Edmonton election ward profile: Anirniq
Anirniq, formerly Ward 2, includes incumbent Bev Esslinger and four more candidates.
The ward is in the city’s northwest, roughly between 170 Street and 97 Street.
Anirniq (A-NIRK-NIK) means “breath of life” in Inuktitut and honours the Inuit people, many of whom were flown from the north to Edmonton in the 1950s and 60s for tuberculosis treatment.
- Complete coverage of the municipal election
- Edmonton's new Indigenous ward names, explained
- New places for familiar councillors? More than new names to city's overhauled electoral wards
Here is a look at the candidates in Anirniq.
BEV ESSLINGER
Bev Esslinger (Supplied)
Bev Esslinger has lived in Anirniq for more than two decades and has served as a city councillor since 2013.
During Esslinger’s tenure, she has used her position to help raise awareness about domestic assault and sexual violence.
On her website, Esslinger lists economy and jobs, safety and community as her top priorities heading into the election. If elected again, Esslinger says she’ll continue to push for the LRT extension through northwest Edmonton to St. Albert and the completion of Albany Park.
The vision for Esslinger moving forward is "building a strong future for Edmonton" following the turmoil of the pandemic and the impact it has had on the local economy.
MARK DAVIES
Mark Davies (Supplied)
Candidate Mark Davies has lived in Edmonton for nearly 40 years including 13 in Anirniq.
Davies has dabbled in a number of professions, in both the public and private sectors.
According to his website, Davies served as a paramedic, “witnessing firsthand the struggle of the city’s homeless.” He also has a decade of experience working in City of Edmonton facilities.
Davies’ platform highlights the need for diversity and inclusion, community connectivity, environmental resilience and sustainable growth, particularly in the business sector.
On his website, Davies says the city should look to acknowledge the “stewardship of existing infrastructure instead of noncritical projects.”
ALI HAYMOUR
Ali Haymour (Supplied)
Ali Haymour has lived in Anirniq his entire life.
Haymour, who currently works as an Alberta Sheriff, told CTV News Edmonton he's chosen to run because he’s “fed up with how the city is being led.”
“I was raised to believe that if you see a problem you should become part of the solution.”
If elected, Haymour said he would like to see “accountability” at city hall with a requirement to adhere to capital budgets instead of going “hundreds of millions of dollars overboard.”
ERIN RUTHERFORD
Erin Rutherford (supplied)
Erin Rutherford was born and raised in Alberta, and has lived in Edmonton for more than 20 years.
Rutherford has focused her career on building community, having advocated for the rights of young people and LGBTQ2S+.
“I'm running to bring my experiences as a public service and community leader to support bridging differences, champion change with compassion, empathy, and collaboration,” she said.
Rutherford told CTV News Edmonton she has a deep understanding of city administration and a proven track record of working with and understanding of people from “all walks of life.”
If elected, Rutherford would implement a zoning bylaw that works now and for the future, fixing the bus network for accessibility, prioritizing needed infrastructure projects within Anirniq, protection of public services and measurable change on climate action and emission reduction.
TYLER ZUTZ
Tyler Zutz (Supplied)
Tyler Zutz is a lifelong Edmontonian who has worked as an independent consultant in business analysis, project management and digital transformation.
He volunteers within his community, most recently as a youth basketball coach.
After 40 years in north Edmonton, Zutz believes there’s room for change in the upcoming election.
“I see other wards in our city where the councillors are very engaged and active in their communities.”
If elected, Zutz would like to forge strong relationships within his community and bring their views to council to ensure they have a say in “how the city will be run for the next four years.”
The municipal election is on Oct. 18.
Read profiles for mayoral candidates and wards on our municipal election page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Thanks to wildfires, air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.