Calgary Minute: Land Sale, Calgary Plan, and Fluoride Expected Soon

Calgary Minute: Land Sale, Calgary Plan, and Fluoride Expected Soon

Calgary City Hall

 

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

 

This Week In Calgary:

  • There will be a meeting of City Council on Tuesday at 9:30 am. Councillor Courtney Walcott will propose a Notice of Motion to encourage housing development by using property tax incentives. The Motion would create a Vacant Property Tax Program to incentivize the development of empty or derelict properties, establish a tax exemption program for purpose-built rental buildings near transit areas, and use taxes to encourage multi-residential developments throughout the city. Councillor Raj Dhaliwal will propose a Notice of Motion to amend the Northeast Industrial Area Structure Plan to convert some of the industrial lands near Skyview Ranch and Redstone into residential areas. If approved, the proposed amendments will be discussed and voted on at a public hearing in March 2025, with further steps planned for later in 2026 to finalize the development plans. There will also be a confidential Green Line update and labour relations update before the meeting ends.

  • Fluoridation of Calgary's drinking water is expected to resume by March 2025, following significant delays due to supply chain issues and inflation. The City's water treatment plants are undergoing upgrades to accommodate fluoride, with the cost rising from an initial $10 million to $28.1 million, plus $1 million in annual operating expenses. The delay, which has taken over three years to address, follows a 2021 Council vote to reinstate fluoride after a plebiscite showed public support.

  • Calgary's Olympic Oval, built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, is nearing the end of its lifespan as it celebrates 38 years in 2025. Renowned for its "fastest ice in the world," the facility has been instrumental in Canada's Winter Olympic success, producing 36 Olympic medals and being the site of over 300 speedskating world records. However, critical infrastructure issues, including brine leaks in its aging ice system, threaten its future. Renovations are estimated at $60 million, but funding challenges persist due to the Oval's unique ownership structure. Athletes and provincial officials are lobbying for federal support, emphasizing the Oval’s significance to Canadian sports and its legacy as a training hub.

 


 

Last Week In Calgary:

  • Calgary has approved the sale of five City-owned land parcels to non-profit housing providers at below-market prices, with the goal of enabling the construction of 387 affordable homes. This initiative is part of the City’s non-market housing land sale program, which aims to address Calgary’s housing shortage. For the first time, Indigenous organizations were prioritized in the application process, resulting in successful land purchases by Siksika Off-Reserve Affordable Housing and the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary. The non-market housing land sale program has contributed $25.3 million in land value and facilitated $29 million in funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

  • City staff have proposed delaying the rollout of the Calgary Plan, a 30-year municipal planning document, until early 2026. The plan consolidates the Municipal Development Plan and Calgary Transportation Plan and serves as a roadmap for land-use, transportation, and investment decisions. Mayor Jyoti Gondek cited volunteer fatigue and the need for more time to integrate the plan with complementary documents, such as the land-use bylaw, as reasons for the postponement. Despite consultation with 21,000 stakeholders, community associations and Council members expressed concerns about insufficient time to evaluate its implications. Opinions on the plan remain divided, with some Council members advocating for revisions or outright dismissal, citing a focus on affordability over diversity and inclusion priorities. The delay could leave the next Council to finalize the plan after the 2025 election.

  • Demolition has begun on nearly two dozen condos in Eau Claire to make way for the Green Line LRT, despite uncertainty surrounding the project's future. The River Run Condos were expropriated by the City, and the adjacent Eau Claire Market is also slated for demolition. While the Green Line's route through downtown was proposed in December, it does not reach Eau Claire in the first phase. Former condo owners are disputing the compensation they received, with many questioning the need for the demolitions and the lack of a clear redevelopment plan. The City has stated that interim use options will be considered in collaboration with local community and business groups.

 

-----

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.


Showing 1 comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
Secured Via NationBuilder
  • Common Sense Calgary
    published this page in News 2025-01-25 22:18:11 -0700