Tweet With only 4 days left until the conclusion of Edmonton’s 2013 municipal election, Mack Male and I were happy to welcome guests Patricia Misutka and Chris Labossiere to our latest #yegvote Google Hangout. Over the course of the hour-long hangout, we had a great discussion that touched on some
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daveberta.ca - Alberta politics: 7 City Council races to watch in Edmonton
TweetWith most attention focused on Edmonton’s mayoral election, it is important to remember there are a number of contest for City Council that could produce interesting results on election day. There are seven Wards that I will be keeping a close watch on when voting ends on October 21. Ward
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Why I am supporting Don Iveson for mayor
TweetEdmonton has adopted a more ambitious attitude since Stephen Mandel became Mayor in 2004. I voted for Mr. Mandel in that election because he embodied an exciting and forward-looking change that contrasted sharply with the past decade of mediocre leadership. In many ways, I feel the same way about Don
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Mayoral election a race between Don Iveson and Kerry Diotte
TweetIt has become clear to this political watcher that Edmonton’s mayoral election has become a race between two candidates with distinct competing visions for Edmonton. And those two candidates are Don Iveson and Kerry Diotte. Don Iveson has positioned himself as the candidate who is looking beyond the status-quo and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: #yegvote Google Hangout with Kerry Diotte
Tweet Last night on the #yegvote Google Hangout, Ryan Hastman, Mack Male and I were joined by mayoral candidate Kerry Diotte. We faced some minor technical difficulties, but overall I feel we had a good conversation with Mr. Diotte about his campaign for mayor and some of the key issues
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Edmonton Election Substance and Style #1
TweetWith Edmonton’s election campaign in full-swing, it is easy for this political watcher to miss a moment or campaign announcement over the course of a week. At the beginning or end of each week, I plan to compile ‘Substance and Style’, a summary of some the week’s events that I
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: PC Party tries to use mayor candidates as headliners for fundraiser
TweetIn a strange departure from the non-partisan politics of civic elections, it appeared for a moment today that three main candidates in Edmonton’s mayoral election were headlining a fundraiser for a Progressive Conservative Party constituency association. Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths was even slated as its host. Once the event
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Nomination Day: Edmonton civic election official starts today
TweetDedicated citizens across Alberta will gather this morning in town halls and community centres to submit their nomination forms to become official candidates in this year’s municipal elections. In the capital city, the excitement is taking place at Edmonton’s downtown City Hall. With three-term Mayor Stephen Mandel not seeking re-election,
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: #yegvote Google Hangout with Steven Dollansky
Tweet After a week-long break from the world of political writing and social media, I was happy to return just in time for yesterday’s sixth edition of the #yegvote Google Hangout. This week, Ryan Hastman and I were joined by guest Steven Dollansky, who sat in for Mack Male, who
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: #yegvote Google Hangout with Don Iveson
Tweet Last night, we had the pleasure of having Edmonton mayoral candidate Don Iveson as our special guest on the fourth #yegvote Google Hangout. Over the course of the hangout, Ryan Hastman, Mack Male, and I questioned Don on some of the hottest issues of the election campaign. The conversation
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Politics with your Folk
TweetFor this political junkie, one of the small highlights of attending Edmonton’s Folk Music Festival each year is flipping through the $5 programme book to sneak a look at the political ads placed in the programme guide. The political ads are always from politicians sitting in the political centre or left
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Don Iveson brings new energy to Edmonton’s mayoral election.
TweetCouncillor Don Iveson announced his candidacy for mayor this week, rounding out the list of the most likely candidates expected to run for Mayor of Edmonton this year. Councillor Iveson has represented south Edmonton on city council for two terms and is well-known as an advocate of sustainability and smart
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Karen Leibovici launches Mandel 2013 campaign
TweetCouncillor Karen Leibovici launched her campaign for mayor of Edmonton at a press conference this morning at the CKUA building in downtown Edmonton. The four-term city councillor kicked-off her campaign by delivering a speech that sounded as if it should have been delivered by outgoing Mayor Stephen Mandel, had he
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Edmonton election heats up in early summer months
TweetAmarjeet Sohi opts out for mayor. Scott McKeen rumoured in Ward 6. Amarjeet Sohi announced this week that he will not jump into Edmonton’s open mayoral race. The two-term councillor, who had been pondering a run for mayor, will instead run for re-election in his south side Ward 12, where he
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Mandel’s retirement kicks-off Edmonton’s first open mayoral race in 45 years.
TweetEdmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel‘s announcement yesterday that he will not seek re-election in the October 21, 2013 election has made way for our city’s first real open mayoral contest in 45 years. Over those 45 years, Mandel is only the second Edmonton Mayor to leave on his own terms. In 1988,
Continue readingIn This Corner: Thanks, Mayor Mandel. Now, on to business…
First, a thank you to Stephen Mandel for his years of service to our city. Politics — particularly civic politics — is a tough way to make a living, and in my view Mandel has acquitted himself very well in his nine years as mayor. If you can be in
Continue readingIn This Corner: Kerry Diotte the front-runner … for now.
For months now, the city has been watching a tedious production called Waiting for Stephen to come to its end — is Mayor Mandel in, or is he out? All other potential or rumoured candidates — Karen Leibovici, Don Iveson, Kerry Diotte and Amajreet Sohi — have kept their powder
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Kerry Diotte to launch run for Mayor of Edmonton?
TweetEdmonton City Council’s resident contrarian Kerry Diotte is holding a press conference this afternoon to announce his political future. In the wake of yesterday’s “final” vote on the proposed downtown arena project, it is expected that the former Edmonton Sun columnist could launch his campaign for Mayor today. Photos leaked
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Will Downtown Arena funding be issue #1 in Edmonton’s municipal elections?
TweetScrambling to fill $55 million in missing funding for the proposed Katz Group downtown arena, City Councillors voted last week to postpone any final vote on financing the project. Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel won the support of enough Capital Region politicians last week to potentially secure an extra $25 million
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Funding Edmonton’s Downtown Arena, the strange comedy of errors continues.
TweetThe strange comedy of errors that has become Edmonton’s Downtown Arena project continued this week as City Council scrambled to fill a $100 million gap in a funding plan they approved months ago. Despite repeated claims by Mayor Stephen Mandel that provincial government money would fill the $100 million gap, anyone
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