Juno News - January 11, 2026


Delton bike lanes collide with winter snow surge

Topics
bike lanes safety concerns Edmonton pipeline project
Mentioned
Margarita Gosselin Andrew Knack Thomas Lukasik Danielle Smith Keith Ellison Nahid Nenshi Devin Drieschen Isaac Lamoureux Councillor Dan McLean Alberta Roundup Pierre Poilievre Bloc Québécois Sturgeon Lake Jeremy Farkas Jeff Rath Brian Jean
Carney UNDER FIRE as looming China trip raises security concerns Carney government DENIES reports of potential X ban

Episode Stats


Length

16 minutes

Words per minute

171.92

Word count

2,765

Sentence count

126

Harmful content

Hate speech

1

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

In Edmonton, residents in the Delton and Alberta Avenue neighborhoods are pushing back against newly installed bike lanes and parking restrictions, warning that the changes are worsening already dangerous winter driving conditions. In Calgary, the city s water situation remains critical with emergency alerts, ongoing conservation measures, and warnings about the impact on firefighting and emergency response if consumption doesn t drop. And finally, the Alberta Government has launched a new online hub as it pushes ahead with plans for an oil pipeline to the northwest coast.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 This week, we'll start in Edmonton, where residents in the Delton and Alberta Avenue
00:00:14.960 neighborhoods are saying that new bike lanes and parking changes are colliding with winter
00:00:19.160 conditions, making already narrow roads more dangerous along with other safety concerns.
00:00:24.860 A brand new poll on Alberta independence also highlighted that support is highest among young
00:00:29.540 Canadians and lowest among seniors. In Calgary, the city's water situation remains critical
00:00:34.920 with emergency alerts, ongoing conservation measures, and warnings about the impact on
00:00:39.640 firefighting and emergency response if consumption doesn't drop, which it hasn't been at any notable
00:00:44.940 pace. And finally, the Alberta government has launched a new online hub as it pushes ahead
00:00:49.780 with plans for an oil pipeline to the northwest coast, laying out what it says is the economic
00:00:54.800 case for the project and next steps. I'm your host, Isaac Lameru, and let's jump right
00:00:59.340 into that first story right now. Residents in Edmonton's Delton and Alberta
00:01:02.900 Avenue neighborhoods are pushing back against recently installed bike lanes and parking restrictions,
00:01:08.140 warning that the changes are worsening already dangerous winter driving conditions.
00:01:12.680 In a series of emails sent to City Council, the Mayor, provincial officials, and major media
00:01:17.960 outlets, residents say overnight parking removals, unplowed bike lanes, and narrowed roads have
00:01:23.260 created safety risks for drivers, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles.
00:01:28.660 In a January 4th email copied to Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack and Transportation Minister
00:01:33.300 Devin Drieschen, Alberta Avenue resident Margarita Gosselin accused the city of failing to enforce
00:01:38.400 its own snow clearing commitments. She said, quote,
00:01:41.800 During phase one snow clearing, city officials repeatedly stated to the media that vehicles would
00:01:46.120 be towed to ensure proper clearing. This practice is not being enforced as a result. Snow banks are
00:01:51.880 accumulating, creating hazardous conditions for drivers, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles.
00:01:56.280 Gosselin also challenged city messaging that bike lanes are used year-round, pointing to what she
00:02:00.760 described as zero winter use in Delton and Alberta Avenue. She said, quote,
00:02:05.060 These lanes are not only underutilized, but are actively creating safety hazards.
00:02:09.380 Another resident, Shireen, who lives in Delton, also chimed in on the email chain. She said that no
00:02:14.500 parking signs were installed on her street without notice during extreme cold, leaving residents unable to
00:02:19.720 plug-in vehicles overnight. In a December 13th email, she wrote, quote,
00:02:23.960 I get home exhausted in the bitter cold to find a no parking sign on my side of the street.
00:02:28.680 It was sneakily placed during the day when everyone is at work, on what can be argued to be one of the
00:02:32.980 coldest days of the year. Residents argue that the combination of parked cars, snow banks, and protected
00:02:38.760 bike lanes has effectively reduced many streets to a single usable lane, making it difficult for emergency
00:02:44.560 vehicles to pass and forcing drivers into close proximity with pedestrians. In her email, Shireen
00:02:50.300 attached a photo of a Ford F-150, showing it could barely fit through, arguing that an emergency
00:02:55.060 vehicle certainly would not. Gosselin wrote, quote,
00:02:57.920 The city has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure safe, accessible transportation for all
00:03:03.740 residents, including seniors, persons with disabilities, and those relying on DATS services.
00:03:09.060 Current conditions violate these principles and put vulnerable populations at risk. Emergency
00:03:14.040 response times are compromised when roads are narrowed, and snow banks obstruct access.
00:03:18.480 This is not just an inconvenience, it is a public safety issue. The complaints stem from longstanding
00:03:24.060 opposition in Delton, where residents previously submitted a petition with a clear majority against
00:03:28.880 the bike lanes to City Council, but it was dismissed. The province has since confirmed it is drafting
00:03:33.700 legislation that could require traffic impact assessments before municipalities remove driving lanes.
00:03:39.060 And Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack defended the city's snow-clearing approach in a January 2
00:03:43.400 substack post, citing unprecedented snowfall and budget constraints. He wrote, quote,
00:03:49.140 In December 2025, Edmonton recorded 416% more precipitation than our 30-year average,
00:03:55.580 making it the sixth snowiest December on record. He said the city uses a four-phase snow-clearing
00:04:01.000 system that prioritizes major roads, transit routes, and hills, with residential roads having the lowest
00:04:06.280 priority. He clarified also that the cycle resets with every new snowfall, meaning that if snowfall
00:04:12.100 occurs frequently, residential roads may receive little to no attention. The mayor himself cited a few
00:04:17.760 close calls of getting stuck, along with numerous stories he's allegedly heard from residents getting
00:04:22.920 stuck. Gosselin asked, quote,
00:04:24.860 My question is simple. Where is his bike? Council has consistently told our communities that bike lanes
00:04:30.560 are essential because they are used year-round. If that is true, why are councillors not leading by
00:04:35.400 example? Knack noted that full snow removal from residential streets would cost an estimated $20
00:04:40.600 million, on top of the city's existing $67 million snow-clearing budget, which he admitted was not
00:04:46.620 sufficient to provide full snow removal. However, Gosselin noted that the city allocated $100 million for
00:04:53.740 bike lanes to accommodate 1% of Edmonton's population. And Transportation Minister Devin Drishan, in his
00:05:00.740 year-end interview with me, previously said that the province is currently drafting legislation for
00:05:05.220 2026 to require municipalities to conduct trafficked impact assessments before removing driving lanes or
00:05:11.180 installing bike lanes on major roads. Gosselin said her previous emails were not responded to by the
00:05:16.500 attached deadline. Most recently, she called for a written explanation on the city's failure to tow cars
00:05:22.000 during snow clearing, data on winter bike lane usage, a justification for spending $100 million on bike lanes,
00:05:28.500 and addressing the numerous concerns she referenced. Some of the concerns previously raised by her in her
00:05:33.480 previous emails included reinstating parking on both sides of 92 Street, and conducting an emergency access audit.
00:05:40.480 But for our next story, we'll hop over to Alberta Independence. A poll released on Thursday from Research Co showed
00:05:47.000 that support for Alberta independence is being largely driven by younger residents as it grew sharply among voters under 35
00:05:53.500 years old. The survey found that support for Alberta becoming a country independent from Canada was highest among those
00:05:59.480 between the ages of 18 and 34 at 42%. The lowest level of support was among Albertans aged 55 and older at 25%. Overall, though, the
00:06:08.500 research found that support for Alberta becoming independent from Canada was 31%. When respondents were
00:06:15.000 asked whether Alberta should join the United States, overall support fell to 24%. However, those wanting the province to
00:06:21.000 join its southern counterpart were once more highest among those between the ages of 18 and 34, and lowest among those aged 55
00:06:27.000 and older. Still, Research Co said that support for separation had climbed nine points since a similar poll
00:06:33.500 it conducted in June 2023. And this poll was of course produced two days after Alberta Prosperity Project
00:06:40.000 General Counsel Jeffrey Rath became the first Albertan to sign the petition for an Alberta independence
00:06:45.500 referendum. Although former Progressive Conservative Cabinet Minister Thomas Lukasik already technically submitted a petition to
00:06:53.000 elections Alberta that met the threshold to hold a referendum. But of course, soon after, he was accused of
00:06:58.000 misleading his signatories when he disavowed holding a vote despite the petition explicitly calling for a referendum.
00:07:05.000 To remind you, Lukasik's petition read, quote,
00:07:08.000 Therefore, we as represented by the signatory and applicant below propose a referendum on the following question.
00:07:14.000 Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada? Thursday's poll also showed a regional divide with support lowest in
00:07:20.000 Edmonton followed by Calgary and the highest in the rest of Alberta at 34%. But those were the only three
00:07:25.000 regional areas that were analyzed. So that's not to say that it's lowest in Edmonton in the entire province.
00:07:32.000 The desire for independence was also clearly divided along party lines. Albertans who voted for the UCP in the
00:07:38.000 2023 election were more likely to support independence than those who voted for the NDP at 40% and 11% respectively.
00:07:45.000 Those who wish to sign the petition to hold a referendum can do so in person at various events being held
00:07:50.000 throughout the province. Signature collection is authorized to run from January 3rd to May 2nd,
00:07:55.000 2026 and requires 177,732 valid signatures to succeed. The threshold represents 10% of the total votes cast in the
00:08:05.000 2023 provincial general election. And Rath previously told True North that the Alberta Prosperity Project aims to collect
00:08:11.000 one million signatures. He said they will do everything in their power to collect more than
00:08:15.000 Thomas Lukaszak, who surpassed 450,000 signatures for his anti-separation petition.
00:08:21.000 The question on Rath's petition reads, quote,
00:08:24.000 Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?
00:08:29.000 And the petition is making its rounds after a First Nation group falsely claimed it could block it.
00:08:34.000 Sturgeon Lake, Cree Nation, falsely claimed that no separation from Alberta could occur without First Nation consent.
00:08:40.000 Of course, True North previously revealed that legal experts said Indigenous communities would have
00:08:44.000 no legal power to veto an Alberta independence referendum even if treaties remain intact.
00:08:49.000 Canadian Constitution Foundation Legal Counsel Josh de Haas told True North that while Alberta cannot unilaterally secede from Canada,
00:08:55.000 quote,
00:08:56.000 First Nations do not possess veto power over a referendum or subsequent negotiations.
00:09:01.000 Furthermore, constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson echoed the CCF's view, stating that while First Nations would be
00:09:07.000 full participants in any post-referendum negotiations, they lack the legal authority to block Alberta's decision to hold a vote.
00:09:14.000 Wilson noted that if separation occurs, Indigenous communities could choose whether to maintain their current treaty agreements with Ottawa,
00:09:20.000 transition to new treaties with a sovereign Alberta, or negotiate an entirely new framework.
00:09:26.000 Any eligible voter would be able to vote in an independence referendum with no person or group receiving special treatment.
00:09:33.000 Upon a successful vote, the province of Alberta, First Nations from Alberta, the other provinces,
00:09:38.000 and the federal government are legally required to engage in good-faith negotiations to establish terms.
00:09:43.000 Therefore, the First Nations would be able to remain in Canada and maintain the status quo, 0.97
00:09:47.000 request that the new independent Alberta take them under existing treaties, or negotiate new treaties with Alberta.
00:09:53.000 The First Nations would make this decision individually.
00:09:56.000 But for our next story, we'll take a look over at Calgary, where the water supply has reached such a dire situation
00:10:01.000 that an emergency alert was issued, warning that essential services like firefighting could be compromised if residents don't immediately slash consumption.
00:10:09.000 A post from the agency read, quote,
00:10:11.000 All residents and businesses must conserve water. Reduce indoor water consumption as much as possible.
00:10:16.000 Limit showers and flushing toilets. Only do full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine.
00:10:21.000 An emergency alert was issued for all communities connected to Calgary's water system, including Airdrie, Strathmore,
00:10:27.000 Sutina Nation, and Chestermere, after the water supply remained at a critical level for days.
00:10:32.000 The alert resulted from a feeder main break along 16th Avenue NW that continues to strain the system.
00:10:38.000 And the alert came two days after Mayor Jeremy Farkas warned Calgarians that water usage was in the Red Zone,
00:10:44.000 which he said would enter loss-of-life territory without immediate reductions.
00:10:48.000 The city reported that Calgarians used 514 million liters of water on Monday,
00:10:54.000 well above the target zone of 485 million liters and another increase over the day before.
00:10:59.000 Farkas' Wednesday update showed the level remained high at 511 million liters,
00:11:03.000 and a Thursday update showed it was still in the Red Zone at 507 million liters.
00:11:08.000 The emergency alert was issued just around the same time as Calgary City Council debated the findings
00:11:13.000 of a newly released independent review into the July 2024 Bear Spa South Feeder main failure.
00:11:18.000 The report concludes that the city identified serious risks with the aging pipe system years ago,
00:11:23.000 but repeatedly deferred inspection, monitoring, and mitigation.
00:11:26.000 Councillor Dan McLean said the report confirms long-standing concerns about how the city managed its most critical water infrastructure.
00:11:33.000 He said, quote,
00:11:35.000 This report delivers a shocking and damning indictment of repeated failures at City Hall.
00:11:39.000 Warnings were known, risks were clear, action was delayed.
00:11:43.000 And McLean added that the key findings are unmistakable.
00:11:46.000 He said, quote,
00:11:47.000 Previous councils and city administration knew Calgary's water infrastructure was aging,
00:11:52.000 and that the BPSFM faced severe risk, yet chose to prioritize other projects over our most critical utility.
00:11:59.000 And the review found that the Bear Spa South Feeder main carries up to 60% of Calgary's potable water.
00:12:04.000 It warned that a similar failure under less favorable conditions could have resulted in severe service interruptions or boil water advisories.
00:12:12.000 The panel called for accelerated repairs, stronger oversight, and a governance overhaul to prevent future crises.
00:12:18.000 City crews continue working around the clock at the break site along 16th Avenue.
00:12:22.000 The damaged section of pipe has been removed and inspections are underway to assess the condition of adjacent segments.
00:12:27.000 The city said those inspections are necessary to inform future repairs and will not delay restoring the line to service.
00:12:34.000 Of course, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith laid some of the blame for the critical water level on former Calgary mayor and current Alberta NDP leader Nahed Nenshi.
00:12:42.000 She explained that the city's water system had years of higher leakage levels than any other municipality, citing leaks up up to 20%.
00:12:50.000 Smith said, quote,
00:12:51.000 Yet, after the floods, they didn't bother to do any investigation on the water main.
00:12:56.000 And you have to ask the question, well, who was the mayor after the floods of 2013 until he decided to retire?
00:13:01.000 That was Nahed Nenshi.
00:13:02.000 Calgary remains under Stage 4 water restrictions, the strictest level, which ban nearly all outdoor water use and carry fines of up to $3,000 for violations.
00:13:10.000 Officials continue urging residents to immediately reduce indoor consumption to help stabilize the system as repair work continues.
00:13:16.000 But for our last story, instead of looking at water pipes, we'll actually look at oil pipes and a development that the province is underway with.
00:13:24.000 Because the Alberta government has launched a new public web page outlining its plan to advance a proposed oil pipeline to Canada's northwest coast.
00:13:32.000 The province says the new online hub will serve as a central source of information on the proposed pipeline,
00:13:37.000 including its economic benefits, engagement with indigenous communities, and the regulatory process ahead,
00:13:43.000 as it works towards submitting an application to the Federal Major Projects Office on or before July 1st.
00:13:49.000 When the province announced the pipeline on October 1st, 2025, it clarified that it would only act as a proponent until the formal application is approved,
00:13:57.000 after which private investors are expected to take over.
00:14:00.000 Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean said the website is intended to provide transparency as the project moves forward.
00:14:07.000 He said, quote,
00:14:08.000 We remain committed to evidence-based planning and collaboration as we lead the way in advancing the northwest coast oil pipeline submission.
00:14:15.000 Alberta's announcement came the same day Conservative leader Pierre Palliev warned Carney that incoming Venezuelan oil reserves to the market heightened the need to build a west coast pipeline.
00:14:24.000 He also explained that just because Alberta Premier Daniel Smith and Carney signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on energy infrastructure,
00:14:32.000 carbon reduction projects, and regulatory reforms, it doesn't mean construction will occur.
00:14:37.000 Palliev said, quote,
00:14:39.000 Your memorandum of understanding with the Premier of Alberta commits only to referring a potential pipeline to a new federal office for further consideration,
00:14:46.000 meaning years of additional process delay and uncertainty.
00:14:50.000 After nearly a decade of liberal obstruction, Canadians have no reason to trust this leads to construction.
00:14:56.000 While the Alberta legislature endorsed a pipeline deal, a similar federal motion failed in the House of Commons when it was defeated by Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and NDP MPs.
00:15:05.000 Still, despite the setback, the province remains optimistic.
00:15:09.000 The Alberta government's press release explained that the project would increase access to Asian markets and reduce reliance on the U.S.,
00:15:15.000 and that it would also create billions in economic opportunities across numerous provinces.
00:15:20.000 Canada holds the world's fourth largest proven oil reserves and is the fourth largest global oil producer.
00:15:26.000 Net export receipts from crude oil have increased from $6 billion in 2000 to $130 billion in 2024.
00:15:34.000 The government says these figures underscore the importance of additional export capacity.
00:15:39.000 Also, three companies, South Bow, Enbridge, and Trans Mountain, are participating in a technical advisory group supporting the early planning work for the pipeline.
00:15:48.000 The hub for this website can be reached at www.alberta.ca slash northwest-coast-oil-pipeline.
00:15:57.000 But that wraps up this week's Alberta Roundup.
00:15:59.000 My name's Isaac Lamoureux.
00:16:00.000 Have a great weekend.
00:16:01.000 Thank you, and God bless.
00:16:04.000 Thank you.