Calgary Minute: Transit Stunt, Cabinet Representation, and Task Force Recommendations

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

This Week In Calgary:

• On Tuesday, beginning at 9:30 am, City Council will meet in its capacity as the shareholder of various wholly owned subsidiaries to facilitate annual general meetings. The AGM of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation takes place at 9:30 am, followed by the Calgary Arts Development Authority Ltd. at 11:00 am, the Calgary Housing Corporation at 1:15 pm, and the Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation at 2:30 pm.
  
  
• There will be a regular meeting of City Council on Wednesday at 9:30 am. Council will receive the Boards, Commissions and Committees 2023 Annual Update. Also on the agenda is the establishment of the Community Peace Officer Oversight Committee.
  
  
• A meeting of the Audit Committee is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 am. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.

Last Week In Calgary:

• City Council backtracked on an initial decision to reject a suite of recommendations from the Housing and Affordability Task Force. The initial rejection resulted in a public outcry after some Councillors, along with the media, framed it as though Council had rejected affordable housing altogether. In reality, an omnibus package of recommendations was presented that included everything from zoning to equity considerations, with Council being asked to approve it wholesale. After backlash, a reconsideration vote was held that will now see each issue dealt with individually. Councillor Walcott said he was worried this would mean that recommendations would be “cherry-picked,” but that's exactly what should happen. Council shouldn't be forced to rubber stamp everything Administration slaps in front of them all in one. Now, the recommendations can be examined and discussed properly.
  
  
• Mayor Jyoti Gondek decided to “prove” that transit is now safer by going on a ride-along with members of the media, Calgary Police Officers, and Transit Peace Officers. She took the opportunity to highlight upgrades to lighting, security cameras, and infrastructure, as well as the permanent hiring of 36 transit peace officers, and the deployment of corporate security guards and transit ambassadors. Not exactly a typical 1:00 am trip alone, though, was it? Almost 4,000 Calgarians have already signed our petition calling on the City to declare a transit safety emergency - if you agree that transit safety is still a big problem, add your signature and let the Mayor know that her performative stunt hasn’t helped anyone feel safer.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith named her new Cabinet Ministers, and nine of the 25 come from Calgary. Mike Ellis (Calgary-West) was appointed Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, Mickey Amery (Calgary-Cross) will be the Minister of Justice, Tanya Fir (Calgary-Peigan) will be Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, Matt Jones (Calgary-South East) will be the Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade, Demetrios Nicolaides (Calgary-Bow) will be the Minister of Education, Ric McIver (Calgary-Hays) will be Minister of Municipal Affairs, Rajan Sawhney (Calgary-North West) will be the Minister of Advanced Education, Rebecca Schulz (Calgary-Shaw) will be Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and Muhammad Yaseen (Calgary-North) will be Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism.

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