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
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.