Wake Me When It’s Over (See Magazine, Oct 14, 2010)

I’m a little envious of people who live in wards with interesting campaigns. Wards 3 and 11 are unencumbered by incumbents, and therefore wide open to anyone to win. (I’m picking Chinwe Okelu to win in Ward 11; I have no idea of who might win in Ward 3.) Incumbent Tony Caterina is facing a well-organized challenge from Brendan Van Alstine, and name recognition in former Journal columnist Scott McKeen. If airport candidate Don Koziak upsets Kim Krushell — or even comes close — it would indicate the depth of feeling over the airport might be deeper than I thought. Elsewhere, though, I just don’t see any major upsets in the making

Renewal on 118th Avenue just one aspect of Ward 7 (Edmonton Journal, Oct 17, 2010)

Out to unseat Caterina are former Journal city hall columnist Scott Mc-Keen, social worker Brendan Van Alstine, and first-time candidates Terry Rolls and Grant David Pullishy. Of the four, McKeen and Van Alstine appear to have the best chance of unseating Caterina. Van Alstine, who has been out door-knocking since April, is a familiar face in the neighbourhood of Alberta Avenue, where the budding arts scene is slowly changing the area's social fabric. He is an avid cyclist and public transit supporter who believes improved safety goes hand-in-hand with community revitalization.

Brendan to donate half his vehicle allowance (Edmonton Sun, Oct 4, 2010)

An Edmonton city council candidate is promising to donate at least half his $20,000 vehicle allowance to charity if elected. "I have no intention of getting a car," said Ward 7 candidate Brendan Van Alstine. "I figured there were people out there who would benefit from that money more than I would." Van Alstine, co-founder of Transit Riders Union of Edmonton, said he lives a car-free lifestyle and doesn't think he'll need the cash. "It's a lot cheaper to rely on transit or my bicycle to get around," Van Alstine said.

Hicks: Ward 7 up for grabs (Edmonton Sun, October 4, 2010)

I offer this guarantee, with one possible exception. All 10 councillors running for re-election will be re-elected. Dan Backs will not beat Ed Gibbons, Andrew Knack will not beat Linda Sloan. Neither Don Koziak nor Tom Hinderks will unseat Kim Krushell. It will not happen. The exception is the new inner northeast Ward 7, where two strong candidates, Scott McKeen and Brendan Van Alstine, are duking it out with controversial councillor Tony Caterina.

Future of Rexall Place figures in Ward 7 race (Edmonton Sun, Oct 3, 2010)

Shuttering Rexall Place in favour of a new downtown arena could mean boon or bust for Ward 7, igniting a debate between candidates this election. In all the debate over a new downtown arena, the consequences for 118 Avenue have been largely ignored, said candidate Brendan Van Alstine. “I don’t think there’s been enough discussion on details of that,” he said. “I’ve heard a number of people saying we can’t support both and have them both be sustainable as arenas. “We’re basically creating a giant empty lot which isn’t helping the community at all.” However, Van Alstine said transit-friendly housing to replace Rexall could be promising.

Candidates go virtual door-knocking (Edmonton Journal, October 3, 2010)

Van Alstine is easy to contact in cyberspace. He has more than 300 Facebook fans and 345 followers on Twitter. His Internet postings are virtual door knocks in addition to the 3,000 real doors he has knocked on to meet some of the 63,000 voters in the ward. "It's hard to say whether it's working or not," Van Alstine said. The virtual world is no replacement for going to community events and pressing the flesh, but Van Alstine, 26, thinks social media is a great may to meet young people who aren't always the most politically informed.

First up: ward seven (VUE Weekly, September 21, 2010)

While Caterina and McKeen received a lot of questions from the crowd, probably due to their more public personas, Van Alstine could have received more attention. He has been campaigning in the ward since last November and his answers demonstrated that he had been talking to residents and knew the issues. If he doesn't take Caterina's place this time around, he's built a strong base of support for next time.

War of the Wards 2010 (VUE Weekly, September 20, 2010)

Brendan Van Alstine has been campaigning since last November. His platform seems to echo the needs of the community, and he is a heavy volunteer along Alberta Ave and at local revitalizaiton efforts like The Carrot.

City Hall's amazing race (Edmonton Journal, September 20, 2010)

Among those hoping to duplicate Iveson's success this year is Brendan Van Alstine, a social worker running in Ward 7 against incumbent Tony Caterina. Van Alstine announced his candidacy in July 2009 and has been door-knocking since January. His campaign has an active online presence, part of a strategy to use a combination of old-school politicking and new technology to push his name above the fray. "I'm on the board for my community league, I volunteer at the Carrot, which is a local arts coffee house. (Sunday) I went to about five different community-league events," he said. "It's just being out there as much as possible and using technology to its fullest."

Political hopefuls file nomination papers (CBC Edmonton, Sep 20, 2010)

In Ward 7, Brendan Van Alstine is taking on incumbent Tony Caterina. The big push of his campaign will be for better transit and rehabilitating older communities. "We need to make sure that we're investing the resources in those communities to make sure we don't fall behind," Van Alstine said.

Election fever hits city (Edmonton Sun, September 19, 2010)

If voters choose the right candidates, great things could be in store for the city, said Ward 7 candidate Brendan Van Alstine. “Edmonton’s very much at a turning point,” he said. “I certainly hope people get engaged and vote.”

Hicks: "A strong progressive candidate" (Edmonton Sun, Sep 16, 2010)

Friday morning, Edmonton Journal on-leave-of-absence city columnist Scott McKeen will announce his candidacy in the new inner northeast Ward 7 against sitting councillor and nemesis Tony Caterina. In Ward 7, there’s already a strong leftie/progressive candidate in Brendan Van Alstine.

Ward 7 Profile — Brendan Van Alstine (Edmonton Sun, August 25, 2010)

As a social worker in central Edmonton, Brendan Van Alstine has a front-row seat to the problems plaguing Edmonton's seediest neighbourhoods. As an aspiring city councillor, Van Alstine also wants to help fix them. "I see Edmonton very much as at a turning point with regards to things like the revitalization of 118 Avenue, of downtown, and the LRT," said the Ward 7 candidate. "I want to be part of the decisions to help Edmonton turn that corner." Van Alstine said he's pleased with the progress council has made in Ward 7 so far, but added there's still work to be done. Though this is his first time running for council, he said he has an assortment of experience contributing to political causes.

Hate crime down in Edmonton (Edmonton Sun, June 14, 2010)

Hate crimes are down in Edmonton, bucking a national trend that saw a 35% spike in incidents motivated by race, religion or sexual orientation. The largest increase involved those crimes motivated by sexual orientation. Brendan Van Alstine, youth program coordinator at the Pride Centre of Edmonton, said he found that unsettling. Overall, Van Alstine said he doesn't hear about many hate crime locally based on sexual orientation: "I think Edmonton is a pretty tolerant city."

Phair endorses candidate (Edmonton Sun, June 13, 2010)

A former civic politician has thrown his support behind a gay-rights activist gunning for a job on council. Michael Phair has endorsed Brendan Van Alstine, who’s running in the new Ward 7. Van Alstine was recently named one of Alberta’s Top 10 GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered) figures by Gay Calgary and Edmonton Magazine for his community involvement. The magazine notes Van Alstine, youth program coordinator at the Pride Centre of Edmonton, is a founding member of the Queer Allied Network as well as the Transit Riders’ Union of Edmonton. Phair was Edmonton’s first openly-gay city councillor. The election is on Oct. 18.

LGBT supporters stand in silence (The Gateway, March 30, 2010)

This year's Day of Silence at the University of Alberta, organized through the Residence Halls Association, had participants wearing orange to raise awareness about the type of harassment that the queer community still faces. After staffing booths around campus during the day, volunteers broke their silence with yells and speeches at celebration plaza at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon. "Today is about all those queer kids across Alberta and across the world who suffer in silence because society continues to tell them they are sick, wrong, that they are somehow flawed, dysfunctional, or unnatural," said Brendan Van Alstine, a social worker at the Pride Centre of Edmonton, and a Ward 7 city councillor candidate for the upcoming municipal election.

Brendan Speaks at the Breaking of the Silence:

Thank you to Beth Padfield for this video.


Brendan is "the safe bet" in Ward 7 (Brian Dell, February 3, 2010)

Ed Gibbons has locked down Ward 4 in the northeast. Kim Krushell and Ron Hayter (first elected in 1971) would be unassailable in north end Wards 2 and 3, respectively. Tony Caterina would not be able to beat either Hayter or Gibbons, meaning his having to run in the open Ward 7, but Ward 7 is not really open to a conservative candidate. Brendan Van Alstine is the safe bet to take Ward 7 and add to council's left lean, given that it is early February and Van Alstine has already been campaigning in this NDP territory for months. So there you have it: 12 city councilors after October 2010, all re-elected incumbents except for Caterina, who is replaced by a candidate far to Tony's left.

Riled riders ready to unite (Toronto Star, November 21, 2009)

Transit Riders Union of Edmonton: Formed during 2007 local election, in which many candidates ran on a transit advocacy platform. "I'd not had a great experience in transit," said founder Brendan Van Alstine, 25, a social worker who pulled together like-minded users to influence decisions on routes, urban sprawl and security. Advocacy: Challenged politicians to walk the transit talk by riding the bus for a week. After Edmonton Transit released a growth strategy in 2008 without consulting riders, TRUE produced a "well received" shadow report pushing rush-hour and late-night service.

Van Alstine aims for seat on city council (Xtra.ca, November 17, 2009)

After months of securing support and gathering a team of volunteers, queer activist Brendan Van Alstine announced that he would be running for Edmonton city council in the 2010 municipal election. After the 2007 Edmonton civic election, friends and colleagues encouraged him to run in the next election. "People see me as a community leader - I am flattered to be seen that way," says Van Alstine. This summer city council voted to move from a six-ward system with two councilors each to a 12-ward system with one councillor each. As council debated the change, Van Alstine was already meeting his neighbours, raising money and increasing his profile with the help of "great people." In preparing his campaign, Van Alstine sought advice from councillor Don Iveson, a young politician who scored an upset against conservative incumbent Mike Nickel in the 2007 civic election. Van Alstine also looks to Michael Phair, Alberta's first openly gay politician who served on Edmonton city council from 1992 to 2007. "In the 18 years since Michael Phair was first elected, we as a city have come along way," says Van Alstine. "My sexuality is not a reason to vote for me, or to not vote for me. My candidacy is not based on whom I sleep with."

"Follow Brendan's Example" (Calgary Sun, October 19, 2009)

Dave Breakenridge	Any contenders who want to have a hope in hell of challenging an incumbent -- which can be quite the political Everest -- need to start coming out of the woodwork now. It's not just about raising money, even though to mount a serious threat money doesn't hurt. It's about profile.
How can candidates expect voters to turn away from someone familiar, no matter how mediocre, and look to someone new if they don't have good reason. Start following the example of guys like Zac Pashak, local club owner and long declared Ward 8 candidate, and Brendan Van Alstine, who was the first to announce his candidacy for one of Edmonton's new wards. Both appear to be active in the communities they want to represent, are working social media for all it's worth and show a desire to develop an acumen for the job before convincing voters they deserve it.

Protest over Bill 44 (Metro Edmonton, September 2, 2009)

"At least there will be a delay in legislating a culture of fear and ignorance into the classroom, but what about next year?" asked social worker and city council candidate Brendan Van Alstine.

Bill 44 Protest (SEE Magazine, September 3, 2009)

The controversial clause of the bill would enable parents to remove their children from classes that discuss the topics of sexuality, sexual orientation and religion - a move that social worker, and Ward 7 city council candidate Brendan Van Alstine says hurts students by promoting ignorance and intolerance.

Bus lane puts riders on fast track (Edmonton Journal, August 20, 2009)

Brendan Van Alstine, spokesman for a group of transit advocates called the Transit Riders' Union, called the dedicated bus lane a step in the right direction. "Anything that makes transit more efficient and gives it priority over other vehicles is a positive step," Van Alstine said. "The city for a long time has neglected transit and prioritized cars. It's nice they're reversing that now."

Lovin' The LRT (SEE Magazine, May 21, 2009)

"Boys love trains," says Brendan Van Alstine, a member of Transit Riders' Union of Edmonton (TRUE), when asked why LRT expansion is the best use of taxpayer's money. "There's this interesting psychological effect that happens when you build a train as opposed to running a bus, where people just for some reason find trains to be more appealing."

New LRT Stations (SEE Magazine, April 23, 2009)

The addition of the McKernan-Belgravia and South Campus stations to Edmonton's light rail line are expected to increase ridership and alleviate the city's congested transit system - something Brendan Van Alstine, spokesperson for the Transit Riders Union of Edmonton, says has been needed for years. "They [ETS] really haven't made much of an effort to improve their service in the last decade," he says. "I think the fact that we're starting to see the LRT starting to go somewhere is a big step." Van Alstine says the problem with the existing system is that stations were built to cater to major city venues such as Rexall Place and Commonwealth Stadium where the LRT sees huge bursts of ridership on game and event days, but doesn't see regular ridership as they could if they were situated in residential neighbourhoods.

Vue Weekly Profile (Vue Weekly, December 12, 2007)

	Brendan is not overly comfortable or excited talking about himself. He prefers group dynamics and consensus building; he is a social worker by trade. It is with slight bewilderment and humour that he jokingly talks about how he has been "forced into a community leadership role."
Considering his work at the Pride Centre, to say nothing of his extracurricular activities, which include volunteering with Youth Understanding Youth and Camp fYerfly, helping to relaunch Guerilla Gay Bars in Edmonton and helping to found the Transit Riders Union of Edmonton (TRUE), it's not hard to see how he has found himself in the position. Entrenched at the centre of important issues like mentorship, mobility, diversity and inclusiveness, it's no wonder Brendan would rather get back to work than sit and talk. Around 3 pm, when people start filtering in to the Pride Centre to snuggle up with a book from the LGBT library or make their way downstairs to the youth space, Brendan begins to get distracted from our conversation. Without having to say a word he excuses himself and begins to do the small things around the centre he needs to do to make a difference. It's while turning on computers, giving advice to an intern social work student or planning for the next week that, for the first time all day, Brendan seems genuinely comfortable.

Alberta's Top Ten GLBT Figures (Gay Calgary and Edmonton Magazine)

A quick look at his involvement in the community makes one wonder if there is any room in Brendan's calendar for the little things like eating and sleeping. Van Alstine is the Youth Program Coordinator at the Pride Centre of Edmonton and a founding member of the Queer Allied Network and the Transit Riders' Union of Edmonton (TRUE). He is also a facilitator with Youth Understanding Youth (a local LGBT youth discussion/support group) and a regular volunteer with the Carrot Community Arts Cafe. Brendan's fellow "everyday heroes" include five term Edmonton City Councillor Michael Phair

Brendan Speaks at the Back to School Protest Against Bill 44: