Edmonton Weekly Digest: Jan 19–25, 2026

Parking-ban noncompliance: A new city staff report found only 10% of residents complied with the Phase 2 parking ban that came into effect last week; roughly 90% ignored it. The ban was aimed at clearing streets for snow-removal after repeated snow events.

Major snowfall and street conditions: Edmonton received upwards of 70 centimetres of snow over consecutive storms in recent weeks. A subsequent warm-up turned many streets into slushy, rutted messes, complicating plowing and traffic safety.

City council debate on enforcement and costs: Councillors met Monday to discuss measures to increase compliance, enforcement options and public outreach. Ward papastew Councillor Michael Janz warned that doing the same road twice is "inefficient" and "unacceptable," saying continued noncompliance penalizes neighbours and raises operational costs.

Operational and neighbourhood impacts: The noncompliance slows snow-clearing schedules, increases operational duplication and can lead to blocked lanes and reduced emergency access. City staff and councillors discussed tools such as targeted towing, stepped-up communication and possible adjustments to ban timing to improve adherence.

Double-homicide trial begins in Chinatown: Nearly four years after the May 18, 2022 attacks, the trial opened for Justin Bone, 40, who is charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of Ban Phuc Hoang, 61, and Hung Trang, 64. Both victims were attacked while working in Chinatown (Hoang at Universal Electronics; Trang at Albert’s Autobody Shop).

Mental-health assessment and community reaction: A mental-health assessment of the accused is underway. The Crown told the court in opening statements its case will show Bone had full mental capacity and knew what he was doing. The killings sparked public outrage about high crime rates in Chinatown and renewed calls for improved community safety measures.