Core services are foundational to our quality of life. They mean clear roads on a snowy morning, reliable transit during spring finals, safe playgrounds for summer play, and well-kept sidewalks for an autumn walk.

I learned the value of core services in my first job with the City of Edmonton. During summer breaks from university, I worked as a labourer on the downtown parks crews. We were responsible for every open space from Mary Burlie to Paul Kane Park. I quickly saw how simple maintenance made the difference between a welcoming, uplifting space and a neglected, uncomfortable eyesore. 

Over the years, investment in these basic services hasn’t kept up. While the number of parks and roads increased across the city, budgets for maintenance, snow clearing, and landscaping steadily declined. The pandemic deepened the gap and made clear how fragile these services had become.

Since joining Council, I’ve worked hard to reverse this trend through strategic investments in the services we all rely on, including:

• Enhanced downtown maintenance: I secured funding for the Centre City Optimization program, improving cleanliness and maintenance across the core. From upgrades at parks like Ezio Farone and Grant Notley, new flower planters around the core, and faster responses to maintenance needs, the impact of their work is evident.

• Stronger transit: I pushed to reinvest in public transit, resulting in record ridership, new buses, and permanent On Demand Transit services to support riders across the city.

• Better access to community spaces: I endorsed extended hours at libraries, pools, and spray parks - Edmonton Public Library alone has seen a 67% increase in Sunday visits as a result.

• Improved snow clearing: I supported restoring funding to winter road and active pathways maintenance, and the introduction of the Assisted Snow Removal Pilot Program to help seniors and Edmontonians with mobility challenges.

Looking ahead, there’s more work to do. I’ve heard consistently from Edmontonians about some key priorities where investment in our core services is needed.

• Bylaw enforcement: from unkept properties to disruptive construction sites to noisy vehicles, we need more resources to tackle bad behaviours that detract from the enjoyment of our homes and neighbourhoods.

• Even better transit: I’m keen to build out our Bus Rapid Transit systems, and continue expanding service hours to ensure everyone has access to reliable bus routes, including enhanced DATS services

• Expanded Centre City Optimization: I want to build on the success of this program and roll out higher service levels to all of O-day’min, particularly in Business Improvement Areas like 124 Street, Kingsway, and Alberta Avenue. 

• Park renewal: we need to keep reinvesting in our existing parks to make these inviting spaces for everyone - including our four legged neighbours by funding the Dogs in Open Spaces strategy. 

Over the past four years, we’ve made real progress on improving core services. I’m committed to continuing this work to keep Edmonton running smoothly and make O-day’min an even better place to call home.