Calgary Minute: Calgary Salutes, Alternative Measures, and Canada Day Fireworks

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

This Week In Calgary:

• Council will observe the long weekend, taking a holiday on Monday and returning on Tuesday for an Executive Committee meeting at 9:30 am. On the agenda is an amendment to the Business License Bylaw aimed at short-term rental accommodations. Those providing short-term rentals will need to have proof of liability coverage, a posted fire safety plan, and more. The Committee will also discuss disbanding some Boards, Commissions, and Committees, though the list of which ones are being considered is private. Several Notices of Motion will also be brought forward. Mayor Jyoti Gondek, along with Councillors Kourtney Penner and Evan Spencer, will propose reestablishing the Calgary Salutes Committee, aimed at fostering community awareness and support of Calgary military personnel. Another proposes to increase the funding for the surface overlay program, with the intention of reducing the need for road repairs.
  
  
• Council is taking Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off too, with the exception of a Green Line Board meeting on Thursday at 1:00 pm, for which no agenda is available yet. Must be nice!
  
  
• Calgary is still under a fire advisory on account of hot, dry conditions and multiple wildfires burning in the province. Calgarians are asked to use extra caution and avoid the use of open flames, fire pits and campfires whenever possible.

Last Week In Calgary:

• The City of Calgary has cancelled the annual Canada Day fireworks in an effort to address a wide range of “cultural, community and environmental effects.” Migratory birds, Truth and Reconciliation, wildlife, the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act, and traffic, among other things, were all cited as reasons for the cancellation. We have started a petition to bring back the fireworks, which you can sign here if you want to end Council’s display of virtue signalling.
  
  
• Mayor Jyoti Gondek was in Halifax along with delegates from the Tsuut’ina Nation to make a pitch for Calgary to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games. Kamloops, B.C. is the other location in the running for the event, which will see 5,000 Indigenous youth compete in 15 events. The cost of hosting the games is estimated to come in between $15 and $17 million and funding commitments have already been secured from three levels of government, as well as some $500,000 in potential corporate sponsorship.
  
  
• Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra has had his court case referred to the Adult Alternative Measures Program after he admitted to kicking a vehicle. Carra was originally charged with mischief under $5,000 and claimed he only "tapped" the bumper of the car. If Carra completes the terms of the program, which usually involve community service, an apology, and/or restitution payment of some kind, the charges will be withdrawn.

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