Calgary Herald News
October 19, 2010
Calgary's new mayor Naheed Nenshi arrives at his downtown headquarters Monday.
Photograph by: Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald
CALGARY - Political newcomer Naheed Nenshi won a dramatic see-saw battle to become Calgary's mayor Monday night, capping a stunning rise that saw the business professor climb from the pack's fringes to the city's top job.
Nenshi, 38, originally considered a long shot, defeated longtime alderman Ric McIver and former TV anchor Barb Higgins in a race that attracted voters in droves.
By midnight, Nenshi had opened a lead of more than 21,000 votes over second-place McIver, capturing about 39 per cent of the popular vote, compared with McIver at 32 per cent and Higgins at 26 per cent.
A son of immigrants who graduated from the prestigious American university of Harvard, Nenshi is Calgary's first visible minority mayor. He has also become the first leader of Muslim faith to head a major Canadian city.
Nenshi addressed jubilant supporters moments after Higgins and McIver conceded.
"Today, Calgary is a different place than it was yesterday," Nenshi said late Monday.
"It's a better place."
Political observers were stunned by his meteoric rise.
"It's a Cinderella story," said Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University. "A lot of people thought he was too different . . . I think, though, that this reflects the diversity of the city."
In a concession speech, an emotional McIver -- the early front-runner -- acknowledged he was heartbroken.
"I'm blown away," he told his supporters. "I'm disappointed, but you should all be proud of yourselves."
McIver urged his supporters and all Calgarians to wish Nenshi well, as did Higgins.
"Elections are about choices and I celebrate and wish Mr. Naheed Nenshi the best as he moves our city forward," Higgins said.
Nenshi's win, however, appeared to touch a nerve for one Calgary Tory MLA.
"Nenshi . . . BIG mistake Calgary!" provincial Conservative politician Kyle Fawcett Tweeted.
But Premier Ed Stelmach called Calgary's new mayor late Monday to congratulate him.
"Premier, you are the first person to call me your worship," Nenshi told Stelmach over the phone.
As the winner, Nenshi will usher in a new era for city council amid tumultuous economic times.
Calgary will have its first new mayor in nine years, replacing the retiring Dave Bronconnier. Fresh faces will also occupy at least five of the 14 aldermanic seats, with incumbent Linda Fox-Mellway losing to newcomer Peter Demong.
Nenshi's passionate volunteers, many with tears in their eyes, hugged and shouted on as early poll results favoured their candidate.
"I'm feeling very proud," his mother Noorjah declared.
Heading into the municipal vote, opinion polls indicated the contest for mayor was neck and neck between McIver, Higgins, and Nenshi. They were the front-runners among a packed field of 15 candidates vying in the first open race for mayor since Bronconnier won the position in 2001.
Bronconnier, who hands over the reins next week, announced in February he wouldn't seek a fourth term.
This mayoral contest proved to be a battle of opposites: the veteran alderman versus two political newcomers.
With a $60-million projected revenue shortfall facing Alberta's largest city, McIver -- who served on council for nine years -- had argued Calgarians needed a boss with political experience.
Nenshi and Higgins, political rookies, painted McIver as part of the old guard, contending it was time for an outsider, a mayor with fresh eyes and new ideas.
Nenshi, a Mount Royal University business professor, portrayed himself as unsullied by the political game while holding a firm understanding of the ins and outs of city hall.
His popularity grew over the span of the four-week campaign, and emerged as a serious threat to McIver and Higgins in the final stretch.
At Nenshi's headquarters in the basement of a building on Macleod Trail, his "Purple Revolution" theme echoed everywhere Monday night.
People were decked out with purple feather boas, and supporters cheered loudly with every positive result as he moved into the lead.
"Today is a great day for democracy," campaign director Chima Nkemdirim said.
A source of Nenshi's momentum came from social media. He attracted young and urban voters -- and obviously many others -- with his prolific Tweeting and online posts.
He didn't have the largest campaign war chest, but his campaign drew more than 800 volunteers and 10,000 Facebook friends.
"He appeals across the political spectrum," said volunteer Richard Einarson.
"There's so many people who've said, 'I've never voted before -- I've never been excited to vote before.' "
Former oilpatch executive Wayne Stewart, who bowed out of the race for mayor last week and endorsed Nenshi, visited the Nenshi headquarters around 8:45 p.m. He said the campaign has changed politics in Calgary forever.
"He represents the future," Stewart said, noting that Nenshi represents a young, more diverse growing part of Calgary.
"He's asked me to be his mentor. And I intend to do that."
About a month ago, Nenshi sat well back in public opinion polls. However, his stunning rise in the past week forced McIver, a former meat salesman, to ditch plans to focus on an anti-Higgins attack.
With Bronconnier out of the race, McIver was widely perceived as the default front-runner. He remained so for months, until CTV anchor Higgins, 48, quit her job in July to enter an already-crowded contest. Her widespread name recognition helped vault her onto the leaderboard instantly.
McIver argued both Higgins and Nenshi lacked the experience necessary for the massive job of overseeing city hall, its $2.6-billion annual operating budget, and billions of dollars more in infrastructure projects.
During the campaign, Higgins branded herself as a fiscal conservative with a social heart. Although a city hall outsider, she has strong ties to the Calgary establishment, with a long history of chairing major charity campaigns.
For Calgary voters, Nenshi's message resonated the loudest. He sold himself as the non-establishment candidate who would clean up city hall and begin a dialogue with Calgarians.
"The great gift of this campaign is the movement that we started," Nenshi said. "The Purple Army was never about winning an election. It was about revitalizing the public conversation in this city."
Naheed Nenshi - Calgary Mayor
CALGARY - He's just starting to get used to being called "Your Worship," but mayor-elect Naheed Nenshi is already laying out four immediate priorities for the new council, including the budget shortfall and the proposed airport tunnel.
After a campaign of arguing that city council was "broken" and badly in need of reform, he told CBC Radio this morning he's excited to have "open, honest and fair" discussions with the diverse group of aldermen elected alongside him.
"I'm under no illusions that we're going to agree on everything," he said.
"In fact, we shouldn't agree on everything. It means we're not asking tough enough questions if we do."
The four first priorities Calgary's 36th mayor laid out were, by his own admission, less to do with theory than time sensitivity:
- Grappling the 2011 budget and its $60-million shortfall. During the campaign, he made no predictions that he'd be able to lower the property-tax hike from the proposed 6.7 per cent, but said he wants city managers to suggest much more than $60 million in cuts, so council has a "buffet" of choices;
- A plan to construct the airport tunnel, "which I've decided to call the 96th Avenue underpass, because "tunnel" just sounds like way too much." A project estimated to cost $150 million or more, it will balloon if the access road isn't built while the Calgary Airport Authority constructs its new runway overtop where the Barlow Trail access currently sits;
- Secure the funding for the southeast LRT, which council this summer approved as the best use of provincial "green trip" transit grant dollars;
- "We have to start taking some real concrete steps toward the kind of reform of how city hall and city council works that we've been talking about for so long."
Nenshi has been getting congratulatory messages from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Premier Ed Stelmach, and even from folks he has clashed with in the past: Police Chief Rick Hanson, and a development industry whose "urban sprawl" Nenshi has said he wants to curtail much more assertively than the Dave Bronconnier council did.
Nenshi will get sworn in next Monday night, along with five new aldermen and nine returning ones.
[email protected]
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Mayor ... z12qYmNZkr
After a campaign of arguing that city council was "broken" and badly in need of reform, he told CBC Radio this morning he's excited to have "open, honest and fair" discussions with the diverse group of aldermen elected alongside him.
"I'm under no illusions that we're going to agree on everything," he said.
"In fact, we shouldn't agree on everything. It means we're not asking tough enough questions if we do."
The four first priorities Calgary's 36th mayor laid out were, by his own admission, less to do with theory than time sensitivity:
- Grappling the 2011 budget and its $60-million shortfall. During the campaign, he made no predictions that he'd be able to lower the property-tax hike from the proposed 6.7 per cent, but said he wants city managers to suggest much more than $60 million in cuts, so council has a "buffet" of choices;
- A plan to construct the airport tunnel, "which I've decided to call the 96th Avenue underpass, because "tunnel" just sounds like way too much." A project estimated to cost $150 million or more, it will balloon if the access road isn't built while the Calgary Airport Authority constructs its new runway overtop where the Barlow Trail access currently sits;
- Secure the funding for the southeast LRT, which council this summer approved as the best use of provincial "green trip" transit grant dollars;
- "We have to start taking some real concrete steps toward the kind of reform of how city hall and city council works that we've been talking about for so long."
Nenshi has been getting congratulatory messages from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Premier Ed Stelmach, and even from folks he has clashed with in the past: Police Chief Rick Hanson, and a development industry whose "urban sprawl" Nenshi has said he wants to curtail much more assertively than the Dave Bronconnier council did.
Nenshi will get sworn in next Monday night, along with five new aldermen and nine returning ones.
[email protected]
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Mayor ... z12qYmNZkr
Opinion: Naheed Nenshi steps into Canadian history
By Gibril Koroma.
Calgary - I have a confession to make: I had never heard of the new Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, until last night when he popped up on all Canadian and several international news media for being Canada's first Muslim mayor.
I am not alone. And that, in my opinion, shows just how little chance the guy had to clinch that coveted job in a city known for its cowboys and of course the Calgary Stampede. There was also talk of it being inhabited by rednecks, conservatives and other special people. Well, all that seems to have fizzled into the air and many people now seem to be congratulating and hugging Calgarians, for a job well done. One thing that is clear however is that something revolutionary has just happened in Alberta's largest city.
Now who really is Naheed Nenshi? Well, he is quite young (38), compared to his two rivals in the mayorial race Barb Higgins and Ric McIver ( who are in their 40s and 50s respectively.)
He is an Ismaili, one of the most progressive and tolerant of the Muslim sects. Their spiritual leader, the Agha Khan commands tremendous respect and adoration worldwide. Ismaili Muslims are usually very highly educated and very successful in business. They can also be found in positions of authority in any country they live. So, to fellow Ismailis, Naheen's recent victory is nothing strange or surprising. It's the kind of thing Ismailis do.
Naheed studied at the university of Calgary and Harvard university and taught at a recognized Alberta school, Mount Royal university in addition to writing for the Calgary media and keeping himself very visible and engaged in municipal politics.He in fact contested for, and lost for a seat in the Calgary city council in 2004. So he is not a quitter, not a wimp.
What I also find very interesting is that Naheen was actually born in Toronto but was raised in Calgary and his parents came from the East African country of Tanzania! The reference to Toronto is interesting because many people believe Canada's largest city is about to elect a conservative mayor while a city like Calgary, once considered a bastion of conservatism, has just elected a man largely considered a progressive.
Naheed's electoral success has been attributed to the power of social media like Facebook, twitter and Youtube. It's true that he effectively used these media tools through out his campaign to attract grassroots younger voters that quickly expanded his support base. That, and the fact that he is a new and fresh face in Calgary municipal politics accounted for his dramatic and historic victory. Making him the first Muslim mayor in Canada.
This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/2 ... z135a0j1zh
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/299200
By Gibril Koroma.
Calgary - I have a confession to make: I had never heard of the new Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, until last night when he popped up on all Canadian and several international news media for being Canada's first Muslim mayor.
I am not alone. And that, in my opinion, shows just how little chance the guy had to clinch that coveted job in a city known for its cowboys and of course the Calgary Stampede. There was also talk of it being inhabited by rednecks, conservatives and other special people. Well, all that seems to have fizzled into the air and many people now seem to be congratulating and hugging Calgarians, for a job well done. One thing that is clear however is that something revolutionary has just happened in Alberta's largest city.
Now who really is Naheed Nenshi? Well, he is quite young (38), compared to his two rivals in the mayorial race Barb Higgins and Ric McIver ( who are in their 40s and 50s respectively.)
He is an Ismaili, one of the most progressive and tolerant of the Muslim sects. Their spiritual leader, the Agha Khan commands tremendous respect and adoration worldwide. Ismaili Muslims are usually very highly educated and very successful in business. They can also be found in positions of authority in any country they live. So, to fellow Ismailis, Naheen's recent victory is nothing strange or surprising. It's the kind of thing Ismailis do.
Naheed studied at the university of Calgary and Harvard university and taught at a recognized Alberta school, Mount Royal university in addition to writing for the Calgary media and keeping himself very visible and engaged in municipal politics.He in fact contested for, and lost for a seat in the Calgary city council in 2004. So he is not a quitter, not a wimp.
What I also find very interesting is that Naheen was actually born in Toronto but was raised in Calgary and his parents came from the East African country of Tanzania! The reference to Toronto is interesting because many people believe Canada's largest city is about to elect a conservative mayor while a city like Calgary, once considered a bastion of conservatism, has just elected a man largely considered a progressive.
Naheed's electoral success has been attributed to the power of social media like Facebook, twitter and Youtube. It's true that he effectively used these media tools through out his campaign to attract grassroots younger voters that quickly expanded his support base. That, and the fact that he is a new and fresh face in Calgary municipal politics accounted for his dramatic and historic victory. Making him the first Muslim mayor in Canada.
This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/2 ... z135a0j1zh
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/299200
Calgary's 36th mayor fulfils parents' dream
Family sought better life for kids in Canada
By Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald
October 25, 2010 6:18 AM Comments (10)
CALGARY - Kurban Nenshi and his wife Noorjah had travelled a long way to England from Tanzania to see one of his sisters get married, but he wanted to make one more stop.
The young father and businessman had seen photographs of Toronto's City Hall and was keen to see it in person. The couple took a trip across the Atlantic.
But in Canada, they found more than a landmark. They found a country they wanted their children to call home.
Now, nearly four decades later, the pair will travel across Calgary to visit another City Hall.
Today, their son, Naheed, will be sworn in as this city's 36th mayor.
"Their goal was to provide a life . . . where their children would have more opportunity," says Shaheen Nenshi Nathoo, his older sister.
"My parents moved to Canada with nothing and, 38 years later, their son is the mayor of Calgary. Who could have thought that?"
Indeed, it's a quintessential story for a country -- and city -- with a legacy of welcoming men and women looking for a new beginning.
Tonight's ceremony will put the final touches on a political victory that caught the eye -- and admiration -- of many Canadians.
Not surprisingly, Nenshi shares the accomplishment with his family.
"Without question, who I am today is based on the values I gained from the communities in which I grew up, and when I say that I mean the family environment," he says. "You know, my parents always said, even when times were tough, there was an absolute requirement to do community service. And that's really been something in me my whole life."
Long before Naheed Nenshi was attracting national attention, he was a Calgary kid growing up in Marlborough, a working-class neighbourhood on the east side.
The family moved to Calgary from Toronto -- where Naheed was born -- in the early 1970s.
Canada was a big adjustment.
In Tanzania, where both sides of the family had lived for generations after arriving from India, Kurban had been a businessman and hotelier. Life was comfortable. In Canada, they started from scratch.
Once in Calgary, Kurban did accounting work, while Noorjah got an evening job at a bank.
Their schedules ensured there was always someone at home with the two young children. Just as they hoped, the kids flourished.
"We didn't have a lot of money, but that was never an issue," explains Shaheen, 42, a pharmacist at Alberta Children's Hospital. "I remember my childhood as being a very happy childhood. Our house was always filled with love and family."
Their parents also stressed integrity, volunteerism and community service -- all important values in the close-knit Ismaili Muslim community to which they belong.
They also emphasized education and Naheed's first love was books.
He taught himself to read so he could help his grandmother find her shows in the TV Guide.
Later, he "lived" at the Forest Lawn library, where staff let him take out more books than was allowed because he loved reading so much.
His parents taught him the value of a "dollar, a penny, a dime and a quarter." To this day, he says he detests seeing waste.
At Queen Elizabeth High School, he overcame earlier shyness and participated in debate, public speaking and drama. He competed at the world public speaking championships in England, and was first in the provincial debating championship.
In a Herald "Class Act" article from 1989, the youth was asked what his future plans might hold.
Naheed replied: "I say I want to go into law, but doesn't everyone say that these days?"
Scholastic success followed him to the University of Calgary.
He was recruited to the university's formidable business team, joining up with a young Ezra Levant, now a conservative media pundit.
"Here we were, . . . a right-wing Jewish kid and left-wing Muslim kid from Calgary, debating all these eastern schools and winning," Levant recalls fondly of their university days.
"I disagree with him on his political ideas, but he's smart and he's honest -- and those are two good things, no matter where you are on the spectrum," Levant adds.
"He won (the municipal election) because he commanded the issues, had a vision. He's a smart guy who campaigned well."
Nenshi's politics don't easily fit conventional labels, however.
During the mayoral race, he faced attacks from rivals on both sides of the political spectrum.
He was critical of wasteful government spending. He also pitched policy aimed at reducing poverty and improving social inclusion.
His sister, Shaheen Nenshi Nathoo, says they didn't grow up with party politics at home. The emphasis was on contributing to the community.
And friends say that with Nenshi, what you see is what you get.
"There's no hidden agenda, there's no layers," says teacher Aarif Shivji, 40, a close friend who's known Nenshi for more than two decades.
Shivji says politics is often part of the discussion when he meets for wings with his pal, but they also talk about pop culture, music, theatre and film -- and the new mayor is not always terribly discriminating.
He once convinced Shivji to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Predictably, both left disappointed.
"There are times he'll go watch movies that are so stupid because he thinks the stupider they are, the funnier they are," Shivji says.
At U of C, where he obtained a business degree, Nenshi began compiling an enviable resume.
He served as president of the Students' Union and, after university, joined management consulting firm McKinsey and Co.
He went to grad school at Harvard, focusing on how governments and non-profit organizations can manage themselves better.
Later, he became professor in non-profit management at Mount Royal University. Since 2001, he headed up his own consultancy, assisting public, private, and nonprofit groups. His clients have included The Gap, Banana Republic, the Alberta government and the United Nations.
Friends and family believe Nenshi could work anywhere, but chose Calgary because of his devotion to family and the community.
With his 70-year-old father dealing with medical issues, his mom and dad split time between Nenshi's Coral Springs home and his sister's residence in Edgemont.
"We want our parents to continue to live at home, to be surrounded by their children and grandchildren," Shaheen explains.
His Toyota Corolla is even equipped with a child seat so he can help out with his two young nieces.
No doubt, family will be an important part of tonight's ceremony at City Hall, where Shaheen will swear-in her brother. But amid the excitement, she'll also reflect on the decision her parents made nearly four decades ago.
"I look at them and I think, wow, all those sacrifices they made, this is where we are because of that."
[email protected]
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calga ... story.html
Family sought better life for kids in Canada
By Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald
October 25, 2010 6:18 AM Comments (10)
CALGARY - Kurban Nenshi and his wife Noorjah had travelled a long way to England from Tanzania to see one of his sisters get married, but he wanted to make one more stop.
The young father and businessman had seen photographs of Toronto's City Hall and was keen to see it in person. The couple took a trip across the Atlantic.
But in Canada, they found more than a landmark. They found a country they wanted their children to call home.
Now, nearly four decades later, the pair will travel across Calgary to visit another City Hall.
Today, their son, Naheed, will be sworn in as this city's 36th mayor.
"Their goal was to provide a life . . . where their children would have more opportunity," says Shaheen Nenshi Nathoo, his older sister.
"My parents moved to Canada with nothing and, 38 years later, their son is the mayor of Calgary. Who could have thought that?"
Indeed, it's a quintessential story for a country -- and city -- with a legacy of welcoming men and women looking for a new beginning.
Tonight's ceremony will put the final touches on a political victory that caught the eye -- and admiration -- of many Canadians.
Not surprisingly, Nenshi shares the accomplishment with his family.
"Without question, who I am today is based on the values I gained from the communities in which I grew up, and when I say that I mean the family environment," he says. "You know, my parents always said, even when times were tough, there was an absolute requirement to do community service. And that's really been something in me my whole life."
Long before Naheed Nenshi was attracting national attention, he was a Calgary kid growing up in Marlborough, a working-class neighbourhood on the east side.
The family moved to Calgary from Toronto -- where Naheed was born -- in the early 1970s.
Canada was a big adjustment.
In Tanzania, where both sides of the family had lived for generations after arriving from India, Kurban had been a businessman and hotelier. Life was comfortable. In Canada, they started from scratch.
Once in Calgary, Kurban did accounting work, while Noorjah got an evening job at a bank.
Their schedules ensured there was always someone at home with the two young children. Just as they hoped, the kids flourished.
"We didn't have a lot of money, but that was never an issue," explains Shaheen, 42, a pharmacist at Alberta Children's Hospital. "I remember my childhood as being a very happy childhood. Our house was always filled with love and family."
Their parents also stressed integrity, volunteerism and community service -- all important values in the close-knit Ismaili Muslim community to which they belong.
They also emphasized education and Naheed's first love was books.
He taught himself to read so he could help his grandmother find her shows in the TV Guide.
Later, he "lived" at the Forest Lawn library, where staff let him take out more books than was allowed because he loved reading so much.
His parents taught him the value of a "dollar, a penny, a dime and a quarter." To this day, he says he detests seeing waste.
At Queen Elizabeth High School, he overcame earlier shyness and participated in debate, public speaking and drama. He competed at the world public speaking championships in England, and was first in the provincial debating championship.
In a Herald "Class Act" article from 1989, the youth was asked what his future plans might hold.
Naheed replied: "I say I want to go into law, but doesn't everyone say that these days?"
Scholastic success followed him to the University of Calgary.
He was recruited to the university's formidable business team, joining up with a young Ezra Levant, now a conservative media pundit.
"Here we were, . . . a right-wing Jewish kid and left-wing Muslim kid from Calgary, debating all these eastern schools and winning," Levant recalls fondly of their university days.
"I disagree with him on his political ideas, but he's smart and he's honest -- and those are two good things, no matter where you are on the spectrum," Levant adds.
"He won (the municipal election) because he commanded the issues, had a vision. He's a smart guy who campaigned well."
Nenshi's politics don't easily fit conventional labels, however.
During the mayoral race, he faced attacks from rivals on both sides of the political spectrum.
He was critical of wasteful government spending. He also pitched policy aimed at reducing poverty and improving social inclusion.
His sister, Shaheen Nenshi Nathoo, says they didn't grow up with party politics at home. The emphasis was on contributing to the community.
And friends say that with Nenshi, what you see is what you get.
"There's no hidden agenda, there's no layers," says teacher Aarif Shivji, 40, a close friend who's known Nenshi for more than two decades.
Shivji says politics is often part of the discussion when he meets for wings with his pal, but they also talk about pop culture, music, theatre and film -- and the new mayor is not always terribly discriminating.
He once convinced Shivji to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Predictably, both left disappointed.
"There are times he'll go watch movies that are so stupid because he thinks the stupider they are, the funnier they are," Shivji says.
At U of C, where he obtained a business degree, Nenshi began compiling an enviable resume.
He served as president of the Students' Union and, after university, joined management consulting firm McKinsey and Co.
He went to grad school at Harvard, focusing on how governments and non-profit organizations can manage themselves better.
Later, he became professor in non-profit management at Mount Royal University. Since 2001, he headed up his own consultancy, assisting public, private, and nonprofit groups. His clients have included The Gap, Banana Republic, the Alberta government and the United Nations.
Friends and family believe Nenshi could work anywhere, but chose Calgary because of his devotion to family and the community.
With his 70-year-old father dealing with medical issues, his mom and dad split time between Nenshi's Coral Springs home and his sister's residence in Edgemont.
"We want our parents to continue to live at home, to be surrounded by their children and grandchildren," Shaheen explains.
His Toyota Corolla is even equipped with a child seat so he can help out with his two young nieces.
No doubt, family will be an important part of tonight's ceremony at City Hall, where Shaheen will swear-in her brother. But amid the excitement, she'll also reflect on the decision her parents made nearly four decades ago.
"I look at them and I think, wow, all those sacrifices they made, this is where we are because of that."
[email protected]
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calga ... story.html
Community work part of Ismailis' faith
Religion in focus after Nenshi's win
By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary HeraldNovember 6, 2010curriebarracks
Dr. Habib Kurwa, an Ismaili who is an associate professor at the U of C, says one of the key elements of his faith is "to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community."
Dr. Habib Kurwa, an Ismaili who is an associate professor at the U of C, says one of the key elements of his faith is "to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community."
Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald
W hen Naheed Nenshi was recently elected mayor of Calgary, much was made nationally and internationally of the fact he was the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city.
And that focused attention on the new mayor's faith connection. Many people were not aware of the Ismaili Muslim faith tradition, but it has been an important part of the community in Calgary for decades.
Dr. Habib Kurwa, a dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Calgary's medical school, says there are about 10,000 Ismaili Muslims in the city and that number has grown with the city's population. "There is a strong ethic of volunteerism and giving time to strengthen society," he says.
Kurwa says the first members of the community came in the 1960s as some professionals from the United Kingdom and Asia initially made the journey to Calgary. The larger group from East Africa followed in the 1970s because of the politics at that time in their home countries.
In 1990s, there were Ismailis who came from Central Asia.
Like all Muslims, the Ismailis believe the Prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet of Allah (God), and that the Holy Qur'an, Allah's final message to mankind, was revealed through him. Muslims hold this revelation to be the culmination of the message that had been revealed through other prophets of the Abrahamic tradition before the Prophet Muhammad, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, all of whom Muslims revere as prophets of Allah.
In common with the other Shiite Muslims, the Ismailis affirm that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, became the first imam (spiritual leader) of the Muslim community.
Ismailis believe that this spiritual leadership, known as the Imamat, continues through the hereditary line of Ali and his wife Fatima, the prophet's daughter. His Highness the Aga Khan is the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims.
The Shiite Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, live in more than 25 countries around the globe, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as in Europe, North America and Australia.
There are 15 to 20 million around the world and about 100,000 in Canada. Locally, the community congregates at five Jamatkhanas, or community centres, in the city. They are places of worship, places for community work and places where the community engages with the wider community. The largest one is off of Deerfoot Trail and McKnight Boulevard -- a building that architecturally reflects the mountains, says Kurwa.
"One of the key elements is to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community. And that's the wider community -- if you like, the principle is 'a rising tide raises all boats.'
"His Highness has always guided the community to engage in strengthening the wider community through volunteerism. So you see the community engaged with agencies like United Way, Habitat for Humanity."
Kurwa says in the Shiite tradition of Islam, it is the mandate of the Imam of the time to be concerned with the spiritual advancement of his community, as well as to improve the quality of life of the community in general.
The Aga Khan has emphasized the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith: one that teaches compassion, tolerance and pluralism and that upholds the dignity of man, adds Kurwa.
The local Ismailis have played significant roles in Calgary over the years with their volunteer work for various organizations. The Ismaili community has also entered a float in the Calgary Stampede Parade for the past 25 years and hosts a Stampede Breakfast annually at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre.
[email protected]
http://www.calgaryherald.com/story_prin ... iebarracks
Religion in focus after Nenshi's win
By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary HeraldNovember 6, 2010curriebarracks
Dr. Habib Kurwa, an Ismaili who is an associate professor at the U of C, says one of the key elements of his faith is "to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community."
Dr. Habib Kurwa, an Ismaili who is an associate professor at the U of C, says one of the key elements of his faith is "to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community."
Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald
W hen Naheed Nenshi was recently elected mayor of Calgary, much was made nationally and internationally of the fact he was the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city.
And that focused attention on the new mayor's faith connection. Many people were not aware of the Ismaili Muslim faith tradition, but it has been an important part of the community in Calgary for decades.
Dr. Habib Kurwa, a dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Calgary's medical school, says there are about 10,000 Ismaili Muslims in the city and that number has grown with the city's population. "There is a strong ethic of volunteerism and giving time to strengthen society," he says.
Kurwa says the first members of the community came in the 1960s as some professionals from the United Kingdom and Asia initially made the journey to Calgary. The larger group from East Africa followed in the 1970s because of the politics at that time in their home countries.
In 1990s, there were Ismailis who came from Central Asia.
Like all Muslims, the Ismailis believe the Prophet Muhammad was the last and final prophet of Allah (God), and that the Holy Qur'an, Allah's final message to mankind, was revealed through him. Muslims hold this revelation to be the culmination of the message that had been revealed through other prophets of the Abrahamic tradition before the Prophet Muhammad, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, all of whom Muslims revere as prophets of Allah.
In common with the other Shiite Muslims, the Ismailis affirm that after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, became the first imam (spiritual leader) of the Muslim community.
Ismailis believe that this spiritual leadership, known as the Imamat, continues through the hereditary line of Ali and his wife Fatima, the prophet's daughter. His Highness the Aga Khan is the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims.
The Shiite Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, live in more than 25 countries around the globe, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as in Europe, North America and Australia.
There are 15 to 20 million around the world and about 100,000 in Canada. Locally, the community congregates at five Jamatkhanas, or community centres, in the city. They are places of worship, places for community work and places where the community engages with the wider community. The largest one is off of Deerfoot Trail and McKnight Boulevard -- a building that architecturally reflects the mountains, says Kurwa.
"One of the key elements is to give of your time, your knowledge and your means to the betterment of the community. And that's the wider community -- if you like, the principle is 'a rising tide raises all boats.'
"His Highness has always guided the community to engage in strengthening the wider community through volunteerism. So you see the community engaged with agencies like United Way, Habitat for Humanity."
Kurwa says in the Shiite tradition of Islam, it is the mandate of the Imam of the time to be concerned with the spiritual advancement of his community, as well as to improve the quality of life of the community in general.
The Aga Khan has emphasized the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith: one that teaches compassion, tolerance and pluralism and that upholds the dignity of man, adds Kurwa.
The local Ismailis have played significant roles in Calgary over the years with their volunteer work for various organizations. The Ismaili community has also entered a float in the Calgary Stampede Parade for the past 25 years and hosts a Stampede Breakfast annually at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre.
[email protected]
http://www.calgaryherald.com/story_prin ... iebarracks
Mayor Naheed Nenshi in Toronto
Great speech by the Calgary Mayor at the Canadian Club.
http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/canclub/20110209/
*****
Mayor Nenshi at heart of pastor's sermon
Lessons on God can be found in new leadership
By Mario Toneguzzi
Calgary Herald
February 12, 2011
John Van Sloten, pastor at new Hope Church, plans to preach about Mayor
naheed nenshi on Sunday. according to Van Sloten, the sermon will talk
about the new mayor's philosophy, his character and his plans for the
city.
Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald
Over the years, John Van Sloten has demonstrated an uncanny ability to
link popular culture with faith, spirituality and religion.
From entertainment to sports, the pastor of New Hope Church has been
able to illuminate his congregation -and the city at large -on how we
can find God in some unconventional places.
On Sunday, Van Sloten is preaching about Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
"I'm taking Mayor Nenshi and using him as a lens through which to look
to try and understand who God is more," says Van Sloten.
"The idea Biblically is that Romans 13 talks about God as the one who
establishes government. The authorities that exist have been established
by God, it says. So if that's true -and government is a good thing when
done right -then what can Mayor Nenshi, our exciting new mayor, teach us
about who God is?"
The sermon will talk about Nenshi's philosophy, his character and his
plans for the city "and look through them and see that what he's
proposing is very much in line with the heart of God and what God would
want for a city, for our city Calgary."
Those things are the 3Ds. Diversity, density and discovery.
"He says in a talk at the Unitarian Church a couple of weeks ago 'we
want to live in cities that are intersections of the world'. The moment
he said that, well I thought so does God. You look at God's vision for
the heavenly future city. It's made up of people from every tongue and
tribe -from all over the cosmos coming together in one city.
"So when Nenshi says in the Herald on Feb. 2, 'We have to stop
demonizing people who can't afford to live in the front garage, 3 1/2
bedroom home in a new community in Calgary' we have to recognize we're
all neighbours. We're all Calgarians. We all have much to contribute. I
hear what the apostle Paul said about God saying that 'for God does not
show favouritism'. God wants to include everybody.
"The whole ethos around the people of Israel including the aliens. You
don't push those people outside the community. You include them in the
community. Everybody's part of this community. On diversity he's very
much like God."
Density is also an important element of the sermon. There is increasing
plans to densify the population. To cut back on urban sprawl. "The whole
idea of making a move politically that is better for our environment as
a whole in higher density is best environmentally (and it's) obeying
God's commandment in Genesis 1 where God calls us to subdue and rule his
creation," says Van Sloten.
"Traditionally, Christianity has been slammed for taking that as an
excuse for sprawling in our cities and taking advantage of the
environment but if you understand what to rule is in terms of that
Genesis account it's to rule like how God rules so that others can
flourish. And in this particular case so the land can flourish. You're
doing a very God honouring and good thing. So increased density in terms
of its effect on the environment, the beneficial effect, is very much
akin to God's heart for the city."
Van Sloten says he was recently listening to an interview Nenshi did on
radio where he spoke about how city hall's "intransigent culture was
incongruent" with our city's risktaking, innovative nature and how he
wants to change that.
"And the fact he wants to free a city up to most fully be what it can be
as a city again is very much in line with what God's heart would be for
Calgary. God wants Calgary to be everything that Calgary can be and
more," explains Van Sloten, adding that Nenshi is a post-modern leader
who speaks the language of the people. He talks with the people not down
to the people.
After the sermon, there will be a town hall meeting where people will be
talking about how the church can be a better citizen of Calgary.
Great speech by the Calgary Mayor at the Canadian Club.
http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/canclub/20110209/
*****
Mayor Nenshi at heart of pastor's sermon
Lessons on God can be found in new leadership
By Mario Toneguzzi
Calgary Herald
February 12, 2011
John Van Sloten, pastor at new Hope Church, plans to preach about Mayor
naheed nenshi on Sunday. according to Van Sloten, the sermon will talk
about the new mayor's philosophy, his character and his plans for the
city.
Photograph by: Lorraine Hjalte, Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald
Over the years, John Van Sloten has demonstrated an uncanny ability to
link popular culture with faith, spirituality and religion.
From entertainment to sports, the pastor of New Hope Church has been
able to illuminate his congregation -and the city at large -on how we
can find God in some unconventional places.
On Sunday, Van Sloten is preaching about Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
"I'm taking Mayor Nenshi and using him as a lens through which to look
to try and understand who God is more," says Van Sloten.
"The idea Biblically is that Romans 13 talks about God as the one who
establishes government. The authorities that exist have been established
by God, it says. So if that's true -and government is a good thing when
done right -then what can Mayor Nenshi, our exciting new mayor, teach us
about who God is?"
The sermon will talk about Nenshi's philosophy, his character and his
plans for the city "and look through them and see that what he's
proposing is very much in line with the heart of God and what God would
want for a city, for our city Calgary."
Those things are the 3Ds. Diversity, density and discovery.
"He says in a talk at the Unitarian Church a couple of weeks ago 'we
want to live in cities that are intersections of the world'. The moment
he said that, well I thought so does God. You look at God's vision for
the heavenly future city. It's made up of people from every tongue and
tribe -from all over the cosmos coming together in one city.
"So when Nenshi says in the Herald on Feb. 2, 'We have to stop
demonizing people who can't afford to live in the front garage, 3 1/2
bedroom home in a new community in Calgary' we have to recognize we're
all neighbours. We're all Calgarians. We all have much to contribute. I
hear what the apostle Paul said about God saying that 'for God does not
show favouritism'. God wants to include everybody.
"The whole ethos around the people of Israel including the aliens. You
don't push those people outside the community. You include them in the
community. Everybody's part of this community. On diversity he's very
much like God."
Density is also an important element of the sermon. There is increasing
plans to densify the population. To cut back on urban sprawl. "The whole
idea of making a move politically that is better for our environment as
a whole in higher density is best environmentally (and it's) obeying
God's commandment in Genesis 1 where God calls us to subdue and rule his
creation," says Van Sloten.
"Traditionally, Christianity has been slammed for taking that as an
excuse for sprawling in our cities and taking advantage of the
environment but if you understand what to rule is in terms of that
Genesis account it's to rule like how God rules so that others can
flourish. And in this particular case so the land can flourish. You're
doing a very God honouring and good thing. So increased density in terms
of its effect on the environment, the beneficial effect, is very much
akin to God's heart for the city."
Van Sloten says he was recently listening to an interview Nenshi did on
radio where he spoke about how city hall's "intransigent culture was
incongruent" with our city's risktaking, innovative nature and how he
wants to change that.
"And the fact he wants to free a city up to most fully be what it can be
as a city again is very much in line with what God's heart would be for
Calgary. God wants Calgary to be everything that Calgary can be and
more," explains Van Sloten, adding that Nenshi is a post-modern leader
who speaks the language of the people. He talks with the people not down
to the people.
After the sermon, there will be a town hall meeting where people will be
talking about how the church can be a better citizen of Calgary.
March 31, 2011
From Canada, Lessons on Revolution
By CHRYSTIA FREELAND | REUTERS
CALGARY, ALBERTA — Conventional wisdom has it that the Internet is dumbing us down and making politics more partisan. Sound bites are more effective than substance. The punditocracy that shapes these truisms is, needless to say, pretty certain they apply most powerfully to people in the provinces, especially those with a history of voting for the right.
That is why the election of Naheed Nenshi, a 39-year-old former business school professor, as mayor of Calgary, is a watershed event that should be of interest far beyond Canada, where he has already become a political superstar.
When Mr. Nenshi earned his upset victory last October, the first flutter of outside enthusiasm was around the fact that an Ismaili Muslim son of South Asian immigrants who came to Canada from Tanzania had been chosen to lead the capital of Canada’s conservative heartland.
The next wave of excitement was inspired by his campaign’s sophisticated use of social media to overturn Calgary’s old-boy political establishment.
The Twitter revolutions, which we are now so familiar with thanks to the oil states of North Africa, had first hit the land of the blue-eyed sheiks thanks to clever tactics like a comic YouTube video of people struggling with the mayor’s name, or providing simple online tools for supporters to color their Facebook pages Nenshi purple.
But when I spoke to Mr. Nenshi a few days ago in the elegant 1911 sandstone building that houses the mayor’s office, he told me that outsiders were missing the point. The real significance of his victory, he said, was to prove that voters care deeply about big ideas and will elect the leaders who take the trouble to engage them. This is true, Mr. Nenshi insisted, even outside political and media centers like New York, London or Toronto.
“We called it politics in full sentences,” said Mr. Nenshi. He has curly, slightly greying hair, and wears rectangular black glasses and a slightly rumpled black suit. He talks not just in full sentences but in full paragraphs, and has the energy and gregariousness of a born politician. “We called it the Better Ideas campaign.”
Those ideas were genuinely serious — and strongly against the current of what many had assumed to be the cultural propensities of Calgarians. Mr. Nenshi is an evangelist of high-density living and of public transit — at least one member of his team doesn’t even own a car.
These are revolutionary notions in Calgary, a city that is spread across as many acres as New York, but houses just a tenth as many people. Calgarians love their cars — that’s how more than two-thirds of them get to work — and they are bullish on the oil industry that not only puts gas in their tanks but also is the lifeblood of their economy.
Yet these same Calgarians embraced a geeky, Harvard-educated former McKinsey consultant, who keeps magazines like IFR and The Banker in his foyer and loves technocratic solutions to urban problems like “spot intensification” and containing sprawl by charging developers more to build on the outskirts of town.
Voters did so, Mr. Nenshi believes, “because we didn’t condescend to people.” Calgary, he told me, “is a city of ideas,” proudly citing as evidence the sell-out crowd of 1,700 the author Malcolm Gladwell drew on a recent visit. (He has been topped only by the singer Sarah McLachlan.)
“Calgarians were really interested in having a conversation about the future of their city,” the mayor told me. But the province of Alberta is the closest Canada comes to a one-party state — “governments never change here” — and until Mr. Nenshi and his pals came along, no one had really bothered to bring people in to that discussion.
This engagement with the community is the second important lesson of Mr. Nenshi’s win. Robert Putnam told us in 1995 that Americans had started to bowl alone. And many of us worry that the advances in technology in the subsequent 15 years have served mostly to alienate us further from our real-life neighbors as we retreat ever deeper into virtual communities of the like-minded.
But what Mr. Nenshi found in Calgary was a passionate desire to be involved in the real, physical life of the city — and one which could be most effectively tapped by using cybertools. What Mr. Nenshi did, he told me — and remember the guy is a former business school professor — was to adapt the classic marketing and political adage that you have to “go to people where they live” to the Internet age.
“One of the things we discussed is that a lot of people live online,” Mr. Nenshi said, including the 600,000 Calgarians, in a city of 1.3 million, who are on Facebook. “Social media was the tool that enabled our philosophy.”
When he first moved back home to Calgary after professional stints in Toronto and New York, Mr. Nenshi said, his East Coast friends were baffled: “The New York people and the Harvard people were like ‘Naheed, why are you in the middle of the Canadian prairies?”’
But he thinks the “Four Seasons hotel tribe” of globe-trotting superelites may be missing the fact that they inhabit a world that is rather provincial itself.
“When I lived in Toronto and New York — big, big cities — how come I saw the same people all the time?” Mr. Nenshi asked. “This so-called borderless world has become more insular. The number of times I hear from people — ‘Oh, I ran into so and so on the flight from J.F.K. to Dubai.’
“I am very happy to let the Four Seasons tribe do their work on global prosperity,” Mr. Nenshi said. “I’ll do my work on local prosperity.”
Chrystia Freeland is global editor at large at Reuters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/world ... .html?_r=1
From Canada, Lessons on Revolution
By CHRYSTIA FREELAND | REUTERS
CALGARY, ALBERTA — Conventional wisdom has it that the Internet is dumbing us down and making politics more partisan. Sound bites are more effective than substance. The punditocracy that shapes these truisms is, needless to say, pretty certain they apply most powerfully to people in the provinces, especially those with a history of voting for the right.
That is why the election of Naheed Nenshi, a 39-year-old former business school professor, as mayor of Calgary, is a watershed event that should be of interest far beyond Canada, where he has already become a political superstar.
When Mr. Nenshi earned his upset victory last October, the first flutter of outside enthusiasm was around the fact that an Ismaili Muslim son of South Asian immigrants who came to Canada from Tanzania had been chosen to lead the capital of Canada’s conservative heartland.
The next wave of excitement was inspired by his campaign’s sophisticated use of social media to overturn Calgary’s old-boy political establishment.
The Twitter revolutions, which we are now so familiar with thanks to the oil states of North Africa, had first hit the land of the blue-eyed sheiks thanks to clever tactics like a comic YouTube video of people struggling with the mayor’s name, or providing simple online tools for supporters to color their Facebook pages Nenshi purple.
But when I spoke to Mr. Nenshi a few days ago in the elegant 1911 sandstone building that houses the mayor’s office, he told me that outsiders were missing the point. The real significance of his victory, he said, was to prove that voters care deeply about big ideas and will elect the leaders who take the trouble to engage them. This is true, Mr. Nenshi insisted, even outside political and media centers like New York, London or Toronto.
“We called it politics in full sentences,” said Mr. Nenshi. He has curly, slightly greying hair, and wears rectangular black glasses and a slightly rumpled black suit. He talks not just in full sentences but in full paragraphs, and has the energy and gregariousness of a born politician. “We called it the Better Ideas campaign.”
Those ideas were genuinely serious — and strongly against the current of what many had assumed to be the cultural propensities of Calgarians. Mr. Nenshi is an evangelist of high-density living and of public transit — at least one member of his team doesn’t even own a car.
These are revolutionary notions in Calgary, a city that is spread across as many acres as New York, but houses just a tenth as many people. Calgarians love their cars — that’s how more than two-thirds of them get to work — and they are bullish on the oil industry that not only puts gas in their tanks but also is the lifeblood of their economy.
Yet these same Calgarians embraced a geeky, Harvard-educated former McKinsey consultant, who keeps magazines like IFR and The Banker in his foyer and loves technocratic solutions to urban problems like “spot intensification” and containing sprawl by charging developers more to build on the outskirts of town.
Voters did so, Mr. Nenshi believes, “because we didn’t condescend to people.” Calgary, he told me, “is a city of ideas,” proudly citing as evidence the sell-out crowd of 1,700 the author Malcolm Gladwell drew on a recent visit. (He has been topped only by the singer Sarah McLachlan.)
“Calgarians were really interested in having a conversation about the future of their city,” the mayor told me. But the province of Alberta is the closest Canada comes to a one-party state — “governments never change here” — and until Mr. Nenshi and his pals came along, no one had really bothered to bring people in to that discussion.
This engagement with the community is the second important lesson of Mr. Nenshi’s win. Robert Putnam told us in 1995 that Americans had started to bowl alone. And many of us worry that the advances in technology in the subsequent 15 years have served mostly to alienate us further from our real-life neighbors as we retreat ever deeper into virtual communities of the like-minded.
But what Mr. Nenshi found in Calgary was a passionate desire to be involved in the real, physical life of the city — and one which could be most effectively tapped by using cybertools. What Mr. Nenshi did, he told me — and remember the guy is a former business school professor — was to adapt the classic marketing and political adage that you have to “go to people where they live” to the Internet age.
“One of the things we discussed is that a lot of people live online,” Mr. Nenshi said, including the 600,000 Calgarians, in a city of 1.3 million, who are on Facebook. “Social media was the tool that enabled our philosophy.”
When he first moved back home to Calgary after professional stints in Toronto and New York, Mr. Nenshi said, his East Coast friends were baffled: “The New York people and the Harvard people were like ‘Naheed, why are you in the middle of the Canadian prairies?”’
But he thinks the “Four Seasons hotel tribe” of globe-trotting superelites may be missing the fact that they inhabit a world that is rather provincial itself.
“When I lived in Toronto and New York — big, big cities — how come I saw the same people all the time?” Mr. Nenshi asked. “This so-called borderless world has become more insular. The number of times I hear from people — ‘Oh, I ran into so and so on the flight from J.F.K. to Dubai.’
“I am very happy to let the Four Seasons tribe do their work on global prosperity,” Mr. Nenshi said. “I’ll do my work on local prosperity.”
Chrystia Freeland is global editor at large at Reuters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/world ... .html?_r=1
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi on community building and the pursuit of passions
October 2010 ushered in a new era for Calgarians when 38-year-old Naheed Nenshi was elected the first Muslim mayor of their city. Nenshi, who is also an astute entrepreneur and a community leader, ran a strong campaign that was led by a broad and energetic demographic that included significant youth support. The campaign was noted for its utilisation of social media tools to engage citizens and create grassroots momentum.
Mayor Nenshi grew up in Calgary and received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary before going on to complete a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the lead author of Building Up: Making Canada’s Cities Engines of Growth and Magnets of Development.
After spending many years working for McKinsey & Company, Nenshi formed his own consulting firm called the Ascend Group, that helps public, private, and non-profit organisations grow. In that capacity, he also designed a major policy for the Government of Alberta and worked with the United Nations to determine how global business can help the poorest people on the planet.
Aaida Rajabali recently spoke with Mayor Nenshi on behalf of TheIsmaili.org to learn about his first few months in the office. The mayor discussed his views on pluralism in civil society, community-building, and his vision for women, youth and the Ismaili community.
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1194/Calg ... f-passions
October 2010 ushered in a new era for Calgarians when 38-year-old Naheed Nenshi was elected the first Muslim mayor of their city. Nenshi, who is also an astute entrepreneur and a community leader, ran a strong campaign that was led by a broad and energetic demographic that included significant youth support. The campaign was noted for its utilisation of social media tools to engage citizens and create grassroots momentum.
Mayor Nenshi grew up in Calgary and received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary before going on to complete a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the lead author of Building Up: Making Canada’s Cities Engines of Growth and Magnets of Development.
After spending many years working for McKinsey & Company, Nenshi formed his own consulting firm called the Ascend Group, that helps public, private, and non-profit organisations grow. In that capacity, he also designed a major policy for the Government of Alberta and worked with the United Nations to determine how global business can help the poorest people on the planet.
Aaida Rajabali recently spoke with Mayor Nenshi on behalf of TheIsmaili.org to learn about his first few months in the office. The mayor discussed his views on pluralism in civil society, community-building, and his vision for women, youth and the Ismaili community.
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1194/Calg ... f-passions
National Post News Canada Internet Science & Health U.S. World
Calgary mayor parades into history as Pride marshal
By Bryce Forbes
CALGARY — Naheed Nenshi made history on Sunday by becoming the first Calgary mayor to act as the grand marshal for the Pride Parade.
The mayor sat perched on the back of a red Ford Mustang wearing a purple T-shirt with “Straight Not Narrow” written across his chest.
“It really says that you don’t have to be a part of a community in order to support that community,” said Nenshi about the shirt.
About 15,000 attended the parade, about 5,000 more than last year.
Along the way, Nenshi told the crowd, “Happy pride day, everyone” and “There is a lot of great parade to go. I’m just the boring entry part.”
Leading the pack for Nenshi was Justine Bonczek, a member of Pride Calgary, whose job was to ramp up cheers throughout the parade for Nenshi, nearly leaving her without a voice.
“Everyone was so stoked that he was there and I’m so proud of Calgary for having the mayor out here,” she said.
She believes it shows what Calgary is about by having their mayor in the Pride Parade, something Toronto couldn’t do with their rookie mayor Rob Ford earlier this year.
“I was really disappointed by that (Ford), but I was proud Calgary had its mayor stand in for the whole city and really bring a community together.”
Another parade participant feels it brought the mayor closer to some Calgarians.
“It was inspirational,” said Michael Reynolds who was with the Mosaic Youth Group. “I feel I can relate to him more now.”
Nenshi believes the tides are turning for the gay community in Calgary, something that must continue for the viability of the city.
“It’s really important for us to not only be seen as welcoming but to be welcoming to all kinds of people,” he said. “The future success of our city depends on our ability to maintain our status as being one of the very best in the world to live.
“We need to attract people from around the world to live here, invest here, make their careers here and that means we have to be open to everyone and I think that’s really happening.”
The Calgary Flames also sponsored a float in the parade, a first for the National Hockey League team.
“This is what our community is about,” Nenshi told the crowd. “Our community is about making sure that together, we understand that we are stronger.”
Calgary Herald
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/09/05 ... e-marshal/
Calgary mayor parades into history as Pride marshal
By Bryce Forbes
CALGARY — Naheed Nenshi made history on Sunday by becoming the first Calgary mayor to act as the grand marshal for the Pride Parade.
The mayor sat perched on the back of a red Ford Mustang wearing a purple T-shirt with “Straight Not Narrow” written across his chest.
“It really says that you don’t have to be a part of a community in order to support that community,” said Nenshi about the shirt.
About 15,000 attended the parade, about 5,000 more than last year.
Along the way, Nenshi told the crowd, “Happy pride day, everyone” and “There is a lot of great parade to go. I’m just the boring entry part.”
Leading the pack for Nenshi was Justine Bonczek, a member of Pride Calgary, whose job was to ramp up cheers throughout the parade for Nenshi, nearly leaving her without a voice.
“Everyone was so stoked that he was there and I’m so proud of Calgary for having the mayor out here,” she said.
She believes it shows what Calgary is about by having their mayor in the Pride Parade, something Toronto couldn’t do with their rookie mayor Rob Ford earlier this year.
“I was really disappointed by that (Ford), but I was proud Calgary had its mayor stand in for the whole city and really bring a community together.”
Another parade participant feels it brought the mayor closer to some Calgarians.
“It was inspirational,” said Michael Reynolds who was with the Mosaic Youth Group. “I feel I can relate to him more now.”
Nenshi believes the tides are turning for the gay community in Calgary, something that must continue for the viability of the city.
“It’s really important for us to not only be seen as welcoming but to be welcoming to all kinds of people,” he said. “The future success of our city depends on our ability to maintain our status as being one of the very best in the world to live.
“We need to attract people from around the world to live here, invest here, make their careers here and that means we have to be open to everyone and I think that’s really happening.”
The Calgary Flames also sponsored a float in the parade, a first for the National Hockey League team.
“This is what our community is about,” Nenshi told the crowd. “Our community is about making sure that together, we understand that we are stronger.”
Calgary Herald
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/09/05 ... e-marshal/
Nenshi says strengthening cities last unfinished task in nation building Provided by iPolitics Staff
Posted on Thu, Sep 22, 2011, 11:15 am by Colin Horgan
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is on a four-city tour to promote the vitality and opportunity in his city. He used his stop in Ottawa on Thursday morning to tout the “energy” that surrounds Calgary — and he was not just referring to the oil patch. The energy, he explained, extends to the city’s great ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.
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Nenshi was elected mayor in October 2010, beating out city councillor (and favourite) Rick McIver and popular former CTV broadcaster Barb Higgins. Nenshi’s campaign was largely focused on using social media to spread its message.
Nenshi is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of a major Canadian city. His win was a surprise to outside observers, a fact that rankled the new mayor. “I hate being called the changing face of Calgary,” he said Thursday.
Besides, he said, neither his ethnicity nor his religion came up during the campaign. “Calgarians don’t care. Diversity is something we live and breathe every day. Calgary was like that long before I was elected and long before I was born.”
Aware that we was speaking to a room filled with federal MPs (Ted Menzies, Olivia Chow, Lee Richardson, Laurie Hawn) and one former prime minister (Joe Clark), Nenshi urged the federal government to encourage the growth of strong cities.
Strengthening Canada’s cities, he said, is the last great unfinished task in nation building.
Building a great city, according to Nenshi, requires creating a vibrant culture scene, ensuring communities are attractive, and that public infrastructure is accessible. Such a city puts the focus on sustainability and ensures it has a cohesive chorus of business and social networks. Calgary, he argued, has all of those elements.
Nenshi said that while he’s skeptical of surveys, it’s worth nothing that time and again Calgary ranks high on livability indexes. For example, a recent Economist ranking placed Calgary No. 5, behind Vancouver (No. 3) and Toronto (4).
The promotional tour, set up by Calgary Economic Development with the mayor and 40 members of Calgary’s corporate sector, invites people to the city to “be part of the energy.”
To that end, the morning also featured a panel discussion on the realities of investing in, or moving business to, Calgary. Wellington Holbrook of ATB Financial, Sam Edgerton from Nexen Inc., and Hannes Kovac, of OPUS Corporation emphasized the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude.
The larger goal of the tour, says Nenshi, is to create “an internationally recognized centre of commerce, innovation, creativity, educational achievement and sustainable growth.”
© 2011 iPolitics Inc.
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/09/22/nens ... -building/
****
Calgary’s sunny mayor dangles jobs to gloomy East
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... oomy-east/
http://www.bepartoftheenergy.com/energy ... .php?id=23
Posted on Thu, Sep 22, 2011, 11:15 am by Colin Horgan
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is on a four-city tour to promote the vitality and opportunity in his city. He used his stop in Ottawa on Thursday morning to tout the “energy” that surrounds Calgary — and he was not just referring to the oil patch. The energy, he explained, extends to the city’s great ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.
Oil patch workers union calls Keystone a ‘jobs killer’
NDP question Gary Mar’s ethics, cite past actions involving public money
LAWRENCE MARTIN: What happened to Canadian standards of living?
Nenshi was elected mayor in October 2010, beating out city councillor (and favourite) Rick McIver and popular former CTV broadcaster Barb Higgins. Nenshi’s campaign was largely focused on using social media to spread its message.
Nenshi is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of a major Canadian city. His win was a surprise to outside observers, a fact that rankled the new mayor. “I hate being called the changing face of Calgary,” he said Thursday.
Besides, he said, neither his ethnicity nor his religion came up during the campaign. “Calgarians don’t care. Diversity is something we live and breathe every day. Calgary was like that long before I was elected and long before I was born.”
Aware that we was speaking to a room filled with federal MPs (Ted Menzies, Olivia Chow, Lee Richardson, Laurie Hawn) and one former prime minister (Joe Clark), Nenshi urged the federal government to encourage the growth of strong cities.
Strengthening Canada’s cities, he said, is the last great unfinished task in nation building.
Building a great city, according to Nenshi, requires creating a vibrant culture scene, ensuring communities are attractive, and that public infrastructure is accessible. Such a city puts the focus on sustainability and ensures it has a cohesive chorus of business and social networks. Calgary, he argued, has all of those elements.
Nenshi said that while he’s skeptical of surveys, it’s worth nothing that time and again Calgary ranks high on livability indexes. For example, a recent Economist ranking placed Calgary No. 5, behind Vancouver (No. 3) and Toronto (4).
The promotional tour, set up by Calgary Economic Development with the mayor and 40 members of Calgary’s corporate sector, invites people to the city to “be part of the energy.”
To that end, the morning also featured a panel discussion on the realities of investing in, or moving business to, Calgary. Wellington Holbrook of ATB Financial, Sam Edgerton from Nexen Inc., and Hannes Kovac, of OPUS Corporation emphasized the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude.
The larger goal of the tour, says Nenshi, is to create “an internationally recognized centre of commerce, innovation, creativity, educational achievement and sustainable growth.”
© 2011 iPolitics Inc.
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/09/22/nens ... -building/
****
Calgary’s sunny mayor dangles jobs to gloomy East
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... oomy-east/
http://www.bepartoftheenergy.com/energy ... .php?id=23
Nenshi: Not all politicians are out to con you, really
By Naheed Nenshi, For the Calgary HeraldMarch 2, 2012 7:50 AM
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
Photograph by: Archive, Calgary HeraldLate last week, reflecting on the ongoing robocall scandal, Post-media columnist Andrew Coyne wrote on Twitter: "Always remember: everyone in politics is trying to con you in one way or another. Some go to greater lengths at different times than others."
The sometimes-witty Coyne was, I hope, being tongue-in-cheek, but I was surprised when people jumped in to agree with him. One Calgary journalist wrote that Coyne was "merely expressing a belief held by large (numbers of Canadians)."
I simply don't believe that's true. While journalists can succumb to this insider thinking, I'm not sure it's relevant to citizens. In one radio interview this week, another national columnist, in discussing robocall, framed the entire thing as a political exercise. The Liberals are wounded by the Vikileaks issue, he said, and the strongest NDP performers in the House are on the leadership trail, so the issue will die.
Completely missing from his analysis was any discussion of why this matters outside of the House, or of whether or not the allegations are true. Citizens don't care about question period, they care about Canada.
I don't blame Coyne for being cynical. To read his live tweeting of the House of Commons is to know true despair. And it is certainly true that some of what is going on in some governments defies more rational explanations - from the provincial government's inexplicable decision on power lines to the ongoing questions about misleading robocalls.
The robocalls, in particular, are troubling. The evidence seems to be that someone was actively trying to suppress the votes of those with whom they disagree. If this is true, then whom-ever is responsible is actually acting from an anti-democratic place. Indeed, they were trying to subvert our system of government, which is inexcusable for anyone in politics.
But Coyne's statement doesn't actually stand up to any kind of scrutiny. I know this may sound self-serving from a politician, but I wasn't always in this job and I won't always be in it. I got into this work because, as I said every day during the election, I believe that government matters in people's lives, that politics matters, and that the people we elect matter.
Does the profession attract bullies, jerks and egomaniacs? Sure, just like every profession. (And some would say I am all three.) Are there some con men? Maybe.
But the vast majority of people I meet in politics are hard-working folks who really believe that our community can be better, and who want to work to improve the lives of their neighbours. Of course, we sometimes disagree with one another on how best to do that, but politics, at its best, is about the clash of ideas in the public market-place.
The problem is that Coyne's statement reflects a deep cynicism about what we do, and one that is un-fair. Do I spend a lot of my time selling my ideas? Of course. Does this mean that I am trying to con you? I don't think so.
I often quote the Aga Khan in his 2010 Lafontaine Baldwin lecture: "Too often, democracy is understood to be only about elections - momentary majorities.
But effective governance is much more than that. What happens before and after elections? How are choices framed and explained?
How is decision-making shared so that leaders of different backgrounds can interactively govern, rather than small cliques who rule autocratically?"
That's why our city government has worked so hard to be even more transparent and even more accountable to citizens than we've ever been before. We have to make tough decisions, and not everyone is always happy with them. But I firmly believe we make better decisions when we invite citizens into the decision-making process, when we explain the trade-offs we are considering.
Some would say this makes me naive, and that real politics is about a winner-takes-all, bare-knuckled fight to get one's way. Sometimes that's true, and I will mix it up in the corners when I have to.
But the fight isn't about misleading people. It's about making the kind of change that our community needs. And going out to the public with my ideas, stress-testing my beliefs, and framing choices, isn't about conning people, it's about making better decisions.
Naheed Nenshi is the mayor of Calgary and a former business professor at Mount Royal University. His column appears monthly.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Nensh ... story.html
By Naheed Nenshi, For the Calgary HeraldMarch 2, 2012 7:50 AM
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
Photograph by: Archive, Calgary HeraldLate last week, reflecting on the ongoing robocall scandal, Post-media columnist Andrew Coyne wrote on Twitter: "Always remember: everyone in politics is trying to con you in one way or another. Some go to greater lengths at different times than others."
The sometimes-witty Coyne was, I hope, being tongue-in-cheek, but I was surprised when people jumped in to agree with him. One Calgary journalist wrote that Coyne was "merely expressing a belief held by large (numbers of Canadians)."
I simply don't believe that's true. While journalists can succumb to this insider thinking, I'm not sure it's relevant to citizens. In one radio interview this week, another national columnist, in discussing robocall, framed the entire thing as a political exercise. The Liberals are wounded by the Vikileaks issue, he said, and the strongest NDP performers in the House are on the leadership trail, so the issue will die.
Completely missing from his analysis was any discussion of why this matters outside of the House, or of whether or not the allegations are true. Citizens don't care about question period, they care about Canada.
I don't blame Coyne for being cynical. To read his live tweeting of the House of Commons is to know true despair. And it is certainly true that some of what is going on in some governments defies more rational explanations - from the provincial government's inexplicable decision on power lines to the ongoing questions about misleading robocalls.
The robocalls, in particular, are troubling. The evidence seems to be that someone was actively trying to suppress the votes of those with whom they disagree. If this is true, then whom-ever is responsible is actually acting from an anti-democratic place. Indeed, they were trying to subvert our system of government, which is inexcusable for anyone in politics.
But Coyne's statement doesn't actually stand up to any kind of scrutiny. I know this may sound self-serving from a politician, but I wasn't always in this job and I won't always be in it. I got into this work because, as I said every day during the election, I believe that government matters in people's lives, that politics matters, and that the people we elect matter.
Does the profession attract bullies, jerks and egomaniacs? Sure, just like every profession. (And some would say I am all three.) Are there some con men? Maybe.
But the vast majority of people I meet in politics are hard-working folks who really believe that our community can be better, and who want to work to improve the lives of their neighbours. Of course, we sometimes disagree with one another on how best to do that, but politics, at its best, is about the clash of ideas in the public market-place.
The problem is that Coyne's statement reflects a deep cynicism about what we do, and one that is un-fair. Do I spend a lot of my time selling my ideas? Of course. Does this mean that I am trying to con you? I don't think so.
I often quote the Aga Khan in his 2010 Lafontaine Baldwin lecture: "Too often, democracy is understood to be only about elections - momentary majorities.
But effective governance is much more than that. What happens before and after elections? How are choices framed and explained?
How is decision-making shared so that leaders of different backgrounds can interactively govern, rather than small cliques who rule autocratically?"
That's why our city government has worked so hard to be even more transparent and even more accountable to citizens than we've ever been before. We have to make tough decisions, and not everyone is always happy with them. But I firmly believe we make better decisions when we invite citizens into the decision-making process, when we explain the trade-offs we are considering.
Some would say this makes me naive, and that real politics is about a winner-takes-all, bare-knuckled fight to get one's way. Sometimes that's true, and I will mix it up in the corners when I have to.
But the fight isn't about misleading people. It's about making the kind of change that our community needs. And going out to the public with my ideas, stress-testing my beliefs, and framing choices, isn't about conning people, it's about making better decisions.
Naheed Nenshi is the mayor of Calgary and a former business professor at Mount Royal University. His column appears monthly.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Nensh ... story.html
Naheed Nenshi on the cover of Reader’s Digest
April 17, 2012
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is on the front cover of the May edition of Reader’s Digest. The five part article is also available on-line
Politics 2.0 – Naheed Nenshi and the Power of Social Engagement
How a number-crunching tweet machine became Calgary’s mayor, and why his down-home leadership is transforming municipal politics. By Marcello Di Cintio From: Reader’s Digest Canada, May 2012
http://www.readersdigest.ca/magazine/20 ... engagement
April 17, 2012
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is on the front cover of the May edition of Reader’s Digest. The five part article is also available on-line
Politics 2.0 – Naheed Nenshi and the Power of Social Engagement
How a number-crunching tweet machine became Calgary’s mayor, and why his down-home leadership is transforming municipal politics. By Marcello Di Cintio From: Reader’s Digest Canada, May 2012
http://www.readersdigest.ca/magazine/20 ... engagement
High-profile Canadian Muslim mayor on trust
VIDEO
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18067650
High-profile Canadian Muslim mayor on trust
Advertisement
14 May 2012 Last updated at 18:35 ET Help Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, a popular social media presence and the son of Tanzanian immigrants, is the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city.
He tells the BBC's Katty Kay that trust and dialogue is what makes Calgary so successful.
"I firmly believe that you make the best decisions as a policy maker when you've got the best data," he says. "That information has to include what the real experts in the world, that is the people who live there, think about their own community."
VIDEO
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18067650
High-profile Canadian Muslim mayor on trust
Advertisement
14 May 2012 Last updated at 18:35 ET Help Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, a popular social media presence and the son of Tanzanian immigrants, is the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city.
He tells the BBC's Katty Kay that trust and dialogue is what makes Calgary so successful.
"I firmly believe that you make the best decisions as a policy maker when you've got the best data," he says. "That information has to include what the real experts in the world, that is the people who live there, think about their own community."
Nenshi: Making Calgary an even better place to live
By Naheed Nenshi, Calgary Herald October 12, 2012
http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/op ... story.html
By Naheed Nenshi, Calgary Herald October 12, 2012
http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/op ... story.html
SENATORS' STATEMENTS
Flooding in Alberta
Exemplary Role of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I want to associate myself with the statement that Senator Black made on Friday regarding floods in southern Alberta and the heroic efforts of so many public servants and volunteers.
Today I also want to recognize and celebrate the exemplary leadership that Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary has demonstrated in response to this crisis.
In an editorial published on Monday the Calgary Herald writes:
When disaster struck, Mayor Naheed Nenshi flew home from a trip he had been on to Ottawa and Toronto.
Nenshi took the helm the moment of his arrival back in the city, dealing coolly and calmly with everything from keeping citizens apprised of the safety of Calgary's drinking water and the fate of animals at the Calgary Zoo, to touring the flooded areas with Prime Minister Harper and Premier Redford, to taking time out to send out his thanks to city workers, and updating Calgarians when they could safely return to their homes.
The Globe and Mail, in its editorial, writes:
Mr. Nenshi has been such a superbly effective leader during the flood... that he appears on his way to folk-hero status. On Twitter, a movement started to demand that he take a nap. He has been up around the clock, and given news conferences in the middle of the night to make sure Calgarians are kept informed....
But it is not his commitment to imparting information that has been so impressive. He has been such a warm and engaging presence. You can't help but be cheered up by him. And if you're watching him on national television anywhere in the country, you feel what it must be like to be living in Calgary during the floods.
As author and Calgarian Leanne Shirtliffe writes in the Huffington Post, Mayor Nenshi "works hard and responds to people personally." He is "gracious" and "intelligent." He finds ways to inject humour, to inspire his constituents, and to celebrate the arts, even in the face of a disaster. He listens and engages others in decision making and harnesses the power of family and community volunteers.
Most of all, honourable senators, he demonstrates how government can be a powerful force for good — a vehicle to ensure that no one is left behind or excluded.
I am constantly impressed at how clearly Mayor Nenshi focuses on the need to ensure the safety and well-being of his constituents. As Mayor Nenshi has said, "We can fix stuff. We can replace stuff. We can't fix people."
Honourable senators, I believe we can all learn from Mayor Nenshi's example. Please join me in thanking him for his continued service to Calgarians and to Canadians.
Flooding in Alberta
Exemplary Role of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I want to associate myself with the statement that Senator Black made on Friday regarding floods in southern Alberta and the heroic efforts of so many public servants and volunteers.
Today I also want to recognize and celebrate the exemplary leadership that Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary has demonstrated in response to this crisis.
In an editorial published on Monday the Calgary Herald writes:
When disaster struck, Mayor Naheed Nenshi flew home from a trip he had been on to Ottawa and Toronto.
Nenshi took the helm the moment of his arrival back in the city, dealing coolly and calmly with everything from keeping citizens apprised of the safety of Calgary's drinking water and the fate of animals at the Calgary Zoo, to touring the flooded areas with Prime Minister Harper and Premier Redford, to taking time out to send out his thanks to city workers, and updating Calgarians when they could safely return to their homes.
The Globe and Mail, in its editorial, writes:
Mr. Nenshi has been such a superbly effective leader during the flood... that he appears on his way to folk-hero status. On Twitter, a movement started to demand that he take a nap. He has been up around the clock, and given news conferences in the middle of the night to make sure Calgarians are kept informed....
But it is not his commitment to imparting information that has been so impressive. He has been such a warm and engaging presence. You can't help but be cheered up by him. And if you're watching him on national television anywhere in the country, you feel what it must be like to be living in Calgary during the floods.
As author and Calgarian Leanne Shirtliffe writes in the Huffington Post, Mayor Nenshi "works hard and responds to people personally." He is "gracious" and "intelligent." He finds ways to inject humour, to inspire his constituents, and to celebrate the arts, even in the face of a disaster. He listens and engages others in decision making and harnesses the power of family and community volunteers.
Most of all, honourable senators, he demonstrates how government can be a powerful force for good — a vehicle to ensure that no one is left behind or excluded.
I am constantly impressed at how clearly Mayor Nenshi focuses on the need to ensure the safety and well-being of his constituents. As Mayor Nenshi has said, "We can fix stuff. We can replace stuff. We can't fix people."
Honourable senators, I believe we can all learn from Mayor Nenshi's example. Please join me in thanking him for his continued service to Calgarians and to Canadians.
Naheed Nenshi awarded 2014 World Mayor Prize
Naheed Nenshi awarded 2014 World Mayor Prize (CBC)
The World Mayor Project, which was conceived in 2004, aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide and honour those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally
cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/naheed-nenshi-awarded-2014-world-mayor-prize-1.2940729
Calgary mayor beat out 25 other finalists for the honour
CBC News Posted: Feb 02, 2015 1:25 PM MT Last Updated: Feb 02, 2015 5:22 PM MT
Naheed Nenshi, Calgary's mayor, is on top of the world.
The World Mayor Project has awarded Nenshi the 2014 World Mayor Prize.
The award was conceived in 2004 and bestowed every two years to a mayor who has developed and realized a vision for urban living that is relevant to towns and cities across the world.
Naheed Nenshi finalist for World Mayor Prize
Nenshi told reporters today the announcement was a great surprise and a great birthday present.
"I understand that there were scores of people, Calgarians and Canadians, who wrote in letters of recommendation, who wrote in their own comments, who wrote in nominations," he said. "To me that's very humbling, that's very kind of people to take that time, because these were not short comments."
Nenshi was first elected in 2010 and became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city.
Six weeks before the election, opinion polls pegged Nenshi with only eight per cent support. His savvy social media campaign, dubbed the Purple Revolution, eventually helped propel him to victory.
Three years later, he was re-elected with almost three-quarters of the vote.
25 other finalists
The award aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide by honouring those who have served their communities well by governing openly and honestly, and those who made significant contributions to cities nationally and internationally.
"All I try to do is be very authentic, be real with people and just focus on working hard on making this community a better place, just like everyone else in the community. So I'm super happy about it, but I'm a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing as well."
Nenshi was chosen over 25 other finalists for the honour. He said he's looking forward to using the platform the recognition will bring to the city.
"I think it gives us a lot of great visibility, it gives us the opportunity to talk about what we're doing here in Calgary on a national and international stage, which is always important for us, particularly in these tough economic times," he said.
The mayor of Ghent, Belgium, Daniel Termont, took the first runner-up spot, followed by Tri Rismaharini of Surabaya, Indonesia.
The World Mayor Project, which was conceived in 2004, aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide and honour those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally
cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/naheed-nenshi-awarded-2014-world-mayor-prize-1.2940729
Calgary mayor beat out 25 other finalists for the honour
CBC News Posted: Feb 02, 2015 1:25 PM MT Last Updated: Feb 02, 2015 5:22 PM MT
Naheed Nenshi, Calgary's mayor, is on top of the world.
The World Mayor Project has awarded Nenshi the 2014 World Mayor Prize.
The award was conceived in 2004 and bestowed every two years to a mayor who has developed and realized a vision for urban living that is relevant to towns and cities across the world.
Naheed Nenshi finalist for World Mayor Prize
Nenshi told reporters today the announcement was a great surprise and a great birthday present.
"I understand that there were scores of people, Calgarians and Canadians, who wrote in letters of recommendation, who wrote in their own comments, who wrote in nominations," he said. "To me that's very humbling, that's very kind of people to take that time, because these were not short comments."
Nenshi was first elected in 2010 and became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city.
Six weeks before the election, opinion polls pegged Nenshi with only eight per cent support. His savvy social media campaign, dubbed the Purple Revolution, eventually helped propel him to victory.
Three years later, he was re-elected with almost three-quarters of the vote.
25 other finalists
The award aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide by honouring those who have served their communities well by governing openly and honestly, and those who made significant contributions to cities nationally and internationally.
"All I try to do is be very authentic, be real with people and just focus on working hard on making this community a better place, just like everyone else in the community. So I'm super happy about it, but I'm a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing as well."
Nenshi was chosen over 25 other finalists for the honour. He said he's looking forward to using the platform the recognition will bring to the city.
"I think it gives us a lot of great visibility, it gives us the opportunity to talk about what we're doing here in Calgary on a national and international stage, which is always important for us, particularly in these tough economic times," he said.
The mayor of Ghent, Belgium, Daniel Termont, took the first runner-up spot, followed by Tri Rismaharini of Surabaya, Indonesia.
Last edited by Admin on Tue Feb 03, 2015 1:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
worldmayor.com/contest_2014/world-mayor-2014-winners.html
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, Canada
awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize
By Tann vom Hove, Brian Baker and Jonas Schorr
3 February 2015: Naheed Nenshi, the Mayor of Calgary, Canada, has been awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize. First runner-up Daniël Termont, Mayor of Ghent, Belgium, will be conferred the World Mayor Commendation for services to European cities. Second runner-up Mayor Tri Rismaharini will receive the World Mayor Commendation for services to the City of Surabaya, Indonesia.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, the winner of the 2014 World Mayor Prize, is the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. His vision how a city should plan for its future has attracted the attention of urban thinkers from across North America. Since taking office in 2010, he has become the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. He is an urban visionary who doesn’t neglect the nitty-gritty of local government. For many in North America and indeed Europe, Mayor Nenshi is a role model for decisive management, inclusivity and forward planning. He has also demonstrated strong leadership during disasters like the Alberta floods of 2013 and last year’s power outage, which affected large parts of the downtown area of the city. While Mayor Nenshi rejects being labelled progressive or indeed anything else - in the World Mayor interview he said: “I really believe that this kind of categorization alienates people and keeps them from participating in the political process.” – he has not shied away from challenging conservative views from some members of Alberta’s provincial government.
In 2010 Naheed Nenshi became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city after his ‘Purple Revolution’ captured the imagination of voters from right across the political spectrum. Some six weeks before the 18 October 2010 elections, opinion polls only credited Naheed Nenshi with eight per cent support but extensive use of social media combined with tireless door stepping - his supporters even organised coffee parties in their homes where Nenshi explained his vision - propelled him to victory on election day. Three years later the Mayor was re-elected with almost three quarters of votes cast.
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, Canada
awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize
By Tann vom Hove, Brian Baker and Jonas Schorr
3 February 2015: Naheed Nenshi, the Mayor of Calgary, Canada, has been awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize. First runner-up Daniël Termont, Mayor of Ghent, Belgium, will be conferred the World Mayor Commendation for services to European cities. Second runner-up Mayor Tri Rismaharini will receive the World Mayor Commendation for services to the City of Surabaya, Indonesia.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, the winner of the 2014 World Mayor Prize, is the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. His vision how a city should plan for its future has attracted the attention of urban thinkers from across North America. Since taking office in 2010, he has become the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. He is an urban visionary who doesn’t neglect the nitty-gritty of local government. For many in North America and indeed Europe, Mayor Nenshi is a role model for decisive management, inclusivity and forward planning. He has also demonstrated strong leadership during disasters like the Alberta floods of 2013 and last year’s power outage, which affected large parts of the downtown area of the city. While Mayor Nenshi rejects being labelled progressive or indeed anything else - in the World Mayor interview he said: “I really believe that this kind of categorization alienates people and keeps them from participating in the political process.” – he has not shied away from challenging conservative views from some members of Alberta’s provincial government.
In 2010 Naheed Nenshi became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city after his ‘Purple Revolution’ captured the imagination of voters from right across the political spectrum. Some six weeks before the 18 October 2010 elections, opinion polls only credited Naheed Nenshi with eight per cent support but extensive use of social media combined with tireless door stepping - his supporters even organised coffee parties in their homes where Nenshi explained his vision - propelled him to victory on election day. Three years later the Mayor was re-elected with almost three quarters of votes cast.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/world ... share&_r=0
“I like research; I do the data. I’m not the guy kissing the babies.”
NAHEED NENSHI Todd Korol/Toronto Star, via Getty Images
A Mayor fluent in Twitter embodies a new Canadian diversity
By DAN LEVIN JULY 8, 2016
Full article available by clicking oupper link.
“I like research; I do the data. I’m not the guy kissing the babies.”
NAHEED NENSHI Todd Korol/Toronto Star, via Getty Images
A Mayor fluent in Twitter embodies a new Canadian diversity
By DAN LEVIN JULY 8, 2016
Full article available by clicking oupper link.
Exchange I - Prosperity in Cities: A Conversation Among Mayors
Published on Oct 21, 2016
EXCHANGE I
Prosperity in Cities: A Conversation Among Mayors
In the 21st century, the vast majority of humans live in cities. How are the economies of our cities being transformed by newcomers? Are urban centres able to keep pace with so much change?
Host: Sevaun Palvetzian, Chief Executive Officer, CivicAction
Framers:
Rabin Baldewsingh, Deputy-Mayor of The Hague (Netherlands)
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary
Madeleine Redfern, Mayor of Iqaluit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDKRbRGx-io
*******
6 Degrees event video: Citizen Space 2016: Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi shares his experience & ideas on “Inclusion”
Published on Oct 20, 2016
360 INCLUSION
Diversity is a reality, inclusion remains a choice. Canada has become an experiment in inclusion.
360: Inclusion starts by asking how other countries understand and experience belonging.
Under what circumstances does inclusion best succeed, and how can we foster those circumstances?
How do we talk about what we’re doing and build a vocabulary that is resilient enough to manage aspirations and counter apprehensions?
HOST
Adrienne Clarkson
FRAMERS
Denise Dresser, Mexican political analyst, award-winning journalist and activist
Pico Iyer, Author, traveller, speaker, global visionary
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary
Jennifer Welsh, Chair in International Relations, European University Institute
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2016/ ... inclusion/
Published on Oct 21, 2016
EXCHANGE I
Prosperity in Cities: A Conversation Among Mayors
In the 21st century, the vast majority of humans live in cities. How are the economies of our cities being transformed by newcomers? Are urban centres able to keep pace with so much change?
Host: Sevaun Palvetzian, Chief Executive Officer, CivicAction
Framers:
Rabin Baldewsingh, Deputy-Mayor of The Hague (Netherlands)
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary
Madeleine Redfern, Mayor of Iqaluit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDKRbRGx-io
*******
6 Degrees event video: Citizen Space 2016: Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi shares his experience & ideas on “Inclusion”
Published on Oct 20, 2016
360 INCLUSION
Diversity is a reality, inclusion remains a choice. Canada has become an experiment in inclusion.
360: Inclusion starts by asking how other countries understand and experience belonging.
Under what circumstances does inclusion best succeed, and how can we foster those circumstances?
How do we talk about what we’re doing and build a vocabulary that is resilient enough to manage aspirations and counter apprehensions?
HOST
Adrienne Clarkson
FRAMERS
Denise Dresser, Mexican political analyst, award-winning journalist and activist
Pico Iyer, Author, traveller, speaker, global visionary
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary
Jennifer Welsh, Chair in International Relations, European University Institute
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2016/ ... inclusion/
As Received on 26 April 2017
Mayor Nenshi received a Public Policy Forum Award last Thursday night in Toronto.
The award was presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Prime Minister's introduction and Naheed's speech can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFWXB3myPYA&sns=em
Mayor Nenshi received a Public Policy Forum Award last Thursday night in Toronto.
The award was presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Prime Minister's introduction and Naheed's speech can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFWXB3myPYA&sns=em
Naheed Nenshi leaves behind a historic legacy as Calgary mayor
It was certainly true that the job had become less fun.
When Naheed Nenshi stunned the country in 2010 by becoming the first Muslim mayor of a major city in Canada, in a place long dogged by a redneck image, his world seemed one of endless possibilities.
He was smart, funny, articulate and, for a nerdy academic, possessed heaps of charisma. Social media turned him into a star who was stopped constantly for pictures.
One never knows how politicians are going to handle extreme duress until they face extreme duress. For Mr. Nenshi, that came in the form of the devastating Alberta floods of 2013.
From that moment, he literally became that politician who rolls up his sleeves to help. Living on a handful of hours sleep each night, he didn’t shy away from the fraught decisions confronting him each day. It was a performance that should be studied in courses on leadership. The following year, largely based on how he navigated this once-in-a-century calamity, he was named best mayor in the world.
And once you’re named best mayor in the world, there is only one direction to go: down.
Everything became harder for Mr. Nenshi after 2014, when the oil recession that has rocked Alberta to its core truly began. It has had an outsized impact on his city, where oil and gas towers have emptied out. The plunging economy put ugly downward pressure on city revenues, which left Mr. Nenshi and his council with just as ugly alternatives.
One was to raise taxes on those businesses that were still standing. And on homeowners, many of whom were reeling from the fallout of the drop in the price of oil. In the history of his tenure, this might be the point at which things began to turn in terms of his standing with the public. Things got uglier from there.
Mr. Nenshi fought for his political life in the civic election of 2017 against a lacklustre challenger. He survived, barely, but not without some serious scarring. I remember sitting down with him in his office shortly afterward. He was still angry about the level of online “racism and hatred and Islamophobia” – much of it directed at him – that proliferated during the campaign. When he raised the matter publicly, he said the local media accused him of playing the race card.
It’s fair to say Mr. Nenshi enjoyed a fairly high sense of himself, especially intellectually. As his confidence in the job grew, so, it seemed, did his ego. The Harvard-educated professor often suffered from “smartest-guy-in-the-room” syndrome, losing patience with those who didn’t see the world as he did. His relationship with the media, who once fawned over him, became more combative.
If he was considering never seeking re-election again after the bruising nature of the 2017 campaign, then Jason Kenney’s arrival as Premier two years later likely cemented those thoughts. There couldn’t be two people more ideologically opposed to each other. Mr. Neshi’s contempt for both the Premier, his United Conservative Party and much of what it stands for, was tangible.
Mr. Nenshi is non-committal about what lays ahead for him. He could go back to academia, from whence he came. He hasn’t ruled out more politics in his future, although he says he has no plans to run for the federal Liberals in the next election. I wouldn’t count on that.
Mr. Nenshi, and his counterpart in Edmonton, Don Iveson, who earlier announced that he’s not seeking re-election, would be star catches for the Liberals. If they were successful in winning seats, both would likely find themselves in a Justin Trudeau cabinet, which would change the dynamic of federal politics in the West. The arm-twisting is likely well under way.
Despite the barnacles that all politicians accumulate after years in office, Mr. Nenshi will, I believe, mostly be remembered fondly by the people of Calgary. Beyond the historic nature of his election, he was the most consequential mayor the city has had since Ralph Klein in the 1980s.
He became an inspiration for not only other politicians in the country, but leaders of all types, in all settings. It is one of the reasons he became such a star on the speakers’ circuit. He is a shining example of the pluralistic marvel that is Canada. But he can also speak to the distance we still need to travel to bridge the racial divides that undermine our potential.
Mr. Nenshi chose the colour purple for his signature campaign in 2010. It’s one known to enlighten and inspire people. As it turns out, it was apt. Because during his 11 years in office, Mr. Nenshi certainly did that.
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... VgMaFxFnIY
It was certainly true that the job had become less fun.
When Naheed Nenshi stunned the country in 2010 by becoming the first Muslim mayor of a major city in Canada, in a place long dogged by a redneck image, his world seemed one of endless possibilities.
He was smart, funny, articulate and, for a nerdy academic, possessed heaps of charisma. Social media turned him into a star who was stopped constantly for pictures.
One never knows how politicians are going to handle extreme duress until they face extreme duress. For Mr. Nenshi, that came in the form of the devastating Alberta floods of 2013.
From that moment, he literally became that politician who rolls up his sleeves to help. Living on a handful of hours sleep each night, he didn’t shy away from the fraught decisions confronting him each day. It was a performance that should be studied in courses on leadership. The following year, largely based on how he navigated this once-in-a-century calamity, he was named best mayor in the world.
And once you’re named best mayor in the world, there is only one direction to go: down.
Everything became harder for Mr. Nenshi after 2014, when the oil recession that has rocked Alberta to its core truly began. It has had an outsized impact on his city, where oil and gas towers have emptied out. The plunging economy put ugly downward pressure on city revenues, which left Mr. Nenshi and his council with just as ugly alternatives.
One was to raise taxes on those businesses that were still standing. And on homeowners, many of whom were reeling from the fallout of the drop in the price of oil. In the history of his tenure, this might be the point at which things began to turn in terms of his standing with the public. Things got uglier from there.
Mr. Nenshi fought for his political life in the civic election of 2017 against a lacklustre challenger. He survived, barely, but not without some serious scarring. I remember sitting down with him in his office shortly afterward. He was still angry about the level of online “racism and hatred and Islamophobia” – much of it directed at him – that proliferated during the campaign. When he raised the matter publicly, he said the local media accused him of playing the race card.
It’s fair to say Mr. Nenshi enjoyed a fairly high sense of himself, especially intellectually. As his confidence in the job grew, so, it seemed, did his ego. The Harvard-educated professor often suffered from “smartest-guy-in-the-room” syndrome, losing patience with those who didn’t see the world as he did. His relationship with the media, who once fawned over him, became more combative.
If he was considering never seeking re-election again after the bruising nature of the 2017 campaign, then Jason Kenney’s arrival as Premier two years later likely cemented those thoughts. There couldn’t be two people more ideologically opposed to each other. Mr. Neshi’s contempt for both the Premier, his United Conservative Party and much of what it stands for, was tangible.
Mr. Nenshi is non-committal about what lays ahead for him. He could go back to academia, from whence he came. He hasn’t ruled out more politics in his future, although he says he has no plans to run for the federal Liberals in the next election. I wouldn’t count on that.
Mr. Nenshi, and his counterpart in Edmonton, Don Iveson, who earlier announced that he’s not seeking re-election, would be star catches for the Liberals. If they were successful in winning seats, both would likely find themselves in a Justin Trudeau cabinet, which would change the dynamic of federal politics in the West. The arm-twisting is likely well under way.
Despite the barnacles that all politicians accumulate after years in office, Mr. Nenshi will, I believe, mostly be remembered fondly by the people of Calgary. Beyond the historic nature of his election, he was the most consequential mayor the city has had since Ralph Klein in the 1980s.
He became an inspiration for not only other politicians in the country, but leaders of all types, in all settings. It is one of the reasons he became such a star on the speakers’ circuit. He is a shining example of the pluralistic marvel that is Canada. But he can also speak to the distance we still need to travel to bridge the racial divides that undermine our potential.
Mr. Nenshi chose the colour purple for his signature campaign in 2010. It’s one known to enlighten and inspire people. As it turns out, it was apt. Because during his 11 years in office, Mr. Nenshi certainly did that.
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... VgMaFxFnIY
Re: Naheed Nenshi - Calgary Mayor
https://www.canadaland.com/calgary-cons ... on-scheme/
Calgary conservatives plotted to entrap and oust Mayor Nenshi in “big store con” scheme
Political fixer David Wallace says he was paid for failed “Operation Peacock”
October 31, 2022
Article By Jesse Brown & Cherise Seucharan
Several Calgary conservative players contributed to a failed plan to entrap Naheed Nenshi, then the mayor of Calgary, into accepting illegal Russian money. Sources involved in the plan, and leaked emails, reveal that “Operation Peacock” was an attempt by a political fixer, backed by local business interests and arranged by political strategists, which was intended to create a scandal that would lead to the removal of the mayor. The plan collapsed when Nenshi failed to take the bait.
“It was to set up a scenario in which these supposedly corrupt politicians were put in a compromising position on tape where they were accepting favours in exchange for acting as cover to wash these funds,” David Wallace, the aforementioned fixer, tells Canadaland in the new investigative series Ratf*cker.
Wallace says that he first discussed the plan with Chad Hallman, a former staffer with the Alberta government. He is the son of political strategist and lobbyist Alan Hallman.
Chad Hallman confirmed that he talked about the plan with Wallace, but claims that his involvement was limited. Messages between the two men show that Hallman may have actually been a key player.
Hallman sent Canadaland his private Twitter messages with Wallace, to support his claim that the plan was not his idea. Starting in October 2018, the messages show that Wallace reached out first and suggested that he had controversial information on Mayor Nenshi.
Hallman then responded, raising the idea of paying Wallace to come up with a plan to expose the alleged corruption of the mayor.
“There’s a large group of wealthy people that have wanted to expose the mayor’s corruption for a while. How can I help you do that?” Hallman wrote to Wallace, and then later said he was confident he could raise the money, adding “I’m all in on having you do this…”
Hallman asked Wallace how much it would cost for him to do the job, and Wallace responded that it would take an initial $10,000 plus expenses. Several months later, in February 2019, Hallman wrote to Wallace that, “Progress has finally been made.”
Hallman denied to Canadaland that he actually played a part in raising the money for the resulting job.
Hallman says he facilitated a connection between Wallace and Prem Singh, a conservative fundraiser and campaigner. Hallman told Canadaland that Singh approached the Wenzels, a prominent family in the Calgary real estate development business and well-known adversaries of Naheed Nenshi, for a contribution to the plan.
“I knew that the Wenzels were part of Prem’s fundraising network,” Hallman says. He speculates that Singh likely convinced the Wenzels that funds were needed to hire a fixer to attempt to collect evidence on Nenshi.
An email in Wallace’s leaked communications — known as the Klondike Papers — shows that Edith Wenzel, co-owner of real estate development firm Shane Homes, and her son Shane, communicated with Singh about the plot. Edith Wenzel wrote to Singh that she met with Singh and her “unsavoury” friend three times, who she also referred to as Singh’s “dark acquaintance.” She wrote that although she found the “scheme” suspicious, she still contributed more money to the effort, as did her son Shane — in “an amount he couldn’t afford.” The price for the job, Wenzel was told, had now grown to $50,000. Wenzel wrote that she was unaware of the details of what the scheme involved, and should not be considered a partner to the plot.
Neither Edith nor Shane Wenzel has responded to our requests for comment.
In 2013, Cal Wenzel, Edith’s husband and founder of Shane Homes, met with around 100 fellow real estate developers in a private session at the Manning Centre. Wenzel pitched a plan to overhaul city council by targeting councilors loyal to Nenshi, and backing development-friendly candidates against them. Wenzel asked attendees to contribute $100,000 each. After a recording of the meeting was leaked, Wenzel denied that the money was raised to “buy a council,” but instead intended to support the Manning Centre’s work in training candidates for all levels of government.
Prem Singh confirms that she did take money for “Operation Peacock” from the Wenzels and gave it to David Wallace. But she says it was entirely Wallace’s plan, and that she was not informed about what was really going on — only acting to connect the two parties.
Wallace claims that it was Hallman who recruited him to work with a group who believed Mayor Nenshi was corrupt and who were willing to fund an elaborate deception to prove it.
Wallace said that his plan was what’s known as a “big store con,” in which he presented himself to the mayor and city councillors as a representative of billions of dollars in Russian investment money. Eventually, he intended to bug rented office space with recording devices, and invite the mayor to a meeting there. He also hoped to convince the mayor and city councillors to sign a letter to the Russian Embassy in Ottawa requesting a bilateral trade agreement. Ultimately, he hoped to capture Mayor Nenshi soliciting money that would be revealed as dark funds from the list of sanctioned Russian oligarchs. He would then leak the tape to the press.
“The goal of the operation was not to get illegal money into Canada,” he says.
Gian-Carlo Carra, a Calgary city councillor and ally of then-Mayor Nenshi said that he was first approached by Wallace at a city event. According to Carra, Wallace told him he represented $40 billion in Russian investment interests, who were in search of opportunities in Calgary. Wallace asked Carra to help arrange a meeting with the mayor. Carra met with Wallace several times, gave him a tour of local investment opportunities, and took a phone meeting with a supposed Russian trade official, brokered by Wallace, which Carra found to be credible. Though skeptical at first, Carra says he came to believe that Wallace did indeed have powerful Russian connections. But he declined to arrange the requested meeting with Mayor Nenshi, and says he told Wallace to go through the proper channels.
“There are processes to follow,” said Carra.
Carra also says that he was ultimately advised by a business associate that Wallace’s Russian funds were likely tainted, and communicated this to Nenshi.
Wallace said he did speak to Nenshi directly, at several public events. But the mayor, he says, declined a meeting and instead directed him to the proper channels. Naheed Nenshi did not respond to our requests for comment.
“He wouldn’t bite,” Wallace said. “Mayor Nenshi turned out not to want a dime.”
“I would have loved for him to have been corrupt,” Wallace added. “I can only set the table. It’s up to them if they want to eat.”
Calgary conservatives plotted to entrap and oust Mayor Nenshi in “big store con” scheme
Political fixer David Wallace says he was paid for failed “Operation Peacock”
October 31, 2022
Article By Jesse Brown & Cherise Seucharan
Several Calgary conservative players contributed to a failed plan to entrap Naheed Nenshi, then the mayor of Calgary, into accepting illegal Russian money. Sources involved in the plan, and leaked emails, reveal that “Operation Peacock” was an attempt by a political fixer, backed by local business interests and arranged by political strategists, which was intended to create a scandal that would lead to the removal of the mayor. The plan collapsed when Nenshi failed to take the bait.
“It was to set up a scenario in which these supposedly corrupt politicians were put in a compromising position on tape where they were accepting favours in exchange for acting as cover to wash these funds,” David Wallace, the aforementioned fixer, tells Canadaland in the new investigative series Ratf*cker.
Wallace says that he first discussed the plan with Chad Hallman, a former staffer with the Alberta government. He is the son of political strategist and lobbyist Alan Hallman.
Chad Hallman confirmed that he talked about the plan with Wallace, but claims that his involvement was limited. Messages between the two men show that Hallman may have actually been a key player.
Hallman sent Canadaland his private Twitter messages with Wallace, to support his claim that the plan was not his idea. Starting in October 2018, the messages show that Wallace reached out first and suggested that he had controversial information on Mayor Nenshi.
Hallman then responded, raising the idea of paying Wallace to come up with a plan to expose the alleged corruption of the mayor.
“There’s a large group of wealthy people that have wanted to expose the mayor’s corruption for a while. How can I help you do that?” Hallman wrote to Wallace, and then later said he was confident he could raise the money, adding “I’m all in on having you do this…”
Hallman asked Wallace how much it would cost for him to do the job, and Wallace responded that it would take an initial $10,000 plus expenses. Several months later, in February 2019, Hallman wrote to Wallace that, “Progress has finally been made.”
Hallman denied to Canadaland that he actually played a part in raising the money for the resulting job.
Hallman says he facilitated a connection between Wallace and Prem Singh, a conservative fundraiser and campaigner. Hallman told Canadaland that Singh approached the Wenzels, a prominent family in the Calgary real estate development business and well-known adversaries of Naheed Nenshi, for a contribution to the plan.
“I knew that the Wenzels were part of Prem’s fundraising network,” Hallman says. He speculates that Singh likely convinced the Wenzels that funds were needed to hire a fixer to attempt to collect evidence on Nenshi.
An email in Wallace’s leaked communications — known as the Klondike Papers — shows that Edith Wenzel, co-owner of real estate development firm Shane Homes, and her son Shane, communicated with Singh about the plot. Edith Wenzel wrote to Singh that she met with Singh and her “unsavoury” friend three times, who she also referred to as Singh’s “dark acquaintance.” She wrote that although she found the “scheme” suspicious, she still contributed more money to the effort, as did her son Shane — in “an amount he couldn’t afford.” The price for the job, Wenzel was told, had now grown to $50,000. Wenzel wrote that she was unaware of the details of what the scheme involved, and should not be considered a partner to the plot.
Neither Edith nor Shane Wenzel has responded to our requests for comment.
In 2013, Cal Wenzel, Edith’s husband and founder of Shane Homes, met with around 100 fellow real estate developers in a private session at the Manning Centre. Wenzel pitched a plan to overhaul city council by targeting councilors loyal to Nenshi, and backing development-friendly candidates against them. Wenzel asked attendees to contribute $100,000 each. After a recording of the meeting was leaked, Wenzel denied that the money was raised to “buy a council,” but instead intended to support the Manning Centre’s work in training candidates for all levels of government.
Prem Singh confirms that she did take money for “Operation Peacock” from the Wenzels and gave it to David Wallace. But she says it was entirely Wallace’s plan, and that she was not informed about what was really going on — only acting to connect the two parties.
Wallace claims that it was Hallman who recruited him to work with a group who believed Mayor Nenshi was corrupt and who were willing to fund an elaborate deception to prove it.
Wallace said that his plan was what’s known as a “big store con,” in which he presented himself to the mayor and city councillors as a representative of billions of dollars in Russian investment money. Eventually, he intended to bug rented office space with recording devices, and invite the mayor to a meeting there. He also hoped to convince the mayor and city councillors to sign a letter to the Russian Embassy in Ottawa requesting a bilateral trade agreement. Ultimately, he hoped to capture Mayor Nenshi soliciting money that would be revealed as dark funds from the list of sanctioned Russian oligarchs. He would then leak the tape to the press.
“The goal of the operation was not to get illegal money into Canada,” he says.
Gian-Carlo Carra, a Calgary city councillor and ally of then-Mayor Nenshi said that he was first approached by Wallace at a city event. According to Carra, Wallace told him he represented $40 billion in Russian investment interests, who were in search of opportunities in Calgary. Wallace asked Carra to help arrange a meeting with the mayor. Carra met with Wallace several times, gave him a tour of local investment opportunities, and took a phone meeting with a supposed Russian trade official, brokered by Wallace, which Carra found to be credible. Though skeptical at first, Carra says he came to believe that Wallace did indeed have powerful Russian connections. But he declined to arrange the requested meeting with Mayor Nenshi, and says he told Wallace to go through the proper channels.
“There are processes to follow,” said Carra.
Carra also says that he was ultimately advised by a business associate that Wallace’s Russian funds were likely tainted, and communicated this to Nenshi.
Wallace said he did speak to Nenshi directly, at several public events. But the mayor, he says, declined a meeting and instead directed him to the proper channels. Naheed Nenshi did not respond to our requests for comment.
“He wouldn’t bite,” Wallace said. “Mayor Nenshi turned out not to want a dime.”
“I would have loved for him to have been corrupt,” Wallace added. “I can only set the table. It’s up to them if they want to eat.”
Re: Naheed Nenshi - Calgary Mayor
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ ... -1.6636091
Former Calgary mayor Nenshi denounces alleged plot to entrap him with illegal Russian money
Nenshi calls for police to investigate and take appropriate action
Omar Sherif · CBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2022 6:44 PM MT | Last Updated: October 31
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi is calling a purported plot to entrap him into accepting illegal Russian money "disappointing," after a report surfaced Monday that several people were involved in a plan to taint his reputation and remove him from office.
Canadaland, the news site that reported on the alleged scheme, said "Operation Peacock'' was an attempt by a political fixer, backed by local business interests and arranged by political strategists.
"How disappointing to read about this alleged plot against me. It appears that there are people that seem to think that their money and their connections make them more important or powerful than everyday citizens," Nenshi said in a statement to CBC News on Monday.
"As a community, we should never stand for the kind of assault on our democracy and on our society that is alleged in this article."
According to Canadaland, the plan involved a political operative who says he was hired by developers and conservatives in 2019. The operative says he was responsible for setting up a scenario that would put politicians in a compromising position and then record them accepting favours.
Nenshi took no money.
Political scientist Lori Williams says that if the story is true, it shows how some people couldn't accept the outcome of Calgary elections.
Nenshi was first elected in 2010 and won two more times before not seeking re-election last year.
"Present a better alternative to voters in the next election … that's usually the way that democratic processes work," said Williams, an associate professor at MRU.
"In this case, they decided that since elections weren't yielding the results that they wanted, that they would try to expose a suspicion they had about the corruption in mayor Nenshi and ended up exposing corruption in themselves."
The former mayor called for all levels of government to denounce these alleged actions and asked law enforcement to investigate the alleged scheme.
"I have faith that the appropriate authorities, including the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP, will investigate this story deeply, and if any laws have been broken, appropriate action will be taken," Nenshi said.
Former Calgary mayor Nenshi denounces alleged plot to entrap him with illegal Russian money
Nenshi calls for police to investigate and take appropriate action
Omar Sherif · CBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2022 6:44 PM MT | Last Updated: October 31
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi is calling a purported plot to entrap him into accepting illegal Russian money "disappointing," after a report surfaced Monday that several people were involved in a plan to taint his reputation and remove him from office.
Canadaland, the news site that reported on the alleged scheme, said "Operation Peacock'' was an attempt by a political fixer, backed by local business interests and arranged by political strategists.
"How disappointing to read about this alleged plot against me. It appears that there are people that seem to think that their money and their connections make them more important or powerful than everyday citizens," Nenshi said in a statement to CBC News on Monday.
"As a community, we should never stand for the kind of assault on our democracy and on our society that is alleged in this article."
According to Canadaland, the plan involved a political operative who says he was hired by developers and conservatives in 2019. The operative says he was responsible for setting up a scenario that would put politicians in a compromising position and then record them accepting favours.
Nenshi took no money.
Political scientist Lori Williams says that if the story is true, it shows how some people couldn't accept the outcome of Calgary elections.
Nenshi was first elected in 2010 and won two more times before not seeking re-election last year.
"Present a better alternative to voters in the next election … that's usually the way that democratic processes work," said Williams, an associate professor at MRU.
"In this case, they decided that since elections weren't yielding the results that they wanted, that they would try to expose a suspicion they had about the corruption in mayor Nenshi and ended up exposing corruption in themselves."
The former mayor called for all levels of government to denounce these alleged actions and asked law enforcement to investigate the alleged scheme.
"I have faith that the appropriate authorities, including the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP, will investigate this story deeply, and if any laws have been broken, appropriate action will be taken," Nenshi said.
Re: Naheed Nenshi - Calgary Mayor
https://livewirecalgary.com/2022/10/31/ ... eged-plot/
Former Calgary mayor Nenshi has faith there will be an investigation into alleged plot
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said he has faith “appropriate authorities” will investigate an alleged plot to trap him accepting cash from Russian oligarchs.
The story, published by Canadaland on Monday, alleges that a political fixer was hired to concoct a plan – “Operation Peacock” – to put Calgary’s former mayor in a position to accept illegal Russian cash.
The plan, as reported, was intended to catch Nenshi in a corruption scandal. It failed as the mayor instructed the parties to conduct business through the proper civic channels.
“How disappointing to read about this alleged plot against me. It appears that there are people that seem to think that their money and their connections make them more important or powerful than everyday citizens. And yet again, citizens have proven them wrong,” Nenshi wrote in a statement provided to LiveWire Calgary on Monday.
It’s not the first time that Nenshi has been at odds with the city’s development industry. Members of that local industry were named in the Canadaland story.
In 2013, Global News published a video of a meeting hosted by Cal Wenzel ahead of the 2013 Calgary municipal election that showed a concerted effort to have certain candidates elected who were perceived to be developer-friendly.
Later, in an October 2013 CBC radio interview, Nenshi later referred to that video as being like something out of the Godfather movie. Wenzel had filed a $6 million defamation lawsuit in November, after that interview.
In 2017, then-mayor Nenshi informed media that enough funds had been raised to pay back the $300,000 to cover court costs for that lawsuit.
Calgary political scientists weigh in.
Nenshi said that as a community, citizens shouldn’t stand for this kind of “assault on democracy” that’s been alleged in the Canadaland article.
“I have faith that the appropriate authorities (including the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP) will investigate this story deeply and if any laws have been broken, appropriate action will (be) taken,” Nenshi said.
“I also call upon municipal, federal, and provincial leaders, to unequivocally disavow this type of conduct and condemn those who are found to perpetuate it.”
Former Calgary mayor Nenshi has faith there will be an investigation into alleged plot
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said he has faith “appropriate authorities” will investigate an alleged plot to trap him accepting cash from Russian oligarchs.
The story, published by Canadaland on Monday, alleges that a political fixer was hired to concoct a plan – “Operation Peacock” – to put Calgary’s former mayor in a position to accept illegal Russian cash.
The plan, as reported, was intended to catch Nenshi in a corruption scandal. It failed as the mayor instructed the parties to conduct business through the proper civic channels.
“How disappointing to read about this alleged plot against me. It appears that there are people that seem to think that their money and their connections make them more important or powerful than everyday citizens. And yet again, citizens have proven them wrong,” Nenshi wrote in a statement provided to LiveWire Calgary on Monday.
It’s not the first time that Nenshi has been at odds with the city’s development industry. Members of that local industry were named in the Canadaland story.
In 2013, Global News published a video of a meeting hosted by Cal Wenzel ahead of the 2013 Calgary municipal election that showed a concerted effort to have certain candidates elected who were perceived to be developer-friendly.
Later, in an October 2013 CBC radio interview, Nenshi later referred to that video as being like something out of the Godfather movie. Wenzel had filed a $6 million defamation lawsuit in November, after that interview.
In 2017, then-mayor Nenshi informed media that enough funds had been raised to pay back the $300,000 to cover court costs for that lawsuit.
Calgary political scientists weigh in.
Nenshi said that as a community, citizens shouldn’t stand for this kind of “assault on democracy” that’s been alleged in the Canadaland article.
“I have faith that the appropriate authorities (including the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP) will investigate this story deeply and if any laws have been broken, appropriate action will (be) taken,” Nenshi said.
“I also call upon municipal, federal, and provincial leaders, to unequivocally disavow this type of conduct and condemn those who are found to perpetuate it.”
Naheed Nenshi elected new leader of the Alberta NDP
Former Calgary mayor garners 86 per cent of votes
Naheed Nenshi delivers his acceptance speech after being named as the new leader of the Alberta NDP in Calgary on Saturday. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Alberta NDP members have overwhelmingly chosen former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi as their new leader.
After a commanding win with 86 per cent of members' votes, Nenshi told reporters in Calgary he is blown away by the support from across Alberta.
"The fact that they're putting in me — again, just for a second — their hopes and dreams for their community, for me, that's a really humbling thing," Nenshi said. "And it's something I'll try to live up to every day."
In his first speech as leader, Nenshi urged party members to redouble their effort to grow the Alberta NDP into an unstoppable machine that leads to an inevitable NDP win in the next provincial election, slated for October 2027.
The party's chief returning officer Amanda Freistadt announced the leadership vote results in Calgary Saturday afternoon, revealing Nenshi garnered 86 per cent of the 72,930 votes cast during the last month.
Voter turnout was 85.6 per cent to choose the leader to succeed Rachel Notley, who spent nearly a decade at the party's helm.
The leadership campaign began Feb. 5, and seven contenders ultimately registered.
After three withdrew, four candidates remained on the ballot: Edmonton MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, MLA and former Notley government health minister Sarah Hoffman, Calgary MLA and former justice minister Kathleen Ganley and Nenshi, who does not have a seat in the legislature.
Freistadt said Nenshi received 62,746 votes — or 86 per cent of ballots.
Ganley was a distant second with 8.1 per cent of ballots, followed by Hoffman with 4.2 per cent and Calahoo Stonehouse with 1.7 per cent.
Before encouraging members to broaden the appeal of the Alberta NDP to more voters, Nenshi turned his sights on Premier Danielle Smith.
Notley and Nenshi hold their hands in the air.
Former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley, left, congratulates Naheed Nenshi after he was named as the new leader of the Alberta NDP in Calgary, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Nenshi noted that Smith has said she is the most freedom-loving politician in Canada. But he said she has infringed on Albertans' rights by promising to limit medical treatments for gender-diverse youth, cast a chill on locally elected politicians by making it easier for the provincial government to overrule councillors, and passed a bill that lets the province vet any federal research grants to academia.
He said Albertans shouldn't accept such political interference.
"I think what she meant to say is she's the most power-loving politician in Canada," he said.
On the social media site X, the premier congratualted Nenshi on his leadership win and said she looked forward to their dialogue on how to best serve Albertans.
New leader's next steps
Following his victory speech, Nenshi told reporters he's in "no rush" to seek a seat in the Alberta legislature. He said he hasn't ruled out running in an upcoming byelection in Lethbridge-West, where nine-year NDP MLA and former environment minister Shannon Phillips has decided to step down.
ANALYSISShannon Phillips targeted climate and parks action. Then she got targeted. The NDPer is now leaving office
Nenshi said he'd prefer to run in a Calgary riding during a general election, to represent his community.
"I actually see this next three years as a gift," he said, adding he plans to use the time to travel and meet voters across the province.
Pointing to Manitoba as an example, where voters last year chose an NDP government to replace Progressive Conservatives, Nenshi said citizens are turned off by the UCP version of conservatism and ravenous for an alternative.
"I was scared that my kind of politics — the politics of talking to people, of inspiring people to be bigger than themselves — was completely out of style," he said.
Five leadership candidates stand behind podiums on a debate stage.
Alberta NDP leadership candidates, from left, Sarah Hoffman, Kathleen Ganley, Naheed Nenshi, Gil McGowan and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse take part in the party's first leaders' debate in Lethbridge on April 25. McGowan later dropped out of the race. (Ose Irete/CBC)
Alberta NDP members have also debated the future of the provincial party's affiliation with the federal NDP during the leadership campaign. A provincial membership automatically makes the person a member of the federal party, which some say is off-putting to more centrist citizens. Other NDP loyalists say the provincial party shouldn't abandon its roots.
Nenshi said he'd like party members to have that conversation and potentially vote on the issue as soon as possible, rather than letting it fester, unresolved.
Saturday on X, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said he looked forward to working with Nenshi.
"Together, we will continue to build the better world that Tommy Douglas dreamed of," he wrote.
Nenshi, 52, was Calgary mayor from 2010 to 2021. Prior to politics, he was a business professor at Calgary's Mount Royal University and a management consultant.
MLA Rakhi Pancholi drops out of NDP leadership race, endorses Naheed Nenshi
Labour leader Gil McGowan drops out of Alberta NDP leadership contest
He was born in Toronto to parents of Indian ancestry, who moved to Canada from Tanzania. His family moved to Alberta when Nenshi was a toddler.
Calgarians might remember Nenshi most for his communication skills and hopeful messages when the city was deluged in a 2013 flood. He infamously wore purple clothes and accessories to emphasize his approach to civic politics was non-partisan. He also spearheaded a push for Calgary to host the 2026 Olympics, which a majority of Calgarians rejected in a vote.
Nenshi inherits a party that has experienced explosive growth during its first leadership contest in a decade.
Big tent party or left-wing tradition? Leadership race reveals competing visions for Alberta NDP
NDP leadership candidates debate for last time before membership vote
Its 16,000 members ballooned to more than 85,000 people, who joined in time to cast a ballot for the new leader.
Pundits said that growth shows there is a large contingent of Albertans looking for a big-tent progressive alternative to the ruling United Conservative Party.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet French
Provincial affairs reporter
Janet French covers the Alberta Legislature for CBC Edmonton. She previously spent 15 years working at newspapers, including the Edmonton Journal and Saskatoon StarPhoenix. You can reach her at [email protected].
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton ... -1.7239118
Naheed Nenshi delivers his acceptance speech after being named as the new leader of the Alberta NDP in Calgary on Saturday. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Alberta NDP members have overwhelmingly chosen former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi as their new leader.
After a commanding win with 86 per cent of members' votes, Nenshi told reporters in Calgary he is blown away by the support from across Alberta.
"The fact that they're putting in me — again, just for a second — their hopes and dreams for their community, for me, that's a really humbling thing," Nenshi said. "And it's something I'll try to live up to every day."
In his first speech as leader, Nenshi urged party members to redouble their effort to grow the Alberta NDP into an unstoppable machine that leads to an inevitable NDP win in the next provincial election, slated for October 2027.
The party's chief returning officer Amanda Freistadt announced the leadership vote results in Calgary Saturday afternoon, revealing Nenshi garnered 86 per cent of the 72,930 votes cast during the last month.
Voter turnout was 85.6 per cent to choose the leader to succeed Rachel Notley, who spent nearly a decade at the party's helm.
The leadership campaign began Feb. 5, and seven contenders ultimately registered.
After three withdrew, four candidates remained on the ballot: Edmonton MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, MLA and former Notley government health minister Sarah Hoffman, Calgary MLA and former justice minister Kathleen Ganley and Nenshi, who does not have a seat in the legislature.
Freistadt said Nenshi received 62,746 votes — or 86 per cent of ballots.
Ganley was a distant second with 8.1 per cent of ballots, followed by Hoffman with 4.2 per cent and Calahoo Stonehouse with 1.7 per cent.
Before encouraging members to broaden the appeal of the Alberta NDP to more voters, Nenshi turned his sights on Premier Danielle Smith.
Notley and Nenshi hold their hands in the air.
Former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley, left, congratulates Naheed Nenshi after he was named as the new leader of the Alberta NDP in Calgary, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
Nenshi noted that Smith has said she is the most freedom-loving politician in Canada. But he said she has infringed on Albertans' rights by promising to limit medical treatments for gender-diverse youth, cast a chill on locally elected politicians by making it easier for the provincial government to overrule councillors, and passed a bill that lets the province vet any federal research grants to academia.
He said Albertans shouldn't accept such political interference.
"I think what she meant to say is she's the most power-loving politician in Canada," he said.
On the social media site X, the premier congratualted Nenshi on his leadership win and said she looked forward to their dialogue on how to best serve Albertans.
New leader's next steps
Following his victory speech, Nenshi told reporters he's in "no rush" to seek a seat in the Alberta legislature. He said he hasn't ruled out running in an upcoming byelection in Lethbridge-West, where nine-year NDP MLA and former environment minister Shannon Phillips has decided to step down.
ANALYSISShannon Phillips targeted climate and parks action. Then she got targeted. The NDPer is now leaving office
Nenshi said he'd prefer to run in a Calgary riding during a general election, to represent his community.
"I actually see this next three years as a gift," he said, adding he plans to use the time to travel and meet voters across the province.
Pointing to Manitoba as an example, where voters last year chose an NDP government to replace Progressive Conservatives, Nenshi said citizens are turned off by the UCP version of conservatism and ravenous for an alternative.
"I was scared that my kind of politics — the politics of talking to people, of inspiring people to be bigger than themselves — was completely out of style," he said.
Five leadership candidates stand behind podiums on a debate stage.
Alberta NDP leadership candidates, from left, Sarah Hoffman, Kathleen Ganley, Naheed Nenshi, Gil McGowan and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse take part in the party's first leaders' debate in Lethbridge on April 25. McGowan later dropped out of the race. (Ose Irete/CBC)
Alberta NDP members have also debated the future of the provincial party's affiliation with the federal NDP during the leadership campaign. A provincial membership automatically makes the person a member of the federal party, which some say is off-putting to more centrist citizens. Other NDP loyalists say the provincial party shouldn't abandon its roots.
Nenshi said he'd like party members to have that conversation and potentially vote on the issue as soon as possible, rather than letting it fester, unresolved.
Saturday on X, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said he looked forward to working with Nenshi.
"Together, we will continue to build the better world that Tommy Douglas dreamed of," he wrote.
Nenshi, 52, was Calgary mayor from 2010 to 2021. Prior to politics, he was a business professor at Calgary's Mount Royal University and a management consultant.
MLA Rakhi Pancholi drops out of NDP leadership race, endorses Naheed Nenshi
Labour leader Gil McGowan drops out of Alberta NDP leadership contest
He was born in Toronto to parents of Indian ancestry, who moved to Canada from Tanzania. His family moved to Alberta when Nenshi was a toddler.
Calgarians might remember Nenshi most for his communication skills and hopeful messages when the city was deluged in a 2013 flood. He infamously wore purple clothes and accessories to emphasize his approach to civic politics was non-partisan. He also spearheaded a push for Calgary to host the 2026 Olympics, which a majority of Calgarians rejected in a vote.
Nenshi inherits a party that has experienced explosive growth during its first leadership contest in a decade.
Big tent party or left-wing tradition? Leadership race reveals competing visions for Alberta NDP
NDP leadership candidates debate for last time before membership vote
Its 16,000 members ballooned to more than 85,000 people, who joined in time to cast a ballot for the new leader.
Pundits said that growth shows there is a large contingent of Albertans looking for a big-tent progressive alternative to the ruling United Conservative Party.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet French
Provincial affairs reporter
Janet French covers the Alberta Legislature for CBC Edmonton. She previously spent 15 years working at newspapers, including the Edmonton Journal and Saskatoon StarPhoenix. You can reach her at [email protected].
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton ... -1.7239118