Protestors said it's reassuring to hear Smith take an interest in Edmonton infill, after people have been trying to get city council to pivot

Edmontonians against infill are feeling encouraged by Premier Danielle Smith’s newfound interest in the issue as demonstrators took to the streets Sunday.

In Jasper Park, people gathered at the corner of a residential street with several multi-unit construction projects. The group was one of four across different neighbourhoods that had gathered to protest.

There, West Jasper Place resident Steven Lakey said it’s reassuring to hear Smith take an interest in Edmonton infill after people have been trying to get city council to pivot.

“We’ve presented solutions, we’ve shown how our lives are impacted by this. We’ve suggested other ways in which this could be done, which would be acceptable to us,” Lakey said.

“The city does not seem to care,” he added.

At the heart of the issue is the city’s 2024 zoning policy, which allows buildings with up to eight units to be built in developed neighbourhoods. The zoning is restricted by limits that require at least 75 square metres of space per unit.

Frustrated residents said the large buildings are bringing an influx of cars, people and garbage, and have threatened the character of old neighbourhoods and property values.

Others have pointed to concerns around safety with construction and claim there are often poor-quality building practices.

Those worries have now reached the attention of the premier.

“Edmonton went down the path of essentially blanket rezoning,” Smith said last week on her Corus radio call-in show, Your Province Your Premier.

“Calgary dealt with it by turfing most of their council and bringing in a new council,” Smith said. “Edmonton did not end up having that renewal on council. But now residents are impacted by it.”

She added that she’s now asked Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams to look into the issue.

Over in Parkview, around 60 people also gathered at the side of a busy road holding picket signs, reading “Blanket Zoning? No thanks,” along with ones pleading for “responsible infill.”

One sign asked the premier if she’d take a tour of Edmonton infills.

Dallas Moravec, with Edmonton Neighbourhoods United, the group behind the protest, said there is a lot of anger right now, and that the group wants change sooner rather than later.

“They’ve made a couple of small changes, but it’s not going far enough,” Moravec said.

Ward tastawiyiniwak Coun. Karen Principe called in August for city planners to research how exactly property values are being affected by multiplex infill. The report is set to be ready by fall 2027.

Meanwhile, city council has also approved changes to the zoning bylaw, bringing maximum heights down and moving to address concerns about some new builds being used as lodging houses.

Moravec said the adjustments just haven’t been enough, and that change is coming too slowly.

Instead of waiting for the city’s numbers, he also added that Edmonton Neighbourhoods United is doing its own report on infill, which will be out in the coming weeks.

While Moravec stressed that his group is strictly non-partisan and wants to build good relationships with city leaders, he agreed it’s encouraging to hear the province take notice, even if it’s unclear how Smith and Williams will proceed.

“It’s not in their lane because land use is a municipal jurisdiction. So I think they’re trying to figure out an angle or a pathway to come in,” Moravec said.

“She’s now saying, ‘We’re listening.’ But past that, we’re not sure,” he said.

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