www.edmonton.ca, February 7th, 2011

Neighbourhoods, schools, city, province all working together to build effective partnerships to sustain and build core neighbourhoods

A new task force appointed by Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel will seek answers on how to help sustain and support Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods as part of a healthy and vibrant City core. The new task force, working with University leaders and with membership from communities, schools, the City and Province, will begin its work today.

Chaired by Michael Phair, former City Councillor and current Director of Community Relations at the University of Alberta, the committee seeks to build innovative partnerships and plans across jurisdictions to recommend solutions for core neighbourhoods and to begin to chart a path toward renewal.

“One of the biggest challenges facing our city is the strain on core neighbourhoods where schools and communities need support to revitalize neighbourhoods,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “This task force will take an important first step by building bridges between stakeholders and finding unique ways to challenge and inspire new innovations and new partnerships that will help sustain and grow these vital neighbourhoods.”

The committee’s work will take place over the next six to nine months, with a goal of having a final report to present to City Council and partner stakeholders by the end of the year. City staff and university researchers will support the committee’s efforts and broad-based outreach will occur as part of the committee’s mandate.

“Our task is to provide a blueprint which the City and other partners can implement jointly,” said Michael Phair. “The benefit of having all partners part of the same process is a unique collaborative approach using everyone’s energy on the same issues. I am so pleased with how well all partners have enthusiastically come to the table to focus on this important challenge.”