A collection of residents in central Edmonton believe that some weapons are too easy to obtain and are requesting the city to impose limitations.
In the Alberta Avenue area, former city councillor Allan Bolstad noted that switchblade knives and other similar weapons are available for purchase at convenience stores.
Bolstad expressed his concern, stating, 'I stood there for five minutes looking at these, thinking, this is bad.'
“This is awful because when you look at the knives, they’re designed to kill people.”
Bolstad, who has been involved in community leagues for many years and is on the board of the Alberta Avenue league, shared his worries with Arts on the Ave executive director Christy Morin. Morin then decided to go into a corner store and buy two knives to see how easy it was.
Morin commented, 'I wanted to see how easy it was for someone to go buying these weapons at our corner store and it was pretty quick.'
“I got some candy and I got two weapons.”
Morin’s organization and several central Edmonton community leagues are together in their worries over the easy access to knives, particularly as the city’s core is home to many vulnerable people facing issues like homelessness and addictions.
Addressing the concerns, Morin stated, 'It’s really scary because when you’re working in critical care communities like the Alberta Ave district and areas, McCauley, Queen Mary Park, all over the city, we are dealing with people who are using heavy drugs and you’re sort of wondering: how are they going to manage a knife like this?'
She also mentioned that carrying weapons is becoming more common among kids in central Edmonton.
“We talked to the different youth centres and they said kids are carrying these every day.”
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Allan Bolstad commented, 'There’s nothing to stop someone from buying five or six and giving them to their friends and all acting as tough guys at school or whatever else.'
“It’s just really dangerous.”
The issue is not limited to one street or neighborhood.
Nunu Desalgne, who owns a speciality foods and grocery store along 107th Avenue, expressed that incidents of knife violence are increasing. A fatal stabbing occurred not far from her business in December.
“That was unacceptable and we should not have to go through that. We should not have to witness that,” Desalgne said of the attack near 107 Avenue and 104 Street on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Harley Herman, 34, was stabbed to death outside a convenience store and died on scene.
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Desalgne wants to see changes for business and personal reasons.
“One of the biggest reasons I am a mom. I have three kids and I do want my kids to grow up in a safe community. I want my kids to feel safe. Secondly, I am also a business owner in the 107 area and we have these issues,” Desalgne said.
“I don’t feel safe and comfortable bringing my kids to work and I shouldn’t have to feel this way.”
“Most business owners are female and we actually don’t feel safe in our own businesses. So this needs to be addressed.”
Desalgne mentioned that she sees police working hard to do what they can, but said citizens also need to come together and act against the presence of knives in the wider community.
“It might not happen in your area now, but it’s on the way. So, I think we need a stricter rule to protect the future of every person living in Edmonton.”
Community leagues in central Edmonton suggest that one way to reduce violence in their area is to limit the sale of knives in corner stores. They want to update the bylaw to specify which stores can sell these knives.
Bolstad served as a city councillor from 1992 to 2004 and understands what the city is able and unable to do.
“They have the legal tools through their business license regulations,” Bolstad explained. While a complete ban falls under federal jurisdiction, a good initial step at the local level would be to restrict what can be sold in specific places.
“They already forbid various other items in retail stores — such as firearms or alcohol — and so they just need to add one more item to the list.”
The group, led by Arts on the Ave and the Alberta Avenue Community League, is hosting a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss next actions and will bring their concern to a city council meeting next week.
The matter is scheduled to be addressed at an urban planning committee on April 9. Ward Metis councillor Ashley Salvador mentioned that she’s been in contact with residents and hopes to gain more insight into the tools available for addressing this issue.
“There are limitations on the city's part in terms of what we can regulate before it becomes federal law and regulation. However, I've heard that there's a desire to discuss this during the upcoming business licensing bylaw conversation,” Salvador mentioned.
Having said that, Salvador noted that she has increasingly heard from constituents and community members about the sale of knives at convenience stores and is eager to see what is under the city’s jurisdiction.
“I have inquiries about what resources and opportunities are accessible within the city’s authority. I’m very willing to explore those so that we can respond to the concerns of the community,” she stated.
“Everything is starting to bubble up in a bigger way than it has in the past.”
