As a new wave of winter weather washes over Edmonton, and it’s days like today that make you yearn for sunshine and patio season.

But one downtown business owner fears there will be fewer patio options this summer because of new city fees.

“We always thought it was a little bit early when we closed the patio, and a little bit late when we opened them, and we thought, why not do them all year round?” said Wayne Jones, the owner of Rocky Mountain Icehouse on Jasper Avenue.

Jones has hosted a pet-friendly year-round patio for the past seven years. It covers up the sidewalk and potential parking spaces, making room for tables and chairs in all seasons.

Jones paid to build the patio, but has paid nothing to the city to host the sidewalk patio until now. New rules mean starting this spring, he will face a nearly $7,000 bill every year.

“It basically puts a patio to be unaffordable. If the City thinks that we’re making a ton of profit off of a patio, then they’re mistaken,” said Jones.

The city-wide change would also impact Whyte Ave businesses. With the costs for smaller, temporary patios are about $500, while larger year-round ones are $6,900.

The Edmonton Downtown Business Association is pushing back in a letter, saying patios are essential to the core’s vibrancy, safety, and economic growth, calling for a pause and another look at the changes that could wipe out patios altogether.

But Edmonton’s mayor says patios are subsidized by taxpayers, and the fee change puts half of those costs back on the businesses.

“There’s a vibrancy benefit, but there’s also a taxation conversation, and people are understandably concerned about how much taxes are going up, so for the short-term, this was an imperfect solution to try to minimize how much taxes continue to go up, and they’re already going up a significant amount in 2026,” said Mayor Andrew Knack.

As for Jones, he’s still excited for the rush of patio hoppers to come back when the warmer weather does, but says the news does dampen the mood.

“The patios are a very important part of a city’s culture, and to see people out of the streets and enjoying Edmonton’s diverse climate is very important to us,” said Jones.

The new patio fees take effect on April 1st.