Green Drinks Edmonton

Green Drinks Edmonton is committed to the Green Drinks code, including the stipulation that “Green Drinks as an entity will never endorse or have a position or stance on an environmental topic.” With that caveat, issues that we care about and would like to see discussed in the 2025 municipal election include sustainable energy transition, climate mitigation, ecological planning and programming for our river valley and ravine system, and (slow) local food and urban agriculture.

Why we care about these issues and consider them particularly relevant to the upcoming municipal election, respectively:

1. Sustainable Energy Transition: To be added
2. Climate Mitigation: To be added
3. Planning and programming for the river valley and ravine system: Just before the municipal election is slated to take place, council will likely approve an updated River Valley strategic plan and bylaw, or area redevelopment plan. The way our next council interprets and administration enacts these new policies will set the tone for how we relate with our river valley and ravine spaces as ecologies, and spaces for learning, relaxation, and recreation of various kinds for the next few decades. Moreover, on recent years new river valley activities and programming have gained in interest or popularity, including mountain biking, forest schools, and forest bathing. In light of these emergent phenomena, the question of how we manage diverse pressures for space to relate with our river valley and ravines poses a complex challenge for future councils and for all citizens of Edmonton.
4. Local Food and Urban Agriculture: Edmonton’s population is growing, as we hear often. What we don’t always hear is that we are welcoming many newcomers to our city. Many of these folks come from agricultural backgrounds and with a desire to practice agriculture while living in the city. This is for several reasons, among them, to be in proximity to their cultural communities, and to have access to more affordable food and culturally significant foods that are not available in the grocery store. How we accommodate these newcomers will depend on how well the city facilitates opportunities to practice urban agriculture. We are aware that the city recently canceled the city farm and the food council, as well as a significant amount of funding for Sustainable Food Edmonton. We are also familiar with the way prime agricultural land may be sacrificed to suburban development. Given all these developments, we would say that the way we choose to accommodate urban agriculture and local food initiatives into our planning is something that requires attention and careful consideration, and will have a significant impact on future food security in our community.