I wanted to give you a quick update on some of the work happening right now to make our downtown safer.

Recently, the Calgary Police teamed up with the Alberta Sheriffs’ Fugitive Apprehension team to find people wanted on outstanding warrants, as part of a two-day operation focused on downtown Calgary.

Ultimately, 91 warrants were executed and eighteen people were arrested. Of those, 77 were criminal. And 25 were related to violent offences.

That included assaulting a peace officer, assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon, unsafe storage of a firearm, resisting arrest, breaches of probation, failures to appear in court and failures to follow release orders.

That enforcement matters, but public safety also starts long before someone ends up with a warrant. That’s why our work downtown is focusing on prevention too.

We are supporting outreach workers connecting people with housing, treatment, and mental health services before they reach a crisis. 

We’re also pushing for safer transit so people feel comfortable getting to work or school, and cleaner, better-used public spaces and more people downtown. 

I’m really encouraged to see Calgary Police, Alberta Sheriffs, Transit Public Safety and Community Standards, and social agencies sharing information and working together together in the areas where we’re seeing the biggest challenges.

We know the best outcome is preventing someone from becoming a victim in the first place. But make no mistake, when someone does commit a serious offence, if they breach probation or ignore a court order, there needs to be accountability. 

There’s a lot more work to be done, but 91 warrants in two days is meaningful progress.

Thank you to the officers, sheriffs and frontline teams doing this work.

What did they expect was going to happen?

Council is back from our summer constituency break, and I wanted to give you an update on some major improvements we’re making to Calgary Transit.

We’ve modernized the behind-the-scenes technology that tracks and manages our fleet of more than 1,000 buses and shuttles across Calgary.

The new system connects operators with our Transit Control Centre. It provides better navigation, construction and detour information, and better communication when there’s an incident or emergency.
Crucially, this means you’ll be seeing much more accurate bus locations and arrival times when you’re planning your trip.

You’ll also start seeing new information screens onboard. They show upcoming stops, estimated arrival times, requested stops and service updates.

They’re already installed on 100 buses and shuttles. Starting in October, we’ll begin installing them across the entire fleet.

We’ve also launched the new 503 Symons Valley Express between Sage Hill and downtown.

It makes fewer stops and runs in both directions throughout the day. That’s a change from the old express model, which was mostly built around getting people downtown during the morning rush and back home at the end of the day.

The new 500-series will run throughout the day and connect into transit hubs and local routes, so it works for more than the traditional downtown commute.

The 503 is the first route. We’ll be watching how it performs as we look at bringing this type of express service to other parts of Calgary.

Lastly. We are getting more out of the service we have, but we need more of it, period.

We know there’s tremendous need for more service, especially along the Green Line corridor. The Calgary region has been adding around 100,000 people a year, and our transit service needs to keep up.

That’s why, as we head into the budget, I’m working to get a net increase in transit funding overall, with a particular focus on the Green Line corridor.

Thanks Calgary. There’s more work underway, and I’ll keep you posted.

Since buses are top of mind, I thought I'd relink the proposal for 10 minute intervals across the entire bus network of Calgary!

= HERE =

...with negligable increases in budget (with infrastructure improvements like the priority signal attached)

tl;dr - frequency is reliability, and in Calgary we trade reliability for coverage. You should be able to walk to a bus stop and know it's going to come with 10 minutes.

Nothing is ever in a vacuum, and our bus reliability is also a reflection on the design decisions in newer communities, and Calgary's sprawl.

I'd love to see Calgary Transit Riders get behind this plan!

A throwback from 5 years ago. The light hitting the hills just right🏞️

my Forever Canadian lawn sign disappeared just this afternoon while I was gone to pick up the kids from school.
The weird part is that only the sign itself was taken the metal holder/stakes were left standing in the lawn exactly where they were. There wasn’t really any wind today either, so it doesn’t look like the whole thing just blew away.
I searched Reddit and found a couple of other posts about Forever Canadian signs being taken in Calgary/Alberta, but both of those posts are older. Since mine literally just happened today, I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed this happening recently, especially around Calgary.
I’m not trying to accuse anyone or assume a motive without evidence. I’m mostly curious whether this is happening to other people right now or if mine was just a random one-off.
If anyone around has had a sign disappear recently, let me know.

Edit: I called 311 and asked if they had removed it and they reassured me that my lawn sign was on private property and there was no way for the city to have taken it.

Forgive my ignorance or if this has already been discussed here, but what will actually happen if the referendum is successful and do they actually stand a realistic chance of succeeding?
Regardless, I’m going to vote!

When people hear “municipal infrastructure,” roads often come to mind first, but communities rely on a much broader network of assets every day.

Water and wastewater systems, stormwater infrastructure, transit, recreation facilities, libraries, emergency services buildings, and local roads all help communities function and grow.

As Alberta's population continues to increase, municipalities are facing growing demand for infrastructure while also maintaining and replacing aging assets.

It's one of the issues municipal leaders will be discussing at this year's ABmunis Convention and Trade Show as communities look at how to support growth while keeping services affordable.

A lot of these issues are connected. New housing needs roads, pipes, and utilities. Community programs need funding. And municipalities are expected to provide more services as populations grow.

What's the biggest infrastructure or service challenge you've noticed in Calgary lately? Roads? Recreation facilities? Transit? Housing? Or is it something else?

The time is near for my elderly pup to take the long nap. I've never had to put down an animal before. I was just going to go to my normal vet but I thought I'd ask if anyone had any recommendations. I do plan on getting ashes back, I'm not sure if that changes anything.

This is going to crush me regardless but I thought I'd see what worked for others. Thanks!

I recently passed the security test and should be getting my temporary license next week as my background check clears.

I’ve seen all sorts of pay rates on indeed and google, some companies pays as low as $15-$16hr and some paying around $18-21hr. Seen some around $23-$25hr too

The top ones like Paladin, GardaWorld and Guardteck are the ones offering higher pay so I wanna go to them but would they hire someone with no experience in the industry?

I also want to know if anyone has had success moving up in this industry, possibly a role into corrections, city security, peace officer etc… would love to get some feedback from others in the industry

Thank you

With kids heading back to school, thousands of kids are walking, biking and getting dropped off every day.

I wanted to give you an update on what we’ve been doing to make those trips safer.

This year, the City completed safety improvements around 50 Calgary schools.

We’ve added new pedestrian crossings, curb extensions, flashing beacons, speed cushions and other improvements to slow traffic and make kids easier to see.

At 17 schools, we’ve installed new speed cushions and speed humps. And the evidence shows these changes make a difference.

When curb extensions and flashing pedestrian beacons are combined, collisions at intersections drop by 70 to 80 per cent.

But there’s something every one of us needs to do too.

Slow down in playground zones. Put your phone away. Keep crosswalks and corners clear. Give yourself a little more time during the morning and afternoon rush.

Kids will sometimes step out when you don’t expect it. They’ll get distracted. They’ll be excited to see their friends.

They’re kids. It’s our responsibility as adults to look out for them.

So please slow down, stay alert and help every Calgary kid get to school and home safely.

More information on Vision Zero: Vision Zero

EDIT UPDATE: https://discord.gg/F53wdPc3R to join our book club or talk books!

I've been in a global book club that has a Calgary chapter and I'm thinking of stepping back because the book picks are heading more into fantasy and romance, which aren't really my genres.

I've loved having a group of women to meet with on a monthly, discuss a book, share stories, and build friendships with women I may not have met. As someone who WFH and doesn't have kids, having that social aspect has been so meaningful. My current bookclub meets all over the city, which for a lot of the year isn't a big deal, but as we head into winter I was thinking maybe a closer one to my area would be cool.

Are there any book clubs that are for ladies in their mid-30s (or any age, just calling it out because I've seen some for people in their 20s only) in the SE that doesn't have a primary focus on fantasy or romance?

Thanks in advance!

Tried googling and looking for sources here but can’t find any information on why the Stock Exchange Tower building is closed. Anyone have insight? I asked a security guard and he just said it was closed until further notice, no reason. The +15 is still accessible but no power in the lobby. Thanks, just curious.

Anyone know what happened? It started pulsing and heard crazy noises over in Erlton.

corporate sponsor of the only significant park space in Downtown West, locals have expressed concern about the future of what is now known as Cowboys Park.

Not to worry, officials said, as the 10-year agreement would help to fuel some much-needed TLC for park amenities.

To the city’s credit, there has been a lot of work above and below ground over the last couple of years.

But no one has ever explained why the city wasn’t capable of funding these improvements without a corporate sponsorship, or why officials felt the only solution was to go cap in hand to a corporate sponsor for help. We don’t even know who approached whom when it comes to the genesis of the agreement.

Due to the shroud of secrecy surrounding the circumstances and the nature of the deal, all we can do is speculate as to how the current state of affairs came to be.

And in short, it’s awful.

Has anyone else noticed Park Plus stopped calling to tell you your parking is about to expire? This is part of the service, and I've relied on it for so many years that the sudden end of it is causing me to get parking tickets. Anyone else notice this?

Hi team,

Just a heads up for anyone in Britannia. There is a skunk wandering around Crescent Park. It appears to be in distress. It looks like an as a plastic trap on its head and is trying to get it off

I’ve contacted the city who put me into touch with report poacher however they said they couldn’t help.

They provided me with two nonprofit numbers to contact which I have left messages for. I’m also going to contact fish and wildlife.

If anyone else has any ideas, let me know

UPDATE: Calgary wildlife is sending someone!