Calgary Minute: Issue 314

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

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• On Tuesday at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of City Council. The agenda includes an update on the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit. The Summit is being held in Kananaskis, from June 15th to 17th, with Calgary serving as a key gateway and support city. Over 70 guests, 2,000 delegates, and 1,400 journalists are expected, resulting in more than 10,000 hotel bookings across Alberta. Calgary will experience increased traffic, road closures, and detours, particularly near the airport and downtown, with the City coordinating mobility support to minimize disruptions. The Emergency Operations Centre will be active from June 13th to 18th, and Calgary is also working on cultural showcases and beautification efforts under the theme “Welcoming the World.” Security will be jointly managed by the RCMP, Calgary Police Service, and other federal and provincial partners, with designated protest zones and federal funding covering costs. The CPS will handle demonstrations, motorcades, and Calgary-based events, and expects no budget shortfalls. Public information is available through websites, a toll-free number, and social media.
  
  
• Council will review a Notice of Motion being brought forward by Councillor Courtney Walcott. The motion calls for a review of Calgary’s current density bonusing system for affordable housing, as part of the City’s broader housing strategy. While the City aims to create 3,000 new non-market homes annually, the existing density bonusing provisions - primarily used in the Greater Downtown - have only resulted in 18 affordable units across three developments. The motion says that the process is complex, time-consuming, and administratively burdensome, requiring significant staff resources for negotiation and enforcement. The motion notes that leveraging funds through other means, such as City-wide contributions or a centralized fund, could be more efficient. Council is being asked to direct Administration to report back by Q3 2026 with an evaluation of the current system and recommendations for improvement.
  
  
• Councillor Spencer will also bring forward a Notice of Motion addressing Calgary’s critical infrastructure challenges, highlighting a $7.73 billion funding gap and deteriorating asset conditions that threaten safety, service levels, and economic growth. The motion notes factors worsening the gap, including rapid population growth, aging infrastructure, inflation, reduced intergovernmental funding, and a long-term tax shift from commercial to residential properties. It calls for Administration to develop a dedicated Infrastructure Reinvestment Program aimed at identifying sustainable funding sources, prioritizing projects based on risk and service impact, and increasing transparency through regular reporting. The motion also proposes reviewing current funding reserves, exploring partnerships with other governments, and linking reinvestment with redevelopment to reduce costs. Additionally, it recommends increasing annual property tax contributions for infrastructure from 2.6% to 5%.
  
  
• Calgarians’ trust in City Hall has significantly improved, rising from 38% last year to 52%, according to the city’s latest citizen satisfaction survey. The survey, conducted by Ipsos between February and March, also showed gains in optimism, quality of life, and satisfaction with municipal services. Mayor Jyoti Gondek attributed the rebound to improved communication and transparency, especially after the city’s response to last year’s water crisis. Other improvements include a rise in the number of residents who view Calgary as a good place to live and a positive shift in perceptions of public safety and the local economy. However, 54% of respondents still feel they don’t receive good value for their tax dollars. Some Councillors expressed skepticism, suggesting the survey’s timing may have influenced the results. Despite these concerns, City officials view the upward trends as a sign that residents are regaining confidence in local leadership. Council will discuss the results at Tuesday’s meeting.
  
  
• A new report from the Calgary Food Bank reveals that nearly one-third of its clients earn income from full-time employment. They claim this indicates that steady work no longer guarantees food security. The study found that 27% of users listed full-time wages as their main income source, and 32% of working clients held multiple jobs without escaping food insecurity. Vulnerable groups, including newcomers, Indigenous people, single parents, and individuals with disabilities, are particularly affected. The food bank distributed nearly 58,000 hampers to wage-earning households last year, a 27% increase from the previous year. Contributing factors include low wages, unstable hours, and lack of job security. In response to rising demand, the food bank is expanding services and will open a new downtown distribution centre this summer. CEO Melissa From emphasized the need for collaborative solutions and urged the federal government to address food insecurity amid the ongoing affordability crisis. The study was based on over 1,500 surveys and 30 interviews with food bank clients.
  
  
• The Calgary Police Commission has refused to disclose whether former police chief Mark Neufeld received severance pay after resigning this spring with two years remaining on his contract. The Commission cited confidentiality due to personnel privacy laws. Previous severance payments for City Executives and police officials have been made public. Neufeld was replaced by Interim Chief Katie McLellan, though the Commission has not yet begun searching for a permanent replacement, and might not do so. Calgarians have a right to know where their tax dollars are going!
  
  
• Speaking of the police, between April 22nd and May 2nd, Calgary police arrested 29 people in a multi-day operation targeting drug-related activity at downtown locations and CTrain stations. The suspects face 160 charges, including drug trafficking, possession for trafficking, stolen property, and weapons offences. The operation involved multiple police units and transit peace officers, aiming to improve safety and disrupt drug trafficking along the city’s light rail system. Police also seized several weapons, including knives and an imitation handgun. Many of those arrested had prior criminal records or were on release conditions. Those detained were offered resources for addiction treatment, shelter, and employment, with some considered for specialized drug or Indigenous courts. This initiative is part of the broader Safer Calgary program, which has already led to hundreds of charges and arrests this year amid growing public safety concerns on transit.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Join the Common Sense Calgary Facebook group to stay informed about what’s really happening at City Hall and connect with others who want to bring transparency, accountability, and common sense back to local government. 

Be part of the conversation, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our city.

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