What do you think of this project?

  • Total voters
    46
David A said:
To be fair to our current Mayor, I think he is actually better at vision than execution, however I am not sure that says a lot.
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Again, he can't be blamed (alone) by the lack of executive action. We have a "weak-mayor" system where the ultimate power resides with the whole City Council. I'd bet a good amount of money that we would've seen much more good results from his ideas if he was able to actually make decisions without everything needing to be voted by the Council.
 
It is true the Mayor's powers are not that great. However, I have lived here a long time and other Mayors have made it work better in selling their vision to council as well.

When it has not worked in the past, it was due to personality issues, ideological conflicts or both. I don't see those so much on the current council, so I think it largely comes back to the Mayor's leadership.
 
David A said:
It is true the Mayor's powers are not that great. However, I have lived here a long time and other Mayors have made it work better in selling their vision to council as well.

When it has not worked in the past, it was due to personality issues, ideological conflicts or both. I don't see those so much on the current council, so I think it largely comes back to the Mayor's leadership.
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I think there's a lot of resistance to his more progressive agenda than people realize. Iverson would be a happier guy in Vancouver than he is here, for example.

This council has a mask of relative progressiveness, but is relatively conservative,not in the conservative party sense, but in being afraid of pushing change in the speed and degree that we need to step up our game in relation to other major North American cities. Also, there's the fact that some members hold almost as much influence in the council as the Mayor, like Nickel (who is the King of all Nimbys).

Not denying that Iverson is way too soft and is much more a man of talk, rather than action (not unlike another good looking Canadian politician we know...), but unlike the high honorable in Ottawa, his powers are excessively limited and the lack of cooperation from the council, together with a somewhat hostile provincial government (from one side or the other, as he is too much to the left for the UCP and too much to the right for the NDP) probably don't make as much of a motivation to pick up some fights within the political arena.
 
^Yeah, I don't doubt that. Don't get me wrong, he's been ok, but it would be nice to have someone to take Edmonton into the future.
 
Seeing many people comment about this lot remaining empty for so long. I heard (from one of the local newspapers a while ago not sure which one) that the city told regency that they could do the demo and then they would need wait until the Valley Line was complete to start construction. Correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT: Valley Line Southeast not the entire thing
 
Would be nice if Regency had cleaned it up better though.
In 2017, Raj Dhunna was quoted in Global news article-

“We just knew it was a prime corner, so I would say not to worry about it being an empty lot too long.”

So hopefully it won't be too much longer.

globalnews.ca

City committee to hear proposal for new tower at former BMO building site in downtown Edmonton - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

Now that the former BMO site in downtown Edmonton is sitting empty, a city committee is set to hear about a proposal to build a 50-storey mixed-use tower on the prime piece of real estate.
globalnews.ca globalnews.ca
 
David A said:
To be fair to our current Mayor, I think he is actually better at vision than execution, however I am not sure that says a lot.
Click to expand...
Vission requires some level of knowledge for it to be fruitful. I can I have vission for our provincial healthcare too, but, when I dont understand or have adequate understandings of the acuteness to diagnose a proper vission, I'm will fail. Try having a vission when going to write exams withour acute knowledge. This is the same problem with our civics and all levels of governance. This is why we have corporates running the country instead of government.
 
I'm disappointed with Council most on the management of some projects - certainly the dt library and the Coliseum file along with the state of downtown in terms of our streets, cleanliness etc. I'm not as hopeful about the imagine Jasper Ave project either in terms of what's planned and what's not. But at least we're finally getting new sidewalks - they were embarrassingly brutal.

I do like Iveson overall though - I think he's a good guy and kudos to him for stepping back now after two terms as mayor (many before him went for a third and overstayed). To me, his vision was focused on better long term sustainability by setting up the framework for the city to double in population in the next 30-50 years within our existing city limits - although we certainly did expand our border size. While not new, I like the 15 minute city concept as well. And lrt expansion is certainly moving along well now which is also important for our future along with the TOD that is happening. I just hope transit stays affordable for riders.
I think one of the other highlights could be the recent downtown tax freeze incentive which could accelerate some important dt residential projects and move the city towards more density which will lead to many positive outcomes I think.
I don't see Sohi, although also a good guy, as the leader we need next. I wish we had kept him as an MP and federal minister though.
Please, no Mike Nickel.
 
I dont think any councillors should be hated. It takes courage to want to do good. I just wished we would developed a better system where merit should also be included. A quick idea like establishing a Jr council system to apprenticeship with current councilors before they could run for alderman. Add in an Edmonton history course which should be mandatory. They need to understand issues of our past like the Triple 5 and Eaton Centre fiasco...
 
Clearshades said:
I dont think any councillors should be hated. It takes courage to want to do good. I just wished we would developed a better system where merit should also be included. A quick idea like establishing a Jr council system to apprenticeship with current councilors before they could run for alderman. Add in an Edmonton history course which should be mandatory. They need to understand issues of our past like the Triple 5 and Eaton Centre fiasco...
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On the contrary, career politicians are something of a plague on our political institutions.
 
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