Calgary Minute: Midtown Project, Green Line, and Bag Bylaw Victory

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

This Week In Calgary:

• On Monday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Special Meeting of City Council. The purpose of the meeting is to address the petition to recall Mayor Gondek. Official results of the petition will be announced at this meeting. Then, at 11:30 am, there will be a continuation of the Public Hearing on rezoning. This portion, however, is for Councillors to ask clarifying questions of Administration. Additional time has been reserved on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, at 1:00 pm each day, in the event that a motion is made and debate is lengthy.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Executive Committee. The Committee will consider a $110,000 request from the Calgary Parkland Community Association for an Outdoor Gathering Hub project through the Council Community Fund. Also on the agenda are amendments to the Council Policy on Governance and Appointments of Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCCs) that would allow Indigenous persons who reside outside of the City of Calgary, but still within Treaty 7, to be appointed as Public Members on City BCCs. Administration will also provide a briefing on the work being done to improve the customer experience for those requesting services from the City.
  
  
• The Infrastructure and Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda are several Growth Applications for a variety of Area Structure Plans throughout the city. The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will meet on Thursday at 9:30 am. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Our campaign against the City's "single-use" bylaw was successful. Council voted to officially repeal their ban on plastic and other single-use items, as well as scrap their compulsory fees for single-use and reusable shopping bags. From the outset, we voiced our concerns that this bylaw would not benefit the environment as promised, but would instead complicate life for Calgarians and increase living costs - all without any real ecological gain. Only three Councillors - Courtney Walcott, Kourtney Penner, and Gian-Carlo Carra - opposed the final repeal vote. But, Council is already hinting at a revised bylaw, sometime in the near future. Don’t worry - we’ll keep advocating for sensible, fair, and effective policies, and if the new bylaw is as ridiculous as this one, we’ll mobilize Calgarians to stop it before it starts.
  
  
• Council has tentatively approved a large redevelopment project known as "Midtown" at Fisher Park, near Chinook Mall. The project, led by Cantana Investments, would cover 34 acres and includes plans for up to 6,200 housing units, commercial spaces, and hotels across 28 new buildings. Additionally, Cantana has committed to funding a new LRT station on the Red Line to serve the development. The proposal received unanimous preliminary approval from Council, and Mayor Jyoti Gondek noted that discussions with the developer to mitigate risk to the City have been ongoing for several years. Council will have to give Second and Third Reading for the area’s rezoning at a later date, as well as finalize a special development agreement with the company regarding the infill CTrain station. Cantana Investments aims to fully develop Midtown by 2050.
  
  
• Alberta's Transportation Minister has informed Mayor Jyoti Gondek that there won't be additional funding beyond the province's $1.53 billion commitment for the Green Line LRT project. The letter emphasizes the need for full integration of the Green Line into the Province's new master rail plan, a condition for the provincial funding. This announcement comes as the public awaits an update on even more potential cost overruns for the project. Gondek expressed concern about the Province's new condition, stating that it may require renegotiating the contract due to ongoing construction and budgetary considerations.

-----

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.