'No worship needed': Gondek asks to be referred to simply as mayor
Calgary's mayor is asking members of the public, administration and her fellow councillors to no longer refer to her as 'your worship.'
Mayor Jyoti Gondek made the request at the start of Tuesday morning's council session.
"It has traditionally been practised to refer to the mayor as 'your worship, his worship, her worship,'" said Gondek during her opening remarks. "I find that to be clunky and colonial, quite frankly, and so in my efforts to practise some personal responsibility when it comes to reconciliation, I would greatly appreciate if members of council, members of administration and members of the public if, for me, you were just comfortable using Mayor Gondek.
"The worship title, at this point, is not something that I need from any of you. If it a formality that needs to be used, I understand that. It is a practise that has been brought down by the federal government. It's something that we've traditionally used. I'm not breaking any customs or traditions by asking that we not use it."
Gondek acknowledged Mayor Sandra Masters of Regina, Sask., who made a similar request to end the use of 'your worship' back in 2020 during one of her first council meetings.
"Call me Mayor Gondek. No worship needed. I know there's going to be a little bit of a time to get past that but thank you very much."
Gondek was elected as mayor in October 2021, replacing Naheed Nenshi who did not seek a fourth term as mayor. She previously served as Ward 3 councillor.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.