The Edmonton Downtown Business Association [EDBA] is proud to announce that Core Patrol will be expanding to daytime hours in 2026 thanks to a one-time investment of $330,000 from National Bank.
Introduced in the summer of 2023, Core Patrol is made up of peer support and security-trained members from local social enterprise HireGood and currently operates from 10 p.m to 6 a.m. seven days a week. The service continues to make an important impact on real and perceived safety, while also supporting emergency services with its proactive patrol.
So far in 2025 (February through October), nighttime Core Patrol has:
- Responded to 164 fire reports and the crew put out all but 13 of those fires.
- Attended to 57 emergency/medical reports; 41 of those calls were for drug poisoning and naloxone was administered.
- Provided 2,300 wellness checks, supporting Edmonton’s vulnerable populations
“Through the generous support of National Bank, we are expanding the Core Patrol team from nighttime to include daytime hours, six days a week throughout 2026. This service supports a welcoming experience of Edmonton’s downtown by preventing incidents before they escalate, conducting wellness checks of those who may be at risk, and bringing a watchful eye to report suspicious activity” said James Robinson, Executive Director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.
The EDBA ran a four-month daytime pilot at the end of 2024 and saw the need for the service with the teams attending to 46 reports of property vandalism, as well as performing over 500 wellness checks in support of vulnerable populations from October 2024 to January 2025.
This is part of a $1.25 million investment by National Bank to support downtown revitalization in Alberta’s two major cities. Edmonton’s Bissell Centre and Inn from the Cold in Calgary are also receiving funds.
“The health of a city’s downtown has such an impact on its ability to grow and prosper, which benefits the entire region. It’s vital that we work together to tackle the complex challenges facing our cities and create outcomes necessary for us to build a thriving community and business centre in our province’s largest cities,” said Victoria Girardo, Senior Vice President, Western Canada, Commercial Banking at National Bank and member of Edmonton’s Downtown Revitalization Coalition. “We’re proud to help lay the groundwork for stronger, more resilient downtown communities by supporting these important not-for-profit organizations who are taking action on the frontlines.”
Daytime Core Patrol will start in January of 2026 and will run six days a week, along with our Night Patrol which will continue to provide proactive patrol seven nights a week.