Residents' trust in city, optimism have rebounded after turbulent 2024
Calgarians' trust in city hall has gone up considerably since last year, according to the city's latest citizen satisfaction survey.
Article content
Article content
The city released its annual spring survey results Thursday, showing an upward trend in Calgarians' quality of life, their optimism about the future and their satisfaction with municipal services.
Article content
The yearly count was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs from Feb. 27 to March 24, polling 2,500 Calgarians via telephone.
Article content
Article content
At a news conference to present the results, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said a promising finding was a rebound in public trust in the city, which went up 14 points from a record low of 38 per cent a year ago to 52 per cent now.
Article content
Article content
After a turbulent 2024 that saw Calgarians weather a summerlong water crisis following the rupture of the Bearspaw south feeder main, as well as other challenges, Gondek said the city's latest poll results are mostly encouraging.
Article content
'In a year of uncertainty with a ruptured water feeder main, unaffordable housing, inflation and global instability, that rise in trust says something powerful,' she said. 'It tells me that Calgarians believed that we had a plan, it tells me that leadership matters, and it tells me that people have seen the results.'
Article content
Other areas of improvement over last year's spring and fall polls include respondents' perception of their quality of life. According to the survey, 74 per cent of Calgarians rated their quality of life as 'good,' compared to 71 per cent last spring and 66 per cent last fall.
Article content
Article content
Relatedly, 72 per cent of Calgarians said the city is a great place to make a life, which is up three points from the spring of 2024.
Article content
Asked about public safety, 70 per cent of respondents believed the city is doing a 'good job' of addressing safety-related issues in Calgary.
Article content
The survey found that 61 per cent of respondents rate Calgary's economy as good – an 11-point uptick from last fall – while satisfaction with how the city is being run rose to 63 per cent, up from 59 per cent last spring and 53 per cent last fall.
Article content
'With so many national and international concerns facing Calgarians, it's encouraging to see key indicators about local government improve,' said the city's chief administrative officer, David Duckworth, in a statement. 'The results indicate that the city is aligned and accountable to Calgarians on many of our priorities and investments. We will continue to listen and deliver the things that are important to the people in our city.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Calgary Herald
City adjusts Stephen Avenue construction schedule changed to avoid disrupting summer business
Construction on the Stephen Avenue Revitalization Project is set to begin on Monday, July 21, after last week's brief but tense delay. Article content The updated timeline follows a wave of concern from business owners along the iconic downtown corridor, with the date originally set for July 14. Article content Article content The city hit pause on its long-awaited infrastructure overhaul after more than two dozen local businesses voiced frustration over a lack of consultation, threatening to pursue legal action if the city didn't listen to their demands. Article content Article content Timing was also a key concern, with the original construction date set just after the Stampede and in peak season for foot traffic in the area. Business owners feared that the planned 3-metre pedestrian access paths would divert potential customers away and would complicate the process of bringing inventory into their businesses. Article content Article content Now, after additional meetings with local business owners, the city has rolled out a revised plan that aims to strike a better balance. Article content 'Calgary's economy is growing, and as we invest in the future of our downtown, we remain committed to minimizing disruption to local businesses,' said Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services with the City of Calgary, in a news release on Wednesday. Article content 'This updated construction plan reflects that balance by supporting summer patio operations while keeping the revitalization project on track,' he said. Article content Article content The new plan will begin with work on the east side of the 100 block S.E., between 1 Street S.E. and Centre Street. Then, starting on Sept. 2, more work including critical utility upgrades will expand to the west side of the street. Article content According to the city, the updated plan will allow most restaurant patios to remain open through the busy summer months. Article content The city now anticipates substantial completion of the block by June 2026 — just in time for next year's Stampede — with utility work along Centre Street continuing late into next year. Construction will come to a halt again next summer during July and August to reduce further disruption. Article content The project as a whole set to include several updates to underground infrastructure, including work on its electrical systems, stormwater pipes and century-old water mains. Article content At street level, Stephen Avenue will receive a full makeover aimed at improving accessibility, aesthetics and flexibility for outdoor businesses. Visually, Calgarians can expect to see upgrades to surfaces, foliage and additional site furnishings. Article content The project dovetails with other major downtown investments including renovations to the Glenbow Museum, Arts Commons and Olympic Plaza.
CBC
7 days ago
- CBC
What does it mean to be Albertan?
Nearly five million people live in Alberta, but is there a consensus on what it means to be a resident of this province? And where does the conversation around separatism fit into our identity? The CBC's Elise Stolte hit the sidewalks in Calgary to ask people.
Global News
7 days ago
- Global News
Concerns surround century-old Stephen Avenue water main as repairs paused
There are concerns that a more than 100-year old water pipe under Stephen Avenue is degrading, according to Calgary's mayor, as the project to repair the pipe is paused after a group of businesses threatened legal action. Work on the Stephen Avenue Revitalization Project was set to begin on Monday, the day after the end of this year's Calgary Stampede. The project was set to see phased upgrades along the entire stretch of 8 Avenue, starting between Centre and 1 streets southeast. Construction would've included replacing underground utilities including a 1910-era water main, surface upgrades in the centre of the avenue, and new soil cells for tree growth. 'There's concern that there continues to be degradation of that pipe,' Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek told Global News. 'We want to get in there and look at it and see what kind of a fix needs to be done or if it's a replacement.' Story continues below advertisement According to the City of Calgary, the pipe is currently functional, but the infrastructure is aging and has been identified for potential lifecycle replacement as part of a broader revitalization plan. 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 'There is urgency in this,' Gondek said. 'But that urgency also has to be balanced with an entire avenue that's got businesses reliant on our visitor economy that is strongest at this time of year.' It was revealed on Friday that city officials had put a temporary paused on the project, after a coalition of business owners in the area said it would pursue legal action against the city over the project's timeline and potential impacts to their bottom lines during the construction schedule. 'We were pleasantly surprised,' said Annabelle's Kitchen owner Leslie Echino, one of the businesses calling for a pause. 'I think it's meaningful the city wants to work with us, and communicate and open up those lines of communication with us as business owners.' Work was scheduled to be 'substantially complete' by next summer ahead of the 2026 Calgary Stampede, but would've included closures along the block. For Echino, who found out about the plan in April, the construction raised similar concerns to the ongoing work in Marda Loop, and currently the subject of a lawsuit from businesses in that neighbourhood against the City of Calgary over impacts. Story continues below advertisement 'I drive everyday through Marda Loop and I see what's happening there today and yesterday, and it's a travesty,' said Echino, who has a second Annabelle's Kitchen location in that neighbourhood. 'We're very nervous about that happening downtown.' She added the businesses understand the infrastructure needs to be repaired, and they hope it can be done quickly. Gondek noted the businesses concerns are 'valid' due to the construction starting during the busy summer months and high tourist season. She also questioned whether the planned beautification work along the block was necessary as part of the project. 'For us to have certainty and predictability of how long that closure is and the work that's going to be done, is a better scenario than saying for 16 months we're not sure what we're going to be doing.' According to the city, officials are re-evaluating the project's next steps 'and working closely with impacted businesses to determine the best schedule going forward.' An updated timeline is expected to be be shared publicly when details are finalized.
