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On June 20, 76 speakers addressed the urban planning committee on the subject of the Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative (ZBRI). Several speakers were in favour of the work to date. They represented the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association, Edmonton Branch.
Most of the speakers were opposed to the ZBRI currently being hurried through the process toward approval in the fall. Also raised was the critical interface between the ZBRI and the impending District Planning Initiative. No one from city administration or council was willing to acknowledge or address this issue.
It is beyond obvious that the new zoning system will have its most dramatic impact on central neighbourhoods in the context of the nodes, corridors and other qualifiers in the proposed district plan. Huge swaths of real estate will be converted from primarily low-density residential to mid-to-high residential residential/commercial with no consideration of current homeowner, heritage or environmental concerns. In other words, densification conquers all, without exception, everywhere.
Why will council not move to a co-ordinated, transparent, citizen-friendly implementation of the ZBRI and the District Planning Initiative? The only plausible conclusion is that council and city staff are aware of the impact and the certain uproar that it would create if everyone had an opportunity to understand what our city will be when these two initiatives come together.
Mary Ann and David Johnson, Edmonton
MAID made a difficult time easier
Our mother recently used MAID (medical assistance in dying) in Fort Saskatchewan. It was very important to her to be able to die with dignity. This program made her wish possible. She chose when and where and had the people she loved with her.
Our family would like to sincerely thank everyone we met and spoke with at MAID. They were very kind, thoughtful and compassionate to our Mom. They also made a difficult situation for our family easy to navigate and showed us the same care and kindness. A very heartfelt thank you from the family of Phyllis Graham.
Linda Legate, Okotoks
Attract new Mounties with higher pay
It comes as no surprise to me that there is a staffing crisis in the RCMP, given our highly educated and rapidly aging population. AI will be replacing a lot of people soon but not police officers. The solution put forward is “to modernize their entire recruitment application process.”
There is a reason that recruitment for the RCMP is arduous. It is to ensure that the best of the best are hired, so that they continue to be revered worldwide. My solution would be higher wages. It is a scary world out there without cops. There is widespread agreement among experts that plumbers and electricians will be the last to be replaced by robots. Get ready for that crisis.
Leoni Hagan, Edmonton
