‘Cautiously optimistic’: How do rural Alberta, Edmonton, Calgary feel about Danielle Smith as premier?

The president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta says his members want to move forward and “actually get things done” with new premier-designate Danielle Smith. But how do the big cities feel?

Mayors of both Edmonton and Calgary have spoken about how important it is for municipal governments to have good working relationships with the provincial government.

Edmonton’s Amarjeet Sohi said he has not talked to Smith since her win, but that they met last week in Calgary to talk about priorities and he’s confident they can work together.

“We had a good working relationship with Premier Kenney and would like to develop that relationship with premier-designate Smith,” he said Friday.

4:38 What does Danielle Smith’s UCP leadership win mean for Alberta, future of party?

In his official statement, the mayor highlighted Edmonton’s strength in industries like hydrogen, health sciences, artificial intelligence and renewable energy.

“In partnership with our new premier, we can help expand our economy, create well-paying middle-class jobs and tackle climate change to make our communities more sustainable.

“We are also eager to work alongside the premier in fulfilling the provincial government’s responsibility to tackle houselessness and mental health, and drug-poisoning crisis in Edmonton. Tackling these issues will reduce pressures on the overstretched healthcare and justice system,” Sohi said.

“We want to work together to advance truth and reconciliation and anti-racism efforts, and bolster the economic recovery of Edmonton’s business districts.”

1:47 What might Danielle Smith’s UCP leadership contest win mean for Edmonton?

Political analyst John Brennan, who worked as strategic adviser for two Edmonton mayors, said recent events present an opportunity for city council to advocate for Edmonton.

“After kind of a rocky start in his first few months in office, I think Mayor Sohi did a really good job in recent months building relationships with various ministers and, in particular, with former Premier Kenney.

“He was able to get a number of significant announcements out of the provincial government: transit funding… homelessness  — especially in inner city — and the whole issue of mental health and addictions treatment.”

1:42 City of Edmonton, Homeward Trust granted $12M to operate supportive housing

Brennan thinks a lot of the ministers will remain in cabinet under Smith.

“They may not be in the same portfolios but when you’re seven-and-half months out from an election, you don’t want to have a tonne of rookie ministers, especially when you’re probably going to go into session sometime in November.

“I expect Mayor Sohi already has a relationships with a number of those ministers and that will carry on.”

He says city council should focus on just a few priority issues with the province.

“And actually let the mayor — who is the only member of city council who’s elected by all Edmontonians — be the spokesperson for Edmonton and be the advocate for Edmonton.

Calgarian Edie Johnston said Smith’s victory sparked mixed emotions.

“I’ve heard good things and bad things,” she said. “This is what the people want and let’s hope we’re not wrong.

“I hope she’s for the people and we see some great changes.”

Fellow Calgarian Ken Damberger said regardless of whether you chose Smith, it’s time to cooperate.

“As long as we unite now that we’ve decided,” he said. “Now that we’ve got her, we’ve got to get behind her.”

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Timothy Walters will simply wait and see.

“I am a proud Calgarian. I love Alberta. But above all else, I’m Canadian. Those are the relationships I would wish to see emphasized and to remain intact.

“I am concerned,” he said Friday.

“Issues around sovereignty and the relationship between Alberta and Ottawa are real issues. I think they’re important, and I think the Alberta Sovereignty Act is exactly the wrong approach.

“If Smith pushes through with some form of the Alberta Sovereignty Act — and all indications are that she will do so — people will need to look closely at other alternatives.”

4:25 Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Danielle Smith as premier-designate

Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber, congratulated Smith and noted she will become the third woman to lead Alberta.

The Calgary businesses community is focused on efforts like attracting talent, economic diversification, affordability, supply chain challenges and seizing energy transformation opportunities, she said.

“We always need an advocate for Alberta in Ottawa. We do need to maintain investor certainty and the opportunities we have in front of us as a province: to be able to attract capital, attract opportunities and to make sure we continue on the path of diversification,” Yedlin said.

“What we want to make sure — and we’ll continue to advocate for — is certainty and stability for the business community, and anything that compromises that is something that we’ll definitely be talking about.

“There are so many companies that have made decisions based on the existing situation and the economic opportunity that they have, and we don’t want that compromised.”

6:15 Checking in with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it’s crucial for Calgary to have a premier who understands what’s happening in the city.

“It’s incredibly important for council and the provincial government to have a relationship because we’re heavily reliant on them for a lot of our funding dollars,” she said Friday.

Smith ran her leadership campaign on a lot of issues, Gondek said, but one in particular caught the mayor’s attention.

“One of the things she mentioned quite frequently was that she understood cities weren’t getting a fair shake and perhaps we should be able to keep a greater proportion of the property tax that we collect.

“That’s something I’m incredibly interested in speaking with her about.”

“She has also asked us in the past how we feel about the current EMS dispatch model.

“There’s many things that she wants to talk about. She ran on several things, and those are the conversations I hope to have.”

Addressing the EMS crisis is a big issue in rural Alberta too.

“EMS is broken. We need to fix that,” said Paul McLauchlin, reeve of Ponoka County and president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA).

“We can work together. We’re solution-focused and we want to move forward and actually get things done and have this larger file taken care of.”

McLauchlin said rural Alberta municipalities want to get “back to the business of taking care of Alberta.” He said Smith echoed that sentiment in her words and now Albertans will wait for action.

“We’re… cautiously optimistic. I think change is a good thing. Change is inevitable.

“I think we can pick up the core files we want to push forward as rural Albertans and make sure we’re getting back to the business of moving forward with our economy, jobs, addressing some of the issues we have as it relates to healthcare, EMS.

3:09 Alberta’s agriculture industry faced many challenges in 2021

“We have some critical issues that we want to bring up and are cautiously optimistic that this change will bring us forward on these issues.”

The key issues for rural Alberta, McLauchlin said, are EMS, rural healthcare, housing, addictions, crime, energy and restoring funding in the budget to the agriculture and forestry industries.

“We want to be made whole again. We provide the services, the roads, the bridges, the infrastructure that gets goods to market and recognizing our value in that supply chain I think is important. That’ll be the first piece.

“As it relates to crime, I want to talk about judicial reform, root cause of crime… poverty, addictions: these are topics we’re bringing up from our members day-to-day.”

5:09 Alberta Municipalities calls for public safety task force, rather than provincial police

On the issue of a provincial police force, McLauchlin suggested a referedum.

“I think we have to agree to disagree. There’s a tremendous amount of experience and corporate knowledge, boots on the ground, in the folks I represent. Hopefully we’re listened to.”

He said now is the time to come together.

“She’s the leader of not only the party but the leader of the province,” McLauchlin said. “If premier-elect is successful, all of Albertans will be successful, so that’ll be our intent going forward.”

Alberta’s population is estimated to be 4.54 million. Membership of the United Conservative Party is about 123,900. That means, even if all UCP members voted for the new leader, less than three per cent of Albertans elected Smith as premier.

The RMA represents 69 municipalities and 85 per cent of the land in Alberta. It has more than 500 members.

Drayton Valley town councillor Tom McGee hopes this moment offers a fresh start.

“I think she can unite,” he said. “We also heard, ‘Wipe the slate clean.’

“The other thing that I think would be really interesting would be if she could sit down and have a cup of tea with Rachel and say: ‘What can we do to make Alberta better?'”

1:46 How some Albertans outside the province’s major cities are reacting to Danielle Smith as UCP leader

McGee thinks Smith as premier will be good for Drayton Valley and good for Alberta.

“She’s hard-nosing Ottawa and we’re all sort of for that. What that means, nobody knows. But let’s try. Let’s not do what we’ve been doing. Let’s try something different to see if we can get to a better spot.”

That stance on Ottawa is what grabbed Curtis Skrocki’s attention. He runs a heavy duty mechanics shop in Drayton Valley that’s been there for over 20 years.

“Standing up to Ottawa — pretty much, getting some action done — that’s about the biggest thing that caught my eye.”

1:54 Danielle Smith to become next premier of Alberta

Skrocki heard Smith’s speech on TikTok.

“It’s rather interesting, but hopefully they do as they say,” he said. “You need action behind the talk.

“It’s hard to find anyone to vote for. It just doesn’t seem like they’re going to do what they say they’re going to do, so you give up,” he said.

“I’ll probably pay attention a little more now that I’ve heard something from her.”

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