Your library board has some new faces

Here's a look at what Edmonton City Hall has been up to, and honestly, sometimes it feels like they're just trying to keep the lights on while the rest of us are busy navigating the January chill. Or, in this case, the March chill – which, let's be real, is basically the same thing here.

The Community and Public Services Committee held a meeting recently, on March 16, 2026, to be precise. One of the items on the agenda, which passed 4 to 0, was the approval of a "Recommended Shortlist" for the Edmonton Public Library Board. Now, the EPL, as we affectionately call it, is more than just a place to borrow books. It's where you warm up during a chinook, where you get your taxes done, where the kids learn to code. It's a foundational piece of this city, a bit like the River Valley itself, but with more indoor plumbing. Councillors E. Rutherford, J. Wright, K. Principe, and J. Morgan were the ones who carried this motion, according to the official voting records.

The committee also looked at the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, revising their candidate shortlist after some in-private discussions, which honestly, sounds exactly like something from a Fringe Festival play.

On the expense front, Councillor Clarke and Councillor Elliott both expensed $825.88 for accommodation at the 2025 Alberta Municipalities Convention in Calgary. Councillor Clarke also shelled out $685.00 for registration, while Councillor Elliott spent $348.00 on food and incidentals. Meanwhile, Councillor Stevenson received a gift of $120 from Edmonton International Airport in late 2025.

It's worth keeping an eye on who these new library board members are, and how they plan to steer one of Edmonton's most vital community assets.

Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did.

Darren Fedoruk (@deepnorth_yeg)

My colleagues dig into these details every morning — hear them hash it out live at mornings.live.