Edmonton Minute: Election Day, LRT Budget, and New Park Announced

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• Today is Election Day! If you're over the age of 18, are a Canadian citizen, and an Alberta resident, you can cast your vote today! Full details of eligibility criteria are listed here on the Elections Alberta website. You must vote at your designated polling place, all of which will be open 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. You can find your designated polling place using your postal code here on the Elections Alberta website. If you have questions or have trouble navigating the Elections Alberta website, please just reply to this email and we’ll help out if we can.
  
  
• You will need to prove who you are to vote, and the main way to do this is using a valid government-issued ID that includes your photo and your address. Alternatively, you may use two pieces of ID with a combination of information, and in certain circumstances you may be able to vote using an attestation instead. A full list of acceptable ID types are listed here on the Elections Alberta website.
  
  
• Our friends at the Alberta Institute have a section on their website where you can confirm that you've voted and then share that with your friends on social media and by email to encourage them to vote too!

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Council accepted Administration's cost-saving recommendations in an attempt to keep the Capital Line LRT extension within its $1.085 billion budget. The Heritage Valley Station will be built at ground level instead of above grade, and plans for an 800-stall addition to the current park and ride at Heritage Valley Station will be scrapped. The new maintenance facility will hold 40 instead of 50 light rail vehicles, and the City will place an order for the minimum number of light rail vehicles instead of the full complement of 24. The Twin Brooks station will go ahead as planned.
  
  
• The City announced a new park in the developing Horse Hill Area - a neighbourhood expected to house 70,000 people. The 190-acre property was acquired by the City back in May and contains a lake for non-motorized boating, a playground, an events centre and walking trails that connect to the wider river valley trail network. The park won’t open to the public until August as crews are still getting it ready for public use. Residents will be asked for input on the park’s name later this year. The price of the purchase is confidential while the deal is still being finalized, but the Mayor said the City paid what he believes to be market value.
  
  
• Two new transportation options launched in Edmonton. Ride-share company Lyft - a direct competitor to Uber - offers the option to book a ride either through an app or on the Lyft website, and is offering discounts for new customers. For international travellers, Condor Airlines also began direct flights between Edmonton International Airport and Frankfurt, Germany. The route will operate twice weekly, Tuesday and Friday, and there are connections to more than 100 European destinations.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Edmonton doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Edmontonian knows what's really going on at City Hall.