[feepa]

Mandel gives Stelmach meet thumbs up
Premier offers to resolve regionalization issues

Tue, June 5, 2007
Edmonton Sun

Mandel is pleased with the outcome of a meeting today with Premier Ed Stelmach. Stelmach has offered to assist in the resolution of Edmonton’s regionalization squabble with surrounding municipalities.

Premier Ed Stelmach appears to have headed off another showdown with a big-city mayor by offering to hasten a solution for resolving Edmonton’s regionalization squabble with surrounding municipalities.

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel walked out of a 90-minute meeting with the premier to say he is satisfied with Stelmach’s offer to help resolve the 50-year-old issue.

Stelmach is expected to announce within days a growth management plan for the Edmonton region, which has experienced a boom in multibillion-dollar upgraders and other energy projects.

Officials in the premier’s office say the province has already heard from the 22 surrounding communities and Stelmach met Monday with two other municipal officials.

An official with the mayor’s office told The Canadian Press on Monday that Mandel was upset with the province’s foot-dragging on regionalization and was prepared to go public with his concerns.

The premier has already feuded publicly with Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier, who says he wasn’t aware there would be strings attached to $1.4 billion in new municipal funding.

--30--

[ExcaliburKid]

Im thinking this will get kinda ugly...

[Coldrsx]

^always will...this is akin to a tower with a new condo board.

[Kevin_foster]

Just get the army and....

Except St. Albert :)

[Riise]

I hope something can be worked out; this is a problem that Edmonton and area has been plagued with for a while. I’d like to see a precedent being set for the entire Province when it comes to regional issues, even with our Unicity format Calgary is starting to face problems with how development and planning is taking place in the region.

[brento79]

So if a plan is to be announced by weeks end, there must be something in the works already. Regional planning can't be decided within 2 days.

[Xelebes]

So if a plan is to be announced by weeks end, there must be something in the works already. Regional planning can't be decided within 2 days.

What worked for Ralph will work for Ed.

Well, if Ed gives the right submission. The wrong one would be uh.... er icky and stinky.

[Shodan]

Im thinking this will get kinda ugly...

http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/medi402/walker/borg1.GIF

[e909]

does this mean edmonton will finally annex st. albert and sherwood park?

[feepa]

does this mean edmonton will finally annex st. albert and sherwood park?

I'm thinking more along the lines of GVRD

[CMD UW]

I'm thinking more along the lines of GVRD
Bingo!

[brento79]

Yep they said that Edmonton will not take over any of the cities.

[Coldrsx]

^yet...muah hahahahaha...

but yes a GVRD strategy is very very very much needed.

Transit
emergency services
transportation

are HUGE keys in this.

[e909]

depends how they do it.. most likely it will just be another level of government with five thousand 100,000 a year workers doing absolutely nothing.

i just don't think there is the political will to do it properly.

[e909]

^yet...muah hahahahaha...

but yes a GVRD strategy is very very very much needed.

Transit
emergency services
transportation

are HUGE keys in this.
at the very least we need to create greater Edmonton police, fire, ambulance, transit and create a common transportation + infrastructure office. this will never happen though.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Just get the army and....

Except St. Albert :)

But we'll never get the LRT stop in downtown St. Albert if it's not assimilated. :)

That would still be so cool to be able to hit the theatre there to see a show and a couple beverages in downtown St. Albert before heading back on the LRT to downtown. And the farmers market on Saturdays.

Come on assimilate, look at all the good we'll get out of it.

[feepa]

I would really like the region to be divided into 6 parts.

The Central area. (yellowhead to whitemud /82 st - 142 st.)
and then 5 boroughs around that. (like 97st west to border of region, 97 east to border of region and all areas north)
then a east, south and west.

[Xelebes]

More like 68th St to 142nd St

You need to include Coliseum region.

[feepa]

More like 68th St to 142nd St

You need to include Coliseum region.... yes.. ok I hadn't fully thought it out - just rough lines for conversation.

[CanadianCentaur]

at the very least we need to create greater Edmonton police, fire, ambulance, transit and create a common transportation + infrastructure office. this will never happen though.

Hmmm, a little glass half-empty, are we? Well, at least SOME form of services amalgamation has GOT to come out of this down the road. Otherwise, Stelmach's little plan would be all for naught.

Personally, something like along the lines what GVRD has right now would be what I'd like to see for Metro Edmonton within my lifetime. This way, they can still have their autonomy, but work together more. I don't think think they'll have much choice. I very highly doubt this current state of affairs within the Edmonton Capital Region will continue the way it has been in the past.

[Kevin_foster]

But we'll never get the LRT stop in downtown St. Albert if it's not assimilated. :)

That would still be so cool to be able to hit the theatre there to see a show and a couple beverages in downtown St. Albert before heading back on the LRT to downtown. And the farmers market on Saturdays.

Come on assimilate, look at all the good we'll get out of it.

The speed this city moves on LRT expansion, I'll be dead before this happens :tup:

Edit, perhaps St. Albert needs to build its own LRT that ties into the Edmonton system! Or Even just a line from DT St.AB to DT Edmonton :)

Ah ok - it wouldn't work.

[CanadianCentaur]

The speed this city moves on LRT expansion, I'll be dead before this happens :tup:


Fear not - with rapidly advancing biotechnology, we'll probably all live even longer! :D