Edmonton Minute: Coliseum Demolition, Encampment Removals, and the Police Chief Reflects

Edmonton Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Edmonton politics

This Week In Edmonton:

• There will be a meeting of the Agenda Review Committee on Tuesday at 8:30 am. The Committee will set the agendas for upcoming meetings of the Special Audit Sub-Committee, the Community and Public Services Committee, the Urban Planning Committee, and the Executive Committee, as well as two special meetings of City Council.
  
  
• The demolition of Edmonton's Coliseum, which has been closed since 2017, will not begin for at least two more years due to the extensive planning and hazardous material removal required. The City has allocated $35 million for demolition, in addition to the $9 million spent on maintaining the building. The Coliseum, once home to the Edmonton Oilers, will be replaced by a mixed-use urban village as part of long-term plans for the area. The new development is expected to take 25-30 years to complete.
  
  
• Edmonton's Food Bank says it exceeded its monetary goal for the 2024 holiday campaign, raising $4.5 million, but has struggled to meet its food donation target. As of January 3rd, the food bank has only reached about 80% of its goal for 300,000 kilograms of food. The delay in the Brown Bag campaign, caused by the Canada Post strike, impacted food donations, with families receiving their bags just before Christmas.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Naheed Nenshi, leader of the Alberta NDP, has announced his candidacy for the vacant Edmonton-Strathcona seat in the provincial legislature, following Rachel Notley's resignation. While still calling Calgary home, Nenshi has been dividing his time between both cities and said he looks forward to learning more about Edmonton. Nenshi had previously stated his intention to run in either Edmonton or Calgary, with the opportunity now arising in Edmonton.
  
  
• It was revealed that Edmonton reached a record high for encampment removals in 2024, removing nearly 9,500 and marking a 42% increase from the previous year. During cleanups, the City removed over 1.6 million kilograms of waste, including hazardous items like needles and propane tanks. Edmonton has nearly 5,000 homeless individuals and only about 2,000 available shelter spots. Edmonton's police chief emphasized the importance of the Navigation Centre in helping vulnerable individuals access support services, including housing and addiction assistance.
  
  
• Dale McFee, the outgoing chief of Edmonton Police Service (EPS), reflected on his six years leading the force, a period marked by tumultuous events such as the defund the police movement and rising public safety concerns. McFee noted that while police funding debates and political tensions were challenging, they did accelerate progress on diversity and community involvement. He also expressed a desire to have made further strides in crime reduction and ensuring transit safety. Despite controversies, McFee believes that a focus on data-driven policing and leadership succession within EPS will guide the force's future success. His retirement marks the end of his career, with a new role in the Alberta government ahead.

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