Week in Review: July 13 - 18, 2026 - What’s New at City Hall?
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
After the whirlwind of Stampede, it was straight back to business at City Hall this week. Here’s what’s been happening…
Affordable Housing & Transit Safety
On Monday, Community Development Committee received an update on Calgary's affordable housing strategy, Home is Here. We discussed the growing need for more affordable housing as costs continue to outpace incomes, along with options to support and improve the delivery of more affordable housing units in our city as Council beings to plan the next 4-year municipal budget this November. Committee also heard encouraging results from a Transit Public Safety Pilot, using peace officers to provide a visible security presence at ten CTrain stations. Early rider surveys show that the increased presence of Transit Peace Officers is helping people feel safer on the CTrain network. More to come on this later in the year.
CAO Recruitment & Upcoming Council Business
On Tuesday, Executive Committee received its first monthly update on the recruitment process for Calgary’s next Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). As Chair of the CAO Recruitment and Appointment Sub-Committee, I presented an update on the work completed to date. Over the coming months, we’ll continue working to find the right leader to oversee City Administration and deliver the services Calgarians rely on every day. Committee also advanced several Notices of Motion, including a proposal to create a lobbyist meeting registry, offering greater transparency about who Council is meeting with, and a motion I brought forward to review the current Council Chambers seating arrangement to improve how Council and Administration interact with one another. Committee's recommendations will now advance to Council for consideration later this month.
The Future of Rail
On Wednesday, I met with Justin Simaluk from Rail for Alberta, a non-partisan advocacy group working to advance urban, regional, and inter-city passenger rail across the province. As Alberta plans for the future of passenger rail over the next 30-60 year, Ward 3 is positioned to become a key connection point. Justin’s background and longstanding advocacy have made him an important voice in shaping Calgary’s rail future, providing input on the Province’s Passenger Rail Master Plan. It was a great discussion about the opportunities ahead for North Central Calgary and our role in Alberta’s growing rail network.
Councillor Accountability
Friday, Councillor Pantazopoulos and I attended a workshop session hosted by the Provincial Municipal Affairs Office. We joined Councillors from Chestermere, Okotoks, and several smaller villages and hamlets from across the region to discuss the Province's development of a Councillor Accountability Framework. The meeting was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from other municipalities and share perspectives on what accountability should look like at the local government level. We'll continue to share information as this work moves forward. As we await this framework to be formalized, I remain committed to sharing accountability in my own office transparently. If you'd like to learn more, you can view the accountability section on our website: andrewyule.ca/accountability
Bow River Exploration Day
On Saturday, the Ward 3 team joined Calgary River Valleys and RiverWatch for an educational float down the Bow River. It was a really beautiful and unique opportunity to see local wildlife up close and to learn more about the restoration and stewardship of this vital waterway.
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