Why Coalition Building is Important
As part of our roles on the Edmonton City Council, not only does each Councillor represent a Ward to shape broader city-wide direction, we also represent the City’s interest on a number of different Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABC’s). One of the boards which I have the privilege of serving on is Alberta Municipalities (ABMunis). In this blog I want to share more about the organization and its work, my role as a board member, and updates from our latest Alberta-wide convention where Edmonton’s resolution on harm reduction and the drug poisoning crisis moved forward with overwhelming support (see the video above).
What is Alberta Municipalities?
Alberta Municipalities (formerly known as AUMA) is a coalition which serves 300+ municipalities across the province. ABMunis represents diverse interests from cities, towns, villages, and summer villages. Along with elected officials from other municipalities, I serve on the board with Councillor Andrew Knack from Ward Nakota Isga, bringing forward perspectives from big cities with over 1 million people.
Why is Alberta Municipalities important?
I’ve always believed in coalition-building and I resonate deeply with ABMunis’ motto of “Strength in Members.” Many of the priorities for the City require provincial input, whether through policy or regulation updates, or funding, and Edmonton cannot always advocate alone. Having a united front with municipalities who have shared interests creates a stronger approach. Being part of a coalition like ABMunis, as well as others at national levels including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Climate Caucus, has helped to move forward and shape key provincial and federal policy agendas such as housing, infrastructure, and clean energy opportunities. At the end of the day, it is vitally important for Edmonton to have a seat at all of these tables.
What is the Annual Convention?
Last week was the Annual ABMunis Convention, where member municipalities from across Alberta came together to connect in Calgary. During the convention we have a number of different education sessions including one I hosted on “Freedom of Expression and Public Safety: Balancing Rights and Duties”. During this session we had speakers from Brownlee LLP present a legal post-mortem analysis of the freedom convoy protests in Edmonton and Calgary as a case study. It was topical and highly engaging, offering a sobering look at the tension and challenge local elected officials hold when dealing with similar protests.
The convention is also a massive opportunity for cities, towns, and villages to connect with Provincial Ministers and elected officials, where much of our advocacy lies. We had several rounds of questions (or “Bears Den”) with various ministers, from infrastructure, to community and social services, to housing, and labour and immigration. Local leaders were able to ask about topics that not only affected their community but had relevance across the province. Leader of the opposition and our Premier also made an appearance. Both excellent speakers, the two MLAs presented different narratives about the current state and the future of our province - one balancing inclusive economy and social policy and the other largely focused on economy. With the UCP leadership election on October 6th, UCP candidates also attended the convention and shared their various policy positions and a glimpse of what the future of Alberta could look like under their leadership.
What is a Resolution?
One of the most important aspects of the Convention are the resolutions, which if passed, set the work plans, advocacy agenda and priorities for each of the AbMunis committees dedicated to individual topics including Safe and Healthy Communities (where I serve as the Vice-Chair), Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Municipal Governance.
Resolutions are passed by municipal leadership, and require a formal vote by the City Council proposing it. This year, I worked with my Council colleagues and city staff to sponsor a resolution, supported by the City of Wetaskiwin, to advocate for a provincial drug poisoning strategy that emphasizes a 4-pillared public health approach which prioritizes harm reduction just as much as recovery. The drug poisoning crisis is not only a big city problem, but is felt in towns and municipalities across Alberta. I was proud to see the resolution passed with an overwhelming 90% support from my elected colleagues across the province.
Future opportunities
Since our City’s resolution and advocacy at September’s convention, the Province announced on October 1st that it will be investing $187 million over two years, with $124 million to be spent on addiction and mental health services and $63 million on housing supports. A large portion of this funding is earmarked for Edmonton. I look forward to seeing how our advocacy on the drug poisoning crisis, as well as on issues raised by other municipalities, continues to unfold with the new leader, cabinet, and government.
I have been appointed to another term on the AbMunis board, and hope to deepen relationships with Council colleagues in other communities, seek future opportunities for collaboration and joint advocacy, and gain greater understanding for municipal governance and leadership. Given so much of our city-building work requires input and collaboration with other orders of government, I would love to hear if there are key provincial advocacy issues that you think we should prioritize. Send me a note at keren.tang@edmonton.ca!
