We had a great reaction to last week’s newsletter and you certainly helped fill up fellow councillors’ inboxes with a clear message that public funds must be used for public benefit not private enrichment.
Premier Smith has been clear that this is a three part deal, and Edmonton won’t receive anything – unless the Katz group agrees. This is simply wrong.
To answer a few of your questions, here’s how the math breaks down:
- The City of Edmonton owes $402 million of debt for the downtown arena as of December 31, 2024. The annual debt servicing costs are $33 Million. Reminder: all of the profit from events or hockey games at the arena goes to Oilers ownership. That was the "Arena Agreement" that previous council signed: Edmonton taxpayer pays the costs, the oilers owners receive the profits.
- The Edmonton Oilers were the top earning team in the NHL in 2023-24, at $388 million. The franchise is valued at $3.53 billion.
- While the previous agreement may have been about stopping Gary Bettman and Daryl Katz from moving the Oilers Hockey Team, this has nothing to do with hockey. This is purely about the government of Alberta working unilaterally to enrich a property developer. This idea for the $52 million dollar Event Park certainly did not come from City Council, but from the private business. Read more in last week's newsletter.
- There will be a public hearing in future prior to final agreement where you can sign up to speak and make your voice heard. I'm also exploring hosting a community meeting to share more information in advance of the public hearing. Please let me know if you would like to volunteer or support this advocacy.
CALL TO ACTION: Tell The Premier (780-427-2711) that Edmontonians need a hand up, and billionaires don't need a handout.
New Public Transit Service Hours.
We can maximize building a more affordable city for you or your loved ones by focusing on two core areas: reducing housing costs and reducing transportation costs. This is why I’m so excited to share the list of the Increased Transit Service Hours (see below) – the first time we’ve grown transit service in over a decade, despite enormous urban sprawl and population growth. Our tax dollars at work!
I was also quoted in the Philanthropist Journal this week highlighting how we need a lot more citizen activism in support of public transportation, and how every union, association, faith group, sports or community group, should make public transit a bargaining issue to help save their members time and money. Link: https://thephilanthropist.ca/2025/03/good-transit-is-essential-to-good-cities-we-need-more-people-speaking-up-for-it/
I’m so proud of the Edmonton Transit Riders, a non-profit grassroots advocacy organization who have been fighting hard for more hours of service, low-income transit fares and more. They are building a “community of riders” through fun activities such as giving out coffee at transit stations and signing up new members. Learn more and volunteer at: www.edmontontransitriders.org
You or someone you love is a renter: help protect their rights!
I was on CBC this week talking about my advocacy around rights for renters (michaeljanz.ca/renters). You can hear the radio clip here: Many people living in a townhouse complex in the Hazeldean neighbourhood say they have no options but to leave their home after massive rent increases. The situation has the city pushing the province to give renters more power, and hold landlords accountable. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-17-edmonton-am/clip/16136571-substantial-rent-increases-forcing-tenants-homes
Finally, looking ahead, Paths for People published an exciting list of 10 transformational projects in 2025. While not in our ward, these are fantastic projects that will help us connect across the city and improve access to the river valley. The footbridges, pathways, lookouts, and promenades really add personality to the city and help us get outside, get active, and get to know our neighbours. Personally, I’m really excited for the 142nd Street bridge! https://pathsforpeople.org/2025/03/transformational-active-transportation-projects-in-2025/
Update on the Annual Public Transit Annual Service Hours
Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) is planning to add 50,000 annual hours of bus service in 2025, some of which will be used to increase service frequency on the regional airport route 747. As outlined in the ETS Annual Service Plan, these are just some of the ways ETS is working to make transit the first choice for Edmontonians and visitors.
These additional service hours will result in changes to route frequency, more reliable service and extended service hours on select routes. Twenty new buses will also be added to the fleet to accommodate this additional service. The Annual Service Plan also highlights a new regular service route in the southwest. This route will replace existing On Demand Transit (ODT) service in Keswick and Glenridding Ravine, beginning in late April.
“All of these changes are intended to improve transit service by making it more reliable, convenient, accessible, inclusive and safe,” said Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, Branch Manager, ETS.
“Hundreds of thousands of trips are completed each day across the network,” Hotton-MacDonald said. “Whether getting to work, school, appointments or social events, these service adjustments will help make it easier for Edmontonians to choose transit. New multi-day Arc passes and more frequency on the airport route are helping to make transit more appealing to visitors.”
By reallocating service hours and resources, ETS can provide more equitable and accessible transit service across the city. In some cases, regular service will be reduced or eliminated in areas with low ridership, enabling frequency to increase on busy routes. For example:
Regular service in Riverdale, Belgravia/Windsor Park and Lendrum/Malmo will be replaced with ODT service in June. ODT provides more flexibility for riders as it operates during all service hours, while some regular service routes operate only during peak hours for these communities.
Some busy school routes will run more frequently. Some school routes with lower ridership will see service reduced, and routes with very low ridership will be cancelled or replaced with ODT in September.
Conventional service hours removed from low performing routes will be reallocated to routes with higher ridership to improve service.
More information about these changes will be available in April and May.
“We’re taking a data-driven approach to putting our resources where they are needed most,” Hotton-MacDonald said. “ETS is one of the first transit agencies in Canada to publish Route Report Cards — comprehensive evaluations of each bus route in Edmonton, measuring on-time performance, ridership and service frequency related to transit service standards. These report cards provide greater transparency about how our routes are performing across the network.” Changes are also driven by budget, as well as the City of Edmonton’s transit service policy and service standards.
The City Plan calls for a future where 50 per cent of trips are made by transit and active transportation. More efficient transit service encourages a shift towards sustainable transportation, helping the City achieve its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. In 2024, ETS transported 61.6 million riders.
