Hundreds gather at Churchill Square to oppose Edmonton infill zoning changes
Edmonton Neighbourhoods United organized a downtown rally to pressure city council to reverse infill bylaws, drawing competing arguments over housing density and affordability.
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Hundreds of Edmontonians gathered Sunday afternoon at Churchill Square to pressure city council into reversing recent infill zoning changes, marking the latest in months of community mobilization against multiplex and large-scale housing developments in mature neighbourhoods.
Edmonton Neighbourhoods United organized the rally, with the group's chair Dallas Moravec saying they aimed to show council "we are a united voice. And we're not going away." The group, which has advocated for stricter infill restrictions for over a year, framed the effort as not opposing infills outright but demanding they be done "responsibly."
Protesters carried signs reading "Infill is an assault" and "Rescind. Rethink. Redo." Their core concern centres on six- and eight-plex developments "looming" over single-family homes and causing what they characterize as excessive massing in established neighbourhoods.
Co-founder Jaclyn Soroka said the issue boils down to planning. "There is a better way to do infill," she said, adding that councillors need to do more than assume their earlier work was sufficient. "We're telling them it's not. There is more work to be done. There is more consultation with neighborhoods on how this can be done better."
The rally drew a counter-perspective from Jacob Dawang of Grow Together Edmonton, who attended to argue infills address housing demand and affordability. "It's really responding to a demand. People of all walks of life, finally, are able to call the neighbourhoods they love home," he said. Dawang pointed out that renters face a stark choice: live in towers on busy arterial roads or leave the city—a reality he said Edmonton has rejected.
Protestersgathered around Dawang while he spoke with reporters, with one calling out: "30 bedrooms, 30 bathrooms is a rooming house." The split reflects a deeper tension in Edmonton's housing debate, with resident groups demanding stricter oversight and housing advocates arguing infill is essential to keeping the city livable.
What specific changes to the infill bylaw are council considering, and what timeline are they working with?
Has council commissioned independent research on the massing and livability impacts of infill at the density being proposed?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
Who organized the rally at Churchill Square?
Edmonton Neighbourhoods United organized the rally, with the group's chair Dallas Moravec stating they wanted to show council 'we are a united voice. And we're not going away.'
When did the rally take place?
The rally took place on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Churchill Square in Edmonton.
What zoning changes is Edmonton Neighbourhoods United opposing?
The group is opposing infill zoning changes that allow six- and eight-plex developments in established neighbourhoods, which they argue cause excessive massing over single-family homes.
What counter-argument did Grow Together Edmonton present?
Jacob Dawang of Grow Together Edmonton argued that infills address housing demand and affordability, allowing people of all walks of life to live in neighbourhoods they love while avoiding the choice between towers on busy roads or leaving the city.
