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CBC
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Council votes to maintain existing infill requirements after several intense meetings
Social Sharing After several days of contentious debate, Edmonton's city council has voted to maintain infill units to the original maximum of eight. The motion, introduced by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, passed in a narrow win, with councillors voting 6-5. Councillors Michael Janz, Ashley Salvador, Andrew Knack, Karen Principe and Jennifer Rice voted against. Councillors Tim Cartmell, who is planning to run for mayor, and Sarah Hamilton were absent from the Tuesday meeting. Both were away on vacation. The decision comes after a motion to reduce the number of allowable units in new mid-block, multi-family buildings from eight to six was brought to city council. Instead, councillors opted for a public consultation process on the merits of unit reduction, which would include more community engagement and expert research. That motion passed with a unanimous vote. The zoning bylaw, which came into effect last year and streamlined the city's zoning regulations to allow for more infill development and density across the city, has been divisive. Sohi, who is not running for re-election next term, said the proposal for unit reduction to infill developments would set a concerning precedent if passed. "My worry is that as we try to build consensus, that you go to six, then the push comes. Now we are down to six, now we're going to push down to four. Where is that bottom line?" he said during the meeting Tuesday. "There might be people who would not be happy with reducing from eight to six, and some people may not be happy with settling with six when they want to go to four or three." He concluded that council did not have enough information to make a decision, despite having heard from hundreds of Edmontonians in public hearings last week. WATCH | Design changes could address infill conflict: Could design changes calm infill conflict in Edmonton? 6 days ago Duration 2:09 Rob Smyth, co-chair of the Glenora Community League's civics committee, was in attendance, and acknowledged that the reduction would be a major step forward, particularly in more mature neighbourhoods. He said many of the residents in his neighbourhood have been complaining that large infill developments created problems around traffic flow and parking. "Going to six would be very much supported by, in my estimation, the vast majority of community people. I think this would tell a story that council is listening to the community," he said. Last Friday, council members had to vote on a motion to extend meetings on the zoning bylaw into the summer break. On June 30, Cartmell called for a moratorium that would pause approvals for mid-block infill developments, until the city re-examines its district plans. Councillors learned later that the move would go against the Municipal Government Act. Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette said the heated debates around the infill proposal have become a distraction. "To be blunt, this issue desperately needed to be depoliticized. Politicizing land use is an incredibly poor way to run a city, incredibly poor," Paquette said during the meeting. "Everyone can just take a step back and take this out of the silliness of an election season and put it where it belongs, into a place where community voice is heard, clearly recorded." Results from the public consultation process will return to city council in the first quarter of 2027.
CBC
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Edmonton public hearing to resume next week, after heated city council exchange
Edmonton city council reluctantly voted to continue a public hearing next week — their vacation period — after Friday evening's debate led to F-bombs being thrown. The marathon meetings have stretched all week, as council reviews its zoning bylaw one year after a major overhaul. On Friday, councillors spoke about work-life balance, with some saying they would be on vacation without internet next week. Then, a heated exchange occurred, after Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright commented about how experienced councillors might have expected the meeting eating into their vacation time. "From what I understand… this is a normal course of business with things ramping up, and I would think that maybe the incumbents would be aware of that," Wright said. Ward sipiwiyiniwak Coun. Sarah Hamilton, who said she'd be away and unable to attend the meeting, swore in her response. "That was so f--king rude. F--k you, Jo-Anne Wright. F--k you," she said. "This is absolutely unacceptable," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said immediately afterward. Sohi, who chairs council meetings, asked both councillors to withdraw their comments. Both obliged, and Hamilton apologized for using unparliamentary language. If the public hearing did not go ahead next week, council would have to return in the middle of August. One of the major debates is about amending the zoning bylaw to reduce the number of allowable units in mid-block row houses from eight to six. Sohi said Friday that the hundreds of Edmontonians who have spoken about zoning deserve some closure on the issue, and encouraged councillors to vote to continue next week. "This is not an ideal situation, but this is the situation that we are in," he said. "Whichever decision we make, we need to make that decision as soon as possible," he said. "If we go from eight to six units, there will be consequences if we delay that decision by another month-and-a-half." Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford said moving the meeting to council's scheduled vacation period puts councillors in a "terrible position." "Quite frankly, we are all burnt out," Rutherford said. "This is one of the most important topics that Edmontonians expect us to have, and the councillors that do not attend will be questioned as to why they are not prioritizing this," she said. The motion to continue on July 8 carried 9-4. Councillors Hamilton, Tim Cartmell, Karen Principe and Jennifer Rice opposed.
CTV News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘So f***ing rude … f**k you': Edmonton councillor swears at colleague as infill debate spills into summer break
A debate on infill got heated at Edmonton City Hall on Friday. CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports. Edmonton city council got heated late Friday afternoon when conversations around zoning bylaw pushed back the summer break. It was the third day of public hearings on the topic, with all sorts of supporters and detractors weighing in on how to add density in the growing city. City council was set to break next week, but the public hearings saw more than 150 Edmontonians register to speak – leading council to consider an extension. Both Ward sipiwiyiniwak Coun. Sarah Hamilton and Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell said they would not be able to attend due to pre-planned trips based on the approved break. Things got heated shortly after when Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright suggested they could have anticipated a delay. 'From what I understand … this is a normal course of business with things ramping up, and I would think that maybe the incumbents would have been aware of that,' Wright said. 'I wasn't, but I've been able to adjust my schedule for the most part.' 'Point of order,' interrupted Hamilton. 'That was so rude, Mr. Mayor. That was so f***ing rude. F**k you, Jo-Anne Wright. F**k you.' Both Wright and Hamilton withdrew their comments shortly after. Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford, who also had travel plans booked, expressed disappointment and concern over the extension and the possibility multiple council members would be absent. 'This is one of the most important topics that Edmontonians expect us to have, and the councillors that do not attend will be questioned as to why they are not prioritizing this,' Rutherford said. 'So I think it is putting us in a terrible position.' In the end, city council voted 9-4 to return on Tuesday. In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, Hamilton said 'it was not the more parliamentary language' but that last-minute schedule changes are difficult for staff and council. 'The cruel attack on her (Wright's) colleagues for having personal commitments that are not easily changed betrays her ignorance of how constructive governing bodies are actually run,' she said. Wright spoke to media after the meeting ended and apologized for the exchange. 'I'm sorry that it happened,' Wright said. 'If I had done something to sort of encourage that, or comments that I made, I do apologize for that. 'But, I'm still concerned that we aren't going to have everybody on council at our public hearing to continue this.' A lot of public feedback The week of public hearings came 18 months after the city's new updated zoning bylaw came into effect. Supporters say infill projects under the new bylaw are increasing the housing supply and bringing new residents to aging neighbourhoods, where they support local businesses and boost the tax base. 'All of these mature neighbourhoods were designed to accommodate a much greater population than what they have,' Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said on Friday. 'Bus service is available, fire service, police service, recreational facilities … why would we not utilize the existing services and programs that we have in place and be more fiscally and sustainably and also environmentally responsible?' Those opposed say too-tall infills are being dropped into communities without considering if they fit in the neighbourhood, with towering multi-unit homes breaking up blocks of single-family bungalows. 'People are caught by surprise when an eight- or 10-unit building goes up right next door,' said Kevin Taft, who registered to speak on Friday. 'In McKernan right now, there are 16 applications to zone to higher density, that's in addition to all kinds of plexes,' he added. 'That's too fast. People can't accommodate that and it's unnecessary.' Kelly Petryk spoke at the hearings on Monday and Thursday. She said she isn't opposed to infill but doesn't think it's being done right – pointing to four fourplexes currently being built on a lot next to her home. 'My situation has been dubbed the 'Crestwood situation',' she said. 'It's a small crescent, (it) was one lot, now it's two. It didn't have the required frontage to be split. It has been split, and now there are 16 units going on.' 'Crestwood situation' A large infill project will see 16 units built on what was a single lot in Crestwood. The build prompted neighbour Kelly Petryk to sign up to share her thoughts on Edmonton bylaw during a lengthy public hearing in July 2025. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton) Petryk called what's happening next to her house a 'cautionary tale' and she is calling for better building guidelines and more effective public consultation. 'Are we ready to risk destroying neighbourhoods and say, 'Oh gosh, well, I guess that didn't work. Let's go back and figure it out?'' she said. 'I'm really frustrated at the realization that we're a guinea pig and we're just going to wait and see and figure out what happens.' Kalen Anderson, BILD Edmonton Metro CEO, supports the city's infill plan and said the current conversations are all part of the process. 'I don't think anybody should feel at all worried or ashamed about making changes that are smart,' Anderson said. 'This is what city planning is about. It's not a one-and-done.' Council has said it is currently considering a number of changes to the bylaw based on feedback from residents, including: reducing the maximum units on a mid-block lot from eight to six; requiring more windows on the fronts of buildings; shrinking the maximum building length by two metres; changing how many side entrances a build can have; building homes further apart; and keeping side stairways from jutting out too much. Anderson said many of them are reasonable, but she acknowledged they could negatively impact current builds. 'They would have to completely redesign their project. They might lose their financing. They might lose their customers,' she said. 'They would likely have to sell the units … for a slightly higher price point or rent it at a higher market rate. 'Those are the trade offs. Again, city building is messy and wonderful and that's why it's a democratic process.' Taft agreed that making changes is fine but said they should have been made as smaller changes over time. 'Council has like eight units on a 50-foot lot … when people are asking to go back, say to six or four, it throws off investors. It creates conflict,' Taft said. 'It's much better to make 1,000 small changes when you're planning a city than to make one massive one that incorporates so many neighbourhoods so dramatically.' Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang said on Thursday that there won't be a way to satisfy everyone but that council will consider the input from across the board. 'We're all in this learning exercise where we're responding to what people are saying, and I think we need to remember that this is a collective journey that we're on,' Tang said. 'We're trying to figure out what is going to be in the best interest of the city and Edmontonians.' City council will continue Friday's meeting on Tuesday. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Edmonton weather: Cloudy skies and freezing drizzle
A look at Monday's Edmonton weather from Environment Canada. It's -2 C at the Edmonton Blatchford weather station with 8 km/h winds out of the southeast with a wind chill of -5. The weirdly winter weekend has passed us by, and while there's no more intense snowfall in the forecast, we won't have any sunny spring days until the middle of the week. Monday will be cloudy with a high of 1 C and winds up to 15 km/h. There will be more cloud cover overnight, with a 30 per cent chance of flurries in the late evening, with a risk of freezing drizzle. The overcast will continue into Tuesday, with a risk of freezing drizzle in the early morning and a 60 per cent chance of rain showers or flurries late in the afternoon, and a high of 4 C. Please be careful on the roads and be kind to each other. If you see someone stuck on the road in need of help and you want to assist, make sure you can do so safely. Monday: Cloudy. Wind up to 15 km/h. High 1 C. Wind chill -8 this morning. UV index 2 or low. Tonight: Mainly cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries late this evening and overnight with risk of freezing drizzle. Fog patches developing overnight. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low -2 C. Wind chill near -6 C. Tuesday: Mainly cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries early in the morning and a 60 per cent chance of rain showers or flurries late in the afternoon. Risk of freezing drizzle early in the morning. Fog patches dissipating in the morning. Wind up to 15 km/h. High 4 C. Wind chill -5 in the morning. UV index 3 or moderate. Sunrise: 7:10 a.m. Sunset: 8:07 p.m. Max: 8 C Min: -3 C Keith Gerein: Sarah Hamilton's departure a blow to an Edmonton city council short on seasoning Friendship audit on camera? Edmonton filmmaker examines internalized misogyny in her relationships in new documentary High: 1.1 C Low: -11.2 C Precipitation: 0.0 mm This space is dedicated to some of the great and interesting photos taken by Postmedia photographers while they're out and about town. Postmedia photogrphers on Twitter/X 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. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
