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Global News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Tim Cartmell apologizes for missing Edmonton infill vote at city council
One week after Edmonton city councillor and mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell missed a vote that would have impacted how infill homes are built in the city, he's apologizing. 'People were counting on me to be there, and I wasn't there, I've let them down and I'm very sorry for that,' Cartmell said on Tuesday after returning from vacation. Council had been having a heated debate of whether to reduce the maximum allowable units per infill from eight down to six, after some residents expressed concerns with property values, not enough parking, predatory developers, quality of builds and housing affordability. The debate spilled over into several days and was going to be extended into the councillors scheduled summer break — something some councillors, including Cartmell, opposed. 1:38 Cartmell suggests moratorium on new infill development in Edmonton is needed 'We were anticipating this, I think as far back as the middle of May when our clerk's office started to check counsellor availability because of this and other time-sensitive items that needed to get through council,' said city councillor Jo-Anne Wright. Story continues below advertisement Cartmell confirmed he was at the Calgary Stampede on July 3 and 4, but he did attend council meetings virtually those days. By last Monday's gathering, however, he was on a planned family vacation on Cape Breton Island in a remote location without internet, that he says he could not delay. But last Tuesday, by a close vote of six to five — council voted against reducing infill limits. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Those in favour were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Councillors Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Karen Tang, and Jo-Anne Wright. Councillors Michael Janz, Andrew Knack, Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice and Ashley Salvador voted in opposition. The two councillors absent were Sarah Hamilton and Tim Cartmell. They were both away on vacation. Cartmell said he put his family and marriage first. 'Sometimes you look at your partner, and you look in their eyes — and you know that sometimes you can't put them second again, that you can cancel again,' said Cartmell. 1:48 Public hearing on infill development in Edmonton comes to an end Wright didn't accept that reasoning. Story continues below advertisement 'I have a family as well, and I know that's important. I know time off is important. I guess it's just a matter of organisation, of those multiple priorities,' said Wright. Edmonton's mayor also weighted in. 'Anytime someone makes a decision not to show up to work, is the day they are not doing their job,' said Amarjeet Sohi. 'I am glad he recognized this was a mistake.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I am glad he recognized this was a mistake." 2:11 Tensions boil over at Edmonton City Hall during ongoing debate about infill development Cartmell said this vote result could change in the coming months. City council will be revisiting the conversation on maximum units for infill lots at some point, but that discussion won't come until public consultation is complete — with a deadline at the beginning of 2027. In the meantime, the next municipal election is in October and he is gunning for the mayor's chair. Story continues below advertisement 'No motion that has been made in the last couple of weeks that can't be rescinded and new motions made in place,' said Cartmell. 'We will get on the other side of this election and fix these things.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We will get on the other side of this election and fix these things." Last Monday, Cartmell's campaign released a video of him criticizing the process of the infill debate and councillors not respecting time off. 'Putting out that video statement on Monday, criticising the mayor and the rest of council the way the public hearing had been held. Nobody cares about the process. What they care about is the debate, and how councillors vote,' said Edmonton political analyst. John Brennan. Brennan said the way that this was handled was not good for Cartmell's campaign — but it could recover. 'I don't think it's irreparable. It certainly hurt him personally, it hurt his campaign, they wouldn't be going to the steps they did today — issuing an apology — if it hadn't,' Brennan said. Brennan said he's waiting on official polling to see how Edmonton voters truly feel about Cartmell missing the meeting. 2:06 Another group adding its voice to debate over infill development, housing density in Edmonton — With files from Jasmine King and Karen Bartko, Global News
Edmonton Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Keith Gerein: Frustrated Cartmell was his own worst enemy during council's hearing on Edmonton infill
Dubious placation Article content In his brief introduction to the motion before it got shut down, Cartmell said it was born of the alarm he had heard from communities. A pause on infill is warranted to allow for more engagement and clarity, he said, even suggesting that the housing crisis might be subsiding. Article content I have no doubt that alarm is real, but so is the risk of placating communities with false expectations. Article content Yes, Cartmell can try sell the idea that a temporary ban will give the city time to get zoning right, but there is a snake-oil element to that. Because after those six, 12 or 18 months pass, the most likely scenario is that council will be right back where it started — having the same arguments, mired in the same long-term pressures, and realizing that the city does actually need to get more aggressive about housing supply. Article content Article content And when that realization happens, Cartmell may find that his moratorium has chased away development capital, exposed the city to lawsuits, and led to harmful construction delays. Article content Cartmell has talked often about council lacking the fortitude to make hard choices. Well, here is a big one staring him in the face, and instead of standing firm on the policies he previously supported, he instead has his hand on the chicken switch at the first sign of trouble. Article content In that same vein, it was also not a productive choice to put another nail in his deteriorating relationship with fellow councillors by blaming them for his decision to miss Tuesday's final debate. Article content Sure, the public hearing turned into a marathon — Cartmell likely contributed to that with his attention-grabbing moratorium — and it wound up cutting into his prearranged vacation time. Article content Article content But while he and other councillors undoubtedly need a break, if I was running for mayor, I would probably find a way to participate remotely in an issue that is clearly of major importance to Edmontonians. It's especially galling that after supporting a six-unit maximum, he wasn't there to cast the vote that would have ensured that outcome. Article content At this point, all I can say is I hope Cartmell uses his time away to re-evaluate his leadership approach, and then come back to council and the election campaign with a far more reasoned attitude.
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.'
Global News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Cartmell to call for moratorium on new infill development in Edmonton
At a public hearing scheduled for next week, where Edmonton city council will discuss a motion to potentially put new limits on some infill development, one city councillor says he plans to suggest putting a moratorium on new infill development entirely. The campaign team for Tim Cartmell, who is one of two city councillors running for mayor in this fall's election, issued a news release Tuesday explaining that he believes Edmonton is 'missing the mark on infill.' 'I will be moving a motion to place a moratorium on all new infill development,' Cartmell said in a statement, saying he plans to move the motion at a public hearing on June 30. 'Edmonton's infill strategy has moved faster than our infrastructure, faster than our planning and faster than public trust. 'We need to pause, reflect, and fix what's broken before we approve more of the same.' Story continues below advertisement At the June 30 hearing, city councillors will debate a motion put forth by Coun. Michael Janz at an urban planning committee meeting last week to put a limit on the number of infill residential units that can be built in the middle of a residential street. 1:50 Edmonton backtracks on eightplex housing in zoning bylaw The motion came as there have been a growing number cases of Edmontonians expressing concerns about the impact the city's zoning bylaw — which took effect a year and a half ago — is having on their neighbourhoods' character. The bylaw was implemented to help the city densify the inner-city while also providing more diverse housing options as Edmonton's population continues to grow. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'When the new zoning bylaw came into effect, the promise was bold: modernize the way we grow our city, create more housing options and make neighbourhoods more complete,' Cartmell said. 'And while we've seen a lot of success after 18 months in, it's clear that we're missing the mark on infill. Story continues below advertisement 'I've heard you. Edmontonians are not opposed to growth. But they are opposed to being left out of it.' Mayor Amarjeet Sohi was speaking to reporters at an unrelated news conference on Tuesday when Cartmell's campaign team issued its news release. When asked about the proposal, Sohi said he would need to see exactly what Cartmell is proposing before commenting specifically. However, speaking broadly, he noted that as Edmonton's population continues to increase, the city needs to mitigate urban sprawl because providing services in new communities is more expensive and less environmentally sustainable than improving services in existing communities where more people can access them. 'As we continue to grow, we want to make sure that we are implementing our city plan which talks about half of our population being accommodated in either mature (and) existing neighbourhoods, and then the other half creating conditions for suburban living,' he said. 'I think that is a very good balance to have. In order to create opportunities for people to live in mature neighbourhoods, we want to make sure that we have diversity of housing choices. 'We have a lot of single-family homes — absolutely important. But when opportunities come to refurbish or demolish and build new, creating conditions to build a duplex, a four-plex (or) a six-plex is the right approach to take. Story continues below advertisement Coun. Andrew Knack, who is also running for mayor in the fall election, told Global News he too had not yet seen Cartmell's news release, but that in thinking about the issue in broad terms, he would have concerns about putting a moratorium on housing at all in the midst of a housing crisis. 'We are a rapidly-growing city — 200,000 people in the last four years have moved into Edmonton,' he noted. 'If we aren't building in our older neighbourhoods, … where is everyone going to live?' In an interview with Global News on Tuesday, Cartmell said he has heard from a lot of Edmontonians who say they are concerned specifically about 'redevelopment of established neighbourhoods and the residential zoning within those spaces.' He said what he would like city council to do is to revisit specific sections of the zoning bylaw regarding established neighbourhoods and district plans and then to re-engage with citizens about the issues. Story continues below advertisement 'A temporary pause on that particular part of the rezoning process,' is how Cartmell described the motion he plans to put forward next week, adding that his proposed moratorium would not impact major projects like housing developments in Blatchford. 'We've been doing this for 18 months. Let's take a breath, take a beat, and refocus and understand where we might re-craft and redirect this work.' Global News reached out to the Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA) for comment on Cartmell's idea. The non-profit has a stated goal of trying to 'drive change towards people-centered communities.' 'Edmonton's population is rapidly growing in part due to in-migration from other Canadian cities where housing has become unaffordable,' said Sean Sedgwick, the executive director of IDEA. 'Canada is in a housing crisis and restrictive zoning practices constraining supply are a major cause. 'To call for a moratorium on infill homes under these circumstances is to advocate for recreating the same problem here.' Sedgwick noted he believes the federal government's incentives meant to spur infill development are a major reason 'so much is being built' currently. 'IDEA firmly believes that infill will help our mature neighbourhoods remain sustainable, vibrant places that even more people can enjoy. We need new homes, but we cannot afford more sprawl.' Story continues below advertisement –with files from Global News' Sarah Komadina
