Alberta Politics: With UCP support, police chief’s solution to homeless crisis moves ahead, whether Edmonton city council likes it or not

Edmonton’s police chief and the UCP ministers there to support him on his plan to clear Edmonton’s parks and avenues of hundreds of tents housing homeless people seemed antagonistic, annoyed and agitated at yesterday’s government news conference. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). This is evident if you

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Alberta Politics: UCP minister tells Edmonton mayor he can forget about seeing anyone from the province at a summit on homelessness

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi can forget about seeing Jason Nixon – Alberta’s minister of seniors, community and social services – at the summit on housing and homelessness he hopes to organize with provincial, city, First Nations, and federal leaders. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). Indeed, Mr. Sohi

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Alberta Politics: Edmonton mayor to ask city councillors to declare housing and homelessness emergency on Monday, ruffling UCP feathers

In a blog post published yesterday, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he has called a special meeting of City Council Monday to ask for a declaration of a housing and homelessness emergency in the city. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). The United Conservative Party Government was clearly

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Alberta Politics: Edmonton mayor appears to have been blindsided by city police plan for Christmas roust of eight homeless encampments next week

What is the goal of this week’s intended Christmastime mass roust of downtown Edmonton homeless encampments by city police, and why did they unilaterally spring it on city officials and social agencies while ignoring the city’s encampment response strategy?  Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). The EPS plan

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Alberta Politics: With province awash in cash, premier makes no commitment to Edmonton’s mayor about help with city’s social woes

Danielle Smith’s office doesn’t really seem to have put a lot of effort into describing the Alberta premier’s meeting Tuesday with Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. Community and Social Services Minister Jeremy Nixon (Photo: Alberta Newsroom/Flickr). Ms. Smith was accompanied to her gab session with the mayor of Edmonton by three

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Alberta Politics: Despite UCP efforts to tilt the playing field, progressive mayors are elected in both Edmonton and Calgary

Despite the best efforts of Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government to tilt the playing field steeply in favour right-wing candidates, voters in both Calgary and Edmonton elected progressive mayors yesterday.  Amarjeet Sohi, a soft-spoken former bus driver and trade unionist who was once a political prisoner in India and served

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