Guest Columnist

Lessons from Vancouver
Thursday July 13, 2006
Keith Pilipchuck

Greater Edmonton has a lot in common with the Greater Vancouver Regional District (G.V.R.D.). Both are cities where a growing portion of the metro population lives outside the core community. Neither has a freeway leading into the central core, however both are working on bypasses necessary to regional economic issues. Also the issue of regional co-operation in areas such as land use, the provision of services and finally environmental awareness.

Vancouver has an international reputation as one of the best places to live. Forums such as the recent UN World Urban Forum help promote this image. When you look at the City of Edmonton’s record in waste management, water and sewage treatment, recycling, composting, promoting alternatives to automobile useage, starting the North American LRT revoloution and protection of green spaces such as the river valley, the city should seize the opportuity to be the next Canadian host of this event. The City could further enhance its leadership by adopting the United Nations definition of sustainabile development as part of its planning and development proces. “Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” Agenda 21 of the United Nations.

Vancouver will face a challenge in the next decade as Surrey becomes the first satellite to have its population surpass that of Vancouver. While this may be a long way off in Edmonton’s case, the issue of having more people in the burbs could happen in the next 50 years. It is critical that regional issues be examined and a framework be established now. Look at the issue of heavy industry, with the Alberta Industrial Heartland attracting the upgraders, and other heavy industry. These massive tax resources help subsidize the property tax rates of residents outside of Edmonton. Meanwhile Edmonton alone supports the burden servicing of the regions major cultural, educational and recreational facilities.

Edmonton’s public transit situation is different from its sister to the south. Instead it resembles Translink which serves over 20 communities. Edmonton, Strathcona county, St. Albert, Moriville by St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan, Spruce Grove, and the Edmonton Garrison, with the possibility of servicing the Edmonton International Airport and Leduc in the near future. In the not too distant future, service to Stony Plain and the Alberta Industrial Heartland in co-operation with the large plants is also a distinct possibility; with the talk of a LRT corridor to the airport this becomes more urgent. At the minimum there should be a single agency responsible for the overall intergration of the system, perhaps eventually leading to a single service provider.

Recreational facilities could be planned for locations on major intersections close to the borders between two municipalties with a cost sharing formula for the building and operations; the Trans Alta Tri Leisure Centre is a good example. Future growth to the North and North West could bring Edmonton, the Edmonton Garrison, and St. Albert into a situation where co-operation would mean larger facilities built sooner. Further along, Edmonton and Strathcona County in Chestermere Hills, or Edmonton and Beaumont could also be considered.

The G.V.R.D. is able to speak to the province of B.C. as an entity of over 2.1 million or just over 50% of the provincial population. Under the current system Edmonton speaks to the Alberta government with a voice of 660,000 instead of a regional voice of nearly 1.1 million. 20.7% instead of 34.6% of the population. In other words comparable to Calgary’s numbers, it makes it more difficult for the province to lean towards the other regions favour based on representation.

This is not a complete list, it is not meant to be. Rather it is hopefully the kindling that sparks debate on not if the region will grow, but how that growth will be managed in the future. Regardless of where I may reside, Edmonton will always be where the heart is.

Column ID#: 12

**Opinions expressed by guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Connect2Edmonton members, partners or sponsors.**

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