WEEKLY UPDATE - FEB 19

Welcome back to the Weekly Wrap Up! It was a big week at Committees last week.

The Public Spaces Bylaw was at Community and Public Services Committee. We heard from a range of speakers who shared their concerns and highlighted the tensions that exist when trying to create safe spaces for everyone. This tension is highest when considering people experiencing homelessness who often have little choice but to live their lives in public spaces. The revised bylaw made changes to reduce impacts on marginalised Edmontonians while setting a common standard of behaviour for everyone to follow.

The new bylaw prohibits using drugs in public spaces, something I heard many Edmontonians ask for. At the same time, the reduced fine amounts ensure tickets don’t become warrants when they go unpaid. This focuses the interaction on stopping the behaviour, without becoming a long term punishment. This complements how Peace Officers approach violations through engagement, education, and encouragement (which are often most effective) before enforcement. We saw this in action in 2024 - while officers had over 20,000 interactions with drug users on transit, only 1100 resulted in tickets.

We also heard concerns that the bylaw could limit free speech and that it removed the ability to feed feral cats. Committee was able to make amendments to address these. No permits will be needed for protests, and there will be opportunities to responsibly care for feral cats on public property.

While I’m encouraged by the improvements we’ve made to the Public Spaces Bylaw, I know that it’s still not perfect. It’s a challenge in getting the balance right to make public spaces safe for everyone, and the bylaw will need to continue to evolve to serve our community best.

I'm looking forward to supporting a motion for ongoing data tracking when the bylaw comes to Council next week. This will help us keep an eye on how the bylaw is being implemented and make adjustments to regulations or procedures as needed. I also plan to move a motion for Peace Officers to get training from groups who work with and advocate for those who use drugs. I've had the privilege of meeting with a number of these groups and believe they have critical insights that can help how the bylaw is applied.

Ultimately, it was clear from all of our speakers that the bylaw isn't going to solve the underlying challenges. We need to continue calling on the Provincial and Federal governments to step up to meet the housing and health crises that we see on our city streets. I'm grateful to the many people who engaged in this conversation. The Public Spaces Bylaw will need ongoing evaluation and refining and this can't happen without the wealth of perspectives that are shared. Thank you to everyone who took part and hope you continue to do so.

Shifting to Urban Planning, we heard a plan to accelerate the construction of the Valley Line West. This approach includes more intensive road and intersection closures, but would see most of the roadwork completed by the end of the year. While not without trade-offs, I think it's the best way forward. I did make sure there will be at least 8 hours of quiet overnight to provide some relief to nearby residents. I was also assured that there will be strong incentives for the work to be completed on the accelerated timeline so that more significant closures don't stretch out.

At Executive Committee, we heard an update on our Sustainable Procurement policy, including work being done to hold contractors accountable and ensure quality services. I'm looking forward to a follow up report in May about making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to work with the City.

That’s all for last week, hope you had a great Family Day weekend!