The next part of the process to reopen is happening Edmonton City Hall to the public after a shooting in January will start next week.
Starting on Monday, March 11, the building will reopen to City of Edmonton employees and private event attendees.
City employees can enter the building with their ID cards, join in-person council meetings, and use the Heritage Room for internal meetings, according to a news release on Friday.
Certain private events will also begin again.
Under new security rules, the city mentioned that external guests for private events need to go through a dedicated entrance and undergo security screening.
The City manager Andre Corbould stated in a release on Friday that "City hall is the people's building and moving to the next phase of re-opening is a welcome step. It is our priority that city hall be open and accessible to Edmontonians while balancing a safe, secure and welcoming environment."
The Hallway Cafe and the Edmonton Arts Council space are running separately, as per the city's information.
Public skating in Churchill Square in front of city hall has started again and there are special changing rooms and bathrooms available.
Access to the building already includes city councillors and their staff, some other city hall employees, the office of the city auditor and accredited journalists. The city hall parkade is restricted to authorized users only, according to the city.
The first private event at city hall since the Jan. 23 shooting was the Edmonton Police Service graduation ceremony on Friday.
![The Edmonton Police Service's recruit training class 158 graduation ceremony at city hall on Friday, March 8, 2024.](https://www.sinatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/upload-882.jpg)
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While City Hall is still closed to the public, the city mentioned that the next steps will involve security measures to welcome external meeting guests and support public access and participation in council chambers.
Terrorism charges were laid this week in the shooting a month and a half ago in the building.
The RCMP stated that a heavily armed man entered city hall through an underground parkade, fired a gun, and lit several small incendiary devices, which caused a small fire outside an elevator.
Several city councillors, staff, members of the media and elementary students were inside city hall when shots rang out.
No one was hurt, but the bullets shattered glass and punctured ceilings and walls.
Bezhani Sarvar, 28, is charged with counselling commission of a terrorism offence and possession of property for terrorist purposes.
The RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team stated that those charges are related to nine other terrorism offences, including intentionally having incendiary material while committing a serious offence.
Sarvar is also charged with two counts of having a prohibited device, mischief, carrying a concealed weapon, and having a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence.