The MacEwan University Journalism program downtown community news site
Volume II
No. 4: March 22, 2021
Walking wariness
Editor’s Notebook: I’ve been lucky. Even that sentence should be wrong. I shouldn’t have to be lucky to avoid harassment or threats when walking the streets alone at night.
Dancing in the dark
One year into the pandemic, and with no live shows in sight, performing art venues like the Citadel have had to find ingenious ways to stay in business while going dark.
Gregg’s Edmonton
It may still be early in the 2021 mayoral race, but the left-leaning Brian Gregg, whom many call “Breezy,” seems unlike any candidate we’ve seen thus far.
Living room convocation
As a fresh batch of MacEwan students makes its way out into the real world this April, students reflect on their cancelled ceremony, high tuition, and life after graduation.
Relocation in quarantine
When COVID hit, the local Queer-run and owned bakery, Doughnut Party, shifted its business model to focus on online and delivery orders. Now, as restrictions ease, they may never go back.
Hidden cost of COVID
As the number of active COVID cases declines, the number of mental health issues continues to skyrocket. Psychologists have their hands full as Edmontonians face the after-effects of layoffs, lockdowns and isolation.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Nikita Case
Assistant managing editor: Peter Williams
Photo editor: Cole Buhler
Copy chief: Austin Schuster
Copy editors: Brooklyn Cooper, Benjamin Hollihan
Contributors: Brittany Burridge, Brendan Collinge, Haley Grinder, Preston Hodgkinson, Chris Ranta, Andy Trussler
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 3: March 8, 2021
A cynic’s war
One pastor’s refusal to follow the rules led to a strange standoff between anti-maskers and counter-protesters. Our reporter tells you what it was like to be there.
Edmonton on ice
This winter, for the first time, downtown patios are decorated with ice sculptures – as the ones on the South Side have been since 2003. The idea is to give people a reason to get out and enjoy the city.
Masking the issue
Since Edmonton enacted the Temporary Face Covering bylaw in August, city officials have been open about their approach to issuing tickets. And it turns out that compliance is lowest on the LRT.
Watson’s Edmonton
Mayoral candidate Cheryll Watson has kicked off her campaign with a declaration that she wants to revitalize the downtown. So far, she hasn’t told us how she plans to do it.
Krushell’s Edmonton
Since Kim Krushell announced Jan. 27 that she would run for mayor, she has been clear that her campaign would have a “distinct difference” from that of competitor Mike Nickel.
Growing like a weed
People are wearing masks and adhering to social-distance guidelines more than ever. Yet, one thing that has been overshadowed by the pandemic has been the exponential growth of cannabis shops within the city.
Platitudes & protection
Editor’s notebook: In the fall, a Muslim woman was threatened on the LRT, and her complaint “laughed at” by the Edmonton Police Service. Another woman, 27, was thrown to the ground by someone who threatened to strip off her burka.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Andy Trussler
Assistant managing editor: Nikita Case
Photo editor: Benjamin Hollihan
Copy chief: Brendan Collinge
Copy editors: Haley Grinder, Peter Williams
Contributors: Cole Buhler, Brittany Burridge, Brooklyn Cooper, Preston Hodgkinson, Chris Ranta, Austin Schuster
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 2: Feb. 15, 2021
A hole in the city
The Baccarat Casino was demolished in 2019. Now, the lot is empty and owners the Katz Group want to turn it into more parking for the Ice District, but the idea has been met with resistance from City Council.
Brave, meek or hater?
Traditional ways of celebrating Valentine’s Day can still be special during these unprecedented times, as long as health and safety are in mind, whether you go out for Valentine’s Day, or stay in.
Car-crash art
Unlike the $600,000 pile of silver balls, the giant baseball bat and the Southgate legs standing 20 feet high, Carbon Copy sculpture gets thumbs-up reviews from two MacEwan University art majors.
COVID and caring
Helping the homeless and unhoused has been complicated by COVID. As the pandemic approaches its one-year anniversary, priorities and practices have significantly shifted from what they were this time last year.
Opening to danger?
Editor’s notebook: Jason Kenney and the UCP are once again putting the demands of their rural Alberta base before the needs of the cities – where most Albertans live.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Benjamin Hollihan
Assistant managing editor: Andy Trussler
Photo editor: Cole Buhler
Copy chief: Preston Hodgkinson
Copy editors: Nikita Case, Chris Ranta
Contributors: Brittany Burridge, Brendan Collinge, Brooklyn Cooper, Haley Grinder, Austin Schuster, Andy Trussler, Peter Williams
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca
No. 1: Feb. 1, 2021
Online pros and cons
Cut, colour and COVID
How one hair salon has adapted to this complicated time by integrating the provincially mandated protocols into daily operations – with the goal of ensuring health and safety of its employees and clients.
Orbiting for wildfire
Since 2018, there have been 15,031 wildfires in Canada, devastating vast areas of woodlands. Timely information is critical in managing wildfires, and climate change is raising the stakes.
Six months of the mask
It has been six months since city council enacted the mask bylaw. In December, the city started cracking down and handing out more fines. The LRT still struggles with compliance, and the city seems to be ignoring it.
Food bank … rupt
Food banks were intended as a semi-permanent solution to food insecurity. But, volunteers say, putting the responsibility for feeding the homeless on charity allows us to simply give and forget.
A town for all seasons
Learning to love winter could make us healthier. But making Edmonton a winter-friendly city means examining everything from neighbourhood accessibility to building design, to infrastructure.
Segways in the snow
River Valley Adventure is banking that its Segway tours of the city will attract Edmontonians who are sick of sitting indoors but want to get out and enjoy the brisk weather and Alberta sunshine together … but apart.
Back to City’s Centre
About us
Managing editor: Brittany Burridge
Assistant managing editor: Benjamin Hollihan
Photo editor: Christopher Ranta
Copy chief: Haley Grinder
Copy editors: Brendan Collinge, Preston Hodgkinson
Contributors: Cole Buhler, Nikita Case, Brendan Collinge, Brooklyn Cooper, Haley Grinder, Austin Schuster, Andy Trussler, Peter Williams
Publisher: Brian Gorman PhD, associate professor of journalism
gormanb3@macewan.ca