Week in Review - May 13, 2016
May 13, 2016
Last Saturday Mayor Iveson travelled to all four corners of our city, celebrating Edmonton’s amazing culture and community. First, it was a stop at Ben Calf Robe’s 35th annual traditional pow wow, hosted at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre. Hundreds of traditional First Nations dancers and thousands of spectators converged onto the fieldhouse floor in a showcase of beautiful traditional pageantry that brought with it an air of electricity. If you missed this year’s spectacle, be sure to join us next year!
Later that day the Mayor was in north Edmonton for the Baghdad Avenue Festival, an all-day celebration of Iraqi heritage that featured Baghdadi food, arts, music and games at the Killarney Community League Hall. The Mayor took time to thank the Iraqi-Canadian Association of Edmonton for putting on this event and for all the work they do to help new Iraqi-Canadians settle into their new homes.
Rounding out Saturday, the Mayor joined the City of Leduc, Leduc County Mayors and area MLAs at the Edmonton International Airport to open WestJet’s new non-stop service route to London Gatwick Airport (YEG →LGW). This new route to one of the world’s most popular travel destinations provides Edmonton’s business community with another link to the European market and expands our clout as a hub for western Canadian commerce.
On Sunday afternoon, Mayor Iveson and City staff toured federal Ministers Ralph Goodale and Amarjeet Sohi around Edmonton’s reception centre at Northlands, where over 17,000 Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees have come through to register, find accommodations or receive services this past week. The ministers spoke of how proud they were to see Edmonton’s response to this disaster and how supporting our neighbours symbolizes the true Canadian spirit.
Monday’s Community Services Committee moved on plans to support Edmonton’s most vulnerable citizens through a more coordinated approach to wellness. While endorsing the continuation of this work, the Committee also recommended to City Council that the Mayor advocate to the provincial government and local community agencies for short- and long-term strategies that use a community wellness approach when serving vulnerable Edmontonians. This community-based approach formed a key part of the Mayor’s State of the City address and is part of his ongoing efforts to advocate for better coordination of services that will - ultimately - save money and create better health and wellness outcomes.
A rare sighting in downtown Edmonton: a municipality holding their council meeting in another’s City Hall. On Wednesday, Edmonton City Hall offered Mayor and Council of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo use of its space so that they could hold a special meeting for the first time since the total evacuation of their region. It was just another small way Edmonton has stepped up to help our northern neighbours get back some form of normalcy during this difficult time.
That wraps up another busy week for the Mayor and us at the office. We hope during your weekend fun you remember to adhere to the city’s fire ban currently in place - let’s keep Edmonton safe during this dry, warm spring.
For More Information
Mayor Don Iveson
2nd Floor, City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB
T5J 2R7
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