Dear friends,

Since I last wrote, I’ve had the deep privilege of doing what I love: connecting with all of you. There were so many incredible community events in our Boyle Street and McCauley neighbourhoods over the last few months, including Mary Burlie Day, Festa Italiana, Community League Day, Heart of the City Festival, and so many Chinatown events: the Chinatown Summer Festival, Chinatown After Dark, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Society’s Dragon Festival, which included the National Lion Dance Championships - just to name a few!

I truly love spending a lot of time in Boyle Street and McCauley and whenever I’m there, I’m always reminded of the amazing, vibrant, caring, and compassionate communities that we are so fortunate to share. 

And now the leaves have turned, and the days are getting much shorter, so I want to wish you all a happy fall! Autumn is a beautiful season in Edmonton, and it is also an exciting time of new beginnings, specifically for our youngest community members: students. 

Amidst the excitement this year, when knocking on your doors and connecting at events, I’ve heard from so many of you who are worried about education in our province. And so many of you have been urging me to keep amplifying the voices of Alberta teachers who have been asking the current government for something quite simple: support. 

Support with 

• Smaller class sizes so students can get the attention they need,
• More educational assistants so children don’t fall through the cracks,
• Funding for appropriate and evidence-based learning resources, and 
• Fair wages that, at minimum, cover the skyrocketing inflation we’ve all experienced over the past few years. 

As always, you can count on me and my Alberta NDP Caucus colleagues to stand up for public education, stand up for students, and stand up for teachers and education workers who want to give students the best possible education in a safe and healthy environment. 

Beyond the pressing concerns regarding education, you’ve told me that you want to see action on the extremely concerning changes to AISH, better access to mental health supports, meaningful attention to the ongoing drug poisoning crisis, funding for affordable housing, and so much more. 

When my colleagues and I head back to the Legislature at the end of October, I’m ready to keep fighting for our communities at every opportunity. I am so honoured to represent you, so please keep in touch and continue to share your priorities and concerns – my door (and inbox!) is always open.

In the meantime, I hope to see you out and about this fall and winter, celebrating all the ways in which our community comes together! 

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