ELECTION 2025: CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP - DAY 11

Campaign Roundup - Day 11

• Edmonton Elections is preparing contingency plans due to the Canada Post strike. Voter information cards may not be delivered, so residents can use online tools to find polling locations, ID requirements, and special ballot procedures. The City is offering 12 advanced voting stations, 222 regular stations, and options to pick up or return special ballots in person. Edmonton Elections is also boosting digital communications, including social media and digital billboards, to ensure voters have access to essential election information.
• Small business owners are urging mayoral candidates to address their concerns, particularly around crime, construction, and municipal spending. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports that over 70% of Alberta small business owners feel municipalities are not attentive to their needs, nearly 60% believe they don’t get fair value for property taxes, and 55% feel treated unfairly by local government.
• Four Edmonton mayoral candidates - Andrew Knack, Tim Cartmell, Michael Walters, and Rahim Jaffer - spoke at a forum on downtown challenges, arts and culture, and the City’s relationship with the Province. Candidates highlighted issues such as public safety, parking, and homelessness in the downtown core, with Cartmell emphasizing accessibility and safety, while Jaffer, Knack, and Walters focused on stable funding, reduced red tape, and greater inclusion for arts organizations. The forum also addressed tensions between the City and provincial government, with Knack and Walters calling for improved collaboration and action on housing and infrastructure, and Jaffer criticizing Edmonton for not leveraging its relationship with the province effectively.
• Mayoral candidate Rahim Jaffer pledged that, if elected, he will integrate 911 with 211 to ensure emergency and community resources are directed efficiently, which he believes will result in faster responses, reduced waste, and a safer, stronger city.