Jyoti Gondek elected as Calgary's first female mayor
Jyoti Gondek has been declared as Calgary's next mayor, making her the first female to be elected to the office.
"My heart is full at the thought of how much love and support I have received, not only from the day I announced, but all the way up to today," she said in her victory speech. Gondek thanked her 1,200 volunteers, as well as her family.
"Please know all of your sacrifices did not go unnoticed, thank you for taking this journey with me, for caring about me and believing in me," she said.
"This election is also about my dad, who left us far too early. It was actually his unfinished community service that I picked up in 2003 that has brought me to this point in my life."
She served one terms as the Ward 3 councillor before running for mayor. Prior to her time on city council, Gondek volunteered with the Northern Hills Community Association and served as a citizen member on several municipal committees.
She holds a PhD in urban sociology and, before entering politics, worked at the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business.
Gondek said she looks forward to working with the newly elected council and other levels of government.
"Now we turn to that focus on the mission of service, to build a stronger city," she said.
"I'm very excited about this prospect of creating a new team, one that prioritizes the well-being of Calgarians, through ensuring that we understand our collective strength. Your new council will pull together around a common vision that makes us more resilient as a city. We will set the bar high to deliver on your expectation and we will remain accountable to all of you."
In his concession speech just after 9 p.m., Gondek's main rival, Jeromy Farkas said she had earned the trust of Calgarians.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.