Amid the Stanley Cup Excitement, Edmonton’s Downtown Struggles

By the time this newsletter is published, the Edmonton Oilers will be either one game away from winning the Stanley Cup or out of the competition.

While I was in Edmonton recently to write about the city’s deeply ingrained nostalgia for the Oilers’ glory days and the excitement around the team’s trip to the Stanley Cup finals this year, I met with Amarjeet Sohi, who became the city’s mayor in 2021.

Mr. Sohi has an unusually varied background. When he returned to his native India from Edmonton in the late 1980s — the wonder time for the Oilers — he was imprisoned for 21 months and endured torture after being arrested on what the Canadian government, and ultimately an Indian court, deemed to be false terrorism allegations. He has been a taxi driver and a bus driver, a federal member of Parliament and a minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.

We spoke about the Oilers’ return to the finals, which has highlighted the vibrant bar and restaurant scene that developed around the team’s arena after it opened eight years ago — and about the stark contrast with the rest of Edmonton’s downtown.

Since the last two department stores closed, the shopping malls have been largely filled with empty storefronts. Many office towers in Edmonton, like those around the world, are still awaiting a return of workers after the pandemic. And there are large numbers of people living on the streets, many of whom appear to have severe addiction and mental health struggles.