Optimistic On Relationship With Province: Edmonton Councillor
In the days after the 2023 Alberta Provincial Election, Premier Danielle Smith said that she was would be calling on Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and Edmonton Councillors to address the issues of Alberta's largest City.
This came after the United Conservative Party was shut out of the provincial capital on eleciton night.
During a press conference, alongside Alberta Municipalities, Edmonton City Councillor Andrew Knack was asked if his office had been approached by the governing UCP.
The city councillor expressed his optimism about the growing collaboration between the Alberta government and municipalities, emphasizing the need to work together on issues impacting Edmontonians.
Knack said that the recent road tour the Municipal organization, that was wrapping up in Spruce Grove, was a great way to connect with United Conservative MLA's, "I want to acknowledge we had MLA, Scott Cyr (Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul) who had come out and he actually stayed with us the entire time.
"And at the end of the session, (Cyr) had asked us in Edmonton, can we make sure we bring together the northern MLAs and work together to deal with issues that impact Edmonton," Knack added.
Knack said that Cyr acknowledged the interconnectedness of Edmonton's challenges with those faced by other regions in Alberta, "He was noting that the issues that impact Edmonton are issues that impact the entire province, and a lot of folks in northern Alberta are going to come through Edmonton, and that's an opportunity for people to make sure we're working together on these issues that matter each and every day." The City Councillor shared his belief that such collaboration will only increase in the future, citing a recent conversation he had with Minister of Children Services Searle Turton, who possesses a deep understanding of municipal matters.
Knack expressed his confidence in a strong relationship between the provincial government and municipalities, "I'm very optimistic that we're going to see a very strong relationship, a great willingness to come together from the provincial government to work with municipalities not just in Edmonton, but across this province."
He underlined the importance of unified efforts and the benefits that can be derived from collective problem-solving.
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