In this Urban Brief Edmonton Edition…
Alberta's Flu Season Just Claimed Its Youngest Victim
This flu season took a heartbreaking turn when Alberta confirmed the death of a baby under one year old from influenza.
⚡ The Moment The province revealed the infant death this week, noting the child actually passed away back in December. The delay in disclosure is standard for pediatric respiratory deaths, which require additional investigation before being confirmed and made public.
The infant is the first person under 20 to die from the flu in Alberta this season
Alberta has recorded 258 influenza deaths so far this season, one of the deadliest on record
Only about one in five Albertans received a flu shot this season, the lowest uptake since 2010
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is urging Albertans to get vaccinated, stay home when sick, and call Health Link at 811
Is your family vaccinated? This season is a sobering reminder that the flu is not just a bad cold.
Oilers Win But the City Holds Its Breath Over Draisaitl
The Oilers snapped a two game skid last night with a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators, but the bigger story is what happened to Leon Draisaitl in the first period.
⚡ The Moment Draisaitl scored a power play goal just over three minutes into the game, then took a hard hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt that sent him down the tunnel. He tried to return for a couple of shifts but never came back for the second period. No official update on his status has been released.
McDavid picked up three assists and extended his points streak against Nashville to 18 straight games
Matt Savoie and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, now sitting at 33 wins on the season
Connor Ingram was solid in net making 26 saves
The Oilers host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday and Draisaitl's status is a major question mark
Are you worried about Draisaitl? Drop your thoughts below.
Downtown Edmonton Just Got a Lot More Complicated Starting Today
If you drive through downtown Edmonton, your regular route through 102 Avenue is gone as of this morning.
The City of Edmonton has fully closed 102 Avenue to vehicle traffic between 107 Street and 102 Street for Valley Line West LRT construction. The closure started today, March 16, and runs until the end of 2026.
Phase 1 is expected to last about 20 weeks, through to around August
During Phase 1, north and south traffic across 102 Avenue is maintained only on 105 Street
Crews will be building the Alex Decoteau Station, laying track and completing underground utility work
Pedestrian access is maintained but detours are in place; bike lanes on 102 Avenue moved to 103 Avenue back in November
Plan your detour before you head out today. Edmontonians already know that construction is just a season of life in this city.
Someone Shot and Killed a Driver on Highway 2 Near Leduc and Is Still Out There
A driver on one of the busiest highways in Alberta was fatally shot in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon and the suspect is still unidentified.
⚡ The Moment At around 2:50 pm on March 14, a witness watched a white or grey dirty pickup truck pull up alongside a black 2012 Honda Civic on Highway 2 near Township Road 490, south of Leduc. The truck sped off and the Honda pulled over. The driver was found shot dead.
Alberta RCMP Major Crimes has taken over the investigation
RCMP say the driver of the Honda was not alone but have not confirmed how many people were in the car
Police say it is too early to know if the victim and suspect knew each other
RCMP are urgently seeking dashcam footage from anyone travelling on Highway 2 near Township Road 490 around 2:50 pm on Saturday
If you were on Highway 2 near Leduc Saturday afternoon and have dashcam footage, contact Leduc RCMP at 780 980 7267 or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.
Alberta Just Rewrote the Rules on Water and Not Everyone Is Happy About It
Alberta quietly made one of the biggest changes to its water rules in 25 years this week and it will affect communities, farmers and industries across the entire province including right here in the region.
Alberta's two largest river basins, the Peace Slave and Athabasca, have officially been merged into one under new water rules that came into force this week. The province says the change removes barriers for industries and farms that straddle the old basin boundaries.
For the first time, lower risk water transfers between major basins can now be approved by a ministerial order rather than requiring a full act of the legislature
Oil and gas companies supported the move, saying it cuts redundant infrastructure and allows more flexible water sourcing
Conservation groups and Indigenous chiefs in Treaty 6, 7 and 8 are raising serious concerns about the environmental and community impacts
The merged Peace Slave and Athabasca basins together cover about 50 per cent of the province
This is your water. Do you trust the province to manage it wisely? Worth knowing what is changing.
Poilievre Has a Plan to Save Canadian Auto Jobs and He Wants Trump to Say Yes
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled his most ambitious trade proposal yet on Sunday, a tariff free auto pact with the United States that he says would be a win for both countries.
⚡ The Moment Poilievre announced the plan in Windsor after meeting with executives from General Motors and Ford in Detroit. The core idea is a one for one deal: for every car built in Canada, that manufacturer gets to sell one vehicle into Canada duty free. He says Trump should agree because it grows American production too.
The plan aims to bring Canadian auto production back up to two million vehicles a year within a decade, up from 1.2 million last year
GST would be removed from all Canadian made vehicles under the proposal
Vehicles using Chinese or Russian connected software would be banned
The announcement comes as polls show Liberals currently leading Conservatives nationally
For Albertans connected to manufacturing and the energy sector, trade stability with the US is not just politics. It is paycheques.
Edmonton local Weather
Day⬆ 3° higher than historical avg, ⬆12° higher than historical avg.
🌤️ Edmonton Weather — Monday March 9
A cool start of the week with 3°C, cloudy skies and a 35% chance of snow flurries, so keep a jacket handy. Not the warmest start to the week but nothing that should slow Edmonton down!
📅 Events Happening This Week in Edmonton
St. Patricks Day Weekend at CRAFT Beer Market Tickets
🗓 March 16 to 17 · ⏰ All day
📍 CRAFT Beer Market,
Edmonton Live music, drink specials and full on green vibes all weekend long to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Free entry on Sunday, small cover on Monday
🎶Megastars of Country at The Arden Theatre Tickets
🗓 March 16 · ⏰ 7:00pm to 9:00pm
📍 The Arden Theatre, St. Albert
A live tribute show celebrating country music legends, bringing the biggest names in the genre to life on one stage. Great night out if you love classic country.
📚 Haven Poetry Series Details
🗓 March 16 · ⏰ 7:00 p.m.
📍 Upper Crust Café, Edmonton
An evening of live poetry and spoken word in a cozy café setting, featuring local writers sharing new work.🎤 An Evening with Mary Walsh Details
🗓 March 16 · ⏰ 7:30 p.m.
📍 Festival Place, Sherwood Park
Canadian comedy icon Mary Walsh brings classic characters and sharp political satire to the stage for one night only.🍽️ Downtown Dining Week Details
🗓March 16, 2026 10.00 am to Sunday, March 22, 2026 10.00 pm
📍 68 restaurants offering prix fixe menus from $15 to $65.Book now before your favourite fills up.
🏒 Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks Details
🗓 March 17 · ⏰ Evening (standard NHL puck drop)
📍 Rogers Place, Downtown
A St. Patrick’s Day home game at Rogers Place, with the Oilers hosting the Sharks in a loud, high‑energy arena night.Discounted Tubing Night at Edmonton Ski Club Details
🗓 March 17 · ⏰ Sessions at 5:15pm, 6:30pm and 7:45pm
📍 Edmonton Ski Club,
Edmonton One hour of tubing fun per session with helmet rentals available for just $5. A great family friendly way to close out the weekend.
🎲 Dungeons & Dragons: Labo Marches Tickets
🗓 March 17 · ⏰ 5:15–8:30 p.m.
📍 Labo Coffee YEG, Whyte Ave
A casual, drop‑in D&D night at a Whyte Ave café for ages 16+, perfect for gamers and story‑lovers looking for a low‑key mid‑week hang.🤝 Industry Insights: Community Networking Event Details
🗓 March 17 · ⏰ 11:30 a.m.
📍 MacEwan University, Edmonton
A lunchtime networking session bringing together students, entrepreneurs, and professionals to talk careers, community, and opportunities🎭 The Wizard of Oz – Live Musical Tickets
📅 March 7 – April 12, 2026
🕢 Evening shows: 7:30 PM | Matinees: 1:30 PM
📍 Citadel Theatre, 9828 101A Ave, EdmontonThe Citadel Theatre brings the classic story of Dorothy and her journey down the Yellow Brick Road to life in a vibrant stage musical featuring iconic songs, colourful characters, and a magical adventure for all ages
🤔 Bet You Didn't Know
Edmonton once had a thriving streetcar network stretching over 100 kilometres across the city. For decades it was how Edmontonians got to work, visited neighbours and explored their growing city. Then in 1951 the last streetcar made its final run, replaced by buses and cars in the name of progress. Today the city is spending billions bringing rail transit back through the Valley Line LRT. Some ideas just take a 75 year detour to come back around.
Does anyone out there remember riding the old Edmonton streetcars? 🚋