The Pulse: Oct. 22, 2025

Andrew Knack: 'Edmonton chose independent leadership'

Oct. 21, 2025
By Stephanie Swensrude

Andrew Knack is set to become Edmonton's 37th mayor, leading a council that will have many of the same people he served with previously, as well as a few members of the Better Edmonton party.

"Edmonton chose independent leadership with real solutions that will lead us to a stronger city together," Knack said in a victory speech on Oct. 21 from his campaign headquarters off Whyte Avenue. "I will always meet in good faith, and I will be clear about what Edmontonians need and how the city will lead. We won't agree on everything, and that's OK. What I will push for is how we work together, by listening to one another, by being open, by learning from one another, to do the work to build a stronger Edmonton."

While several polls remained uncounted even by the end of the day on Oct. 21, Knack had a big enough lead that his closest rival, Tim Cartmell, conceded by 2pm.

"Last night didn't turn out the way we hoped, but I can tell you this: I have never been more proud of the people standing beside me and the work we accomplished as a team over the last year," said Cartmell, who ran under the Better Edmonton banner with a full slate of candidates.

Knack, the three-term city councillor who bowed out of municipal politics last fall, only to re-emerge as a mayoral candidate, had an early lead over Cartmell that only grew as results trickled in.

Michael Walters finished third, followed by Omar Mohammad, Rahim Jaffer, and eight other candidates.

"While this isn't the result we were hoping for, I am very proud of the campaign we ran over the past three months," Walters said in a statement. "Andrew is a man of character who will work hard every day."

Of the nine incumbent councillors seeking re-election, only Jennifer Rice in Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi was at risk of losing. She trailed independent Jon Morgan by 3.5 percentage points with 19 of 21 polls reporting. Find the most up-to-date vote counts on Taproot's results dashboard.

The three wards with no incumbent were leaning toward Better Edmonton candidates at press time, though the race in sipiwiyiniwak was exceptionally tight — only six votes separated Darrell Friesen and Thu Parmar with all polls reporting. A recount is expected. Reed Clark was ahead of Rajah Maggay by 3.5 percentage points in Nakota Isga with 20 of 22 polls reporting, and Michael Elliott led Jackie Liu in pihêsiwin by 9.7 percentage points with 16 of 20 polls reporting.

The rest of the returning councillors had comfortable leads and will serve another term: Aaron Paquette in Dene, Keren Tang in Karhiio, Ashley Salvador in Métis, Michael Janz in papastew, Karen Principe in tastawiyiniwak, Erin Rutherford in Anirniq, Anne Stevenson in O-day'min, and Jo-Anne Wright in Sspomitapi.

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Headlines: Oct. 22, 2025

Oct. 22, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim

Edmonton's Mayor-elect Andrew Knack outlined his priorities following his election victory on Oct. 21, focusing on making the city more affordable and safe, addressing rapid population growth, and tackling homelessness. Despite his previous opposition to the $250 million fan park deal with the province and Oilers Entertainment Group, Knack pledged to honour the agreement finalized by the previous council. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the province's contribution benefits Edmontonians. Knack also called on federal and provincial partners to provide support and housing for those experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Edmonton's Oct. 20 municipal election saw low voter turnout due to several issues, including significant logistical problems at polling stations. Edmonton Elections cited labour shortages, power outages, and technology issues, leading to long lines that prompted many potential voters to leave without casting ballots. University of Alberta political science professor Feodor Snagovsky pointed to several other factors, including the ongoing Alberta teachers' strike, a tendency by voters to pay more attention to provincial politics, and fewer campaign advertisements.
Edmonton's business community anticipates "hard decisions" from the city's incoming council, largely composed of returning members and new Mayor Andrew Knack following the Oct. 21, 2025, election. Doug Griffiths of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, which issued a Municipal Action Plan with 14 recommendations for the new council, expressed surprise that voters picked the "status quo" despite what he saw as widespread public discontent. The Business Council of Alberta also highlighted efficient growth, fiscal responsibility, and public safety as key priorities for municipalities across the province.
Some incumbent Edmonton city councillors observed a significant contrast between online negativity and doorstep concerns during their re-election campaigns, saying voters primarily expressed a desire for stability, focusing on local issues like infrastructure maintenance, safety, and affordability. Aaron Paquette, who will prioritize ward infrastructure and fiscal balance, advocates for better dialogue with the province regarding municipal expenses. Ashley Salvador will focus on ensuring well-funded city services. Both also said they heard voter frustration with new provincial voting rules.
Taproot Edmonton's Regional Roundup for Oct. 22 includes election results for Edmonton and the surrounding municipalities.
The Edmonton Police Service have charged three men with arson after Diwali fireworks ignited two homes in the Mill Woods neighbourhood on Oct. 20. Fire crews responded to an area near 25 Avenue and 24 Street, where sparks from backyard fireworks caused the houses to catch fire. No injuries were reported. Police urged Edmontonians to obtain permits for fireworks within city limits. Separately, two unrelated fires in northwest and southeast Edmonton damaged a commercial building and a home under construction; their causes remain under investigation.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) concluded that a man shot by four police officers in the RCMP Strathcona County detachment's secure parking lot on July 28, intended to die by "suicide by cop." The man admitted to buying a BB gun to point at officers, hoping they would shoot him, and had two suicide notes. ASIRT found the officers acted reasonably when they fired 12 bullets, striking the man multiple times after he raised and pointed the weapon at them. The province's police watchdog is not recommending charges against the officers.
The Edmonton Oilers celebrated Adam Henrique's 1,000th NHL game in Ottawa with special shirts commemorating the milestone. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch praised Henrique for his instrumental role in guiding younger players and his contributions on the power play, penalty kill, and as a key faceoff specialist since joining the team from the Anaheim Ducks in March 2024.
Parks Canada confirmed the July 2024 Jasper wildfire was caused by lightning, exacerbated by dry conditions and "tornado-force fire-generated" winds up to 200 km/h, according to two new reports released Oct. 21. The fire, which destroyed a third of the community's structures and displaced 25,000 people, spread due to extensive fuel, mountain pine beetle infestations, dense neighbourhoods, and wood roofs.