Here are my latest Edmonton notes!

Mayor Don Iveson won’t seek re-election

On Monday, Mayor Don Iveson announced that he would not seek re-election in next year’s municipal election. In the post, he talked once again about cities being perpetually unfinished.

"This complex, ever-evolving work demands thoughtful, compassionate and constructive civic leadership — which is why next fall’s election will be pivotal and why I feel it’s important to give people who may be considering a run, time and notice to make their plans," Iveson wrote.

While I am not entirely surprised by Iveson’s decision, I will be sad to see him go. I was proud to support Don back in 2013 when he first ran for mayor. I think he has done incredible work on behalf of Edmontonians, and I think our city is that much better for having had him in the mayor’s chair for two terms.

Many people think of transit when they think of Iveson, for better or worse. I think when we look back though, we’ll actually remember him more for his work on the regional file, which began immediately after he took office. We call it the Edmonton region today, rather than the bland and nondescript "capital region," thanks in large part to his leadership.

Thank you Don, and best wishes in whatever you choose to tackle next!

Other recent headlines

• Would a province-wide mask mandate really have been that hard to announce? The new restrictions announced by the Government of Alberta earlier this week are better than the previous inaction, but don’t go nearly far enough, in my opinion. The City of Edmonton announced some changes in response, but did not recommend declaring a state of local emergency.
• I was sad to hear about an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the Edmonton Convention Centre which has been operating as a homeless shelter since the end of October.
• One of the big stories circulating this weekend is that the provincial government spent $4 million on ads with the NHL earlier this year. So incredibly disappointing, though not at all surprising. I suspect there’s much more to come on this.
• Congratulations to Ryan Jespersen on what appears to be a successful first week back "on the air" with the new show called Real Talk.

For more recent headlines, check out the latest from Taproot Edmonton.

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Here are my latest Edmonton notes!

City Hall School goes virtual

As a big fan of Linda Hut and City Hall School I was glad to see that it has continued this year, virtually. I know it’s not the same as being in the same room together, but it’s wonderful that so many students will still get the chance to learn more about their city.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with two classes recently about local media, both times over Google Meet. The first time each student had their own device so there were a couple dozen videos and a very lively chat. The second time there was just one device for the room, which was a little closer to being in the room and seeing everyone in front of you. Both groups of students had great questions and were very engaged.

Thank you Mrs. Hut for the invitation and opportunity to participate!

Other recent headlines

• With so many new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, and especially here in Edmonton, I was pretty hesitant about trick or treating this year. But we decided to go for a bit, fully masked up and with hand sanitizer at the ready. Everyone we encountered seemed to be taking it very seriously, and I loved seeing the creative approaches to handing out candy. There were self-serve bowls and boxes, plenty of chutes down railings, and even a pulley and bucket.
• I was also happy to see that runny nose was removed as a core COVID-19 symptom for children in Alberta, mirroring other provinces. “Runny nose is a very, very common symptom, as is a sore throat, and it’s not very specific for COVID,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
• I’m glad the City met its deadline and opened the Edmonton Convention Centre as a temporary shelter on Friday. The organizers of Camp Pekiwewin have said they’ll leave the encampment by Nov. 6. There have been some really encouraging developments in the fight against homelessness in our city recently. We discussed that on the latest episode of Speaking Municipally.
• There were so many great tributes to Joey Moss this week, who died at the age of 57. His story is well known here, but it’s clear his impact was felt far beyond Edmonton. More than 12,000 people have signed a petition to rename the Downtown Community Arena the Joey Moss Community Arena.
• Don’t miss the second episode of Taproot Edmonton Presents: Igniting Innovation which looks at the larger tech innovation landscape in Edmonton.

For more recent headlines, check out the latest from Taproot Edmonton.

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