This is Edmonton

Will mass vaccinations and tighter rules be enough to counteract a vocal minority defying COVID-19 restrictions and the rampant spread of disinformation in Alberta? Professor Timothy Caulfield joins us to talk public health messaging and how this conflict might carry on beyond the pandemic. And five years later we reflect on the Fort McMurray wildfire with memories from the newsroom. Plus reporter Min Dhariwal joins The Loop team for the next few weeks, and takes us behind the scenes of a local bike restoration business.

This week on the show we dive into Black on the Prairies, a CBC interactive series that explores the past, present and future of Black Prairie life through migration, work, culture and community. CBC Edmonton reporter Thandiwe Konguavi joins us to talk about her contribution to the project, as well as explore a racist attack in Edmonton that shows how important this work is. We also hear the voices of Black people from the Prairies talking about belonging and what community means. And CBC reporter Tahirih Foroozan shares the story of two young Black men bonding over the shared experience of small town Alberta life.

Generation X stepped up in a big way this week when the demographic became eligible for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.

The U of A’s Dr. Lynora Saxinger talks with us about the meteoric uptake of the AZ shot and how this could shift Alberta's third wave.

Plus we mark Earth Week with a tour of a local shop that's making small changes for big sustainability, we get some tips about ways to reduce our waste, and associate producer Patrick Connolly takes us south of the equator to meet an Oilers' fan in the unlikeliest of places.

Alberta is seeing doubt and defiance against COVID-19 restrictions, with gatherings outside of Grace Life Church Sunday and the Alberta Legislature Monday. CBC’s Wallis Snowdon walks us through the growing resistance to COVID-19 health restrictions and how the ‘toxic stew of information’ may push Alberta towards more enforcement. And Associate Producer Julia Lipscombe takes us closer to some businesses defying health restrictions, to understand how a year of back and forths has left many feeling forgotten. Plus Edmonton AM’s Emily Senger shares some of the social media buzz behind a new bulk buying option in the city.

Alberta is firmly in the third wave of COVID-19, and the two topics on everyone’s minds are vaccines, and variants. This week on The Loop Reporter Trevor Howlett walks us through the P1 variant, the latest to join Alberta’s rising case count. Local writer and photographer Marielle Elizabeth shares her vaccination story and the emotions that come with getting that first dose. Plus Associate Producer Kashmala Fida Mohatarem noticed a trend in traditions for holidays, and tells us about how celebrations are borrowing from other cultures.

This week on the show we’re exploring time with a special cut of the CBC Radio show ‘It’s About Time’. Host Torah Kachur shares some of the behind the scenes of a year long pandemic-project, and how time has shifted so completely for us over the past year. Looking at the psychology, perception and personal connection we have with time, we get a sneak peek at the hour-long radio special.

The pandemic has been felt by all of us- but some groups have been hit much harder. For Canada’s Asian communities it’s been felt in a different way. Acts of hate. Anti-racism organizations are reporting a rise in verbal abuse, online harassment and physical attacks for Asian Canadians since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. CBC Reporter Min Dhariwal spoke to members of Edmonton’s Asian community, to see how this national problem is affecting our city. And Edmonton’s seniors have faced an uphill battle, experiencing intense bouts of loneliness and isolation in the wake of a global pandemic. We check in with one Edmonton senior in assisted living, to learn a few lessons from long term care. Plus CBC Associate Producer Madeleine Cummings takes us behind the scenes of food blogs, and explains why recipe ‘prologues’ are so important for a pay cheque.

It’s been a year of pandemic life and things can feel heavy at times as we cross that threshold. A lot has changed since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. And many things continue to shift as we move forward. This week, Edmonton’s Rajah Maggay talks about how she’s hoping to make a change by starting a new support group called Political D.I.V.A.S. It aims to create a safe space for BIPOC women in politics. The Loop producer Clare Bonnyman speaks with CBC reporter Robson Fletcher about some of the lives lost in Alberta to COVID-19 and how we’re dealing with grief. Plus, Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe grew up in Edmonton and started her radio career in the city. Now, she’s the voice of CBC Music’s The Block, which gives Black artists the spotlight on the airwaves.

Tests show that over 500 cases of two highly contagious variant strains of the coronavirus have been identified in Alberta. So, while hospitalization numbers are down, the province only eased a few measures this week to enter Step 2 of the restriction changes. At the same time, Albertans 75 and older are now getting their first dose of the vaccine. But it hasn’t been an easy process for everyone. Radio Active host Adrienne Pan looked into what the experience has been like for seniors booking and going to their vaccine appointments. CBC provincial affairs reporter Janet French crunches some of the numbers in the latest budget from the UCP government. Plus, The Loop producer and sound tech Clare Bonnyman listens closely to the sounds of winter, and we discuss whether the province needs an official sport — and if rodeo is the best pick.

A rally held at the Alberta legislature last weekend was to protest COVID public health orders, but images and footage circulated of protestors carrying lit tiki torches through the streets of Edmonton. The torches are a symbol of white supremacy used by the Nazis, Ku Klux Klan, and more recently at a deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Then this week, news came out about another attack on a Muslim woman in Edmonton. These messages and actions of hate have no place in our city, province or country. It has led to calls that provincial leaders speak out to denounce these racist acts. Seeon Smith is a long-time advocate for multicultural tolerance and understanding. He joins The Loop to talk about how the recent rally goes deeper than white supremacy. CBC is currently running a pop-up bureau in Red Deer with reporter Heather Marcoux covering stories in the community. She looks at the need for greater overdose prevention support in the central Alberta city. Plus, why four Somali-Canadian sisters started their own publishing company, and Edmonton students share what Blackness means to them.

(Students featured from J.D. Bracco School are: Khalid Mohammed Ali, Maliyah Kok, Mitchell Emmanuel, Dominnik Despres, John Tamakloe, Lamara Frazer, Jermaine Clarke, Zion Valani, Ibrahim Ali, Joaquin Harriott, Destiny Leacock, Redwan Yusuf, and Ange Louke.)