Outgoing Calgary mayor meets with incoming mayor as new city council takes shape
She's walked the halls of Calgary City Hall many times in her four years as a councillor, but Jyoti Gondek is no longer just a guest in the mayor's office.
The mayor-elect met with outgoing mayor Naheed Nenshi Tuesday, just hours after Gondek earned 45 per cent of the vote in the race to become Calgary's next mayor.
The pair spoke briefly in front of gathered media before a closed door meeting in the library across the hallway from Gondek's new office.
"There's two or three things we have to talk about today that just have to get done fast and then you can exhale," Nenshi said to Gondek.
"The keys are yours and you've got the opportunity to do amazing things," he said.
"Thank you for leaving it in good shape," Gondek responded.
Jyoti Gondek and Naheed Nenshi, Tuesday Oct. 19, 2021
According to unofficial results from Elections Calgary, Gondek received 58,907 more votes than runner up Jeromy Farkas. Twenty-seven candidates were running for the mayor's seat after Nenshi announced earlier this year he would not seek a fourth term in office.
Gondek won't have much time to acquaint herself with her new office and new council members. Deliberations for Calgary's $4 billion-plus budget are set to start in just a few weeks.
The mayor-elect is coming into office with a sluggish economy and a high downtown vacancy rate. Gondek has pledged to work with her new council colleagues and Calgary's business community to attract investment and reinvigorate the downtown core — and they'll need to do so as they continue to navigate through the pandemic.
Just three of the councillors Gondek worked with for the last four years were re-elected.
They'll all be officially sworn in on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.