Good morning, Edmonton!!
It is Tuesday April 7, and today carries a little more weight than most Tuesdays.
It is Green Shirt Day. The Iran war deadline is ticking down to tonight. WestJet just changed your summer travel options without much fanfare. And somewhere in this city, a 15 year old is training for something the world will eventually pay very close attention to. Grab your coffee and let us get into it. 💛
✈️ WestJet Is Pulling Out of Five Edmonton Routes and Your Summer Plans May Feel It
Jet fuel costs are reshaping the skies over Edmonton and not in a good direction.
WestJet has confirmed it is cancelling direct flights from Edmonton International Airport to five US cities this spring and summer: Atlanta, Nashville, San Francisco, Seattle and Orlando. The airline says a sharp decline in transborder demand, driven by soaring fuel prices tied to the Iran war, is behind the cuts.
Edmonton is not alone. The airline is reducing its overall US seat capacity by about 10 percent across Canada, with cuts as deep as 15 percent during peak summer travel months. Several routes that were never fully launched have also quietly disappeared from the schedule.
The silver lining: WestJet is redirecting aircraft to domestic routes and international destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean. New connections from Edmonton to Terrace, BC are launching in May.
If you had an American summer road trip or a quick flight south on the calendar, now is the time to check your options. Air Canada and other carriers still serve some of these markets but with less competition comes higher fares. Worth looking before you book. 👇
🛒 Edmonton's Food Bank Is Paying More Just to Get Food to the People Who Need It
The Iran war is not just hitting your grocery bill. It is hitting the people working hard to make sure your neighbours do not go hungry.
Edmonton's Food Bank says rising fuel costs are forcing the organization to spend significantly more on transportation just to deliver hampers to the thousands of Edmontonians who depend on them. The cost of every delivery run is climbing alongside the price at the pump.
Food bank usage across Canada has never been higher. Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto reports it costs 50 cents more per litre to fill its delivery trucks than it did before the war began, with over 920,000 food bank visits already logged since January.
The pressure is building from every direction at once: higher fuel means higher grocery costs, higher grocery costs mean more people turning to food banks, and higher fuel means it costs more to serve them.
If you have been thinking about donating, this is a meaningful moment to do it. Edmonton's Food Bank runs on community generosity. Every dollar goes further than you think. 👇
🏀 She Is 6'7", She Is 15, and She Has Her Eyes Set on the WNBA
Edmonton does not always make the sports headlines, but this one deserves a moment.
An Edmonton-area teenager who stands 6'7" at just 15 years old is turning heads across the basketball world and setting her sights on playing in the WNBA one day. CTV Edmonton caught up with her this week in a story that is genuinely hard not to smile through.
At her age and height, she is already drawing attention from coaches and scouts who recognize that she has something special. Her story is one of dedication, family support and a young woman who knows exactly what she wants.
Stories like this are a good reminder that world class talent is growing right here in this city and surrounding communities, not just in the arenas and rinks people usually talk about.
If you know a young athlete chasing a big dream, share this one with them. This is the kind of story that lights a fire. 👇
💚 Eight Years Since Humboldt, and a Memorial Is Finally Taking Shape
Today is Green Shirt Day. If you have a green shirt in your closet, this would be a good day to put it on.
Eight years ago today, a semi truck ran a stop sign in rural Saskatchewan and struck the Humboldt Broncos team bus, killing 16 people and injuring 13 more. The crash shook the entire country. Logan Boulet, one of the players who died, had registered as an organ donor. His decision saved six lives and sparked nearly 150,000 Canadians to register as donors in the days that followed.
Work on the permanent memorial at the crash site northeast of Humboldt is moving steadily forward. The concrete work and road surfaces are in place, a pathway system and benches are coming, and a monument to honour all 29 passengers is in design with the families leading the process.
The goal is to have the full memorial ready for the 10th anniversary in 2028. Green Shirt Day continues to grow, with events happening across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and beyond.
If you have not registered as an organ donor, today is the day to do it. That conversation with your family matters more than most of us realize. 💚👇
⏰ Iran Rejected the Ceasefire Proposal. Trump's Deadline Is Tonight.
The world is watching the clock right now, and what happens in the next few hours will matter to everyone, including Edmontonians filling up at the pump.
Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey put a 45-day ceasefire proposal on the table this week aimed at halting the US-Israel war with Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran rejected it, calling instead for a permanent end to the war through a 10-point plan that includes lifting sanctions and guaranteed safe passage through the strait.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday the proposal was "a significant step" but "not good enough." He has set a hard deadline of 8pm ET tonight for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face what he described as strikes on bridges, power plants and energy infrastructure across the country.
Oil is sitting around $108 to $110 a barrel, roughly 50 percent higher than when the war began on February 28. Legal experts warn that attacking civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime under international law. The UN has echoed that concern publicly.
The next 24 hours are critical. Whatever happens tonight will ripple straight through to the price of gas at your local station, the cost of your groceries and the broader stability of the economy. Stay close to the news today. 👇
Edmonton local Weather
Day⬇5° lower than historical avg, ⬇1° lower than historical avg.
🌤️ Edmonton Weather - Tuesday April 7th
Bundle up out there today, Edmonton, it is a chilly one with a high of just 3°C and a mix of flurries and rain showers making the morning feel even colder. Tonight drops down to minus 6°C with a 60 percent chance of flurries, so the winter gear is absolutely not done with you yet. 🧥❄️
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📅 Events Happening This Week in Edmonton
🏒 PWHL Takeover Tour: Boston Fleet vs. Vancouver Goldeneyes 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 7 · ⏰ 7:30 PM · 📍 Rogers Place
Neutral-site Professional Women's Hockey League matchup. Tickets start at $36.🐉 Dungeons and Dragons: Labo Marches 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 7 · ⏰ 5:15–8:30 PM · 📍 Labo Coffee YEG (10546 82 Ave NW)
Drop-in casual D&D mini-adventure. Bring your character and uncover mysteries of a strange new island.Wednesday, April 8
🤼 AEW Dynamite & Collision 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 8 · ⏰ 5:30 PM · 📍 Rogers Place
All Elite Wrestling brings its top stars and championship matches to Edmonton.🎬 NorthWestFilmFest Opens 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 8–12 · ⏰ Various times · 📍 Metro Cinema (8712 109 St NW)
Canada's longest-running documentary film festival kicks off with 50+ features, shorts, and Edmonton-made The Perfect Match.🎸 Hi-Light Festival 2026 Opens 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 8–12 · ⏰ 5 PM onward · 📍 4 Venues (Multi-location)
Edmonton's local music scene celebration: 6 shows, 31 bands, 5 days. Passes from $19.61.🎭 The Wizard of Oz – Live Musical Tickets
📅 April 6 – 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
🎭 Casey and Diana 🎟️ Details
🗓 Apr 6 - 26· ⏰ 7:30 PM · 📍 Citadel Theatre
Powerful drama about residents and staff at Toronto's Casey House preparing for Princess Diana's visit during the AIDS crisis.
📖 STORY CORNER
The Longest Run
There is a woman in a small town in northern Alberta who ran every morning for eleven years without telling anyone.
She was not training for a race. She was not trying to lose weight. She just found, one difficult November morning in her early fifties, that running made her feel like herself again after a year that had taken more from her than she wanted to talk about.
So she ran. Same route. Same time. Rain, snow, ice, heat. She ran.
Neighbours noticed eventually. A few waved. One teenager started setting his alarm earlier just to watch her go by, because he said it made him feel like he could get through the day.
She never knew that until he told her ten years later, at his wedding, where he thanked her by name in his speech.
She had no idea she was doing anything for anyone but herself.
Most of the things that matter most are like that. We rarely see them when we are doing them.
Keep going anyway. 💛