EDMONTON -- Papastew has seven candidates running in the 2021 municipal election.

Formerly Ward 8, papastew is one of two ridings that broke up the previous boundaries last September when councillors approved changes better reflecting population.

Ben Henderson previously represented Ward 8 but is not running for re-election.

The ward is bound by the North Saskatchewan River in the north, 34 Avenue in the south, the Whitemud Ravine in the west, and the neighbourhoods of Bonnie Doon and Avonmore in the east.

The ward name means large woodpecker and originates from Papaschase. Papastew was the respected leader of the Papaschase Band residing in what is now known as Edmonton in the late 1800s. The ward is pronounced PAH-PAH-STAY-OH.

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Here’s a look at the candidates in papastew.

HARUUN ALI

Candidate Haruun Ali is the youngest person vying for votes in this municipal election. At 18, Ali says he’s got the ideas and experience as a social advocate to represent his community.

“Edmonton’s at a crossroads,” he said. “We have an option between better and fear mongering.”

He wants to tackle issues like Islamaphobia, the opioid crisis, affordable housing, and the fight for better policing.

“Our communities continue to struggle,” Ali added. “We need municipal politicians to take bold stances.”

Ali said the city spends too much on punitive policing and not enough on community-based solutions that ensure safety. He would like to see more money go towards mental health crisis teams and social supports.

“The only way we are going to keep people safe is by working with communities,” he shared. “We need to reduce the EPS budget and invest it back into communities.”

If elected, Ali wants to ensure Edmonton makes a strong recovery from the pandemic by advancing a small-business-focused recovery strategy and speeding up processing times for business licenses and permits. Additionally, Ali wants the city to redesign city streets so they are both pedestrian and patio-friendly for bars and restaurants.

JAMES CAMERON

As a business owner, candidate James Cameron says he got into city politics to introduce better fiscal responsibility to council.

He hopes to re-evaluate city spending and streamline existing services so that Edmontonians are getting the best value for their tax dollars. In addition, he believes Edmontonians have been blindsided by tax and rate increases for too long.

“We should spend within our means and try to save money for future projects, developments, and times of need,” Cameron said.

“COVID exposed our weaknesses,” he added. “As a city, we aren’t using our expertise to its full potential.”

If elected, Cameron says he will be a true representative for all voices living in the papastew.

“I will be someone who collaborates and advocate for the needs of the ward,” Cameron said.

SUSAN FIELD

Born and raised in papastew, candidate Susan Field is a mother of three that has worked 30 years in the private sector in project management positions.

Field told CTV News how deciding to run for council was an easy decision as it allowed her to mesh her passion for community service and building business.

“We need to have a big community heart, build business opportunities, and provide services for everyone in this city,” she said.

Field says business owners, new entrepreneurs, and companies planning to set up shop often overlook Edmonton because of its over-regulation and lack of planning when it comes to tax rates. She hopes to cut red tape by accelerating business permits and create a predictable tax regime for businesses.

“(I’ve heard that) dealing with the city is exhausting, permitting times are far too long, and spending on capital projects and road constructions is huge,” Field said.

“We are not known as a business-friendly city,” she added. “I think we need to start recruiting businesses to set up in the city.

“(Young people) can apply today to jobs today that didn’t even exist five years ago. We have to make sure that we are inviting those burgeoning industries to Edmonton.”

KIRSTEN GOA

Candidate Kirsten Goa was the community co-chair of the city’s Council Initiative on Public Engagement and Guiding Coalition on Public Engagement. Goa told CTV News how she wanted to take her community engagement experience to help drive further positive change in the city.

“We need different kinds of leadership,” Goa said. “Our budget needs to directly reflect our values.”

Goa wants to push energy transition, develop better transit routes, and collaborate more with the Edmonton Metropolitan Region to help support the local economy and meet environmental goals.

“We should be re-allocating resources so that we can expand transit,” she said.

She would like to explore fare-free zones for downtown and regions so that people can hop on a bus or LRT and take short rides within their district or neighbourhood. For her, this would reduce street congestion, emissions and make Edmonton more pedestrian-friendly.

“Maybe you can get to the grocery store, it’s too far to walk but getting to the grocery store or back you wouldn’t have to worry about not having (transit fare),” Goa said.

Goa wants the city to create more clean accessible public washrooms and drinking water stations, in addition to looking at ways to create more green spaces and maintain river valley parks as spaces for people to gather and recreate.

MICHAEL JANZ

Long-time ward residents may be surprised to see candidate Michael Janz running for council. Janz was an Edmonton Public School Board trustee from 2010 to 2021, serving as board chair, vice-chair, and Alberta School Boards Association vice president.

“I’ve worked with five different premiers and their cabinets,” Janz told CTV News. “Having somebody like me, with my experience, background, and connection to the community is essential.”

Among Janz’s platform promises, his number one priority is ensuring a just and inclusive post-pandemic recovery for the entire city. He hopes to fast-track affordable housing, promote harm reduction strategies to address the overdose epidemic, and support community league and neighbourhood projects.

“Some folks in the city are still doing OK,” Janz said. “But there’s are a lot of folks that are really hurting; the anxiety is palpable.”

For Janz, that means promoting Edmonton’s economy by rethinking regulation, encouraging diversification, and collaborating with regional neighbours to promote emerging sectors like advanced manufacturing, food, agriculture technology, and artificial intelligence.

“As a community, we need to work on supporting our local businesses,” he said, “and championing the best parts of our city.

“We need to focus on making the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as a magnet for future opportunities.”

TARCY SCHINDELKA

When asked why candidate Tarcy Schindelka wanted to run for city council, he said it boiled down to one issue: taxes.

“As a taxpayer, I’ve just continued to watch my taxes rise but the services continue to drop,” Schindelka said. “People are being left behind.

Schindelka said he wants to scrutinize the city’s budget and auditor recommendations to find administrative savings to then re-invest into frontline services like sidewalk maintenance, transit, and roadway improvements.

“We all deserve good services, transit, roads, and safe communities,” he added. “We can easily continue to operate and operate better with taxes the same or lower than they already are.”

One of the most common complaints Schindelka says he hears from residents of the ward has to do with transit. If elected, he hopes to ensure on-demand transit is flexible and accessible to seniors, and recommend ETS creates more resources in different languages for immigrant families.

“(Most people are saying) the service is worse and I’m less likely to use transit because it takes longer to get to work and is more difficult,” Schindelka said.

In Schindelka’s view, the city has a “good” record on addressing climate change and he would ensure that current strategies, like the Community Energy Transition Strategy, are adhered to.

“Climate change needs to be considered,” he said. “Looking into solar is a fantastic thing the city is doing. I am not a fan of where they’re putting the (EPCOR’s E.L. Smith) solar farm.

“Otherwise, we are going in the right direction and we need to continue on that path.”

BYRON VASS

Living in Ritchie, candidate Byron Vass works for Alberta Recycling as part of the audit department. Vass had a baby during the pandemic and realized he wanted to be part of council to help shape a better Edmonton for his son.

“I wanted to get in and start trying to push a more cooperative style of politics,” he said, “and ensure there’s a good future for my son and his future generation.”

For Vass, the city needs to better address the climate crisis and provide more support for businesses trying to weather COVID-19.

“We need to look at what we’ve learned from the cracks that were exposed in society through COVID and instead of just applying band-aid fixes to the most vulnerable in the city,” he said, “let’s find ways to address root causes.

From retrofitting homes to looking at measures to help diversify the economy, Vass said climate needs to be at the forefront of every decision going to council.

“We have to set our city on the right path to responding to the climate crisis.”

He also believes the city is under-utilizing the urban reserve strategy, which Vass believes can help drive economic activity and reconciliation.

Read profiles for mayoral candidates and wards on our municipal election page.