The final city council meeting before this year's election began Monday, marking the end of an era with a 'generational' change ahead at city hall
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The final city council meeting before this year’s election began Monday, marking the end of an era with a “generational” change ahead at city hall.
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Together in person for the first time since the earliest days of the pandemic — with only Coun. Ward Sutherland absent since he wasn’t feeling well — councillors choked up and wiped tears from their eyes as they paid tribute to the six elected officials, including Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who are stepping down this year.
A group of Nenshi’s friends, family and supporters arrived on the steps of city hall with bunches of bright purple balloons and a “thank you” banner as the outgoing mayor marked his final meeting after 11 years in office.
“I’ll never have a job like this again,” Nenshi said, reflecting on his time in the mayor’s chair.
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“I will never have the opportunity again, even for a second, to hold in my hands the hopes and dreams and fears of our community for their future.”
He said he’s still disappointed about the results of the Olympic plebiscite in 2018, and the year after was a difficult one for him. But, he added, the good outweighs the bad.
“It’s true that we exist here only to ensure that every single person has that opportunity right here, right now, to live a great Canadian life. The work we do every single day is only to implement that for everyone.”
A combination of retirements and three sitting councillors forgoing a re-election bid to run for mayor means there will be at least nine new faces in the 15 seats around the council horseshoe after the Oct. 18 vote — potentially more if incumbents are defeated or if an outsider wins the mayoral race.
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Nenshi noted that there were six new council members when he was elected in 2010 and, at the time, that was the biggest change anyone could remember. With an even bigger shift ahead this year, he said that “feels right.”
“I realized that there comes a time when you’ve got to make room for folks. And, ultimately, that was the root of my decision not to seek re-election.”
Councillors Sutherland, George Chahal, Druh Farrell, Evan Woolley and Shane Keating are all stepping away from council, and each got a farewell from a colleague as well as time to have their say about their work while in office.
Farrell, who has been on council for 20 years, urged future councillors to focus on the long-term well-being of Calgary.
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“Please don’t focus on what divides us. The city needs us, Calgarians need us to work together and find what unites,” she said.
“Every decision that I’ve made that I’ve been most proud of have been the hardest — they’re the ones where I went to sleep at night crying.”
Coun. Jeff Davison was emotional as he spoke about Sutherland’s service as a councillor, and after Coun. Peter Demong tried to hold back tears during his send-off for Keating, the outgoing Ward 12 representative teared up, too.
“I find the older I get, the more emotional I get,” Keating joked. “So if I happen to get emotional, it’s because I’m old — it’s not because I’m going to miss any of you.”
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Afterwards, he told reporters that council hopefuls need to be prepared for a “clash of negativity,” but stay optimistic and focus on their work.
“Have your speech, but don’t be negative, don’t be dishonest, don’t be untrustworthy,” he said.
The last meeting of the current council term is expected to last a few days, potentially wrapping up Tuesday or Wednesday.
Twittter: @meksmith
Council says farewell to Nenshi, five outgoing councillors as civic election looms - Calgary Herald
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