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Enough is enough – that is the message from Councillor Tim Cartmell.
On Thursday he announced the call for action in West Block Glenora, just outside his jurisdiction, where light rail construction has been delayed since 2022.
Cartmel said: “No major new projects should be approved until existing ones are finished and properly completed, and we need a radical overhaul of the way infrastructure is overseen and developed, with direct parliamentary oversight of all major projects.”
Percy Wiredu opened El Corazón in Glenora’s west end two years ago. He knew about the light rail construction when he signed the lease, but as of now, there is no end in sight for the construction.
“It could be three more years, it could be seven more years,” Viredu said. “Originally this part of the sentence was supposed to be 18 months; there was no communication, so there was no lead.”
It’s a hindrance to development and his business has lost 35% of its revenue since the road was closed.
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“It’s entirely possible that our restaurant won’t be visible from the street for the next six years. Every day this continues, we’ll have fewer customers,” Viredu said.
Cartmell said the administration continues to delay projects and bring up Fort Road construction projects, such as a recent memo on a replacement for the Riverbend Library branch that is expected to cost $39 million. That works out to more than $2,000 per square foot.
One political scientist said the announcement was not just about construction, but politics. Chaldean Mensah said Cartmel was exploiting public unease.
“I think the councilman is preparing to run for mayor,” Mensah said.
Cartmel was asked directly if this meant he planned to run for mayor more than once.
He didn’t give a definitive answer but hinted that a campaign might be on the cards. He said he was waiting to see how the passage of Bill 20, which would allow municipal parties to form in Edmonton and Calgary, would affect the October 2025 election.
“Once we get clarity on the rules of Act 20, the campaign finance landscape, the nomination requirements and the funding limits, when I can more fully understand what I’m considering, when I announce what I intend to run for, I’ll be able to give you a more comprehensive answer,” Cartmell said.
Cartmel plans to bring his list or proposals to parliament for debate in the fall.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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