‘F— you, Jo-Anne Wright!’: Edmonton city council goes off the rails as infill debate goes into summer break

The infill housing debate at Edmonton City Hall is now pushing into council’s summer break. Friday was supposed to be the last day of meetings until August.

But with more than 100 people registered to speak at a public hearing on infill housing, council has voted to extend the meeting to Tuesday, July 8. The motion passed 9–4 Friday afternoon, with councillors saying more time is needed to hear from administration.

Two of the four councillors who voted against the extension, Tim Cartmell and Sarah Hamilton, said they had pre-planned vacations and would not have reliable internet access to attend remotely.

Coun. Jo-Anne Wright was among those who voted in favour.

“This is the normal course of business. With things ramping up, I would think maybe the incumbents would have been aware of that. I wasn’t, but I’ve been able to adjust my schedule for the most part,” Wright said.

Hamilton, who attended Friday’s meeting virtually, issued a fiery point of order.

“That was so rude! That was so f—— rude! F— you, Jo-Anne Wright! F— you!” Hamilton shouted.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi intervened, asking both councillors to withdraw their remarks. They complied.

“My apologies, that was unparliamentary language,” Hamilton said before muting herself.

After the meeting, Hamilton issued a statement clarifying her position and criticizing Wright’s remarks.

“Obviously, it was not the most parliamentary language. But last-minute schedule changes are not easily managed by either staff or council,” she wrote. “The cruel attack on her colleagues for having personal commitments that are not easily changed betrays her ignorance of how constructive governing bodies are actually run.”

Wright, representing Ward Sspomitapi, responded: “I just think that goes to the toxic governance that she keeps alluding to on this council over the past four years. I’m still concerned that we aren’t going to have everybody on council at our public hearing to continue this.”

The clash comes at the end of a weeklong public hearing on zoning bylaws and infill housing. Council was originally scheduled to begin its summer break following Friday’s session, but the debate will now continue into next week.

“I think delaying this decision to August or September leaves so much uncertainty for developers and for communities,” said Sohi. “That is why I urge my council colleagues to participate as much as they can.”

Regardless of who can attend, council will hear from administration all day Tuesday. A motion from Coun. Michael Janz, which would reduce the maximum number of infill units from eight to six, is currently under debate.