A city-connected gardening program is dead, a downtown property remains a problem, and the United Conservative Party has proposed new measures to limit municipal powers, the co-hosts of Episode 303 of Speaking Municipally said. Here's a quick glimpse:
1. Front yard blooms go bust
The Front Yards in Bloom program, the City of Edmonton's collaboration with the Edmonton Horticultural Society and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on yards with more than grass ends this year. The program was launched in 1999 to encourage Edmontonians to add decorative and edible plants to their outdoor areas. The program's end inspired Edify to write an obit. The cancellation was approved in 2024 as a budget-pruning measure.
"The decision to axe this program is intended to save taxpayers some money," co-host Mack Male said. "This (cost-cutting measure) is only saving $40,000. It's a pretty small amount."
That said, citizens continue to tend yards with more than grass through initiatives like the Lawn Transformation Campaign by Waste Free YEG and fruit reclamation by the Leftovers Foundation.
2. Properties causing problems
The former Bank of Montreal building in downtown Edmonton has not been adequately dismantled since city council approved its demolition in 2017. The lot the building sat on has become a well-known eyesore.
It's "not a new debate" when it comes to property negligence for the people who live or work in the core, Male said, but instead a persistent blight. "There's concrete and rebar sticking out of the ground — there's all kinds of garbage."
Male quoted a recent post from Puneeta McBryan, the executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. McBryan described Regency Developments's management of the site it owns as "shameful." Regency's Raj Dhunna has said he spent more than $250,000 to keep the property safe.
3. New rules for munis from the province
Last week, Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party government introduced bills 49 through 51. In order, if made law, the bills would update rules on policing, municipal ethics, and education. There might be Trojan horses hiding in them, co-host Troy Pavlek suggested.
"Bill 50 really frustrated me. It's got some changes to parties, it's got some changes to council's code of conduct," Pavlek said. "This is omnibus at its absolute worst."
The April 11 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast also discussed the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market. Plus managing editor, Tim Querengesser, gave an update from the Taproot newsroom. Speaking Municipally comes out on Fridays. Listening and subscription options are all right here.