In a year-end interview with Taproot, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said council's declaration of a housing and houselessness emergency in January led to real change, despite provincial criticism at the time that it was performative.
edmonton.taproot.news
National urban park
Sohi said he is disappointed by progress on the national urban park initiative. “There has been a lot of politics around it.”
The Alberta government
passed Bill 204 and Bill 18, amendments that
grant the province more power over decisions relating to national urban parks.
The bills have complicated an already murky engagement process,
the city’s website suggests. “Partners have identified a need for greater clarity and understanding of how they should work together during the (national urban park) planning phase and how the Government of Alberta’s Bill 204 and Bill 18 will impact the project,” the city’s website reads.
Parks Canada is engaging with stakeholders, including Indigenous groups, to determine how the park will be governed.
“Developing strong partnerships is critical to the long-term success of the project. This has been our focus over the past several months, resulting in a necessary delay in planning phase activities and engagement,” the same city website reads.