Janice Rhea Reimer
Encyclopedia
Janice Rhea Reimer is a Canadian
politician and the first female mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, having served in that capacity from 1989 until 1995. Highlights of her time in office included the inception of a new waste management system (which included curbside pickup of recyclables) and repeated efforts by Peter Pocklington
, owner of the Edmonton Oilers
, to secure concessions from the city in exchange for his agreement not to move the team. Although she has never sought office at the provincial or federal levels, she is a lifelong New Democrat
.
, who would go on to lead the Alberta New Democratic Party
. In 1973, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Alberta
. After graduation, she spent three years travelling in Southeast Asia
, Australia
, and India
(serving as a welfare officer in Darwin and Brisbane, Australia from 1975 until 1977). In 1977, she returned to Edmonton, and became the citizens' coordinator of the Calder Action Committee, a neighbourhood advocacy association.
, in which she finished second of eight candidates for alderman
in the city's Ward 1, behind incumbent Ron Hayter
. As two candidates were elected per ward, this showing was good enough for her to be elected to the Edmonton City Council
. She was re-elected in 1983
and 1986
, finishing first in fields of six and four, respectively (Hayter finished second each time).
As an alderman, Reimer was an outspoken critic of many elements of the status quo. She argued that too many concessions were made to land development companies by the city, and also questioned why developers often failed to fulfill the conditions on which council made these concessions contingent. She was critical of council's habit of making important decisions in camera
. When the city's solicitor resigned due to a sexual harassment
scandal, and council negotiated a $160,000 settlement with him, Reimer expressed frustration that the city's law department was not under the jurisdiction of the city manager
, where she felt that the settlement would have been better-handled. She also argued that Edmonton's 1979 annexation of surrounding semi-rural land had been a mistake, asserting that it "[hadn't] benefited Edmonton at all; we'll be paying years down the road for road maintenance and snow clearing in the new areas".
As an alderman, Reimer supported changing aldermen's titles to "councillor", stating that while the title didn't offend her, it should be changed out of respect for others' sensibilities. Early in her third term, she and Hayter jointly called for reform of Edmonton's ward system - specifically, Reimer supported increasing the number of wards from six to twelve and halving the number of aldermen per ward to one. The proposal was defeated, in part because mayor Laurence Decore
, just re-elected in a landslide, suggested that reform wasn't needed.
Reimer also supported increases in aldermanic salaries, suggesting that they had to work harder than members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, since aldermen need to learn issues themselves and can't fall back on a party platform.
resigned to lead the Alberta Liberal Party
, and Terry Cavanagh
was selected by council to complete his term. Reimer challenged Cavanagh's bid to keep the job in the 1989 election
. The campaign was acrimonious: Cavanagh called Reimer's endorsement by the Canadian Union of Public Employees
a "blatant attempt to muscle votes for an opponent," and suggested that Reimer harboured a "socialist hidden agenda" and that the city would become known as "Redmonton" if she was elected. Reimer won a landslide victory.
The cost of Reimer's campaign, just over $139,000, was one of the lowest of any successful mayoral candidate in recent times. Despite the lack of municipal campaign finance
rules at the time, Reimer voluntarily refused to accept donations of more than $3,750, and disclosed all donations above $375. She chose $375, the requirement in provincial elections, rather than $100, the requirement in federal elections, in the hopes that it would be more likely to entice her opponents to follow suit; however, none did.
during one heated dispute; McKay later blamed her actions in part on Reimer's failure to censure Mason for telling her to "shut up". Faced with a divided and at times hostile city council, Reimer attempted to advance much of her agenda in the council's Executive Committee, but was criticized for this by alderman and former ally Patricia MacKenzie, who alleged that Reimer was attempting to disempower council. Council further impeded her ability to implement her agenda by changing the rules such that the chairs standing committees were elected by standing committees rather than appointed by the mayor; Reimer considered using the mayor's ex-officio status as a member of every standing committee to show up and vote for her preferred candidate, but ultimately decided that "it was best they try to sort it out among themselves."
Reimer tried to improve relations with both the provincial government, whose relations with Edmonton were strained after fifteen of the city's seventeen seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
had gone to opposition members in the 1989 provincial election
. She resumed the deprecated tradition of having the council meet periodically with the city's government caucus (though the caucus consisted only of Nancy Betkowski
and Doug Main
). She also tried to build bridges with rival Calgary
, meeting early with its mayor Al Duerr
and proclaiming after the meeting that competition between the cities, while inevitable, "should be healthy and based on cities' strengths instead of...running down the other city."
As the city's first social democratic mayor since Ivor Dent
left office in 1974, Reimer pursued a number of left wing initiatives, some of which earned her criticism. In a controversial move, she refused to wear the city's ceremonial chain of office, which was made from a beaver
pelt. She instructed the city administration to develop a strategy to recruit more employees from traditionally disadvantaged groups, but stopped short of calling for hiring quotas
; little change resulted. She criticized oil and gas development on lands claimed by the Lubicon Cree
, for which she was criticized by an alderman (who had himself endorsed the oil and gas development) who urged her "to refrain from expressing views on matters that do not fall within[the city's] mandate."
Major issues faced by Reimer during her term as mayor included waste management and the need to open a new landfill
. The city administration had proposed a site calculated to minimize NIMBY
-ism, but which was expensive and which would run the risk of polluting the North Saskatchewan River
. Critics of the site included several communities in Saskatchewan
downstream of Edmonton which drew their drinking water from the North Saskatchewan, provincial Environment Minister Ralph Klein, and several environmental experts. After the site was rejected by Edmonton's Board of Health, Reimer attempted to coordinate a regional solution with surrounding communities, but was rebuffed. After further proposals located within Edmonton were met with stringent opposition by community groups and by aldermen from the affected wards, the need for a new landfill was postponed by raising the level of the existing one by one meter. The city manager credited the recently-implemented curbside recycling program for reducing the need for a new landfill.
She was re-elected by a narrower margin in 1992
(defeating businessmen and former Edmonton Eskimos
football
player Bill Smith
), but went down to a narrow defeat at Smith's hand in 1995
, with the winner capitalizing on a perception that Reimer's administration was hostile to business interests.
.
In 2004 she was honoured as an Edmontonian of the Century, while in 2006 she was recognized by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean
with the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case for her contributions to women's equality.
She is married to Dr. Hubert Kammerer, a physician at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre, and has two children. She gave birth to both of her children while in office, and remains the only alderman in Edmonton history to do so with two children.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and the first female mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, having served in that capacity from 1989 until 1995. Highlights of her time in office included the inception of a new waste management system (which included curbside pickup of recyclables) and repeated efforts by Peter Pocklington
Peter Pocklington
Peter Hugh Pocklington is a Canadian entrepreneur.He made his initial fortune as the owner of one of the largest auto dealerships in Canada, and later took over a meat packing company involved in a high-profile labour strike....
, owner of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, to secure concessions from the city in exchange for his agreement not to move the team. Although she has never sought office at the provincial or federal levels, she is a lifelong New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Early life
Reimer was born in Edmonton in 1952, the daughter of Neil ReimerNeil Reimer
Neil Reimer , was an activist, trade unionist and former political figure in Canada.After leaving the University of Saskatchewan in 1942 at the age of 19, Reimer went to work at the Consumers Co-operative Refinery, in Regina, Saskatchewan. He immediately joined a Congress of Industrial...
, who would go on to lead the Alberta New Democratic Party
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
. In 1973, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. After graduation, she spent three years travelling in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(serving as a welfare officer in Darwin and Brisbane, Australia from 1975 until 1977). In 1977, she returned to Edmonton, and became the citizens' coordinator of the Calder Action Committee, a neighbourhood advocacy association.
Alderman
Reimer first sought office in the 1980 municipal electionEdmonton municipal election, 1980
The 1980 municipal election was held October 15, 1980 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board....
, in which she finished second of eight candidates for alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in the city's Ward 1, behind incumbent Ron Hayter
Ron Hayter
Ronald John Hayter is the longest-serving city councillor of Edmonton, Alberta, having served since 1971 until 1995, when he stepped down to join the National Parole Board...
. As two candidates were elected per ward, this showing was good enough for her to be elected to the Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
. She was re-elected in 1983
Edmonton municipal election, 1983
The 1983 municipal election was held October 17, 1983 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council in Alberta, Canada, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board.-Voter turnout:...
and 1986
Edmonton municipal election, 1986
The 1986 municipal election was held October 20, 1986 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board....
, finishing first in fields of six and four, respectively (Hayter finished second each time).
As an alderman, Reimer was an outspoken critic of many elements of the status quo. She argued that too many concessions were made to land development companies by the city, and also questioned why developers often failed to fulfill the conditions on which council made these concessions contingent. She was critical of council's habit of making important decisions in camera
In camera
In camera is a legal term meaning "in private". It is also sometimes termed in chambers or in curia.In camera describes court cases that the public and press are not admitted to...
. When the city's solicitor resigned due to a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
scandal, and council negotiated a $160,000 settlement with him, Reimer expressed frustration that the city's law department was not under the jurisdiction of the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
, where she felt that the settlement would have been better-handled. She also argued that Edmonton's 1979 annexation of surrounding semi-rural land had been a mistake, asserting that it "
As an alderman, Reimer supported changing aldermen's titles to "councillor", stating that while the title didn't offend her, it should be changed out of respect for others' sensibilities. Early in her third term, she and Hayter jointly called for reform of Edmonton's ward system - specifically, Reimer supported increasing the number of wards from six to twelve and halving the number of aldermen per ward to one. The proposal was defeated, in part because mayor Laurence Decore
Laurence Decore
Laurence G. Decore, CM was a Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and politician from Alberta. He was mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.- Early life :...
, just re-elected in a landslide, suggested that reform wasn't needed.
Reimer also supported increases in aldermanic salaries, suggesting that they had to work harder than members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, since aldermen need to learn issues themselves and can't fall back on a party platform.
1989 election
In 1988, mayor Laurence DecoreLaurence Decore
Laurence G. Decore, CM was a Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and politician from Alberta. He was mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.- Early life :...
resigned to lead the Alberta Liberal Party
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
, and Terry Cavanagh
Terry Cavanagh
Terence James Cavanagh is a Canadian politician, municipal councillor in Edmonton, Alberta, who served as mayor. He was Edmonton's first native-born mayor.-Early life:...
was selected by council to complete his term. Reimer challenged Cavanagh's bid to keep the job in the 1989 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1989
The Edmonton municipal election, 1989 was held on October 16 that year to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
. The campaign was acrimonious: Cavanagh called Reimer's endorsement by the Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Union of Public Employees
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well...
a "blatant attempt to muscle votes for an opponent," and suggested that Reimer harboured a "socialist hidden agenda" and that the city would become known as "Redmonton" if she was elected. Reimer won a landslide victory.
The cost of Reimer's campaign, just over $139,000, was one of the lowest of any successful mayoral candidate in recent times. Despite the lack of municipal campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
rules at the time, Reimer voluntarily refused to accept donations of more than $3,750, and disclosed all donations above $375. She chose $375, the requirement in provincial elections, rather than $100, the requirement in federal elections, in the hopes that it would be more likely to entice her opponents to follow suit; however, none did.
Mayor
Reimer entered office with an ambitious agenda, but she was unable to implement much of it due to a fractured city council. Notoriously, alderman Sheila McKay dumped a pitcher of water over the head of alderman Brian MasonBrian Mason
Brian Mason is a Canadian politician and leader of the Alberta New Democrats . Mason was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood in a 2001 byelection, and his career in politics spans more than 20 years.Mason first became politically active...
during one heated dispute; McKay later blamed her actions in part on Reimer's failure to censure Mason for telling her to "shut up". Faced with a divided and at times hostile city council, Reimer attempted to advance much of her agenda in the council's Executive Committee, but was criticized for this by alderman and former ally Patricia MacKenzie, who alleged that Reimer was attempting to disempower council. Council further impeded her ability to implement her agenda by changing the rules such that the chairs standing committees were elected by standing committees rather than appointed by the mayor; Reimer considered using the mayor's ex-officio status as a member of every standing committee to show up and vote for her preferred candidate, but ultimately decided that "it was best they try to sort it out among themselves."
Reimer tried to improve relations with both the provincial government, whose relations with Edmonton were strained after fifteen of the city's seventeen seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
had gone to opposition members in the 1989 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1989
The Alberta general election of 1989 was the twenty-second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 20, 1989 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. She resumed the deprecated tradition of having the council meet periodically with the city's government caucus (though the caucus consisted only of Nancy Betkowski
Nancy MacBeth
Nancy MacBeth, née Elliott is a Canadian politician, who was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party from 1998 to 2001.-Early life:...
and Doug Main
Doug Main
Doug Main is a Canadian broadcaster, communications consultant, political commentator and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He served as Cabinet Minister. He served as the news anchor for CITV from 1975 to 1988....
). She also tried to build bridges with rival Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, meeting early with its mayor Al Duerr
Al Duerr
Alfred Herman Duerr is a former Canadian politician who served as the 34th Mayor of Calgary, Alberta from 1989 to 2001, and a city alderman from 1983 to 1989. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Emergo Projects International, and serves on the board of directors for two other companies in Calgary...
and proclaiming after the meeting that competition between the cities, while inevitable, "should be healthy and based on cities' strengths instead of...running down the other city."
As the city's first social democratic mayor since Ivor Dent
Ivor Dent
Ivor Graham Dent, was a politician from Alberta, Canada, a mayor of Edmonton, and a former candidate for the Canadian House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.-Early life:...
left office in 1974, Reimer pursued a number of left wing initiatives, some of which earned her criticism. In a controversial move, she refused to wear the city's ceremonial chain of office, which was made from a beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
pelt. She instructed the city administration to develop a strategy to recruit more employees from traditionally disadvantaged groups, but stopped short of calling for hiring quotas
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
; little change resulted. She criticized oil and gas development on lands claimed by the Lubicon Cree
Lubicon Lake Indian Nation
The Lubicon Lake Indian Nation is a Cree First Nation in Northern Alberta, Canada. They are commonly referred to as the Lubicon Lake Nation, Lubicon Cree or the Lubicon Lake Cree. The Nation has been embroiled with the Government of Canada regarding disputed land claims for decades...
, for which she was criticized by an alderman (who had himself endorsed the oil and gas development) who urged her "to refrain from expressing views on matters that do not fall within
Major issues faced by Reimer during her term as mayor included waste management and the need to open a new landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. The city administration had proposed a site calculated to minimize NIMBY
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
-ism, but which was expensive and which would run the risk of polluting the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
. Critics of the site included several communities in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
downstream of Edmonton which drew their drinking water from the North Saskatchewan, provincial Environment Minister Ralph Klein, and several environmental experts. After the site was rejected by Edmonton's Board of Health, Reimer attempted to coordinate a regional solution with surrounding communities, but was rebuffed. After further proposals located within Edmonton were met with stringent opposition by community groups and by aldermen from the affected wards, the need for a new landfill was postponed by raising the level of the existing one by one meter. The city manager credited the recently-implemented curbside recycling program for reducing the need for a new landfill.
She was re-elected by a narrower margin in 1992
Edmonton municipal election, 1992
The 1992 municipal election was held October 22, 1992 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
(defeating businessmen and former Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player Bill Smith
Bill Smith (Alberta politician)
William Smith is a businessman, Canadian politician, and former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.Smith was first elected in 1995 after defeating incumbent Mayor Jan Reimer and was re-elected in 1998 and 2001...
), but went down to a narrow defeat at Smith's hand in 1995
Edmonton municipal election, 1995
The 1995 municipal election was held October 16, 1995 to elect a mayor and twelve aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council, nine trustees to sit on the public school board, and seven trustees to sit on the separate school board...
, with the winner capitalizing on a perception that Reimer's administration was hostile to business interests.
Post-political life
After leaving office, Reimer worked as a consultant for the Alberta Council on Aging, and later became the provincial coordinator for the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters. She largely stayed out of municipal politics, but did criticize a suggestion from alderman Robert Noce that the city borrow from the fund created by the sale of the formerly municipally-owned Ed-tel telephone company to cover operating shortfalls; Reimer took the position that city council should be less deferential towards engineers on spending decisions, and that it should consider cutting costs by reducing urban sprawlUrban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
.
In 2004 she was honoured as an Edmontonian of the Century, while in 2006 she was recognized by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
with the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case for her contributions to women's equality.
She is married to Dr. Hubert Kammerer, a physician at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre, and has two children. She gave birth to both of her children while in office, and remains the only alderman in Edmonton history to do so with two children.