I didn't realize Edmonton was so far north, was only there once in the winter and never went back, too f'n cold for me! I've only grown outdoor in Ontario so never had to worry about it but there's a process that's used outdoor, typically used in greenhouses called light dep or light deprivation that is used in areas where the sun doesn't cooperate. They basically force the 12/12 or close to it (anything under 13-13.5 of light and most strains will flower) by covering up the greenhouse with something that will block the light. Since you'll also have a short grow season, your best bet would be to start and veg them indoor to a decent size, then throw them outdoor to take advantage of any sun, and use light dep to ensure they have a long enough flowering period to finish them. I'd imagine you only have until end of September at best before it gets too cold, count back from there and you're good to go.
As far as measuring and worrying about ph, if your soil mix is good there's nothing to worry about and quite frankly the only reason I'd ever check ph even indoor would be if I were running some form of hydro. I don't run hydro and don't even own a ph pen. imo "ph" problems (unless you're in hydro) are bull-shit and caused by other factors/issues. Very unlikely you'd ever hear outdoor growers having a conversation about how to manage ph