November Edition

Calgarians can have their say on budget adjustments

Each year, we refine our Service Plans and Budgets to ensure we’re responding to Calgarians’ needs. Administration proposed changes that aim to provide Calgarians with a safe, sustainable and reliable city. The proposed investments will support projects in housing, public safety, transit, infrastructure and more. Council will have an opportunity to adjust our budgets to ensure they align with emerging trends and changes happening in our city later this November.

We’ve launched our annual campaign to educate Calgarians about The City’s proposed adjustments and encourage their review and input. Understanding budget and adjustments can be over whelming for Calgarians, so The City’s “at a glance” document provides a digestible overview of Administration’s recommendations.

Calgarians can find out more, provide their input or register to talk to Council this November via calgary.ca/adjustments.

Celebrating the teams behind feeder main support

When water restrictions were lifted September 22, teams across The City celebrated. Not just because 15 weeks had passed since the broken water feeder main was first discovered, but also because the repair effort represented a tremendous accomplishment. It was the collaboration and dedication of employees across The City that ensured the success of this work.  

Learn More

Supporting businesses in Bowness & Montgomery

The communities and businesses of Bowness and Montgomery were significantly impacted by the feeder main repairs. To help address these challenges, Collaboration, Analytics and Innovation’s Business& Local Economy (BLE) team initiated several programs to aid affected business communities.

From June 18 to early July, in collaboration with The City’s Business Improvement Area (BIA) Liaison team, the BLE launched the “Open for Business” campaign. From social media posts to bold signage, collaboration played a key role in contributing to the community’s recovery.

Read More

We’re in the market for zero-emission rides

As our old diesel and gas-powered buses reach the end of life, we are diversifying and modernizing our fleet. This means adding vehicles powered by a number of different sources, including compressed natural gas, electric and gas-powered vehicles, in addition to diesel.

By replacing end-of-life diesel buses with Battery Electric Buses (BEBs), we’ll provide clean, quiet, and comfortable rides for Calgarians with less pollution, noise, and exhaust and lower operating costs. Based on Council direction, we are incorporating lower-emission technology, an important step to reducing Calgary Transit's carbon footprint and diversifying our fleet.

Read more

Quick response by transit peace officers saves choking baby

An emotional rescue unfolded on August 15 when transit peace officers Amanda Aasen and Reo Sapara turned a routine patrol into a life-saving mission.

While patrolling downtown, a group of children came running towards the road, waving frantically. Officer Sapara quickly exited the vehicle to investigate. At the same time, Officer Aasen pulled over to the side of the road and activated the emergency lights.

Upon reaching Sapara, Aasen found him administering back blows to a limp infant who was not breathing.

Learn More

Calgary Transit shine at APTA Awards in California

We’re thrilled to share not one, but two remarkable achievements by Calgary Transit at the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Awards, held during the TRANSform Conference in Anaheim, California on October 1. Director Sharon Fleming accepted the prestigious APTA Awards, recognizing our commitment to innovation and excellence.

Read More

Celebrating 100 years of aerial photography

October marked the 100th anniversary of Calgary’s first city-wide aerial photo survey, completed by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1924. This groundbreaking achievement transformed our understanding of the city and laid the foundation for many of the imagery products we use to shape and manage Calgary today.

Learn more

Winter maintenance: Keeping Calgary safe

Regardless of how Calgarians commute or use the transportation systems, Mobility is ready to respond to every winter storm. Thanks to Council’s unanimous approval of our updated Winter Maintenance Policy earlier this year, we’re strengthening our commitments to accessibility and making Calgary a great place to live and travel, year-round.

Read more

Calgary Parking’s positive impact at Stampede Park

We’re proud to share that Calgary Parking’s management of the Calgary Stampede parking lots has been a success since its launch on August 1, 2024. Feedback has been positive from both the Calgary Stampede and the broader community. 

Learn more

Traffic Talks: Behind-the-scenes at the Mobility Operations Centre

This year, Mobility launched Traffic Talks, a video series designed to pull back the curtain on how the Mobility Operations Centre (MOC) keeps Calgarians moving. By providing a behind-the-scenes look, the campaign showcases the 24/7 monitoring and real-time responses that the MOC team undertakes to reduce congestion and manage traffic. It highlights how we’re using tools like signal adjustments and lane reversals to support Calgarians.

This initiative helps build trust and awareness of the critical work happening behind the scenes to keep our city moving smoothly, especially during construction season. This is an ongoing video series that will be shot and promoted through various channels throughout the year.

New Transit Public Safety district office opens at CF Chinook Centre

The City of Calgary’s Public Transit Safety Strategy reached an important milestone this week with the opening of a new Transit Public Safety district office at CF Chinook Centre. This addition marks the fourth office under the initiative, which is designed to improve safety and address social challenges across Calgary's transit system.

Funded by an annual $15 million investment approved by City Council, the three-year safety strategy focuses on reducing social disorder and supporting individuals facing vulnerabilities.

Learn more

Upcoming events in November

Nov. 6

• Infrastructure Planning Committee

Nov. 6 - 10

• JazzYYC Canadian Festival

Nov. 7

• Executive Committee
• Calgary Planning Commission

Nov. 11 - Remembrance Day Services

• Remembrance Day at Studio Bell
• Remembrance Day at the Military Museums
• Remembrance Day at the Hangar Flight Museum

Nov. 13

• Intergovernmental Affairs Committee

Nov. 14

• Audit Committee
• Calgary Planning Commission

Nov. 15

• ZOOLIGHTS begins
• Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market begins

Social Equity spotlight: Did you know?

We continue to increase our capacity and ability to improve social equity and

community wellbeing in several ways, such as hiring more staff to build better connections between services and communities and exploring new funding sources.

• To date in 2024, $5.3 million in mental health and addiction investments have been made across 30 programs that support approximately 12,000 Calgarians.
• We hosted a Racial Justice Conference for 1000+participants focusing on actionable strategies to create safe spaces and increase opportunities for equity-denied groups to contribute to policy and programs.
• Collaboration, partnership and recruitment for Indigenous positions continue in several teams to enhance the Indigenous presence in our service delivery, such as the Indigenous Public Art and Indigenous Procurement program.
• Since January 2024, the Partnership Agency Liaison team has responded to 3,295 encampment calls for service; 2,853 were resolved by peace officers. Peace officers have also conducted 215 welfare checks and assisted four individuals to find supportive housing through our Alpha House partners.