City of Edmonton Newcomers Guide
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NEWCOMER’S GUIDE TO EDMONTON An introductory guide to help new residents settle in Edmonton. 01 | ABOUT EDMONTON 4 I Edmonton’s History WELCOME TO EDMONTON! 6 I Edmonton Today 02 | WORKING TOGETHER FOR YOU 8 I 3 Levels Of Government We are excited that you’ve decided to make your new home Municipal Services 8 in the City of Edmonton. Edmonton is a great place to live, Provincial Services 9 Government of Canada 9 work, and play. But it can be a challenge to adjust to life in a 03 | FINDING INFORMATION new place. 10 I City of Edmonton 10 I Citizen and New Arrival Information Centre This guide is meant to help you and your family find important information 10 I City Services: 311 about life in our city, whether you are new to Edmonton, new to Alberta, or 10 I The Support Network: 211 even new to Canada. Inside you will find a list of services and organizations 11 I The City of Edmonton Website that can guide you as you settle into your new life. Some of these services are 12 I Edmonton Public Library (EPL) through the City of Edmonton, others are through local organizations. 04 | SETTLING IN EDMONTON We hope this guide will help you learn about working, learning, staying 14 I Settlement Services 15 I Interpreting and Translating Services healthy and safe, and enjoying life in Edmonton! 50 | MOVING AROUND EDMONTON 16 I Streets and Avenues 16 I Public Transit Disclaimers 18 I Driving 20 I Cycling and Walking This Guide lists web addresses and phone numbers for most services, and while we have tried to be accurate, information changes. Please phone or 06 | LIVING IN EDMONTON email to confirm locations, opening hours, and services before going in person 21 I Housing 24 I Managing Money to any location listed. 25 I Faith/Religious Communities TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE 27 I Food The goal of this guide is not to give you all the information you need but 30 I Dogs, Cats and Other Pets to guide you to resources and locations where you can find that information 31 I Waste Management and Recycling you need. Check our website edmonton.ca for more services and resources. 70 | LEARNING IN EDMONTON Children and Youth Services 44 57 I Festivals 45 I Seniors Services and Programs 57 I Community Involvement - Volunteering 32 I Learning English Housing 45 58 I Winter Living 33 I Learning French Support Services 45 Weather Forecast 59 34 I Public Education Seniors Centres and Groups 46 Wind Chill 59 34 I Private Schools Transportation for Seniors 47 Daylight Savings Time 59 35 I Post-Secondary Education 60 I Media - Local 35 I Continuing Education 10 | STAYING SAFE IN EDMONTON 61 I Media - Ethnic 08 | WORKING IN EDMONTON 47 I Fire Rescue Service (FRS) 47 I Edmonton Police Service (EPS) 12 | MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 36 I Social Insurance Numbe (SIN) 48 I EPS Victim Services 62 I City Council 36 I Alberta Employment Standards Code 48 I Transit Watch 62 I Bylaws and Regulation 48 I Bylaws 63 I What’s Happening at City Hall? 36 I Finding a Job 49 I Family Violence Supports 63 I Civic Elections and Voting 49 I ACT Alberta (Alberta Coalition on 63 I Elections and Census Services 90 | STAYING HEALTHY IN EDMONTON Human Trafficking) 63 I Public Engagement 38 I Health and Medical Services 49 I Child Abuse Hotline 63 I Civic Boards and Agencies Finding a Dentist 38 49 I Crime Stoppers Finding a Family Doctor 39 49 I Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton Primary Care Networks 39 49 I Poison Control Centre Hospital Emergency Services 40 49 I REACH Edmonton Hospital Locations 40 50 I Law and Human Rights Walk-in Clinics 40 Canadian Legal System 50 Public Health Centres 41 Lawyers 51 Multicultural Health Brokers Human Rights 51 Co-op (MCHB) 41 Family Law 51 Community Mental Health Clinics (Alberta Health Services) 41 11 | ENJOYING EDMONTON Distress Line - Alberta Mental 53 I City of Edmonton Attractions Health Services 41 54 I Sports and Recreation 42 I Human Services 54 I Leisure Access Program Counselling 42 55 I Arts and Culture Children and Youth Services 43 56 I Edmonton Favourites Community Programs and Services 44 57 I Community Leagues Child Care 44 57 I Cultural and Community Groups ABOUT EDMONTON The first people to live in the Edmonton area were the First Nations 44 EDMONTON’S HISTORY people including the Cree, Nakoda Sioux, Blackfoot, and many others. The name for Edmonton in the Cree language is amiskwaciwâskahikan, which means Beaver Hills House (the short form is amiskwaciy— pronounced amisk-wa-chee). For thousands of years the First Nations people have gathered on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in Amiskwaciy (Edmonton) to hunt, fish, trade, and have cultural celebrations. In First Nations’ culture, the relationship that people have to people, plants, animals, water, and the earth is very important. In 1795, the Hudson’s Bay Company built Fort Edmonton to bring the Fur Trade to the area. Through the Fur Trade, First Nations people exchanged furs and skins from animals (like the beaver) for supplies like rifles and tools from the European traders. Today, you can still find the beaver, which is Canada’s national animal, living in Edmonton’s river valley. Photo 9: North Saskatchewan River valley, Canada became independent from England collaboration, to celebrate culture and history, in 1867, and the new Canadian government and address the issues that affect all people began to sign Treaties with the First Nations who call Edmonton home. peoples of Western Canada. On August 21, Since changes to the Canadian Constitution 1877, the First Nations peoples in the Fort Act in 1982 the Canadian government Edmonton district entered into Treaty Six officially recognizes Aboriginal peoples as First with the Canadian government. Treaty Six Nations, Métis (descendants of First Nations covers the central portion of Alberta and and French or Scottish Europeans), and Inuit. Saskatchewan. In Alberta, Treaty Six includes Today, Edmonton has the second largest urban 18 First Nations of Cree, Nakoda Sioux, Aboriginal population in Canada, and is home Saulteaux, and Dene heritage. to many other Aboriginal peoples from across The federal government and First Nations had Alberta and Canada, including other First different ideas of what the Treaty meant. The Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. 5 government saw it as ending Aboriginal claims By 1900, a small city had grown around Fort to the land. The First Nations consider it a Edmonton. In 1904, Edmonton officially sacred agreement creating a Nation-to-Nation became a city, and one year later in 1905 relationship that will continue “...as long Edmonton became the capital of the new as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the province of Alberta. rivers flow...” Today there are more than one million people The City of Edmonton entered into a living in the Edmonton area. Our clean and Memorandum of Cooperation and Dialogue friendly city is a great place to live, work, with the Confederacy of Treaty Six First and raise a family. Edmonton has a strong Nations in 2012, and a similar Memorandum economy and there are many opportunities of Shared Recognition and Cooperation with for employment, business, sports, recreation, the Metis Nation of Alberta in 2013. These and culture. memoranda promise to increase dialogue and EDMONTON TODAY HOME 66 to people from Edmonton has an all over the world. excellent and diverse post-secondary education Our world class recycling system with some of the and waste management best universities, colleges Edmonton has some of the programs make Edmonton and public education best health care in Canada. Canada’s greenest city. institutions in the country. Edmonton is one of Canada’s sunniest cities with an average of 2,300 hours of sunshine per year and up to 17 hours of sunshine a day on the longest day of summer, June 21. Edmonton has a diverse public school 7 system that provides education for students from kindergarten to grade 12. The public school system includes alternative A network of 150 options based on faith, community leagues language, culture, provide opportunities arts, or sports. A range With more than 30 major for you to participate of private schools in festivals each year, in sports, recreation, Our North Saskatchewan River Edmonton offer more Edmonton is known as culture, and educational Valley has the longest urban educational options. Canada’s Festival City. community activities. park in North America. MUNICIPAL SERVICES WORKING TOGETHER FOR YOU Go to edmonton.ca for Municipal Services or phone 311 if you have questions. Here are some of the services the City of Edmonton provides: Safety — Edmonton Public Transit (ETS) buses and Light Rail Transit (LRT). Provides Police and Fire services, storm and sanitary drainage, Recreation emergency response and Provides recreation programs and disaster services. services for Edmontonians of all Roadways ages, including swimming pools, playgrounds, arenas, and sports Builds and maintains streets, fields. sidewalks, bicycle lanes and bridges 02 in the City of Edmonton. Information Transportation 311 (phone) and www.edmonton.ca (website) provide information about Provides public transportation to all Edmonton programs and services. connect Edmontonians to their city To find out who the elected representatives are and how to contact them, go to: Website: edmonton.ca/council Phone: 311 3 Levels of Government PROVINCIAL SERVICES GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Go to alberta.ca for information on provincial services. Here are Go to servicecanada.gc.ca for services offered by the Government of some of the services the provincial government provides: Canada. Here are some of the services the federal government provides.