Spring has sprung and City Hall is also buzzing with activity. I’m pleased to have the chance to share some updates on what’s happening around O-day’min.

Budget Engagement Session

On April 28th, we hosted our Ward O-day’min Budget Engagement Session at Westglen School. Thank you to everyone who came out to share your priorities and ideas for Edmonton’s 2027–2030 budget.

Mayor Knack and I really appreciated the thoughtful conversations, diverse feedback, and creative ideas you all have for our city. We received many sticky notes with thoughts about where the City should invest more or less, how to balance taxes and services, and what people see as Edmonton’s biggest priorities moving forward.

Public engagement plays an important role in shaping the City’s budget process, and all feedback gathered during the session will help inform the analysis and recommendations coming to Council later this year. As we move closer to the fall budget discussions, I look forward to connecting with even more residents about the future of Edmonton and the ward. As always, please feel free to reach out if you would like to connect or share your thoughts.

Constructions Projects Around O-day’min

A number of major infrastructure projects continue to move forward as part of the City’s focus on quality services and growth management. These projects are designed to make it easier for us to get around, stay active, and connect with one another. There are a number of notable projects in O-day’min:

• McCauley and Boyle Street Renewal are both entering their last year of construction. More details about where construction is happening can be found on the City website. For areas that are already done, be sure to report to 311 any issues you’re noticing (like grass that hasn’t survived, or concrete that’s already cracking) so that those things can get fixed by our contractors. 
• Streetscape upgrades on 97th Street are currently being designed. This will include public realm improvements like lighting, benches, and potential electrical upgrades to accommodate decorative lighting and lanterns. There will be opportunities for public input throughout the year so stay tuned!
• Construction on the new Chinatown Gate on 97th Street and Jasper Avenue has begun. This intersection will be closed starting on May 29th so be sure to look for alternative routes. I’m excited for this beautiful new addition to our community. 
• Construction is continuing on the Valley Line West LRT project. Vehicle traffic on 102nd Avenue is closed between 102nd Street and 107th Street but that stretch is scheduled to be complete at the end of this year. 
• Construction is also underway for Imagine Jasper Avenue from 115th Street to 124th Street (it’s looking great so far!).
• A new shared use path is coming along 112th Avenue that will connect McCauley to the east, starting on 92nd Street and a local bikeway connector on 110A Avenue.
• New priority bus lanes on 101st Street are coming south of 104th Avenue. Council recently restored parking in front of Thanh Thanh, Padmandi, and Freecloud Records during lunch hour to support these great businesses. 
• While these projects can cause disruption, I’m grateful for all this investment going into our community. And the results are well worth it: a more connected, resilient, and beautiful city. 

Expanding the Problem Property Initiative

Run down buildings have a big impact in our community, making our neighbourhoods less safe and less attractive. Back in 2023, City Council introduced a new policy that tripled the property tax on derelict houses. This program saw great success, with over a third of the properties demolished or rehabilitated in the first year alone.

Building on this success, we’re looking to expand the derelict property tax to commercial buildings. This will give the City a new tool to address highly problematic occupied and unoccupied properties that generate frequent complaints, ongoing disorder, or serious safety concerns (I’m sure we can all think of one or two in the area!). The new tax would make sure that these properties were paying a premium to reflect the cost to services they have, and act as a motivator to fix up or tear down these eyesores.

There are a number of steps that our taxation team will be taking to prepare this new tax, and we’re expecting a report back in early 2027. I’m hopeful that this new tax will prove as successful as the residential tax, and help us achieve our Council priority of building safer neighbourhoods. Please do be sure to continue reporting troublesome properties - this is an important part in making sure we capture all the derelict properties. 

Signing Off

Thank you, as always, for your ideas, your advocacy, and for your ongoing care for the community. I look forward to continuing these conversations in the months ahead. 

Anne Stevenson, City Councillor for Ward O-day’min
Email: anne.stevenson@edmonton.ca
Phone: 780-496-8333

Editor's note: This is a longer version of the article that appears in the June-July 2026 print edition.