WEEKLY UPDATE - MARCH 4

Welcome back to the weekly wrap up! Last week had several important committee reports - here’s a quick run through the top three highlights!

AHS presented a report on Mental Health and Addictions, detailing the current situation and supports available for Edmontonians. There were some concerning trends as we see an increase in the proportion of overdoses happening downtown and outdoors. We heard that AHS is responding by providing more flexible service models, including mobile units to connect with individuals in need of support. It was also encouraging to hear about more capacity coming online for much needed detox and treatment options.

Ensuring people can access health supports when they need them is critical for the wellbeing of our community. We’ll continue looking for opportunities to collaborate and advocate for Provincial investment in these critical services in Edmonton.

At Urban Planning Committee, we talked about building efficiency and district energy systems. I’m excited to see the Climate Resilience Planning and Development framework coming later this year, which will help us chart a course to a more energy resilient future.

We also talked about City-led rezonings in key strategic corridors. This will help streamline the development process and bring the City Plan vision to reality in priority areas. There will be opportunities for public input as part of the process so stay tuned!

That’s all for now, hope you have a great week ahead!