Hello all,

I hope everyone got to enjoy some of the nice weather before the smoke settled in! We will continue to send out our usual pitch email over the summer, so if you have some extra time on your hands, now is a great time to pick up a pitch!

All the best,

Leah

News Pitches

You can reach Peris at [email protected] or over Slack!

Wildlife expert earns kudos for bridging gap between city dwellers and wild inhabitants 

Talk to Colleen Cassady St. Clair, who received a U of A Community Scholar Award for building awareness about the behaviour of wild animals living in urban areas in her work as a wildlife biologist.

Visual storyteller reconnects community to wisdom and kinship

Lana Whiskeyjack recently won the Community Scholar Award for her work as a researcher and educator.

U of A research teams awarded $100 million for pandemic preparedness 

University of Alberta researchers will help Canada get ready for the next infectious disease pandemic, thanks to nearly $100 million in new federal research grants to find and make new vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments against a wide range of threats.

Sub-four-minute mile runners outlive expectations

A new study challenges the idea that extreme exercise can have a negative effect on longevity. On the contrary, it finds a significant benefit, according to a U of A nursing professor.

Edmonton aims to fuel innovation and diversify economy with $5 million Edge Fund

The City of Edmonton is giving $5 million to 17 organizations in a new program called the Edge Fund, aimed at supporting technology and innovation and diversifying the local economy.

Opinion Pitches

You can reach Leah at [email protected] or over Slack!

Waste from campus move-out: Following the spring move out from campus residences, there have been concerns about the waste left behind by students. Other major universities across Canada have created programs to try to combat this, but the U of A hasn’t followed suit. What can be done to reduce the waste from move-out? Whose responsibility is it to mitigate this problem — students or the U of A?

Abortion access: In the last week, the conversation around abortion rights has picked up again. Alberta MP presented a petition in the House of Commons about Canadians’ “concerns” around the deaths of “pre-born children”. On May 9. A UCP MLA, Dan Williams, spoke at a pro-life rally that was held in front of the legislature. Should Albertan’s be concerned about their ability to access reproductive healthcare? Is there accessible reproductive healthcare in Alberta to begin with? What needs to be done in response to this?

Public employees bargaining: Many contracts for public employees in Alberta are up for negotiation and inflation will likely be at the centre of employees’ demands. The province has the ability to interfere with public sector bargaining and this has caused concerns about these negotiations. Does the provincial government need to stay out of it? Or should they have a say in these negotiations? What are or should be the limits to that?

Alberta’s Calling Phase Three: The Government of Alberta has launched the third phase of their Alberta is Calling campaign. This phase focuses on attracting skilled trade workers. This comes after Alberta has seen a surge in population, Edmonton alone has seen more than 100,000 new residents over the last two years. But some are concerned we aren’t ready, with strain on healthcare, housing, education, and other infrastructure. Is the campaign needed to attract more trade workers or will it do more harm than good? What needs to be done to prepare for Alberta’s growing population?

Loblaws Boycott: May 1 marked the start of a boycott of Loblaws and all of their associated companies. This is largely organized by the subreddit r/loblawsisoutofcontrol in response to inflated grocery prices. Is this necessary and fair to the company? Will it be effective in driving costs down?

A&C Pitches

You can reach Dylana at [email protected] or over Slack!

Album Review: Toronto’s Abigail Lapell releases third album Anniversary 

“Across the project, Lapell drew inspiration from a series of personal milestones, including turning 40, along with the fifteenth anniversary of her father’s death — and more recently, several weddings and births in her family. She offers a 40-something vision of love, haunted by the ghosts of departed loved ones, past relationships, or even the spectre of faded youth.”

Write a review of Toronto-based artist Abigail Lapell’s newest album!

Interview: Nova Scotia musician Ian Janes releases seventh album

"WeakNights is a cross section of [Janes’] wide ranging musical identity as an artist and producer. With expertly crafted songs supported by infectious grooves, airtight arrangements and flawless musicianship, Janes creates his own brand of richly textured Soul music. Offering something for every music fan, the album features a wide range of musical influences, tempos, and styles.”

Speak to Janes about his most recent album!

Interview: Manitoba-based storyteller and vocalist Jade Turner 

“Canadian Roots-Country artist, Jade Turner, stands out as a captivating storyteller and emotive, powerful singer. Her music transports listeners into the narrative in each song, resonating deeply and evoking a sense of shared experiences with her audience. Raised in Northern Manitoba and a proud member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation, Turner’s upbringing was steeped in the rich tradition of storytelling, which shaped her into the artist she is today.”

On May 8, Turner will release her new single That Wind. Speak with Turner about her music and new single!

Play/Festival Review: From Cradle to Stage, an annual festival of brand new plays at the Walterdale Theatre, May 14-19

“This year’s festival features nine new plays from local playwrights, selected anonymously. The settings range from ordinary to postapocalyptic to fantastical, with themes of humor, compassion, existential questions, romance, family, beginnings and ends. This festival is a chance to get a peek at some new exciting work from playwrights at various career stages.”

Attend one or several plays and write a review!

Album Review: Mayday by Myriam Gendron

“Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements [Gendron] uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon.’

Write a review of Montreal-based artists Myriam Gendron’s third album, out May 10.

Exhibit Review: Buddy at the Banff Park Zoo at FAB Gallery, May 15 to June 1

This virtual reality artwork allows participants to become a polar bear named Buddy. Buddy was held captive at the Banff Park Zoo in Banff National Park between 1922 and 1937. This artwork recreates Buddy’s experience of his concrete cage, equipped with high iron bars. When visitors to FAB Gallery put on a virtual reality headset and hold the controllers, they can see what Buddy saw, in polar bear vision, and move around his relatively small cage, or take a swim in his plunge pool.

Join the artists & research team for an informal gallery talk about the creation of the work on Saturday May 25 at 12 pm.