Jyoti Gondek

Canadian politician (born 1969)

Jyoti Gondek
Gondek in 2022
37th Mayor of Calgary
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 25, 2021
Preceded byNaheed Nenshi
City of Calgary Councillor
In office
2017–2021
Preceded byJim Stevenson
Succeeded byJasmine Mian
ConstituencyWard 3
Personal details
Born
Prabjhote Kaur Grewal[1]

1969 (age 54–55)[2]
London, England
NationalityCanadian
Spouse
Todd Gondek
​
(m. 1996)​
[3]
Residence(s)Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alma mater
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Calgary
Websitewww.calgary.ca/citycouncil/mayor/bio.html
Jyoti Gondek
Gondek delivering her victory speech after being elected mayor of Calgary

Prabhjote (Jyoti) Kaur Gondek (née Grewal; born 1969) is a Canadian politician serving as the 37th and current mayor of Calgary since October 25, 2021.

Early life and education

Born in London, England,[4] Gondek is the daughter of Indian Punjabi Sikh parents Jasdev Singh Grewal, a lawyer, and Surjit Kaur Grewal.[5] She immigrated to Canada with her parents at age four, initially settling in Manitoba.[3]

Gondek pursued a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Manitoba, where she worked as a policy analyst with the government of Manitoba before moving to Calgary, where she worked in sales and marketing for the Credit Union of Central Alberta. Gondek pursued a master's degree in sociology during a two-year stint at Greyhound.[6]

She founded a strategic planning and communications consultancy, Tick Consulting, while pursuing a PhD in sociology at the University of Calgary, where she also taught and eventually directed a real-estate studies initiative at the university's Haskayne School of Business. Gondek was a member of the Calgary Planning Commission from 2012 to 2016.[6] Gondek's successfully deposited her dissertation in 2014.[7] It was called Pressures of Hybridity: An analysis of Urban-Rural Nexus. it offered a case study of Rocky View County, a municipality that shares both rural and urban features. Rocky View County surrounds most of Calgary, forming the city's northern boundary and most of the city's western and eastern boundaries.

Political career

From 2017 to 2021 she was the councillor for Ward 3,[8] which includes the communities of, Carrington, Country Hills, Country Hills Village, Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills, and Panorama Hills.[9] Ward 3 is in the NW region of Calgary. Prior to her term as a city councillor, Gondek sat as a citizen member of the city's planning commission.[10]

In 2021, it was reported that in 2013, Gondek's consultancy was hired by the Urban Development Institute, a special interest group for the development industry in Calgary, to influence public opinion in favour of urban sprawl.[6] This, along with contributions from developers making up 47% of her donations in the 2017 municipal election—above the average of 35%—made her the subject of controversy.[11]

Mayor of Calgary

On October 18, 2021 she was elected the 37th mayor of Calgary. Gondek was sworn in along with the incoming city council on October 25, 2021,[12][8] becoming the first female mayor in the city's history.[13][14]

During the swearing-in ceremony for the new City Council, Gondek refused to swear in Sean Chu, who was embroiled in a scandal following allegations of impropriety with a minor while he was a member of the Calgary Police Service.[15] Gondek attended a rally calling for Chu's resignation.[16]

On March 29, 2022, a poll by ThinkHQ Public Affairs pegged Gondek's approval rating at 38%, with 53% of respondents disapproving and the remaining 9% unsure.[17] The unusually low approval rating in the first few months of her mayoral tenure has been attributed to the failed Calgary Event Centre deal, a four percent tax increase, and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the related protests in the Beltline neighbourhood.[18][19] Gondek responded to the poll, saying it was a "data point at a very specific point in time," and reflective of residents' frustrations with the uncertain economy caused by the pandemic.[19]

In 2023, she announced a $1.22 billion deal with the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) for the new Calgary Event Centre. The terms of the agreement are that the city will pay $537 million of the cost, the province will provide $330 million, and the CSEC will provide $356 million.[20]

In December 2023, Gondek announced she would not attend the city's annual Hanukkah menorah lighting ceremony. She had initially accepted the invitation but withdrew when the event was positioned in part as a show of support for Israel, a move she said politicized the religious celebration given the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.[21] Gondek's decision was met with varying reactions across Calgary. Some council members backed her stance against politicization, and others voiced concerns about Israel Bonds being sold at the event. Calgary MP Pat Kelly suggested that Gondek's withdrawal could normalize antisemitism, while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called Gondek's decision a mistake and confirmed members of her government would participate in the event. The Calgary Jewish Foundation expressed disappointment at Gondek's decision and reaffirmed their support for Israel.[22]

On January 30, 2024, Calgary business owner Landon Johnston filed a motion of recall against Gondek, due to his frustration with the city's spending and tax increases.[23] The recall campaign will require 514,284 in-person signatures between February and April 2024 to succeed, which political analysts have deemed highly unlikely.[24] Gondek responded by saying the motion came as a surprise, but that she was open to meeting with Johnston and other members of the public.[25]

References

  1. ^ Dippel, Scott (March 25, 2018). "Five Calgary city councillors talk about their real names". CBC News. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Theses Canada". Library and Archives Canada. OCLC 56963849. Retrieved October 19, 2021. Gondek, Prabhjote Kaur,1969-
  3. ^ a b "Meet Calgary's new mayor-elect, Jyoti Gondek". CBC News. October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Hagenaars, Stephanie (June 18, 2021). "Jyoti Gondek weighs in on why she moved from volunteering to becoming a city councillor". Calgary Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "GREWAL JASDEV - Obituaries - Winnipeg Free Press Passages". passages.winnipegfreepress.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Meet Calgary's new mayor: Who is Jyoti Gondek?". The Sprawl. October 9, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Gondek, Prabhjote (January 29, 2014). "Pressures of Hybridity: An Analysis of the Urban-Rural Nexus". doi:10.11575/PRISM/27422. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ a b About Councillor Jyoti Gondek. City of Calgary. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "Ward 3 communities". Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  10. ^ Annalise Klingbeil, "Applications from citizens to serve on city groups plunge by 35 per cent". Calgary Herald, October 31, 2017.
  11. ^ Krause, Darren (October 31, 2020). "Developer campaign funding questions dog Calgary city councillors ahead of 11 community vote". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Toy, Adam (October 18, 2021). "Gondek sworn in as Calgary's mayor, declines to administer oath of office to Sean Chu". CBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  13. ^ Meet Calgary's Mayoral Candidates. CTV News October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Jyoti Gondek elected as Calgary's first female mayor". CTV News Calgary. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  15. ^ "Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek doesn't swear in Coun. Sean Chu, leaves it to justice - Calgary | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Markus, Jade (October 21, 2021). "'Fever pitch': Rallies for and against Calgary Coun. Sean Chu held at the same time Sunday". CBC News. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Henry, Marc (March 29, 2022). "No Honeymoon for Calgary's New Mayor". ThinkHQ Public Affairs. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "'Unusually low': New survey shows decline in Mayor Jyoti Gondek's early approval rating". CTV News Calgary. March 29, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Disapproval outweighs approval rating for Calgary Mayor Gondek in March poll - Calgary". Global News. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  20. ^ "New Calgary event centre deal finalized, construction expected to begin in 2024". Global News.
  21. ^ Kaufmann, Bill. "Citing its pro-Israel messaging, Gondek pulls out of city hall menorah lighting". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Calgary mayor won't attend annual menorah lighting ceremony". CTV News Calgary. December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rally to recall Mayor Gondek held at City Hall". CTV News Calgary. February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  24. ^ Strasser, S. (Feb 6, 2024) 'Calgarian behind petition to oust Mayor Gondek aims to draw attention to council leadership, recall process', Calgary Herald. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/petition-oust-calgary-mayor-8600-signatures-a-day
  25. ^ "'It stings a little bit': Calgary's mayor reflects on complexity of job amid recall petition". CTV News Calgary. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
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