Week in Review - April 15, 2016

April 15, 2016

Saturday night was full of colourful dance and celebration as the Karilagan Dance Society celebrated their 45th anniversary in our city. Mayor Iveson brought greetings at the event, praising the society for its work in sharing the Filipino culture and performing arts. Vibrant displays of different dance styles were showcased throughout the evening by all ages. 

Mayor Iveson started off Monday with his monthly Mayor's phone-in show on CBC Radio. The Mayor took the opportunity to talk to Mark Connolly about Metro LRT Line’s ridership and City Council’s work on garage suites, among many other topics.

The Mayor was also the featured guest on the local ‘Seen and Heard in Edmonton’ podcast hosted by blogger Karen Unland. In a wide-ranging discussion, the Mayor and Karen talked about the Mayor’s blog and the role it plays in helping explain complex policy, along with the reasons for why he hosts a blogger roundtable during city budget deliberations each year. If you are interested in the changing media landscape, this is one podcast you will want to catch.

This week Transportation Committee discussed a report that would reallocate transit resources from under-utilized routes to high demand routes. This proposed reallocation is part of the City’s plan to make transit more responsive, cost-effective and reliable. The Mayor outlined his thoughts on this approach in his personal blog and why reallocating 50,000 transit service hours will create a better transit system.

Tuesday was a big day for Queen Elizabeth Park. Grand Chief Tony Alexis from the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and President Audrey Poitras of the Metis Nation of Alberta joined Mayor Iveson in unveiling six works of art that celebrate Edmonton’s shared history with Indigenous peoples. The works are to be installed in the park soon, with the ‘Indigenous Art Park’ (a placeholder name until a new one is approved) scheduled to open in late 2018.

The week ended with all eyes on the Legislature Building. The provincial government released their proposed 2016 budget against a turbulent economic backdrop. On the whole this provincial budget makes some important social investments, yet also raises some planning concerns for upcoming municipal infrastructure projects.

Mayor Iveson was at the Legislature Thursday afternoon to provide his initial thoughts to the media on Finance Minister Ceci’s fiscal plan. Mayor Iveson praised the new investments in affordable housing, something the Mayor and Council have passionately advocated for. He also questioned the decrease in MSI (Municipal Sustainability Initiative) funding, which is needed to build infrastructure in the city. The Mayor provided his initial reaction to this budget and what it means for Edmonton on his blog, with comments on how the city and province need to continue to work together in addressing complex issues.

Next week be on the lookout for the winners of the Mayor’s Celebration of Arts awards as they are announced Thursday evening at City Hall. Tickets still available – make sure to grab yours today as we honour those who make our city an arts and culture leader in Canada.

From the Mayor’s Office, have a fantastic weekend!

For More Information

Mayor Don Iveson

2nd Floor, City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB
T5J 2R7

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