This is Edmonton

<p>How well do you know our city? Learn about the quintessential, random, and occasionally infuriating things that make Edmonton, Edmonton. One story a week, about the city we love. Hosted by Clare Bonnyman, every Wednesday.</p>

2025 in the Edmonton newsroom

At the end of the year, it can be hard to remember everything that happened. So for our final episode of 2025, we wanted to help! We enlisted three reporters from the CBC Edmonton newsroom to share a story that defined the year, and why it's sticking with them. Whether it was a big deal, a lot of fun or made a difference. Join us as we look back, and prepare to move forward into 2026.

12-17
27:01

From the country’s first food bank to a crucial community support

This time of year, there’s a lot of talk about the food bank. Edmonton’s Food Bank was actually the first in Canada, and what started as a temporary answer to hunger has become a massive support system for community members. We sit down with the executive director of Edmonton’s Food Bank, Marjorie Bencz, to talk about how food insecurity has changed and how the organization has grown.If you’d like to donate to your local food bank as part of CBC’s Make The Season Kind Campaign, you can go to www.cbc.ca/kind/yeg.

12-10
20:04

Is driving in Edmonton getting more dangerous?

This year Edmonton has had the deadliest year on record since introducing Vision Zero, a plan to prevent deaths from traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities. At the same time, things are changing provincially and locally that affect how we manage our streets. This week we look at why Edmonton’s roads feel more dangerous than before.

12-03
20:45

What's behind Alberta's recent use of the notwithstanding clause?

In recent weeks the provincial government has used the notwithstanding clause four times, after not touching it for more than two decades. Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a powerful piece of legislation – so why use it now to put teachers back to work, and to push forward legislation impacting transgender youth? This week we take a deep dive into our province’s history with the notwithstanding clause. Plus we speak to an Edmonton law student about their own deep dive into Section 33, and why they wanted to help others understand it.

11-26
17:58

What’s making Edmonton’s flu season one to watch

Bless you! It’s cold, flu and COVID season in Edmonton — and now measles is also on the radar. As we enter into an infectious time, there seems to be less desire to get vaccinated than ever. We sit down with microbiologist Jason Tetro to talk about the germy season, vaccination hesitancy and what it means that the measles have returned.

11-19
27:49

How affordability changes what Edmonton eats

Food affordability is top of mind these days and in the last six years food prices in Alberta have increased more than 30 per cent. So how does that affect our diets, and where we choose to shop and eat? This week Clare speaks to Mary Bailey, editor and publisher of The Tomato Food and Drink. She’s been following Edmonton food and restaurants for decades, and weighs in on the impact that rising costs has on our culinary decisions and the city’s food scene.

11-12
23:25

Why Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital is using new tech to stop weapons at the door

Hospital safety is a growing concern in Edmonton, especially for health-care workers. Now the Royal Alexandra Hospital downtown is testing out a high-tech weapons screening system in their emergency department, hoping the added security can better protect patients and staff. CBC reporter Liam Newbigging breaks down what health-care workers are facing, and how new technology like AI could improve things.

11-05
14:09

Edmonton teachers are sent back to school. So what now?

This week, the Alberta government fast-tracked Bill 2, the Back to School Act, which sends about 750,000 students and 50,000 teachers back to the classroom. It ended a contract dispute and three weeks of job action, invoking the notwithstanding clause to do it. CBC reporter Emma Zhao joins host Clare Bonnyman to break down what’s in the bill and reaction to it. Plus, an Edmonton psychologist talks about taking care of teachers, parents and students during uncertain times. 

10-29
24:28

Edmonton voted — so why did it take so long to get results?

Election night in Edmonton was interesting to say the least. Many voters waited in long lines before casting their ballots and new rules put in place by the government meant every vote had to be hand-counted, meaning a winner wasn’t clear until well into the next day. On this episode, host Clare Bonnyman breaks down some of the issues and the reaction to Edmonton’s 2025 Election.

10-22
20:14

Edmonton’s growing pains: What kind of city are we building?

Edmonton’s population is booming — but how is what we’re building meeting that demand? CBC reporter Liam Harrap took a deep dive into our city’s growth, and how the housing landscape is changing. He sits down with host Clare Bonnyman to talk about what home means to those in Edmonton today.

10-15
25:16

Who will it be? The race for the city’s next mayor and council

Edmonton's municipal election takes place on Oct. 20. With the vote just weeks away, host Clare Bonnyman sits down with Mack Male of Taproot Edmonton to talk about concerns, candidates and how you can be informed as a voter.

10-08
28:44

Why is traffic so bad in Edmonton’s west end?

They say there are two seasons in Edmonton, winter and construction. But now that season is bleeding into the fall. A number of projects in the city’s west are creating chaos for commuters. Host Clare Bonnyman breaks down the traffic troubles with reporter Sarah Reid, as they talk about the work in the west and why it’s all happening at once.

10-01
23:27

Alberta father calling for change in the justice system after losing his son

Three years after a Grande Prairie man died in an RCMP holding cell the arresting officers were cleared of any wrongdoing. Now Addison Hartzler’s father is calling for change, to find justice for his son. Reporter Wallis Snowdon has been covering the story for years, and joins host Clare Bonnyman to talk about the case, and the fight his father is taking on.

09-24
12:09

This Is Edmonton presents: See You In Court

This week on the show, we feature the first episode of See You In Court, a new podcast from CBC that dives into the court battles that shaped how Canadians live today, one case at a time. In the first episode, Host Falen Johnson and producer Clare Bonnyman look at the case of Delwin Vriend, an Edmonton instructor who lost his job at a religious college for being gay. Continue on to ep. 2 here: https://link.mgln.ai/Vriend-ep2Find the full series here: https://link.mgln.ai/syic-main

09-17
28:28

Back to school with bargaining, books and birth records

As Alberta students headed back to class this fall, teachers went to the bargaining table, the government tabled new guidelines around books and letters went out to female athletes and their families requesting verification of sex at birth. How is all of this affecting Edmonton’s teachers and students? CBC provincial affairs reporter Janet French joins the podcast to make sense of all the news.

09-10
21:21

How Tik Tok is helping some women discover their ADHD

Tik Tok has become a hugely popular app, but its impact is going beyond doom scrolling and into diagnosis. Its unique algorithm is helping a new generation of women identify ADHD and reach out for support. The CBC’s Emily Fitzpatrick dove into the reasons why this app became so powerful, and the way this new community is making mental health a priority.

09-03
25:09

What happens when cemeteries run out of space?

We all go somewhere when we die. Whether you’re partial to cremation or a coffin you require a bit of room and that’s becoming a problem for cemeteries in rural Alberta. While some local cemeteries expand, others are searching for more space. It’s raising real questions about what the graveyards of the future could look like.

08-27
17:57

Living life on the Fringe (grounds)

The Edmonton International Fringe Festival is a staple of the summer, and it’s grown to the largest fringe festival in North America. But how did we get here? And what makes Edmonton such a theatre-forward, fringe-friendly place? Host Clare Bonnyman heads to the fringe grounds to meet Gerald Osborn, the first official Edmonton Fringe historian, to talk about the festival’s place in our city.

08-20
20:56

A visit to the Humble Lodge

South of Edmonton, a new space is creating inclusive ceremonies for two-spirit and trans youth. The four-day fasting camp happens at The Humble Lodge, a space led by Dr. James Makokis, and is meant to reconnect Indigenous youth with traditional health systems. Host Clare Bonnyman went to visit the camp earlier this summer, and shares some of the work being done on the land and the lives it’s changing.

08-13
14:01

What is the ultimate Edmonton food?

Perogies, green onion cakes and Alberta beef all make the list for top Edmonton foods — but with a food scene that is more and more diverse, what is the most Edmonton dish you can eat? Host Clare Bonnyman sits down with food writers Phil Wilson and Sharon Yeo to talk about the ins and outs of Edmonton’s food culture.

08-06
25:02

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