Latest news with #KourtneyPenner
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Council rejects 'formality' motion to reaffirm next year's property tax increase
Calgary city councillors couldn't find consensus Tuesday on whether to reaffirm their previous commitment to keep next year's property tax hike at 3.6 per cent. Article content But according to two members of council, the failed motion was mostly a formality, as well as an exercise in budget transparency. Article content Article content When approving the 2023-26 budget in November 2022, council supported a 3.6 per cent property tax increase for 2026, the final year of the four-year budget cycle. Article content Article content Those supportive of the motion from Ward 11 representative Kourtney Penner included Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Couns. Raj Dhaliwal, Evan Spencer, Jasmine Mian, Peter Demong and Courtney Walcott. Article content 'Calgarians want steadiness. They want consistency and they want some predictability,' Penner said, when moving the recommendation. Article content Article content Those in opposition to the motion argued that although budget transparency ahead of November is important, it's premature to promise Calgarians in June what type of tax increase they will see the following year. Article content Article content Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who voted in opposition alongside Couns. Dan McLean, Gian-Carlo Carra, Jennifer Wyness, Terry Wong, Sean Chu and Andre Chabot, said after the meeting she felt the vote was a formality. Article content Article content 'The direction didn't lose,' she said. 'Administration was already given that direction in 2022.' Article content Sharp and others, including Chabot, also disagreed with the 3.6 per cent figure, pointing out it didn't factor in a motion from Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer, which was approved by council last week, to develop an Infrastructure Reinvestment Program. The motion included several considerations to address the city's worsening backlog of deferred maintenance during the 2027-30 budget cycle.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Calgary OKs cannabis sales at adults-only festivals and events
Calgary city council amended a bylaw Tuesday to allow the sale of cannabis products at 18+ events in the city. The amendment to the Business Licence Bylaw permits temporary cannabis sales at adults-only entertainment events and trade shows, and prioritizes Calgary-based retailers, according to a release from the city. The rule change comes after Coun. Kourtney Penner introduced a notice of motion in February calling for the bylaw to be amended. "This amendment marks a significant step forward for Calgary, aligning our local regulations with provincial changes and supporting our city's vibrant entertainment scene," said Michael Briegel, deputy chief of business safety with the city. "By allowing cannabis sales at 18+ events, we are ensuring compliance and implementing safety measures to protect minors." The bylaw takes effect May 15 and prohibits the sale of cannabis at events where minors are also allowed. Only local retailers with an active or current business licence may sell cannabis at adults-only events, pending approval from Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) for temporary licence extensions. Previous rules meant that cannabis consumption was confined to designated areas and the sale of marijuana products had to be kept separate from those areas. Coun. Penner, who represents Ward 11, says changing the bylaw improves safety around cannabis sales without changing existing use regulations about where it can be consumed. "The biggest issue is actually safety. So when you're transporting a substance through a large environment where people are having a great time, there's just, you know, opportunity for things to go wrong," she said. "And so having a safe, secure site really just helps you control it and regulate the distribution. It will be no different than if you go to the beer gardens and you walk up to the counter and you were able to get your beer at a festival." Penner says it will ultimately be the festival or event's choice to allow cannabis vendors to operate at their event. She notes that cannabis vendors won't be seen at regular bars and venues that are adults-only though, as they have to comply with provincial rules. She says AGLC will be overseeing licensing for vendors who wish to temporarily set up shop at events. "It really falls under the provision of a festival. So again, it has to be compliant with an AGLC licence," Penner said. "If it was a specific festival, one night, ticketed entry, perhaps. Again, they're going to have to check that with AGLC." Nathan Mison, founder and president of Diplomat Consulting, a regulatory firm that has been advocating for changes to rules around the sale of cannabis, says it makes sense for Calgary to take this step in alignment with provincial rules. Mison, also one of a the founders of Fire & Flower Cannabis Co., says his firm was involved in calling on the province to allow for cannabis sales at adults-only events. "We're happy that Calgary has come to the table and that there will be opportunity for cannabis consumption at festivals and events in the ongoing future," he said. Mison's firm also founded Positive Intent Events (PIE), a company focused on creating opportunities for cannabis consumption at festivals and other 18+ live events in Alberta. PIE, in partnership with cannabis company High Tide, has already hosted a cannabis consumption garden at the International Fringe Theatre Festival in Edmonton, with more events lined up in that city this year, he says. "We're now excited that there's the possibility that we could have the Calgary Stampede and other incredible events in Calgary," Mison said. WATCH | Edmonton's International Fringe Theatre opens its first-ever cannabis garden: Edmonton's International Fringe Theatre opens its first-ever cannabis garden. 8 months ago Duration 2:18 Mison says clearing other regulatory hurdles to get cannabis gardens at events like the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in Calgary might take a little bit longer, but he's optimistic. "It might be difficult to have [Stampede] included for this year, as robust as it could be, but, you know, the opportunities to have those conversations about what those possibilities should be start today," he said. Mison adds that the acceptance of these rules could open the door for other forms down the line. "I think now [lawmakers] are starting to see this is an economic opportunity for not just festivals and live events," he said. "The natural extension of that is clubs, coffee shops, cannabis chefs, cannabis restaurants — where it can either be an inebriant but also a new food flavour."
CBC
17-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
City wants private sector input on selling Calgary Transit merchandise
Idea is to open up more non-fare revenue for transit services The City of Calgary is looking for some private sector savvy on whether it should open an online store to sell Calgary Transit brand swag. It currently has a request for information out on its procurement channels, seeking input on the idea. The city says it intends "to research and ascertain market capability in establishing an external, public-facing online store for Calgary Transit related merchandise." Calgary Transit turned down a request from CBC News for an interview. In a statement, it said that it is "looking for different ways to bring in revenue from non-fare sources, to help offset the costs of delivering service." "It is very early in the process, so we don't have all the details established, but are looking at what options are available. Once we see if there's an interest/demand, we'll make decisions regarding what is possible." Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said she supports the pursuit of the idea. She said people like to show pride in their city. Penner is also open to the idea of finding new ways of generating revenue for transit. "We know we have some underfunding on the low-income transit pass," she said. "So if there is a way we can use this as an opportunity to offset [that], I mean, I don't think it's going to be a massive money generator, but if it does, all the better for us." The councillor said this can also be an opportunity to create jobs in Calgary by going with a local firm to produce the goods and operate the online store. Her proviso is: go slow and don't overextend. "I think if we work with someone local, that ability to scale and not over-purchase and then be left with an excess of merchandise really exists. So how we make sure that we get local companies to know about this opportunity is going to be really important," said Penner. Many cities around the world have ventured into this retail realm. They've created shirts, coffee mugs, keychains and wall art, all emblazoned with logos or maps or station signs. But is there a consumer demand for a Blue Line shirt, a Transit Teddy stuffy or an Anderson Station sign? An associate professor of marketing at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University isn't sure Calgary has reached the big leagues on this just yet. AnneMarie Dorland said the transit systems in other places have earned their own brands. For example, she said think about San Francisco's cable cars, London's Tube or New York City's subways. "I think the place where you see this be really successful is where the transit system itself is part of the identity of the city. And I don't know if we're really there in Calgary," said Dorland. "I don't know if anybody says 'I was in Calgary and I rode the CTrain.'" While many thousands of people ride Calgary Transit every day, she isn't convinced that it has solidified itself even in the minds of Calgarians as a distinct brand. "Hey, what colour is the bus? If we can get to the point where people can recognize that, then maybe we're ready for a shirt. Name the mascot? Then maybe we're ready for a doll." Dorland does suggest that perhaps Calgary Transit's historical colours, logos or maps — even hearkening back to its streetcar days — might appeal to some sense of nostalgia in potential customers. But she said that history isn't necessarily a part of Calgary's history that's been woven into its present context. Dorland also commended the city for seeking outside expertise in assessing whether this online store idea should come to pass. She suggested that it's easy to get the merchandise and run an online store, but the city needs to figure out Calgary Transit's brand and who — besides transit enthusiasts — might be interested in the products. "Figuring out how to make this a cohesive story that you can really sell to people is probably a bit more work."
