New mayors elected in historic victories in Calgary and Edmonton

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Alberta’s two main cities are set to make historical past of their mayoral races after Monday’s municipal elections throughout the province.

Jyoti Gondek is to grow to be Calgary’s first feminine mayor and Edmonton voters seem to have elected town’s first individual of color as mayor.

Gondek will change Naheed Nenshi, who held town’s high job for greater than a decade.

“Thanks, Calgary, with all of my coronary heart,” Gondek stated late Monday throughout her victory speech. “Thanks for partaking in democracy and sending a transparent sign about what our future appears to be like like.

“Thanks for embracing a imaginative and prescient of promise and alternative.”

Nenshi responded to the unofficial outcomes on social media.

“Historical past. Made,” he wrote as he congratulated Gondek on her win. He, too, made historical past as the primary Muslim mayor of a giant North American metropolis. Earlier Monday, he thanked Calgarians for giving him the “honour of his life.”

Gondek served as a metropolis councillor in Calgary for 4 years, the place she championed public transit, police reform and metropolis progress.

‘We made the not possible potential’

Her mayoral marketing campaign has targeted on points similar to investing in transportation, getting extra property tax {dollars} from the provincial authorities and making Calgary a “centre for excellence” to spice up social, financial and environmental restoration.

In Edmonton, former federal cupboard minister Amarjeet Sohi, a Sikh immigrant from India, will grow to be town’s first mayor of South Asian origin.

“As an 18-year-old immigrant with out a lot to my title, I had ambitions and goals to construct a greater life in a brand new dwelling — goals that generally appeared not possible,” Sohi stated throughout his victory speech late Monday. “As we speak, due to you, due to everybody on this room, we now have made the not possible potential.”

WATCH | Jyoti Gondek talks to the CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault concerning the work forward:

Calgary’s new mayor on making historical past, challenges forward

Calgary’s mayor-elect Jyoti Gondek talks to Adrienne Arsenault about making historical past as town’s first feminine mayor and the challenges the neighborhood is going through. 4:32

He was a metropolis bus driver and an Edmonton metropolis councillor earlier than getting into federal politics and serving as Minister of Pure Assets and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities underneath Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Sohi will take over from Don Iveson, who introduced he would not run for re-election after serving two phrases as mayor. In a press release, Iveson stated Edmonton will thrive underneath Sohi’s management.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mayor-elect Sohi throughout his time as (a) metropolis councillor and have all the time appreciated and been impressed by how onerous he has labored for our neighborhood,” stated Iveson.

Each newly elected mayors have been main with about 45 per cent of the votes with nearly all polls reporting.

Referendum query on ballots

The election outcomes, which additionally included mayors, councillors and faculty board trustees throughout the province, will probably be made official Friday.

Edmonton Elections stated greater than 229,000 residents voted within the municipal election. In Calgary, voter turnout exceeded 382,000 folks — although neither tally is finalized.

Provincial referendum questions on the federal equalization program and daylight time have been additionally on the poll. Elections Alberta stated these outcomes will not be obtainable till Oct. 26.

Voters in Calgary have been requested in a plebiscite about whether or not to return fluoride to town’s ingesting water. Unofficial outcomes present the bulk voting in favour.

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