This is Edmonton

You’ve probably seen at least one ad for a GLP-1. The weight loss drugs have become big business and now companies can start making a generic version of Ozempic. Reporter Julia Wong tells us about how one Edmonton company wants to cash in by creating a Canadian-made version of the drug, and the impact it could have on local drug manufacturing.

Why does Edmonton get rid of it's old buildings? And can we even choose which ones to save? This week guest host Colton Hutchinson speaks with Dan Rose, creator of the 'Arch Madness' bracket, about Edmonton's threatened historic buildings. He reveals the winner of this year's tournament, and what it means when we lose historic structures. 

In January, CBC News reached out to Alberta school staff through a mass email campaign. We asked questions about classroom conditions and heard from thousands of teachers. They shared their thoughts on the teachers' strike, ongoing challenges with classroom complexity and more. This week we dig into one of these issues, classroom violence, and how it’s impacting Edmonton teachers and students.

With the rising cost of living, how can young people set themselves up for financial success? Host Colton Hutchinson speaks to a financial literacy expert and gets some tax filing tips from CBC reporter Tristan Mottershead.

This week on This is Edmonton, host Colton Hutchinson looks at how freeze-thaw cycles affect how accessible our city is.

The Edmonton Oilers are a massive economic generator. Have you seen the price for season tickets?! OEG was even named one of the top 5 most profitable sports teams in the world recently. So why did we end up with the most profitable team in the NHL here? CBC’s Sean Newton joins host Clare Bonnyman to break down just how big of a business hockey is, and how much control fans have over finances.

The housing infill conversation at Edmonton’s city council is particularly heated of late. In recent years, the city has made big changes to what can be built where, and neighbourhoods are starting to see the impacts of those bylaws. Housing has remained relatively affordable, but the look of some neighbourhoods has shifted — and some longtime residents are left feeling overlooked. The CBC’s Colton Hutchinson takes over this episode and breaks down our infill feelings with reporter Morgan Black.

The University of Alberta wants to eliminate equity, diversity and inclusion from its hiring policy. This comes one year after the school’s president announced it was moving away from the term, saying it had become polarizing. But now staff and students are speaking out against the removal of these kinds of policies and where this pressure comes from. CBC reporter Emily Williams joins host Clare Bonnyman to dig deeper into the issue.

Edmonton’s McCauley neighbourhood has a PR problem. The inner city community is home to Commonwealth Stadium, the Italian Centre and Chinatown. But it also has a disproportionate number of resources for the homeless community. But residents believe in their neighbourhood. Perhaps none more than Teresa Spinelli. Host Clare Bonnyman joins Spinelli for a talk about the work the community is doing, to make McCauley better and the lessons the rest of the city can learn from them.

It was nine years ago when the Bowes family lost their baby boy, Huxley. The infant was born in an Edmonton hospital and died just three days after his traumatic delivery. Their loss prompted a series of regulatory reviews, systemic changes to the operation of the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and a now-dismissed wrongful death lawsuit. What has all of this changed? CBC reporter Wallis Snowdon joins the podcast to dig into the story.

The data makes it clear — transit-related violence has risen across Canada over the past decade. And Edmonton has one of the most dangerous transit systems in the country. But what do we know about who is at the source of the violence? And how has our city handled growing concerns around safety on the LRT? We dig into an investigation from CBC and the Investigative Journalism Foundation with reporter Nicholas Frew.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital is getting a new home, in part because the current space is packed.  A population boom, plus more outbreak emergencies and a lack of beds has caused delays in chemotherapy for some kids. CBC’s Ariel Fournier spoke to parents about what happens when kids can’t get care, and why this new stand-alone hospital is so important for pediatric patients.

It’s fair to say 2025 was a busy year at Alberta's legislature, and there was no shortage of stories to cover. There was a teachers' strike, citizen petitions, controversial policies and an auditor general’s report that raised eyebrows. So how do these stories continue into 2026, and what do Edmontonians need to know? We sit down with two provincial affairs reporters to get their takes on the year ahead.

It’s cold and when temperatures drop in the city many scramble to make sure people can stay warm. Edmonton has been making moves to beef up daytime winter warming spaces to serve a growing homeless population — meanwhile the province says shelters have more than enough room. So what’s actually needed? And who’s responsible for making that happen? CBC reporter Emily Williams joins us to take a bigger look at the recurring challenge.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It’s a key element of Edmonton summers — driving out to see some big stuff. Roadside attractions are huge across the province and they’re hard to miss, even in our city. And why would you want to? From pumpkins to mushrooms, a giant perogy or a sausage link, there is something for everyone. Big stuff expert and CBC producer Adrienne Lamb joins host Clare Bonnyman to talk about attractions near and far and dig into why we love them so much.

Living in Edmonton is a weird, wonderful and sometimes frustrating experience. Every Wednesday This Is Edmonton brings you the most Edmonton stories you've never heard, and the context you need to understand what's going on in our city. Host Clare Bonnyman gets into it all, unpacking the essential, random and occasionally shocking things that are uniquely Edmonton.

One year ago, a devastating wildfire burned through Jasper. Around a third of structures in the mountain town were destroyed. Thousands of residents and workers were pushed out of their homes. So, how much can be done in 365 days? CBC reporter Liam Harrap and producer Ariel Fournier asked that question, and dug deep into what it looks like to recover from a wildfire. They share what they learned with host Clare Bonnyman.

Edmonton has always been a hotbed for arts and theatre, but our comedy scene is unmatched. Improv, standup and sketch have been a huge part of the scene for a long time, but in recent years, new comedy theatres and troupes are making their mark on the city. This week, host Clare Bonnyman dives into the capital city comedy scene with Bryon Martin and Jules Pepin of the Grindstone Comedy Theatre to talk about what makes this community tick.

Edmonton is known as a festival city, but our music-focused festivals really shine in the summer months. So, what kind of work goes into making a great music festival, and how are current geo-political tensions influencing musicians and the industry at large? Host Clare Bonnyman digs into Edmonton’s music ecosystem with Aimee Hill, one of the founders of Interstellar Rodeo, and an arts and culture worker in the city.

Indigenous dancers from across the Prairies spend the summer visiting communities for powwows. But it takes a lot of time, and a lot of work to prepare your skills. An Edmonton group hosts weekly practices to make sure dancers are in tip-top shape. This week, host Clare Bonnyman visits an inner-city powwow practice and speaks with dancer Danni Okemaw about her own dancing journey.This episode first aired June 12, 2024