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“Countries investing in cities are winning.”
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson joins Dave Cournoyer on the Daveberta Podcast to talk about being a big city mayor during the COVID-19 global pandemic, municipal relations with the provincial government, and Edmonton’s rapid plan to end homelessness.
Iveson has served as Mayor since 2013 and was previously a City Councillor in southwest Edmonton from 2007 to 2013.
Thanks to Mayor Iveson for setting some time aside to join us on the podcast. And thank you to our producer Adam Rozenhart for making the podcast sound so good.
The Daveberta Podcast is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally grown. Community supported. The Alberta Podcast Network includes dozens of great made-in-Alberta podcasts.
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Recommended Reading
- Edmonton’s Rapid Plan to End Homelessness (DonIveson.ca, Oct. 10, 2020)
- ‘Whatever it takes:’ Edmonton mayor pledges to end homelessness this fall (CBC, Oct. 2, 2020)
- Camp Pekiwewin calls for COVID-19 support, redoubles demand for free transit (CBC, Sept. 23, 2020)
- Iveson calls on province to pitch in $17.4 million annually for supportive housing complexes to address homelessness (Edmonton Journal, Oct. 8, 2020)
2 replies on “Episode 61: Don Iveson on being a Mayor during COVID and his plan to end homelessness”
How long has the city been planning to end homelessness? Really, it seems like decades and our current mayor has been talking about I think ever since he became mayor. Perhaps COVID is giving him and the rest of the slow moving administration behind him, a big needed kick in the pants, or perhaps it is the embarrassment of homeless camps sprouting up around town now this year. That seems like something out of the 1930’s.
I don’t know if our mayor plans to run again on his accomplishments or not, but ending homelessness sure does not seem to be one of them. Now, to be fair, its probably not a priority for voters either, but if you as a politician are going to go on and on about this for years, for goodness sake resolve it. Talk is cheap and it is now far past the point that this problem needs to be resolved. If you can’t do that, then just either say so or just stop talking about it.
Dave: In fact, the Alberta PCs had a 10 year plan to eradicate homelessness in Alberta. That was around 12 years ago, and it flopped. Any housing projects the Alberta PCs helped to build, were converted into condominiums. The UCP isn’t helping matters. Their cuts to AISH, as an example, will have a profound effect.