By Emil Tiedemann
There happens to be a Municipal Election coming up in Edmonton on October 18, 2021, and I think it's important for locals to get to know the City Council candidates running for their particular ward (as well as their Mayoral candidates, of course). I chose to get more involved in the election this year and so wanted to give each candidate a chance to tell us a little about themselves, their vision, and why you should vote for them. I have sent a 10-question questionnaire to each of the 2021 Edmonton Municipal Election candidates and will post their responses (100% as written) here as they come in. With that said, let's get to know...
Ward Métis
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| Liz John-West |
"I’ve worked in Edmonton’s social services field for over thirty years and understand the needs of people and communities at a profound level. I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science and have spent my career building community programs, supporting women and children in domestic violence, and I have been a director in two prominent social institutions. I understand community dynamics while having the knowledge and expertise to manage the administrative and financial processes of an organization. In my current position as a director, I manage numerous programs with a staff of eighty and a budget of over 7 million. I work closely with the provincial government in fiscal management, program development and service delivery. I understand the importance of balancing the needs of the organization and clients with the municipal and provincial stakeholders that provide essential partnerships. I know what it is to be a proud Edmontonian, having lived in the community for over 30 years and being directly in touch with my neighbourhood. I feel I know what Ward Métis needs. My father was a successful small business owner, first building houses, and then later running a local grocery store. My childhood also led me to become a strong advocate for women, equality and justice, leading me to complete my MA in Indigenous Community Development. I grew up building a community with my family and my neighbours."
The Questions:
I♥E/ Why do you want to run for City Council?
Liz John-West/ I am running for City Council to be the voice that addresses the
unique challenges facing Ward Métis. I believe with me working on
council, people can be confident in knowing that their local representative is
listening to their voice and recognizes the many things that make our Ward such
a great place to live. Our Ward's incredible mix of cultures, people, and
backgrounds all combine to make the mature neighbourhoods and business centers
one of the most diverse and unique places to live in Edmonton. I want to
ensure that our specific local issues around affordable housing, access to
effective transportation, and the unique needs of mature neighbourhoods have
someone with a deep and meaningful connection to the community representing
them in local government. I want to build a better Edmonton, and I think that
running for City Council is the best way to do that.
I♥E/ Can you tell us about your past or current experiences that you think could possibly benefit/ translate to your position as a member of City Council?
LJW/ I would say my lived experience and my work experience makes me a great
candidate for city council. I have lived and raised our family in Ward
Metis and surrounding area for the past 30 odd years. This lived
experience allows me to know the challenges and benefits of living in a ward
which I will bring to city council. I also have worked in leading large
staff teams and overseeing million-dollar budgets and negotiated with the
provincial governments on various contracts. Finally, my passion to build
a connected community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive is a lifelong
commitment for me.
I♥E/ What do you think are the 4 or 5 biggest issues facing Edmonton right now that you want to focus on most?
LJW/ I would say the biggest issue facing
Edmonton right now is the impact of covid-19 on our city. This impact is
felt on so many different levels from how our seniors are taken care of in our
society, to people who have lost jobs, to businesses no longer being able to
survive, and finally managing a city budget under an economic depression.
As much as the city
and province has struggled to find meaningful solutions to housing covid-19 has
magnified the housing issue where we now have thousands of vulnerable people
living outside.
I♥E/ What do you think are some of the issues/struggles affecting your particular ward that you would like to focus on most?
LJW/ The issues which are facing Ward Metis which I
would like to focus on is to ensure affordable housing is provided through the
re-development of Bonnie Doon mall and Northlands site. Meaningful
community consultation occurs at Kind Edward Park and Terrace Heights
neighbourhoods where permanent affordable housing units are being built. Infill
housing is done in a respectful manner taking into consideration the
neighbourhood and specifically the two houses on either side of the
infill. Finally, various transportation modes such as the LRT, new bus
routes, bike lanes and walking paths are created to build a connected
community.
I♥E/ What are some of the city/community initiatives that you loved and would like to expand upon?
LJW/ The City of Edmonton is aspirational
in its innovation, initiatives and strategies. All 5 focus areas lend
well to building a great city. I like the Edmonton Smart City
initiative; I think adding free wi-fi in all city of Edmonton facilities
including transit centres would be a great way to ensure consistent and
low-cost access to the internet for all Edmontonians.
I support the city's
focus on women in leadership and Gender Based Analysis on city policies under
the Women’s Initiative, however I would also add affordable childcare, which is
easily accessible in all neighbourhoods, and add the Economic Development for
Women portfolio to WAVE.
I♥E/ What are some of the city/community initiatives that you are/were against, and what would you do differently?
LJW/ With gender-based violence and
sexual assault prevention initiative I would the conversation around the
perpetrators of violence and assault, and the importance of recognizing that
the perpetrators behavior needs to change if we are to eliminate violence and
assault against women. We also need to pay attention to places within the
city which enhance gender-based violence and sexual assault such as massage
parlors and ensure they are eradicated.
Edmonton’s Urban Wellness Plan is
very aspirational however there is no mention of community leagues or
libraries, or neighbourhood connect programs as places of connection.
Under the Engagement & Inclusion
I would add Newcomers since Edmonton’s population growth will be based on
newcomers and also add children and youth, as they are our future.
The SafeCity YEG not only captures
the safe and unsafe places but also should capture the gender and ethnicity of
the person answering the question. This will give a clearer picture of
who is feeling safe and unsafe in Edmonton.
Nowhere in the City
of Edmonton Innovate and strategies did I find racial equity. Racial
equity needs to be focused on if we are to build a city where everyone not only
belongs but everyone also thrives.
I♥E/ Do you think elected officials, such as City Councillors, should be able to block people on social media sites like Twitter?
LJW/ As a public official, social media needs to be seen as an opportunity to
have conversations with each other. And just like conversations we might have
with each other in person, there needs to be a level of respect and common
courtesy extended. Just disagreeing with what someone has to say isn't enough
to walk away or block them, but that doesn't mean officials shouldn't have the right
to block abusive, intolerant, or otherwise harmful commenters.
I♥E/ When it comes to COVID-19 restrictions, what do you think we got wrong (if anything) as a city or province, and is there anything you would want to do differently (municipally OR provincially)?
LJW/ I think what we got wrong as a city is that we didn’t do enough to take
care of our people. We didn’t pay attention to the opportunities which
would lift off the tremendous amount of stress many of us faced. We could
have immediately ensured that workers in seniors homes were paid enough so that
they didn't have to go to multiple locations and jobs to make ends meet. We could have used many of the empty community league buildings as hubs
for 24 hour daycares so that parents could still work especially when
they were at home. We could have provided subsidized or free internet
service to families who needed internet service to attend school or work from home.
We could have used many empty universities and colleges rooms for junior and
senior high school learning. This would accommodate physical distancing
among hundreds of students and teachers. Finally, we could have used this
opportunity to leverage both the provincial and federal governments for long
term permanent affordable housing for the city's most vulnerable. I would
say our city council missed an opportunity to advocate for the needs of Edmontonians with the provincial and federal governments.
I♥E/ What is your favourite thing about living in Edmonton?
LJW/ My favourite thing about living in Edmonton is all the festivals. Almost every weekend my husband and I get on our bikes and go to different
festivals around town. I love the music and art festivals found at the
Strathearn Art Walk and Kaleido. I love hanging outside and listening to music
and looking at beautiful art while hanging out with friends and family and
eating street food.
I♥E/ Can you describe yourself in 5 words or less?
LJW/ Introvert who loves human interaction.
Thank you, Liz!
Follow along with the candidates on Twitter See Liz's Platform/Priorities HERE. Visit Liz's website HERE.
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