Election of Nenshi seen as a positive step in Calgary

On the evening of Monday, 18 October 2010, I fulfilled my democratic duty by going out and voting in the Edmonton Municipal Election. As the results came in, I dismissed them as being "same old, same old". However, down the road in Calgary, "same old, same old" was anything but the case. I watched with amazement as Naheed Nenshi pulled ahead of Ric McIver and Barb Higgins for the position of the mayor of Calgary. I was amazed by this, for never did I expect that a member of a visible minority would come from behind and defeat two much more "typical" candidates. For me, Nemshi's victory symbolizes the triumph of a changing ideological foundation in this great province.

Perhaps I would not have been as surprised had Nenshi been elected in Edmonton, which is known to be more liberal and open minded in its approaches, hence the term "Redmonton." But the election of Nenshi in Calgary, which has an extremely conservative ideological base, is truly indicative of real change being affected in Alberta's largest city. Calgary is not shy about expressing their dominant conservative ideologies. For example, much of the protest and resistance to the issue of whether or not Sikh RCMP officers were allowed to wear turbans was centered in Alberta; particularly Calgary (althoguh Edmonton did certainly play a role.) Another such example is the current Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is not shy to advocate for a strongly conservative agenda. Nenshi's victory symbolizes the emergence of leftist oriented liberal thought beginning to take hold in Calgary, which to some undoubetly caused a panic attack.

One such reaction came from Tory MLA Kyle Fawcett, who produced a tweet proclaiming "Nenshi...BIG Mistake Calgary!" To me, Fawcett's comments are indicative of the domianant conservative ideology characterizing Calgary. In fact, reading through the comments on the Calgary Herald online regarding Nenshi's victory created both a sense of amusement and disgust at the same time. Some commentators decided that Nenshi's religious beliefs would have a negative impact on the operation and reputation of the city. To me, this is the height of stupidity - using religion as a benchmark by which the potential perfomance of a candidate can be judged. Nenshi is yet to take office; yet some are already calling him a "failure." How can we say we live in a democratic society when so many choose to discredit a candidate based on religion?

Naheed Nenshi is just what the city of Calgary needed. As a born and raised Edmontonian, I have also spent a great deal of time in Calgary, and find it to be a very nice, attractive city. However, the political climate of the city is sometimes less than favorable, with inflated egos, misguided priorities, and stereotypes running high. For me, Nenshi is the best suited for the Mayor's postion in Calgary, as he represents the interests of all Calgarians, not just the conservative right.

Congratulations Mayor Nenshi on your victory, and may you lead the City of Calgary to increased fame and prestige both locally, nationally, and internationally.