Dear friends,

I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer so far! It’s been so nice to have the opportunity to spend some time outside in the sun, and to join you in celebrating all that our Boyle Street and McCauley communities have to offer.

Since we’ve been out of the legislature, I’ve been spending my summer catching up with constituents across my riding. I’ve seen many of you at local community events, but I’ve also had the chance to connect with you at your doorstep to make sure that I’ve had the chance to chat directly with as many of you as possible, and hear your concerns.

I’ve received a lot of great feedback from you all about what you’re seeing from the provincial government, and about what you would like to see in order to ensure a safe, fulfilling, and equitable future for all Albertans.

Many of you have shared your concerns with health care, including your experiences when you or your loved ones have needed to access care urgently, but have not been able to do so as the UCP government allows our health care system in Alberta to collapse. We’ve talked about the need for accessible and timely public health care for all Albertans, as wait times in hospitals and for surgeries continue to skyrocket. This isn’t how it should be anywhere, let alone in a province as wealthy as ours.

Many of you have also told me that as you look ahead to the coming school year, you are deeply concerned about the quality of education for your kids. We agree that teachers and school support staff are absolutely doing their best to ensure that every student in Alberta receives the education they need to set them up for lifelong success, but that the UCP government is making this increasingly difficult as class sizes balloon while supports diminish. Please know that I’ll keep advocating for our students, teachers, and school support staff on these issues.

I also know that countless neighbours are struggling with housing insecurity, and that many are currently unhoused or are on the edge of becoming unhoused. This is truly a life-or-death issue, and it’s a priority for me to continue to push the UCP government to ensure that all Albertans have access to safe and affordable housing. This includes the need for investments in permanent supportive housing, action on out of control rents, and more robust subsidies. 

Finally, I continue to hear from community members who are alarmed by the separatist movement that has been stoked by the UCP government. I know that the vast majority of Albertans, and certainly the vast majority of Boyle Street and McCauley residents, are proud to be Canadian and are very serious when they say that Alberta must remain a part of Canada. You’ve got my commitment that I will keep being a loud and proud Canadian!

I’ve been outspoken and active on these issues and more throughout the summer, and I’m looking forward to bringing my voice back to the legislature in October. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to share your concerns too, no matter what they are. You can call or email my office anytime. I hope to see you out in the community or on your doorstep soon!

In the meantime, as always, take good care of yourselves and each other.

Janis Irwin, MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood
Email: Edmonton.HighlandsNorwood@assembly.ab.ca
Phone: 780-414-0682