Janz confirms his run for re-election
Article content
Michael Janz is looking to represent ward Papastew for a second consecutive term.
The city councillor formally announced his intention to run again at an event Friday evening at the University of Alberta's Room at the Top.
He confirmed he will be running as an independent, even though the province has changed the rules to allow for political parties in municipal elections in Calgary and Edmonton.
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Edmonton Journal
19 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Janz confirms his run for re-election
Article content Michael Janz is looking to represent ward Papastew for a second consecutive term. The city councillor formally announced his intention to run again at an event Friday evening at the University of Alberta's Room at the Top. He confirmed he will be running as an independent, even though the province has changed the rules to allow for political parties in municipal elections in Calgary and Edmonton.
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Edmonton may revise zoning bylaw to reduce mid-block multi-family units
A number of Edmonton city councillors are in favour of amending the city's contentious zoning bylaw, in one way by reducing the number of allowable units in new multi-family buildings, from eight to six. The zoning bylaw — a year-and-a-half old — allows developers to build eight-plexes in neighbourhoods across the city. The revised zoning bylaw that went into effect in January 2024, reflects the city's goal to create more housing types and denser neighourhoods. Michael Janz, Ward papastew councillor, raised a motion at the city's urban planning committee meeting Tuesday, to cap the number of units in the middle of a block. "In the corners, you can still build bigger units but for the mid-block, it's a recognition that there are greater impacts on your neighbours mid-block," Janz told CBC News. He said 80 per cent of the complaints he receives about infill have been about mid-block units. "We want to see more density in the nodes and corridors, more density in the priority growth areas, more density on corners, not necessarily the unit maximum in a mid-block area." The committee voted in favour of the motion, which goes before a public hearing June 30 for debate, along with other suggested amendments to the zoning bylaw. But other councillors, not members of the urban planning committee, oppose the change at this time. Coun. Anne Stevenson said it's still too early to gauge the outcome of developments. "I'm not sure exactly which problems we're trying to solve with this. I know that there are concerns around parking," Stevenson told CBC News Tuesday. "At this point we have a very, very small sample size of units that have actually been completed and occupied. So I don't think at this point we know how those will work, what impacts they'll have." Zoning bylaw update The committee was discussing a report that provided an update on developments over the past five years. It shows the city issued 555 development permits in 2024 for housing, resulting in 2,403 new residential dwelling units. More than half of the approved units were for row housing, the report says. The number of housing units approved in 2024 doubled from 2023, the report shows. "Since 2019 there has been an increase in all forms of multi-dwelling housing, including backyard, semi-detached and row housing developments," the report says. Members of the public spoke at the urban planning committee, some in support and some in opposition to limiting the number of units. Jan Hardstaff, a resident of Belgravia, said the rate of development over the past year has been overwhelming to communities. "There has been a surge in eight-plexes are not compatible mid-block to surrounding development," Hardstaff told the committee. "They are alarmed, anxious and angry at what they are seeing, and they are experiencing real negative impacts."
Global News
03-06-2025
- Global News
Manitoba wildfires: Officials warn ‘fake news' is harming response efforts
With Manitoba wildfires continuing to grow, those affected and concerned citizens are anxiously seeking fast, up-to-the-minute information. 'There's a tendency among folks that's just natural to want to be in the know and to spread a piece of information that seems novel or seems important,' says Jared Wesley, political science professor at the University of Alberta, 'but unless you are re-tweeting or reposting something directly from a government agency, you could become part of a misinformation campaign unintentionally' During such emergencies, governing agencies as well as first responders choose direct forms of communication to send their message using phone alerts, door-to-door notices and social media. The RM of Kelsey posted on their official Facebook page about misinformation circulating regarding firefighters on June 1. RM of Kelsey / Facebook But a dangerous side effect of this urgent need for news is the rapid spread of unverified and often false information online. Story continues below advertisement A recent incident in Flin Flon brings light to such instances, when Manitoba RCMP and town officials were forced to step in and publicly fact-check false claims circulating about the wellbeing of firefighters, adding an unnecessary burden during a critical time. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It stops everything that I am doing and it becomes a priority,' says Lori Forbes, the emergency coordinator for the R.M. of Kelsey, 'There are many many people in Canada who have firefighters here in Manitoba and Saskatchewan that are working hard, putting their lives at risk and the last thing we need to do is upset families.' She adds 'It's fake news, it's mean, and I wish people would stay away from it.' In recent times, some social media giants have reduced their fact-checking efforts. 'It's also important to note that in the case of Meta; Facebook and Instagram', Wesley says, 'they've actually banned all of the legitimate news sources in a battle against federal government over taxation' Given these complexities, Wesley and other officials stress that it is critical for social media users to track down the original source of information before sharing it on public platforms. 'After most natural disasters, there's often a public inquiry into these kinds of things. And if the government turns out to be untrustworthy in those situations, voters have an opportunity to weigh in at the ballot box,' Wesley says Story continues below advertisement 'But during the emergency itself, it's crucial for folks to listen to governments directly and to take their news from reputable sources.'
