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
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed from Trump hush money trial as prosecutors seek to hold former president in contempt
A juror in Donald Trump's hush money trial was dismissed Thursday after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair and impartial, and the status of a second New Yorker picked for the panel was in limbo amid concerns that some of his answers in court may not have been accurate.