Calgary Minute: Outbreak Support, Park Opening, and Housing Strategy Debated

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

This Week In Calgary:

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Public Hearing Meeting of Council. On the agenda are several zoning amendments that Calgarians can weigh in on.
  
  
• The Calgary Planning Commission will meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm, again to deal with several zoning amendments.
  
  
• After years of delays and negotiations with adjacent landowners, Haskayne Legacy Park, a 126-hectare regional park on the banks of the Bow River in northwest Calgary, is now open. The park features various amenities and abundant native rough fescue grass, which is a crucial carbon sink. While there are plans for future pedestrian access, visitors can currently reach the park via Highway 1A and Woodland Road.

Last Week In Calgary:

• A Community Development Committee meeting focused on housing stretched over three days. Hundreds of Calgarians registered to speak, and some held rallies outside of City Hall. Among the recommendations in the plan was a proposal to alter the default zoning type to allow for single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and row houses. Ahead of the meeting, the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser, said if the City doesn't legalize new zoning designations, its Housing Accelerator Fund application will not be approved. 
  
  
• A rare Saturday Council meeting was scheduled to deal with "Home is Here: The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy 2023 - 2030" after it moved through the Committee stage. Despite opposition and lengthy debate at the Community Development Committee stage, ultimately, the Strategy passed 12-3. Councillors Sonya Sharp, Jennifer Wyness, Jasmine Mian, Raj Dhaliwal, Richard Pootmans, Terry Wong, Courtney Walcott, Gian-Carlo Carra, Andre Chabot, Kourtney Penner, Evan Spencer, and Mayor Jyoti Gondek voted in favour. Councillors Sean Chu, Dan McLean, and Peter Demong were opposed. Default zoning still requires public engagement and more Council deliberation. Administration says the Strategy will require a one-time cost of $57.5 million, along with $27 million in annual costs. There's a lot to digest - watch your inbox for more from us in the coming weeks! 
  
  
• Cases of E. coli, linked to a chain of daycare centres, have been confirmed in more than 330 people. Six additional daycare sites have also been ordered to close by Alberta Health Services. Visibly emotional at a press conference, Premier Danielle Smith announced a one-time compassionate payment of $2,000 per child for families impacted by the outbreak in Calgary, and promised to get to the bottom of the issue and take steps to ensure it never happens again.

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