Tim Cartmell says Edmonton needs to stop new project funding to finish construction underway [Video]

An Edmonton councillor says the city’s project management is failing to finish projects on time and on budget.

On Thursday, ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell held a press conference to ask city council to “put the brakes” on new project spending until current work is caught up.

“Edmonton has suffered a long and difficult decade of badly managed capital projects,” Cartmell said. “We need to change our approach.”

Cartmell spoke outside a Stony Plain Road business that has been affected by ongoing Valley Line West LRT work, which he said the city has a responsibility to finish quickly.

Percy Wiredu opened his restaurant El Corazón near 142 Street and Stony Plain in 2022. He said he knew about the construction when he signed the lease, but didn’t expect it to last so long.

“(We) were initially given a timeline for the project,” Wiredu said. “However, what we didn’t anticipate was …