Particle.news
Download on the App Store
42 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Edmonton and Calgary Candidates Largely Shun Party Labels Under Alberta’s New Municipal Rules

Critics warn the reintroduced corporate and union donations will bring big-money influence to local campaigns.

A sign welcoming visitors to Carberry, Man., is seen in this file photo. Organizers of the town’s annual Homecoming Festival say the event has been cancelled this year and rebranded as the Prairie Harvest Festival after an internal probe uncovered financial irregularities that have been turned over to the RCMP.
Image
A cyclist makes their way past a home with both Amarjeet Sohi and Mike Nickel mayoral election signs in the front yard in Edmonton, on Oct. 4, 2021.
Image

Overview

  • With about 150 candidates counted weeks before the Sept. 22 nomination deadline for the Oct. 20 vote, 47 (about 31%) are party-affiliated and nearly 70% are independents, according to Postmedia’s review.
  • Edmonton slates include Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE) and Better Edmonton led by mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell, while Calgary groups include A Better Calgary Party, Calgary Party and Communities First.
  • Legislation passed last year allows party labels on municipal ballots for the first time in decades, restores union and corporate donations, and permits party-linked candidates to outspend independents.
  • Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams’ office says the change gives voters clearer insight into candidates’ priorities, as Alberta Municipalities, the Opposition NDP and both big-city mayors voice concerns about transparency and divisiveness.
  • Recent economic signals add pressure to refocus on jobs and services, with a reported 17,000 jobs lost in Alberta last month, unemployment at 7.8% and youth joblessness just over 20%, tech postings down 19% from early 2020, and Scotiabank flagging 18–26-year-olds as most financially strained.