EDMONTON — City council voted unanimously on Monday to not introduce paid parking at five sites in Edmonton.

The city was considering implementing paid parking at Emily Murphy Park, Rafter’s Landing, Muttart Conservatory, Fort Edmonton Park, and TELUS World of Science in spring 2022.

Negative financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic recession prompted city administration to make the suggestion — as well as others to improve Edmonton’s fiscal outlook in what is called the Reimagine Services project. 

Administration proposed implementing a two-hour grace period in which parking would be free at parks located in the river valley and not associated with an attraction. 

A business case prepared by an external consultant for city council suggested implementing a $1-to-$2 hourly rate after the grace-free period at parks on weekends and a $5-to-$7 daily rate at Rafter’s Landing. For parking at attractions, the report suggested charging a daily rate of $5 to $7.

According to that business case, charging for parking at those five sites could generate between $81,000 and $2.01 million in revenue for the city over five years, depending on the chosen pricing scheme.

For Iveson, charging for parking would not be a major revenue generator but a way to ensure parking spot turnover.

“It’s actually about making sure that people aren’t parking at a park and then walking into work, walking into an LRT or bus station, or something like that,” Iveson said at a media availability Monday. “There’s legitimate parking management issues that aren’t even so much about revenue generation.”

During the council meeting, many councillors argued that introducing paid parking should require more public consultation.

Coun. Bev Esslinger said the Telus World of Science told her it was surprised when paid parking was initially brought forward, especially since many attractions are reopening after COVID-19 closures.

“I really have heard a lot from different partners on this and some may be open to various parts of it,” she added. “I think if we had some good public engagement we could work with all parties to ensure we were on the right path forward.”

Many councillors expressed hesitation about the proposal since the city is planning a major parking overhaul through the Parking Action Plan, scheduled to start in 2022.

In the end, council decided to strike paid parking from the Reimagine Services project.

The remainder of the 17 recommendations will be decided either Monday evening or at council’s next meeting on Wednesday.

EDMONTON — Four minors involved in an assault of a Black Edmonton student are entering a restorative justice program rather than facing criminal charges, came an update from police on Monday.

The investigation was closed after police interviewed the minors, complainant, all involved families, 13 witnesses and the community, said staff sergeant Andre Francois, who was in charge of the file.

“Based on previous experiences involving youth and the criminal justice system as well as consultations with the community and those directly involved in this incident, we felt all parties would be better solve by participating in this program rather than face criminal charges and entry into the criminal justice system,” Francois told media during a livestreamed news conference.

“We also recognize criminalizing these youths would be inconsistent with a trauma-informed approach, which played a major role in our decision to proceed this way.”

Police did not say when they closed the investigation.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROCESS

The April 16 assault of 14-year-old Pazo in the Rosslyn School yard was recorded and published online. Both the violent nature of the attack and racist language used during it brought heavy attention to Edmonton Police Service’s handling of the case, and criticism of investigators’ ruling it wasn’t a hate-motivated incident.

Pazo says he was called the N-word and “monkey” during the attack.

The attackers’ use of the derogatory language will be addressed when they go through DIVERSIONfirst, a restorative justice program, EPS assured the public on Monday.

According to sergeant Kendall Booth, who heads the program, all four of the involved youth have begun the intake process. They’ll spend between one and two months in the program, which is customized for each participant.

DIVERSIONfirst, launched in 2018, sees an officer and social worker assigned to the youth and their family, and together the parties design a plan that meets their needs. 

At the end, the group meets again to discuss what changes they’ve seen as a result.

None of the five minors involved had previous criminal involvement. That, and their age, were considered factors for the group of four’s entrance to the program, Francois and Booth said.

Social justice advocate and aspiring councillor Haruun Ali called their assignment to the program appropriate.

“Criminalizing what’s called the BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of colour] students will not do anything,” Ali told CTV News Edmonton. “That will not fix the circumstance, whatsoever. But ensuring this doesn’t happen to another young Black boy, that’s what will fix the situation.”

According to Booth, nearly 340 minors have gone through DIVERSIONfirst.

“Youth sometimes will not make just one mistake; they’ll make another mistake. Ideally, I’d like to see this a long term study where we can show trajectory as they reach that adult stage,” he told media. But EPS’ latest data suggested the program is a little more than 90 per cent effective.

This will not be the first time participants were minors involved in an assault, the sergeant added.

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE FOR HATE-MOTIVATED

A member of Edmonton’s anti-racism advisory committee and Canadians United Against Hate agreed the program was an appropriate consequence, but called it symbolic of “two different Edmontons.”

“Had the roles been reversed and had it been one white kid getting beat up by peers that were racialized, I don’t feel that racialized youth would get the same kind of treatment, you know, being referred into special programs to lift them up,” Trent Daley commented.

“There’s no easy side to the criminal justice system for racialized folks.”

Both he and Ali spoke of broken trust between EPS and the Black community, referencing EPS’ continued stance the April 16 attack was not a hate-motivated crime.

On Monday, Francois emphasized the assault was “completely and utterly unacceptable” but reiterated “there was insufficient evidence to support the event was motivated hate, bias or prejudice.”

The incident, Francois added, “had some history.”

“All of the participants were known to each other. And this incident was a result of previous interactions they had dating back to late last year.”

He noted investigators reviewed multiple videos in addition to “the one we all saw.”

“So it’s important to consider that not everything around this incident was captured in one video clip.”

Ali said, “Continually, when hate crimes happen in the city they never come to us and they never recognize us as victims; they recognize the perpetrators as victims.”

CTV News Edmonton reached out to Pazo’s family’s lawyer for comment, but did not hear back.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson

EDMONTON — For the third time in as many tries, Edmonton city councillor Mike Nickel escaped sanction by his colleagues at City Hall on Monday.

The motion to censure Nickel, put forward by Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote needed to sanction the Ward 11 councillor.

The 8-3 vote in favour of censure came after councillors heard from the city’s integrity commissioner that Nickel had breached their Code of Conduct when he published derogatory social media posts about Coun. Andrew Knack in April.

If the motion to censure had passed, Nickel would have been reprimanded publicly on record by city council.  

Integrity commissioner Jamie Pytel told councillors her investigation into Nickel’s Apr. 12 and Apr. 13 social media posts found them to be in violation of the Code of Conduct’s retaliatory section. She recommended censure.

In the Apr. 12 post, Nickel accused Knack of filing a complaint against him which led to the Ward 11 councillor’s first sanction hearing in 2020.

The post suggested Knack’s complaint was in response to Nickel’s criticism of his policy on bike lanes and called the subsequent integrity commissioner’s previous investigation a “$50,000 + stunt.” 

“The Apr. 12 social media post where it suggests that this was a $50,000 stunt that was caused by Coun. Knack or his staff member is concerning,” Pytel said during her presentation to council on Monday afternoon. “It has the retaliatory nature to it.” 

“Retaliation, for me, is the most serious breach of the code,” she later added, “and it brings the code to its knees.”

On Apr. 13, Nickel once again published a social media post that falsely pointed to Knack for the city’s bike lane policy. This was the same social media post that led to Nickel’s first sanction hearing. 

According to Pytel, Knack was not one of the 10 complainants to come forward with concerns that led to Nickel’s first sanction hearing. 

‘I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE MESSAGE THIS SENDS’

Before Monday’s proceedings began, Iveson handed the meeting’s chair position over to Ward 9 Coun. Tim Cartmell to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

“This is not about free speech,” the mayor told city council before its vote. “When speech includes misinformation and intimidation, it is unprofessional and it is damaging.”

Mayor Iveson released a written statement following his motion’s defeat.

“It’s concerning to me that council couldn’t bring itself to hold this bullying behavior to account, and I am concerned about the message this sends to City of Edmonton employees, as well as people running to join city council,” it read in part.

“I thank the majority of council who stood up today against bullying behavior, who stood up for workplace safety at the City of Edmonton, and who stood up for our Council’s Code of Conduct, even if Council couldn’t reach the 9 votes required to confirm the integrity commissioner’s censure recommendation.”

‘THE PUBLIC WILL MAKE THAT FINAL DETERMINATION’

Before voting against censuring Nickel, Ward 7 Coun. Tony Caterina explained that he did not believe his fellow councillor’s actions warranted such a severe penalty.

Caterina expressed concerns about the way some colleagues had framed what a vote against sanctioning Nickel meant.

“When I hear a speaker say that if you vote no to this that means you have no feelings for anybody else, that’s a complaint in itself worth investigating,” he said.

“I do care about the 14,000 city employees that I work with,” said Caterina. “I think that all of this has been made so public to this point that I think one way or the other, regardless of censure or not, the public will make that final determination,” said Caterina.

Ward 3 Coun. Jon Dziadyk and Ward 12 Coun. Mohinder Banga also voted against censuring Nickel.

COUN. NICKEL ABSENT FROM HEARING

Just as he did for his June 24 sanction hearing, Nickel sent his lawyer, Jonathan Denis, to represent him – and was absent himself.

Denis defended Nickel’s Apr. 12 and Apr. 13 social media posts and doubled down on the assertion that the integrity commissioner’s previous investigation had cost taxpayers more than $50,000.

“The budget for the office of the integrity commissioner is $150,000 per reporting period, which is from Sept. 3 to Sept. 3 each year,” he said in front of council.

“This office bet a total of $132,000 and change.” 

Denis, who attended the meeting remotely, left before taking any questions from councillors.

Nickel is one of 10 candidates running to be Edmonton’s next mayor.

EDMONTON — RCMP are asking for the public help locating a 27-year-old woman who was last seen on Canada Day in Morinville.

Shaniah Vermillion left her temporary residence on July 1 around noon and has not returned, according to RCMP.

Morinville RCMP said they have been unable to locate her and “would like to confirm Shaniah’s well-being.”

Vermillion is described by police as:

• 5 feet tall
• 138 Lbs (63 kg)
• Black hair
• Brown eyes
• Indigenous

RCMP said she could be in Edmonton. Anyone with information is asked to contact Morinville RCMP at 780-939-4520 or Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

EDMONTON — The identity of a helicopter pilot who died helping fight a wildfire near Evansburg, Alta. last Monday is now known and groups are rallying together to support his surviving family.

Heath Coleman, a 49-year-old pilot, died when his helicopter crashed on June 28. He was the only occupant at the time of the crash.

Coleman’s helicopter was contracted from Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, based out of Blue River, British Columbia. He was the Blue River base manager and had flown with the company for more than 20 years.

A GoFundMe to help support Coleman’s surviving wife and two children has been set up by Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. As of publication it had raised over $6,700.

The Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the incident.

“Immediately we direct our thoughts to the family and loved ones that he’s left behind,” said David Sheen, president of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Sheen is currently in Ottawa at the national fallen firefighters memorial where Coleman’s name will be etched alongside other fallen firefighters from Alberta and across Canada.

“We will always remember him, and we will always remember his family,” Sheen added. “We are there to do our best within our ability to support his family.”

The tragic event is a reminder of the dangers firefighting brings, especially at a time when the wildfire season is not allowing any breaks for grieving colleagues.

“(It is a) heavy burden of work they have to do right now and how the environment and conditions are impacting that,” Sheen said. “We always want everyone to go home and go home safe and stay safe.”