Let’s Talk Brand & Reputation

[Coldrsx]

New Edmonton Edge Fund will drive business innovation and transformation
August 28, 2023

The City of Edmonton announced a new $5 million funding program for businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofit agencies looking to do something transformative in the city.

Phase 1 of the Edmonton Edge Fund, which provides project-based grants, helps address gaps in capital available to innovators and entrepreneurs by acting as a catalyst for innovation in the city. The fund increases Edmonton’s ability to attract and retain business and help generate job creation and investment opportunities. The Edge Fund applies special considerations to applicants from equity deserving communities who may have faced barriers accessing other types of funding.

“The Edmonton Edge Fund is an exciting new initiative for our city,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “It helps to level the playing field by giving both small and large businesses, and nonprofits, access to needed capital to finance their innovative ideas. Edmonton is a city of risk-takers and entrepreneurs, and this fund will help ensure creative, daring ideas can continue to grow and flourish in our city.”

Phase 1 is the pilot phase, with the intention to gain key learnings and insights that will help inform what a permanent version of the program could look like.

This year, the fund will provide support through two streams of grants:

The Scale and Grow Stream, which offers large grants of $250,000 to $1 million
The Start Stream, which offers smaller grants of up to $100,000

“These grants are for Edmonton-based businesses who are looking to do something transformative in our city,” said Kim Petrin, Acting Deputy City Manager of Urban Planning and Economy. “Current economic conditions, like high interest rates and increased supply costs, can impact the ability of businesses to access funding. Programs like the Edmonton Edge Fund introduce a new pool of non-repayable capital funding specifically for innovators and entrepreneurs proposing local investments in Edmonton.”

The Edmonton Edge Fund supports The City Plan’s Big City Move of Catalyze and Converge and the principle of Thrive. It also supports principles of the Edmonton Economic Action Plan, including support for new and established business, diversification of our economy and further establishing Edmonton as a destination of choice for talent and capital.

The application intake period for the Edmonton Edge Fund closes September 18.


For more information:
edmonton.ca/EdgeFund

Media contact:
Mary-Ann Thurber
Communications Advisor
Urban Planning and Economy
780-619-3254

[Harrison]

Good to see, but I wonder how effective $5 million will be, as Calgary's Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund is $100 million (but likely is funded via different means).

[JSS1974]

Originally Posted by Harrison

Good to see, but I wonder how effective $5 million will be, as Calgary's Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund is $100 million (but likely is funded via different means).

$5M is nothing. Shows Edmonton is not serious.
$100M is getting Calgary some action

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by JSS1974

$5M is nothing. Shows Edmonton is not serious.
$100M is getting Calgary some action

Yeah, I wonder if Calgary has a different funding source for theirs though, which allows them to provide a much larger pot. Regardless, $5 million is a drop in the bucket.

[JSS1974]

Originally Posted by Harrison

Yeah, I wonder if Calgary has a different funding source for theirs though, which allows them to provide a much larger pot. Regardless, $5 million is a drop in the bucket.

Maybe they’re using the Jason Kenney/Danielle Smith “I love Calgary more” funding source.

[Coldrsx]

GUNTER: Public safety key to revitalizing Edmonton's Downtown
Despite all the city is doing to revive Downtown, it won’t do the one thing that might help — clean up the homelessness, crime and open drug use.

Author of the article: Lorne Gunter
Published Aug 31, 2023

https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/colu...ntons-downtown

[Coldrsx]

Will international visitors finally get their attention? WE have been saying this for years... even pre-COVID to deaf ears.

'Volleyball World would like to come back. The local organizers, Oilers Entertainment Group, would like them to return. But players and Volleyball World said Edmonton’s street conditions were among the worst they have encountered anywhere and they won’t come back unless things improve dramatically.'

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

GUNTER: Public safety key to revitalizing Edmonton's Downtown
Despite all the city is doing to revive Downtown, it won’t do the one thing that might help — clean up the homelessness, crime and open drug use.

Author of the article: Lorne Gunter
Published Aug 31, 2023

https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/colu...ntons-downtown

Get Lorne to stop yelling at the sky and start yelling at Danielle Smith and the GOA, the only group that has both the responsibility and financial means to do anything to solve all of those issues, which would also help address Volleyball World's concerns as well.

We all know what is happening, the GOA is just sitting there twiddling their thumbs not doing much of anything to solve it, meanwhile they sit on a surplus of oil and gas royalty revenue. Despicable.

[Hardhatdan]

Exactly, why is the COE's job, when did healthcare and social services become a municipal responsibility?

It's easy to google and find the actual responsible provincial departments.

I wonder how much of the COE's cost in the administration are there because the Province fails to do it's job. One level of Gov is struggling to make budgets and fund actual services it is responsible for and the other is again swimming in surplus'.

[Edmontonguy]

Yes, it's the province's responsibility. But blame also lies with the city. The city, through its 'holistic' approach has basically allowed open drug use and other social disorder activity. They're so scared of the social warrior activists, that city hall just sits on its hands and wags its fingers at the province.

How about, you know, ensuring the transit system is just used for transit and not a homeless shelter?

Remember that time CIBC on Jasper put spikes on the bench? City Hall should have been accepting of that, acknowledging the challenges a private business in the core faces.

But, they huffed and puffed at the 'injustice', the spikes removed and the problem remains.

It's funny, because city hall is a fortress; peace officers everywhere, no social disorder inside or the surrounding grounds, airport-type scanners to get inside chambers. Safety for me, not for thee. Hypocrites.

[feepa]

^ how naive

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Edmontonguy

Yes, it's the province's responsibility. But blame also lies with the city. The city, through its 'holistic' approach has basically allowed open drug use and other social disorder activity. They're so scared of the social warrior activists, that city hall just sits on its hands and wags its fingers at the province.

How about, you know, ensuring the transit system is just used for transit and not a homeless shelter?

Remember that time CIBC on Jasper put spikes on the bench? City Hall should have been accepting of that, acknowledging the challenges a private business in the core faces.

But, they huffed and puffed at the 'injustice', the spikes removed and the problem remains.

It's funny, because city hall is a fortress; peace officers everywhere, no social disorder inside or the surrounding grounds, airport-type scanners to get inside chambers. Safety for me, not for thee. Hypocrites.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...ents-1.6952065

You mean like these very real threats from external parties the COE constantly has to battle?

It's not a COE issue, it's a health and housing issue or which the COE is woefully equipped to deal with, because it's not supposed to be the primary provider of these services. The City is "gifted" with the duty to supply policing but has zero influence on the courts or jails. If you can find the Criminal Code of Edmonton or the Court of Mayor's Bench let me know.

Instead of holding the actual levels of Government accountable we get another round of Provincial Government pointing fingers and doing nothing...well they did kick in a few Sheriffs and what a difference that is making!

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by Hardhatdan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...ents-1.6952065

You mean like these very real threats from external parties the COE constantly has to battle?

It's not a COE issue, it's a health and housing issue or which the COE is woefully equipped to deal with, because it's not supposed to be the primary provider of these services. The City is "gifted" with the duty to supply policing but has zero influence on the courts or jails. If you can find the Criminal Code of Edmonton or the Court of Mayor's Bench let me know.

Instead of holding the actual levels of Government accountable we get another round of Provincial Government pointing fingers and doing nothing...well they did kick in a few Sheriffs and what a difference that is making!

100%.

If the GOA doesn't want to deal with the issues, give the COE the money to fix the problem themselves, because you bet it totally would if it had the financial means to do so.

[Black Star]

Originally Posted by Edmontonguy

Yes, it's the province's responsibility. But blame also lies with the city. The city, through its 'holistic' approach has basically allowed open drug use and other social disorder activity. They're so scared of the social warrior activists, that city hall just sits on its hands and wags its fingers at the province.

How about, you know, ensuring the transit system is just used for transit and not a homeless shelter?

Remember that time CIBC on Jasper put spikes on the bench? City Hall should have been accepting of that, acknowledging the challenges a private business in the core faces.

But, they huffed and puffed at the 'injustice', the spikes removed and the problem remains.

It's funny, because city hall is a fortress; peace officers everywhere, no social disorder inside or the surrounding grounds, airport-type scanners to get inside chambers. Safety for me, not for thee. Hypocrites.

Pretty much accurate......If they are NOT enforcing the laws on the books. Then new management is required. And this is coming up

[Black Star]

Originally Posted by Harrison

100%.

If the GOA doesn't want to deal with the issues, give the COE the money to fix the problem themselves, because you bet it totally would if it had the financial means to do so.

Maybe we can take the 100 million from the new bike lanes. And the 11 million annually for maintenance of these lanes to fund this? Seems to me to be more important than bike lanes.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Black Star

Maybe we can take the 100 million from the new bike lanes. And the 11 million annually for maintenance of these lanes to fund this? Seems to me to be more important than bike lanes.

To fund what?

[Black Star]

Apparently throwing money at everything makes the problem better. But not enforcing city bylaws and criminal code laws about open drug use, assaults and general mayhem, etc is no problem.

[Hardhatdan]

Originally Posted by Black Star

Apparently throwing money at everything makes the problem better. But not enforcing city bylaws and criminal code laws about open drug use, assaults and general mayhem, etc is no problem.

What's the actual penalty for private possession and consumption of drugs from the courts?
Let's say the police arrest every person who openly does drugs. They wind up maybe in remand, you pay for that, an exceptional amount. There's definitely not enough demand space for that so you can pay for more or they are going out on bail and that require enforcement so you get to pay either way. You pay to have the police complete the investigation. You pay for the prosecutor, the judge, the court house. You pay for the public defender. After all that then sentence is how many months...because it won't be years, but no matter the length you pay for that. They probably won't get treatment so they'll come out in the same or worse state so the chance of residivism is about 95%, so you can queue to pay again for the cycle. For someone so focused on money being wasted, maybe think it through.
Yes I'd rather have bike lanes from the COE because it's something they are supposed to deliver for citizens to use and enjoy, instead of the never ending cycle of enforcement that wastes police resources and the COE has no ultimate control over the outcomes.
How about the other levels of government actual start solving the problem and being held accountable to actually make progress on mental health, addiction and homelessness instead of wasting our money?!
Stop playing partisan politics and let's see some results.

[feepa]

Originally Posted by Black Star

Pretty much accurate......If they are NOT enforcing the laws on the books. Then new management is required. And this is coming up

"they aren't enforcing the laws"

Even if what you said is true, which, as usual, isn't the case, but what's the point when the courts let them back on to the streets within hours?

[snowman123]

Yep, there is a lot of blame to go around, all levels of government. I now read that some group is trying to sue the city for clearing homeless camps. Something to do with seizing private property.

I do not know what the solution is anymore. Nobody does anything for fear of being labeled some sort of "-ist" or anti that.

It's a very sad state for our society these days. I wonder if we are getting closer to some sort of collapse or societal change ?

I suppose, people get the govt they vote for. I wish we were more vocal, and actually went out and protested. Laws can be changed, it just needs people to vote politicians in who will actually DO something. If there are addicts out there causing problems and committing crimes then absolutely they should be rounded up and sent for treatment. We had places like this in the past, but they were closed because some groups/ people had a better idea that these people will be better looked after in the community. That did not work out.

If the gov/ police/ courts fails to enforce existing laws to keep people safe, then perhaps people need to take the law into their own hands