August 19 Mayoral Candidate Seniors Forum
On August 19, candidates Amarjeet Sohi, Kim Krushell, and Michael Oshry joined ESCC and the YEG Seniors Alliance for a virtual forum discussing issues affecting older Edmontonians. Candidates were selected by a poll conducted by the YEG Seniors Alliance asking older adults who they would most like to hear from. A recording of the forum is available below.
Voter's Compass
Our exploration of the issues for older adults in this municipal election continues with a Voter's Compass tool (below), which will be updated regularly. For this resource, we will reach out to all official candidates in the mayoral race on various issues and share the answers provided.
Our first three issues/questions in the voter’s compass tool mirror those which were posed during the forum – the same questions have been posed to all confirmed mayoral candidates. The answers below are from those candidates who opted to respond. The full list of confirmed mayoral candidates is available via the Edmonton Elections tool (select the "Mayor" option from the "Race" dropdown list). There, you will also find information related to where to vote and what to bring with you to the polling station.
PLEASE NOTE: the Voter's Compass tool below does not represent a verbatim transcript of the responses provided by those who participated in the forum. In some cases, answers have been abbreviated to enhance readability and provide the main points related to the candidate’s platform on the relevant issue.
Question #1:
For Edmonton seniors, what are current transportation barriers? As Mayor, how do you plan to deal with these challenges/barriers?
Question #2:
At the municipal level, what current services for seniors do you think are a success and what are your plans to maintain/enhance those services? What services are lacking and how do you plan to address the service gaps?
Question #3:
Do you think seniors are a unique constituency? When you think about municipal policies, what issues and considerations about the Edmonton senior demographic are at the forefront for you?
Question #4:
As Mayor how would you address the needs of low-income older adults who are struggling to make ends meet?
Question #5:
Organizations that work with mobility-challenged older adults have identified affordable assisted door-through-door transportation as being key to wellness. Organizations that rely on volunteer drivers work to address this growing need, but there is no funding mechanism to help keep the cost to the consumer affordable. As Mayor, how would you meet the unique needs of this demographic?
Question #6:
During the COVID pandemic, seniors have been differentially impacted. With Canada entering a fourth wave driven by the Delta variant, what would you do at the municipal level to address concerns and to support the health and safety of older Edmontonians and families?