SIX MONTHS TOGETHER

We often hear about growing political polarisation and greater social isolation in our society. The reality I see in O-day'min challenges these notions. One of the greatest honours and joys of my role is having the chance to witness the incredible work volunteers are doing throughout our ward. From monthly community league meetings filled with dedicated volunteers, to programs like KULAN's Kids Home Cooking show, to the exceptional work happening at the Inner City High School, I am constantly inspired by the caring and compassionate community we live in. I want to be sure decisions I make on Council amplify and grow these exceptional community efforts by providing a range of ways for us to come together. 

Investing in Public Spaces Where we Can Connect With Each Other and With Nature

Public spaces are so important, perhaps nowhere more so than ward O-day’min. With 75% of our residents living in multi-unit buildings without backyards, attractive, safe and fun public spaces are critical. An important question about how we use our open spaces came up this year when we debated whether we should continue the alcohol in parks pilot project. We heard from some community members that they felt less safe knowing alcohol may be consumed in an area. At the same time, we know that drinking (much of it responsibly and quietly done) does happen in our parks and having a rule that is inconsistently enforced can often lead to unfair treatment of marginalized folks. We also saw survey results that showed many that participated in the pilot had very positive feedback. I struck a balance by successfully advocating for the pilot program to continue this summer, with the addition of more robust data collection for all users of public spaces. I'm hopeful that this approach will enable us to strike a balance of allowing the active and safe use of park space for everyone. 

Our street network also plays a huge role in how we connect with one another. The Boyle McCauley Neighbourhood Renewal project is slated for construction beginning the spring of 2023. Draft designs have been shared, and many of the improvements will make public spaces that are enjoyable for residents and visitors to these neighbourhoods. I have had the chance to connect with the City staff team to share feedback around the desire for some enhancements to the proposals, including a protected bike lane along 92 Street, and gathered more information about the timing for investment in key main streets in the area, including 95th and 97th Streets. I will be watching for the release of the revised designs and look forward to the delivery of this transformational work. 

The planned improvements to 107 Avenue is another project I had the chance to connect with local stakeholders on. I'm excited for the enhancements it will provide to public spaces in Central McDougall, Queen Mary Park and visitors as construction gets underway in spring of 2023. I'll also be advocating strongly for investment in the 105 Street Plaza, which provides a great opportunity for a focal gathering point along the avenue.  

One last initiative I am continuing to move forward is the potential closure of River Valley Road during summer weekends. This is an idea I shared during the campaign and heard overwhelming support for - this is such a special place in our city and I'm excited to create a more comfortable place for walkers and rollers to enjoy - more to come!

Working Consistently Towards Reconciliation

Reconciliation is vital to all Canadians and Edmontonians. I'm committed to this essential work that I believe must span both the personal and the systemic, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to help advance these efforts through my role on Council. 

The City’s Indigenous Framework is an incredibly helpful guide that helps us answer the question of “How can the City of Edmonton best support and build strong relationships with Indigenous Peoples in Edmonton?” Based on the input of Indigenous Peoples, the framework outlines four key roles that the City staff can play, and I have found these to be a helpful frame to guide my own approach to reconciliation. 

The first role is Listener, where we are asked to listen with open hearts and minds to the stories and experiences shared by Indigenous Peoples. I was honoured to have the opportunity to act as Listener during our conversations around the a report on “Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls” and am grateful to all of the speakers for their courage in sharing their experiences and their expectations for the future. I was proud to support the resulting motion that directed the development of a full - and fully resourced - action plan that will be coming back to Council  later this year. I'm particularly keen to see the realisation of the proposed Indigenous Ombudsperson and the provision of stable core operating funding for Indigenous-led organisations. 

The second role is Connector, where we are called to act as a bridge to resources. As part of budget deliberations at the end of 2021, I brought forward a service package to allocate $900k to outreach workers from Indigenous-led organisations to provide support in encampments. These outreach workers will provide culturally-appropriate support to connect unhoused Indigenous folks to needed services. I look forward to reviewing the City's Indigenous Housing Strategy that will be coming forward to Council this summer and hope that it will highlight a range of ways that the City can support the fantastic work of organisations like NiGiNan Housing Ventures.  NiGiNan is a  leader in the sector, and they are providing not only shelter, but true homes for people by creating spaces of connection and healing. As part of our December budget, I was also proud to support funding for Aksis, an Indigenous-led organisation focused on supporting Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs. Continuing to connect people and resources to Indigenous-led organisations will continue to be a priority of mine.

The third role is Advocate, standing with Indigenous Peoples to build a safer and more inclusive city. One of the ways I'm working to do this is by championing changes to the City's Police Commission appointment process to bring more Indigenous voices to that table. As highlighted in the Safer For All report, it is essential that the Police Commission reflect the composition of the community, and I believe this is necessary for effective decision making and empowering Indigenous Peoples to shape a system that has disproportionately impacted them. I will continue to seek opportunities to use my privilege to be an advocate for Indigenous Peoples in Edmonton, including continuing my personal journey of education and self-reflection. 

The fourth role is Partner. One way we as a City can work on reconciliation is through productive and respectful relationships with our Treaty partners. I was pleased to attend the celebration of five years of the City’s Memorandum of Understanding with Enoch Cree Nation, one of our closest neighbours and partners in the region.  Earlier this week, I was also thrilled to attend the Community and Public Services Committee that recommended approval in principle of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the City and Bigstone Cree Nation to create an Urban Reserve in Edmonton. This is an exciting realisation of the principles and processes set out in our Urban Reserve Strategy and I look forward to building strong relationships with Bigstone Chief and Council in the coming months. I'm also working to support another exciting initiative related to MOU relationships that may be coming to the ward soon - I will keep you posted as it unfolds!

Promote Community Wellness to Improve Neighbourhood Safety

Wellness and safety are inextricably linked. In order to be well, we need to feel and be safe. But often what creates a lack of safety is a lack of wellness - from a lack of basic needs to mental health crises. While much of my other work has focused on the wellness side of things, safety has also been front and centre for me and many O-day'min residents I've been hearing from. 

We have a report coming to Council on May 16th that will provide a comprehensive approach to community safety. It will allow us to look broadly at the tools at our disposal, what additional investments are needed, and how we can best achieve safety in our community. I will be looking for actions that enable us to achieve the vision set out in the Safer For All report, an exceptional document that provides a roadmap for how we move forward. As a Council, we've already started to make investments in different models of community safety that I think are moving us towards a more holistic approach. 

Recently Council approved $4.1m in funding for a new safety model in the LRT system called Community Outreach Transit Teams (COTT) which is a partnership between EPS, City of Edmonton Peace Officers, and Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society. We also passed a motion asking City staff to come back with a plan to expand this tripartite model throughout the downtown, which I believe will go a long way in helping to address the immediate safety issues I am hearing about, while ensuring that individuals facing homelessness gain access to support services to meet their needs. My work back in December to secure $250,000 for a new crisis diversion team is another way we've looked at changing our responses to urgent issues in our community. 

I've also had the opportunity to delve into all things policing through my role on the Edmonton Police Commission. It is a true honour to be in this position, and it has become a huge part of the work I'm doing on a regular basis. In the beginning, I struggled to navigate wearing both my Councillor and Commissioner hats, but I now have clarity about my ability to speak on Police Commission issues and so I plan to do a lot more of that - my recent appearance on Speaking Municipally is just the beginning! My goal moving forward is to be a conduit of information for you about policing in our community and I look forward to the conversations ahead.

Ensuring all Edmontonians feel safe and well is a significant priority for me and, while a very complex problem, I look forward to leveraging my positions as a councillor and as a member of the police commission to find effective solutions.

Moving forward

I am so excited for the journey ahead and working together to make our ward and city a better place for all.  Please get in touch any time and hope to cross paths with you soon around O-day'min!