Cllr. Kelly holds a Ward 4 town hall at the Highland Park Community Association on June 3. (Aryn Toombs / Ward 4)
Hey, neighbour!
This past week was a milestone, with the first town hall for neighbours across the ward in over five years. It was a great evening of taking questions on some of the biggest issues that neighbours feel our ward and city face, but the key takeaway for me was that there is a real excitement about being heard. Whether it’s the town hall, local engagements, or even the volume of calls and emails my office receives daily, it's clear that you want you and your neighbours want your voice to be heard.
I’ve also heard loud and clear that you want your voice to matter, and that there is still work to be done to rebuild the trust with the City that has been lost in the recent past. This is one of the reasons I'm so happy when someone replies to this newsletter or tells me in person how thankful they are for this weekly newsletter; because I want you to hear directly from me about what my team and I are doing on your behalf at City Hall.
Listening to neighbours this week extended beyond just my own town hall. I also attended the McKnight and John Laurie Blvd intersection improvement engagement put on by the City of Calgary, and the Dalhousie Transit-Oriented Community engagement put on by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. Both of these projects will go before council for a decision, but I wanted to hear the thoughts of neighbours first-hand instead of through a briefing package on the day of. It was also important to me that I was there to represent your voices back to the City of Calgary and to CMLC. It is my belief that when we work together, in partnership, towards our shared goal of improving our communities, we do just that.
- Councillor DJ Kelly
McKnight and John Laurie Blvd. (City of Calgary)
🚧 Neighbours will have the chance to weigh in on potential future changes to the John Laurie and McKnight Blvd. connection until June 15 via https://engage.calgary.ca/jlmcknight.
🏗️ Ward 4 neighbours are being asked to weigh in on potential transit-oriented development at Dalhousie C-Train station by CMLC, as they continue engagement work on a master plan for could be done there to best serve the community. Comments can be submitted online at the project page at Dalhousie Transit-Oriented Community by CMLC, or neighbours can attend an open house on June 6 (more details on the project page).
🌳Engagement on the City's urban forest strategic plan is ongoing, with interested Ward 4 neighbours able to sign up to participate in that engagement process at Urban Forest Strategic Plan | Engage. Pop-up events will also be held across Calgary starting on June 9.
🚸 Pedestrian safety improvements continue to be added to Ward 4, with the new addition of overhead pedestrian flashing lights being added to 14 Street NW and Rosevale Drive NW. These lights were activated on Tuesday, June 2.
🎥You can see Cllr. Kelly's video on the lights on Instagram.
🌧️ Rain barrel rebates for $50 are still available for Calgarians. Keep your lawn watered this summer, and save on your water bill by visting calgary.ca/yardsmart.
📅 With the new water efficiency bylaw in place, see whether or not you are on even or odd days of the week for sprinkler use at calgary.ca/whentowater.
Cllr. Kelly joins in on the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Olympic Plaza Transformation on May 28, 2026. (Aryn Toombs / Ward 4)
On Monday, Cllr. Kelly and the Ward 4 team met with the director of Parks and Open Spaces to discuss a number of parks related issues across the ward. Cllr. Kelly met with the Calgary Construction Association on the topic of infrastructure improvements and procurement, and he met with Family and Community Support Services on the topic of supports for vulnerable Calgarians ahead of the four-year budget. That meeting was followed by a meeting with ATCO, and then a conversation about the City of Calgary's role in helping create more accessible housing. The Ward 4 team attended a joint transit engagement with neighbours in Ward 4 with Ward 3 Cllr. Andrew Yule on changes to express bus routes in both wards.
On Tuesday, Cllr. Kelly met with Calgary Transit and Bylaw Services on transit safety improvements that will be coming before council next week. The Ward 4 team attended the Mayor's Environmental Expo, meeting with representatives from a variety of City of Calgary business units on the improvements to service delivery and risk reduction in relation to environmental changes occurring in Calgary. During the evening Cllr. Kelly attended the John Laurie and McKnight Blvd improvement community engagement.
On Wednesday morning Cllr. Kelly held a meeting with Recreation and Social Services on the City's Fair Entry Program. Wednesday evening was the Ward 4 Town Hall, which saw close to 150 people attend to ask questions and also speak to representatives from 311, Planning, Waste and Recycling, Mobility, the Calgary Fire Department, and the Calgary Police Service.
On Thursday, Cllr. Kelly attended the graduation of local community champion Bill Zheng as part of the UCalgary platform party. He was also there to celebrate the final convocation for Ward 4 resident Jon Cornish as Chancellor of the university. During the evening, Cllr. Kelly attended the Dalhousie Transit Oriented Community engagement.
On Friday, Cllr. Kelly met with a representative from a proposed mixed-use development in Ward 4 - well in advance of them beginning their planning or engagement process. Cllr. Kelly and the Ward 4 team received a tour of the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre and met with the Federation of Calgary Communities and Cowboys. During the evening, Cllr. Kelly is planning to attend the Edgemont Community Association volunteer recognition celebration.
Over the weekend Cllr. Kelly and the Ward 4 team are planning to attend another Dalhousie TOC engagement session and the 2025-26 Graduation and Award Ceremony for the Chinese Academy at John G. Diefenbaker High School. Cllr. Kelly will also be attending a breakfast with the HMCS Calgary command team as part of his work with Calgary Salutes.
Cllr. Kelly was quoted by CBC Calgary, Global Calgary, and Red FM about his comments that the 23% loss of water in Calgary's water system was tantamount to an emergency for Calgarians.
He was quoted by the Calgary Herald about the Calgary Event Centre, also known as the Scotia Place, being on time and on budget.
Cllr. Kelly was also quoted by CBC Calgary and Global News on the upcoming municipal-fiscal gap report being delivered next week to committee.
Cllr. Kelly stands next to questions submitted by Ward 4 neighbours during the Ward 4 town hall on June 3, 2026. (Aryn Toombs / Ward 4)
Agendas, live streams, and minutes for Calgary City Council meetings and committees can be found at www.calgary.ca/council/meetings/agenda-minutes.html.
On Monday, June 8, the Chief Administrative Officer Recruitment and Appointment Sub-Committee will be meeting for the first time.
On Tuesday, June 9, members of the Executive Committee will be meeting on the topics of bylaw updates for prohibitions of weapons on Calgary Transit to expand that definition, and the Truck Route and Transportation of Dangerous Goods bylaw. Members will be receiving an annual report on the Safer Mobility Plan, and the use of AI to enhance pedestrian safety. Committee members will receive a confidential update regarding the Fair Entry program.
On Thursday, June 11, Audit Committee will be meeting to receive the Calgary Housing annual report, South Fish Creek Recreation Association annual report, and the 2025 Civic Partner Audit Report. Members will also hear from the External Auditor and City Auditor, as well as receive a briefing on the shareholder alignment for wholly owned City of Calgary subsidiaries.
Calgary Planning Commission will be meeting on Thursday, June 11, to hear items in Ward 8, 9, and 12. No items for Ward 4 are being considered.
New development permits that are in circulation for public comment for Ward 4. For all Ward 4 permits that are in circulation, or have been recently approved and are in advertising, see www.djkelly.ca/dp.
BRENTWOOD — #130 3830 BRENTWOOD RD NW (DP2026-01871) — Change of use: child care service (148 children); changes to site plan: child care service (outdoor play area) (DC)
HIGHLAND PARK — 429 37 AV NW (DP2025-02163) — New: rowhouse building (2 buildings), townhouse (2 buildings), secondary suite (15 suites) (R-CG)
Each week we feature a short list of new and interesting activities in Ward 4 and from the City of Calgary. Email [email protected] with suggestions.
🍅 Edible Gardening in Calgary
Learn to grow your own food, and feel more confident in planting and planning your garden with the second session of Growing in Calgary's Climate at the Dalhousie Community Association on June 11. For more details, see www.dalhousiecalgary.ca/gardening-calgary.
⚾ All Sport One Day
Youth aged 3-17 can take part in free sporting discovery events across Calgary on June 20, giving them the opportunity to learn something new and find their next favourite physical activity. RSVP at All Sport One Day from Sport Calgary.