Calgary Minute: Arena Options, CTrain Safety, and Vaccine Passport Updated

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

This Week In Calgary:

• A Strategic Meeting of Council takes place Tuesday at 9:30 am. Up for discussion is the City’s Long Range Financial Plan. This plan provides operating projections and capital requirements beyond the current budget cycle, over the next 10 years.
  
  
• The University of Calgary is on the hunt for its next Chancellor. According to the University, the Chancellor has a “pivotal role” to play in advancing the institution’s academic and research goals. Current Chancellor Deborah Yedlin, now the President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, will finish her term in the role in July.
  
  
• Office space in Calgary’s downtown core has reached new heights in terms of vacancy rates. It is the first time, since reporting by CBRE began 30 years ago, that a major Canadian metropolitan area has logged a one-third vacancy rate. This is a milestone we should not be proud of - it’s more than double the national average.
  
  

Last Week In Calgary:

• After the City of Calgary’s ill-fated arena deal with Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) fell through, Council voted unanimously to continue exploring options for an event centre. Administration is set to explore whether CSEC would consider re-entering negotiations or whether other parties may be interested in a deal. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it has yet to be determined if a new deal would cost taxpayers even more than the old deal. Is it really any surprise that a government could be over budget on the original deal, then allow that deal to explode due to cost overruns, only to consider spending even more on a new one?
  
  
• City Council voted unanimously for an update to the COVID-19 vaccine passport bylaw. Changes were made to align the City’s bylaw more closely with the Provincial mandate.
  
  
• The City has started closing some LRT stations early as a safety precaution, shuttering them at 10:00 pm and re-opening for service the following day, after several violent incidents were recorded. During the recent cold snap, many Calgarians experiencing homelessness used the stations as a means of staying warm. Outreach agencies said they will attempt to direct people to appropriate shelters and services.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Calgary doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Calgarian knows what's really going on at City Hall.