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
Continue readingTag: City of Edmonton
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
Continue readingAlberta Politics: As temperatures drop, police and city crews continue rousts of homeless encampments, government pitches winter camping
With temperatures falling and lows below minus-30 degrees Celsius forecast by the middle of next week, Edmonton police and city crews continue to break up homeless encampments in the city core. A Government of Alberta advertisement promoting winter camping (Illustration: Government of Alberta). Police in black uniforms and city employees
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Police officer swears city officials agreed with plan to drive Edmonton homeless people from encampments before Christmas
Edmonton Lawyer Avnish Nanda yesterday posted on social media part of an affidavit in which Edmonton Police Service Staff Sergeant Michael Dreilich swears city representatives agreed with the police department’s plan to roust residents of eight downtown homeless encampments just before Christmas and break up their shelters. Edmonton lawyer Avnish
Continue readingAlberta 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
Continue readingAlberta 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
Continue readingAlberta Politics: HEADLESS GOVERNMENT IN TOPLESS TOWN!
What do you want to bet that Edmonton’s diverting mid-winter topless swimming story becomes the surprise big issue of the coming 2023 Alberta provincial election? The City of Edmonton’s Mill Creek Pool (Photo: City of Edmonton). Earlier this week social media noticed that the City of Edmonton has changed its
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Former city councillor and federal minister Amarjeet Sohi to announce bid to become Edmonton Mayor today
If a pipeline to tidewater is as important to Alberta as folks around here seem to think it is, Amarjeet Sohi has done far more to make one a reality than Premier Jason Kenney ever did. In 2018 and 2019, as natural resources minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal
Continue readingAlberta Politics: David Khan and Don Iveson, two bright lights of Alberta politics, announce they’re packing it in
Two prominent Alberta politicians have taken the traditional Canadian walk in the snow and announced their planned departures from their current political roles. Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan, 46, one of the most influential provincial politicians in Alberta without a seat in the Legislature, made his announcement on Sunday. Edmonton
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Guest post by John Ashton: Don’t let inner city Ward 7’s needs be forgotten in Edmonton’s new ward map
By John Ashton Last week, drowned out in the clamour of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Edmonton revealed its new proposed municipal ward map. The redrawing of municipal wards is a dull and pedantic task, full of compromises that please few. Nonetheless, it’s a process that has winners and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Kenney to Edmonton: Drop dead!
When the New York Daily News published its famous FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD headline on Oct. 30, 1975, all president Gerald Ford had done was deny a federal bailout to Gotham, which was nearly bankrupt. It shows the power of a great headline that Oct. 29, the day President
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Message to my American Cousins: It’s mellow up here; there is no communist revolution yet; no one wants to take Manhattan
Dear American Cousins, literal and metaphorical: The day before yesterday, medical and recreational cannabis became legal in Canada. The Canada correspondent for the New York Times reported excitedly that we Canadians were calling this C-Day. We were? Beats the hell outta me where she got that idea. I’m pretty sure
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: City Council needs to get it right on Northlands Coliseum redevelopment
It has been about 10 years since the City of Edmonton seriously began studying the concept of funding the construction of a downtown arena, and 6 years since City Council voted to approve a financial deal with the Edmonton Oilers and its billionaire owner, Daryl Katz, to construct a new arena.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: My quick reply to Don Iveson on Northlands’ Vision 2020 proposal
The following comment was posted as a response to Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson‘s comments on Northlands’ Vision 2020 proposal following the City Administration’s analysis of the plan. I hope to go into more details about Northlands’…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Big population growth means it’s time to redraw Alberta’s Electoral Boundaries
Alberta’s population has grown by 517,365 since the last time our provincial electoral boundaries were redrawn to reflect population growth. According to population estimates released on the provincial government’s Open Data portal this week…
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Lousy polls? Redford Tories execute screeching reversal on southbound Edmonton LRT tracks
Fresh off a train in Edmonton’s Churchill LRT station, Alberta Premier Alison Redford announces $600 million surprise funding for an Edmonton LRT less than a week after her finance minister tabled a budget that didn’t mention it. Below: Finance Minister Doug Horner explains how the spending is really in the
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Don Iveson asks: Do you support LRT expansion?
Tweet Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson took the the streets, and then to YouTube, to ask Edmontonians if they support expansion of Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit system. The campaign is part of Mr. Iveson’s bid to convince provincial and federal politicians to support the expansion of Edmonton’s light rail transit system,
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Regional planning, an idea whose time has come again, whether Redwater likes it or not!
The region covered by Alberta’s Capital Region Board. Below: St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, Redwater Mayor Mel Smith and Sturgeon County Mayor Don Rigney. ST. ALBERT The Town of Redwater has petitioned Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister to be allowed to quit the Capital Region Board – a plea that no
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Welcome to Alberta’s Wild West, where the market sets the value of your vote
Drug store billionaire Daryl Katz, right, discusses his plans for a new Edmonton hockey arena with a representative of the Alberta government. Since Wild West hockey barons may not appear exactly as illustrated, a photo of the real Mr. Katz is shown below. (CBC Photo, circa 2008.) Look, people, this
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Edmonton Arena – The Katz Method:Socialize the Risk and Privatize the Profit
Edmonton taxpayers are going to be fleeced without affection or mercy by the Katz Group. This has been in the cards since this atrocious deal was pre-approved last year. Having done some reading though, we can still pull out of this money trap and it looks as if Katz is
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