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Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
'I was stuck': Coun. Tim Cartmell apologizes for missing key infill vote
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. "I'm sorry that I've let down people that were counting on me to be there, including the Better Edmonton team members" Edmonton city councillor Tim Cartmell launched his mayoral campaign with a luncheon at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia Mayoral candidate and Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell issued a letter apologizing for his absence from a contentious council vote on infill housing last week that could have lowered the number of mid-block units from eight to six. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. 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Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'I'm sorry that I've let down people that were counting on me to be there, including the Better Edmonton team members. I really wish it had been a different set of circumstances,' said Cartmell, adding, 'I just pledge that I won't let myself get into a similar set of circumstances again.' Following a lengthy public hearing process on the city's zoning bylaw renewal and the surge in infill housing that came from it, a motion put forward by Ward papstew Coun. Michael Janz to limit mid-block developments was defeated 6-5 last week. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The controversy with Cartmell's absence from the vote was two-fold. First, just a week before the vote, Cartmell attempted, but ultimately failed, to pass a motion that would have put a moratorium on infill permits in mature neighbourhoods. Second, at 6-5, his vote could have been the deciding factor in the motion to cap mid-block developments, which was seen by much of council as a strong first measure to rein in problematic infills. Janz said he was appreciative of Cartmell's apology, but that the path to infill reform will be a bit rockier now. 'I'm glad he apologized. We deserve this. People deserve vacation, but this is an absolutely critical time, and I can tell you from door knocking, a lot of people are deeply disappointed. This has come up each day I've been out,' said Janz. 'There's no mulligans,' said Janz. Cartmell explained in an interview with Postmedia that his absence from the meeting was due to limited cell phone coverage in northern Cape Breton, N.S. where his family had planned their vacation. 'I did try to get into (the meeting), and I was hoping that that connection would be enough, but it wasn't. And I regret that,' said Cartmell. He explained that the vacation locale was chosen in large part for the fact that it wouldn't have connectivity. 'If there was any way possible that I could have connected in virtually, I would have. This was not a situation where I could delay it for a day or two. I wasn't at the lake or in Calgary or on a beach in Kelowna. I was in a place that was very deliberately selected to be off the grid, to be away from this world for a few days, for what might be the last chance for four or five years,' said Cartmell. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I was stuck between two unfortunate sets of circumstances. And sometimes, you look into the eyes of the people that are closest to you, and you just can't let them down one more time.' Cartmell said the timing of his vacation was chosen based on a 'certain rhythm' of council, which he said has become 'very unpredictable,' which he plans to learn from. Although the motion to limit mid-block units was defeated, the infill issue isn't over. Janz highlighted some of the other measures that council was able to pass, like limiting the size of the building, ensuring properties face the street, and ensuring developments look like houses with appropriate entrances and window placement. Still, Janz said that 'it would have been much easier if we had just passed six (unit limit) and if Cartmell had been present.' 'The dice are cast, and here we are,' said Janz. For his part, Cartmell said the adjustments to the bylaw that passed and any restriction on the number of units wouldn't have satisfied residents in the mature neighbourhoods. In his letter, he said that the infill issue was 'always going to take an election,' which he said hasn't changed. 'This council was never going to get to a revised level of zoning permissions that would meet with the support of the more established neighbourhoods,' said Cartmell. The impacts of the infill issue for Cartmell don't stop with last week's motion. His late push for a moratorium on infill development put him at ideological odds with some of his contemporaries in the Better Edmonton municipal party. Running with Better Edmonton's slate of candidates for Ward Sspomitapi, Harman Kandola, whose background includes home-building, was in support of allowing the market to control infill, rather than council. Still, he said the party wasn't meant to all share the same perspective on issues. 'The formation of the party was always on the basis of allowing for disagreement, allowing for a variety of opinions when it comes to different issues. There's no whipping the vote,' said Kandola. Cartmell said he also apologized to the Better Edmonton party members, who were also affected by his absence. Asked whether the recent trouble with Cartmell would be cause for a departure from the Better Edmonton party, Kandola didn't say what his future holds. 'I think this was a moment for leadership from Tim, he's acknowledged that he could have been better. There's a lot of great candidates in Better Edmonton who are bringing forward great ideas in terms of how to challenge the big problems that people are facing,' said Kandola. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. 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Edmonton Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Cracks appear in Cartmell's Better Edmonton coalition
Article content 'We need to embrace urbanism,' said Kandola. 'You can see we're falling behind in term of our targets when it comes to housing. Council engaged in unnecessary debate, using resources and time. I would like to have seen council let the market dictate what gets built.' Article content Kandola chided Janz, who initially proposed the move from eight to six at the committee level, 'for making this an election issue, when it didn't need to be. Edmontonians are more worried about affordability, and if they can make ends meet and be able to have a place to live. Watching councillors melt down in the face of some opposition is not good leadership.' Article content Janz's motion came in the wake of community outcries from Glenora and Crestwood, where residents are planning to band together to place restrictive covenants on their land titles, which could neutralize developers' ability to build multi-family buildings on those properties. Article content Article content 'I don't think it was necessary,' said Kandola. 'I take a market-based approach. Investors want to have confidence that the regulatory framework is stable. A moratorium is something that would have potentially jeopardized that. I understand the point that Tim was trying to make, that it was to take time and re-evaluate, to take a step back. But I don't think that the way it was played out was they way he intended it to.' Article content Article content Reed Clarke, a former partner in the Edmonton Stingers and CEO of Sport Edmonton, is running in Ward Nakota Isga and is another of Better Edmonton's star candidates. He spent much of the public hearing in the gallery. When asked point blank for a vote of confidence in Cartmell, Clarke shifted the focus to his own campaign. Article content 'I can only speak to what I'm doing in trying to represent the ward and all the residents of Nakota Isga,' said Clarke. 'That has to be my No. 1 priority, to be listening to them and taking that feedback, hopefully back to city council. I'm more focused on representing them and making sure their feedback is going to the right places. I have to stick to that plan.' Article content Article content Clarke said he's met 'thousands' of residents so far during his campaign, and the infill debate is something he's hearing about over and over. And he said council has to come to grips with how fast eight-unit mid-block developments are changing the mature communities in his ward. Article content 'This is a massive issue,' he said. 'It's huge for people in really any mature neighbourhood, but even some of the other neighbourhoods as well. In speaking to people at the doors, I haven't found one person who is against density. I haven't seen anyone who doesn't believe the city needs to densify. They just have concerns and they have ways in which they want to see this happen. I think some of that argument has been lost, as I saw at the city council meetings.' Article content He said he was concerned to hear councillors talk about the city's need to better 'bring the public along' when it came to the new zoning bylaw, which is just over a year old. Article content 'It makes sense to have an approach where you say 'We don't know better than you do on these things and we've just got to convince you to come along on this.' That language is very troubling to me.' Article content Doyle: An 'unfortunate' event Article content Joshua Doyle, who will be Better Edmonton's candidate in Ward papastew, where he'll face off against Janz, gave Cartmell his endorsement. Article content 'I'm incredibly confident as a member of Better Edmonton,' said Doyle. 'This particular event was unfortunate, but this is a tribulation in the entire campaign, in which there will be many. Our team is built on the idea that we will come together and fight for Edmontonians and hear their concerns and work as a team in these kinds of tough situations. Article content 'Everybody knew Tim was going on vacation and these plans were public and planned for a long, long time. Tim supported the motion to have this important part (the eight-to-six debate) moved to the front of the agenda and council voted against that. And then it took them forever to figure out when they wanted to do it, when they wanted to get to it. Finally they moved to Tuesday, when they knew he wasn't going to be there. They decided that was the appropriate time and, unfortunately, Tim's one vote turned out to be a very important one.' Article content Article content He said the current council simply can't handle the zoning issue. And he believes moving from eight to six was a proposal that didn't go far enough in the first place. Article content 'This went on so long because of the dysfunction in council, ' said Doyle. 'All because of ideology, because of political tactics. It's a slap in the face to Edmontonians, to watch council struggle to achieve so little and, at the same time, ignore what the people are really saying. It took them five days to get to the point that everybody was waiting for. And, then, they couldn't agree on even reducing from eight to six, which really is an insignificant amount. People I am hearing from say that does nothing.' Article content Janz said in hindsight, he recognizes that future debates about infill should be tied to lot sizes. He said some larger lots can accommodate the bigger projects, while others are too small for those sorts of developments. Coming up with blanket limits doesn't work. Article content Article content Cartmell's voting record before the election campaign showed that he was supportive of infill projects. And his party includes the likes of Kandola and Nicholas Rheubottom, the former executive director of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association. Article content Janz said the moratorium pitch was an about-face for Cartmell. He said the return from summer break will be telling. Article content 'I don't know which Tim is going to show up. Is it the Tim of four years ago who is committed to City Plan, committed to infill, committed to more housing choices? Or is it going to be 'Cartmell for mayor?' Tim has to decide.' Article content
Calgary Herald
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton councillors blast Cartmell for failed infill motion
Article content Coun. Tim Cartmell attended Thursday's public hearing into zoning bylaw changes remotely. So, the mayoral candidate didn't see in person how some of his fellow city councillors took victory laps in the wake of his failed motion to put a temporary halt to infill projects. Article content Cartmell's motion to place a moratorium on density-increasing infill projects in mature neighbourhoods was shot down in council Monday night. It was ruled out of order because it likely contravened the Municipal Government Act, based on legal advice council had received. Article content Article content Article content During Thursday's continuation of city council's public hearing into proposed zoning bylaw changes, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi moved that the legal advice be made public. Coun. Karen Principe, who will be running as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party, questioned the move, but Sohi stressed the need to be transparent with the public on the issue. Article content Article content The document was dated June 26, four days before Cartmell made the motion. It stated: 'The province sets the standards for building construction and the municipality works within those parameters to issue building permits, inspect construction and administer enforcement. Under this hierarchy, the City of Edmonton does not have the authority to enact a moratorium on building permits. That authority would rest solely with the province of Alberta.' Article content Article content Coun. Aaron Paquette said the document shows that Cartmell went ahead with the motion, and rallied support from the public, knowing full well that infill moratoriums are outside of the municipal government's purview. Article content Article content 'No matter how finely a councillor wants to cut the baloney, it was still legally ill-advised to even consider that motion,' said Paquette. 'And, after eight years of experience, you'd hope someone would know that — especially if they are running for mayor. Article content 'Imagine if we paused all the construction. That's not just developers, that's homeowners who want to build their homes again on the same properties. If you can imagine the sheer volume of people who would be affected, that could easily lead to class-action lawsuits for which Edmontonians would be on the hook.'
Edmonton Journal
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton councillors blast Cartmell for failed infill motion
Article content Coun. Tim Cartmell attended Thursday's public hearing into zoning bylaw changes remotely. So, the mayoral candidate didn't see in person how some of his fellow city councillors took victory laps in the wake of his failed motion to put a temporary halt to infill projects. Article content Cartmell's motion to place a moratorium on density-increasing infill projects in mature neighbourhoods was shot down in council Monday night. It was ruled out of order because it likely contravened the Municipal Government Act, based on legal advice council had received. Article content Article content Article content During Thursday's continuation of city council's public hearing into proposed zoning bylaw changes, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi moved that the legal advice be made public. Coun. Karen Principe, who will be running as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party, questioned the move, but Sohi stressed the need to be transparent with the public on the issue. Article content The document was dated June 26, four days before Cartmell made the motion. It stated: 'The province sets the standards for building construction and the municipality works within those parameters to issue building permits, inspect construction and administer enforcement. Under this hierarchy, the City of Edmonton does not have the authority to enact a moratorium on building permits. That authority would rest solely with the province of Alberta.' Article content Article content Coun. Aaron Paquette said the document shows that Cartmell went ahead with the motion, and rallied support from the public, knowing full well that infill moratoriums are outside of the municipal government's purview. Article content Article content 'No matter how finely a councillor wants to cut the baloney, it was still legally ill-advised to even consider that motion,' said Paquette. 'And, after eight years of experience, you'd hope someone would know that — especially if they are running for mayor. Article content 'Imagine if we paused all the construction. That's not just developers, that's homeowners who want to build their homes again on the same properties. If you can imagine the sheer volume of people who would be affected, that could easily lead to class-action lawsuits for which Edmontonians would be on the hook.'
Calgary Herald
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'Absolute mess': Public put on hold as city council wades through marathon zoning session
Article content 'It's creating false hope in the community or misleading the public.' Article content Even though they were told they were free to go, the majority in the gallery elected to remain. Attendees included mayoral hopeful Tony Caterina and Reed Clarke, who is running for election in Ward Nakota Isga as part of Cartmell's Better Edmonton party. Another Better Edmonton member, Ward papastew's Joshua Doyle, was also there. Article content What council did get to Article content They sat and heard as council addressed another zoning issue, which also has been a hot-button topic in mature neighbourhoods. The zoning bylaw currently states that the city would 'support' small-scale densification developments in existing residential neighbourhoods, even if the projects were outside of the 'nodes and corridors' specified in the City Plan. This led to blowback from community groups concerned that this created a development free-for-all. Article content Article content An amendment on the table would see the city consider upzoning if the development meets two of these conditions: 'In a node or corridor area or within 100 metres of a node or corridor area; within 400 metres of a mass transit station; along an arterial roadway or a collector roadway; at a corner site or adjacent to a park or open space; adjacent to a site zoned for greater than small-scale development.' The proposed change would create some rules for developers to follow. Article content 'It's a good first step,' said John Soltice, a co-founder of Edmonton Neighbourhoods United, 'But it could go further.' Article content Another speaker, Sabina Qureshi, said that she's encouraged that council is 'finally listening' to residents. Article content 'These are the people who live in the neighbourhoods,' she said. 'These are the ones you should listen to. These are the people who elect you.' Article content Article content Like Soltice, Jennifer Faulkner of the Parkallen Community League said the proposal is a first move to prevent 'overbuild neighbourhood capacity.' She's concerned that the zoning bylaw opens the entire Parkallen neighbourhood to redevelopment, when the south side of the community has only one access to an arterial road and can't handle the added capacity. Article content But, there are other considerations at play. While there is no doubt a grassroots movement happening throughout the city's mature neighbourhoods to battle the zoning bylaw, there are investors who have already sunk money into in-progress developments and they worry that changing the rules after just one year pulls the rug out from under their feet. There are also concerns that blocking densification efforts would, eventually, push house prices higher and wreck the affordability advantage that Edmonton has over other major Canadian cities. Article content 'Shifting back to minimizing density after just a year stands to undercut these efforts,' said Kelvin Hamilton, a local architect. Article content Rick Dulat is a developer with more than 20 projects on the go, and seven are in the permitting process. He warned council that changing the rules could result in legal actions against the city. Article content 'This is not how a reliable permitting process works.' he said. Article content 'It's hard not to see the political motivations at play,' said Dulat, a swipe at Cartmell's planned motion to pause infill. Article content Dulat said he's been developing in mature neighbourhoods for a decade. And, he's met resistance. He said signage of a corner-lot development in Crestwood was vandalized with the words 'slum lord.' Article content 'I am really tired. I am exhausted. I face racism. I face vandalism.' Article content A balancing act Article content Coun, Andrew Knack, expected to be Cartmell's main rival for the mayor's chair, said council will strike a balance between the two opposing forces. Article content Article content 'We've been making changes to the zoning bylaw for the last decade and, each time we make changes, there are always going to be some applications that are impacted,' he said. 'We absolutely want to respect (the development industry's) time and attention. We also need to make sure we're listening to the residents that we serve, as well. Article content 'We'll probably debate what the the right time is for this to take effect, and if there are any legal requirements that we have as a city for applications under review.' Article content
