They may as well be encrypted now, because you can't monitor EDACS' version of digital.
Something a lot of people don't appreciate is that going to encryption isn't always as simple as flipping a switch. All the hardware (radios, tower sites, console equipment, etc) would have to be upgraded or replaced.
Having said that, if I was an Edmonton taxpayer and I heard that my city was going to expend any $ towards upgrade/modification of the ages-old city EDACS system, I would ask questions.. considering that the province is going to build out an all-new, state-of-the-art P25 system, province-wide, on the province's dime, starting later this year. IMO anyone thinking of building a new comms system right now who doesn't need it immediately is being foolish with their money, considering the province is getting this involved.
Getting back to your question - it's entirely possible that even if Edmonton were to move to the P25 instead of upgrading their EDACS system to go encrypted, they could still go encrypted on the P25 system (and that would be as easy as flipping a switch, because the P25 system is being built out with encryption from the start).
This kind of question pops up fairly often in the forums about city XYZ or agency ABC either going encrypted or to a radio system scanners can't monitor. The truth of the matter is that most agencies don't feel the need to expend that much work or that much money specifically to protect themselves from curious hobbyists. (And frankly, IMO, any agency that is willing to go to those lengths should be questioned about their motives, especially in spending your and my $ on this kind of thing, in this cash-strapped day & age.)
