IVESON TALKS FAMILY
Incumbent also vows to foster culture of joint planning among city, school boards
Transit could be free for children aged 12 and under as early as January, incumbent mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday, using the final policy announcement of his campaign to outline familyfriendly policies.
Since children younger than 12 usually ride with their families during off-peak hours when the system has excess capacity, this policy would be almost revenue neutral, said Iveson. But it would make it easier for families to go to the zoo or a park by transit on a weekend.
“It costs next to nothing actually,” said Iveson, promising that if re-elected he’ll bring up the idea when council sets transit fees this fall, hoping to get it implemented by Jan. 1.
Iveson said making Edmonton the most family-friendly city and selling it that way to the world could attract the talent needed to grow local industries.
Iveson’s other family-friendly promises Tuesday:
Speed limits: Iveson said he supports lower speed limits in residential neighbourhoods, using narrower lanes and protected crosswalks to aid compliance. That would be easier for people to follow than the current patchwork of speed limits created by limits around school zones and playground zones, he said. Child-care spaces: Iveson said the city needs to help create more affordable, quality child-care spaces by setting aside physical space in schools and city buildings. It should also further reduce regulatory barriers such as parking requirements.
Task force on racism: Iveson said his conversations with Somali community leaders after an attack on a police officer and pedestrians a week ago reinforced the need for serious action on racism. The city is already working on this, but Iveson said he will make it a priority for his office to help convene the right players and find solutions. Joint planning with school boards: Edmonton hit a wall after seven years of work on this issue, but Iveson said there’s now a window of opportunity. He wants new schools to include early learning centres, libraries and other community services; a collaborative zoning process to ensure families can live near older schools; and community involvement in selecting new uses when schools close or consolidate.
“There’s a window now that didn’t exist five years ago,” said Iveson, pointing to the schools in Education Minister Dave Eggen’s own riding, Edmonton-Calder, now being proposed for closure.
“The minister has seen firsthand what inadequate collaboration looks like,” said Iveson, hoping the province will get involved to finally break down the jurisdictional barriers that stymied efforts in the past.
“Last term I united the region, which people thought was impossible. Let’s try the school boards next.”
Mayoral candidate Mike Butler also released a policy announcement on creating jobs Tuesday, calling on the city to change the way it procures work to make it easier for small businesses to get involved.
The current process is cumbersome, and should be more open to businesses collaborating to submit a bid, he said.
Butler also wants the city to break apart its large land holdings in neighbourhoods so smaller builders can afford to buy. They should be rezoned to match the other housing in the neighbourhood, either single family or multifamily residential, he said.