The city is at a crossroads. From its roots as a colonial outpost, through the booming days of Big Oil, to its current incarnation as an expanding urban center, Edmonton has had to face many challenges.
Now, coping with the converging crises of Covid-19, accelerating planetary heating, and economic uncertainty, never have our choices mattered more. The next 5 years could very well determine what kind of future we will have for the following 50 years.
Do we want to thrive or merely survive?
Can we do what is necessary to ensure a livable future?
This portal represents an opportunity to consider the many possible pathways our city could be set upon.
The piece is composed of salvaged materials collected throughout Edmonton, many of which were found discarded by official city departments. The flower-like structures are suggestive of our ignorance regarding our relatively stable but collectively destructive ways of living, and how we have impacted the ability of future generations to develop and thrive. Now as we move forward, we are called upon to relinquish such destructive ways and strike out on bold new trajectories.
On April 19, 2021 Edmonton’s City Council approved the revised Community Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan (CETS). After completing the multi-year process of design and consultation, the Council has described the action plan as “an opportunity to re-imagine our city.” Council also recognized that meeting our international commitments and agreements on climate action through CETS will require “transformational change at an unprecedented rate.”
CETS focuses on four interconnected areas:
- A renewable and resilient energy transition
- A low carbon city and transportation network
- Emission-neutral buildings
- Carbon capture and nature-based solutions
On Monday, October 18, 2021 Edmontonians will again be asked to make a choice about who will lead us in these trying times. To implement the CETS and embark on a truly transformative trajectory, we will need to elect a council that will support and prioritize this initiative.
Note: it is public record that councillors Dziadyk, Caterina, and Nickel all opposed CETS.
Do you know where your potential councillors stand on the Community Energy Transition Strategy?
Learn more about these topics here:
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