'I'm completely humbled': Jyoti Gondek awarded mayor of the year by Municipal World Magazine

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has been recognized by a municipal politics publication as its mayor of the year.

Gondek was caught off guard when she found out she won the award.

"I was shocked. I didn't even know it existed," Gondek said.

"I'm completely humbled."

This was the first year Municipal World Magazine handed out the award.

Greg Crone, the magazine's executive editor, says the staff looked at mayors' achievements across Canada along with what they are doing that is noteworthy and newsworthy.

In early June, members from the magazine were in Calgary for the Federation of Municipalities Conference.

That coincided with the summer's major water feeder main break, which thrust the city and the mayor into the national spotlight.

"There was a lot of sympathy for her because she had an emergency on her hands. But also, a lot of people were expressing admiration for her and the way she handled it and the way she was front and centre," Crone said.

"A lot of mayors were expressing this to me as I was at the conference."

Crone also mentioned Gondek's work on Calgary's downtown redevelopment plan and what she has done to reduce greenhouse gases.

"Everybody nodded their heads and said it has got to be Jyoti Gondek. There isn't anybody else and we didn't even consider anybody else, actually," Crone said.

The accolade does come amid criticism for the mayor, as she has faced backlash over the single-use bag bylaw and passing blanket rezoning after a monthlong public hearing and property tax bills going out.

A ThinkHQ poll released in July shows her approval rating at just 26 per cent, compared to a 64 per cent disapproval rating.

Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, says Gondek is worthy of the award.

"People are told all the time that she's not very good at the job. That she has fumbled any number of issues, and I'd like to know what those issues are," Brownsey said.

"Could anyone have done any better on the water main break? I don't think so. It had nothing to do with her, and she responded, I think, rather well.

"They see someone who's vulnerable, vulnerable and a lot of the right wing in Calgary, and we include the UCP and the rest of them in this, just don't think that Jyoti Gondek, as a progressive, slightly left of centre, kind of big liberal, has any business in Alberta politics, and so the criticism has been profound."

Brownsey said this provides positive publicity to her campaign as she seeks re-election.