February 2026 Newsletter
It has been a busy first few weeks at City Hall. I have been working hard on behalf of the residents of Ward 1. Here are some of the highlights from my first few months as your City Councillor:
Budget Adjustments 2025:
In December, I advocated for the priorities of Ward 1 residents and businesses. I proposed budget amendments to stop the property tax increase and end wasteful spending at City Hall. I found efficiencies in City spending, and protected the tax dollars of hardworking Calgarians. Because of my amendment to the City’s Climate and Environment budget, we were able to reduce $9 million in funding that was planned for “climate education initiatives”. I will always advocate for our municipal spending to be focused on issues that are within our scope, such as fixing our roads, supporting Calgary Police and the Calgary Fire Department, and ensuring we have strong infrastructure.
Other budget adjustments I supported include:
Seconding amendments which sought to end millions in subsidy spending on downtown office building conversions.
Supporting an amendment that invested $5 million dollars in our local transit network.
Supporting amendments which provided additional funding for pedestrian and traffic safety, including two new flashing crosswalk beacons in Ward 1.
Voting in favour of investments in our city’s network of soccer and recreation infrastructure.
Overall, this Council made needed investments in our city while reducing the planned increase to property taxes. In future budgets, I will remain committed to keeping taxes low and finding efficiencies in the use of your hard earned tax dollars.
Bearspaw South Feeder Main:
Like all Calgarians, I was disappointed to see the news on December 30th, 2025 of yet another catastrophic break of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main. I want to thank the first responders from the Calgary Fire Department who deployed immediately to help rescue 13 people trapped on top of their vehicles during the initial flooding. Their actions were swift, and as a result, nobody was hurt. This feeder main is important infrastructure in our city, and it has been neglected for far too long. Immediately after the break of the feeder main, I began sharing all of the relevant information from City of Calgary officials on my social media pages (you can find the links for them at the bottom of this page). In the days that followed I was actively engaging with the City’s emergency operation centre to receive all details regarding the break and monitoring the impact on Ward 1 communities.
To find answers on this issue, I began to ask questions regarding the release of the Independent Panel Report on the 2024 Bearspaw South Feeder Main break. The information from that report was relevant to the emergency situation we were in, and it was of the utmost importance to release it to Council and the public as soon as possible. Despite initial resistance to releasing the report, my continued pressure resulted in its public release more than a month ahead of schedule. The Independent Review Panel Report outlined several concerning details around the City’s management of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main. Some of the main concerns are:
City Administration has known for decades that there were severe issues with this Feeder Main and still chose to prioritize other items.
The City of Calgary Administration has a culture of risk tolerance and decision deferral, often making decisions based on likelihood instead of consequence.
The City provided only periodic and high level updates to City Council on the status of this infrastructure and did not provide adequate independent expert advice on the Feeder Main.
I support the recommendations of the Independent Review Panel and will work to implement them as soon as possible. The residents and businesses of Ward 1 should not be expected to deal with this uncertainty for years to come.
I have heard from many members of our community who want to see real accountability on this issue from the City of Calgary Administration, and I could not agree more. I will continue to seek true accountability and will work with all of City Council to achieve it.
Construction Update:
The City recently announced its planned construction timeline for the replacement of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main. The construction will occur in two stages:
Stage A: From the Shaganappi Pump Station to 73 Street NW on the west side of the Bow River.
Stage B: Continues from 73 Street NW to 89 Street NW, with a potential extension to the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant.
Stage A has been awarded for construction with site setup starting in late January, 2026. Stage B will undergo detailed design as early as Q1 2026. For more in-depth information about construction timelines and logistics of this project, please visit the following website:
https://www.calgary.ca/planning/water/bearspaw-south-feeder-main-improvements-project.html
I have met with the Mainstreet Bowness Business Improvement Area and local Bowness business owners about the impact of the Feeder Main break and water restrictions on small businesses. I will continue to work with them and pass on their advice and concerns to City Administration.
Bowness Residents have expressed concerns regarding increased traffic in their community during the pipe construction. I know how frustrating it is to get in and out of the area for residents, and the increased strain that the traffic places on businesses. I have been actively communicating with the City about developing a plan to offset some of the pressures and am looking forward to seeing their actions on this issue.
Blanket Rezoning:
I have been consistent since announcing my candidacy in the last election that the full repeal of blanket rezoning is of the utmost importance. Blanket rezoning is a remnant policy of the previous council and Mayor, which entirely ignored public consultation on this issue and rushed through this disastrous piece of legislation.
Calgarians were explicitly clear on this issue in the election - they do not want blanket rezoning in their communities. Many Calgarians support thoughtful growth in our city, but do not want the character of their community lost in the process. Additionally, blanket rezoning places vital infrastructure under increased strain and does not account for realities such as parking and garbage collection.
We must repeal blanket rezoning in its entirety. Following that repeal, there can be conversations about how our city moves forward with densification and building housing on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis. Calgary’s communities are extremely diverse and unique, and our City’s policies should reflect that reality.
I was a signatory of the Notice of Motion to repeal blanket rezoning, which passed 13-2 at council. I will continue to advocate for this motion until we can see the change that Calgarians asked for. There will be a Public Hearing on rezoning on March 23rd at City Hall, and I encourage residents to come and have their voice heard on this important issue. I will fight to get this policy repealed once and for all, and resist any new plans brought forward that seek to repeat blanket rezoning style policy.
My office is now fully staffed and is ready to help constituents with their concerns. You can contact my office at Ward1@Calgary.ca , by completing the contact form here https://www.calgary.ca/council/ward-1/warddefault.html , or calling us at 403-268-2430.
Additionally, if you have any concerns regarding snow clearing, road maintenance, or any other city service, please contact 311 here: https://www.calgary.ca/311.html
Thank you to all of the residents of Ward 1 who have reached out following the election. I am so honoured to represent you at City Hall and look forward to seeing you all in the community.
Sincerely,
Councillor Kim Tyers
Ward 1
You can find Councillor Tyers on social media here:
Categories: General, Newsletter