A deep dive 💧 For our final Field Trip of the year, we went behind the scenes at EPCOR’s Gold Bar and Rossdale facilities. Craig Bonneville from @EPCOR put it this way: “Water treatment is like making Kool-Aid. Wastewater treatment is more like wine. It’s a biological process. And the scale is pretty incredible. On a normal day, about 300 million litres of sewage goes to Gold Bar. On a really rainy day, that can jump to two billion litres.” Behind all of that is a bigger conversation about smarter infrastructure, right-sizing and how industry and EPCOR have identified an estimated $600 million in potential savings. Read the full story: bildedmonton.com/2026/10/22/… Thanks to Craig Bonneville, Susan Ancel, Patrick Shaver, Crystal Brightwell, Howaida Hassan, Susan Keating and Jason Syvixay.

A beautiful renovation still has to work for the way you live. 🏠 For Renovation Month, we sat down with Patricia Egea Leal of Effect Home Builders to talk about what thoughtful renovation design really looks like. Before the finishes, furniture or floor plans, it starts with understanding how people use the space. Do they cook every night? Work from home? Host often? Two families can live in the exact same house and need completely different things from it. For Patricia, good design is about balancing style with function, working within the realities of an existing home and making choices that will still feel right long after a trend has passed. That same approach shaped her work on this year’s Annual Renovation Project at YESS, where the focus was not just on refreshing the recreation room and youth dining area, but on making those spaces more comfortable, functional and useful every day. Read the full story: bildedmonton.com/2026/10/21/… youtube.com/watch?v=Aj9xwVSN…

What does it take to build a city that works for every generation? Fort Saskatchewan is planning for what comes next while holding onto what already makes the community feel like home. Our regional series continues with a closer look at the municipalities helping shape growth across the Edmonton Metro Region. This time, Mayor Lisa Makin, Jacq Lakusta of Akash Group of Companies and Andrew Usenik of Strata Developments share their perspectives on what’s shaping City of Fort Saskatchewan’s next chapter. Inside the story: 🏡 How collaboration between the City and industry is helping create more flexibility as the community grows. 🏡 New approaches to density that still prioritize thoughtful, functional neighbourhood design. 🏡 Long-term investment in recreation, transportation and complete communities. Read the full story: edmonton.taproot.news/ads/20…

What’s under our communities matters just as much as what’s built on top of them. 💧 At our latest Dirt-to-Door Field Trip, members toured EPCOR’s Rossdale and Gold Bar facilities to see how smarter infrastructure planning, right-sized systems and better use of existing assets can help support growth while keeping costs down. The conversation looked at how collaboration between utilities, developers, homebuilders and the City can lead to better outcomes, including an estimated $600 million in potential sanitary infrastructure savings.  A big thank you to Susan Keating for moderating the conversation and to Craig Bonneville, Susan Ancel, Patrick Shaver, Crystal Brightwell and Howaida Hassan for sharing their perspectives. And thank you to @EPCOR for opening the doors and giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the systems that keep our region moving. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, CIMA+ | B&A, and our Event Sponsor, Cameron Communities, for helping make the Field Trip possible.

What a night! Our Appreciation Night was all about celebrating the incredible members, volunteers, sponsors, committees and partners who make BILD Edmonton Metro stronger. With 458 volunteers, 109 sponsoring companies, nearly 60 events and countless hours of leadership and collaboration, this year’s momentum is something to celebrate. Thank you for showing up, sharing your expertise and helping build stronger communities across the Edmonton Metro Region. Here’s to another great year ahead!

Forget Vancouver. One of Canada’s coolest neighbourhoods is right here in Edmonton. @macleans recently featured Wîhkwêntôwin as one of Canada’s Coolest Neighbourhoods, highlighting what so many Edmontonians already know: this pocket just west of downtown has the perfect mix of river valley views, local cafés, restaurants, shops, bike lanes, high-density housing and everyday neighbourhood character. With spots like Iconoclast Coffee Roasters, Kind Ice Cream, Brio Bakery, Odd Company Brewing and the Victoria Promenade all helping bring its walkable lived-in feel, Wîhkwêntôwin is proof that great communities are built through the places people actually want to spend time. See who we square up with across Canada: macleans.ca/culture/canadas-… Read what Maclean’s had to say about Wîhkwêntôwin: macleans.ca/culture/wihkwent…

Just a few weeks ago, BILD Edmonton Metro brought members to Leduc and Beaumont to see firsthand what it looks like when communities plan for growth instead of reacting to it.   This latest @edmontonjournal feature (Part 1 of a two-part series) takes a closer look at the City of Leduc — a community that isn't just growing but preparing for that growth. With more than 1,500 new residential lots approved and a population increase of 17.1%, Leduc is investing in the infrastructure, policies, and development processes needed to welcome new residents while supporting long-term economic prosperity.   The article features insights from Mayor Lars Hansen, Charles Fay of Jayman BUILT, and Dennis Peck from the City of Leduc, highlighting the collaborative approach between municipalities and industry to deliver housing, streamline approvals, and ensure growth happens thoughtfully and sustainably.   It's exactly the kind of conversation we wanted our members to experience on our tour: growth doesn't happen by chance — it happens through leadership, partnership, and a shared commitment to building communities where people can live, work, and thrive. ✍🏼: @LauraSevers edmontonjournal.com/life/hom…

One of the reasons BILD Edmonton Metro developed the Infill Priority Actions Plan is because change can often feel like it happened overnight. But in Edmonton, today's infill policies are the result of more than 15 years of planning, public engagement, and policy evolution. One of the biggest lessons we've learned is that successful city-building requires two conversations: the why and the how. Over time, the why behind infill has become clearer — that established neighbourhoods have the capacity to welcome more homes, support local businesses, and help people remain connected to the communities they love. But understanding how that change happens is just as important. Construction impacts, communication with neighbours, clear signage, timely notifications, and effective enforcement all play a critical role in building public confidence. In this latest @CBCEdmonton story, our CEO, @KalenAnderson, reinforces that if Edmonton wants to welcome more people and investment, transparent communication must be a priority for both industry and the City. "What really helps to build trust is clarity and confidence that people understand what's going to be happening and where. When that communication breaks down, the trust is fractured." Our Infill Priority Actions Plan outlines practical actions that industry and the City can take together to strengthen communication, improve the construction experience, and rebuild trust as our communities continue to grow. cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/…

Canada Came to Play ⚽ After advancing to the Round of 16 and keeping the whole country walking on air, we took the World Cup conversation in a slightly different direction. This month, we looked at how the tournament’s stadiums score when it comes to walkability. Across the 16 stadiums being used, the average Walk Score is approximately 53 out of 100, placing the typical venue in the “Somewhat Walkable” category. Only seven stadiums scored 50 or higher. Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium earned a Walk Score of 79, beating all but three World Cup venues: • BC Place in Vancouver: 96 • Lumen Field in Seattle: 91 • BMO Field in Toronto: 81 Only BC Place and Lumen Field ranked as a “Walker’s Paradise,” the highest walkability category. Both are located next to their city centres and surrounded by connected street grids. The numbers don’t lie: Stadiums located downtown or within connected inner-city neighbourhoods generally performed better than venues built on the suburban periphery. Turns out a strong game plan matters both on and off the pitch. 👟⚽ Swipe through for the full breakdown.

Our latest Field Trip took us through Leduc and Beaumont to see how two of the region’s fastest-growing communities are planning for housing, infrastructure, investment and quality of life. 📍 City of Leduc Dennis Peck and Teaka Broughm shared just how quickly Leduc is growing. In 2025, the city approved 1,375 residential lots, a 185% increase from the year before, while building permit construction values reached $331.3 million. With Leduc’s population projected to reach more than 48,000 by 2033, the City is updating its Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Bylaw and downtown plan to help manage that growth. Mayor Lars Hansen also spoke about the role recreation facilities and community amenities play in supporting quality of life as more people choose to call Leduc home. 📍 Southfork At Southfork, Charles Fay of Jayman BUILT walked us through the community’s mix of housing options, including 22- and 24-foot zero lot line homes designed to create more choice and help keep homeownership attainable. He also shared that solar power is included in every Jayman BUILT home, adding up to what he described as Alberta’s largest “solar farm” when all their rooftop panels are combined. 📍 Elan in Beaumont Maria Kennedy of @HomesbyAviYEG shared how Elan was designed around parks, sidewalks and a mix of housing types, helping create a connected community where every home is oriented toward public space. The community was also recognized by CHBA National as one of the best communities in Canada. 📍 Downtown Beaumont Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak spoke about supporting growth while protecting Beaumont’s close-knit identity, especially in a city where the largest age demographic is under 15. Kendra Raymond, RPP, MCIP also shared how investment in streetscapes and the public realm has helped attract private investment, new businesses, patios and more residential development near downtown. Since 2023, Beaumont’s commercial vacancy rate has dropped from 21.3% to under 4%, a strong sign of the momentum happening across the city. Thank you to our speakers and hosts from the City of Leduc, City of Beaumont, Jayman BUILT and Homes by Avi for sharing their insights and showing us regional growth in action.

Successful communities create the conditions for local businesses to thrive. Thank you to the @FCM_online delegates and Mayor @AndrewKnack for joining BILD Edmonton Metro’s City Scoop Tour and exploring how walkability, density and local businesses come together to create vibrant neighbourhoods, one scoop at a time. 🍦 edmontonjournal.com/life/hom… @LauraSevers