Keith Gerein: Iveson leaves a legacy hard to define, but hopefully lasting for Edmonton

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Former Mayor Bill Smith had a relentlessly cheerful disposition and an iconic catchphrase for Edmonton as the best city in the best province in the best country in the world.

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Stephen Mandel’s record featured a series of major victories in infrastructure projects that reshaped the city, from the City Center Airport to the arena deal and the LRT expansion.

But as for Don Iveson, who has now reached his last day as mayor, defining a distinctive quality or achievement for his time in office is a bit more challenging.

In part, that’s because legacy is a dodgy notion in the middle of a transition. It is a better concept in hindsight, after the passage of time, when it becomes clearer whether the leader’s actions have produced lasting change.

It’s also specifically difficult for Iveson, whose greatest hits may not be in the bricks and mortar type, but rather in intangible forms of politics, relationships, and lofty speech.

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Of course, not everyone will see legacy through the lens of achievement. And critics of the Iveson era certainly have controversies and flaws they can highlight, including management and morale issues within the civic workforce, anger over the application of photographic radars, and a frustrating track record in delivering high-profile infrastructure.

Many have also disagreed with the mayor’s leadership decisions, suggesting that he was too concerned with impressing people in Ottawa, spoke too often in political terms rather than communicating with people in real-world language, and that he made too futile an effort trying to solve social problems at the expense of taxpayers and businesses.

While I acknowledge the validity of some of those sentiments, I would also say that it is rare for the political leader to have the ability to serve everyone’s interests, and it is far more common to see catastrophe among those who try.

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“Leadership requires that courage not to be afraid of upsetting people … and to take some awkward positions,” he told me during an exit interview earlier this month. “People are desperate for leadership that represents something and not just to keep an office or try to keep everyone happy. Every time I’ve tried to lead from that (other) place, it doesn’t work that well. “

So what has Iveson represented? Let’s start with the national profile that he gained throughout his five years as head of the group of mayors of the big cities.

Critics wondered if that job was only serving Iveson’s political ambitions, but there’s no question that it quietly helped produce real benefits for Edmonton.

Some were tangible in terms of federal assistance for transit, housing, and pandemic relief. Others had more to do with reputation, as the extensive exposure gained by Iveson and Calgary Mayor Naheed Neshi likely challenged the stereotypes other Canadians had about Alberta, which is no small feat when it comes to competing for talent. , tourists and investments.

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(In that sense, the leadership of mayors became particularly critical during COVID, when the provincial government more or less decided not to exercise its own.)

Likewise, Iveson’s efforts to strengthen relationships with surrounding municipalities did not receive much fanfare, but they shaped the region to better pursue economic investment, cooperate on projects, and present a united front to the province.

Still, I think Iveson’s greatest contributions can rest in part on the difficult political work he championed, which never comes with a ribbon cutting at the end.

Ambitious plans to tackle climate change. Police and community security reforms that were imposed as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement. Working to address homelessness, although that didn’t go as far as Iveson would have liked. The big city charter agreement, which was lost when the UCP government broke its promise, but could revive now that the concept has been established.

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We also cannot forget the City Plan, which ties much of this together into a grand plan for a more sustainable and vibrant community. If the plan remains a fixture on desks rather than drawers, it can prepare Edmonton well for decades to come, and I It is encouraging that last week’s election saw victories among the candidates most likely to keep the concept going.

Iveson, of course, is still a young man with a lot of time and political capital to use through a different vehicle. So it was surprising to hear from a leader who seemed to have meticulously planned much of his career, announce that the next adventure remains unknown.

For the first time in a long time, you will be out of the limelight. Suddenly, your phone will get a lot quieter, fewer people will search for meetings, and interview requests will drop precipitously.

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Iveson says he agrees with this, even looking forward to it.

I suppose you will soon come to hate him, especially given his desire and confidence to tackle difficult subjects, and the abundance of such subjects to tackle.

And frankly, that’s the real problem in trying to define Iveson’s legacy at this stage, because it’s a half-finished biography.

The first half was an imperfect, albeit generally inspiring story that will likely improve with age, but it is quite possible that the most interesting chapters are yet to come.

Who knows, maybe Iveson will even develop a catchphrase to use as a title.

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