There is a purple army that’s about to storm city hall. And we have opened the doors to the happy siege. On Monday night, in a somewhat surprising late surge, Calgary elected former Mount Royal University professor (and Harvard-educated) Naheed Nenshi as its newest (and most colourful) mayor.
Much has been made of the fact that Nenshi is Muslim—which for a city and province that is still seen as conservative in its politics seems like a big step—but I see it as more of a statement of its citizen: bold, optimistic, and ready for change.
Now I’m not going to get on my soapbox and pretend that politics and I are like peas and carrots. I made up my mind that I was voting for Nenshi quite late in the game, but these are the things I know for sure:
-The city is officially twitterpated, energized, and awash in a purple love fest! (The campaign colour—and mine too so I’ve been told).
-The arts (and subsequent finger-crossed hopes for more funding!) will now become a priority--a must for any city that hopes to have any kind of cultural or historical relevance. (And any level of fabulous!)
-As someone who’s lived in the city’s south all of her life (and the city’s southeast for the last 10 years), having a S.E. LRT line is beyond past due. Happy to know Nenshi thinks so too.
-Traffic. Traffic. Traffic. Knowing that infrastructure spending is going to be directed towards an attack on infuriating congestion points (like Deerfoot) are music to my ‘I don’t want it to take me an hour to get home’ ears.
-Snow removal. As much fun as it was hibernating in my cul-de-sac last winter (the city sent no one for 2 days to clean up the mess that was McIvor Blvd—seriously—Hummers got stuck trying to get out. It was like The Day After Tomorrow. The frozen end of days… ), anyone that has ‘fix snow removal, once and for all’ as a highlight in his plan is good people.
Congrats Mayor Nenshi! I tip my (purple) hat.