Good morning, Edmonton and surrounding areas! Happy Wednesday!
Sunny skies hold through the day with a high near 27C, about as good as a summer day gets around here.
The fifty percent tariffs Ottawa and Washington were racing to avoid took effect just after midnight, Alberta quietly notched its first wildfire free day in a decade, and Edmonton's carbon capture dreams hit a real world snag. Closer to home, some marathon runners are convinced their watches are lying to them, and a decade old AI program just sent four more projects out into the world. Here is what is making news across Edmonton and the surrounding areas today.
🏭 Edmonton's Big Carbon Capture Bet Just Hit a Wall
Ever wonder what happens when a bold climate promise runs into real world economics?
Heidelberg Materials' plan to build what was once billed as the world's first full scale carbon capture cement plant in northwest Edmonton has stalled, with the company pointing to cooling federal and provincial support for carbon pricing.
The project was supposed to be capturing a million tonnes of CO2 a year by the end of this year.
A similar Heidelberg project in Norway already crossed the finish line first.
Worth watching if you drive past that plant on your way into town.
🎓 Edmonton's AI4Good Bootcamp Just Turned Ten
Ever wonder what it takes to break into a field that still feels closed off?
Edmonton's Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute marked ten years of its AI4Good Lab, a seven week program built to bring more women and gender diverse people into machine learning, with local teams bringing four projects to a national demo day in Montreal.
Twenty Edmonton participants spent four weeks in an intensive machine learning bootcamp before heading east.
A project called FEEDS, built to help food banks plan for demand spikes, won the Accelerator Award.
A nice reminder of what our tech scene is quietly building.
🌤️ Alberta Just Went a Full Day Without a Single Wildfire
Ever think you would see a headline like this after the summer we have had?
For the first time in at least a decade, no wildfires were burning anywhere in Alberta's Forest Protection Area, a milestone officials tie straight back to the province's wettest summer on record.
The damp conditions have freed up firefighters to help out in other regions that need them.
Crews say the calm will not last forever and are staying ready.
A small bit of good news worth sitting with for a moment.
🏃 Edmonton Marathon Runners Say Their Watches Do Not Add Up
Ever cross a finish line and immediately start arguing with your own GPS?
Some of the ten thousand runners who took on Sunday's Servus Edmonton Marathon are questioning their distances, with several half marathoners clocking closer to twenty two kilometres instead of the certified 21.1.
Organizers and Athletics Canada are standing by the official course measurements.
Construction related lane changes are being pointed to as one possible factor.
Did your watch match up on race day? We would love to know.
⏳ The Deadline Passed, Fifty Percent Tariffs Are Now in Effect
Ever watch a countdown hit zero in real time?
Trade minister Dominic LeBlanc left a high stakes Washington meeting Monday saying the job is not yet done, and just after midnight the fifty percent tariffs on twenty billion dollars of Canadian goods, including cement and hockey sticks, took effect anyway.
Negotiators with the US Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary say talks are still continuing.
Canada has said it has a plan ready for exactly this scenario.
A story we will keep following as it develops.
🛒 Alberta's Cost of Living Is Climbing Faster Than the Rest of Canada
Ever add up your grocery and gas receipts and just sigh?
July's national inflation figures show gas and grocery costs pushing Alberta's cost of living higher than the Canadian average, with energy prices doing most of the heavy lifting.
Gasoline price inflation alone jumped to over twenty five percent year over year.
Alberta has led the country on this measure for several months running.
Something worth factoring into next month's budget.
✈️ A Forgotten Work Light Took a Two Day Round Trip Inside a Jet Wing
Ever leave something behind at work and only realize days later?
Australian investigators revealed a mechanic's battery powered work light was left inside the wing of a Qantas A380 during maintenance, and the jet then flew a full round trip to Dallas with hundreds of passengers aboard before anyone noticed it was gone.
The light was only discovered after an employee reviewing an unreturned tool report flagged it missing.
Inspectors are reviewing how it slipped past the standard foreign object checks.
A reminder that even the biggest machines run on very small details.
⚔️ The Deadline for a US Iran Deal Has Come and Gone
Ever watch a countdown expire with nobody any closer to an answer?
The sixty day window for a broader US Iran peace agreement expired Monday with both sides deadlocked over the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump says he is in no hurry for a resolution.
The dispute over ship traffic through the strait remains the central sticking point.
Officials on both sides say backchannel talks are continuing despite the deadline passing.
A tense situation we will keep watching closely.
Edmonton local Weather
Day ⬇1° higher than historical avg. Night ⬆2° higher than historical avg.
Edmonton Weather: Wednesday, August 19
Sunny skies hold through the day with a high near 27C, about as good as August gets. Clear and calm overnight with a low near 11C.
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Events Happening in Edmonton and Surrounding Areas
Wednesday, August 19
🏌 CPKC Women's Open (Day 1) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 to Sun Aug 23 · ⏰ Daytime · 📍 Royal Mayfair Golf Club, 9450 Groat Rd NW
Canada's Women's Open Championship with top LPGA players, tickets required. dailyhive
🎭 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 · ⏰ Evening · 📍 Old Strathcona (various venues)
Mid week fringe shows, good night for smaller, experimental productions.
🎨 Mural and Food Tour, Old Strathcona 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 · ⏰ 6:00 p.m. · 📍 SouthBARK on Whyte, 8210 104 St NW
Guided tour of murals plus local food stops, art and eats combo. edmonton.taproot
🎷 Garden Concert: YEG Byrds 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 · ⏰ 7:00 p.m. · 📍 Anglican Parish of Christ Church, 10135 119 St NW
Local band playing in a garden concert setting, relaxed evening out. edmonton.taproot
🪶 Treaty No. 6 Cultural Activities (Day 3) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 · ⏰ Daytime · 📍 Edmonton and area
Final day of free cultural workshops and activities, check schedule for locations.
🏒 Fort Edmonton Park: Treaty 6 Reenactment and Pop Up Market 🎟️ Details
🗓 Wed Aug 19 · ⏰ 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. · 📍 Fort Edmonton Park
Historical reenactment of Treaty 6 signing, powwow performances, and pop up market. reddit
Thursday, August 20
🎻 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Outdoors (Devon) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. · 📍 Centennial Park, Devon
Free outdoor symphony concert, bring a blanket and lawn chairs.
🛍 Your Neighbourhood Market, Artisan Market (Devon) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. · 📍 Devon
Local artisan market with handcrafted items, homemade goods, fresh produce, and crafts.
🎤 Free Karaoke Night at Grindstone Theatre 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. · 📍 Grindstone Theatre, 10019 81 Ave NW
Free, high energy karaoke night with friends and a full bar.
🎭 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ Evening · 📍 Old Strathcona (various venues)
Mid week fringe shows across 40 plus venues, great night for smaller productions.
🏌 CPKC Women's Open, Round 1 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ Daytime · 📍 Royal Mayfair Golf Club, 9450 Groat Rd NW
First round of Canada's Women's Open with top LPGA players, tickets required.
🎨 Edmonton Rock N Gem Show (Day 1) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 to Sun Aug 23 · ⏰ Daytime · 📍 Edmonton Expo, Hall H, 7515 118 Ave NW
Four day indoor show with gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, and vendors.
🚶 Outdoor Guided Walking (Devon) 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. · 📍 Devon trails
Free weekly guided walk, all ages, dogs on leash welcome.
🏛 Devon Historical Society, Thursday Museum Hours 🎟️ Details
🗓 Thu Aug 20 · ⏰ 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. · 📍 1949 Building, Devon
Free drop in hours at the local history museum.
HIT OR MISS 🎯
Today's Hit or Miss: Edmonton's best local bakeries. Duchess Bake Shop, Bon Ton Bakery, Prairie Mill Bread Company or Little Brick in Sherwood Park, hit reply and tell us which one gets your vote.