Calgary City Council
In 1884 Calgary was officially incorporated as a city. The first Mayor of Calgary was George Murdoch, a man who had been born in Scotland but grew up in New Brunswick. Back then, elections were called 'Mayoralty Contests.' Originally, Mayors held term for two years, but as of 2013, Mayors hold term for four years. Our current mayor is Naheed Nenshi.
The office that serves with the Mayor are our Calgary Ward Counsellors. There are 14 wards in Calgary, each with their own counsellor that citizens elect, just like the Mayor. Did you know... "In 1917, Calgary’s first female alderman, Mrs. Annie Gale, was elected. She was the first female to serve on any municipal council in the British Empire" (City of Calgary).
The Counsellors and Mayor hold office in City Hall. Here are some fun facts about Calgary's City Hall:
- It opened in 1911
- It was constructed from locally sourced sandstone and has a bell tower that chimes every half hour
- The basement used to be the City Jail
- A cat stepped in wet cement during construction; you can still see its paw print on the fourth floor!
For more information, you can visit their website here!