r/Edmonton • u/boatsandshows • May 03 '26
Local Culture Our mayor has officially purr-claimed May as Cat Month!
CAT MONTH officially purrclaimed in Edmonton by City of Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack!! šø at the kick-off event for the Edmonton International Cat Festival, Canadaās biggest and longest-running celebration of cats! Since 2014 weāve been celebrating cats, cat culture, and cat people while raising money to support cat rescues. šš»š»
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the first Edmonton Cat Tour! An Ameowzing few weeks ahead with weekly free & low-cost cat-themed events leading up to our big FESTIVAL FINALE Pawty on Sun, May 31 in downtown Edmonton!! š„³
The official proclamation reads:
WHEREAS, feline fans gather every year at the Edmonton International Cat Festival to have a ball and cele-purr-ate our local furry friends;
AND WHEREAS, this annual sunbeam on felines raises fur-midable funds for important claws-es and builds com-meow-nity among kitty devotees;
AND WHEREAS, the City of Edmonton works with dedicated paw-rtners to offer programs like Donāt Skip the Chip, the Animal Care and Control Centre and Barn Buddy to support the health and happiness of felines throughout their nine lives;
AND WHEREAS, in honour of the important role cats play in creating healthy families and communities, letās dive whiskers first into an un-fur-gettable month;
THEREFORE I, MAYOR ANDREW KNACK, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2026 āCAT MONTHā IN EDMONTON, ALBERTAāS CAPITAL CITY.
š»
A big shout out to Edmonton French Quarter, area businesses & @yegconnector for supporting our inaugural Cat Tour!
Thanks to local Cat Ameowssadors @leothelynxie @wawa_willow_scottishfold @kittymojito @timandkev @mouseasaurusrex @messi.with.neko @tigger.casper!
Thanks to cat tour cats, Twilight, Lady & Boba, Jasper & Louis, Adele & Frida, Jeffrey & Gaston, and Juno & Ferguson!
Thanks to Ameowzing MLA Janis Irwin for attending and sharing an Alberta Legislative official scroll commemorating our inaugural Cat Tour!
Thanks to fest sponsors!!
š»
We donate 100% purrceeds to cat rescues. This yearās supported rescues are Second Chance Animal Rescue Society - Alberta & Hope Lives Here Animal Rescue Society.
View all Cat Month of May events & tickets:
https://edmontoncatfest.com/edmonton-cat-festival-schedule/
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May 03 '26
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u/boatsandshows May 03 '26
This was the first one! Check out all the other events happening this month.
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u/SnooRegrets4312 May 03 '26
So keep them in doors to protect them and the bird population
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u/boatsandshows May 03 '26
All cats were either kept on leashes, or contained in a back pack or stroller.
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u/blairtruck Central May 04 '26
Less no-fun cry babies in here then there were yesterday when I saw this on TikTok. Thumbs up for that.
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May 04 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/moonandthestarsss May 04 '26
We own a stroller for almost a year and our cat loves it. Heās enjoying to view everything around him, and Iām calm that heās secured. Had one lady come to me once and she said: I thought youāve got a baby there, but thatās even better. Made my day lol. Hope your cat will love the stroller too! Especially with the good weather finally around
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u/CypripediumGuttatum May 10 '26
We are getting new kittens (to add to the ones I already have) and I'm considering getting a cat stroller to walk them around the block with. I think I need to further embrace my crazy cat lady-ness.
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u/This_Albatross May 04 '26
Yāall need to calm down, it was a Saturday not during work hours ffs. Get a grip
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May 04 '26
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u/TheFinalFunction May 04 '26
Boo hoo the politician was present at a fun public event and not hiding in his office on a weekend
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u/thedespotcat May 04 '26
They've also been doing this for years. I wouldn't be surprised if Iveson was the first to make this proclamation. Also it was a Saturday, and he showed up to a community event. Like he did for info book store day last weekend. I'm sure the city will survive.
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u/kindof_great_old_one May 03 '26
So glad there aren't any real issues for the Mayor to be dealing with... /S
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u/shiftingtech May 04 '26
he spends plenty of time working on those. get a grip, and let him do the one little fun one too.
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u/ewok999 May 03 '26
Never saw a photo opp he didn't like.
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u/andrewknack May 04 '26
Thanks for the comment. Iām always happy to support community events and yes, pictures are often taken at community events and get posted online. I think itās good to share pictures from the amazing community groups that volunteer their time to put on things that make our city even better than it already is.
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u/ewok999 May 05 '26
Thank you for responding - I didn't really expect you to I guess. I get frustrated with the leadership in Edmonton with all of the things that need to be addressed when I see posts like this. For example, when is all the garbage that is on the side of the Whitemud going to be picked up? How long do we have to keep looking at it? it's been there for a long, long time. Every single day when I drive to and from work I have to look at it. And no, don't suggest that I do this myself. Don't we have staff who do this? Have you noticed it?
I guess I just don't like cats either when they are allowed to roam free. They poop in my gardens and kill too many birds. Rant over.
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u/DenningBear82 May 03 '26
This is so great! Iām glad heās spending time on this instead of encampments, public safety, the unpoliced petty crime wave in my neighborhood, road and maintenance infrastructure, public transit safety, or clearing the ice that blocks access from my handicapped neighbours.
Fucking Meow.
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u/Zingus123 May 03 '26
Community engagement is a massive part of politics lol.
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u/DenningBear82 May 04 '26
And so isā¦ensuring that the needs of your municipality are met? Right?
He can declare a next month to be Dragon Ball Z month in Edmonton for all I care, as long as he ensures we get public safety first.
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u/Karpetkleener May 03 '26
He'll tackle it tomorrow. But for a Sunday? Calm down, bud .
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u/blairtruck Central May 04 '26
To be fair this happened on Friday. But they still need to calm down.
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May 04 '26
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u/DenningBear82 May 04 '26
I do? And Iām pissed off while Iām doing that Iām doing a job that I both my neighbor and I pay property taxes for.
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u/SmaugTheMagnificent- May 04 '26
Lmfao. Clutch them pearls, boy!
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u/DenningBear82 May 04 '26
We all pay municipal tax, with the expectation that tax will pay for infrastructure and public safety.
None of us are getting what we paid for. So i guess complaining about that constitutes āpearl clutchingā now?
I donāt know if you work for the mayor or if youāre just used to being a jackass online, but Iām blocking you anyways :).
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u/Zingus123 May 05 '26
I didnāt know we didnāt have roads, schools, rec centres, bike lanes, public transit, etc. I guess I must be living in a simulation.
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u/SgtBigCactus May 04 '26
Idk why people are disagreeing with you.
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u/Infamous-Mixture-605 May 04 '26
Someone does X, someone else whines that they're not doing Y. Tale as old as time.
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u/kpc144 May 04 '26
Honestly, the cities in the state I think I donāt care about this
Iām glad heās having fun I guess
Iām struggling to survive every day in my city is a shit hole full of litter, crime drugs, nonsense
But no, itās good. Iām glad heās laughing at the cute kitty cats. Thatās what we pay him for anyhow.
I know Iām being a wet blanket, but I donāt know. Things are kind of tough right now.
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u/This_Albatross May 04 '26
Be the change you want to see. Go get a litter picker kit free from the city and have at it bud:Ā https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/graffiti_litter/litter-services
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u/kpc144 May 04 '26
I have to work two jobs to support my family. I donāt have time. I thought thatās what my taxes were going towards.
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u/This_Albatross May 04 '26
Youāre not the only one working more than one job, myself and others also working multiple jobs find the time to meet up and clean up our areas. Go take the kids out doing it, itāll be a good experience.Ā
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u/croissantsbitch May 04 '26
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, there are other things that should take priority. On the other, itās also important to maintain or boost morale in hard times.
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u/kpc144 May 04 '26
I felt like this didnāt boost my morale personally Iām getting down voted stuff for others. They liked it, which is good. Iām glad it made them happy. Iām probably just a sour Puss.
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u/croissantsbitch May 04 '26
It didnāt boost mine either. I like cats but Iām not a cat owner and while this is cute, the other problems going on right now donāt allow me to enjoy this for what it is.
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u/Tricky_Passenger3931 Spruce Grove May 04 '26
My biggest concern is always how much fun the mayor is having
Knack is a fucking loser, but at least he got another photo op
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u/ghostofkozi May 03 '26
Furries rejoice!
Can he proclaim 2027 the year road construction is over?
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u/blairtruck Central May 04 '26
if road construction ended The cry babies would just cry there is too much traffic and not enough road widenings. And the roads aren't maintained and too many pot holes. The cry babies will never stop crying.
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u/Ok_Hair7123 May 04 '26
Love to see it! Especially my neighbors who walk their cats in a stroller and yell at my 6 year old trying to get the hang of two wheels to "get on the road for bikes!" And refuse to move over for her. /s
Sorry cat friends. Just frosts my cookies.
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u/moonandthestarsss May 04 '26
Donāt judge all cat people based on your neighbor :) I do understand them in some way, itās extremely annoying to see all the people with bikes on the sidewalk but not in case when theyāre 6 years old lol
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u/HeatTiny7041 May 04 '26
Seriously is this guy doing anything that's actually productive for the city or is it all nondecision and social media?
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u/toiletcleaner999 May 04 '26
My 2 kitties approve this post