We can’t ignore and turn away from these racist incidents. Hate crimes and attacks on racialized communities are on the rise in Edmonton. And I know these incidents do not reflect the Edmonton we aspire to be. 

The people who have the best solutions to racism are those who have and continue to experience it.

That’s why If I am elected mayor, I will make it a key priority to take immediate, community-driven action to end hate-based violence in Edmonton. At the inaugural council meeting, I will ask my Council colleagues to direct city administration to work with community leaders to deliver a comprehensive strategy for action.

This is not about yet another study or commission. Our communities know what needs to happen, and have been advocating for tangible actions for years. I appreciate the work of the Community Safety and Well-being Task Force, the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, and many other citizen-led organizations that have been leading this work for years. This is about bringing community leadership to the forefront, putting together a whole-city approach to develop a comprehensive action plan, and then delivering on it immediately. 

We need to bring together city services and resources, community knowledge and expertise, and other orders of government to eliminate hate-based violence in our city. And we can no longer tolerate an incremental approach. 

In order to get this done, I will pull together community leaders and organizations doing the work of anti-racism and anti-hate with senior city administration officials to jointly implement a plan within 100 days of the start of Council’s term to prevent and respond to hate-based violence, and to support communities experiencing hate and violence. 

The plan should include immediate actions, like: 

• Addressing issues in city bylaws and other tools to respond to symbols of hate.
• Championing anti-racist and anti-violence initiatives to the provincial and federal governments to secure resources and support, and advocating for legislative tools.
• Transforming the way the city works with community-based cultural organizations so they are seen as leaders and partners in anti-racism rather than just stakeholders.
• Building a consistent and coordinated approach to safety and inclusivity on city services and in public spaces—transit, recreation centres, parks, and libraries.
• Working with partners like community leagues and in the educational system to support and amplify anti-racist educational initiatives.
• Establishing a more integrated approach across city services for a rapid response to incidents of hate and to support impacted individuals and communities. 

When our communities experience hate-based incidents, the city must not only respond with empathy, but also reach out to communities to help them bring together the necessary supports to grieve and heal. And we must establish clear accountability for tracking and analyzing trends to identify and address emerging issues proactively, instead of just reacting after great harm has been done.  We should not need to witness repeated incidents and attacks before we respond. 

Action is important. But we need to ensure we’re measuring our performance and implementing a framework that makes city administration and city agencies directly accountable to the communities they serve. That’s why we’ll need community leadership to assess the tools at the city’s disposal already, and identify the tools that are needed to advance this work.

This may seem like a monumental task. But I cannot accept a city that includes violence against some people based on their race, skin colour or religion. We need to build an Edmonton for everyone. Every Edmontonian deserves to feel safe in their community. And I believe in our potential, together.