High density nodes get pushback at Edmonton public hearing
Edmonton city council hosted a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed rezoning bylaw that would affect parts of Wîhkwêntôwin, University-Garneau, Stony Plain Road, 124 Street and 156 Street.
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What does the bylaw do?
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Bylaw 21128 is a city-led initiative that proposes applying standard residential and mixed-use zones in select priority growth areas. The goal is to support medium- and large-scale housing and mixed-use development in transit-connected areas and streamline redevelopment in alignment with the City Plan and district plans to support a population of two million.
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The approach removes the need for individual rezoning applications, aiming to cut red tape for builders and homeowners.
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Why these areas?
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According to the administration, a technical review helped select the priority growth areas based on land use patterns, redevelopment potential and transit access. Several corridors are slated to be served by the Valley Line West LRT and bus rapid transit routes B1 and B2, making them ideal candidates for higher-density, mixed-use development.
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In the University-Garneau major node, for example, the rezoning would allow buildings up to 75 metres in key locations, like 109 Street and 82 Avenue. Other areas, such as between 109 Street and 110 Street, have been scaled down to 23 metres in response to concerns from nearby small-scale residential areas.
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A divided community
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Public feedback has been mixed. While many speakers voiced strong support for the initiative, citing the need for more housing and more efficient development processes, others raised concerns over the impact on existing communities, transparency and the city's engagement process.
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Brian Murray, a partner at B&A Studios, voiced his 'strong support' for the rezoning proposal which he described as a 'real, tangible step toward delivering more housing, greater affordability, and more sustainable growth.' He argued the bylaw would reduce red tape, ensure faster delivery of new housing in the city, and create certainty for redevelopment, especially in well-connected areas like Garneau.
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'It will allow for a broader mix of housing types that reflect the diverse needs of Edmontonians,' he said.
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Ryan Jakes, a 24-year-old lifelong Edmontonian, also backed the plan, calling it an 'important step in the right direction' that balances long-term goals with neighbourhood context to provide a more affordable, livable Edmonton. He also applauded the city's youth engagement efforts.
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Dej vu is a common occurrence in the world of sports, and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The Canadian team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and '84 for hockey's biggest prize, the Stanley Cup. In this year's National Hockey League finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in 2024. Edmontonians who have been "loyal to the oil," as fans say, have been waiting for redemption ever since. The Trump administration's threats toward its northern neighbor has fueled a wave of nationalism, making even more fans eager for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup - which has not happened since 1993. With hopes pinned to Edmonton, the finals also brings renewed attention to some of Canada's biggest exports: hockey and oil. Novelist Leslie McFarlane once observed that for Canadians, "hockey is more than a game; it is almost a religion." 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Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, a province known for its massive oil, gas and oil sands reserves. With five refineries producing an average of 3.8 million barrels a day, oil and gas is Alberta's biggest industry - and a way of life. This is especially true in Edmonton, known as the "Oil Capital of Canada." Here, oil not only structures the local economy, but it also shapes identities, architecture and everyday experiences. Visit the West Edmonton Mall, for example, and you'll see a statue of three oil workers drilling, reminding shoppers that petroleum is the bedrock of their commerce. Visit the Canadian Energy Museum to learn how oil and gas have remade the region since the late 1940s, and glimpse items such as engraved hard hats and the "Oil Patch Kid," a spin on the iconic "Cabbage Patch Kids" toys. Tour the Greater Edmonton area and see how pump jacks dot the horizon. Oil is everywhere, shaping futures, fortunes and possibility. Set against this backdrop, the Oilers' name is unsurprising. It is not uncommon, after all, to name teams after local industries. Football's Pittsburgh Steelers pay homage to the steel mills that once employed much of the team's fan base. The Tennessee Oilers were originally the Houston Oilers, prompting other Texas teams such as the XFL's Roughnecks to follow suit. Further north, the name of basketball's Detroit Pistons references car manufacturing. Teams with industry-inspired names play double duty, venerating both a place and a trade. Some fans are not only cheering for the home team, but also cheering for themselves - affirming that their industry and their labor matter. In a TikTok video from last year's Stanley Cups playoffs, a man overcome with joy at the Oilers' victory over the Dallas Stars claps his hands and hops around his living room. 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