Latest news with #CourtneyWalcott
Global News
16-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
Calgary city council approves zoning for tower development in Marda Loop
A significant change could soon be coming to the heart of Marda Loop after Calgary city council approved the zoning for a proposed tower development in the area. Truman Homes partnered with Calgary Co-op on the proposal, which seeks develop a two-acre site on the corner of 33 Avenue and 20 Street S.W. with a pair of 19-storey towers, an 11-storey building and a shorter six-storey building. The height of the smaller towers changed from original proposal of eight-storey buildings, according to the developer, to shift building mass away from 33 Avenue S.W. to reduce impacts to sunlight. The development, entitled Marc and Mada Block, after the owners of a former theatre that used to be in the neighbourhood, is set to include 441 residential units, a 600-stall parkade, a grocery store, and other commercial space. Seventeen affordable housing units are also included in the proposal, less than the 34 originally proposed. Story continues below advertisement 'I think what we continue to see right now is a belief in Calgary,' said Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott. 'This is a belief in Calgary that we are the city that is going to build.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is a belief in Calgary that we are the city that is going to build." According to Walcott, the proposal development may set a precedent for the rest of the city but not for Marda Loop due to the size of the property. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This site was so unique and specific, there's nothing like this in the rest of Marda Loop so it's not going to happen anywhere else,' Walcott said. 'But there are sites like this across the city.' 1:39 19 storey multi-tower development proposed in Marda Loop Several residents came to city hall Tuesday afternoon to speak at a public hearing on the zoning change. 'Aren't we changing the image of Marda Loop forever? It's not going to be the same,' Bruce Miller told city council. 'It's going to be more of the downtown placed in Marda Loop.' Story continues below advertisement The height of the towers was a sticking point for some nearby residents, as the proposal exceeds the city-imposed height limits of 23 metres or six storeys in effect for the Marda Loop area. 'Everything else, I think we're on board. Let's go build something, but not over the existing height restriction,' said Brendan Murphy, who said the towers 'looming' over the neighbourhood would impact aesthetics of the area. Marda Loop has been the epicentre of a multi-year construction project aimed at redesigning the streetscape around Marda Loop and the proposed tower complex, which is the subject of a $75 million lawsuit filed by area businesses against the City of Calgary. With that in mind, some speakers had concerns about the developer's ability to mitigate impacts if a development permit is approved for the tower project. 'They can't prevent the impact from this kind of construction,' said Michael Bruni. According to a presentation from the developer's representative CivicWorks, there will be a dedicated project team and community liaison assigned to proactively manage construction, which will include a website with real-time schedule and activity updates for area residents and businesses. 'This is a community that's experienced a lot of growth and change,' said CivicWorks principal David White. 'Truman and Calgary Co-op are committed to a proactive and really thoughtful plan to make sure construction is thoughtfully managed and minimize any impacts.' Story continues below advertisement After some debate, city council voted 13-1 in favour of approving the re-zoning for the Marda Loop site with Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean the sole vote opposed. 'This will ultimately enhance the community but we've got to make sure that we're doing it in a way that's respectful of the folks who live and work there already,' Mayor Jyoti Gondek told reporters following the vote. A development permit for the project is currently under review at the City of Calgary. If it's approved, the project's website said shovels could be in the ground sometime next year.
Global News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Resilient roofing program helped Calgarians but rebate won't return
After years of devastating hailstorms leaving a trail of damaged neighbourhoods in their wake, the City of Calgary is looking at creating a new hail resiliency program. City administration is recommending the creation of a 'Hail Resilience Improvement Network', which would improve collaboration with builders and other partners to develop information and tools for Calgarians on hail resistant home upgrades. It also calls on investments into Calgary hail exposure maps to help with planning decision and 'strengthen advocacy efforts.' A 'Hail Equity Impact Analysis' would also be completed to assess how repeated hailstorms affect socioeconomic inequity in vulnerable communities, which would inform new policies and programs. 'As our weather patterns continue to change, severe hailstorms are expected to become more common, increasing the already high risk for existing homes,' the city said in a report. Story continues below advertisement 'As our city continues to grow outwards, we are also increasing this risk by building more unprotected homes in areas that are historically prone to hailstorms.' Last August's hailstorm in northeast Calgary resulted in an estimated $2.8 billion in damage to 58,802 properties. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy According to Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott, who chairs the city's Community Development Committee, the long-term plan is aimed at lobbying the provincial government to make several legislative changes. 'We're making sure that we're putting all the information together, getting the right groups in the room and going to the proper order of government to make sure that resilience is a function of the next building code,' he told reporters Thursday. The proposed program is the result of a notice of motion from Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal in late 2024, which asked the city to review its former Resilient Roofing Rebate Program. However, administration is not recommending the resurrection of that program as part of its hail resiliency plan. That program was created in the aftermath of a hailstorm through northeast neighbourhoods in late 2020, which caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damages, and offered homeowners a rebate of up to $3,000 for upgrading to impact-resistant roofing materials. Dhaliwal expressed disappointment that a rebate program isn't in the cards. Story continues below advertisement 'These recommendations are sound and great, but they're for the future, tomorrow, but not today and the issue is today,' he told reporters. 'The residents in Redstone, Cornerstone, Cityscape, Skyview, Saddleridge, Taradale, how are they going to cope with some of the issues they're seeing today?' The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) found roughly $13 million in damage was avoided due to the number of upgraded roofs installed through the program, which cost the city $5.25 million. The city also noted the rebate structure didn't address the needs of lower-income households who could not cover initial costs, and language barriers and application complexities created obstacles for some homeowners. However, a new type grant program could be in the cards. Administration is recommending the mayor write a letter to advocate the province to create a grant program to help vulnerable, low-income homeowners pay for hail protection upgrades to their homes, or change the Municipal Government Act to allow hail protection upgrades to be part of programs offered through the City of Calgary. In the meantime, Dhaliwal said he plans to bring forward a 'stop gap measure' to help hail-impacted residents sooner when the matter goes to council later this month.
Calgary Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Bear spray, other weapons can't be shown in public in bylaw amendments under consideration by city council
Article content Proposed amendments to Calgary's public behaviour bylaw would prohibit the open display of weapons or noxious substances, such as bear spray. Article content The proposed change, which the city's community development committee unanimously endorsed Thursday, comes after a spike in assaults and robberies involving bear spray. Article content Article content It would also align the public behaviour bylaw with new rules on city transit, which council approved last fall, that forbid weapons such as knives, hatchets, machetes, batons or imitation firearms from being brandished on Calgary Transit property. Article content Article content A city official told the committee the amendment would address situations where a weapon or potentially dangerous item is brandished in a way that causes fear, but does not technically constitute a criminal offence. It would also allow police and bylaw officers to intervene in situations that currently fall outside their enforcement authority. Article content Article content 'This is not about possession — it's about visible display of items in a way that causes fear or intimidation, even if no harm is intended,' said Afshan Nazir, a business strategist for the city's policy and bylaw development team. Article content 'These types of behaviours often trigger public complaints and can create fear or discomfort, even when there's no immediate threat.' Article content Exemptions would be in place for any activities that are approved under the city's business licences, permits or special event requirements, including festivals, parades and organized community events. Article content Article content The bylaw also includes exemptions for religious customs, according to Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott, who chairs the community development committee. As an example, he cited the kirpan, a small sword that Sikhs are required to wear sheathed on their person. Article content 'Having that in there, having it part of the training, is really important,' he said of the exemption. 'We always like to think that people know, 'please don't brandish your knife in public,' but the reality is, if it's not criminal, there was a grey area. This (amendment) is starting to close that so there's no perception of danger.' Article content The proposed penalty for non-compliance with the updated public behaviour bylaw, if approved by council, would be a $250 fine.
CBC
26-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Why these rookie Calgary politicians are calling it quits after one term
On this episode of This is Calgary, host Anis Heydari asks Councillors Courtney Walcott, Jasmine Mian and Evan Spencer why they won't run again in the upcoming 2025 municipal election. From feeling gross to maxing out a pain tolerance, hear about their experiences and why they're out.
CBC
15-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Courtney Walcott becomes third city council rookie to not seek re-election this fall
Social Sharing Courtney Walcott, city councillor for Ward 8, announced Thursday he's the third rookie member of council to not seek re-election this fall. Walcott, who was elected to council in October 2021, said he was more focused on prioritizing how he could help Calgary progress during his four years on council, rather than thinking about re-election. "I think a lot of people still look at this as a career, whereas I always looked at it as a term of service," Walcott said. "You can absolutely come in, hit the ground running. Run full speed. Give all your energy and focus to something. Don't get distracted and accomplish it. And it's rare." A former teacher and community activist, Walcott made a mark in several areas during his time on council. He pointed to council approving a climate strategy and an anti-racism strategy as key plans he supported. He also cited his time on the Calgary Police Commission, which approved a new call response model for the police. The system frees up police officers to be able to respond to crime rather than mental health or addictions issues. Housing a key accomplishment Walcott was a key voice calling for the City of Calgary to establish a housing and affordability task force. Its report ultimately led to council's decision to approve a housing strategy. "The housing strategy and rezoning is the thing I'm most proud of," Walcott said. "Because no matter how contentious it got, what it really is is it's a legacy for future generations to have an opportunity to find a safe place to live." Walcott is the second Black person to serve on Calgary city council. Virnetta Anderson was the first, serving one term in the 1970s. He said council needs greater diversity, not just to better represent a changing city but to ensure a variety of voices around the council table. "The changing demographics, the representation of racialized people, honestly the makeup of people in need is changing," Walcott said. "So it's not really what does the building, what does city hall need. Those voices are what the public needs." Increasing negativity in politics Walcott is the fourth member of the current council to announce he will not seek re-election. Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu said in 2021 that this would be his last term. In recent weeks, first-term councillors Jasmine Mian in Ward 3 and Evan Spencer in Ward 12 also revealed they won't run again this fall. Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, was struck by how young councillors like Walcott, Mian and Spencer seem to be looking for other ways to make a difference in Calgary that they think could be more constructive or effective — amid a more negative and combative tone to political discussions that's grown in the last decade. "It's sad to see that [some councillors] don't think it's worth the kind of trouble that council has been and may continue to be," Williams said. "In some ways, it's a loss for Calgary that this negativity is basically deterring people who are trying to be more positive, who come in with ideas and maybe a vision for the future to try and bring people together and find common ground. And that those who want to be more ideological, more combative, more polarized, seem to be the ones that want to contest these elections." The introduction of political parties to municipal politics, which will do more to advertise councillor's ideological and partisan affiliations to voters, and the provincial government's interference on local issues like the Green Line, are other factors that Williams says could discourage potential councillors. For those currently representing Calgarians, Williams added that incumbency isn't the advantage it once was. "It's a tough time for incumbents. There's been a lot of attacks against this council, on social media in particular, and the folks that are leaving from city council have been quite present on social media," Williams said. Spencer told CBC News on Friday he would have sought re-election if the tone of council discussions had been less negative and fractured, and if he could see a more collaborative path forward. While Spencer said he was part of a group of councillors looking to push solutions forward, and make hard decisions and compromises about how Calgary will progress, but they met pushback from other councillors who were pulled toward opposition, critique and grandstanding. He added this was exacerbated by a provincial government willing to capitalize on municipal politics. "That solutions aversion that we're dealing with in this city right now is a big part of it," Spencer said. "The folks that have decided they're not continuing, at this point, stuck to their guns in terms of moving the city forward, but also are looking at what it entails to continue on that journey in the face of a lot of opposition." Spencer agreed it's becoming more difficult for incumbents to run. In some ways, he says, this is positive as the city may not be well-served by a councillor sitting in office for 20 years. But he worries the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. "It does speak to the environment that is starting to solidify in our municipal discourse," Spencer said. "It's disconcerting, for sure, because you spend a good chunk of your first term getting up to speed. I know I have lots left to give. I do believe I can give that as a community member." Spencer worries political parties being introduced at the municipal level is going to make local decision-making and compromises even more difficult, and that councillors who are more thoughtfully weighing difficult tradeoffs are being edged out by more ideological politics. Life after politics Ward 8 is made up of inner-city communities to the south and west of Calgary's downtown. Walcott won an open election for the seat after Evan Woolley, who represented the ward from 2013 to 2021, stepped aside to explore opportunities in the private sector. As for what's next after politics, Walcott said he hasn't made any decisions just yet. "I'd love to find myself in the housing space somewhere, but I'd also love to find myself back in a classroom in some way, at any level," Walcott said. "I don't know yet but I've got time." Eight members of council, including Mayor Jyoti Gondek, have announced they intend to be candidates in this fall's election. Calgarians will go to the polls on Oct. 20.
