Alberta premier Danielle Smith and Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi meet Tuesday – Edmonton | 24CA News
For the primary time since turning into Alberta premier 5 months in the past, Danielle Smith will sit down with Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
The two are set to satisfy at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday on the Alberta legislature.
Both Smith and Sohi mentioned Monday they had been trying ahead to the assembly.
“I am always optimistic,” Sohi mentioned. “It’s my job … to continue to advocate on behalf of Edmontonians.”
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The premier mentioned she hadn’t but obtained a precedence checklist from Calgary’s mayor, however mentioned, by way of group consultations, she understood a high precedence for Calgary is public security.
Smith mentioned she had obtained a letter from Sohi, outlining probably the most pressing points for Edmonton.
“The priorities for Edmonton are around the same issue: mental health, addiction, social supports, affordable housing.”
Smith mentioned she’s trying ahead to assembly with Calgary’s mayor too.
Sohi mentioned Monday that the town is grappling with broader points that fall within the provincial authorities’s purview: psychological well being, addictions, drug poisonings and houselessness.
“We cannot resolve these issues on our own,” he mentioned. “We need the province to step up because these are provincial responsibilities.
“We are giving Edmonton police another $13 million in 2023, more than 2022.
“We are opening up the Healthy Streets Operations centre in Chinatown, we increased transit security officers, we are investing in crisis diversion and we are hiring more social workers.”
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He mentioned the town is doing what it might probably, however different orders of presidency have to drag their weight.
“Cities are not responsible for public health,” Sohi mentioned.
“We don’t have the mandate, we don’t have the resources and we don’t have the authority to do many of the things that the province can do in these areas.”
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“I’m going to be stressing all these points with (the premier) and her officials. And I hope they recognize that people are hurting, our communities are hurting and our businesses are hurting.”
— More to come back…
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