Exiting Calgary councillors mark final council meeting ahead of municipal election
Surrounded by purple balloons and a giant 'thank you' sign, current and former staff and volunteers of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi marked his final council meeting on Monday.
Nenshi is one of six current members of council who will not run in October's municipal election. Monday is the start of what is expected to be a three-day council meeting, the final one scheduled in the current term.
"Ultimately there are 1.4 million people in this city who love this city and spend their days trying to make this city even better," Nenshi said.
"That work will continue, no matter who is lucky enough to hold this gavel and sit in this chair at the next meeting of council. That work will continue because the citizens will make it continue."
Councillors Druh Farrell, Evan Woolley, Shane Keating, Ward Sutherland and George Chahal have each announced they will not seek re-election in October. Chahal is running as a Liberal candidate in next week's federal election.
Thirteen of the remaining 14 sitting councillors (Sutherland is sick and attended the meeting virtually) posed on the steps of old city hall for a final group picture. It's the first time the group has been together in-person since the onset of the pandemic.
"I'll never have a job like this again. I will never have the opportunity again -- even for a second -- to hold in my hands the hopes and dreams and fears of people in our community for their future," Nenshi said.
Surrounded by purple balloons and a giant 'thank you' sign, current and former staff and volunteers of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi marked his final council meeting on Monday.
LONG AGENDA
The mayor and council now turn their attention to the rest of a long agenda. Included in the items is an update on the city's COVID-19 response, which will be a discussion of whether the city should implement its own vaccine mandate to access city-run public buildings.
The final meeting of this council is expected to run into Wednesday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge sentences Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment, an outcome that cements his conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.
'Devastating beyond words': Paris Hilton shows remnants of home destroyed by L.A. fire
Socialite Paris Hilton shared a video showing her ravaged house, destroyed by the L.A. wildfires., 'I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable,' Hilton wrote on Instagram.
Liberal leadership: Joly says she's focused on Trump and won't run
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will not run for Liberal leadership. Up to now, Joly was widely considered a potential successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently announced he would resign as leader of the Liberal party.
'It's pretty scary': Toronto police investigating third tow truck-related shooting this week
Toronto police say they are investigating another tow truck-related shooting in Scarborough, the third such incident in just over 24 hours.
Court annuls marriage because bride thought it was just an Instagram stunt
An Australian judge has annulled the marriage of a Melbourne couple after the bride told the court that she took part in the wedding ceremony believing it was a social media 'prank.'
'Mama is waiting for you': Woman appeals for return of 3-year-old son after ex-husband failed to bring him back to Canada
The mother of a three-year-old Toronto boy is urging her former husband who is wanted in a parental abduction investigation to bring their son back to Canada from India.
Canadian 'Super Scooper' plane grounded after hitting civilian drone over Los Angeles wildfires
A Canadian 'Super Scooper' aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles had to be grounded after it hit a drone flying in restricted airspace over the devastating blaze on Thursday, the local fire department said.
Mel Gibson latest celebrity to share loss of home due to wildfires
Mel Gibson's home in Malibu was destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires while he was away recording a podcast with Joe Rogan in Austin, Texas, Gibson has revealed.
27 years after Quebec ice storm, Montrealers find themselves in L.A. wildfire's smoke
Montrealers, accustomed to ice storms, snow and cold, found themselves in Los Angeles this week as major wildfires raged throughout the region.