Friday's letters: How does the CRL help most Edmontonians?
Keith Gerein's criticism of Coun. Andrew Knack' opposition to the Community Revitalization Levy seems unnecessarily harsh. Yes, probably he should have checked whether re-negotiation of this flawed deal was possible before he suggested it, but clearly he and the three other councillors who voted against it were doing what they considered to be right, rather than voting with a view to personal political gain.
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How does the expected, touted 'vibrancy' address the pressing social issues associated particularly with the downtown? Has anyone ever checked whether people, especially families, want to live in the downtown, anyway? In this packed concrete jungle, there are no green spaces in which to wander with a stroller, few places for joggers to run, no shady arbours in which to relax after a day at the office. What are the statistics on the number of people who work in the downtown and so can avoid commuting and traffic congestion?
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Can Gerein elucidate how the vast majority of us who live outside downtown can expect to gain from the CRL, as opposed to the investors, developers and a portion of the business community? Better services and reduced taxes? These seem far off, as the city continues to grow.
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P.J. Cotterill, Edmonton
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Survey format manipulative
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I had a chance to look at the Alberta Next surveys on the weekend and it made me wonder what country and province I lived in. I do not think it is right for any Albertan to have to watch a five-minute politically motivated video telling me why I should support the UCP government's Alberta Next predetermined results survey.
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I wondered why they made me watch that video (I can do my own investigation) and why I was not allowed to respond to any of the questions with a no when I did not agree with the questions Danielle Smith was asking and especially not allowing me an opportunity until the comment section to say I did not support the Smith initiatives and survey.
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Edmonton Journal
a day ago
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Opinion: Choose civility when electing your next city council
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Edmonton residents and business leaders sit in Edmonton city hall council chambers to speak on the controversial extension of the community revitalization levy and its accompanying projects on Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Edmonton. Photo by Greg Southam / Postmedia This fall, Albertans will head to the polls amid an alarming trend: a record number of mayors and councillors have stepped down mid-term, many citing burnout, public abuse, or dysfunction. It's a wake-up call about the state of our civic culture. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Why should you care? Because it's not just unfortunate — it's wrong. Public abuse shouldn't be the price of public service. And beyond that, local government shapes the conditions of daily life. If we want our communities to work, we need talented and principled individuals to want the job and remain in it. When civility collapses, co-operation breaks down, stalling decisions, driving up costs, and weakening local government's ability to respond to community needs and crises. This isn't just about decorum; it's about whether local government can effectively serve its communities. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Those consequences are already unfolding: Hostility and misinformation are rising, divisions are deepening, and public trust is eroding. As the incivility escalates, local governments struggle to function effectively. Service delivery slows, communities suffer, good people step down, and real problems go unaddressed. The tragedy is that all this is coinciding with mounting pressures on our municipalities from infrastructure to housing to homelessness. This is the time we need to supercharge our efforts to collaborate and co-operate to address the complex and protracted challenges our communities are facing. Citizens hold a powerful tool: the ability to choose civility at the ballot box. That choice has ripple effects. When we elect leaders who practise self-control, respect, and collaboration, we don't just get better meetings; we get stronger communities. When we don't, the opposite happens. I've seen it firsthand. As a former city manager, I watched toxic culture seep into councils and communities, turning disagreement into dysfunction, burning out good people, and making even basic problem-solving feel impossible. Eventually, I left that world not because I stopped believing in public service but because I started believing even more in the need to repair the culture that surrounds it. There's a lot of confusion about civility. It's not about being nice; it's the muscle that makes self-government possible. It takes strength to stay respectful under pressure, to listen, to lead yourself before leading others. And it takes skill: to communicate clearly, respond to challenge without defensiveness, and act in the common good. If we can't govern ourselves effectively, someone else eventually will and it may not be by choice. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So what can be done? We can start by electing leaders who have the capacity and the character to lead with civility. How will you know them when you see them? It looks like people who can listen without mocking or attacking. Leaders who can answer hard questions without rage or evasion. People who value facts and experience over slogans or mob pressure. Those who admit mistakes, take responsibility, and stay focused on solving real problems, not scoring points or building personal brands. That kind of leadership doesn't just restore trust; it attracts it. When civil leaders are elected, they make it easier for others to step up, speak up, and serve. The tone shifts. The bar rises. And over time, so does the quality of public discourse. I know it can be tempting to disengage, especially when politics feels toxic. But the worst thing we can do is leave leadership to those who feed on division. When we elect civil leaders, we raise the standard. We invite more capable, ethical people to step forward. We create space for respectful debate and real problem-solving. The ballot box isn't just a place to pick a candidate; it's a place to set the tone. A place where we get to say: This is the kind of leadership we expect. This is the kind of culture that represents us. The fastest way to turn the cultural tide? Cast your vote for civility. Diane Kalen-Sukra is a former city manager, the founder of Kalen Academy and author of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What to Do About It. Her upcoming book, Lead with Civility, offers practical tools for renewing civic culture in uncivil times. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don't publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal |The Edmonton Sun.
