Weekly Update - June 3, 2022

Happy Saturday everyone! There was so much going on yesterday that I didn't get a chance to post my weekly update!

This week saw a number of important reports at Committees. It was fitting on the eve of Indigenous History Month to hear the annual update on the City's Indigenous Framework. I was excited to learn about the steps we've taken along the path to reconciliation and look forward to seeing a robust funding request coming forward this fall to ensure we continue and strengthen this critical work.

We heard from many passionate Edmontonians who provided great insights as we considered a report on the River Valley Planning Modernization process. Committee moved a motion to scope out a mountain bike trail system strategy that I'm hopeful will help balance the ecological and active recreation uses of the river valley.

The conversion of 102 Avenue to an active transportation corridor was up for discussion and will be coming forward to Council next week. I'm excited to support a one-year pilot closure of the avenue from 99th to 103 Street which I think will be an amazing opportunity to put downtown vibrancy funds to use and bring this space to life!

Tuesday provided an opportunity for a number of my Council colleagues and I to join with Provincial Ministers in a meeting with the Chinatown community. I was so pleased to hear the Provincial government's commitment to supporting the area and look forward to working together on a number of critical initiatives.

On Wednesday, I enjoyed an uplifting breakfast put on by the AdaptAbilities - they are doing phenomenal work to build an inclusive Edmonton and I encourage you all to learn more about their great programming I also had the opportunity to tour the incredibly impressive amiskwaciy Academy. Their holistic approach to teaching is inspirational and I'm excited to get things rolling for a new open space for their school as part of the Blatchford development work.

I was fortunate to visit Dawson Park with some incredible City of Edmonton staff to discuss how we can best use the new encampment response funding that Council approved in recent weeks. I'm exceptionally impressed by the commitment of this team and am feeling hopeful that we can improve outcomes for both residents of encampments and those living nearby. I heard great feedback about the HireGood team acting as washroom attendants at the park too - thank you for this fantastic work! I also did a tour around downtown, Chinatown, and the Quarters with an interdisciplinary team of City staff to learn more about their encampment and problem properties responses. I'm impressed at the level of coordination between the various teams and the deep commitment they have to finding lasting solutions to these issues in our community.

While I have countless memories of the events I've attended there, I finally had a chance to see behind the scenes at the Edmonton Convention Centre! I am blown away by Explore-Edmonton's commitment to sustainability and was thrilled to learn more about their groundbreaking initiatives around reducing food waste, offering plant-based meals, and of course their massive solar panel installation. I also had a chance to visit the 1000 Women Childcare Centre at NorQuest College. It is such a thoughtfully designed space - the best feature is a viewing window of the Edmonton Fire Rescue Services station next door - the kids are big fans of the trucks! We know how important early childhood education and family supports are for our community safety and wellbeing - I look forward to finding ways that Council can support this work.

I was honoured to cap the week off by proclaiming June as Pride Month on behalf of Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Edmoton's first pride celebration and I was inspired to hear reflections on the journey over the past four decades and vision for the future moving forward - thanks to Capital Pride Edmonton for creating space for so many voices. I'll be putting up my pride flag this weekend and look forward to the many celebrations in the month ahead!

Don't forget to check out the many great events happening in the core this weekend - Heart of the City Music Festival and Edmonton Downtown's Spark are two in particular I'm excited for.

Enjoy the weekend and see you next week!