Thursday cold snap, big changes coming to E-town
Bundle up heading out—it's dropped back to the deep freeze, and there's some real local news to process before the day gets away.
It's a proper cold one this morning: minus three, feels colder, and the air quality's sitting elevated at 7.0 on the AQHI scale—nothing dangerous, but the kind of day where you might feel it in your chest if you're out moving around. Wrap up for the commute, and plan to be inside by sunset at 6:22 p.m. if you're looking to catch some evening light.
The big story landing today is BioWare shutting down after 31 years. That's massive for Edmonton—the studio's been a cornerstone of the local creative scene since way back, and this one's going to sting. Worth taking a moment to sit with that one.
On the ground, there's serious stuff unfolding: a four-month RCMP investigation in St. Albert has resulted in charges against two Edmonton residents, and up at CFB Wainwright, the recovery effort is still ongoing after the fire that claimed Sergeant Morgan Wong's life and left reservist Sean Hiatt facing months of burn recovery. Those stories matter.
On a lighter note, the flu's climbing at Stollery Children's Hospital as Alberta's crossed into epidemic territory—if you've got kids, that's worth keeping front of mind for the next stretch. And the food scene keeps rolling: Hazeldean Bakery just reopened in south Edmonton with a huge welcome from the community, Elio's is bringing Filipino comfort food to the south side with a real gathering vibe, and Nomiya's made the jump to become Nom on Calgary Trail with a more elevated take on Japanese dining. Paperbirch by Chartrand is closing out at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market after two years, so if you've been meaning to stop by, sooner's better than later. And if you're craving a quick taco, the Taco Cart's still holding down J-Ave.
Tonight you've got real options to break up the work week. The Oilers are hosting Carolina, and if that's your thing, it's a solid Thursday escape. There's also the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear at 7:30 p.m., and live comedy at The Buckingham at 8 if you need a laugh. The Pandas are playing Victoria in basketball at Saville at 6:00 p.m. too if you're in the mood for that.
Stay warm out there. See you on the other side of this cold snap.
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