The multiplex infill mess: How did this happen? A timeline
The Evolution of the Blanket Zone
Zoning Bylaw 12800 had evolved over a long period of time to include the Mature Neighbourhood Overlay that provided design standards and housing options (including duplexes, secondary suites, and garden suites) on what were once single-family lots
From 2016-2023, the City of Edmonton ("the City") not only met, but exceeded its annual infill targets, which were designed to manage projected population growth of up to 1.8 million people.
When the Municipal Government Act (MGA) was changed to allow electronic notification, the City chose to deviate from the public engagement intent of Section 216, disenfranchising citizens by combining public consultations for three distinct and separate bylaws as a single set, which were up to five years before their respective public hearings
The public hearing for the City Plan, which provided the policies for the subsequent bylaws, was undertaken during the COVID-19 lockdowns, denying citizens the opportunity to participate
Timeline
2018
The Municipal Government Act was amended to allow the City to give notices by electronic means
The City amended its own bylaw to specify that notices can be posted on the City website 30 days before a public hearing
Note: A legal notification must reasonably reach its intended recipient, have all the required information, and (if time sensitive) must provide for the recipient to acknowledge receipt of the notification. The City did not meet these conditions.
The City's Urban Planning Committee receives an Infill Roadmap that outlines actions to take, including reducing parking requirements, simplifying low scale zones, and removing barriers for medium scale zones
2018 - 2019
The City initiated public consultations for the City Plan
At the same time they were working on the Zoning Bylaw project and the 15 District Plans
A large portion of public engagement was through social media and informal "pop-up" sessions (6 in 2018)
The City did not inform the public they were combining several consultations, nor was it mentioned that this would be the only opportunity for collaborative input into the District Policy and Plans.
There was also one online survey asking general questions on preferred approaches to the zoning bylaw
2020
February: The City Plan Growth Scenarios Relative Financial Assessment document recommended that the City explore servicing needs through future master servicing studies. There is no evidence that these studies were ever completed.
The City Plan requires that 50% of Edmonton’s population growth occurs in existing neighborhoods, and places constraints on new subdivisions, thereby favouring infill developers, limiting purchase options, and increasing costs.
The City adopts the 15-Minute City Concept, promoting extensive bike lanes, reducing parking spaces, and narrowing roadways to make private vehicles less convenient, thereby supporting public transit and active transportation for 50% of all trips.
Despite infrastructure being raised as a concern at both the Zoning Bylaw and District Policy and Plans public hearings, neither Council nor the Administration indicated that appropriate studies had been completed.
We could find no public record of the recommended master servicing studies. In the aforementioned Financial Assessment document, Epcor's estimates for the infrastructure required to accommodate growth (water, storm, and sanitary infrastructure) indicated margins of error of +/- 100% (in other words, the estimates could be entirely wrong)
The City Plan final draft was reviewed with a select group of “Core Stakeholders” selected by Administration, not with citizens, and was posted to the City website 30 days before Public Hearing
October: City Plan Public Hearings were held during COVID lockdowns
42 people attended, the majority being developers involved in the industry consultation process
December 2020: City Council passes the City Plan Charter Bylaw 20000
Don Iveson was Mayor (now Chair of CMHC)
2025 election candidates who voted in favour: Andrew Knack, Michael Walters, Tim Cartmell, Aaron Paquette, Tony Caterina
2022
April: 2022 Federal Budget, the Government of Canada allocated $4 billion for the Housing Accelerator Fund to be managed by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) sends a letter to City Council's Urban Planning Committee stating: the approach to engagement "does not seriously draw upon neighbourhood visions or local knowledge that Leagues have to lay the foundations of each project as we build on City Plan policy and shared city-building goals."
it recognized that "this approach has a deteriorating effect on the social fabric of our communities."
that City Council and Administration interpreted Policy C593A "narrowly as requirement to inform rather than a responsibility to pursue robust civic participation."
December: City Council approved accelerated implementation of the Active Transportation Network (i.e. walking and biking routes), without further community participation in the process. City Administration began implementing transportation policies to narrow roadways and add multi purpose lanes months before the District Policy and District Plan Bylaws were approved.
2023
May: Coalition for Better Infill conducts a survey about Zoning Bylaw 20001, finding that that only 3% of Edmontonians were sufficiently familiar with the bylaw, and 62% had never heard of it
May: A study from McGill University shows that the 15-minute City Concept is not achievable in most North American Cities, especially those with winter climates
October: A survey conducted a few days before public hearing finds that 6% of the public were sufficiently aware of the bylaw to discuss it. 44% had never heard of it and 29% had heard of it in passing. 58% of Edmontonians wanted the Council to postpone the bylaw for a year to allow for public consultation.
During public hearing for Zoning Bylaw 20001: Mayor Sohi noted the survey but rejected the call to pause for public consultation stating the City could not afford to delay passing the bylaw; Council did not act to delay the bylaw
Councillors ask developers questions regarding the effects of their decisions on access to CMHC funding
October 2023: City Council passes Charter Bylaw 20001, which entrenched the blanket zoning throughout Edmonton to allow multiplexes on nearly every property and repealed the previous Bylaw 12800 which had evolved to balance infill and community character
2025 election candidates who voted for: Andrew Knack, Tim Carmell, Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Ashley Salvador, Michael Janz, Keren Tang, Jo-Anne Wright
2025 election candidates who voted against: Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice
2024
January: Bylaw 20001 takes effect
January: City Council passes a motion declaring a homelessness and housing emergency
May: Publicity Council passes a motion declaring a homelessness and housing emergency
May: Publichearing on the District Policy with many concerns raised about the late inclusion by City Administration of 2.5.2.6 to cover all District Plans — Created without public input but applies to all residential neighborhoods
It allows “additional height”, which could mean four, six, eight, and twenty storey buildings in locations that meet at least two of the following criteria:
In a Node or Corridor Area or within 100 metres of a Node or Corridor Area,
Within 400 metres of a Mass Transit Station,
Along an Arterial Roadway or a Collector Roadway,
At a corner site,
Adjacent to a park or open space, and/or
Adjacent to a site zoned for greater than Small Scale development.
June: Don Iveson is appointed Chair of CMHC, which administers the Housing Accelerator Fund and the CMHC MLI Select program
The MLI Select program is being used by many property speculators (including those outside of Edmonton and Alberta) to access loans for rentals, lodging houses, and support housing of 5 or more units with only 5% down and 50 year terms
The Housing Accelerator Fund gave $192 million to the City of Edmonton. It included a set of "best practices" that recipients were "encouraged to explore"
October 2024: City Council passes the District Policy (Charter Bylaw 24000)
2025 election candidates who voted for: Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Ashley Salvador, Michael Janz, Keren Tang, Jo-Anne Wright
2025 election candidates who voted against: Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice, Tim Carmell, Andrew Knack
Note: City Council also voted to approve 14 of the 15 District Plan that enable density decisions to be made in YOUR neighbourhoods
2025
May 2025: Council passes Bylaw 21128 approving the rezoning of 1,200 properties in Priority Growth Areas, including significant impact to several residential neighbourhoods, including Britannia Youngstown, Canora, Garneau, Glenora, Glenwood, Grovenor, Inglewood, Jasper Park, Meadowlark Park, Sherwood, Westmount, West Jasper Place, and Wîhkwêntôwin
2025 candidates who voted for: Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Ashley Salvador, Michael Janz, Keren Tang, Jo-Anne Wright
2025 election candidates who voted against: Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice, Tim Carmell,
Andrew Knack recused himself from the deliberations and voting