The Pulse: Aug. 10, 2023

Alberta's minister of municipal affairs has been asked to keep tabs on the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board and its Calgary counterpart to "ensure they are serving the needs of their urban and rural residents effectively and fairly without unnecessarily interfering with the autonomy of small and mid-sized municipalities."

That directive in Premier Danielle Smith's mandate letter to Ric McIver comes at a time when members of the EMRB have been at odds over Sturgeon County's desire to develop the Villeneuve Airport Area beyond what the regional growth plan allows. While seven of the board's 13 members supported Sturgeon's proposed development in April, Edmonton voted against it, resulting in its defeat.

"I am always in favour of being at a table and an understanding the perspectives of other folks at the table … (but) the province has to look at whether we are fulfilling the mandate and whether we have the right power in the right place," Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw told Taproot earlier this year.

Sturgeon County filed a formal dispute with the board, resulting in an in-camera meeting of the board's dispute-resolution committee on June 30. The EMRB meets next on Aug. 18.

The mandate letter also asks McIver to work with other ministers to develop incentives and benchmarks to "significantly reduce municipal approval times for housing and business park developments." Edmonton is currently pursuing a renewal of its zoning bylaw that is intended to streamline development while introducing more equity.

A lack of provincial funding is standing in the way of more housing rather than red tape binding developers, Alberta Municipalities president Cathy Heron told CBC.

"I've met an enormous amount of very good mayors and councillors across Alberta who believe in affordable housing," said Heron, who is also mayor of St. Albert. "I see good decisions being made in the face of NIMBY-ism to put in affordable housing."

The mandate letter does mention funding, asking McIver to review the feasibility of allowing municipalities to retain some of the $2.5 billion in education property taxes that they collect on behalf of the province. Heron told CBC she was intrigued by that idea, though the mandate letter does not address the $30-billion infrastructure deficit that municipalities say won't be addressed by the incoming Local Government Fiscal Framework.

Another directive in the mandate letter asks the minister to protect "the province's constitutional right to oversee the governance of Alberta's municipalities without federal interference." While that move seems generally aligned with the UCP's desire to push back against everything it deems to be federal overreach, Edmonton has been known to appeal directly to the Canadian government.

For example, city council passed a motion in April 2022 asking for an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize personal drug possession, reflecting a tendency to favour harm reduction over the province's focus on treatment and enforcement.

Image: The Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board has 13 participating municipalities. (EMRB)

• The Quarters Arts Society is asking for financial assistance as it faces possible eviction from the city-owned property at 9641 102A Avenue NW that houses CO*LAB, the society's community arts venue. The city issued a notice of default last month, although administration has been working with the venue for years to meet its lease terms. The city did not say how much it is owed, but society president Stewart Burdett said the group needs to pay nearly $19,000 by Aug. 18 to stall eviction. As of Aug. 9, the venue's crowdfunding efforts had raised over $17,000.
• Large crowds gathered at the ATB Westbury Theatre in Old Strathcona on Aug. 9 as tickets went on sale for the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which runs Aug. 17-27. Organizers tweeted that their phone lines and ticketing website crashed amidst the overwhelming response. This year's festival will feature 185 shows at 35 venues, making it even larger than last year's event, which marked a strong pandemic rebound.
• Airborne mould spores are unseasonably high in the Edmonton area due to rain, humidity, and warm weather, and may cause cold-like symptoms for some people. Daniel Coates with Aerobiology Research Laboratories said accumulated outdoor mould levels currently resemble cities like Vancouver and Victoria.
• The Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board dismissed two complaints from Mulugeta Tesfay, the owner of Nyala Lounge and Bar at 10875 98 Street NW, who has been in legal fights with the police since 2017 over claims of "overzealous policing activity" at his business, which is now closed. The board upheld Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee's ruling to dismiss Tesfay's complaints about false claims made by officers at an earlier business licence appeal hearing. It also upheld McFee's decision to dismiss complaints alleging his own bias and legal errors. Tesfay said a lawsuit against the city, the police, and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission is still making its way through courts.
• Cheery Cat, a new specialty boutique for cats, opened at 4215 Calgary Trail NW on Aug. 9. Owner Angela Wong hopes to fill a void in the pet market, which tends to have more products for dogs. Cats are welcome in the store and can enjoy interactive experiences including a photo station and food-tasting station. The store is also partnering with Community Cats to support its adoption program.
• Two murals painted by Matthew Cardinal and Joshua Harnack were defaced with messages targeting the artists personally. Police have charged one man and are seeking another in connection with the vandalism at 6316 106 Street NW.
• Revera, one of the largest long-term care home operators in Canada, plans to transition out of managing retirement homes over the coming months. Information sent to unions suggests more than 80 seniors residences will be transferred to three different companies, although Revera will maintain ownership of some retirement properties. Revera has five facilities in Edmonton.
• Iron & Earth, a non-profit focused on transitioning oil sands workers to the renewable energy industry, is calling on the province to reconsider its six-month pause on renewable energy development in Alberta, calling it a "short-sighted and unnecessary decision that hurts workers and renewable energy companies and sets back net-zero planning." The organization noted that $4.7 billion has been invested in renewable energy projects in Alberta since 2019, more than any other province, which has resulted in 5,300 jobs.

Here are some opportunities to offer your input on various civic issues, including Parkland County's land use bylaw, proposed changes to Rivers Edge, budget planning in Beaumont, and public washrooms in Edmonton.

• Land Use Bylaw Redesign — Parkland County is inviting residents to attend information sessions about the Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Bylaw Redesign, and Surface Drainage and Lot Grading Bylaw. In July, the county released a What We Heard snapshot summarizing engagement from April and June. Drop-in information sessions are set for Aug. 15 at the Entwistle Community Recreation Centre and Aug. 16 at the Parkland County Centre.
• Rivers Edge Amendment — The City of Edmonton invites residents to ask questions and share thoughts on revisions to the Rivers Edge Neighbourhood Structure Plan and the Riverview Area Structure Plan proposed by Stantec on behalf of Qualico Communities. The plans will support the ongoing development of Rivers Edge in west Edmonton. A public hearing is tentatively set for Oct. 3, and public engagement is ongoing until Aug. 22.
• 2024 Budget Planning — The City of Beaumont is inviting residents to help plan for next year's budget by completing an online budget simulation before Sept. 23.
• Public Washroom Survey — The City of Edmonton is surveying residents who have visited or used public washrooms. The results will be used to improve cleanliness, safety, and accessibility and inform future planning. The survey is open until Dec. 31.

More input opportunities

• By Aug. 14: Secondary Suite and Garden Suite survey in Strathcona County
• By. Aug. 21: 103A Avenue and 99 Street Streetscape and Pedway
• By Aug. 23: Parkview Street Lab
• By Aug. 31: Wellington Street Lab
• By Aug. 31: Mayfield Street Lab
• By Aug. 31: Edmonton Business Census
• By Aug. 31: Made in Leduc County cookbook in Leduc County
• By Sept. 29: Vibrant Streets Art Contest
• By Oct. 1: Pop-up Dog Parks Program Evaluation
• By Dec. 31: Public Engagement Feedback Survey

Photo: A wayfaring sign for the MacEwan LRT public washroom. (Mack Male/Flickr)