The Pulse: Nov. 25, 2024

This week, council returns from a short break to talk about a proposed migrant action plan, neighbourhood renewal budgets, and the ArtsCommon 118 development.

There is a community and public services committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 25 and an urban planning committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 26. There is an executive committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 27, a non-regular city council meeting scheduled on Nov. 28, and an audit committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 29.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Administration proposes creating a Migrant Action Plan to address the needs of Edmonton residents born outside of Canada. While immigration is primarily a federal and provincial responsibility, cities play a role in welcoming and integrating new Canadians, a report scheduled to be presented to council's community and public services committee on Nov. 25 said. Nearly one third of Edmonton's population were immigrants as of May 2021, the month for which the newest data is available. Administration estimates nearly 38,500 people moved to the Edmonton region from other countries between 2022 and 2023. Pending council approval, administration will create an action plan to assess the needs of the immigrant population, set goals, identify community partners, and review funding.
• Reducing the budget for the neighbourhood renewal program would delay about 18 neighbourhood-wide projects during a four-year budget cycle, according to a report scheduled to be presented to council's urban planning committee on Nov. 26. Council had asked administration to explore if cutting the program's budget by between 25% to 35% was feasible. Because most of the funds have been committed for the remainder of the 2023-2026 budget cycle, reducing spending at that scale is not possible, the report said. Administration said reducing the program's budget by delaying renewal projects will increase maintenance costs and necessitate more extensive repairs in the future. The report also examines the proportion of the program's budget spent on each element of neighbourhood renewal. About half goes to reconstructing roads, and 30% goes to reconstructing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. About 4% goes to installing bike infrastructure, shared pathways, and missing link sidewalks, and 3% goes to installing traffic-calming measures.
• The community development company behind the proposed ArtsCommon 118 development said it no longer sees the original project as viable. A report scheduled to be presented to council's executive committee on Nov. 27 said the Edmonton Community Development Company is facing barriers to development. The project, in the works since at least 2018, was planned to create 78 live-work artist studios, two floors of market space for artists, performance spaces, a rooftop garden, and industrial kitchen space. To support the development, Edmonton transferred several land parcels to ECDC, with the condition that ECDC started to build ArtsCommon by July 2028. ECDC has asked for that sale agreement to be amended, as its time condition has made it hard to build on the lot, which remains empty. ECDC said amending the agreement would allow it to build smaller commercial developments or other initiatives that support the area. Executive committee could recommend to council that the agreement be amended, and if so, the matter will be discussed at a future council meeting.

• A citywide parking ban took effect on Nov. 24, starting with Phase 1 on major roads, after Edmonton experienced a significant snowfall. Phase 1 is expected to last three to five days as crews clear arterial and collector roads, bus routes, and roads in business improvement areas. Any vehicles parked on these routes during this phase may be ticketed or towed, the City said. Residents can check the Roadways Snow Clearing Map for updates.
• The City of Edmonton is activating its extreme weather response from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 to protect vulnerable residents during the cold weather. City facilities such as recreation centres and libraries are open to provide respite. Expanded shelter services are also available, including overnight accommodations at Al Rashid Mosque and shuttle transportation to shelters.
• To mark National Housing Day, the City of Edmonton announced the availability of 11 development sites for sale or lease to create affordable housing for low-income households. The sites, previously reserved for schools and returned to the city in 2009, have the rezoning approvals secured and are ready to be developed. The City is inviting proposals from non-profit, private, and Indigenous-led housing providers by early 2025. The initiative is supported by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
• The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness held a rally at the Alberta legislature grounds on Nov. 23 to advocate for housing solutions for the more than 4,000 people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton. The event, part of efforts across the country to mark National Housing Day, called for government action to create 50,000 new affordable social housing units annually.
• The Edmonton Police Commission has decided to keep police response time metrics private for now. The Edmonton Police Service stopped reporting the metrics in its annual report in 2021, the same year it moved to an encrypted scanner system. Outgoing Police Chief Dale McFee argued that focusing too much on response times can lead to imprecise metrics and may not accurately reflect police performance or improve safety, especially amid challenges like city construction. The commission plans to address response time metrics in the police service's 2025 strategic plan.
• University of Alberta student leaders are opposing proposed tuition hikes, particularly a 10% increase for international students in 2026. University officials have been engaging with student councils to discuss the financial pressures the institution faces. The Alberta government has capped tuition increases for domestic students at 2% but has not directly addressed the proposed hike on international students.
• Edmonton International Airport will offer new non-stop flights to Houston and Chicago via United Airlines starting in May 2025. The Houston route will operate four times weekly in the summer and daily in the winter, while the seasonal Chicago service will run three times a week in the summer.
• Edmonton's Sikh community collaborated with My Radio 580 AM to raise more than $50,000 for Edmonton's Food Bank in celebration of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 555th birth anniversary. The fundraiser was organized by Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib Edmonton. The food bank is experiencing a growing demand for services and is encouraging community support during the holiday season.
• NAIT Auto Body Technician students are restoring a 1951 Lincoln Cosmopolitan that once carried the future Queen Elizabeth II during her Canadian tour. Around 90 students are working on the project, which aims to bring the classic car back to its original condition before featuring it in local shows.
• The Alberta government is moving forward with plans for a passenger rail system connecting Calgary and Edmonton, with a goal to complete a master plan by summer 2025. The project, which would have a 15-year delivery timeline, includes lines connecting major cities to airports and mountain parks. The public can provide feedback through a government survey until Dec. 20.

The financial strategies that Bill 20 incentivizes for Edmonton's October 2025 municipal election were on full display last week when Coun. Tim Cartmell launched his campaign for mayor, and added that he's creating a party, Speaking Municipally co-host Troy Pavlek said.

"The only reason he's not doing a slate (of like-minded candidates) is because he gets more money if he launches a party," Pavlek said.

Bill 20 is written in a way that financially discourages slates, Pavlek said. If one creates a party, that individual candidate and their larger party both get to raise money. "If you run a party, each candidate effectively gets double," he said.

Cartmell's interest in running for mayor was long assumed, but was finally confirmed on Nov. 21 in an appearance on Real Talk. Cartmell discussed his campaign's three goals during the interview, which he said are to create safe streets, get tough on property taxes, and build better.

Co-host Mack Male noted that Cartmell's rhetoric as he launches his bid to be the most influential person on city council is less fiery than one might have expected.

"He didn't come out guns blazing ... he even acknowledged at one point that he doesn't feel like he disagrees that much with Mayor (Amarjeet) Sohi, except maybe when it comes to approach," Male said.

Cartmell's party is new, unnamed, and does not yet have candidates (aside from Cartmell), the co-hosts said. They also noted that the two right-of-centre parties already in the electoral mix, the Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton and TapYEG, announced last week that they are merging and will now just be known as PACE. Male suggested Cartmell's new, similarly right-of-centre party will likely carry more weight, and could see PACE "fall in line."

Beyond Cartmell's news, the podcasters also reviewed Edmonton's whirlwind week in news. To recap: Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault stepped down from cabinet; the United Conservative Party government appointed former prime minister Stephen Harper as the new head of AIMCo; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised many people $250; the UCP is appointing another person to the Edmonton Police Commission; and the biggie — Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee announced he's retiring in February..

Male said the addition to the commission and McFee's exit are related. "It's hard not to look at those things in combination with one another, and to say that the province is stacking the deck to make sure that the next police chief is someone who is friendly to the province," he said.

The Nov. 22 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast examines Cartmell's actions on council, what McFee might do after he retires, how a search for a new police chief might affect the 2025 election campaign, efforts by Ivan Beljan and Vivian Manasc to save the former Royal Alberta Museum building, and more. Find all the ways to listen to and subscribe to Speaking Municipally, which comes out most Fridays, right here.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Guest Management In Supportive Housing starting at 12pm online
• Festive Holiday Gala starting at 5:30pm at Royal Glenora Club
• DevCon 2024 Meetup starting at 5:30pm at Edmonton Unlimited
• Clothing Repair Clinic starting at 6pm at the Bellevue Community League
• Messed Up Monday starting at 6pm at 9910
• Audreys Book Club starting at 7pm at Audreys Books

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Dec. 6-8: Books2Buy Sale at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Dec. 7: The Legacy Project Conference at the AJ Ottewell Centre
• Dec. 9: A Sky Full Of Stars at All Saints Anglican Cathedral

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.