Every year has its big news moments. Some are predictable, while others – like the Bearspaw water feeder main break – are not.
The upcoming year is sure to bear its share of news fruit, and we’ve put together a list of five things we think will be story-worthy in Calgary that you’ll want to keep your eye on. Of course, we can’t predict all of this year’s top storylines, but we can definitely ensure you’re attuned to some of the potential big ones.
In no particular order, here are the top five storylines to keep an eye on for 2025.
- Green Line: This one’s a shoo-in, really. The province wants a response on their alignment proposal sooner rather than later, as they think this project can still begin construction in short order. The issue, of course, is it doesn’t really meet all of the City of Calgary’s prescribed milestones, including ensuring a connection point to launch into the north with LRT. This will definitely be a top story line for 2025, and well beyond.
- Water – We mentioned this in last year’s five storylines to watch, and we think it should be here this year, too. On the heels of the Bearspaw water feeder main break, water security – including the infrastructure that delivers it – will be stories once again this year. Further, the Springbank Off-stream Reservoir should be complete in 2025, giving Calgary added flood protection, and the further upstream Ghost River dam option is in regulatory approval, along with design and engineering in 2025.
- Construction – Big Calgary projects are either underway or ongoing in 2025, reshaping the face of the downtown core and Beltline areas in particular. The Event Centre’s development permit was recently approved, as was the Arts Commons Transformation project. Work on Olympic Plaza is also underway. Ongoing work is happening at the Glenbow Museum as well.
- Budget – In any given year, the City of Calgary’s budget tends to make news. This year, however, it will be done with a new council, with the final year of a four-year budget intact. The plan is to keep it to the prescribed increases set out in the four-year budget, which is a combined 3.1 per cent increase (5.5 per cent for residential and 0.9 per cent for non-residential). The outcome of the election (see below) will likely determine how the final year of this budget takes shape and lays the foundation for the formulation of a four-year budget the following year.
There are pressures to fund services and infrastructure in Calgary as the population continues to grow and is expected to climb further over the next few years. Whether the new city council will be able to keep a lid on property taxes will be one of the top stories to watch in 2025
- Municipal Election – This will be the dominant story of 2025… for multiple reasons. Where to start is the question.
Current Mayor Jyoti Gondek has already signaled her intention to run for re-election and will so far be joined by familiar candidate Jeff Davison, and newcomer to the race, Brian Thiessen. What makes this year’s mayoral race even more interesting is it could also include current Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who has been positioning herself over the past year to be the logical foil to another Gondek tenure. However, former Ward 11 Coun. Jeromy Farkas, who ran second in the 2021 mayoral race, is also expected to jump into the fray.
This year also brings with it the introduction of formalized municipal political parties. That’s expected to add a much different flavour to the campaign – and how the next Calgary city council progresses as a unit. This may also usher in a political era that continues to stoke the partisan flames, possibly stifling the voices of those with a foot in both a progressive or conservative camp, or those who look at issues from a non-binary perspective, based on actual evidence.
In the 2025 election, Calgarians will also have to go back to waiting for election results, possibly the following day as electronic tabulators have been banned, despite little to no evidence of there being integrity problems with the machines. The reintroduction of hand counted ballots means municipalities will foot additional costs for workers.
With nominations already open and the anticipation of hotly-contested ward races, the 2025 Calgary municipal election will likely yield stories in one form or another for most of the year.
The municipal election date is Oct. 20, 2025.
