2023 Year in Review (Event Recap)

In 2023 as your City Councillor we convened a number of exciting events. If you missed out, video links are below! To make sure you don't miss out on others this year, make sure to sign up for my email newsletter at michaeljanz.ca/updates or search for me on what's left of social media!

Dear Edmonton, Happy Valentines Day. I love you. I just wanted to look back at the happy memories we've made together this past year.

As I tell the elementary students at City Hall School, one of the most rewarding parts of being a city councilor is to play the role of an organizer, helping bring community members together around topics of common interest and ensuring that we can build power, together, to help provide the strong public services and amenities we desire.

In my second year on City Council, my team and I hosted a number of different community engagement and knowledge mobilization activities around key priorities: housing, transit, climate change, and public safety. Based on the thousands of participants we’ve had last year, Edmontonians are craving more of these learning, sharing and connection opportunities. When possible, we try to livestream or video record them (links below).

While these have been very challenging times, facing multiple post-covid crisis (inflation, war, and extreme weather/fire events), we are focused on ensuring that strong public services continue to be the backbone of an affordable, desirable city for everyone.

Here’s a quick recap of 2023!

Feb 16th 2023: Documentary screening: Love in the Time of Fentanyl. Understanding the toxic drug crisis and the catastrophic failings of the provincial government policies. https://www.michaeljanz.ca/littof

March 2023: Transit Camp 2023: A community conference about safer, frequent, and reliable public transportation with guest speakers from ETS, David Cooper, and James Wilt.

March 2023: Book launch with author James Wilt - "Drinking up the Revolution" fundraiser with for the Campus Food Bank.

https://www.michaeljanz.ca/drinkinguptherevolution

August 2023: Will Tech Save Us? Guest Author Paris Marx. Paris provided a fantastic lecture with insights into the broken promises of big tech in cities. He was also interviewed in Urban Affairs YEG Here: https://urbanaffairs.ca/edmonton-ish/we-need-common-sense-not-the-electric-car/. Audio/video was captured by Jeremy Appel with the Orchard: https://www.readtheorchard.org/p/will-tech-save-us-with-paris-marx

July 2023: Seniors and E-bikes: Thanks to Pedego Edmonton, we hosted a test ride for Seniors in Churchill Square. (video) https://edmonton.citynews.ca/video/2023/07/28/edmonton-seniors-give-e-bikes-a-try/

June 2023: Better Buildings, Better Communities: guest lecture by Seattle-based architect Michael Eliason.

Michael joined us for a weekend and participated in a lecture and many meetings with city staff. This socialized the ideas around point access blocks which council unanimously passed a motion and moved forward as part of our housing advocacy. He also wrote up a very kind summary of our city here on LinkedIn.

June 2023: Dr. Irwin Waller: The Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime

October 2023: Dutch Cycling Embassy: Building the Cycling City with Melissa and Doug Bruntlett.

November 2023: ED TALKS - The speaker videos will be coming soon, but here's an example from Penny Frazier with ZINE & HEARD, advocacy for the Youth In Care:

December 2023: Strong Towns: Chuck Marohn joined us in Edmonton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOmI46ajV-s

August 2023: Shifter: Tom Babin joined us for a storytelling event in Edmonton and created this amazing film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBvBw8kk7bw

June 2023 Documentary Screening: MOTHERLOAD about cargo bikes. Urban Affairs covered this article here: https://urbanaffairs.ca/edmonton-ish/park-the-vehicle-use-a-cargo-bike-instead/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkklZNE9S-g&t=1s

November 2023: Professor Ben Perrin: Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial. We helped promote this event but it was hosted by the U of A, and Prof. Perrin was kind enough to let us record it.

https://www.youtube.com/live/O9ClXJn4YUQ?si=jYTw_Qx5gzkXajSL&t=1752

Energy Transition advocacy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4IZEArhAOg

Celebrating new Dog Park openings:

Community bike rides, neighbourhood walks, and more:

And many, many more! We convened numerous other walks, bike rides, coffees, and community engagements that are available to view on my social media. Some include:

Canada homeshare network roundtable to free up more empty bedrooms for rentals
Brewery tour to support & supporting local tourism
Local food sustainability with the Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative (Khair for all Food box)
Community BBQs & Condo Board Parties
Community gatherings to support

While these have been very challenging times, facing multiple post-covid crisis inflation, war, and extreme weather/fire events, we are focused on ensuring that strong public services continue to be the backbone of an affordable, desirable city for everyone.

For 2024, would you like to co-host an event? Would you like to help build a Better Edmonton together?

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