Latest news with #EddieRobar
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City and police association reach new collective agreement
An Edmonton Police Service shoulder badge in Edmonton on Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson After nearly two years of negotiating, the city and the Edmonton Police Association (EPA) have finalized a new collective agreement. The previous agreement expired on Dec. 17, 2023. 'This agreement acknowledges the crucial work that EPA's 1,800-plus members, who are all sworn, uniformed officers, do every day to keep our communities safe,' said city manager Eddie Robar in a statement Friday. The four-year agreement that runs until Dec. 26, 2027 will include a 3.5-per-cent wage increase for 2024, a 3.75-per-cent wage increase for 2025 and 2026 and a 3.4-per-cent increase for 2027. 'This vote is a strong affirmation of the priorities our members identified and the value they place on being heard,' said EPA president Curtis Hoople. Other parts of the agreement include a new personal spending account, coverage for glucose monitoring devices and 'other monetary and non-monetary items,' according to a joint statement from the city and the EPA
CTV News
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Alberta's first mobile hydrogen fuelling station launches in Edmonton
Alberta's first mobile hydrogen fuelling station is seen in southeast Edmonton on June 26, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune) The City of Edmonton has launched its first mobile hydrogen fuelling station for its fleet vehicles. Located at the city's fleet and facility services in Ellerslie, the Azolla Biodrome mobile fuelling station produces hydrogen services to light, medium and heavy-duty fleet vehicles. This is the first of two stations that will operate in the city. 'It's a huge milestone for the city as we advance our exploration of hydrogen for municipal fleets,' said city manager Eddie Robar at the station's unveiling Thursday. 'This station gives us and our regional partners the opportunity to continue testing hydrogen in real world conditions for heavy and light duty vehicles.' The Azolla Biodrome is a modular hydrogen fuelling system that combines on-site hydrogen production from methanol and deionized water with integrated compression, high-capacity storage and dispensing systems. The station stores hydrogen in 16 tanks with 600 kilograms of storage capacity. MOBILEHYDROGEN Hydrogen storage tanks are seen at Edmonton's new mobile hydrogen fuelling station on June 26, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune) The station was launched with the Alberta Zero Emissions Fleet Fuelling (AZEFF) project, a partnership between Edmonton, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, the province, Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), the University of Alberta, the Transition Accelerator, Alberta Motor Transportation Association and Diesel Tech Industries. The pilot project, which will run until 2027, received $6.9 million in ERA funding in April 2024. Once the pilot is complete, the city and its partners will produce a report on the outcome of the project. 'This project is a great example of the initial types of initiatives that we are excited to invest in,' said Christophe Owttrim, executive director of technology and innovation at ERA. 'It really shows what's possible when innovation, collaboration and a commitment to advancing clean technologies comes together. MOBILEHYDROGEN Some City of Edmonton fleet vehicles are now dual-fuelled by hydrogen. (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune) As the project evolves and expands, the station will serve Class-8 semis, dump trucks, refuse trucks and plow trucks from the City of Edmonton as well as from Strathcona and Sturgeon Counties. A second fuelling station is scheduled to open at a different location within the city next year. The city currently has a fleet of hydrogen vehicles including one dual-fuel waste collection truck, one dual-fuel transit bus, one hydrogen fuel cell electric bus and two Toyota Mirai vehicles. Another dual-fuel waste long haul truck and transit bus will be converted and added to the fleet at some point. MOBILEHYDROGEN Some Edmonton Transit buses are now dual-fuelled by hydrogen. (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune) Arjun Sharma, branch manager of Fleet and Facility Services for the city said the opening of the station represents progress in advancing hydrogen as a viable fuel source for municipal and business operations. 'Transitioning to a lower carbon footprint fleet is essential,' said Sharma. 'Not only to meet our climate goals, but also to manage rising fuel costs, respond to evolving regulations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'
Calgary Herald
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton launches Alberta's first mobile hydrogen fuelling station, aiming to power the future of fleets
Article content Edmonton has officially launched Alberta's first mobile hydrogen fuelling station, marking a significant milestone in the city's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and pilot clean energy solutions for municipal fleets. Article content The mobile station, unveiled Thursday at the city's Ellerslie facility, is part of the Alberta Zero Emissions Fleet Fuelling (AZEFF) initiative — a regional partnership focused on piloting hydrogen as a viable fuel source for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Article content Article content Article content 'We're excited for the opportunity the mobile fuelling station gives us to inform the future of hydrogen for municipal fleets in Edmonton and Edmonton region, and our continued collaboration and dedication to finding alternative energy sources of work,' said city manager Eddie Robar at Thursday's news conference. Article content Article content The Azolla Biodrome, a modular mobile fuelling system, is the first hydrogen fuelling station of its kind in the province. Housed in a mobile trailer, it produces hydrogen on-site using methanol and deionized water, then stores it in 16 steel tanks with a total capacity of 600 kilograms. Article content The station can fuel approximately 45 light-duty vehicles or 10 transit buses per day and is equipped with Alberta's first fully compliant hydrogen pump. Article content Article content Article content Hydrogen fuel is dispensed via a high-pressure compressor and an advanced nozzle that ensures precise pressure alignment — a critical requirement for safety and efficiency. According to the city, the station features smart technology to support fast and accurate fuelling. Article content The mobile station will initially support Edmonton's small hydrogen fleet, which currently includes one dual-fuel waste collection truck, one dual-fuel transit bus, one hydrogen fuel cell electric bus, and two Toyota Mirai vehicles. Additional hydrogen vehicles, including a second dual-fuel transit bus and a dual-fuel long-haul waste truck, will be added later. Article content The pilot is expected to run through 2027, with data gathered on vehicle performance, fuel reliability, and operational logistics. Article content 'Up to now, a lack of reliable hydrogen fuelling infrastructure has represented a major hurdle for diversification of testing hydrogen for municipal fleets. The mobile hydrogen fuelling station is designed to address this challenge,' Robar said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce eyes municipal future
The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce (ECC) departed from convention at its latest State of Our City event to have a more 'frank, solutions-focused conversation' about the city's future, which notably excluded the mayor. 'We're not here to beat anyone up, but we are determined that we're not going to settle for the status quo anymore, and we're going to drive this city forward,' said chamber CEO Doug Griffiths in his opening remarks to the audience. A crowd of more than 700 packed into the Edmonton Convention Centre on Thursday for the event. However, with an upcoming municipal election in the fall and after losing his bid for a federal seat, the chamber opted not to speak with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and instead spoke with city manager Eddie Robar, Explore Edmonton's Traci Bednard, Oilers Entertainment Group's Tim Shipton, BILD Edmonton Metro's Kalen Anderson and Griffiths about the future of the city. A leading topic for the afternoon panel was understanding what gets in the way of more investment in the city, whether it's for big projects, business, or infrastructure. Robar pointed to Edmonton recently earning the top prize from the Canadian Home Builders' Association award for facilitating home building. 'Relative to the rest of the country, we're the best,' Anderson said, clarifying later that being the best still isn't good enough. 'We're the best city in the slowest country,' she said later. While she applauded efforts at the municipal and provincial governments to reduce red tape, Anderson says there's still more work to be done. Panellists were also asked about the effects of the city's ever-growing population, estimated at more than 50,000 newcomers every year. Though it may be heartening to see people take an interest in the city, Griffiths said, 'population growth, no matter what they do, is going to be challenging because they don't bring their infrastructure with them.' 'It's probably our biggest challenge, but also our biggest opportunity. When people come, businesses want to come, too. We're growing really heavily on that people side, but we're on that tipping point of when the people come, the business come as well,' said Robar. Anderson suggested that ensuring the city is more nimble to adapt to increasing demands on infrastructure will help with increased load. That means a need for better planning, she said. Although property taxes have risen for Edmontonian, Explore Edmonton CEO Traci Bednard said the visitor economy in the city can alleviate some of that economic pressure. Unlike new residents in the city, visitors don't burden the city's schools or houses, Bednard said, and we have the hotel capacity to accommodate them. 'We're all going to be cheering on the Oilers tonight, (but) the Explore Edmonton team will be at the Expo Centre. We have volleyball supernationals. We have 35,000 participants who will come from across Canada and spend like a week in Edmonton. And that will be an economic impact of $53 million,' said Bednard. Panellists concluded by being asked what they would like to see in the next municipal government, prompting answers highlighting the need for continued policy refinement in housing, investment in the downtown core, among others. Shipton suggested after the success of the recent Village at Ice District project MOU, that further partnerships between different levels of government for more big projects would be an opportunity. Griffiths just wants to see a municipal government more amenable to the business community. 'Some people from the city will deny it, but Edmonton does not have a pro-business brand out there. I would like to see an attitudinal shift,' said Griffiths. 'We're not a group to be dealt with. We're important partners to grow the economy. And so approaching us with a positive mindset that says, 'How can we help you?' is the Number 1 thing I would ask for in the next election.' Edmonton mayor announces homelessness, housing task force in annual state of the city address New study ranks Edmonton as most builder-friendly in Canada Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
CBC
05-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton city council, business leaders talk tariff strategy as administrators review contracts
Promised tariffs on Canadian goods may have been paused, but efforts in Edmonton to prepare for them are ramping up. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said during a city council meeting Tuesday that he and Eddie Robar, the city manager, met with the heads of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the economic development agency Edmonton Global on Monday night to discuss the issue. They plan to call a meeting with chief executive officers from other economic development agencies and organizations, including the Edmonton International Airport, Epcor, the Edmonton Screen Industries Office and Explore Edmonton to discuss diversification, supply chains, infrastructure investment and interprovincial trade advocacy. Sohi said he will also be convening a meeting with the chair of the Edmonton police commission to discuss further work combating the illicit drug crisis. "I hope the message today is clear: that we are all working together to approach the situation with the seriousness it requires and the collaboration it requires," he said. The mayor said city council should keep encouraging Edmontonians to buy from local companies. "Every local purchase is a vote of confidence in our local economy and supports local jobs," he said. Effects of tariffs on City of Edmonton City manager Eddie Robar said the promised tariffs are expected to be "highly disruptive" to Edmonton and regional economies, potentially affecting spending, trade flows, pricing and gross domestic product. Uncertainty could dampen business investment, lead businesses to relocate, and drive people and businesses to stockpile goods, he said. He said tariffs and retaliatory tariffs would have far-reaching effects on many aspects of the city's budget. The weaker Canadian dollar has already led to higher costs for transactions in U.S. dollars, he said, and increased costs for lumber or steel could drive up housing costs. Robar said city administrators are reviewing contracts with U.S. companies and looking at ways of mitigating cost increases. Mayors to meet Thursday Sohi said he will be travelling to Ottawa on Wednesday and will be meeting on Thursday with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Big City Mayors' Caucus, a group of representatives from Canada's biggest cities. He said the group will be developing a united municipal strategy and meeting with federal ministers. The FCM, which released a statement strongly condemning the U.S. tariffs on Feb. 1., intends to ramp up its efforts to build support among U.S. mayors, Robar said. Opportunities for businesses Doug Griffiths, president and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, said work is underway between chambers of commerce in large cities to eliminate trade barriers between provinces. He told city council the chamber has been having a conversation about identifying Canadian goods on store shelves. Griffiths said the tariff situation is a crisis but also an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. "This is the perfect opportunity for this city to start to evaluate its economic opportunities and achieve its full economic potential," he said. Malcolm Bruce, CEO of Edmonton Global, said if a large federal assistance program arrives in response to tariffs, some of that money should go toward making the Edmonton region more attractive for international investment. Councillors spoke at Tuesday's meeting about the importance of being united and working together to find solutions.
