Phase 1: Reopening Edmonton’s Economy

Today, Council’s Emergency Advisory Committee discussed the relaunch of aspects of the economy consistent with Phase 1 of the province’s relaunch plan, which will go ahead May 14. We are pleased that Edmonton is among the regions to proceed earlier, based on our performance and caseload data. I am sure this is welcome news for retailers, restaurants, farmers’ markets, some medical practitioners, and others.

The City also made some important decisions today. We extended the City’s State of Local Emergency to ensure that during this critical period of “re-opening” City officials have all the agility they need to make rapid adjustments, as needed, to protect Edmontonians.

I’m very pleased with the work Adam and his team, and many others in City Administration, have done to ensure Edmonton is ready to take the important steps needed to restart and relaunch the economy safely.

This relaunch is very exciting, but I want to stress that while we’re relaxing some restrictions, we absolutely must remain vigilant. COVID-19 is still very much a threat to our health care system, and to our loved ones, and we want to prevent serious outbreaks that could result in another lock down and a further delay in reopening.

Please use your common sense as you start to move around our city: if a business you’re thinking of patronizing appears busy or a restaurant quite full, and you’re not sure you’ll be able to keep a safe distance from others, consider removing yourself from the risk and visit another restaurant or business, or go back at a time when that business is less busy. Crowds remain a significant risk.

I also know that summer weather will also become another temptation for folks. This will not be a “normal” summer – nothing is normal because we’re still in the midst of a pandemic. Let us not erase our hard-fought gains against this virus by being reckless with the health and safety of ourselves and others. This reopening is a fragile time. We need to be careful so we do not upend our re-opening. And our economy means nothing without our health.

That is why we must continue to practice good hygiene habits that will keep us and our communities safe. Edmontonians have done a remarkable job so far of flattening our city’s curve. Let us keep up the good work and continue to follow AHS guidelines.

As Adam stated in this afternoon’s presentation, relaunching will be based on assuring we’re complying with Provincial and Alberta Health Services requirements, and relaunch for the city will mean taking into account what is necessary, sustainable and affordable for us to carry on with as a city.

I also understand that the province stated in their media avail today that Calgary and Brooks will reopen more slowly than the rest of the province. We know that this virus is not constrained by municipal borders – so we echo Dr. Hinshaw’s advice and ask that potential visitors to our City, from those regions, wait to visit until their city/town’s restrictions are lifted.

During this critical period, as cities across Canada consider their relaunch options and timelines to provide essential services, it’s never been more important and timely to highlight our call for crucial provincial and federal support.

I mentioned earlier this week that as Edmontonians start to go back to work, they’ll need a robust transit service to get them to where they need to go. The maintenance of essential infrastructure, like roads and bridges, is key. Local social services and housing for vulnerable residents remains key. Emergency services like police, ambulance and fire services need to continue to be funded. And, residents and businesses will need ongoing support as they navigate changing guidelines and restrictions.

All these services and more are provided by the City of Edmonton – demand for our services has not gone down during the pandemic. They have, in fact, in many instances increased.

City Council has tried our best to balance the financial constraints we’ve faced as a result of this pandemic, with our priority to keep Edmontonians safe and provide them with the services they need. Last month, Council adjusted the operating budget, reducing expenses to allow us to absorb an estimated $164 million shortfall to City finances due to COVID-19. Although the revenues the City uses to provide services have been significantly impacted, we were determined not to pass those costs on to taxpayers. We have been doing our part to trim costs – but it might not be enough.

And the reality is that without funding, the City will not be able to return to previous services at the levels Edmontonians are used to. The support we are calling for will help fund critical programs, and to support these programs, admin has been, behind the scenes, making difficult decisions to support those critical programs. That includes prioritizing the funding of certain programs/services over others. We heard one example of this today with the City’s decision to keep Rundle Park Golf Course closed. As Adam stressed, in today’s presentation, that decision was a financial one.

That is why Mayors across the country continue to call on federal and provincial partners to help us help Canadians. Cities are an essential partner for this country’s economic resiliency and recovery. Edmonton is interested in doing its part to reboot our economy – we just need the support to ensure we can provide Edmontonians with the essential services they need to thrive.