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Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Former Edmonton councillor Michael Walters latest big name to join mayoral race
After four years as a resident on the outside looking in, former Edmonton city councillor Michael Walters wants to return to city hall. On Monday, he officially launched his campaign to become Edmonton's next mayor. 'I had a great eight years on council. I had a great last four years running a small business, still volunteering in my community, spending more time with my family — but now my family recognizes what the city needs,' Walters said. 'I'm prepared to do this job, having had great experience before, and vision for the next four years.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm prepared to do this job, having had great experience before, and vision for the next four years." Walters was first elected to Edmonton city council in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017. He did not seek re-election in 2021. Story continues below advertisement Prior to entering politics, he spent 20 years working as a community organizer and policy leader. He received the Queen's Jubilee medal in 2000 for his work at Edmonton's Bissell Centre, was chosen as one of Edmonton's Top 40 under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2009 and was named one of Alberta's Next 10 Most Influential Leaders by Alberta Venture magazine in 2013. 'I have some left-of-centre perspectives, some right-of-centre perspectives. I think those perspectives are always open to being influenced by other people who bring forward smart arguments,' Walters said, adding that the role of mayor is to bring people together. 'I don't define myself so clearly on the (political) spectrum — more as a community leader and as a unifier who believes that if you have good ideas, you deserve to be heard and we can work together to make them happen.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I don't define myself so clearly on the (political) spectrum — more as a community leader and as a unifier who believes that if you have good ideas, you deserve to be heard and we can work together to make them happen." Edmonton political analyst John Brennan called Walters a moderate politician. 'A very smart, thoughtful — like a real solid city councillor — but he wasn't really ideological. He was a very moderate centrist,' Brennan said. Walters said he is independent and is not running as part of a municipal political party, adding he feels party affiliation isn't necessary in Edmonton. 'I don't think Edmontonians were asking for it or like it particularly. I think, ultimately, it's a party during the campaign that probably won't even exist into the term. Story continues below advertisement 'So I don't have a lot of faith in its efficacy and I'm happy to work with whoever the people of the various wards send to City Hall. That'll be my job.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "So I don't have a lot of faith in its efficacy and I'm happy to work with whoever the people of the various wards send to City Hall. That'll be my job." Walters calls himself a coalition builder at a time when the city needs strong relationships. 'I think we need a leader that's practical, that's unifying and that's decisive. I feel like Edmonton has drifted a bit — we need to focus and I think it's gonna take an all-hands-on-deck approach for many of the hard issues.' Those issues, Walters said, include the city's tone on policing, the relationship with the provincial government, addressing homelessness, making downtown safer, and addressing construction delays and tax increases. 'We can do big, exciting, important city building projects without quite the mess, the cost, and the timelines. I think there's improvements we can make. We can ask more of our administration. We can ask more of community partners. And I think that's an important tone to come from the mayor.' 1:56 PACE announces its Edmonton city council candidates How to maintain Edmonton without high tax hikes? In order for Edmonton to be a successful city, Walters said it needs to run its basic services well. Story continues below advertisement 'The things people expect from council and the mayor is snow clearing, grass cutting, road maintenance, the functioning healthy drainage waste system.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Walters said Edmonton needs to make room in its budget to improve or maintain those kinds of services without perpetual tax increases. 'We have council accepting this general myth that in order for services to stay the same or improve, we need to raise taxes,' Walters said. 'I think part of the challenges we have with our long-term financial health is we have not really explored it as a community.' However, not everyone sees it that way. Fellow mayoral hopeful and current city councillor Andrew Knack said one has to be realistic. 'Our city's grown by 200,000 people over the last four years. Most of that has happened in new areas outside (Anthony Henday Drive) which means all of those new areas need new services. I think there's this fake perspective that you can have it all without having to raise taxes,' he said. 1:45 Edmonton group pushes growth, claims suburbs generate more taxes than costs Edmonton residents have seen high tax increases in the years following the freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic — 22 per cent over the four-year budget cycle. The city has said the increases are necessary just to maintain what it already has. Story continues below advertisement Knack acknowledged isn't sustainable, but at the same time — nothing is free. 'Now, we can't raise (taxes) the same way we did over this four-year budget. This was very much a reaction to the previous four-year budget where we kept them at that incredibly low amount,' Knack said. 'But we also have to know that if you wanna have your grass cut, if you want to have your snow cleared and you wanna do all of these things — it does actually cost money.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "But we also have to know that if you wanna have your grass cut, if you want to have your snow cleared and you wanna do all of these things — it does actually cost money." Brennan said not being a part of those decisions helps Walters. 'I think something Michael has got going for him is, he hasn't been part of this council for the last four years. This council is very unpopular,' he said. 2:06 What will Edmonton's next municipal election look like? Walters noted issues such a poverty, housing affordability, inflation and homelessness were simmering beforehand, but the pandemic led to an eruption that is still an ongoing concern. Story continues below advertisement So how would he guide Edmonton in addressing them? Safety is the first step. 'Council needs to do that predominantly through partnerships. Our job is strong relationships with the police, strong relationships with the province, strong relationships with the downtown business community and downtown residents.' But it isn't just downtown — areas across Edmonton, from the suburbs to the core, are dealing with an increase in social disorder — which affects both residents and businesses alike. 'There are pockets where people aren't feeling as comfortable as as we used to and I think we can tackle that. So once the neighbourhoods feel safe or downtown feels safe, it becomes investable.' 1:55 Former mayor, current candidates weigh in on Edmonton's ballooning budget woes While housing is a provincial responsibility, cities are often left to address the fallout that comes from homelessness — and Walters said it's key for all levels of government to work together. Story continues below advertisement 'This is our job — we can't have people suffering among us and that we're sort of weaving in and around them every day. There is an opportunity for us to work way more proactively with the province.' 'I have no doubt in my mind that the better the relationship is between the city and the province, the more lives we're going to save.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I have no doubt in my mind that the better the relationship is between the city and the province, the more lives we're going to save." Where does Walters stand on infill? The need for more infill, along with the challenges that it raises in mature neighbourhoods, has been a dominant topic at city hall in recent months — but Walters said it isn't a new issue. 'Infill has been a big conversation for mature neighbourhoods for 10 years. You know, I dealt with it when I was on council the first time,' Walters said. Walters said he is pro-density because the city does need to be more compact and sustainable — but it also can't come at the expense of ignoring the concerns of Edmontonians who live in mature areas. 'I think where we need start is not judging that, not characterising them as NIMBY(not in my back yard) — but to really listen carefully to what they're worried about.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think where we need start is not judging that, not characterising them as NIMBY(not in my back yard) — but to really listen carefully to what they're worried about." Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, hundreds of people spoke at city hall during a multi-day hearing about infill. It was a heated debate. Mayoral candidate and current councillor Tim Cartmell proposed a motion to reduce the maximum allowable units per infill from eight down to six, after some residents expressed concerns with property values, not enough parking, predatory developers, quality of builds and housing affordability. The debate spilled over into several days and was extended into the scheduled summer break, leading to a vote in which Cartmell and fellow councillor Sarah Hamilton were not present. The vote passed with a slim margin of 6 to 5, with councillors electing to maintain the current cap of eight. Those in favour were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, councillors Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Karen Tang, and Jo-Anne Wright. Councillors who voted in opposition included Michael Janz, Andrew Knack, Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice and Ashley Salvador. Walters said the vote was a missed opportunity. 'I think the motion that was made recently to kind of modify the policy, moderate it, bring it back from eight units to six was a sign of good faith — that could have turned down the temperature and created the space for a healthier conversation,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Strong mayoral race emerging: analyst Current or former members of city council vying for the mayor's seat are Knack, who has been on council since 2013, Cartmell, who has been on council since 2017, and Tony Caterina, who served from 2007 to 2021 when he changed wards and lost to Anne Stevenson. 'We now have a very competitive mayoral race with two sitting counsellors and two former counsellors,' said Brennan, noting the candidates are from across the political spectrum. 'The way I see the race shaping up now is, Andrew Knack is running from the centre-left. He's the progressive candidate. He's following very much in the tradition of, say, Don Iveson and Amarjeet Sohi: tax-and-spend, city-building mayors. And there's a constituency for that in this city. Whereas Tim Cartmell was running for change. He was running to be the fiscal conservative candidate. You know, the small-C conservative,' Brennan said. 'They're all experienced councillors. They could all do the job because they've all been on council. But the question is, how are they gonna get the messaging out to Edmontonians that, 'This is who I am, this is what I stand for?'' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They're all experienced councillors. They could all do the job because they've all been on council. But the question is, how are they gonna get the messaging out to Edmontonians that, 'This is who I am, this is what I stand for?'" Story continues below advertisement There are less than three months until election day and Brennan said this is late in the game for new candidates to emerge and gain traction. He was surprised to see Walters join the fray and said his focus on taxes and crime aligns with topics others are also pushing. 'I really see him focusing on a lot of the issues that Tim Cartmell has already raised. So it's gonna be interesting to see where he fits in in the campaign,' Brennan said. So will that result in vote splitting? 'It's hard to say at this point,' Brennan said. 'I think where Michael Walters is coming from is, he's hoping to straddle the middle for people that don't want to go to the right or don't wanna go to the left. 'Here I am, I'm a moderate centrist.' And he's gonna try to carve out that part of the political spectrum for himself.' Community members who have either filed their official paperwork with the city or publicly declared their intention to run for mayor include former MP Rahim Jaffer, engineer Abdul Malik Chukwudi, business consultant Vanessa Denman, dental surgeon Omar Mohammad, and Olney Tugwell. Election day is Monday, Oct. 20.
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
A look into Edmonton's post-pandemic festival scene
It's a busy festival weekend for Edmontonians looking for something to do. Every year, organizers spend a ton of time and effort planning and building these summer events. And it's been quite a road to recovery since the pandemic. Our Tristan Mottershead digs into how the Edmonton festival scene is looking five years later.
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Many Edmontonians do not feel safe after dark, around LRT, shows police survey data
Article content More than a third of Edmontonians — 36 percent of respondents — say they would feel unsafe walking alone in their community after dark, shows new data from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). Article content And almost three-quarters — 72 per cent — say they would feel unsafe taking transit alone after dark. Article content Article content The 'What We Are Hearing' findings presented to the Edmonton Police Commission on Thursday reveal room for improvement in public safety. Article content Article content 'Research participants across all platforms indicate they believe crime rates are increasing and personal safety is decreasing,' said Patricia Misutka, executive director of communications for city police. Article content Article content Misutka said when people describe what makes them feel unsafe, increasingly, they're interchanging issues of crime and disorder — but they're showing an understanding of the complexity of all of it. Article content 'They recognize that issues like homelessness, addiction, mental health crises, and property crime, don't all have simple solutions, and require coordinated responses from multiple agencies,' she said. Article content 'While they see EPS as having a role in both, they understand these issues are complex, impacted by decisions and other orders of government.' Article content Article content Top issues consistently raised include encampments and public drug use, Misutka said. Article content 'Throughout research discussions, there's sense people are worried about the extent of and duration of these issues,' she said. Article content Edmonton's crime and disorder are perceived to be worse than other centres in Canada, and respondents believed that deters people from visiting the city's core. Article content The perceptions aren't completely unfounded. Article content ' Violent crime rates have continued to increase,' Misutka said. Article content Focus group results revealed frustration with 'increasingly sticky issues,' Misutka said. Article content 'People in downtown … have probably the highest level of understanding of the nuances of these issues. People outside of the core have a feeling that they can opt out by avoiding the core,' she said. Article content Misutka said some 58 per cent of monthly survey respondents said police should be involved in addressing homelessness. Article content In both open houses and focus groups, the topic of repeat offenders come up repeatedly, revealing community frustrations with what people perceive as issues of the justice system, Misutka said. Article content According to the snapshot pulled from thousands of Edmontonians surveyed, while respondents continued to express a high willingness to report crime, reasons given for not reporting crime included that reporting might not make a difference, or maybe the report wouldn't be taken seriously — or that it wasn't serious enough to report. Article content 'They worry a little bit about stigmas of types of crime. So if you're reporting something like trouble with person, they don't always want to report — that sort of thing,' Misutka said. Article content While most people believe police are approachable and say they would contact the EPS if they were a victim of crime, reporting rates are low for some crimes in the past 12 months, where 70 per cent of victims reported a personal crime, 58 per cent of victims reported a property crime, and just 39 per cent of victims reported a financial crime. Article content Article content As police move toward more virtual investigations to use digital resources while making the most of manpower, there may be some pushback. Article content 'There was a lot of nostalgia experienced for Community Liaison Officers, and there's understanding that, as we stand out, more programs like virtual investigations, it has to be done, hand in hand with ensuring that customer connection still exists,' Misutka said. Article content How police act Article content Overall, research participants report positive attitudes towards EPS, that they believe the service is protecting society and citizens to the best of their ability and within the constraints of the system they work in. Article content However, there is 'a cognitive dissonance between what people say or their personal experiences' with what they often see in media, which is more critical or negative, Misutka said. Article content 'Participants are very careful to draw a distinction between the actions of individual police officers versus those of the institution,' she said. Article content Article content Just over two-thirds of those surveyed — some 68 per cent of residents — said they support how the police usually act. Article content That number is actually higher among people of colour, with almost three-quarters, or 73 per cent, supporting how the police usually act. Article content From those attending open houses and public meetings, support is consistent, with individuals concerned for officer well-being and mental health and support systems, and expressions of understanding of what police face on the frontlines. Article content There was some criticism levelled at transparency. Article content '(Respondents) tend to be more most critical of EPS when it's perceived to be protecting officers and not fully investigating,' Misutka said.
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Many Edmontonians do not feel safe after dark, around LRT, shows police survey data
The 'What We Are Hearing' findings presented to the Edmonton Police Commission on Thursday reveal room for improvement in public safety. Photo by David Bloom / Postmedia, file More than a third of Edmontonians — 36 percent of respondents — say they would feel unsafe walking alone in their community after dark, shows new data from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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 And almost three-quarters — 72 per cent — say they would feel unsafe taking transit alone after dark. The 'What We Are Hearing' findings presented to the Edmonton Police Commission on Thursday reveal room for improvement in public safety. 'Research participants across all platforms indicate they believe crime rates are increasing and personal safety is decreasing,' said Patricia Misutka, executive director of communications for city police. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The numbers come from a range of sources, including recent online surveys, focus groups, and public meetings. Misutka said when people describe what makes them feel unsafe, increasingly, they're interchanging issues of crime and disorder — but they're showing an understanding of the complexity of all of it. 'They recognize that issues like homelessness, addiction, mental health crises, and property crime, don't all have simple solutions, and require coordinated responses from multiple agencies,' she said. 'While they see EPS as having a role in both, they understand these issues are complex, impacted by decisions and other orders of government.' Top issues consistently raised include encampments and public drug use, Misutka said. 'Throughout research discussions, there's sense people are worried about the extent of and duration of these issues,' she said. Edmonton's crime and disorder are perceived to be worse than other centres in Canada, and respondents believed that deters people from visiting the city's core. The perceptions aren't completely unfounded. 'Violent crime rates have continued to increase,' Misutka said. Focus group results revealed frustration with 'increasingly sticky issues,' Misutka said. 'People in downtown … have probably the highest level of understanding of the nuances of these issues. People outside of the core have a feeling that they can opt out by avoiding the core,' she said. Misutka said some 58 per cent of monthly survey respondents said police should be involved in addressing homelessness.
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
Mail destined for City of Edmonton stolen during break-in
Edmonton Watch The private information of some Edmontonians may have been compromised after a break-in at a city facility.
