Leah HennigEdmonton just recently held its mayoral election, but what good can come of it? I argue very little. While Andrew Knack is the mayor-elect, there is only so much he will be able to do in the position. Retaining this realistic approach to what the mayor can do is incredibly important. Even more important is knowing that the voices of individuals are just as — if not more — important than the mayor’s.
Knack has many goals that he wishes to accomplish during his stay in office. Housing affordability being the biggest issue he is hoping to address. While I find it very admirable to attempt to tackle such a huge issue, I don’t think it’s possible. Being the mayor of a city, even one as important as Edmonton, there is a limit to what resources are available. Especially when grants have already been set in place.
The Government of Alberta has already agreed to give money to Edmonton earlier this year in February. The grant proposed is $106 million over three years to revitalize the downtown area. This includes adding in parks, upgrading the ICE district, demolishing the Coliseum (the Oilers’ former ice rink), and adding more housing. So what more can Knack do for housing with plans already in place? Likely not very much.
Even with the limitations of being mayor, Knack has still proposed several suggestions to improve housing affordability. He proposes to invest in grant programs, leverage federal grants, and work more closely with other levels of government. This plan is empty. Knack is relying too heavily on hoping that the other levels of government will help out Edmonton’s housing issue. Edmonton receiving more money seems highly unlikely to me. Especially since the grant of $106 million is already in place. This makes Knack’s plans nearly useless. But, again, the mayoral position has only so much power. Knack’s ambitious goals, then, can only take some of the blame.
Being ambitious is an admirable trait to have as a politician, but at some point that ambition turns into improbability. This makes Knack’s goals seem empty and unrealistic. If unfulfilled, his goals will turn into an even greater upset.
I have a lot of issues with Knack’s proposal. There are too many gray areas within his plans that feel dishonest to Edmontonians. Housing affordability can’t be changed overnight and making that understood is crucial. That it takes years to implement changes and years more to see the effects of these changes. It will take time, co-operation, and funding from the provincial and federal government to make housing more affordable in Edmonton. More so, the other levels of government will only start to listen once Edmontonians voice their concerns. Even then, Knack’s goals then feel like near impossibilities. That doesn’t mean everything is hopeless though.
Remaining a part of the conversation is still important, regardless of empty and unlikely goals. Issues such as housing affordability, financial security, or safety in Edmonton can’t be solved overnight. The mayor also can’t solve these on their own. But pressure from the greater population has real potential to see action on these concerns. The people have a stronger sway than the mayor. Being vocal about injustices in Edmonton and Alberta is what will bring real change.
