Calgary Minute: Issue 345

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

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• Merry Christmas! We hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, and food! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
  
  
• We usually reserve these weekly updates for sharing news and analysis, but as the year comes to a close, we want to be upfront with you. Our year-end fundraising campaign is underway, with a target of $30,000 to be met by December 31st. This funding is essential to sustaining our operations and allowing us to carry our work into the new year. If you find our work valuable and want to help ensure it continues, we’d be grateful if you would consider making a contribution. Even a modest gift makes a meaningful difference. You can donate by clicking here, and we sincerely thank you for being part of this effort.
  
  
• Calgary Transit has temporarily removed 19 shuttle buses after one was destroyed by fire on December 12th on Nose Hill Drive. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the buses are being taken out of service as a safety precaution to protect staff and the public. The driver on board escaped without injury, though they were assessed at a hospital. In the meantime, transit schedules have been adjusted and replacement buses deployed to minimize service disruptions. The City also noted that buses, CTrains, and On Demand services will run on a Sunday-level schedule for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The removed shuttles will return to service once safety is confirmed.
  
  
• The expanded BMO Centre has received three major international architecture awards, adding to a growing list of honours for one of Calgary’s largest public infrastructure projects. The $500-million expansion won both the American and International Architecture Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum, as well as recognition from the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Judges praised the project for blending contemporary design with materials and themes rooted in Calgary’s western identity and Stampede history. The 580,000-sq.-ft. expansion, led by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and the Calgary Stampede, features large column-free halls, natural light, locally sourced materials, and extensive Alberta-made art. The expansion emphasizes functionality alongside aesthetics, with design choices intended to support large-scale conventions, events, and tourism activity. In total, the facility has now received or been shortlisted for 18 industry awards. 
  
  
• Council has begun the process of repealing its blanket rezoning policy, though this has raised concerns from some that over $129 million in federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) money could be at risk. The funding, administered by CMHC, is intended to fast-track new housing, and the City has already received about $122 million of the $251.3 million allotted. Former federal guidance linked the funding to ending what it calls exclusionary zoning, but Mayor Jeromy Farkas said federal officials confirmed compliance is assessed based on housing outcomes, not any single zoning tool. Council voted 13-2 to start the repeal, which will proceed to a public hearing next spring. Some councillors emphasized planning decisions must prioritize community needs, not just funding, while others voiced concern about jeopardizing federal support amid Calgary’s housing crisis. The City maintains it is committed to delivering new homes and will work collaboratively with federal and provincial partners.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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