Calgary Minute: Corporate Welfare, Hail Damage, and even more LRT Spending

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

This Week In Calgary:

• After a pretty crazy week last week with the Green Line debate, this week's agenda looks practically pedestrian by comparison (pun intended). On Monday there will be a Special Meeting of Council where Council will meet in their capacity as the Shareholder of the Calgary Housing Company, the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, and Attainable Homes Calgary.
  
  
• Tuesday will be corporate welfare day at City Hall, with another Special Meeting of Council where Council will meet in their capacity as the Shareholder of the Calgary Arts Development Authority, Calgary Economic Development, and Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund Ltd (the City's $100 million slush fund).
  
  
• On Wednesday there will be a Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit. Now that the Green Line decision is made, the Committee will discuss the future "Airport Transit Line", an LRT project that would connect the Green Line and the Blue Line via the airport. Don't get too excited though - even the always overly-optimistic Calgary Transit Planners don't expect this line to be underway by 2048 at the earliest (if the Green Line is even done by then!)

Last Week In Calgary:

• Unsurprisingly, Calgary Council voted to proceed with the Green Line LRT despite all advice to the contrary. The province has, however, stepped in to say that they will review the viability of the project, and we continue to advocate for a referendum of all Calgarians on whether the project should go ahead. If you haven't already, you can sign our petition calling for a referendum here.
  
  
• Less than a day after Calgary's COVID-related State of Emergency ended, a massive hail storm hit the City on Saturday night. While hail fell across the City, the North East was hit the hardest with suggestions up to a billion dollars worth of damage may have been done.
  
  
• Heritage Park Historical Village announced they will be re-opening soon, though may attractions will remain closed. Hockey will also return to local arenas after a petition and a grassroots advocacy campaign convinced the provincial government that hockey should be included in Stage 2 of the province's relaunch plan, rather than Stage 3 as originally planned.

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