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I Hate it Here is your insider’s guide to surviving and thriving in HR, from someone who’s been there. It’s not about theory or buzzwords — it’s about practical, real-world advice for navigating everything from tricky managers to messy policies.
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Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.
Good morning, Edmonton.
It is a cool and showery one out there today, with morning rain and a high of just 8°C before some sunny breaks arrive this evening, so maybe save the patio plans for tomorrow. There is plenty to catch up on though: Alberta just released a massive passenger rail plan with an Edmonton airport connection at the very front of the queue, a brand new Ipsos poll is shifting the picture on the October referendum and Canmore is dealing with some serious flooding if a mountain escape was on your weekend list. Grab your coffee and let us get into it.💛
Alberta Just Laid Out Its 30-Year Train Plan and Step One Has an Edmonton Stop
Alberta officially released its Passenger Rail Master Plan on Friday and the very first project on the list is a train connecting downtown Edmonton to the Edmonton International Airport, with all-day commuter service every 20 minutes also planned for St. Albert in the full build-out.
The long-range vision includes high-speed trains reaching over 300 km/h between Edmonton and Calgary via Red Deer, with more than one departure per hour on that corridor.
The province is committing $15 million toward planning over the next three years, with a full network buildout estimated to cost at least $60 billion.
This one has been talked about for years. Now there is an actual plan with a first step and a price tag. Are you sold on taking the train?
A New Poll Says Only 18 Per Cent of Albertans Would Vote to Leave Canada
The freshest numbers on the October 19 referendum are in and they show support for Alberta separatism dropping sharply since January, when 28 per cent backed leaving. A new Ipsos poll done for Global News between May 28 and June 1 puts that figure at just 18 per cent today, with 72 per cent saying they would vote to stay.
In Edmonton specifically, only 16 per cent would vote to leave, compared with 27 per cent in the rest of Alberta outside Calgary.
Ipsos CEO Darrell Bricker said support is softening because the vote is starting to feel real: the closer October gets, the more second-guessing is happening.
The numbers are moving. Whether that changes anything on October 19 is still a four-month question.
Hurricanes Win Game 2 in Overtime and Game 3 Is Tonight in Las Vegas
Carolina came back from two goals down in the third period Thursday night to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime, tying the Stanley Cup Final at 1-1. Seth Jarvis finished it on a power play just under four minutes into extra time.
Vegas won Game 1 by the same score two days earlier, making this one of the tighter and more physical series openers in recent memory.
Game 3 drops tonight at 8 p.m. in Las Vegas.
No Oilers in it this year but a genuinely great hockey series to have on while the rain comes down tonight. Are you watching?
Signal Told Parliament It Will Leave Canada Before It Breaks Encryption for the Government
The encrypted messaging app Signal told a House of Commons committee this week that if Bill C-22 passes in its current form, it will pull out of Canada entirely rather than comply. DuckDuckGo confirmed it would remove its VPN service. NordVPN, Tailscale and Windscribe all made the same warning.
The bill would require service providers to hold onto your metadata including IP addresses and location data for up to a year, with secret ministerial orders allowing police access without a court warrant.
The University of Toronto's Citizen Lab called the bill fundamentally flawed and is calling for the key surveillance sections to be withdrawn entirely.
The minister says encryption protection amendments are coming. A lot of companies are not waiting around to find out.
Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius
Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.
North Korea Unveiled a New Nuclear Fuel Plant. The Very Next Day, China Said Xi Is Coming to Visit.
North Korea released state media images this week of Kim Jong Un touring what South Korea assessed as a new uranium enrichment plant, with Kim calling for an "exponential" increase in nuclear weapons production. The day after those images landed, China announced that Xi Jinping will make a state visit to North Korea next week, his first trip since 2019.
South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring the facility. Experts note North Korea has now revealed two new enrichment sites in under two years.
Canada recently warned about Chinese intelligence operations targeting Canadians with access to sensitive information, with CFB Edmonton among the noted local connections.
North Korea gets bolder and China steps closer. That combination rarely stays contained to their corner of the world.
Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius
Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.
Edmonton local Weather
Day ⬇2° lower than historical avg, Night ⬆2° higher than historical avg.
🌤️ Edmonton Weather - Saturday June 6th
It is a cool and unsettled Saturday in Edmonton, with morning rain giving way to showers through the afternoon before some sunny breaks arrive this evening and a high of just 8°C. Pack a layer if you are heading out tonight, with the overnight low dropping to around 2°C.
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📅 Events Happening This Week in Edmonton
Saturday June 6th
🌸 UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6 · ⏰ Festival hours · 📍 Borden Park, Edmonton
The festival continues with more programming.
🌸 Nextfest 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6–9 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
A free multi-genre arts festival.
🌸 BeerFest Days 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6–9 · ⏰ 11:00 AM–11:00 PM · 📍 Churchill Square, Edmonton
A downtown summer festival with food, drinks, and entertainment.
🌸 Give a Breath 5K 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6 · ⏰ Morning · 📍 Whitemud Park, Edmonton
A charity 5K run and walk.
🌸 Leduc Black Gold Pro Rodeo & Fair 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6–7 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Leduc
A regional fair and rodeo weekend south of Edmonton.
🌸 Beverly Towne Farmers’ Market 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 6 · ⏰ Not open Fridays
I’m leaving it out of the live Friday market list.
Sunday June 7th
🌸 Edmonton International BeerFest 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ Festival hours · 📍 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
A downtown beer festival running June 4–8.
🌸 UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ Festival hours · 📍 Borden Park, Edmonton
The Ukrainian festival continues through the weekend.
🌸 Muttart Conservatory 50th Anniversary Celebration 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ 11:00 AM–2:00 PM · 📍 Muttart Conservatory, Edmonton
A special anniversary celebration at the pyramids.
🌸 Government House Open House 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ 12:00 PM–4:00 PM · 📍 Government House, Edmonton
A free open house with family activities and heritage programming.
🌸 Downtown Edmonton Block Party Series – Celebrate Pride 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ Afternoon · 📍 Rice Howard Way, Edmonton
A free downtown block party with drag, music, and family activities.
🌸 Leagues on the Line 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ Daytime · 📍 Valley LRT line stops, Edmonton
A free community event spread across several LRT-adjacent neighborhoods.
🌸 Farmers’ Days Rodeo & Exhibition 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Heritage Park, Stony Plain
A major regional rodeo and exhibition weekend.
Monday June 8th
🌸 Edmonton International BeerFest 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ Festival hours · 📍 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
BeerFest continues for its final day.
🌸 UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ Festival hours · 📍 Borden Park, Edmonton
Final day of the festival.
🌸 Nature Kids Events 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ Family programming · 📍 Edmonton
City-listed nature-themed activities running June 4–8.
🌸 Lazycat Garden Market 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ 10:00 AM–4:00 PM · 📍 Edmonton
A garden market listed on the Edmonton Events Calendar.
🌸 Farmers’ Days Rodeo & Exhibition 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Heritage Park, Stony Plain
The Stony Plain rodeo and exhibition continues through Sunday.
🌸 A Little Bit of Pride – Seniors Event 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 8 · ⏰ Afternoon · 📍 Edmonton
A Pride-themed community event for seniors.
Around Edmonton
🌸 Leduc Black Gold Pro Rodeo & Fair 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7–8 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Leduc
A major regional fair and rodeo south of Edmonton.
🌸 Farmers’ Days Rodeo & Exhibition 🎟️ Details
🗓 June 7–8 · ⏰ All day · 📍 Stony Plain
A big weekend event just west of Edmonton.
Alberta just announced a plan to build a train from downtown Edmonton to the airport. So we have to ask.
Once the Edmonton airport rail connection opens, are you:
🚂 First in line. Take my car keys, I am riding the train.
🚗 I will drive, thanks. I like my car and my schedule.
Drop your vote in the comments or hit reply. Let us see where Edmonton and the surrounding area lands on this one.