Edmonton Minute: LRT Collisions, Leadership Concerns, and Elections Alberta Sanctions

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• On Tuesday, there will be a City Council Public Hearing at 9:30 am to address several zoning amendments, including one in Westmount that seeks to rezone a large area at 105 Avenue and 124 Street. There are plans to construct a large-scale apartment building reaching up to 85 meters tall, covering a footprint of 850 square meters.
  
  
• There will be a meeting of City Council on Wednesday at 9:30 am. Council will review and make decisions on previously discussed items, including knife sales, potential fare gates at certain LRT stations, tax options for remediated derelict properties, and the 2024 Affordable Housing Grant Awards, along with amendments to various community plans. Should the meeting not conclude on time, it will continue on Thursday at 9:30 am.
  
  
• At 12:00 pm on Thursday, there will be a Special Audit Committee meeting to discuss a private item labelled “External Auditor - Non-Audit Service Request”. On Friday, there will be a meeting of the Special City Manager and City Auditor Performance Evaluation Committee at 9:30 am to discuss a consultant update, followed by a Non-Regular Meeting of City Council at 1:30 pm. During the latter meeting, a private Intergovernmental Update will be discussed.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Elections Alberta has sanctioned three former Edmonton mayoral candidates - Michael Oshry, Kim Krushell, and Cheryll Watson - for violating campaign financing rules during the 2021 municipal election. Oshry was fined for significantly exceeding the $10,000 limit on personal contributions, spending over $223,000 of his own funds, while Krushell and Watson faced repercussions for their substantial campaign deficits. Additionally, Ward Métis candidate Rob Bernshaw was penalized for accepting prohibited donations, and two other candidates filed their financial disclosures late. Despite the sanctions, the candidates expressed that the challenges of fundraising during the pandemic contributed to their overspending as did a lack of awareness regarding the regulations.
  
  
• The City of Edmonton has recorded a total of 23 collisions along the Valley Line Southeast LRT since its opening on November 4th, 2023, highlighting ongoing safety concerns. Two recent incidents occurred within 24 hours, including a collision with a semi-trailer that injured one person and a separate incident involving a cyclist. Riders faced significant delays in service, with reports of long waits for replacement buses after the crashes. Unlike the Capital and Metro lines, the Valley Line runs mostly at street level and has seen a higher number of incidents, with 18 collisions involving vehicles and five with pedestrians or cyclists. City officials, including Ward Councillor Keren Tang, emphasized the need to address these safety challenges and improve the transit experience for riders. Although additional safety measures, such as crossing arms, are not being considered, the City is enhancing signage and support staff in response to the incidents.
  
  
• A recent survey indicated that a majority of Edmontonians are dissatisfied with their current leadership, with only 26% believing that Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and their City Councillors deserve re-election. The survey revealed that 60% of respondents want Sohi replaced, citing concerns over property tax increases and other pressing issues like affordability and public services. City Councillors face similar sentiments, as 57% of respondents feel it’s time for a change. Despite the negative feedback, some Councillors, like Michael Janz, argue that they are often unfairly blamed for challenges beyond their control.

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