The Pulse: Oct. 13, 2021

Gender representation in Alberta mayoral races this year stayed the same in most communities, or saw a slight increase, compared to 2017, a former mayor and political consultant said.

Lisa Holmes, former Morinville mayor and founding partner of Diplomat Consulting looked at the number of women running in mayoral and council races in 16 mid-sized Alberta cities. She shared some of her findings in a Twitter thread on Oct. 4.

Holmes looked at the numbers because she's always been passionate about getting more women to run for office. It was something she pursued while president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) from 2015 to 2017, and she's also involved with the Searching for Izena project, which looks at female representation in Edmonton municipal politics.

"Something that's really at the forefront of what I do is trying to get more leadership options for women," Holmes told Taproot. "And getting them on the ballot is just as important as getting them elected.

"So I thought it was important to just give us a bit of a report card to see where we were in 2021."

Holmes said the four larger cities in the Edmonton region — St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, and Leduc — have relatively good numbers for women running in mayoral races, while the percentages are a little lower for female candidates running for councillor positions.

The highest percentage of female mayoral candidates is in Fort Saskatchewan, where both contestants for the role are women — incumbent Gale Katchur and city councillor Deanna Lennox.

• The Valley Line LRT won't open until sometime early next year. The $1.8-billion line, which will connect downtown to Mill Woods, was initially expected to open in December 2020. The most recent delays are being caused by a longer-than-expected testing process for new trains, according to TransEd.
• Edmonton police Det. Dan Behiels was suspended without pay for leaking information to the press about the investigation into Edmonton landlord Abdullah Shah. Behiels gave CBC News confidential files after the investigation concluded in January 2021 and no charges were laid against Shah, who is suspected of running a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking and mortgage fraud.
• Edmonton has been ranked one of the top 100 best cities to live in for the second year in a row. The ranking, produced by Resonance Consultancy, put Edmonton in 86th between Baltimore and Lyon. The city's immigration, downtown revitalization plans and reputation as a festival city, as well as the University of Alberta, all helped it make the list.
• Hope Mission is scrambling to collect winter gear, after a fire destroyed a warehouse containing its winter clothing supply on Friday. Donations of gently used warm clothing items can be dropped off at their main office downtown.
• The commuter bridge at Ada Boulevard over Wayne Gretzky Drive has reopened amid safety concerns from cyclists and pedestrians. The redesign features a low barrier on the south side of the bridge. The city is advising pedestrians and cyclists to use the shared path on the north side.
• Former City of Edmonton planning director Kalen Anderson was appointed executive director of the Urban Development Institute - Edmonton Region (UDI-ER). UDI-ER represents the development industry in the Edmonton region. Anderson served in the city's planning department for over a decade.
• The province's app to scan proof-of-vaccination QR codes is now available. After Nov. 15, the scannable QR code will be the only acceptable record of vaccination. On Tuesday, Premier Jason Kenney said that the vaccine passport system will stay in place until next year, despite the recent downward trend in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

The AI4Society Dialogues podcast is back with a second season that plans to help listeners explore the intersection between artificial intelligence and health care.

The show is hosted by Katrina Ingram, CEO of Ethically Aligned AI. The podcast was initially conceived last year as a way to explore some of the AI research being done at the University of Alberta, and how the technology relates to different fields.

The first episode of season two was released on Oct. 11.

"The bigger question that we're trying to answer with the podcast is, 'How will AI shape society and how will society shape AI,'" Ingram told Taproot.

"That's kind of the overarching theme of the entire series."

The first season, which launched in January, looked at how AI intersects other disciplines like administrative law, or women and gender studies. The podcast makes a deliberate effort to examine subjects in a way that's accessible to a general audience.

However, season two hones its focus on the medical applications of AI and the technology's potential for addressing health-care concerns in a highly personalized way.

Ingram said the shift in direction was prompted by the strong awareness of health-care issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every week in the lead up to Edmonton's municipal election on Oct. 18, we're rounding up the news and announcements you need to know to stay informed.

Policies and campaign updates

Mayoral candidates

• Amarjeet Sohi released policies on leadership during the fourth wave of COVID-19, truth and reconciliation, and provincial advocacy. He also posted two Twitter threads regarding his thoughts on the West LRT Line and working with the provincial government.
• Kim Krushell wrote about her commitment to climate action and community leagues, as well as her plans for safe communities and safe consumption sites.
• Mayoral candidate Michael Oshry pledged to declare Whyte Avenue as car-free every Sunday.
• Mayoral candidate Mike Nickel posted a video and accompanying documents in a post titled Serious Questions Regarding Collusion. He also posted a Twitter thread with his stance on unions.
• Mike Nickel and Ward O-day'min candidate Tony Caterina endorsed one another's campaigns.
• Augustine Marah's seven-part platform is available on YouTube.
• Brian (Breezy) Gregg uploaded two blog posts about building a caring economy and his hopes of becoming Edmonton's first rock and roll mayor.
• Diana Steele tweeted a screenshot of anti-Indigenous hate mail she received. Ward O-day'min candidate Adrian Bruff and Ward papastew candidate Haruun Ali have also reported racist comments over the course of their campaigns.
• Rick Comrie tweeted that the city should reverse speed reductions and rethink certain speed limits on major thoroughfares, worry more about serious crime, and eliminate red tape for business owners.

City council candidates

• Ward Anirniq candidate Erin Rutherford published her traffic safety policy and her reasons behind running for city council. She also confirmed she has not accepted or received funding or support from political action committees (PACs).
• Ward Anirniq candidate Tyler Zutz made his economic prosperity platform public.
• Ward Ipiikookanipiaohtsi candidate Rhiannon Hoyle posted a Twitter thread detailing why she believes she should be elected compared to others in her ward.
• Ward Karhiio candidate Keren Tang rounded up all of the links to survey responses she has completed during her campaign.
• Ward O'day-min candidate Gabrielle Battiste released her strategy for senior Edmontonians.
• Ward O-day'min candidate Anne Stevenson uploaded Episode 4 and Episode 5 of her campaign podcast: Stronger. Smarter. Together.
• Ward papastew candidate Kirsten Goa tweeted a graphic that explained her places for people plan.
• Ward papastew candidate Michael Janz vowed to "fight the Kenney agenda" in a YouTube video.
• Ward papastew candidate Tarcy Schindelka shared how he thinks his ward can address climate change.
• Ward pihêsiwin candidate Tim Cartmell explained in two blog posts why he is running for city council and his thoughts on Thanksgiving 2021.
• Ward sipiwiyiniwak candidate Daniel Heikkinen uploaded a video series answering campaign questions on his YouTube channel.
• Ward Sspomitapi candidate Harman Singh Kandola called on fellow candidate Moe Banga to apologize for what Kandola described as disparaging language towards Indigenous communities.