Jarring reality sets in for Calgary's rookie councillors: they won
There are many new faces that will be representing Calgary's 14 wards. Wards 4, 9 and 14 have returning councillors with Sean Chu, Gina-Carlo Carra and Peter Demong, with Chu and Carra prevailing by razor-thin margins.
Beyond that, Calgary city council will be so full of new faces they'll have to wear name tags just to save time on introductions.
"I ran a very unapologetic and very principled campaign about if elected this is what I will do and continue to do," said Carra who won by 152 votes.
"We knew it would be contested," Carra added. "I just didn't think it would be that close."
Wards 6 and 10 have new, albeit familiar faces in Richard Pootmans and Andre Chabot, both of whom served previously on council.
"I don't recall having as tough a campaign ever in my life," said Chabot. "This the ninth time I've run for city council, of course it took me four to get elected in the first place but of all the campaigns that I've ever been involved in including federal and provincial ones, this was by far the toughest campaign of my life."
LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN MONDAY NIGHT
That leaves nine new councillors in the other wards, whose lives just turned upside down Monday night.
"I have to quit my job, it's a weird thing because it's bittersweet, right?" said newly-elected Ward 8 councillor Courtney Walcott.
Walcott was a teacher at Western Canada High School but started to focus on the civic election in December of 2020.
"I always tell people, I'm a teacher first because really to understand who I am, it helps you understand what I value when it comes to public service," said Walcott. "It's really just making sure that we do what we do, because we want to help people."
Walcott replaces Evan Woolley who didn't run in the election. The campaign office Tuesday was quiet because all the volunteers got the day off and will start removing campaign signs October 20th.
"Part of the work that we have now is to make sure that even those people who didn't vote for me that their voices are represented as well," said Walcott. "That's not lost on me in this journey, that is not lost on me."
'SEEING THE BICKERING'
Dan McLean is the new councillor in Ward 13 who defeated 21 year incumbent Diane Colley-Urquhart. He's spent two years researching the job by going to council meetings and talking to councillors.
He said there's a lot of pressure on the new council to get it right.
Dan McLean, Ward 13 councillor for Calgary
"So we have to build relationships and that's I think one of the biggest criticisms from people at the doors (of voters)," said McLean. "It was seeing the bickering or the in-camera meetings or the finger pointing and name-calling (from the last council).
"First things first, there's this whole crop of people," he added. "I know some of them have met others and (so) let's get along first and let's see if we can all put the City of Calgary first."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'