Weekly Update - July 4, 2022

Happy Monday everyone!

Housing was a hot topic at Committee last week, with 8 critical reports being reviewed including a new Indigenous Housing Strategy and a check-in on the City’s minimum shelter standards. I was pleased that my colleagues supported my motion to bring a request forward to fund a property tax reimbursement grant for affordable housing providers - a great way to recognize the huge costs that affordable housing helps us offset in our community.

A report on expanding the existing Community Outreach and Transit Teams to the whole of downtown focused on a new Multidisciplinary Community Safety Teams. I’m keen to ensure that we include community-based organizations as part of these efforts, particularly when it comes to the governance model. We’ll be talking more about this later in August.

We heard from all 13 BIAs and more about the great work they’re doing in our community - I encourage you all to make a point to visit each of the 6 that fall within Ward O-day’min!

We also heard from speakers on a report about Hanger 14, the current home of the Alberta Aviation Museum. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this in a longer form post soon but suffice to say, I would love to see this great community asset remain in our community and am looking for some creative solutions to make this happen.

I had the opportunity to attend a Circle Conversation at Boyle Street Community Services and hold further conversations with stakeholders from the McCauley and Chinatown area. I’m hopeful we can find ways to address the valid concerns of businesses and residents while still allowing Boyle Street to do their great work that I believe is part of the solutions we need to see in our community.

Finally a thank you to the Edmonton Ismaili Muslim Community, the Chinese Benevolent Association and Riverdale Community League for having me at some wonderful Canada Day celebrations. It was wonderful to recognize the plurality of stories that create our country.