Notices of Motion
Full list of notices of motion
Speeches
Selected speeches
Calgary’s Downtown Core – Why it’s important to all of Calgary
“Calgary has it all – spectacular outdoor adventure, a pioneer heritage, and the stimulating city life of Canada’s new urban playground.”
- Calgary and The Canadian Rockies 2008 Visitor Planning Guide
With its world-class skyline, Calgary’s Centre City features an array of modern skyscrapers and office towers as well as historic sandstone buildings. The downtown core employs an impressive 145,000 Calgarians in major industries such as oil and gas development, professional, scientific and technical services. By 2035, that number could exceed 200,000.
As well, Calgary has the youngest workforce of any major city in Canada, and leads the county in technology startup companies and internet connectivity.
Calgary is the energy capital of Canada and the second-largest head-office city in the country. There are more than 3,500 business located in the Centre City, including over 1,000 retail stories and nine indoor shopping centres or department stores.
“This is a city with spirit, innovation and energy.”
The hub of Calgary also contains 13 public art and culture spots, 18 tourist attractions, 25 annual festivals and 13 public parks and spaces, drawing over four million tourists each year. This results in more than one billion dollars of revenue to our city.
Calgarians from all areas of the city visit the downtown core approximately 4.5 times per month for non-work related purposes—young people visit over 7 times a month.
Calgary’s vibrant personality shines along Stephen Avenue Walk during summer lunch hours when between five to ten thousand people per hour enjoy the street level boutique shopping, art galleries, public art, music, buskers, festivals, pubs, cafes and restaurants.
The downtown core belongs to all Calgarians – let’s support it, enjoy it and make use of it.
City Council – A brief history
There have been various changes over the years to the structure of Calgary City Council and to the election process.
Mayoralty contests, for example, were held annually from 1884 to 1923. Calgary mayors began serving a two-year term following a plebiscite in 1923. In 1968, the Municipal Government Act increased the term of office for mayors to three years.
The number of aldermen and the method of their selection has also changed over the years. From 1884 to 1886, four councillors were selected from the town at large. The term of office for an alderman was three years.
The number of councillors had increased in 1894, when Calgary was divided into three wards. Three aldermen, as they were to be called, represented each ward.
In 1906, a fourth ward was created, bringing the total number of aldermen to 12. The ward system was dismantled from 1914 to 1960, when aldermen were elected from across the city for two-year terms. The ward system was re-established in 1960 following a plebiscite. Six wards were established in October of 1960, each represented by two aldermen. In 1976, the number of wards expanded to 14, with one alderman per ward, as it is today.
