A Better Deal for Edmontonians

We all want a thriving downtown. We all want smart investments in our city’s future.

But this event park deal? This is not it.

Right now, City Council is being asked to rush through an over $100 million public handout to a billionaire developer, just a few months before an election, and without meaningful input from Edmontonians. Like a lot of people I talk to, I have a problem with that.

I’ve knocked on tens of thousands of doors in my 12 years on City Council, and since I’ve announced my run for Mayor, I’ve been hearing from families in every corner of the city. And what they’re telling me is clear: they’re concerned about the rising cost of living, and the cost of housing. They’re concerned about their safety in public spaces—whether that’s putting your child on a city bus or watching them cross a busy road. And when it comes to what we build, they want to know their tax dollars are not just being put to good use... but the best use.

This deal fails on all three.

It puts Edmonton taxpayers on the hook for a massive bill, with no relief for families struggling to keep up. It does nothing to improve safety; not better transit for students, safer intersections, or proper funding for emergency services. And it compromises our ability to fund the things we already know we need—new fire halls, better bus service, road repairs, and even a new police station.

We are one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and right now, we’re all feeling the pressure. We need to consider our priorities, and we simply cannot afford to throw good money after bad.
That is why I’m adamantly opposed to gifting your tax dollars to a billionaire when Edmontonians are telling me we need to address cost of living and public safety.

This isn’t about the Winspear Centre or arts funding. It’s not about the Oilers, the Ice District, or investing in the future of the city’s downtown. We all agree those are good things!

This specific deal—the one on the table right now—is about whether or not Edmontonians should be handing over public money to one of the wealthiest developers in the city. Council started this conversation in private and then approved a memorandum of understanding to proceed with this deal – and I was one of the council members who voted against it. Now that Edmontonians have an opportunity to weigh in, we are beginning to hear from many of you about your concerns.

There are others that want to see this deal go ahead as it is. They want to push it through on the eve of an election, even as concerns mount. I say: NO.

If we can’t fix this deal, we must not force it through.

We can still revitalize downtown. We can still redevelop the Coliseum site. We can still invest in transit and the arts. But we need to do it the right way–with transparency, fairness, and respect for public dollars. Because public dollars should reflect public priorities.
If I earn your vote for Mayor, that’s exactly how we’ll do business. Smart, honest leadership that stands up for Edmontonians first.

This is our city. Let’s make this deal work for the people who call it home.