Edmonton City Council Initiatives for 2013-2017

With the adoption of Policy C518 (pdf) in March 2006, City Council started identifying and assigning Council Initiatives, “projects that Council deems would benefit from having a Councillor as a sponsor.” At its December 11, 2013 meeting, our current City Council approved the list of initiatives for the 2013-2017 term.

The following initiatives from the 2010-2013 term were renewed (the Councillor assignments, as volunteered, are in brackets):

Northern Relationships/Circumpolar (Gibbons, Iveson, Caterina)
Arts & Culture (Henderson, McKeen)
Economic Development
- Heartland (Iveson, Gibbons)
- Startups (Oshry)
- Port Alberta (Nickel)
Housing (Iveson, Henderson)
Edmonton’s Poverty Elimination (Iveson, Henderson, Sohi)
Indigenous Peoples Strategy (Iveson, Caterina, Henderson)
Multiculturalism (Iveson, Sohi)
Next Gen (Oshry, Knack*)
Public Transit (Knack, Sohi)
Recreation (Anderson)
Seniors (Knack, Sohi)
Traffic Safety (Esslinger, Loken)

The following initiatives are new (the Councillor assignments, as volunteered, are in brackets):

Child Friendly Edmonton (Esslinger)
Communities in Bloom (Nickel)
ELEVATE (Esslinger, Walters)
Public Engagement Initiative (Henderson, Walters)
Urban Isolation/Mental Health (McKeen)
Winter Cities (Henderson, McKeen)
Women’s Initiative (Iveson, Esslinger)
Post-Secondary Relations (Iveson, Knack, Esslinger)

Here’s a look at all the initiatives by Councillor for the 2013-2017 term:

Councillor	Initiatives
Anderson (Ward 9)	– Recreation
Caterina (Ward 7)	– Northern Relationships/Circumpolar – Indigenous People’s Strategy
Esslinger (Ward 2)	– Child Friendly Edmonton – ELEVATE – Women’s Initiative – Post-Secondary Relations
Gibbons (Ward 4)	– Northern Relationships/Circumpolar – Economic Development – Heartland
Henderson (Ward 8)	– Arts & Culture – Housing – Edmonton’s Poverty Elimination – Indigenous People’s Strategy – Public Engagement Initiative – Winter Cities
Iveson (Mayor)	– Northern Relationships/Circumpolar – Economic Development – Heartland – Housing – Edmonton’s Poverty Elimination – Indigenous People’s Strategy – Multiculturalism – Women’s Initiative – Post-Secondary Relations
Knack (Ward 1)	– Next Gen* – Public Transit – Seniors – Post-Secondary Relations
Loken (Ward 3)	– Traffic Safety
McKeen (Ward 6)	– Arts & Culture – Urban Isolation/Mental Health – Winter Cities
Nickel (Ward 11)	– Economic Development – Port Alberta – Communities in Bloom
Oshry (Ward 5)	– Economic Development – Startups – Next Gen
Sohi (Ward 12)	– Edmonton’s Poverty Elimination – Multiculturalism – Public Transit – Seniors
Walters (Ward 10)	– ELEVATE – Public Engagement Initiative

The following initiatives from the 2010-2013 term were considered complete and are now discontinued:

City of Learners (mandate complete and to be continued by EPL)
Community Sustainability (to be re-focused through ELEVATE)
Environment (moving into implementation)
External Affairs (covered with board appointments)
Transforming Edmonton (mandate complete and operationalized)
Agri-Food/Urban Agriculture

Council approved the above initiative assignments and closures unanimously. The next step is for Administration to bring forward updated Terms of Reference for each.

One impact of declaring these initiatives is that Administration is required by the policy to include all Council Initiatives in business plans and budgets. That makes it possible (to an extent) to track resources and progress on each.

These initiatives aren’t highlighted and assigned just for show. You can expect to see Councillors at any media events related to their initiatives of course, but there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that each will do as well.

In addition to the initiatives above, Councillors are also appointed to various boards and committees. There is a limited amount of overlap.

I am a little surprised that the Environment initiative was closed, with no related initiative put forward to replace it. Especially given the direction Edmonton is heading as a leader in sustainability and waste management. I am very pleased to see a new initiative focused on public engagement, however.

* – Though the documents do not reflect it, Councillor Knack has confirmed that he too is on the Next Gen initiative.

Edmonton’s City Centre Airport closes to make way for the new Blatchford

Runway 12-30 at the City Centre Airport officially closed at 4:49pm on Saturday, November 30, 2013, bringing to an end one of Edmonton’s longest-running civic debates. City Council voted to close the airport in phases on July 8, 2009 after years of fierce arguments, countless reports, and two plebiscites. Runway 16-34 closed on August 3, 2010 in the midst of a last-ditch effort by Envision Edmonton to keep the airport open. Now the full closure means the planned redevelopment of the lands into “a walkable, transit-oriented, and sustainable community” can move ahead.

Last departure, photo by Jeff Wallace

The final flight to depart the airport was a 1963 red and white Cessna 172D, with registration C-FWKV, piloted by Chris Blower. Two CF-18 jets from the 409 Squadron out of 4 Wing Cold Lake were scheduled to perform a touch-and-go to mark the closure of the airport, but they had to cancel at the last minute due to weather. It would have been a nice reference to the airport’s history as two Royal Canadian Air Force Siskins were the first to land when Blatchford Field officially opened in 1927.

Here’s a look at the final departure and closure of the City Centre Airport:

Earlier in the afternoon a press conference was held at City Hall to mark the occasion. David Ridley of the Edmonton Heritage Council called the Blatchford lands “among the most important of historical locations in Edmonton.” He said naming the new community Blatchford “the first step” in preserving the history of the airfield.

Newly elected Councillor Bev Esslinger also spoke, reinforcing the importance of the site’s history. She unveiled a plaque and living time capsule that will be on display at City Hall until it can be included in the redevelopment. “The items included show and tell the story of the airfield, and will be an enduring reminder of the role aviation has played in shaping Edmonton,” she said.

Over the last year, any remaining uncertainty about the closure gradually faded away.

A new, 3,600-square-metre air ambulance based opened in March at the Edmonton International Airport, completing the relocation of medevac services.
City Council voted on June 19 to expropriate interests in the airport lands, which included more than 200 individual landowners.
On October 10, Villeneuve Airport announced a large expansion with plans to build 6 new hangars, to extend one runway to 5,000 feet, to install an Instrument Landing System (ILS), and to improve storm water, domestic water, and sanitary systems.
The new Alberta Flying Heritage Museum was announced on November 17. Located at Villeneuve Airport, the new museum will focus on the broad history of Central and Northern Alberta. The Alberta Aviation Museum will remain open in its current location and will focus on the history of Edmonton and Blatchford Field.
The Pacific Western Airlines Boeing 737 that had been featured as an exhibit at the Alberta Aviation Museum since 2005 flew once more on November 29, landing at its new home at Villeneuve Airport.

Though many called the closure bittersweet, I’m glad it is now finished. With the airport closed, the City can move forward with implementation of the Master Plan for Blatchford.

The 217 hectare (536 acre) site will become a home for up to 30,000 residents, and a place to work for up to 11,000 employees. This will transform the City Centre Airport into a mixed-use urban community that meets the City of Edmonton’s goals of building strong, vibrant neighbourhoods and increasing density to make best use of existing infrastructure.

Shovels are expected to be in the ground next year, with the first Edmontonians living and working on site as early as 2016/17. Full build out of the community will of course take decades. The opportunity to build a community as large as Blatchford so close to the heart of the city is one that cities of our size simply don’t get.

Artist rendering of future Blatchford community street

I feel more now than ever that closing the City Centre Airport was the right decision for Edmonton, and I look forward to the incredibly positive impact that the Blatchford Redevelopment will have on our city.

Building a globally competitive & innovative Edmonton Region

With our new mayor now officially in office, it’s time to learn some new vocabulary. Forget “world class”, “creative”, and “Capital Region”; start getting used to “globally competitive”, “innovative”, and “Edmonton Region”. All three featured prominently in Mayor Iveson’s swearing in address on Tuesday afternoon. The new words may not seem important on the surface, but I think they signal a shift in the way Iveson will lead Edmonton over the next four years.

When I interviewed EEDC CEO Brad Ferguson just over a year ago he was still settling into his new role but had already started using some consistent language in meetings and interviews. “We need to change to a culture of competitiveness,” Brad told me. “We need to have a hunger to compete.” He sees that culture of competitiveness as the best way to combat our biggest threat: complacency.

If his speech is any indication, Mayor Iveson is going to get along just fine with Brad. Iveson used the phrase “globally competitive” six times. You could probably have substituted the phase “world class” into each of those sentences, but that phrase carries baggage. Even Mayor Mandel generally stayed away from it (until he got upset about the arena, that is). But for all the distaste that many of us have with “world class” there hasn’t been a strong alternative. It would seem that “globally competitive” could be just that.

I like the approach that “globally competitive” suggests. Instead of just attaining a certain status and then potentially becoming complacent, you need to keep working hard to remain competitive. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think it also opens the door to greater collaboration with Calgary. We absolutely can be globally competitive together, but can we both be world class? Here’s what Iveson said about the relationship with Calgary:

We have a lot of work ahead of us with the provincial government on a big city charter that must recognize our special challenges, and that ensures we have the tools and resources we need to realize our full potential as globally competitive Alberta cities.

So “world class” is out, “globally competitive” is in.

One of Mayor Mandel’s favorite words was “creative”. He used it a lot in speeches and in response to questions. He was always talking about finding “creative solutions” to problems. There’s nothing wrong with the word creative, but Mayor Iveson seems to prefer the word “innovative”. He used it a lot during the election, and in his speech on Tuesday he used it at least half a dozen times.

Iveson likes to mention Startup Edmonton and TEC Edmonton when he talks about innovation, and he frequently highlights the role that post-secondary institutions play as well. Maybe a creative solution could save us some money, but Iveson seems to suggest that an innovative one could make us money. Here’s what he said in the innovation section of his speech:

As problem solvers, we can do our business cleaner, greener, cheaper, faster and safer – and sell those solutions to the world. This is how we will ensure that Edmonton will compete globally, and endure long into the future, no matter the price of oil.

So “creative” is out, “innovative” is in.

Paula Simons wrote about the shift from “Capital Region” to “Edmonton Region” yesterday:

“I do not live in the capital region. You don’t either. There is no such place. It’s a bureaucratic invention, a mythical, mealy mouthed way of describing the cities, towns, villages and counties that surround Edmonton.”

She goes on to make some excellent points about the “weasel-word label” and includes some great quotes from both Mayor Iveson and St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse (“Atta boy!” he said in response to Iveson marketing Edmonton). I particularly like that Iveson understands the importance of using Edmonton when we talk about our city. That was one of the key points I tried to make at PKN7. “Capital Region” could be anywhere, but “Edmonton Region” is specific (yes I know there are two other much smaller towns named Edmonton). That’s another reason that Make Something Edmonton is compelling as a brand for our city.

The other interesting news this week related to the Capital Region Board (CRB) is new legislation introduced by the Province. The Modernizing Regional Governance Act would give the Province the ability to create “regional growth boards” much like the CRB itself. If the new legislation is adopted, it’ll make the CRB an official body under the Municipal Government Act. It would be great if we could rename the organization alongside those changes, something Mayor Iveson has indicated he’d like to pursue.

So “Capital Region” is out, “Edmonton Region” is in.

Wordsmithing, you say? I can see how one might reach that conclusion. But Mayor Iveson doesn’t choose his words lightly; he’s purposeful about what he says. I think he’s saying the right things, and that’s an important first step toward making change happen.

You can listen to this post here:

2013-2017 Edmonton City Council Swearing In Ceremony & Inaugural Meeting

Edmonton’s new City Council was officially sworn into office this afternoon at City Hall. Councillors have been busy since last week’s election of course, learning how everything works, getting their staff and offices in order, and I’m sure, stopping every now and then to take it all in. But now their positions are official, and the real work can begin.

The event was emceed by John Dowds and opened with an invocation from Elder Francis Whiskeyjack. With the help of Justice D. M. Manderscheid, each new member of Council took the oath of office in front a packed crowd. It wasn’t all business though, as Sierra Jamerson performed a beautiful song right before Mayor Iveson took to the podium to deliver his remarks.

Mayor Iveson began with some tributes, acknowledging that Edmonton is on Treaty 6 territory, and praising the work of the previous Council. He highlighted the “vigorous pace” that outgoing Mayor Stephen Mandel had set and confirmed that he too will lean on “the diversity of wisdom and perspective” that each member of City Council brings to the table.

Mayor Iveson talked about the importance of the Edmonton Region, the new relationship with Calgary, and the need to “firm up stable, predictable funding for key infrastructure, including LRT.” He talked about roads and pipes, fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency, homelessness and poverty, urban living, innovation, the environment, the arts, and diversity and inclusion. It was the same messaging Iveson has been delivering for months on the campaign trail, but asserted with the new confidence that comes from being mayor.

Mayor Don Iveson takes the oath

Before highlighting his colleagues on Council to close, Mayor Iveson addressed the so-called generational shift that has been talked about over the last week:

“Some have remarked that this election marked the passing of the torch to the next generation of leaders. But I and my fellow Council members are custodians of that leadership, doing the most good with it to make Edmonton an even greater place, in time to pass on the torch to our children and grandchildren. The leadership you see here represents all Edmontonians, regardless of age or interest. A united city we must be, in order to accomplish all on the path ahead in the next four years.”

Here’s a video of some of today’s highlights:

The inaugural meeting of the new City Council took place immediately after the ceremony. The first order of business was to adopt the agenda, and after the vote passed unanimously, Mayor Iveson let out a brief “whew!” that the much-larger-than-normal crowd enjoyed.

Here’s the seating order, from left to right:

Councillor Amarjeet Sohi
Councillor Michael Oshry
Councillor Ben Henderson
Councillor Andrew Knack
Councillor Tony Caterina
Councillor Scott McKeen
Mayor Don Iveson
Councillor Bev Esslinger
Councillor Dave Loken
Councillor Michael Walters
Councillor Bryan Anderson
Councillor Mike Nickel
Councillor Ed Gibbons

The mayor gets to select the seating order. I’m not sure how Mayor Iveson came up with the order, but Joveena noted that experienced and new Councillors alternate, which seems like a smart approach. The returning Councillors are more or less in the same spots as before too.

Unanimous, for now

The meeting was very short, though Councillor Sohi did give notice that he intends to bring forward a motion in November to provide WIN House with $50,000 in funding. He was sporting a bright blue shirt that said, “This is What a Feminist Looks Like”.

Mayor Don Iveson

Now that it’s official, City Council will get down to business, starting with Strategic Planning tomorrow and soon, the 2014 budget. You can see the upcoming schedule as well as agendas and minutes here.

City Council gets down to business

Congratulations to our new City Council!

You can see my recap of the 2010 Swearing In Ceremony here. You can see more photos of today’s ceremony and meeting here.

Edmonton Election 2013: The Morning After

What a night! After a landslide victory, Edmonton’s mayor-elect is Don Iveson. He defeated Karen Leibovici by more than 90,000 votes, earning 62% of the vote. Kerry Diotte came third just over 8000 votes behind Karen.

Thank you #yeg for your support and confidence. We have a lot of work to do together. Let's build it! #yegvote
— Don Iveson (@doniveson) October 22, 2013

Don received more than 132,000 votes, which is more than any mayor has ever received in Edmonton’s history. Former mayor Jan Reimer held the previous record at just over 113,000 votes in the 1992 election. That year, turnout was 51.7% and more than 215,000 votes were cast. Turnout this year was quite a bit lower at 34.5%, but with a larger population, just 2000 fewer votes were cast than that ’92 election.

I certainly didn’t expect the margin to be that wide, and I don’t think many others did either. It’s a clear mandate for the vision that Don has articulated and the positive, collaborative tone he has espoused from the outset. It’s a huge vote of confidence in a mayor that to many seemed unlikely six months ago. This was not a social media win – you don’t earn the largest number of votes in Edmonton election history without gaining the support of a diverse array of Edmontonians.

Now the work really begins. Don’s campaign team reached out to all the successful candidates last night, and I know Don spoke with many of them personally too. The next week will be a whirlwind of transition meetings, getting new Councillors up-to-speed, and preparing for the first Council meeting which will take place on Tuesday, October 29. It’s an exciting time, and I’m thrilled that Don is the man who will lead it.

I have new appreciation for how much work goes into an election campaign, so I want to say congratulations to all of the candidates and their teams who put the time and energy into running. Only a small number get elected, but the questions, discussions, and ideas that are surfaced during a campaign are incredibly important and contribute significantly to the civic discourse.

I thought Don said all the right things to his opponents last night in his victory speech. Both Karen and Kerry ran strong campaigns and should be commended for their effort and what they brought to the table during this election. I also want to thank them for their service on City Council, and I wish them all the best.

Here are the successful candidates (unofficial until finalized by Edmonton Elections):

successful candidates

Congratulations to all!

I’ll have much more on the election over the next couple weeks. Also, join us on Thursday at 8pm for another #yegvote Hangout at EdmontonPolitics.com! We’ll be analyzing what the results mean for Edmonton and will answer your questions.

You can see all the results of last night’s election here.

Election Day 2013

After months of campaigning, it all comes down to today. Candidates will continue to push get-out-the-vote efforts throughout the day, but the race is largely over. They’ve done all they can. The rest is up to us. Who will win the battle for City Hall?

Have you voted yet? Figure out where to vote and who you’re voting for, and get it done. This is your opportunity to help define our municipal leadership for the next four years. Don’t waste it! Be sure to check out the City’s website for information on valid identification and more.

Tonight, I invite you to watch the results come in with the ShareEdmonton Election Results Dashboard. The polls close at 8pm, and the dashboard will automatically update whenever new results are posted. You’ll see race-by-race charts and results, plus overall statistics for voter turnout and percentage of voting stations reporting data. There’s also a leaderboard to quickly see who’s leading in each race, and some historical voter turnout numbers too.

Thanks for following along with my election coverage thus far. I’ll have further updates this week after the results are in.

Please vote, and check out the results dashboard tonight!

Why I am supporting Don Iveson for Mayor

Don Iveson is the person I want to lead Edmonton forward over at least the next four years. He’s thoughtful, intelligent, hard-working, and he truly cares about building Edmonton’s future. Don can imagine the great city we are working to build here in Edmonton. But he’s also practical, well-prepared and able to address the many complex challenges our growing city faces. I have no doubt that if Don is elected mayor on Monday night, Edmonton will be in good hands.

It should be no surprise that I’m supporting Don – I have been a member of his campaign team since early this summer. Many of the things I felt and thought I understood about Don then have only been reinforced through his actions and statements on the campaign trail. I consider myself fortunate to be part of the amazing team of people that have come together because they too like what they see in Don.

I have, of course, been a fairly consistent supporter of Mayor Stephen Mandel. While I haven’t always agreed with him, I do think that Edmonton has thrived under his leadership. I’m sad to see him go, but excited about the potential for someone to build atop the strong foundation he has laid. Edmonton has real confidence now that was sorely lacking before. Mayor Mandel was the leader we needed to find our path, and Don is the best candidate to lead us down it and beyond.

In my opinion, one of the biggest changes at the City over the last few years has been the professionalization of planning. It’s a much more strategic organization thanks in large part to Mayor Mandel’s efforts. We don’t need a new set of plans right now – indeed the lack of any major issues during this election is proof that most Edmontonians are happy with the course we’re on. What we need is someone who can ensure we actually implement those plans, while keeping an eye out for possibilities we haven’t yet recognized. Don has demonstrated repeatedly that he thoroughly understands the issues and can chart a course from here to there. His policy on renewing our roads and pipes is a good example of this.

One of the most important tasks facing any new mayor is to get Council working well together as a team. Councillors need to feel engaged, and the mayor must always remember that he or she is only one vote. At the same time, the mayor plays a unique role in building consensus. There will always be those who disagree, but unless the will of Council is generally aligned it’s difficult to make progress. The bar for accomplishing this task well was set pretty high by Mayor Mandel, but I think Don is more than capable of building an effective team.

If you ever watch or listen to Council meetings as I do, you’ll know that Don has a deep understanding of how the City works. He has been active in the Council chamber, making nearly twice as many motions during his last term as Karen Leibovici, and nearly eight times as many as Kerry Diotte. More importantly, I think his record shows that Don was able to earn a wider range of support from his colleagues on Council. While both Don and Karen have a similar failure rate for motions of about 2% (Kerry’s is a shocking 67%), more than 27% of all Karen’s motions were seconded by Jane Batty. Mayor Mandel accounts for another 14.5%. No two Councillors combined account for more than 30% of Don’s seconders. Stats like this can be interpreted in multiple ways however, so what about the contents of the motions?

Don’s activity on Council has not been limited to a particular issue. He’s made motions related to: funding for the Southeast LRT expansion, supporting the Edmonton Public Library, progressing smart transit fares, the operations of 311, streetlight rehabilitation, funding for arterial road renewal, reallocating funds for snow removal, the regulation of taxi and limousine services in the Capital Region, the downtown CRL, funding for Startup Edmonton, streamlining the rules for food trucks, and much more.

Don is not perfect; no candidate is. But Don’s age, perceived lack of experience, and apparent left-leaning slant are not his weaknesses. Age is just a number and any lack of experience can be mitigated by doing your homework and seeking the counsel of others. And I find the policies he has put forth fairly centrist. If there’s any weakness to note, it would be that Don has a tendency to care too much about what other people think. Fortunately that’s a weakness that’s easy to overcome. Anyone sitting in the mayor’s chair will naturally grow a thicker skin over time, and I know that like all great leaders, Don will surround himself with amazing people that can help him stay focused and motivated.

There are many issues I care about, but let me highlight a few. I have long been disappointed with the state of public involvement in Edmonton. As a councillor, Don has proven that he too would like to see things improve. He’s been highly accessible, both through traditional means and using new approaches like social media, and has led initiatives such as NextGen’s Engagement Strategy. I have no doubt he’ll continue to push for improvements as mayor. Like many Edmontonians, I want to see our LRT network built. Don has committed to working toward a full build-out of the network by 2030. I joined the Poverty Elimination Committee this year because I believe it’s an important problem that needs a new approach, similar to the success of our 10-year Plan to End Homelessness. Don has committed to elevating the poverty elimination effort to a Mayor’s Task Force. On these and many other issues, Don best represents the beliefs I have and the outcomes I desire.

I predict that the Capital Region will be one of the most important files our new mayor and City Council will need to address. The time is right for change, and Don is well-positioned to lead us in that effort. He recognizes that Edmonton is not an island and that we need to cooperate with our neighbours to maximize the opportunities before us. Don has a proven track record of working successfully with the Capital Region, and I think he’s the right person to bring about further, positive change for the region.

I also like Don’s position on Calgary. He has committed to working with the mayor of Calgary on a number of issues, to ensure that large municipalities in Alberta get the special attention they require and deserve. Whether its building out the LRT network or changing the way we fund our city, Don understands the issues and recognizes that Edmonton and Calgary have a greater chance of getting support from the Province when we speak with a united voice than when we work alone.

The challenges our city will face over the next four years and beyond will be more complicated than those we have faced in the past. As Edmonton grows and our positive momentum builds, we need a leader who can ensure we stay the course while also taking calculated risks when opportunities arise. We need a leader who understands the issues and who can provide thoughtful, creative solutions. We need a leader who is passionate about and devoted to building the Edmonton of the future. Don Iveson is that leader.

That’s why I voted for Don today, and that’s why I hope you’ll consider supporting him on Monday. For some other perspectives, check out Dave’s post and Randy’s list of 50 reasons to support Don.

Don Iveson rallies his supporters to get out the vote

Last night I joined a few hundred volunteers, donors, and others supporters of the Don Iveson for Mayor campaign at a rally at the Matrix Hotel. It was an opportunity for Don to address his base, to thank his many volunteers for their hard work and dedication to the campaign thus far, but most importantly to remind everyone that Election Day is all that matters. There are still four hard days of work left to go, and now is not the time to get complacent!

After a lighthearted and witty introduction from his wife Sarah, Don took the stage to give his remarks. He recalled the seed which started the campaign, many months ago. “If you give people something to vote for instead of against, that will build a better city.” He talked about the many exciting things happening in Edmonton, channeling Make Something Edmonton as he touched on projects, businesses, and festivals. “If we build it together, it endures,” he declared.

He expressed a passionate desire to see all of that positive momentum continue, and even accelerate. “This can be the moment where Edmonton turns,” he said. “We can show people they were wrong to underestimate Edmonton.”

Don was not light on praise for his volunteers. “You’re the best political team in Canada,” he said. “Your support is what keeps me and the campaign going strong.” His remarks received, unsurprisingly, raucous applause. An already strong group of volunteers grew as people signed up to help on their way out.

With the room buzzing, Don implored everyone to help get out the vote over the next few days. We’re into the home stretch, but that doesn’t mean that any campaign should take it easy. Positive polls or not, all that matters is getting people out to vote on election day. That was, appropriately, the message that Don left his supporters with. I have no doubt we’ll rise to the challenge.

Disclosure: I’m actively volunteering for Don Iveson’s mayoral campaign.

Edmonton Election 2013: Campaign Colors

In one of our earlier #yegvote Hangouts, my colleague Ryan Hastman remarked on the similarity of colors between the three primary mayoral candidates. We joked about his color theory and moved on, but recently I found myself looking at campaign colors again. What colors are most common in this election? What do they mean?

That color grid represents the primary color of all 119 campaigns. They were generated by: taking a screenshot of the candidate’s website and/or Twitter page; identifying the primary color of each using Color Thief; and doing some post-processing on the results. The white boxes are for candidates that either do not have a website or Twitter page, or that have a Twitter page with the default settings (a shockingly large number fall into this category).

While it was a fun exercise, this also serves a purpose for me. ShareEdmonton’s list of candidates has now been updated with colors, and where appropriate/possible, I’ll use these colors to represent candidates on the election night results dashboard (you can see the 2010 results dashboard with color-coding here).

There are a lot of blues, greens, and purples. Fewer red, yellow, and orange. Does this mean anything? Let’s look at Paper Leaf Design’s handy color theory quick reference poster:

Check out the full poster for all the detail, but here are some election-related highlights:

Red often means intensity, strength, and energy.
Blue often means depth, stability, and trust.
Purple often means power, ambition, and nobility.
Green often means growth, freshness, and safety.
Yellow often means intellect, cheerfulness, and energy.
Orange often means enthusiasm, creativity, and warmth.

Do candidates and their campaign teams think about these things when choosing colors?

Perhaps more importantly, do campaign colors matter to you as a voter?

Edmonton’s Food Council is now real

The inaugural meeting of the Edmonton Food Council took place on Monday night at the Commonwealth Recreation Centre. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with fourteen passionate and dedicated Edmontonians to move this initiative forward!

Photo courtesy of the City of Edmonton

In November 2012, City Council approved fresh, Edmonton’s Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy. It called for an Edmonton Food Council to be established, a process which began in earnest in May of this year. By early June, 57 citizens submitted their applications to the City, a great show of interest. Interviews with 22 of them took place in mid-July, and finally on July 26 the City announced the names of the 15 citizens selected to serve on the inaugural Food Council. Here they are:

Mary Bailey – Co-Chair
Stuart Cullum – Co-Chair
Brent Swallow
Christopher Sikora
Dustin Bajer
Hilton Dinner
Janelle Herbert
Jennifer Fisk
Kevin Kossowan
Kirsta Franke
Mack Male
Marjorie Bencz
Mark LaRue
Megan Stevenson
Meghan Dear

Some folks I know fairly well, others I look forward to getting to know over the months ahead. There’s a really great mix of perspectives and backgrounds, and I think we’re going to have some fascinating conversations as a result.

Photo courtesy of the City of Edmonton

Mayor Mandel kicked the meeting off with some introductory remarks, and made it clear that we should feel empowered as a group to decide how best to contribute to the implementation of fresh. He put a nice spin on the Food Council’s elevator pitch:

As a committee of the City’s administration, the Edmonton Food Council’s primary role is to advise on matters of food and urban agriculture and to take an active role in supporting the implementation of fresh. Other core jobs may include providing advice, undertaking research and evaluation, coordination, engagement and education.

For the rest of the evening, facilitator Beth Sanders led us through a helpful process to tease out desires and perspectives. It was great to hear from everyone and to realize by the end of the night that we had already come to some consensus on how we’ll interact as a team. I can’t say it any better than the newsletter that went out today:

What became clear is that there is no shortage of energy with this group. When discussing when monthly meetings should be held, the group quickly came to consensus that monthly meetings would not be enough to maintain momentum. They wanted to meet sooner than later. No doubt that the commitment and enthusiasm of this group will have a lasting effect on Edmonton’s food and urban agriculture landscape.

Energy is a great word – there was lots of it on Monday night! We’re all eager to get to work, and we want to actually get things done. Being nomination day, I couldn’t help but think of the phrase that so many candidates had remarked to me after filing their paperwork – “now it’s real!”

Photo courtesy of the City of Edmonton

Edmonton Food Council meetings will be open to the public, and there will very likely be opportunities to get involved. You can get all the information on the City’s website, and I’d also encourage you to subscribe to the Food In The City newsletter.

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