Key takeaways:
- Amarjeet Sohi is scheduled to meet with Justice Minister Tyler Shandro tomorrow to consult the plan.
- Edmonton released a multi-pronged strategy Monday in reply to an outcry from Chinatown residents and requests from Alberta’s justice minister for action to manage ongoing crime and social disorder problems.
The City of Edmonton has set up measures to control crime and disorder in Chinatown as calls for action continue to rise after two men were killed in the community.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi’s office confirmed the new steps Monday — a few days after Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro gave the city two weeks to develop an action plan. Sohi is scheduled to meet with Shandro Tuesday to discuss the project.
Last week, residents of Chinatown packed a council meeting at city hall to claim help, and on the weekend, hundreds of people demonstrated outside city hall requesting action.
“Things must change; the position quo is inappropriate,” Sohi said outside city hall Monday. “Chinatown has been ignored for too long, and I ensure you, that stops now.”
The plan establishes a Chinatown post-COVID vibrancy fund, beginning with $1 million from the city’s economic reserve.
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The mayor’s office urges that a committee, called by a city advisory and led by the Chinatown and Area Business Association, distribute the money.
The city will provide a $300,000 donation to the Chinatown and Area Business Association to help pay for private security.
Businesses had been paying out of their own pockets for privacy protection in the area since early 2001. The city said it would begin a Chinatown needle cleanup program and daily clean roads and back alleys.
The plan has established public washrooms and improved the streetscape to help prevent cramps in the core neighborhood.
A promotional campaign to draw clients back to Chinatown businesses is also on the list.
Source – cbc.ca
