Alberta’s two major cities are poised to make history in their mayoral races after Monday’s countywide municipal elections.
Jyoti Gondek is set to become Calgary’s first mayor, and Edmonton voters appear to have elected the city’s first person of color as mayor.
Gondek will replace Naheed Nenshi, who held the highest position in the city for more than a decade.
“Thank you Calgary with all my heart,” Gondek said Monday night during his victory speech. “Thank you for participating in democracy and sending a clear signal about what our future looks like.
“Thank you for embracing a vision of promise and opportunity.”
Nenshi responded to the unofficial results on social media.
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“History. Done,” he wrote as he congratulated Gondek on his victory. He also made history as the first Muslim mayor of a great American city. Early Monday, he thanked the Calgarians for giving him the “honor of his life.”
Gondek served as a Calgary city councilor for four years, where she championed public transportation, police reform and the growth of the city.
His campaign for mayor has focused on issues like investing in transportation, getting more property tax dollars from the provincial government, and making Calgary a “center of excellence” to drive social, economic and environmental recovery.
In Edmonton, former federal cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi, a Sikh immigrant from India, is likely to become the first mayor of color in the provincial capital.
‘We’ve Made The Impossible Possible’: #Calgary, #Edmonton Celebrate Mayor’s Firsts. #ABPoli
“As an 18-year-old immigrant without much to my name, I had ambitions and dreams of building a better life in a new home, dreams that sometimes seemed impossible,” Sohi said during her victory speech Monday night. “Today, thanks to you, everyone in this room, we have made the impossible possible.”
He was a city bus driver and Edmonton city councilman before entering federal politics and served as Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Sohi will take over from Don Iveson, who announced that he would not run for reelection after serving two terms as mayor. In a statement, Iveson said Edmonton will prosper under Sohi’s leadership.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Mayor-elect Sohi during his time as (a) city councilor and have always appreciated and been inspired by how hard he has worked for our community,” said Iveson.
Both newly elected mayors led with about 45 percent of the vote and almost all polls reported.
The results of the elections, which also included mayors, councilors and members of school boards from across the province, will be made official on Friday.
Edmonton Elections said that more than 229,000 residents voted in the municipal elections. In Calgary, voter turnout exceeded 382,000 people, although none of the counts have been finalized.
Questions from the provincial referendum on the federal equalization program and daylight saving time were also on the ballot. Elections Alberta said those results won’t be available until Oct. 26.
Voters in Calgary were asked in a plebiscite on whether to return fluoride to the city’s drinking water. The unofficial results show that the majority voted in favor.
This Canadian Press report was first published on October 18, 2021.
Reference-www.nationalobserver.com