designer clothing for more than 20 years. The boutique specializes in women’s vintage and designer pieces, including clothing, accessories, shoes, and handbags selected for their quality, wearability, and character.

What makes Swish especially interesting is the history behind some of its pieces. Certain items even come with their original provenance and photographs of the people who once wore them, giving the shop a mix of fashion boutique and treasure hunt.

Whether you’re looking for a rare designer find, an outfit for a special occasion, or something completely one-of-a-kind, Swish is one of those Edmonton shops where it’s worth slowing down and looking through the racks. 👇

📸 @swishygirl
📍 10826 124 St NW
🕒 Tue–Sat 11 AM–5 PM; Sun 12–4 PM; Mon closed