Ex-Canadian cabinet minister Sohi elected Edmonton mayor

A former city bus driver, Sohi served in the City Council before he ran for the Liberal Party from the riding of Edmonton Mill Woods in the 2015 national elections

Indo-Canadians will lead the two largest cities in the province of Alberta as Amarjeet Sohi and Jyoti Gondek were elected as mayors of Edmonton and Calgary, respectively.

Amarjeet Sohi was born in the Malerkotla district of Punjab.

A former city bus driver, Sohi served in the City Council before he ran for the Liberal Party from the riding of Edmonton Mill Woods in the 2015 national elections.

After narrowly defeating then minister of state Tim Uppal of the Conservative Party, Sohi was appointed cabinet minister by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Over the next four years, he handled the portfolios of natural resources, and then infrastructure and communities.

Sohi, who was born in what is now the Malerkotla district of Punjab, had lost to Uppal in 2019 and thereafter set his sights on the mayoral elections.

He defeated his closest rival Mike Nickel on Monday night in mayoral polls that are traditionally not held along party lines.

Outgoing mayor Don Iveson congratulated Sohi on his victory, saying, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with mayor-elect Sohi during his time as city councillor, and have always appreciated and been inspired by how hard he has worked for our community. I have no doubt Edmonton will thrive under his leadership.”

Another mayor of Indian origin is completing his term leading the city of Calgary, also in Alberta.

Naheed Nenshi, the first Muslim to be elected mayor of a major Canadian city when he achieved that feat in 2010, has chosen not to run again.

The new mayor in the city also has roots in India as Jyoti Gondek was elected on Monday night. She was born in the UK to Punjabi parents, originally from India, and the family emigrated to Canada when she was aged four.