Calgary Minute: Logo Unveiled, Restrictions Eased, and the Green Line Boondoggle

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

This Week In Calgary:

• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week, on account of the Calgary Stampede. Meetings at City Hall will resume on July 16th.
  
  
• Speaking of the Stampede, there is a full week of events! Tuesday is Community Day, with free admission to the Stampede grounds from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and Wednesday is BMO Kids' Day with free admission all day for kids 12 and under, and for all ages until 10:00 am. The rodeo takes place daily at 1:30 pm, followed by an evening show nightly at 7:45 pm. Tickets are available online, along with a full schedule of events taking place at the grounds.
  
  
• Outdoor water restrictions remain in place, despite Calgary's local state of emergency ending. Repairs have restored the broken feeder main to 50% capacity and 73% pressure, with further progress expected soon. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said there will be a  phased approach to lifting the remaining restrictions, advising residents to gradually resume normal water usage.

Last Week In Calgary:

• The official logo of the “Blue Sky City” - Calgary’s new civic brand - has been revealed.  Developed by Calgary Economic Development and Tourism Calgary, the logo features beadwork that is intended to symbolize Calgarians coming together. The new branding is supposed to portray the City as a place of "unexpected possibilities” as well as paying homage to Calgary being the sunniest city in Canada. The rebrand has been in development for two years and comes at a cost of $4.8 million - $1.8 million was awarded to CED and $3 million to Tourism Calgary. Insanity!
  
  
• The Green Line board met to discuss the project’s budget and potential adjustments needed to stay within that budget. Following a closed-door session, the Board CEO informed reporters that recommendations regarding budget increases or revised project scope would be provided to Council and discussed at the end of the month. If there are cost overruns, it’s not clear how the City will come up with the money. Alberta’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen said that there will be no more money coming from the Province. “This is Nenshi’s nightmare Calgarians are faced with. This was a project designed a long time ago with unrealistic expectations of the real cost of it and it’s just been a dog ever since.”
  
  
• Councillors agreed to a post-incident review of the feeder main break, but voted down a recommendation from Administration on how the third-party panel charged with that review would be selected. City Administration suggested appointing a selection committee of five members, who would then appoint a chair and a maximum of 12 members from across diverse sectors. Ward 2 Councillor Jennifer Wyness took issue with the hand-picking of the selection committee, citing a need for more transparency and openness. Administration will return on July 30th with other options. The review itself, once underway, will take at least a year, and will include the cause of the rupture as well as the viability of Calgary’s water distribution network.

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