~”Happy” New Year~

This week in the Activist Agenda (Edmonton) and now being released on Thursday so you can see what might fit in your weekend. This list is constantly being updated so I do suggest that you check throughout the week for any updated actions. Visit Activist Agenda to see the latest version.

• December 29th, Friday – Weekly Climate Strike Ceasefire Now! in lieu of the banner drop below
• December 29th, Friday – Banner Drop for Gaza
• December 29th, Friday – Homeless Camp Teardown Witness
• December 29th, Friday – Pride Corner Winter Meet-Up
• December 29th, Friday – Weekly Coffee Outside
• December 29th, Friday – Edmonton Critical Mass Ride With Pride
• December 30th, Friday – Homeless Camp Teardown Witness
• December 30th, Saturday – No Ceasefire Now event at the Market
• December 30th, Saturday – Emergency Rally for Ukraine
• December 31st, Sunday – Edmonton All Out for Palestine
• December 31st, Sunday – New Year’s Eve Celebration
• January 5th, Friday – Weekly Climate Strike Ceasefire Now!
• January 5th, Friday – Weekly Coffee Outside
• January 6th, Saturday – Weekly Ceasefire Now event at the Market
• January 6th, Saturday – Climate Justice Signage Display
• January 9th, Tuesday – How Winter Biking Can Build Your League’s Community
• January 10th, Wednesday – Life Skills: Tenant Empowerment Basic Course
• January 26th, Friday – Monthly Critical Mass Ride
• January 27th, Saturday – International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Video of the Week

Due to a conflict of timing – we will not be having our regular Friday Ceasefire Now action but will be attending the Banner Drop for Gaza that is being scheduled for the same time slot.

December 29th, Friday – Weekly Climate Strike Ceasefire Now!: A weekly reminder to Edmontonians that we are in a Climate Emergency.
Because of the immediacy of situation of the Israel/Hamas conflict we will be using our time at these strikes to focus on Ceasefire Now. The world has dragged its feet on taking acting on the Climate Breakdown for 5 decades I don’t think it will matter much if we shift our time for a bit to Ceasefire Now!
Extra signs will be available for people to use – or bring your own.
Time: 8 am to 9 am
Location: 109th street and 88th Avenue
Facebook: Edmonton Climate Strike
Hashtags: #CeasefireNow

December 29th, Friday – Banner Drop for Gaza: Banners will be dropped over the side of the 111th Street bridge where it passes over the Whitemud Freeway (west side of the overpass)
Time: 8am
Location: 111th Street and Whitemud Freeway (west side of the overpass)

December 29th, Friday – Homeless Camp Teardown Witness: “Beginning Friday morning, December 29, evictions will hit people camping on Edmonton streets.
Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) invites people to attend at this location as non-interfering witnesses to the process. The more people who understand how brutal and nasty this process is, and let others know, the greater the possibility that public pressure will push the City to find a better way to address the shame of having hundreds of people with no more shelter than a tent or tarp.
For people coming to witness, the process usually begins about 8 AM with people told to salvage whatever they can carry and leave, then police and City crew begin to take away everything else. Depending on the size of the camp, this can take three or four hours.”
Time: 9 am
Location: Quasar Bottle Depot at 9510-105 Avenue
More information: Edmonton Coalition on Hosing and Homelessness (ECOHH)

December 29th, Friday – Pride Corner Winter Meet-Up: “We want to ensure everyone is aware of our upcoming schedule changes!
November through April, we will be decreasing our gatherings to the last Friday of each month with reduced hours of 4:30-6:30 pm.
This is for a number of reasons, one being that it is just too cold to be out there for long!
Another being that we need a break from organizing our very busy spring and summer, and to allow regrouping and rest before May rolls around again.
We are hoping to plan a few indoor hangouts over the winter months, and already have something VERY exciting lined up for March! Stay tuned here for details.”
Time: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Though Pride Corner is location at the SE corner of 104th Street (Calgary Trail) and 82nd Avenue (Whyte) they gather normally gather at 103rd Street (Gateway) and 82nd Avenue (Whyte). If you don’t see them at one location then check the other.

December 29th, Friday – Weekly Coffee Outside: “Edmonton’s outdoor coffee club. We meet every Friday, rain, snow or shine between 7 & 9 am at Ezio Faraone Park.”
Time: 7 to 9 am
Location: Ezio Faraone Park, Edmonton
Twitter: YEG Coffee Outside

December 29th, Friday – Edmonton Critical Mass Ride With Pride: “Critical Mass rides are to make visible the number of cyclists in a city and remind city administrators that we require safe, smart, and effective infrastructure to all us to use our bicycles (or other human-powered devices).
We will join the people at Pride Corner for their last gathering of 2023 – ergo, the Ride with Pride theme. Lights, glam, flags, etc are all encouraged.
Bring noise makers, lights, signs/messages (if safe to do so), cameras, etc and join your community in a celebration of the intelligence of the bicycle.
The route will likely be about 8 kms. There could be a social afterwards.
Please check back for updates before the event 
Time: We will leave Sir Winston Churchill Square at 5:30pm
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 103rd Avenue and 99th Street
Facebook: Edmonton Critical Mass Ride

December 30th, Friday – Homeless Camp Teardown Witness: “Beginning Friday morning, December 29, evictions will hit people camping on Edmonton streets.
Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) invites people to attend at this location as non-interfering witnesses to the process. The more people who understand how brutal and nasty this process is, and let others know, the greater the possibility that public pressure will push the City to find a better way to address the shame of having hundreds of people with no more shelter than a tent or tarp.
For people coming to witness, the process usually begins about 8 AM with people told to salvage whatever they can carry and leave, then police and City crew begin to take away everything else. Depending on the size of the camp, this can take three or four hours.”
Time: 9 am
Location: Herb Jamieson Centre, 10014 105A Avenue
More information: Edmonton Coalition on Hosing and Homelessness (ECOHH)

December 30th, Saturday – No Ceasefire Now event at the Market: The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market is closed to give them a little break. Therefore we will not be setting up our presence. We will return on January 6th.

December 30th, Saturday – Emergency Rally for Ukraine: [The following was translated by Instagram so may not be a great translation. (unyf.alberta writes most of their posts in Ukrainian.)]
“MPORTANT! IT’S TOMORROW! GOING TO AN EMERGENCY MEETING AT 18:00 PM EVENING, DECEMBER 30! 🇺🇦 AT CHURCHILL SQUARE !! ️ We have all seen the terrible news about another terrorist attack on our cities by the enemy, this morning. It is already known that 30 people were killed (2 children among them) and 160 were injured. These are 30 innocent lives that Russia cynically took. This is destroyed dreams and a ruined future. This is genocide. We have no right to be silent about this! We understand we have very little time left, but we are planning an emergency meeting tomorrow at 6pm! To remind everyone what horrors Russia is capable of, and that the terrorist country must be stopped and punished! And to show that Russia continues to commit the genocide of our people! And to honor all the lost 🕯 Please join and invite others! We will also be collecting tourniquets for military at this rally. We believe that you will not let us down! This applies to each and every one of us. Glory to Ukraine!”
Time: 6 pm
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 102a Avenue and 99th Street

December 31st, Sunday – Edmonton All Out for Palestine: How will 2023 end and how will 2024 start? Your presence will make a difference.
Time: 1:30 pm
Location: Tipton Park, 10849 – 81st Avenue

December 31st, Sunday – New Year’s Eve Celebration: Join thousands of people at this welcoming of the New Year. They will have fireworks display at two times to accommodate people with young children or people that do not wish to stay until midnight (9pm and midnight).
Time: 6:30pm–midnight
Fireworks times: 9pm and midnight
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza
Website: City of Edmonton

December 31st, Sunday – New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Ice District: Kind of interesting that two NYE celebrations are happening within three blocks of each other. This one is more commercial and supports the owners of the square and such.
Time: 5 pm to 1 am
Location: ICE District Plaza
Website: Ice District

December 31st, Sunday – New Year’s Eve Rock Painting Party: “What more could you ask for? Vegans coming together to create compassionate vegan messages through art on New Years Eve!
Karin Nelson has inspired me to create this event. Rock painting is so cathartic, so relaxing. Please go check out her Instagram Page for all of her fabulous art work. She is so talented!
All of the rocks that are created on this evening will be for the Vegan Poetry Slam fundraiser. We will be putting these out on the table for people to take and then leave a donation. This will be the entry fee. Or they can just take one without a donation. Its completely up to them.
There will be food, drinks, music and some amazing people.
Join us in creating a vegan world.
Time: 5 pm to midnite
Location: Not The Moth Cafe. You will be given the location when you join/commit
More information: Facebook

January 3rd, Wednesday – Homeless Camp Teardown Witness: “Beginning Friday morning, December 29, evictions will hit people camping on Edmonton streets.
Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) invites people to attend at this location as non-interfering witnesses to the process. The more people who understand how brutal and nasty this process is, and let others know, the greater the possibility that public pressure will push the City to find a better way to address the shame of having hundreds of people with no more shelter than a tent or tarp.
For people coming to witness, the process usually begins about 8 AM with people told to salvage whatever they can carry and leave, then police and City crew begin to take away everything else. Depending on the size of the camp, this can take three or four hours.”
Time: 9 am
Location: Bissell Centre, 96th Street and 105a Avenue (west side of the centre). I think it is this spot but if not look around since you will be within 50M of the teardown.
More information: Edmonton Coalition on Hosing and Homelessness (ECOHH)

January 5th, Friday – Weekly Climate Strike Ceasefire Now!: A weekly reminder to Edmontonians that we are in a Climate Emergency.
Because of the immediacy of situation of the Israel/Hamas conflict we will be using our time at these strikes to focus on Ceasefire Now. The world has dragged its feet on taking acting on the Climate Breakdown for 5 decades I don’t think it will matter much if we shift our time for a bit to Ceasefire Now!
(I use the term conflict but that is not really the right word because the sides are so uneven. It is like when a protest is happening and a few people pick up bricks to throw at the authorities and then the authorities open fire on the whole crowd – and doesn’t stop. Is that a conflict or something quite different)?
Extra signs will be available for people to use – or bring your own.
Time: 8 am to 9 am
Location: 109th street and 88th Avenue
Facebook: Edmonton Climate Strike
Hashtags: #CeasefireNow

January 5th, Friday – Weekly Coffee Outside: “Edmonton’s outdoor coffee club. We meet every Friday, rain, snow or shine between 7 & 9 am at Ezio Faraone Park.”
Time: 7 to 9 am
Location: Ezio Faraone Park, Edmonton
Twitter: YEG Coffee Outside

January 6th, Saturday – Weekly Ceasefire Now event at the Market: “We will stand together in solidarity with people around the world calling for an immediate Ceasefire Now in all conflict zones and all parties work towards a just, respectful, and long-lasting peace.”
Time: 11am
Location: Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market, 10310 – 83rd Avenue. I made a What Three Words for the exact location where we normally stand. If we move away from this spot we will be noticeable and easy to find.
Facebook: Gather in Peace

January 6th, Saturday – Climate Justice Signage Display: I will erect these signs beside the bus stop on Gateway and 83rd Avenue. This is a static display since I normally go over and stand with a group of people doing Ceasefire Now activism in front of the market.
I will return to the signs and stand there for a period of time and talk with people if they are interested in discussing the issues.
I invite you to join me at this display of signs and you can easily stand there and talk with people to discuss the issues.
Hope to see you out to demand a change that will lessen the impact of the climate emergency we are experiencing.
Why do I have UCP on this sign? Well, they have formed the present government in Alberta and like all previous Alberta governments (including the NDP) have pushed the fossil fuel agenda to the detriment of the planet while knowing what impacts their actions would have on people and planet.
Time: 11 am
Location: Grass area on the NE corner of 83rd avenue and Gateway (104th Street)
Facebook: Edmonton Climate Strike

January 9th, Tuesday – How Winter Biking Can Build Your League’s Community: “Biking in winter has an incredible power to build community. If your League is looking to build connections, volunteer opportunities and take action on climate change, we’ve got a how-to workshop for you.
We’re pleased to welcome a panel of winter biking experts to help us, including:
* Isla Tanaka – City of Edmonton’s Winter City Planner and Winter Cycling Federation Board Member
* Nicola DiNicola – Fancy Women Bike Ride and Coffee Outside
* Cheryl Villetard and Chris Chan – Paths for People
In this event we will discuss:
* Myths versus realities of winter biking in Edmonton
* The community-building magic that is biking
* Tips, tricks and advice for League members to lead by example
* A thought or two on gear”
This is being organized by the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM MST
Location: Virtual
Registration: Eventbrite

January 10th, Wednesday – Life Skills: Tenant Empowerment Basic Course: “Renting can be complicated. The Tenant Empowerment Basic Course can make it easier. Take this FREE course offered by the City of Edmonton and its partners to learn skills on how to become a great tenant and navigate the rental market.
This 3-hour FREE course will give you the knowledge and tools you need to find the right and keep the right housing for you.”
I sure hope that they mention about activism and rent control in this course. See our list of resources on our webpage.
Time: 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Edmonton Public Library, Stanley A. Milner (Downtown), 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Centennial Plaza
Registration: Edmonton Public Library

January 24th, Wednesday – Tucker Carlson Live: Premiere Danielle Smith is going to be on stage with this right wing extremist. This man promoted an invasion of Canada, is very pro-gun, supporter of the January 6th insurrection, climate change denier, etc.
Time: 12 noon to 4pm
Location: Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, 136 8 Ave SE, Calgary

January 24th, Wednesday – Tucker Carlson Live: Premiere Danielle Smith is going to be on stage with this right wing extremist in Calgary but not in Edmonton (from what I have heard so far). This man promoted an invasion of Canada, is very pro-gun, supporter of the January 6th insurrection, climate change denier, etc.
Time: 7:30pm to 11:30pm
Location: Roger’s Place, 10220 104 Ave NW, Edmonton

January 26th, Friday – Monthly Critical Mass Ride: “The first ride of the new year.
Critical Mass rides are to make visible the number of cyclists in a city and remind city administrators that we require safe, smart, and effective infrastructure to all us to use our bicycles (or other human-powered devices).
Bring noise makers, lights, signs/messages (if safe to do so), cameras, etc and join your community in a celebration of the intelligence of the bicycle.
The route will likely be about 8 kms. There could be a social afterwards.
Please check back for updates before the event”
Critical Mass Rides are held in many large cities across the world – mostly in North America and Europe.
Time: we leave the square at 5:30 pm
Location: We start at Sir Winston Churchill Square and cycle to Old Strathcona (usually 103rd Street and 82nd Avenue)
Facebook: Critical Mass Ride

January 27th, Saturday – International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Humanity has many things to be proud of and many to be ashamed of. We need to be vigilant to ensure that we reduce those incidents that future generations will be ashamed to associate with. We need to take action – every moment of our lives to ensure we arrive at a world that is fair, just, respectable, balanced, healthy, and equitable.
“Never again – means now”. Be a Better Ancestor.
Canadian Website: Government of Canada
International website: UNESCO

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Start Planning for the Future

There are global days of action happening throughout the world. Edmonton can participate in these actions – all it takes is you.

• February 5th – 9th – International Week at the University of Alberta: “A warming globe, increasing numbers of refugees and displaced persons, gender disparity, economic inequalities, freshwater shortages, famine, war… We are bombarded with these issues and many others facing the planet and its inhabitants daily. 
  To address these issues, the UN established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. The Goals, adopted in 2015, call on governments and civil society worldwide to address the world’s most pressing issues, from poverty and education to health and the environment.
  I-Week is a chance to hear international and local perspectives on global issues. On February 5-9, 2024, International Week speakers connected their work to the SDGs. 
  U of A’s annual International Week is an incubator of ideas and a source of inspiration for us to work together for a better world. Stay tuned for updates on I-Week 2024.
• 2024 YEG Winter Cycling Congress is happening in Edmonton this year: “Join us in February 2024 [22nd to 24th] for an unforgettable multi-day event filled with informative sessions, bicycle excursions, and a community of passionate winter cyclists. Discover new possibilities while exploring the cycling-friendly city of Edmonton. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with fellow enthusiasts and learn from experts in the field.” [I think the “cycling -friendly” is a bit of a stretch – Michael].
  You can register here. Early bird rate is only until September 30th, 2023 so if you want to save a bit of money because the 450$ could be a bit of a deterrent. Mind you, if you go as a representative of a non-profit group the cost is only 200$. Good time to step up as your Community League cycling advocate and representative.
• Bye Nye the Science Guy is coming to Edmonton on March 2nd. “In his new live stage show, “The End Is Nye”, Bill Nye the Science Guy will be discussing climate change, natural disasters, and how we, all of us, can make the world a better place…with science! All delivered in the unique, hilarious, and fun way that only Bill Nye the Science Guy can.
  Engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, audiences revere this good-natured Renaissance man’s infectious blend of humour, intellectual curiosity, and devotion to solving some of the world’s most complex challenges through science. You don’t want to miss this!”
  Perhaps some group could use this event as a place to present local climate action to the crowd of people that will be showing up and not activists yet. I think his skit on John Oliver was brilliant and said it like it is.

Petitions/Letter writing

To trim this page down a bit I have moved the petitions to their own page.

Please send things that should be on this list to michael.kalmanovitch@gmail.com

Disclaimer – the Activist Agenda tries to ensure that the information contained within it is accurate but mistakes do happen. Please double-check events and information that are relevant to you to make sure you have the correct date, time, location, and any other relevant information.

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