[3] He grew up in Parkallen, Edmonton, the only child of Margaret, an education professor at the University of Alberta, and Bob Iveson, a sculptor.

[4] As a child, Iveson loved books, both fiction and non-, reading C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series by seventh grade.

[5][6] Two years as business manager of The Gateway followed before he took a job as advocacy director with the University of Alberta Students' Union.

[6] Iveson first sought political office in the 2007 municipal election, when he ran for the Edmonton City Council in ward 5.

[8] His campaign stressed improved transit services, densification of housing, and increased affordable housing,[7][9] and won endorsements from former councillors Larry Langley, Janice Melnychuk, Michael Phair, and Gene Dub, and members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Don Massey and Raj Pannu.

[16] On June 9, 2015, Iveson fostered controversy as he tweeted about a link between the fatal shooting of Edmonton Police Service Constable Daniel Woodall and the cancellation of the federal gun registry.

[4] In 2011 Iveson appeared in a video promoting the Edmonton Transit System with Edmonton-based singer Colleen Brown, who performed "Happy Love Song" on a bus.