For me, that means an economy that is diversified and innovative, that supports entrepreneurs big and small, and that grows the community-based businesses that make our neighbourhoods great. It also means a fair and equitable economy, with access to well paying middle class jobs, supported by strong public services and a thriving arts and culture sector.

An economy for all. An Edmonton for all.

Last night, I held the first of what will be many livestream sessions to talk about the future of our great city and hear from local leaders about their experiences.

Our session was focused on the economy—on how we build an economy for all Edmontonians by focusing on our areas of strength and supporting the vulnerable in our community. I was honoured to be joined by Terry Parker, Executive Director of the Building Trades of Alberta, Tegan Martin-Drysdale, Co-Founder of Homestead Co-working and President of RedBrick Real Estate Services, and Chad Park, Founder of the Energy Futures Lab and VP at the Cooperators.

It was a broad ranging and interesting conversation about where our economic challenges lie, how to capitalize on opportunities, and how to build an economy that is equitable and accessible to all Edmontonians.

During the discussion, I was struck by a few key points. The panelists agreed that coming out of the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate emerging sectors where Edmonton could be a leader—areas where we already have assets like innovative technology, dynamic entrepreneurs, and a versatile workforce. For example, Tegan suggested Edmonton could be the North American leader in sustainable housing, and Chad saw major opportunities in sustainability and building retrofits.

When speaking about the challenges we face, Tegan raised a great point that mindset is a key factor to our success. She noted overcoming economic uncertainty is not just about fundamentals—it also requires a shared vision and mindset of believing that we can succeed as a city. As a candidate for Mayor, this is something I’m thinking about: how do we get businesses out of “survival mode” to a place where they feel comfortable taking chances?

We discussed building an equitable and accessible economy for all Edmontonians; we heard from viewers who asked us about supporting the arts, and creating housing options for people with disabilities that were excellent jumping-off points for this conversation. The panelists all agreed we need a strong and diverse arts sector in Edmonton to maintain a high quality of life and make this city an attractive place for investment.

One of Terry’s key suggestions to make a more equitable economy was for the City to double down on social procurement practices that are becoming common in private industry. Social procurement supports businesses that provide opportunities to underrepresented populations or those getting back on their feet, and ensure that capital projects benefit the surrounding community. We also talked about how to support local businesses and entrepreneurs getting equitable access to financing and participation in city procurement.

Then we discussed the future. One of Chad’s key points here was that we need different orders of government to work together to plan for our city’s future in a collaborative and sustainable way, and I could not agree more. The City doesn’t hold all the levers, but the City’s leadership is essential in bringing together government, innovators, workers, and communities to facilitate investment and growth.

I’m so grateful to the panelists for joining me, and I look forward to more conversations as I continue to build my economic platform. I will be releasing key planks in my economic platform in a few weeks, and I will continue to engage with businesses, innovators, and workers throughout the summer as we build a shared vision for an inclusive and thriving economy.

If you want to catch up on our whole conversation, check out the recording below or visit my Facebook page @AmarjeetSohiYEG.

*NB: Participation in this panel does not indicate an endorsement by the participants, just a desire to contribute to conversations about our city’s future.