Amarjeet Sohi re-elected from Ward 12.

Amarjeet Sohi

Edmonton (ET)  -  Incumbent city councillor Amarjeet Sohi, first elected in 2007, took a clear and decisive lead as soon as early results came in, ultimately winning by more than 9,800 votes.

ET congrats him on this glorious victory.

Amarjeet Sohi IncumbentElected	13,427	76.8
Chinwe Okelu	3,572	20.4
Raja Abbas	479	2.7

HISTORY OF WARD

Ward 12 is the southern portion of the former Ward 6, served most recently by two long-time councillors, Terry Cavanagh and Dave Thiele. Amarjeet Sohi served as Ward 6 councillor for one term, and was elected Ward 12 councillor in the last election. Sohi, the only member of a visible minority on council, is running again.

Ward 12 makes up the extreme southeast corner of the city, south of Whitemud Drive and west of 50th Street.

It comprises the eight eastside neighbourhoods of Mill Woods, plus the new developments of Silver Berry, Wild Rose to the east and south of the Anthony Henday ring road, including Charlesworth, Summerside and others.

This is a ward of very young people -- one-quarter are under 20 years old, while one in eight is under 10, the highest proportion in the city. It is also diverse, with more than one in ten a non-Canadian, the second highest proportion in Edmonton.

Support for the southeast LRT expansion, which would primarily service Mill Woods, is high in this neighbourhood. Currently, the vast majority of people -- 84 per cent -- drive as their primary form of transport, the highest proportion in the city.

Crime, particularly in Mill Woods, is a growing concern in this area, especially after a botched early-morning robbery and deadly shooting at a Mac's convenience store in 2005. Local volunteers started the Mill Woods Crime Council, a highly regarded group that works with police to reduce crime, and a model that has been repeated elsewhere in Edmonton.

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 77,338 (9.5% of city)
• 0 to 9 years old: 12.8%
• 0 to 19 years old: 23.7%
• 65+ years old: 4.5%
• Owned / Rented accommodations: 74.1% / 16.6%
• Unoccupied Residences: 3.2%
• Non-Canadian: 11.0%
• Drive vehicle / Transit as main transport: 84.1% / 8.6%
• 5 years or more in house: 39.4%
• Average neighbourhood household income: $83,239 (2006)
• Unemployed: 2.0%