Calgary Minute: Provincial Funding, Police Shooting, and Calgary Convoy Donations

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

This Week In Calgary:

• This morning at 9:30 am, there will be a Strategic Meeting of Council. There’s not much on the agenda, other than an in-camera verbal report on Resilient Calgary - Step Three of Council's Strategic Direction for Next Cycle, 2023-2026.
  
  
• The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will hear a Federation of Canadian Municipalities update and an Alberta Municipalities update.
  
  
• Ukrainians and Ukrainian diaspora in Calgary are appealing for more support for Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion last week. Our friends at the Alberta Institute are calling on the government to do the one thing that would actually have a significant impact on Russia - halt the importation of Russian oil. There is plenty of oil, gas, and natural resources right here in Alberta to use instead! If you agree, sign the petition.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Calgary Police Service shot and killed a man last Saturday afternoon. Witnesses say the man, a former child soldier and immigrant to Canada, was wielding a knife, was in mental distress, and advanced upon officers who used lethal force after shooting non-lethal rounds that failed to stop him. A police dog was injured in the incident. Mayor Jyoti Gondek is calling for a change in how police officers handle those who need mental health support.
  
  
• There were a number of Calgary-specific items in the Province’s budget announcement, including a $474 million investment in flood mitigation over the next three years, expansion of the veterinary program at the University of Calgary, and a redevelopment of SAIT’s culinary program. The Province will also invest in Calgary’s healthcare and transportation infrastructure. Both Peter Lougheed Centre and Rockyview General Hospital will receive funding, for emergency department expansion and redevelopment projects respectively. Money is also earmarked for Deerfoot Trail upgrades and completion of the ring road around the city.
  
  
• Calgarians donated more than USD$250,000 to the second version of the Freedom Convoy's crowdsourced fundraising drive, after the first was shut down. This represented about 6% of all Canadian donations, despite Calgary representing just 3.5% of Canada's population. Concerning, however, is that this analysis was done by CBC on leaked data that was illegally obtained via hacking. Funny how left-wing environmental groups' donation histories never seem to get hacked, isn't it?

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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.

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