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CTV News
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Calgary advocates for mega rail projects to make Ottawa's shortlist for major builds
Calgary has a wish list for major infrastructure projects needing support from Ottawa, and Alberta is also pushing for pipelines to make the cut. As the prime minister considers nation-building projects to fast-track, Calgary is hoping a pair of regional proposals make the list. In a number of letters to Mark Carney and his government, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says two projects should be streamlined through the Building Canada Act: Prairie Economic Gateway and a passenger rail link between Calgary and Banff. 'The West has been forgotten and ignored for far too long, and it is critical that we demonstrate what kind of projects we are ready to move on,' Gondek said Monday. 'We are able to move people if we get the passenger rail, we are able to move goods with Prairie Economic Gateway and a pipeline is something that we have long been advocating for.' In a letter to the federal energy and intergovernmental affairs minister, Gondek called for a meeting in order to advocate for Prairie Economic Gateway, a massive proposal to build an inland port along a rail line southeast of the city. The plan, which is part of an agreement with Rocky View County, would see industrial and manufacturing hubs developed along the rail corridors in order to ship goods across North America. Last month, Gondek also signed a letter with the mayors of Banff, Cochrane and Canmore to urge Ottawa to consider a passenger rail link between the Calgary airport and Banff as a project to streamline. 'To get four mayors to look regionally, beyond their municipal boundaries, is a big achievement, and it's an important message that's being sent both to the province and to the federal government,' said Bruce Graham, the executive director of the Calgary Airport-Banff Rail group. As the prime minister considers nation-building projects to fast-track, Calgary is hoping a pair of regional proposals make the list. As the prime minister considers nation-building projects to fast-track, Calgary is hoping a pair of regional proposals make the list. The Carney government recently passed Bill C-5, which gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy. The prime minister has asked premiers to indicate projects they'd like to see considered under the new legislation. While mayors in the region push for rail, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has repeatedly pushed for pipelines to be considered. Gondek says it should not be one or the other. 'A pipeline is something that we have long been advocating for, so it can't just be one thing. We need to talk about everything that the West can deliver,' she said. In a statement, Alberta's transportation minister says the province's Master Rail Plan is expected to be made public by the end of the summer. 'Alberta welcomes advocacy from municipalities on major projects that can strengthen our province's economy and transportation network. We are always open to working with our municipal and federal partners to identify national interest projects,' the statement read. 'Our government is finalizing Alberta's first Master Rail Plan, which will provide a long-term strategy for expanding rail capacity across the province. This plan will help us evaluate opportunities, including passenger and freight rail connections, and ensure Alberta's transportation corridors remain competitive, efficient and ready to serve the needs of Albertans.'
CTV News
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Alta. Premier Smith on 'potential new reset' on Canada's trade relationship with Mexico
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CBC
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Political staffer, city employee enter Elmwood-East Kildonan race
A former political staffer and a City of Winnipeg employee have entered the race to become the new councillor for the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward. Braydon Mazurkiewich, 37, is known within Winnipeg political circles, having worked on multiple campaigns — Glen Murray's attempted comeback campaign in the 2022 mayoral race, and later for Colin Reynolds on his successful bid as the Conservative candidate in the Elmwood-Transcona riding in the 2025 federal election. "I'm gonna be a strong and independent voice for the area," Mazurkiewich said in an interview. Mazurkiewich says he made the decision to run after the former councillor for the ward, Jason Schryer, died unexpectedly earlier this year. "Jason was a friend … and him and I had conversations over the years [about] stuff that needs to be done in the area," Mazurkiewich said. High on the list of Mazurkiewich's priorities is replacing the Louise Bridge. The city closed the bridge in May for repair work, which was expected to take days, but the reopening has now been pushed back twice and closure has been extended until September. The city had considered building a new bridge, but last year the city decided to make substantial repairs that it says will extend its life for another 30 years. Mazurkiewich also has concerns about the new Winnipeg Transit network that launched this summer, saying he's spoken to seniors who have difficulty walking the longer distances between bus stops. Mazurkiewich previously served as the leader of the youth wing of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, but resigned in 2012 after making comments in online posts about Indigenous people that he later admitted were racist. Mazurkewich complained on his Facebook page about a planned urban reserve on the former Kapyong Barracks land, writing that the land was "built for hardworking men and women of the military, not freeloading Indians." Mazurkiewich says he apologized for the comments at the time, and has taken steps toward reconciliation, including taking courses in Canadian Indigenous history at the University of Alberta. If elected, Mazurkiewich says he intends to work for all people in the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward, "people who have been forgotten about by our city, with our tax dollars being sent to south Winnipeg, in west Winnipeg and the new areas. We're forgotten about here." City planner entering race Kyle Roche, 35, has worked multiple jobs for the City of Winnipeg, currently in the planning, property and development department. That experience is what motivated Roche to get involved in politics for the first time, he said. "I looked around and wondered, is the sort of issues we're facing as a city normal? And I started researching this on my own time and really digging into it and found that it isn't," he said. As an example of where the city can do better, Roche points to the chronic understaffing in the city's police, fire and paramedic services, leading to delayed response times and burnout. Like Mazurkiewich, Roche is also concerned about the plan to extend the life of the Louise Bridge, which Roche fears could delay the construction of the eastern leg of the rapid transit line, part of which is expected to go over the bridge. "I know that there's things that we can do different as a city to address the issues and we're not how we should be. And I don't want to sit on the sidelines anymore," he said. Roche would also like to see the city do more to address homelessness, saying a recent decision to award $275,000 for mobile homeless outreach services to Main Street Project doesn't go far enough. "That is not a serious response to the encampments that we have," he said. With Mazurkewich and Roche, the number of candidates in the Elmwood-East Kildonan race has risen to six. The other candidates are Emma Durand-Wood, Zekaria Selahadin, Carmen Prefontaine, and Abel Gutierrez. The deadline to register and submit nomination papers is Sept. 19. The byelection is slated for Oct. 25.
