Hey neighbour, Happy Sunday!
We have a big one for you this morning, the Oilers are on a roll, an Edmonton MP could wake up as the leader of a federal party, and there is a warning about something in Alberta's drug supply that every household needs to know about. Oh, and a UCP MLA just said the quiet part very loudly about Alberta separation. Grab your coffee and let's get into it. 💛
🎓 The U of A Just Made a Big Call. Not Everyone Is Cheering.
The board voted. The policy changed. And the campus has a lot of feelings about it.
The University of Alberta's board of governors has officially approved a new hiring policy that removes equity, diversity and inclusion from its framework, replacing it with language around "access, community and belonging" — making the U of A the first major Canadian university to make this kind of substantive change to its hiring rules
The university's own academic body had recommended rejecting the policy, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association urged the board to reconsider, and faculty members warned the move signals a political shift rather than a genuine improvement — but the board had final say and used it
There are now real questions about federal research funding compliance, since programs like the Canada Research Chairs have legal EDI requirements, though the university insists it remains in alignment
This is your university, your city, your tax dollars at work. What do you think the U of A just got right — or wrong?
🏒 Three in a Row. McDavid Back on Top. The Oilers Are Rolling.
If you missed the game this afternoon, here is what happened — and you are going to want to know.
Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists against the Anaheim Ducks this afternoon at Rogers Place, reclaiming the NHL scoring lead in the process, as the Oilers held on for a 4 to 2 win
Zach Hyman, Jack Roslovic and Matt Savoie also scored, Connor Ingram was solid in net with 29 saves, and the Oilers have now won three games in a row — something they had managed only once in their previous 12 attempts this season
Edmonton is now three points back of the division leading Ducks, still without Leon Draisaitl, and looking every bit like a team that has found its footing at exactly the right time
Three straight wins without their second best player in the world. Does this team have something special brewing?
⚠️ Alberta Has a New Drug Problem. And Naloxone Won't Fix It.
If you carry naloxone, or know someone who does, this story is for you.
A powerful veterinary tranquilizer called medetomidine is showing up more and more in Alberta's unregulated drug supply, and unlike fentanyl, it does not respond to naloxone — meaning the overdose reversal tool most Albertans know about simply will not work if this drug is in the mix
Dr. Monty Ghosh, an Alberta based researcher and addiction specialist, is warning that if someone is overdosing and naloxone is not working after four or five doses, medetomidine may be involved — and the advice is to call for help immediately, since there is no standard antidote
The province says zero deaths have been attributed to medetomidine in Alberta so far, but the drug is being detected with increasing frequency and the warning is being taken seriously
This is not a story about people who use drugs. It is a story about what is in the drug supply right now and what your neighbours need to know.
🗳️ By the Time You Read This Tomorrow, the NDP Will Have a New Leader. Here Is Where Things Stand.
Voting closed at 7 PM Eastern last night. The result drops this morning in Winnipeg. And Edmonton has a candidate.
The federal NDP leadership race wrapped up its voting period last night at the party's convention in Winnipeg, with the winner to be announced this morning — the race comes after the party was reduced to just seven seats in last spring's federal election and Jagmeet Singh stepped down
Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson made her final pitch to delegates yesterday, introduced by former Alberta premier Rachel Notley, positioning herself as the only candidate who is already a sitting MP and can hold the government to account in the House of Commons from day one
Her main rival Avi Lewis, a filmmaker and activist who out raised all other candidates, has described his campaign as a movement to rebuild the NDP from the ground up — and polls of past NDP voters showed him with a narrow edge heading into the final count
If McPherson wins, Edmonton will have produced the leader of a federal party. Check the news this morning to find out who the NDP chose.
One of Smith's Own MLAs Just Came Out for Alberta Separation. It Is Not Going Over Well.
When the premier's own constitutional affairs secretary starts talking about leaving Canada, people pay attention.
Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan, who serves as Premier Danielle Smith's parliamentary secretary for constitutional affairs, published an op-ed this week encouraging Albertans to sign a petition calling for a referendum on independence from Canada — saying a vote is needed to hold Ottawa accountable for policies that harm the province
Alberta NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi immediately called on Smith to remove Stephan from caucus, warning that a separatist referendum would devastate Alberta's economy the same way Quebec's separatist push once drove businesses and head offices out of Montreal
Smith's office responded by saying individual MLAs are welcome to hold personal opinions, but the government's position is clear — a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada
Smith has changed the law multiple times to make it easier for a separatist question to reach a ballot. Her own secretary just publicly called for one. Make of that what you will.
Thousands of Americans Just Marched Against Their Own Government. Here Is What Happened
Thousands of demonstrators packed the grounds outside the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul on Saturday 27th as part of the nationwide No Kings day of protest.
The signs said it all. "So bad, even introverts are here."
Thousands of protests dubbed "No Kings" took place across the United States today, with demonstrators marching in major cities, rural communities and GOP strongholds alike — all pushing back against the Trump administration's policies on immigration, democratic norms and the concentration of executive power
Almost half of the protests took place in traditionally Republican leaning areas, including Texas, Florida, Idaho and Wyoming, with organizers saying the breadth of participation surprised even them
Prominent speakers joined rallies coast to coast, and the movement drew comparisons to some of the largest protest waves in recent American history — with Canadians watching closely given how deeply US political shifts continue to affect life here
When your closest neighbour's population takes to the streets in numbers like this, it matters for all of us.
Edmonton local Weather
Day⬇10° lower than historical avg, ⬇7° lower than historical avg.
🌤️ Edmonton Weather - Sunday March 29
Bundle up out there, neighbour, Sunday is bringing a high of around -6°C with a 60 per cent chance of flurries, so if you are heading out to any events today, layers are non-negotiable. The good news is the wind is light, so it is very much the kind of cold Edmonton handles without breaking a sweat. ❄️
Could This Be You?
Every issue of The Urban Brief Edmonton celebrates the people behind the businesses that make this community so special. And right now, we are actively looking for our next story.
If you own a local business in Edmonton or the surrounding areas and you have a story worth telling, we want to hear from you
Our Local Love Spotlight is not an advertisement. It is a conversation. We lead with the human behind the business, the journey, the why and the heart of what you have built
Past features have included a pizza maker in Spruce Grove, a fitness studio changing lives, a student lawn care business and an end of life doula working out of Gunn, Alberta. Every story has been completely different and completely unforgettable
If you are ready to share yours, the door is wide open.
Submit your business right here, we would be honoured to tell your story
Feature My Business
Do you have a business you’d like us to show case or shine a spotlight on? Tell us about it by submitting a request here ➡ Feature My Business
📅 Events Happening This Week in Edmonton
☕ Shop the Art Off the Walls at Felice Cafe Details
🗓 Mar 29 · ⏰ Afternoon/early evening · 📍 Felice Cafe (10930 84 St)
Meet local artists and buy prints/smallwares as the cafe closes out its current gallery display.🌷 Matcha & Floral Workshop Details
🗓 Mar 29 · ⏰ Afternoon · 📍 Local studio
Guided floral‑arranging workshop with a handcrafted matcha drink; ticket includes flowers, materials, and a vase to take home.🎷 Daze Days Jazz at Mimi Bar Details
🗓 Mar 29 · ⏰ 7–11 p.m. · 📍 Mimi Bar
$10 jazz night with cocktails and food, easy, low‑key Sunday vibes.🧠 Lectures on Tap: Sleep Science Tickets & details
🗓 Mar 29 · ⏰ Evening · 📍 Frank’s Pub
A tongue‑in‑cheek talk on “sleep crisis” culture, revenge bedtime procrastination, and why sleep is also political.Monday, March 30
📚 Audrey’s Book Club: March Edition 🎟️ Details
🗓 Mar 30 · ⏰ 7–8:30 p.m. · 📍 Local venue (see listing)
A curated book‑club night for readers who want discussion plus community.🎤 Rough Cuts Free Comedy Night | Details here
📅 Every Monday | ⏰ Evening | 📍 River City Revival House, underneath the Starlite Room, downtown Edmonton Local and touring comedians take the stage every Monday night for a free show that has become one of the best kept secrets in the city. No cover, no excuse not to go.
🎭 The Wizard of Oz – Live Musical Tickets
📅 March 29 – 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 Did Not Know
Alberta is home to some of the most otherworldly landscapes on earth, and most Canadians have no idea they exist.
The hoodoos near Drumheller in the Alberta Badlands are towering sandstone pillars carved over thousands of years by wind and water erosion, some standing as tall as a two storey building and topped with harder capstone rock that protects the softer layers beneath from washing away
Indigenous peoples of the region regarded the hoodoos as sacred, believing they were giants who came to life at night to hurl stones at anyone who disturbed them, a story that feels completely believable when you are standing among them at dusk
The same forces that shaped the hoodoos also exposed one of the richest dinosaur fossil beds on the planet, making the Badlands the only place in the world where you can stand next to a hoodoo and a dinosaur skeleton on the same afternoon
Has anyone been out to the Badlands lately? Drop your photos in the comments — we would love to see them. 👇