Calgary Minute: Flooding Emergency, Improper Funding, and COVID Restrictions Lifted

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

This Week In Calgary:

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Regular Meeting of Council - Boards, Commissions, and Committees. Council will hear updates on the 2021 key activities of 18 boards, commissions, and committees, including a summary of their initiatives, projects, and completed work, challenges encountered in fulfilling their mandate, and an outline of their 2022 work plans.
  
  
• On Wednesday, there will be a meeting of the Community Development Committee at 9:30 am. The Committee will receive the 2021 Family and Community Support Services Annual Report, highlighting the impact of the social programs funded through this investment stream. Also on the agenda is a discussion about Calgary’s eligibility and application for funding through Public Safety Canada’s ‘Building Safer Communities’ fund that supports initiatives focused on preventing gun and gang violence.
  
  
• The Free Alberta Strategy team will be hosting a virtual UCP Leadership Panel on Thursday, June 23rd from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The online discussion will centre around the Free Alberta Strategy, equalization, transfer payments, and other aspects of Alberta/Federal relations. The event is free and everyone is welcome, but registration is required.

Last Week In Calgary:

• The City of Calgary declared a state of local emergency to deal with the risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall. The special order made it possible for first responders to go door-to-door in the event of an evacuation and allowed the City's water services team to access properties for the purposes of protecting critical infrastructure. Some Calgarians were reminded of the devastating 2013 floods as Environment Canada warned of 75 to 125 mm of rainfall in just a few days. The emergency order has since been lifted.
  
  
• The Audit Committee discussed a report showing the City’s recreation department, under former Mayor Naheed Nenshi, did not follow proper protocol when selecting sites for $154 million in new sports facilities. Instead of making funding decisions through the normal budget process, the Mayor’s Office approved the sites in a three-week period, during an election year. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said administration should have pushed back and insisted that things be done through the appropriate process.
  
  
• The Province lifted almost all of their remaining pandemic restrictions. Masks are no longer required on Calgary’s public transit system and City wading pools and spray parks are set to open. Sikomie Lake in Fish Creek Park will be available for sun-seekers after a two-year closure. The decision comes as the provincial government shifts towards a policy of accepting COVID-19 as a continued presence in our lives and something we simply need to work around.

-----

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.