Connect with us

Alberta

City of Edmonton dumping two deputy city managers, bringing in new Chief Climate Officer

Published

5 minute read

News Release from The City of Edmonton

City Manager reduces number of departments, executives in move to focus on priorities

City Manager Andre Corbould has reduced the number of city departments and deputy city managers from seven to five, reduced the number of leadership positions in the City, and introduced a broader approach to decision making within City Administration.
Departments providing services (City Operations, Community Services, Financial & Corporate Services, Integrated Infrastructure Services, and Urban Planning & Economy) will continue. The former Employee Services and Communications & Engagement departments will be considered enabling services, see the size of their leadership teams reduced, and be incorporated into the Office of the City Manager.
The City’s Executive Leadership Team will also include a new Chief Climate Officer and the Chief of Staff will take on additional responsibilities as corporate lead for anti-racism and reconciliation. “This team of leaders will ensure that beyond policy and financial matters, we are also actively considering environment and inclusion when we are making decisions about building our city,” said Corbould. The team will continue to include human resources and communications leaders, now as newly-appointed Chief People Officer & City Solicitor Michelle Plouffe and a Chief Communications Officer.
The number of front-line staff remains unchanged, although there are a number of structural adjustments across the organization
  • Some communications teams will report to the deputy city managers of individual departments, while others remain in a centralized unit focused on priority issues like climate resilience, housing and economic development.
  • One human resources branch has been dissolved, with teams moving to other areas providing similar services, and the Legal Services and Employee Services teams are together in one division.
  • Edmonton Fire Rescue Services will reduce its number of senior level Deputy Fire Chief positions from five to three, with additional Assistant Deputy Fire Chiefs added at a lower level. The new structure will enhance services such as emergency management, and workforce supports such as mental health and safety. The number of firefighters remains unchanged.
“With strategic direction set by the City Plan, Council’s budget direction to reduce spending and focus on priorities, and Edmontonians’ requirements for core services, I am confident that these adjustments will equip us to accomplish the work at hand,” Corbould continued.
The savings from these adjustments will be applied toward OP12, direction from Council to reduce spending by $60 million, to reallocate $240 million toward priority initiatives, and report frequently on results.
“Edmontonians gave a strong mandate to Council to improve core services, invest in public transit, create conditions for economic development, tackle affordable housing and climate change and build a more equitable city for all. That work started the day we took office and was further advanced through the approval of the 2023-2026 budget where Council made significant investments in those priority areas. City Council also directed administration to find $60 million in savings over four years through the 2023-2026 budget and reallocate an additional $240 million to these priority areas. That work is underway through OP12,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
“Council further directed the city manager to streamline city administration to align it with City Council priorities. The changes implemented by the city manager do that. I have full confidence in the city manager and our administration to implement these changes, and that they won’t impact frontline services. Organizational change is always difficult and everyone who has served our city has left a meaningful impact and I want to thank each person for their service. They helped to make our city a brighter place, and their efforts are appreciated. I also want to thank all our staff who help us to make Edmonton a better place each and every day. City council looks forward to continuing to support administration through this difficult work, and we look forward to seeing how they’ll find $240 million that can be transitioned to Council’s priority areas of housing, climate change, public transit, and core services,” he continued.

Alberta-owned independent media company. We specialize in local, regional, and national news and information. We promote events, businesses, organizations in the Edmonton region. Contact us at [email protected].

Follow Author

Alberta

New red tape reporting website will help ramp up housing construction in Alberta

Published on

Helping builders by putting an end to housing delays

Alberta’s new Stop Housing Delays online portal will allow developers, municipalities and other housing partners to report red tape and unnecessary home-building delays.

Alberta’s government is focused on ensuring Albertans have access to the housing they need, and that means working to streamline processes, cut red tape and reduce delays that are slowing housing construction down. As part of this work, government has launched a new online portal to help in these efforts.

The Stop Housing Delays online portal is now available for developers and municipal authorities to help identify areas that are preventing fast and efficient residential construction. This portal will help government identify and address barriers to building homes across the province.

“The Stop Housing Delays portal will allow Alberta’s government to hear directly from developers, municipalities and other partners on where delays are happening in the construction process. This will help identify and remove barriers, ultimately getting homes built faster and continuing Alberta’s record home-building pace.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

“Alberta’s government will continue to work with municipalities and find solutions to speed up the home-building process. The Stop Housing Delays portal will give us another tool to inform those discussions and identify areas where we can improve the pace of home building.”

Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

Once developers, municipalities or industry partners have submitted their issue using the online form, government will collect and assess the information provided. Alberta’s government will be taking a collaborative, cross-ministry approach to ensure the appropriate departments are working together to find solutions where possible. Solutions may range from minor changes to policy reform.

Alberta’s government continues to support builders and encourage new residential housing construction by reducing red tape, incentivizing housing construction and supporting innovative strategies to build homes faster than ever.

“This webpage is an excellent opportunity to gather knowledge and further eliminate red tape. Government has been persistent in our approach of cutting red tape and removing roadblocks, and this will help to speed up residential construction. I look forward to hearing from developers and our other partners on how we can help get projects moving and Albertans in homes.”

Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

Alberta continues to see strong housing starts and increases while other provinces across Canada are seeing a reduction in housing starts. The first half of 2024 saw 9,903 apartment unit starts in the province. This marks the highest amount in any half year in Alberta’s history, breaking the previous record of 9,750 set in 1977. Albertans will benefit from 33,577 new housing starts from January through September 2024, up 35 per cent from the same period last year. Alberta’s government remains focused on working with industry and non-profit partners to ensure that the province’s growing population has access to the housing it needs.

“This portal is a valuable tool for industry to highlight gaps, barriers and delays that may need to be prioritized and addressed by either local or provincial governments. Real solutions can only emerge through transparency, open communication and collaboration. This is an important step toward identifying the unique challenges each region and municipality faces in delivering attainable housing.”

Scott Fash, chief executive officer, BILD Alberta Association

Quick Facts

  • Housing starts for January – September 2024 compared with January – September 2023
    • Provincewide: 33,577 compared with 24,904 (up 35 per cent)
    • Edmonton: 13,359 compared with 9,099 (up 47 per cent)
    • Calgary: 17,414 compared with 14,141 (up 23 per cent)
    • Lethbridge: 599 compared with 148 (up 305 per cent)
    • Red Deer: 314 compared with 146 (up 115 per cent)
  • Data shows Alberta had 10,699 purpose-built rentals, making up 32 per cent of all housing starts.
  • Since 2019, Alberta’s government has invested almost $850 million to build more than 5,100 units and close to 900 shelter spaces. This includes projects we have committed to, that are in progress and that are complete.
  • Together with its partners, Alberta’s government is supporting $9 billion in investments into affordable housing to support 25,000 additional low-income households by 2031.

Related information

Continue Reading

Alberta

Turning resources into new jobs and products

Published on

(Left to right: Stéphane Germain, president of GHGSat; John Adams, president and CEO, NGIF Capital and NGIF Accelerator and managing partner of Cleantech Ventures; Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas; Scott Volk, director of emissions and innovation, Tourmaline Oil; Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta)

New funding will advance technologies that turn Alberta’s natural resources, such as bitumen, into materials of the future.

Alberta is Canada’s third-largest producer of manufactured goods and materials and first in clean technology innovation. At the same time, manufacturing companies around the world are looking for ways to make products like concrete, plastics, food, wood, chemicals and machinery more efficient, more durable, easier to recycle and better for the environment.

Alberta’s government is investing $40 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program to advance technologies that will turn everyday items that would otherwise be wasted or dumped in landfills into modern, low-emission products. These technologies will help create jobs, reduce emissions and help Alberta’s manufacturing industry lead the world.

“We have the resources, expertise and entrepreneurs needed to create some of the most advanced materials in the world. This funding competition will help develop new and exciting technologies that reduce emissions, create jobs, reuse waste and keep growing our economy.”

Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

Advanced materials are increasing in global demand. They are new or significantly improved materials that provide a distinct advantage in performance when compared to conventional materials. Advanced materials have already been used to create new construction materials, improved batteries and fuel cells and lighter, stronger aircrafts, bicycles and golf clubs, among other products.

Led by Emissions Reduction Alberta, Alberta’s new funding competition will support scale-up, pilot, and demonstration and first-of-kind commercial technologies that improve the extraction, production, manufacturing, and performance of new and existing materials and products in Alberta. It is open to a wide a range of applicants including researchers, businesses, municipalities and Indigenous communities.

“Enhancing existing products and developing new materials with superior performance while embracing circular economy strategies will help deliver deeper emissions reductions, enhance supply chain resiliency and strengthen industrial competitiveness. This funding, sourced from Alberta’s TIER regulation, is critical and the possibilities are endless.”

Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta

The focus of this funding is to help create technologies that turn resources into modern, new products. This includes emerging technologies extracting high value metals like vanadium, titanium and lithium found within natural resources such as bitumen and creating novel, carbon-absorbing materials. These can then be used to improve everything from construction material and consumer electronics to aircrafts and hockey sticks.

“Emerging technology solutions, such as creating advanced carbon products from bitumen, are critical to lowering emissions and creating jobs in the province. Alberta Innovates is pleased to support this call and work closely with Emissions Reduction Alberta to realize a new future for Albertans.”

Dr. Michael Mahon, CEO, Alberta Innovates

“By transforming our abundant natural resources into advanced, low-carbon materials, we are not only driving emissions reductions but also creating valuable opportunities for industry growth and export potential. The Government of Alberta’s investment through Emissions Reduction Alberta’s Advanced Materials Challenge demonstrates a commitment to building a resilient economy that harnesses Alberta’s strengths in new and sustainable ways.”

Md Golam Kibria, co-founder and scientific director, CarboMat Inc.

Quick facts

  • Applications for the Advanced Materials Challenge close on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 5 PM MST.
  • Successful applicants are eligible for up to $5 million.
  • Applications are open to innovators, technology developers, commercial and industrial building owners, municipalities, Indigenous communities, small and medium-sized businesses, research and development organizations, universities, and not-for-profit organizations.
  • Applications are open to emerging technologies. While technology solutions can originate from anywhere globally, they must be piloted, demonstrated or deployed in Alberta.
  • The TIER system uses industry dollars to help Alberta facilities find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to stay competitive and save money.
  • Full details on the Advanced Materials Challenge can be found on Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.

Related information

Continue Reading

Trending

X