It’s MEÆT time!  Edmonton’s NextGen and the Ignite Working Group present MEÆT 3.5: The Amphitheatre at 5:30 pm on December 10, 2012 at the Citadel’s Tucker Amphitheatre, 9828 101A Ave.  In addition to the awesome project/idea/cause pitches, food will be provided by Normand’s Bistro (88% on Urbanspoon!), tunes will be spun by DJ Polyesterday, and we will enjoy performances by our hosts, Rapid Fire Theatre!  Tickets are expected to go fast, so RSVP on Eventbrite!

This is your chance to:

Share a meal.
Connect.
Enjoy performances.
Cast your vote.
Make a difference now.
Become a philanthropist.

There are 2 ways you can enjoy a MEÆTing:

You can (1) apply to have a project funded and come enjoy dinner, and present your project or (2) come enjoy dinner, experience the presentations, vote for your favourite, and donate $10 to fund something awesome.

The best presentation (as determined by the votes) receives the night’s funding.

MEÆT is an event designed to bring us together for a meal and together fund home-grown projects. By getting together and pooling our wealth we can avoid bureaucracy, get right down to the meat of an idea and make it happen.

Visit www.meaet.com for more information and to submit proposals!

November 19, 2012

Office of the Councillors
2nd Floor, City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB  T5J 2R7

RE: Growth Coordination Strategy

Dear Mayor Mandel and City Council,

Edmonton’s NextGen Steering Committee requests that Executive Committee consider postponing item 6.15, Growth Coordination Strategy, to the next Executive Committee meeting. This will allow for sufficient time to review and comment on the new draft Growth Coordination Strategy which wasn’t released until November 15, 2012.

Over the course of developing this strategy NextGen has made several attempts to provide input as the outcomes of Edmonton’s Growth Coordination will have a substantial impact on future Edmontonians. To date, there has not been a clear or meaningful way for NextGen to engage its membership and provide this necessary feedback. We are hopeful that through Council’s review of this strategy and the creation of the implementation plan, NextGen is incorporated into the public engagement of this strategy.

We are aware that two drafts of the Growth Coordination Strategy have been made available for public review. The first in May 2012 and the current report which was released just last week.  We have done an initial review of the current draft and have noted that there are substantial differences between the two documents. Some of the most concerning deletions from the new draft include strategies and actions to promote infill development and create new sustainable communities.

Future growth of the city including, competing infrastructure demands, will greatly impact our generation. As such, we feel strongly that our input and consultation is crucial in the development of a Growth Coordination Strategy and subsequent implementation plans.  The Growth Coordination strategy must take a holistic approach to managing sustainable growth in Edmonton, including the management of infill development to meet the targets set out in the Municipal Development Plan.

It is our hope that you will allow NextGen and the community adequate time to review and provide feedback on the draft strategy prior to it returning to Executive Committee.  We would like to thank you for your time and consideration of our request.  If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact us at tegan.martindrysdale@redmontonnextgen.ca and brian.murray@edmontonnextgen.ca.

Best Regards,

Tegan Martin-Drysdale

Edmonton’s NextGen Committee

Community Co-Chair

Brian Murray

Edmonton’s NextGen Committee

Civic Co-Chair

cc: Gary Klassen, General Manager, Sustainable Development
Peter Ohm, Manager, Urban Planning and Environment, Sustainable Development
Kathy Barnhart, Manager, Community and Social Development, Community Services

Note for our Edmonton NextGen website readers: For more information on the Growth Coordination Strategy and to read the November 2012 draft, visit http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/urban_planning_and_design/growth-coordination-strategy.aspx.

Edmonton’s NextGen is pleased to announce Carol Neuman will take the reigns as Community Co-Chair on January 1, 2013, for a two-year term. Carol served on NextGen’s Steering Committee for the past three years and most recently lead the Engage Working Group, presenters of popular events such as Candi{date}, Meaet, and DIYalouge.  

Carol was selected as the Incoming Community Co-Chair at a meeting of the NextGen Steering Committee on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.

“Community development is my passion, and the field where I have chosen to make my career. In this work, I embrace values of collaboration and servant leadership,” says Carol Neuman, Incoming Community Co-Chair, Edmonton’s Next Gen. “I feel proud and privileged to be surrounded by passionate, committed young people who are willing to share their time, talent and resources to strengthen their communities.”

In her day job, Carol is the Executive Director of the Alberta Students Executive Council – the province’s largest post-secondary advocacy group. She also volunteers her time with a number of community organizations and initiatives, including LitFest: Edmonton’s Non-Fiction Festival, EEDC’s Downtown Vibrancy Taskforce, the ONEdmonton Leadership forum, and the City of Edmonton Winter City Strategy.

NextGen would like to thank Tegan Martin-Drysdale for her years of service to the organization as Community Co-Chair. Tegan remains an important member of the extended NextGen family and we look forward to supporting her future adventures, including her vision for narrow lot flex-housing in Edmonton through the work of RedBrick Real Estate Services.