The Pulse: Dec. 17, 2024

A provincial portal aimed at identifying processes that slow home construction could zero in on a proposed City of Edmonton policy aimed at pushing suburbs to be complete before starting a new development.

The Housing Delays Portal, which the province launched in November, will allow developers to report red tape and other policies they think lead to undue delay in home construction. The province said it wants to know about federal or provincial policies, laws, standards, or processes, and municipal bylaws or processes that cause new housing to be delayed. The province said it will use the information to track trends and identify delays and may further engage with municipalities if it notices issues.

"Alberta's government will continue to work with municipalities and find solutions to speed up the home-building process," Ric McIver, minister of municipal affairs, said in a statement. "The Stop Housing Delays portal will give us another tool to inform those discussions and identify areas where we can improve the pace of home building."

Kalen Anderson, CEO of the real estate advocacy group BILD Edmonton Metro, told Taproot the substantial completion standard is an Edmonton process and requirement that could potentially be reported.

That policy would prohibit developers from planning new developments in the most recently annexed parts of Edmonton until the adjacent neighbourhoods are complete with schools, stores, parks, and libraries. It comes from the City Plan and is meant to move Edmonton away from its traditionally sprawling development pattern, a city report said.

Anderson said this would mainly be felt in south Edmonton, where residential construction is booming.

Developers will not be able to begin statutory plans for the area until the land is released by council. Administration estimated that under the policy, housing could be available south of 41 Avenue SW by 2039 at the latest.

"The failure to plan the land south of 41st Avenue (SW) is holding back about 87,000 units in a housing crisis," Anderson said.

The provincial government said it introduced the portal because more housing is needed as Alberta's population grows at a record pace. More than 200,000 people moved to Alberta between April 2023 and April 2024.

Meanwhile, this year has been Edmonton's busiest on record for developing housing, according to Kim Petrin, deputy city manager of urban planning and economy. From January to October, Edmonton saw nearly 10,900 housing starts and issued 12,655 building permits. The city attributes this to streamlined permitting processes, updated regulations, and innovative solutions to infill development challenges.

• Various City of Edmonton services and facilities will adjust their hours during the holiday season. Edmonton Transit Service will have reduced services from Dec. 23 to 25 and Dec. 27 to 31. Transit will be free on New Year's Eve from 6pm and ETS will offer extended service on some routes. Waste collection won't happen on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, and Christmas tree disposal is scheduled from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3. City facilities, such as the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Muttart Conservatory, and recreation centres, will have modified hours or closures on certain dates, and 311 services will be closed on Dec. 25, 26, and Jan. 1.
• The Alberta Motor Association launched a Know Before the Tow campaign to educate Edmonton drivers about their rights and protect them from towing scams, which have been on the rise. The campaign emphasizes drivers' rights, including choosing their towing service, accessing their vehicle for personal items, and receiving a quote and itemized invoice before paying, in an effort to prevent predatory towing practices in the province.
• Housing starts in Edmonton have surged by 48% from January to November 2024, with 16,939 new units initiated compared to 11,427 during the same period in 2023. With an overall 35% rise in residential construction, Alberta now leads Canada in per capita housing starts. The provincial government credits the increase to its efforts to reduce barriers and expedite construction processes, partnering with industry groups such as BILD Alberta to meet increasing housing demands.
• Some Candy Cane Lane residents were frustrated to receive icy sidewalk warnings the day before the event's start, despite an agreement for the City of Edmonton to handle snow clearing during the event period from Dec. 13 to Jan. 3. The City said that pre-event inspections ensure pedestrian safety, noting that residents are responsible for sidewalk maintenance outside the designated event period.
• Explore Edmonton published a video highlighting major events and community milestones over the past year, including the Canadian Finals Rodeo's 50th anniversary in Edmonton and the Canadian Country Music Awards at Rogers Place. The video also highlighted the economic impact of dozens of events, along with Edmonton's global recognition in areas like sports and tourism.
• A group of 285 specialized support workers at Edmonton Public Schools has voted 73.4% in favour of joining CUPE Local 3550. The workers, who have roles in mental health, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and other specialized areas, will join non-teaching staff already represented by the union. CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the workers unionized to gain a stronger collective voice after previous efforts to address workplace issues fell short.
• The Alberta government has appointed Tony Cardinal as the new Indigenous Patient Safety Investigator and Advocate to enhance health care delivery for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit patients, address systemic racism, and ensure culturally safe care. The move follows the cutting of an Indigenous elder's braids in an Edmonton hospital, highlighting the need for culturally respectful treatment.
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she would use the notwithstanding clause as a "last resort" to uphold a new provincial law banning gender-affirming treatments for minors, which is currently being challenged in court by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Critics argue the law, which restricts treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16, violates Charter rights and will harm transgender youth. Smith said the law was carefully crafted and believes it will withstand legal scrutiny.
• Canada Post says operations will resume on Dec. 17 after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered 55,000 striking employees to return to work. The company reached an agreement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to implement a retroactive 5% wage increase, and the union members will work under extended contracts until May. While the company will not accept new mail on Dec. 17, it warned that clearing the mail backlog will take time. The union said it plans to challenge the return-to-work order in court.
• Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was named the NHL's top star of the week after scoring three goals and six assists in three games, leading the team to three consecutive victories. Draisaitl is currently tied for the league lead in goals, and leads in game-winning goals with seven. His recent success puts him in fifth place in the NHL scoring race with 45 points.
• The Edmonton Elks have signed Javon Leake to a two-year contract extension after a standout season. Leake, who joined the Elks last year from the Toronto Argonauts, recorded 1,715 all-purpose yards and continues to be a key asset for the Elks as they aim to improve their performance next season.

A motion that pushed for a rethink on how Edmonton's council can work on city spending using zero-based budgeting passed following its recent budget vote, and could offer both opportunities and challenges, Taproot's council watchers said on Episode 289 of Speaking Municipally.

Is zero a hero?

Once the current budget adjustment passed on Dec. 5, and with it the 2025 property tax increase of 6.1%, Coun. Andrew Knack put forward a subsequent motion directing administration to work toward zero-based budgeting for its deliberations on the next four-year budget cycle, from 2027 to 2030. That motion passed 8 to 4 (councillors Ashley Salvador, Keren Tang, Erin Rutherford, and Jo-Anne Wright opposed). The motion was presented by Knack, who will not seek re-election in 2025, and stems from his collaboration with Coun. Tim Cartmell, who is running for mayor and who has been critical of how council can work on budgets.

Knack's motion, which calls for a "line-by-line" approach to review budgets during the next cycle, for administrative departments to make presentations to council at budget time, and for Edmonton to benchmark other cities to understand how its budget stacks up, could signal how council feels about its current limitations to change budgets, managing editor Tim Querengesser said.

"There is frustration you can sense among all the councillors in the (existing) process," Querengesser said. "We start out with an established budget and we adjust it. We wiggle here and we wiggle there, but really, we can't make any structural changes. I think they're all frustrated with that."

Guest co-host and Taproot curator/reporter Stephanie Swensrude expressed doubts that zero-based budgeting would be plausible in practice. However, she added, council may need a "drastic" option. "Maybe that's what needs to be done — to have a big reset."

Co-host Mack Male noted that true zero-based budgeting in Edmonton is currently impossible because the city is locked into a funding formula with the Edmonton Police Service through 2026. He expressed skepticism the zero-based model will actually make it into practice. "It seems to me that this process will cost more than it's worth," Male said.

Votes against the operating budget

The operating budget adjustment passed 8 to 4, with councillors Sarah Hamilton, Jennifer Rice, Karen Principe, and Cartmell voting against. Male noted that Cartmell did not put forth any motions to reduce the budget. Rice, meanwhile, presented several motions that have been heavily critiqued. Despite this, Male also called attention to Knack's acknowledgment that all of council (aside from the absent Coun. Aaron Paquette) voted in favour of cuts.

"Even though (Cartmell) didn't introduce his own motions, Knack's point is everybody contributed to reductions in some capacity here," Male said. "I thought that was an interesting way to try to build a little bit of collaboration around the approach to (the) budget."

Housing and the 2025 election

Male, Querengesser, and Swensrude presented questions that voters may want to ask of candidates about housing during the 2025 municipal election. The conversation built off of Taproot's Housing Complex series and Swensrude's piece on what the City of Edmonton can and can't do with housing, in particular.

The Dec. 13 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast covers much more on the operating budget and the Housing Complex series. 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.

• Startup Pitch & Networking starting at 7pm at Canadian Icehouse (Ice District)
• Holiday Mocktail Class starting at 6:15pm at Spilt
• Prince Albert Raiders vs. Edmonton Oil Kings starting at 7pm at Rogers Place
• Feeding Tomorrow starting at 7pm at CKUA
• A Drag Queen Christmas starting at 8pm at the Jubilee Auditorium

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Dec. 22: The Little Match Girl Passion at All Saints Anglican Cathedral
• Jan. 1: Calgary Hitmen vs. Edmonton Oil Kings at Rogers Place
• Jan. 9: King's of Curry: Butter chicken, peas pulav and Paratha at Blue Quill Community Hall

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