Thanks for the mandate and the great team, Edmonton!
Coffee is a food group right now.
Thank you so much, Edmonton! I am humbled to have been entrusted to lead by so many of you.
The strong mandate shows that the ideas we talked about in the election have strong support in our City. We talked about fiscal responsibility and renewing our roads and pipes; about LRT completion and supporting infill; about working with the region, and from improving the climate for business and innovation; and about commitment to reducing homelessness and poverty, and the arts.
This confirms for me that the vision held by Edmontonians, the one we largely share, of an Edmonton that is increasingly globally competitive.
It’s barely been 48 hours since I got the keys to this office and things have moved very quickly. So I wanted to give a brief update and then dive back in.
I met with Mayor Mandel on Tuesday morning for a quick debrief on the election and some private words of advice, and I thanked him again personally for his leadership and dedicated service to our City.
I also spoke to most every media outlet in the City, plus a number of national media outlets that took interest in the results: Globe and Mail, which also called Mayor Nenshi and I a ‘dynamic duo‘; the National Post took notice; and I did my best to keep up with Carol Off on CBC’s As it Happens — all noteworthy coverage for Edmonton which helps change Canadian perceptions about our rising city.
I’ve received lovely calls from Premier Alison Redford and Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths; from Danielle Smith, Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta; from Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver and Chair of the Federation of Municipalities’ Big City Mayors Caucus; and from Minister Rona Ambrose in Ottawa as well as Justin Trudeau, Leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa; and while I haven’t actually spoken to my friend Mayor Nenshi, we’ve been texting up a storm since Monday and will be meeting soon. I’ve also communicated with some of the Mayors in our region and will be reaching out to all of them shortly.
Mainly I’ve been busy focused on meeting the new Councillors and on getting my office up an running, plus trying to stay on top of the very generous inundation of congratulatory emails, tweets, FB messages, cards, etc, for which I am grateful. Having had a chance to meet with every councillor individually and also enjoy a quick lunch together as a group yesterday, I am confident that our City has elected a group of 12 very thoughtful and committed councillors. Their skills and experience and interests complement each other remarkably well. There is a shared focus on the future, and I expect to be able to work closely together with each and every one of them.
We’re not going to agree on everything, but that’s not what we’re here to do. Politics exists to resolve hard decisions that don’t have simple answers, and to balance off competing interests. Often there there will be dissenting views. That’s the spice of democracy! So we’re going to get better at listening to each other and to affected parties, and we’re going to debate our decisions thoughtfully and in the best interests of the people of the city, mindful of the near- and long-term economic, social, cultural and environmental implications of our decisions. Easier said than done, I realize, but to the last this is a group of committed public servant leaders who is up to the task, and ready to work together to keep on building Edmonton.
Finally, I will always be grateful to my team, who even now are still now dialing back one of the most extraordinary and energetic political machines that’s ever been assembled in Edmonton. But it will be ready to go in four years.
With the help of almost 100 citizens we will have all of our small signs collected and into storage by Saturday night at 4PM.
If anyone can still help take down our big signs, please RSVP to help this Saturday! Lots of great food and fun! RSVP HERE: doniveson.ca/sign
Congratulations Don! I am confident that you will do a fine job as Mayor of Edmonton. I’m looking forward to see how you and the rest of city council make Edmonton an even better city.
-Tyler
It’s been a pleasure to work with a group of people so dedicated to this city. This has truly been a labour of love. All the best, Don!
And Don’s team included no one but the ones who believed in his ideology, vision for the city, principles in politics and leadership. And all of those factors contributed to making his campaign a “Positive Campaign”. And I take great pride, when I say that he ran a real “Positive campaign”. A campaign which rather than belittling his opponents, actually focused on his plan for the city. I remember a phrase from the last mayoral forum, in which Don, while summing up his remarks said and I quote “ I am going to spend each second of my time to explain my platform, rather than tearing my opponents apart”. That alone tells the stature of this individual. But even then the so called political guru’s dismissed that as a poor political move, and said that he had to go on attack rather than playing the nice guy all the time. But Don didn’t only play the nice guy; he actually is a genuinely nice guy. And isn’t it nice to finally have a politician, who breaks free from the typical perceptions of a politician.
Congrats Don! I’m excited to be an Edmontonian right now. I hate to be that person but Justin Trudeau isn’t the Leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa, Thomas Mulcair is.
Don,
I am sure there is some new honorary title that comes with the office… and have you found a proper title for Sarah ? :) Congratulations on a very well run campaign and good luck on bringing together a new team and council to take this city to where it needs to be. We have high expectations and are going to make you all work very hard but you are used to that already.
Quite right – post edited to reflect that. Like I said, running on too much coffee right now. Apologies to the LOTOO.
Having actually met you, Don, (you came to the graduation of the 2011 Master Composter/Recycler class), I have watched with pleasure as you have become more and more well known in this city. When there’s been a city councillor out involved in some activity or other, chances are, it’s you! That’s what makes all the difference to me. Doesn’t matter so much what you say, as what you do, and you don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk. Congratulations on an amazing campaign, and a well deserved victory!
So excited to have you leading our great city!
10 years ago I moved to Edmonton from Calgary and over the years have become extremely proud to call it home. Now, I can say I am truly excited for the future of our city with your leadership, guidance and connection to a demographic that hasn’t had a share of voice like it will now. Best wishes and congratulations on running a very positive campaign.
Don – The City has found it’s booster rocket of momentum and aspiration in you. We’ve come far, but in relative terms 10 years from now, we are just getting started.
Can’t wait.
Good Luck Don!
Congratulation