Know Your Ward 12 City Councillor - Amarjeet Sohi

Amarjit Sohi

On Council

Amarjeet Sohi was elected to City Council in 2007, and took on a number of special initiatives in his first term. Amarjeet was the Council sponsor of Safedmonton, a city-wide committee working on community solutions for crime prevention and drug issues. Amarjeet carried this work forward as advisor to the REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities. He also served as a member of the Edmonton Police Commission.

Currently, Amarjeet leads Council’s public transit initiative and represents the City on the Canadian Urban Transit Association board. Amarjeet also has the multiculturalism portfolio, and is working on promoting learning and cooperation among cultural communities. He represents City Council on Racism Free Edmonton, a city-wide committee that has developed an action plan to reduce racism and discrimination in Edmonton. Amarjeet has also taken a leadership role in Council’s new poverty reduction initiative. 

Amarjeet is also a delegate to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, which advocates municipal interests to other orders of government. 

Amarjeet Sohi represents City Council on the Edmonton Police Commission, and is Council's leading voice on community safety and multiculturalism. He represented Council on the Mayor's Task Force on Community Safety, which developed a comprehensive 10-Year Plan to address root causes of crime in Edmonton. He is also Council's representative on Racism Free Edmonton, a multi-sector body dedicated to combatting racism and discrimination in Edmonton. Racism Free Edmonton is part of a national coalition, the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination.

Some of the highlights of Sohi's work on Council include:

- Successfully pushing to expedite planning for an extension of the LRT rapid transit system to southeast Edmonton;

- Launching the Good Neighbour Awards to celebrate community-level crime prevention work across the city;

- Working with other players to develop a comprehensive Action Plan to combat racism and discrimination in Edmonton;

- Working with the Mayor's Task Force on Community Safety to develop a long-term strategy for crime prevention; - Hosting a Week of Awareness to Prevent Sexual Exploitation;

- Advocating for a new Sustainable and Ethical Procurement Policy for the City of Edmonton;

- Successfully pushing for improved transit service to southeast Edmonton, particularly to newer communities.

Sohi has been a passionate champion for diversity, community safety, public transit, and environmental sustainability.

In the Community

Amarjit Sohi has been active in the Mill Woods community for years, volunteering in many roles.

Amarjeet has a strong background in community advocacy. After a high-profile murder in Mill Woods, he founded the Mill Woods Crime Council, a citizens' group that has successfully worked with police to improve crime prevention and enforcement. 

Being a champion for neighbourhoods has always been important to Amarjeet, and he has served on the Southwood Community League, the Meadows Community League Neighbourhood Watch, the TD Baker Parent Advisory Council, and the Mill Woods Canada Day Celebration planning committee. Amarjeet has also been a prominent leader on city and provincial issues, volunteering with Public Interest Alberta, the Centre for International Alternatives, and the Canadian Labour Congress.

Amarjeet works actively with a wide range of communities in southeast Edmonton. He has promoted strong relationships among different cultures through the Police Chief's Indo-Canadian Liaison Committee, the Punjabi Cultural Association, and the Punjabi Arts Association.

Background

Amarjeet Sohi was born on March 8, 1964 in Banbhaura, District Sangrur of Punjab, India and immigrated to Edmonton in 1981. He has lived in southeast Edmonton since then.

Prior to his election to City Council, Sohi worked for Edmonton Transit from 1998 to 2007.

Before that, he worked for the City of Edmonton as an independent contractor. While working at the City, Amarjeet represented DATS drivers on the Amalgamated Transit Union's executive board.

He is married to Sarbjeet and they have a daughter, Seerat.

 In The News

In May, he made a statement that he will not be running for mayor in Edmonton’s October 21 municipal election, but will seek re-election as Ward 12 councillor.

This time, he will face four-time unsuccessfull candidate Chinwe Okelu from ward no. 12.

The civic election will be held on Monday, Oct. 21.