Calgary Minute: Upcoming Events, Transit Crime, and Unlimited Urban Hens

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

This Week In Calgary:

• The Green Line Board will meet today at 1:00 pm. The Board will discuss a February 2023 progress report, which shows that a push was made to connect with businesses and work toward completing the business registry for the Beltline and Downtown in order to understand the community’s needs.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, the Infrastructure and Planning Committee will meet. Administration is recommending that the Committee recommend that Council approve a capital budget increase of $12.1 million for the Noise Barrier Retrofit Program. Apparently, several noise barriers have been identified as necessary to mitigate noise impacts from high-volume traffic at 240 homes, but the program has been unfunded since 2019.  Two meetings to deal with land use amendments will take place during the week. On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Public Hearing Meeting of Council and the Calgary Planning Commission will meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm.
  
  
• The Alberta Institute and Alberta Proud are holding the first two events on the “Can’t Stop Alberta Tour” right here in Calgary. This evening, two expert panels will discuss the economy, affordability, inflation, jobs, and our energy industry, as well as education, school choice, curriculum, and the future of learning. Tomorrow evening, our own Kristy Koehler from Common Sense Calgary will join the panel to discuss crime, public safety, and the future of our cities. Tickets are $10 for each event. Purchase tickets for tonight's event by clicking here and for tomorrow's event by clicking here.

Last Week In Calgary:

• The pilot program that allowed bikes to be taken on CTrains during rush hour has been extended. Instead of ending March 31st, Calgarians will be able to continue bringing their bikes with them at any time of day until the end of 2023. This seems to make sense, if there's room. It's not as if they would have been able to enforce the restrictions anyhow, given the state of security on transit these days...
  
  
• Speaking of which, after yet another violent incident at a CTrain station, Mayor Jyoti Gondek finally pledged action. She blamed low ridership for the rise in illegal activity. It was also revealed that a three-week undercover operation at CTrain stations resulted in 268 criminal charges and the seizure of drugs, hatchets, machetes, knives, and assorted other weapons. While we’re pleased to finally see the Mayor and media taking notice of the issue, it shouldn’t have taken this long. Thank you to all those who helped put the pressure on by signing our petition calling on Council to act. If you haven’t already done so, please click here to sign it so that we can continue demanding action.
  
  
• The City has hatched a new Urban Hen program. After last year’s pilot program was capped at 100 backyard hen licenses, the City has decided to release an unlimited amount of licenses for 2023. Residents who want to join the poultry party will need to undergo training on how to properly care for the hens, and their coops will be inspected by a City planner. It’s egg-cellent news for those who want to participate in what the City calls “modern pet ownership.”

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