Wedgewood Heights Affordable Housing Plan Advances After Heated Council Debate
Despite significant public opposition and a court-ordered public hearing, Edmonton's City Council has approved the sale of surplus school grounds in the Wedgewood Heights community for a symbolic $1. The decision, made following a contentious Wednesday session, allows Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta to proceed with plans to construct 60 affordable townhouse units on the northern section of the property.
Court Intervention and Council's Final Decision
The path to approval was far from straightforward. Initially part of a larger surplus school sale announced in November, the original deal was nullified by the Court of King's Bench after justices determined the city had violated the Municipal Government Act. Justice Shaina Leonard ordered the November public hearing, which ultimately failed to sway council members from their decision to move forward with the sale.
Council members based their final approval on new information gathered from community members and developers following the court's intervention. "It's tough, this isn't the only site where we've had this conversation over the years," acknowledged Mayor Andrew Knack during deliberations. "There's a number of sites where we've had to take away green space — it doesn't matter that it was supposed to be a school in the past, people are just used to having used that space — and yet those are some of the best locations where we've been able to build affordable housing."
Addressing Edmonton's Housing Crisis
The mayor emphasized the critical need for affordable housing solutions across the city. "We know that tens of thousands of Edmontonians are in core housing need," Knack stated. "Without building affordable housing in a substantial and significant way, we're not going to be able to meet our goals, which is getting people out of that core housing need."
Council is working to ensure a relatively even distribution of affordable housing projects across Edmonton's neighborhoods to prevent economic disparities between communities. This development would represent Wedgewood Heights' first and likely only affordable housing initiative.
Treaty 8 First Nations' Development Plans
Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi outlined specific plans for the property, which will feature 60 townhouse-style buildings. The development will include:
- 47 three-bedroom units
- 13 four-bedroom suites
Mercredi emphasized that the housing would be open to anyone in need of low-income accommodations, not exclusively Treaty 8 members. "We're looking to help out with the affordable housing crisis here in Edmonton," he explained. "It's targeted towards low-income families, whoever that may be."
The location offers easy access to the river valley, which Mercredi noted could be used for traditional on-the-land activities to help residents connect with nature. "Land use and land knowledge is always important to our people and hopefully we can incorporate some of that as well," he added.
Acknowledging this project as something of a prototype, Mercredi revealed that Treaty 8 is actively seeking additional properties throughout Edmonton to develop similar low-income housing initiatives in the future.
Organized Opposition and Community Concerns
Despite the project's affordable housing goals, not all community members support the development. Organized pushback from residents has highlighted concerns about green space preservation and neighborhood character, creating a complex landscape for municipal decision-makers balancing housing needs with community preferences.
