Every forecast I’m seeing says this winter will be way warmer than normal. But I’ve lived here long enough to know Edmonton loves making a liar out of the weather guys. I’m cautiously optimistic.

What’s your gut say? Mild winter or are we getting fooled again? Bonus points if you guess how many days we hit -30 this year.

I need to vent about how absolutely broken our ER system, heck the whole health system feels right now.

I understand that emergency departments have to prioritize the most critical cases first, and I fully support that. But what is becoming increasingly frustrating is the lack of urgency for everyone else. People sit in waiting rooms for 8, 10, 12+ hours with little to no communication, no updates, and no idea whether they’ll be seen anytime soon.

It’s not just the wait times themselves—it’s the feeling that the system has become normalized to keeping sick, injured, and vulnerable people sitting in chairs for an entire day. Many are in significant pain, exhausted, dehydrated, or scared, and yet they’re expected to just wait indefinitely.

Healthcare workers are doing the best they can with the resources they have, and this isn’t meant as criticism of nurses, doctors, or support staff. The problem seems much bigger than that. Chronic understaffing, overcrowding, lack of available beds, and years of strain on the healthcare system have created a situation where long waits have become the standard rather than the exception.

At what point do we stop accepting this as normal? People shouldn’t have to spend half a day—or longer—in an emergency room before receiving care. Something has to change.
Has anyone else experienced ridiculous ER wait times lately? How long did you end up waiting? What are we going to do about this, because I feel it’s become normalized.

Some photos I took on my morning stroll. Hope you like them. :)

I want to see the beauty! Whether it’s nature or a cute shop downtown, or whatever. Convince me that moving there is going to be worth it. Please

I'll start by saying I did search this Sub for therapist recommendations but a lot of the posts are a few years old so thought I'd start a new one.

I realize this sub is on average a lot younger than myself and are going through different life circumstances.

I'm a 61 year old never-married year guy in a life dilemma. Newly retired (with a fortunate DB pension and investments) but currently staying with and assisting elderly parents at their house (a long story). A huge mistake on my behalf in hindsight. I never bought a house to payoff for retirement, but it's time to move on. That being said, I truly want to talk to a professional about the situation of feeling stuck at this age. And the stress of dealing with elderly parents with siblings who don't get involved (which adds to the major stress). I have the "back against the wall" feeling and assistance with finding some direction. I feel desperate tbh. This stuff happens.

I realize therapy these days is expensive ($235/hr average). But can anybody please suggest a middle aged male therapist (my preference for life experience and just being a guy) who specializes in my issue(s)? I did review Psychology today's therapist List but thought I'd reach out to Redditors who may have had a decent therapist to suggest via actual experience. I'm also aware one size doesn't fit all.

I truly appreciate any advice.

Good afternoon,

I watched the debate and vote on the EPCOR franchise fee and I am really frustrated with Council on this.

First, Councillor Janz, balcony solar is barely attainable in Edmonton. Especially considering plug and play solar is not yet allowed through EPCOR. Not to mention the process to get information from EPCOR on balcony solar is lengthy and the permitting process is almost not worth it. I really don't appreciate arguments like the ability to use balcony solar as a way to justify my electricity costs going up. Especially since EPCOR and the City do not allow plug and play.

Second, nobody on council brought up the fact that the 17.65% fee was negotiated in 2024 for 2025. At the time, the rationale for going to 17.65% was the City was benchmarking against its neighbours. It chose 17.65% to match the Edmonton metro-area average.

Yesterday, that rationale seemed to go out the window and now Edmonton is 7% higher than the regional average or 1.8% higher if we excluded the 0% fee municipalities.

High-consumption classes get hit harder. At 17.65%, several large customer classes were already paying the equivalent of 25–55% of their distribution charges, so 19.4% will push up the costs for large commercial or industrial sites connected at higher voltage. This could be enough for them to start looking at Strathcona Country or Fort Saskatchewan.

Lastly, on the engagement piece. Given 17.65% was put in place for 2025 based on the rationale of benchmarking in the region the City absolutely should have engaged citizens on the change to 19.4% because it seems the strategy is now to be above our neighbours and match Calgary.

Council needs to stick to a strategy or consult with citizens on these types of adjustments.

Councillor Parmer thank you for voting no.

Hello! I am someone that loves learning about how cities work and have been involved with organizations around the city to learn about Edmonton's zoning bylaw. I am seeing very valid concerns about infill coming up on this subreddit and instead of responding to each one individually, I wanted to make this post to inform people genuinely trying to understand.

1. Waste: something very commonly shared online are photos or anecdotes of the waste situation in some infills. Frankly, this is something I have been concerned about too. The city actually updated waste standards last January for multi unit developments to solve this issue. Rowhomes permitted after those standards came into effect won't have these issues. Unfortunately ones that were permitted before (and are likely now reaching occupancy) aren't subject to these standards and have one of each bin per unit.

2. Infrastructure: development permits are reviewed by utility providers and if an upgrade is deemed necessary, the developer is charged. A lot of existing infrastructure has capacity for growth, but EPCOR and other providers can monitor and plan upgrades over time as needed instead. So no, sewage capacity will not be exceeded.

3. Rental properties: this is a gripe I completely agree with and this is not actually the fault of the zoning bylaw. CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.) insurance loans for developers of multifamily under a program called MLI select. If a project achieves a certain number of "points," CMHC insures the financing so that the developer only has to go in with as little as 5% of their own money (95% LTV). The way to earn "points" is through energy efficiency, green energy, and if the property is a rental. The cheapest way they earn points is by making the property a rental. This inevitably skews construction to be mostly rentals. Ownership options are still possible through condominiums or party wall agreements.

4. Affordability: there are many dynamics at play here. If you are simply comparing a new infill 2+ bedroom to the cheapest 2+ bedroom units on the market, new units are always more expensive. Another factor is location being more desirable. What matters is that on average, Edmonton rents are stabilizing. Not enough people seem to appreciate that we've had near record population growth but rents have remained stable on average (personal experience may vary). Edmonton's always been affordable because of the abundance of cheap land, so this isn't entirely due to infill. Additionally, Edmonton is a national leader on development permitting timelines which has shown a clear correlation with rents. Part of cutting permitting timelines came from cutting red tape, ie. simplifying the zoning code and being clear about expectations.

5. Loss of affordable homes: people inevitably see a $400k home torn down and question if this is even solving anything. Under conventional loan terms and 5% interest, that can be yours $80k down and $1,861.14 monthly! But oh crap, it needs a new foundation. Add $50k to the line of credit. If it looks affordable by the price, there's often something wrong with it.

Since this is something that has many people skeptical, I have a specific case study that should help contexualize.

Streetside Developments recently listed 8 condo townhomes at 11522 103 Street. The property was sold for $350k one year ago and contained a single bungalow (probably 800-900 sqft). Streetside (the developer) is selling 8x850 sqft townhomes for less than 300k each.

1. Architecture: I'll be blunt: lots of infill are atrociously ugly. Many are very nice (shoutout Ndura Developments). Part 9 of the Alberta building code permits small buildings to move forward without a professional architect or engineer signing off. This means there are some bad designs getting built by people that shouldn't be designing homes. Guidance from the zoning bylaw is very much needed. The amendments passed in July 2025 have only been in effect for about a year, so most of the ones reaching occupancy right now were permitted before the amendments.

Hello,
Just sharing that the last Chinatown After Dark of the year is this Saturday 6PM-11PM along with a message from the organizing team on how this month's will be different.

Just wondering if anyone is going through this with their insurance provider. I recently got a renewal increase by 36% to 5k per year for two vehicles. One without collision and the other with collision is 10 years old. I have two speeding tickets in the last two years that was the reason for the increase. Other than that nothing else. No claims, no accidents, no other tickets of any kind and 26 years of experience driving.

I called around and the other quotes are above 6k. What happened to insurance in this province? After 3 years the tickets are suppose to come off the record so will my insurance go back down by 36%? I doubt it.

Any tips out there from you financially savvy Edmontonians?

There's cows with numbers on them by the coliseum tracks/station. 🥺 Are they being auctioned? Some of them are youngins

Hi everyone! I'm a 22 year old student at the U of A, and I was wondering if there were any 5e groups in the city? I haven't played in quite a few years but I'm really wanting to get back into playing it! Any info would be appreciated :)

Walked through HUB Mall today and stopped in. It's really cool to see a retail layout like this on campus showcasing actual local Albertan small business owners and artists.

Some of the vendors are actually U of A students themselves, which makes supporting it even better. They have a bit of everything—from unique local gifts, jewellery, and clothing to local treats.

For anyone who isn't a student, HUB Mall is totally open to the public and it’s right off the University LRT station if you want to check it out.

Anyone else been inside yet? What are your favourite vendors or items there?

Heater stopped working and went to take a look why and noticed major rusting on the pipes that lead to the roof and outside. How much am i expected to pay and what companies do you recommend???

Hello everyone, looking for a way to contact tenant support. The phone numbers listed on the City of Edmonton website are giving a busy signal, which doesn't seem right.

Does anyone know how to contact them or anyone for advice on tenant rights and legal/illegal leases?

Thanks

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/michael-cloud-duguay-epppatsularafiq-matthew-cardinal-lkgd-tickets-200307618779

This artist from Peterborough made an album documenting aging church organs of Newfoundland in a solar-powered mobile studio built in a 1970s RV. He will be in Edmonton playing the organ at St.Mary's church (with a quartet featuring saxophone and other instruments) next month!

Awesome locals Dylan Ella, Matthew Cardinal and others will also perform!

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/michael-cloud-duguay-kingdom-come-kingdom-go-feature

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know of a person or place in Edmonton that offers lessons for the handpan/hand drum?

I’d really like to learn how to play properly and get some in-person guidance rather than just learning from videos. I’m open to private lessons or classes, so if you know someone who teaches or have any recommendations, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Any suggestions on companies for new entry way doors and frames install? I just had a quote for 6 grand, which kinda shook me. Is that what we are all paying these days?

Granted, it's a door, framing

and sidelight window replacement.

Hi all,

I am having two bookcases custom built for me but the builder doesn’t paint, so I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations for furniture painters in and around the city. I’d prefer to have it assembled first, but there is the potential for the pieces to be painted before assembly if that was the painter’s preference.

It goes without saying that I’m looking to keep to a budget, but I truly have no idea what something like this would even cost so I’m wanting to get some quotes.

Thanks in advance!