Why Canada Loves Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi, was awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize for his outstanding leadership and here at home, he dominates the attention of the Canadian political leadership landscape.

He continues to be the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. His vision of how a city should plan for its future has attracted the attention of urban thinkers from across the world.

Mayor Nenshi is a role model for decisive management, inclusivity and forward planning. He has also demonstrated strong leadership during disasters like the Alberta floods of 2013.

In a recent study commissioned by Progress Alberta, who surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 Albertans aged 18 and older, and found that Alberta’s most popular political leader is Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi with 58% of respondents saying they have a favourable impression of him compared with only 12% who have a negative impression.

Mayor Nenshi’s popularity extends across the province and among all demographic subgroups. While he is most popular in Calgary (70% of residents have a positive impression of their mayor), a majority of those living in Edmonton, central Alberta, and southern Alberta have a favourable impression as well.

While he is more popular among urban residents and among those with a university education, a majority of every demographic subgroup has a positive impression of Mayor Nenshi.

Below are some examples of how Mayor Nenshi engaes with his electorate and beyond – supporting the Calgary Pubic Library, Calgary Food Bank, Christmas storytelling to students, Meals on Wheels, Calgary Stampede and with Prime Minister Trudeau at the Calgary City Hall and World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Sources:

• Abacus Data: Progressives in Alberta
• Abacus Data report
• World Mayor | Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, Canada awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize

An Aside: On empowerment of girls and women and our role as dad-men-sons

Research, Insight & Perspective by A. Maherali