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Fireworks at 9 p.m. this year.

That’s right. Edmonton is so committed to provincial unity, it’s encouraging us to ring in the New Year by watching Calgary’s midnight fireworks on TV instead.

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Or, go to bed early. As the City of Edmonton Twitter account declared: “Party like it’s 2019 from 6-9 p.m.”

Sleep well. It’s the most Edmonton thing you can do.

I jest. But I’m not a fan of Edmonton’s new “family-friendly” New Year’s Eve celebrations. This is the second year the traditional midnight display has been moved to the Alberta legislature grounds from Churchill Square to accommodate LRT construction.

It’s not totally clear why the time changed as well. We’ve heard it’s because there are more residential towers in the area, because it’s more family friendly and because the Federal Building closes at 9 p.m.

None of those seem like insurmountable issues if midnight fireworks are important. And family friendly? Quiet, bedroom communities — St. Albert, Sherwood Park and Stony Plain — they all have fireworks at 9 p.m. or earlier to be family friendly.