The Pulse
Aug. 5, 2025

Few Albertans will approach the ballot box this October intending to elect a weak mayor, but that's exactly what they will get. As part of Taproot's ongoing election analysis and coverage, today we examine what's known as the weak mayor system, where the mayors we're set to elect in the Edmonton region will largely be equals among their council peers and therefore lack executive, or "strong" mayoral power to push policies through without first convincing at least half of the council to vote with them.

How does this affect elections, voter perceptions, and the results of those we elect? Taproot has endeavoured to ask those questions and find out.

The current weak mayor system

As Brian Kelcey, a former advisor to the mayor in Winnipeg, has argued, most Canadian cities are still governed under the "same weak-mayor model as a 19th century Upper Canada Village." In a nutshell, this means that most mayors in Canada (and all in Alberta) are effectively just another councillor with an equal vote to the others, plus some additional duties, like chairing council meetings or serving as a figurehead at ceremonial events. Mayors are also, unofficially, the email address or name that residents often channel their blame towards when something isn't to their liking in a city.

Why does this matter? When it comes to elections, Kelcey suggests the weak mayor system can create a "disconnect" between voters and the actual power of the mayors they elect. As he points out, mayors routinely receive more votes in a municipal election than all other councillors combined. That means any platform they may have run on to win those votes, like say, promising to build more transit or incentivize more housing, has a strong mandate from voters. But the weak mayor system requires them to work in the background to marshal at least half of the council to agree with them. And beyond this limitation, mayors in these systems are also often tasked with chairing meetings, often silently.

On the ground, Kelcey has argued, this means that mayors can be less prominent than you might expect in council debates. He points to Calgary for an example: In 2022, Mayor Jyoti Gondek voted no on a police request for an additional $6 million beyond an already-approved $9.6-million increase, having run and won more than 176,000 votes on an election platform that promised a "progressive police force". A majority of councillors voted to give the police the money, with Gondek losing the vote 11 to 4. Kelcey noted that Gondek had not articulated her position because she was chairing the meeting; instead, her reasoning to vote no — that the police had not delivered on commitments to work on anti-racism, among other things — only came out in interviews after the vote.

Taproot looked at Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi's voting record from 2021 to today and where, in particular, he was on the losing side of council votes. One trend is that many of the motions that Sohi has introduced during this council term have been procedural — to go in-camera, to meet in public — as would be expected from someone who is often the meeting chair, so he tended to win those. Nonetheless, Sohi did lose on several votes on issues that people care about. In 2023, for example, Sohi voted against amending bylaws to allow for mixed-use buildings with a focus on supportive housing in McCauley, but the majority of council disagreed; in 2022, Sohi voted no on a motion from Coun. Anne Stevenson about the police funding formula that council passed; in 2022, Sohi voted no on several motions from Coun. Tim Cartmell about snow and ice removal that council passed. This is far from an exhaustive list, and anyone wanting to dive deeper can examine the full list.

Jack Lucas, a political scientist at the University of Calgary who's a leading researcher in Canada on municipal democracy and representation, told Taproot that voter disconnect can boil down to a general challenge for voters to understand what council did, and then further to understand who on council did that thing. "All it takes is a majority vote of council, including the mayor, for a bylaw to pass," Lucas said.

What that means is there can often be no clear delineation or responsibility. "In the absence of parties, it's hard to understand (who's done a thing), because you don't have a councillor who's in the opposition or who's in the majority, and the same is true of the mayor," Lucas said. "So, if council does something, it may have been against the wishes of the mayor, but it takes some explaining on the part of the mayor or the mayoral candidate to make that clear. In provincial or federal politics, if the government did something, you know it was the government party responsible and you can hold them accountable, (and) reward or punish them accordingly."

In a weak mayor system, Lucas continued, the lack of clarity leads to interesting votes once the next election comes around. "Sometimes, if people are unsatisfied with what their council has done, they will punish all of council or the mayor, even if it wasn't necessarily all of council or the mayor who supported those things," he said.

• Edmonton city council will discuss a proposal on Aug. 13 for a downtown student housing incentive program. Funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Housing Accelerator Fund, the program would provide grants of up to $30,000 per new student unit. According to a City of Edmonton report, building permits could be issued for approximately 500 housing units by November 2026. Lindsey Butterfield of BILD Edmonton Metro said that between MacEwan University and NorQuest College, roughly 30,000 students enter the downtown core daily.
• Edmonton restaurants are experiencing a slowdown after a surge in sales during the Edmonton Oilers' playoff run, Postmedia reported. ATB economists say restaurant spending increased by 5.2% in the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024, but restaurant owners have noted a decline since then. Economists suggest factors such as household budget tightening, increased travel to Banff and Jasper, and poor patio weather due to rain have contributed to the slump.
• Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust, a major landlord with nearly 12,500 units in Edmonton, reported a 6.2% revenue increase in Alberta, citing strong demand for affordable housing. CEO Sam Kolias said the demand is partly due to "better than expected" immigration numbers. Boardwalk's Edmonton average is $1,514 per month, which Kolias says is the most affordable in Canada.
• CTV News explored how Edmonton malls are responding to the recent closure of Hudson's Bay stores, which left over a million square feet of retail space vacant. Unlike past retail exits, these large spaces are proving harder to fill. Potential replacements include pickleball courts, upscale dining, libraries, and multi-use redevelopments.
• After being closed since 2023 for extensive renovations, Hawrelak Park is set to reopen in late 2025. The $133 million rehabilitation project, which addressed outdated infrastructure, included replacing underground utilities, upgrading the Heritage Amphitheatre, and adding gender-neutral washrooms. The City of Edmonton is currently adding finishing touches such as sod, plantings, and paved pathways.
• According to Statistics Canada's June 2025 labour force survey, Alberta saw the highest employment gains across Canada, increasing by 1.2% with 30,000 jobs added. This marks the second increase in three months, bringing the total to 2,594,100 employed Albertans, and dropping the province's unemployment rate to 6.8%. University of Alberta economics professor Joseph Marchand noted that trade discussions and geopolitical climate haven't impacted the province's unemployment rate. Nationally, employment increased by 83,000, raising the employment rate to 60.9% and dropping the unemployment rate to 6.9%.
• Manav Singh Heer pleaded guilty to arson, extortion, and conspiracy related to the Project Gaslight case, which targeted South Asian home builders in Edmonton. Heer admitted to committing arsons at homes of four developers, and to shooting at a security guard's car. The extortion scheme, which began in the fall of 2023, involved demands for cash and violent threats. Alleged ringleader Maninder Dhaliwal is in Dubai and is the subject of an extradition request.
• The First Nations Health Consortium hosted its fourth annual Youth Teepee Summit from July 29 to 31 at the Northeast River Valley Event Centre in Edmonton. The summit brought together 400 Indigenous youth and chaperones from across Alberta to participate in cultural, physical, and educational activities, engaging with Elders and inspirational speakers. The summit included cultural experiences such as dream catcher making, bannock on a stick, and performances by traditional dancers.
• The Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists launched the first Black health journal in Canada in Edmonton. The Canadian Nigerian Medical Journal will share diagnoses, treatments, and research pertaining to the Black community to improve health outcomes for Black Canadians. Editor-in-chief Moses Ademola hopes the journal will offer unique insights from the Black medical community. The journal's deputy editor, Segun Oyedokun, said the peer-reviewed international medical journal will be available in print and open access.
• Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the Alberta government will look to Ontario as it considers ways to affect bike lanes in Edmonton and Calgary, following a court ruling deeming the Ontario government's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes unconstitutional. Dreeshen said he wants coordination between the Alberta government and municipalities regarding road networks. Keith Heslinga of Bike Edmonton was encouraged by the Ontario court decision and hopes the province will reconsider its stance.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Lecture: The True Cost of Wool with Anna Hunter starting at 6pm at Little Blue Fibre Studio
• Mushroom Walk in Devon starting at 6pm at Devon Lions Society Campground
• Grove Gatherings: Jojo's Magic Circus starting at 6:30pm at Central Park
• Until Aug. 10: WSWC Canadian National Water Ski Championships at Shalom Ski Park

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Aug. 7-10: Edmonton Folk Music Festival at Gallagher Park
• Aug. 8-10: Cariwest Caribbean Arts Festival at Churchill Square
• Aug. 13: Commonwealth Walkway Storyteller Experience at Queen Elizabeth Park

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Test your crossword prowess and deploy a little of your Edmonton knowledge. Complete the puzzle.

The Taproot Mini took a little break, but it's back now. Enjoy!