Calgary Minute: Climate Calamity, Stampede Service, and More Bird News

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

This Week In Calgary:

• The Business Advisory Committee will meet this morning at 9:30 am. The Committee will receive a Restaurant and Brewery Industry Business Experience Improvement Program Update. Later today, at 1:00 pm, the Nominations Committee will meet to discuss the Enhanced Public Member Appointment Short List Form, a recommended upgrade that purports to improve the consistency and type of information provided to the Committee for review, selection, and recommendation of public members for appointment to Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Combined Meeting of Council. A number of reports and updates will be received by Council, including a confidential Event Centre update. All eyes are likely to be on one agenda item, entitled “Calgary Climate Strategy - Pathways to 2050”, an $87 billion spending plan to bring Calgary to net-zero emissions.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Strategic Meeting of Council. No agenda has been posted yet.

Last Week In Calgary:

• The “Calgary Climate Strategy - Pathways to 2050”, carrying a cost to taxpayers of $87 billion ($175,000 per household!), was presented to the Community Development Committee, which recommended bringing it forward to a full meeting of Council. The 99-page strategy lays out the changes needed to create a climate-resilient city with net-zero emissions. Some of the goals include ensuring 100% of all vehicles registered in Calgary are zero-emissions vehicles, all new buildings are built to a net-zero standard, and 60% of all trips taken are done by walking, wheeling, or transit. A new municipal climate tax was listed as one of many new methods of funding this “plan.” We’ve started a petition against this crazy plan. Please sign it if you oppose this expensive and unrealistic strategy. The plan will be discussed at Tuesday’s Council meeting.
  
  
• The Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission gave the go-ahead for bars and restaurants in Calgary to begin their Stampede liquor service a little earlier this year. They announced an option for 8:00 am service times for regular establishments and 7:00 am for establishments located along the parade route. Private events can apply for a license that would allow liquor service to begin at 6:30 am.
  
  
• In yet another bird-related news item (you’ll recall the official City bird declaration and the backyard hen program from previous weeks), the City has announced Calgarians can apply to keep pigeons as domestic pets. To be allowed a pet pigeon, residents have to provide proof of membership in a pigeon association like the Canadian Pigeon Fancier’s Association Inc./Association Canadienne du Pigeon de Fantasie Inc. or the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union. Council really has gone to the birds…

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