Naheed Nenshi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Naheed Nenshi
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Nenshi in 2015
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| Leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office June 22, 2024 |
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| Deputy | Rakhi Pancholi |
| Preceded by | Rachel Notley |
| 36th Mayor of Calgary | |
| In office October 25, 2010 – October 25, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Dave Bronconnier |
| Succeeded by | Jyoti Gondek |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Naheed Kurban Nenshi
February 2, 1972 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (municipal) |
| Alma mater | University of Calgary Harvard University |
| Profession | Associate professor; management consultant |
Naheed Kurban Nenshi (born February 2, 1972) is a Canadian politician. He became the leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) in 2024. Before this, Nenshi was the 36th mayor of Calgary. He was first elected in 2010 and served three terms. He decided not to run for mayor again in 2021. In March 2024, Nenshi announced he would run to be the provincial NDP leader. He won the leadership election in June.
Nenshi won the 2010 mayoral election with 39% of the votes. He was the first Muslim to become mayor of a major Canadian city. He was re-elected in 2013 with 74% of the votes. He won again in 2017 for a third term with 51% of the votes. After serving three terms, he did not seek re-election in the 2021 Calgary municipal election. Jyoti Gondek became the next mayor. During his time as mayor, he was seen as one of Canada's most popular mayors. He returned to politics in March 2024 to run for leader of the Alberta NDP. He won with 86% support, replacing former Premier Rachel Notley.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Nenshi was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Calgary. His parents, Kurbanali Hussein and Noorjah, were Ismaili Muslims. They came to Canada from Tanzania. His family had roots in Gujarat.
He studied at the University of Calgary. He was the President of the Students' Union. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1993. He then completed a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University in 1998. Nenshi worked for a company called McKinsey & Company. Later, he started his own consulting firm, 'Ascend Group'. This firm helped non-profit, private, and public groups grow. It also advised the United Nations on how companies could help society.
In 2002, Nenshi wrote about how cities can keep young professionals. He also wrote about using resources well. In 2006, he was a main writer for "ImagineCalgary's 100-year plan." He also helped start two groups to improve Calgary's city government. He was an instructor at Mount Royal University. He also wrote a column about city matters for the Calgary Herald newspaper.
Mayoral Campaigns
2010 Election Campaign
His 2010 campaign for mayor was called the "Purple Revolution." It used social media a lot to share his ideas and get people involved. The name "Purple Revolution" showed that the campaign wanted to appeal to many different people.
Before the election, polls showed Nenshi was gaining support. Days before the vote, a Calgary Herald poll showed he was tied with the other main candidates. He was most popular among younger voters, likely because of his social media use. Nenshi's popularity grew, and he won the election with 40% of the votes. He finished far ahead of the second-place candidate.
During the campaign, some of Nenshi's signs were damaged. A brick was also thrown through his office window. These acts were seen as being related to his background. His win was a big deal for how social media could be used in elections. It also made international news because of his faith and background.
2013 Election Campaign
In 2013, Nenshi started his re-election campaign. He shared who donated to his campaign before the election. He asked his opponents to do the same. This was part of his promise from 2010 to make City Hall more open.
Nenshi wanted to stop a $4,800 grant given to home builders. He believed this would save the city $33 million each year. He also wanted developers to help pay for new roads and services in new areas.
Nenshi won re-election by a large amount. He was sworn in a few weeks later.
2017 Election Campaign
During his first term, the length of council terms changed from three to four years. Nenshi said he would run for a third term in November 2016. On October 16, 2017, Nenshi won his third term. He received over 50% of the votes. His win was by a smaller amount than his victory four years earlier.
2021 Election Campaign
On April 6, 2021, Nenshi announced he would not run for a fourth term. Councillor Jyoti Gondek won the election to become the next mayor.
Mayor of Calgary
Housing Policies
Nenshi wanted the city to have more control over how Calgary grew. This was to manage urban sprawl, which was a key promise. His council often had disagreements with groups in Calgary's housing industry.
Nenshi also supported making "secondary housing" legal. These are often basement suites or separate units in homes. This was a solution to housing shortages. The city also made it easier to apply for permits for these suites.
He also worked to make housing more available for families. He supported the 'Plan to End Homelessness'. The city also has 'Attainable Homes', which helps provide homes for families who need them.
City Services and Buildings
After becoming mayor, Nenshi's council started many projects to improve Calgary. These included redeveloping the East Village area. New buildings like the New Central Library and the National Music Centre were part of this. The historic King Edward School was also saved to become an arts hub. These projects were funded by the Community Investment Fund. This fund uses tax money, including a refund from the provincial government.
The Community Investment Fund gave $252 million between 2012 and 2016. This money was for fixing and building new public recreation and community places. These included libraries, ice rinks, and swimming pools. The fund also helped community groups improve their facilities.
Nenshi's team also finished big projects started by the previous mayor. These included extending the C-Train line and building the Peace Bridge. A traffic tunnel to the Calgary International Airport was also completed.
Nenshi's council voted to stop adding fluoride to Calgary's drinking water. He personally supported it but wanted more research.
Enmax Utility Company
Nenshi ordered a review into the city-owned utility company Enmax. This happened after concerns were raised about spending by the former CEO, Gary Holden. Holden was reported to have spent a lot of money on parties and trips. He also greatly increased his own salary. Nenshi wanted to ensure that taxpayer money was being used wisely.
Holden resigned in 2011. After this, Nenshi's council and Enmax's board made changes. They lowered salaries for senior staff and set higher standards for bonuses. Enmax hired new leaders.
In 2011, Nenshi helped start the building of Enmax's Shepard Energy Centre. This is a natural gas power plant that can create a lot of electricity for Calgary. It cost $1.4 billion and was finished in 2015.
Transportation
The city built its first bicycle lanes in downtown Calgary. The goal is to have 30 km of cycle lanes by 2020.
In 2013, the city made a deal with the Tsuu T'ina people. This was to build a ring road, Stoney Trail, through some of their land. The Tsuu T'ina members voted to allow the road. In return, they received land and $340 million.
Calgary Transit System
Calgary Transit showed Nenshi's team the "RouteAhead" plan. This plan suggests investing $13 billion over 30 years to improve Calgary's public transit. The city is also upgrading C-train platforms to fit longer, four-car trains. The city council approved $200 million to buy 60 new four-car trains. These will replace older trains.
Nenshi ended the $3 park-and-ride fees to encourage more people to use public transit. Later, a $70 monthly fee was introduced for reserved parking.
Community Initiatives
Nenshi's team started programs to make city government better and more open. These were called "transforming government" and "cutting red tape." They aimed to make life and business easier for Calgarians. The "cutting red tape" effort saved Calgarians a lot of time and money.
In 2013, the city council passed a rule banning smoking in playgrounds and other places where children play.
2026 Olympics Bid
Nenshi was interested in Calgary hosting the Winter Olympics again in 2026. In 2016, the city voted to spend $5 million to study if hosting the Olympics would be good for Calgary.
Nenshi also visited the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He talked with IOC officials about Calgary hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The bid was later stopped after Calgary voters rejected it in a local vote.
Climate and Environment
In 2013, Nenshi supported the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. He said that pipelines could help reduce environmental damage from oil transport.
2013 Flood and Recovery
In 2013, a big flood hit Southern Alberta. Nenshi helped boost morale and encouraged Calgarians to support each other. He became very popular, and people made internet memes calling him "Supermayor." T-shirts with his image were sold to raise money for flood relief.
Nenshi helped launch a book about the flood by the Calgary Herald. Money from the book went to help flood victims. Nenshi also asked experts to suggest ways to prevent damage from future floods. The flood caused about $250 million in damages.
City Money and Taxes
The city started a 10-year plan to combine the business tax with the non-residential property tax. Calgary was one of the last cities to have a separate business tax.
Nenshi's council voted to stop salary raises for council members. They also limited raises for non-union city staff to 1.8% in 2014.
Property Tax Increases
As Calgary grew, costs of living and property taxes increased. Taxes started rising before Nenshi's time as mayor. During Nenshi's first three-year term, property taxes increased by 33%. They increased by another 14.37% during his second four-year term.
Nenshi and other Canadian mayors asked the federal government for more money for big projects. These included public transit and highways. Nenshi also worked with the mayor of Edmonton to create a city charter. This charter would clearly define the roles of provincial and city governments. This would help with funding and taxes.
Nenshi said that Calgary's taxes were still lower than other major Canadian cities. However, between 2010 and 2016, median property taxes increased by 52%.
Taxation in Second Term
For the 2014 budget, the city decided to use a $52 million provincial tax refund. This helped reduce a planned 6% increase in residential property tax to 5%.
In December 2013, Nenshi warned of possible tax increases of 5% over the next four years. He suggested that the city should get money from different sources, not just property taxes. He believed property tax was old-fashioned for funding big projects.
Property Tax Surplus
The city council asked Calgarians how to use a $52 million surplus from over-collected property taxes. After the 2013 flood, the city council voted to use this money for flood relief.
Fairness and Inclusion
In 2011, Nenshi was the grand marshal of Calgary Pride, the city's gay pride parade. He was the first mayor of Calgary to do this. In 2013, Nenshi declared a "Trans Day of Visibility." This day raises awareness about challenges faced by transgender and transsexual Calgarians.
In 2014, Nenshi spoke about the importance of ethnic and gender diversity in city staff. He said that while the city hired many minorities and women, they might not be getting promoted enough.
The term alderman was changed to the gender-neutral councillor during his time.
After winning the 2013 mayoral elections, Nenshi decided that City Hall would fly the rainbow gay pride flag. This was during the 2014 Winter Olympics to protest Russia's anti-gay stance.
Working with First Nations
The Canadian government began working towards reconciliation with First Nation people. Calgary's city council asked its Aboriginal advisory board to research social conditions. They created the 'White Goose Flying' report. This report aimed to address past harms from residential schools and other issues.
In 2017, the Langevin Bridge was renamed the Reconciliation Bridge. This was because its original name honored Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, who was involved in the residential school system.
Nenshi also led a drumming ceremony with Native leaders. This was to honor the permanent raising of the Treaty 7 flag outside City Hall.
City Charter
Nenshi and former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel worked with the Alberta government. They wanted to create city charters for Calgary and Edmonton. These charters would clearly explain the powers and duties of the cities. This would help them deal with unique development issues, like taxation.
On October 7, 2014, Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, Nenshi, and Edmonton mayor Don Iveson signed an agreement. This allowed them to create the charter by spring 2016. The agreement said cities would not get new taxing powers. However, they would have the power to create unique solutions for their specific problems.
Leader of the Alberta NDP
Leadership Campaign
After much talk, Nenshi announced he would run for leader of the Alberta NDP on March 11, 2024. He was not a member of the party at the time, so he needed special permission to run.
He won the party leadership race on the first vote. He received 62,746 votes (86%) on June 22, 2024. He replaced former Premier Rachel Notley and became the party's ninth leader.
Time as Leader
His first election test as leader was the 2024 Lethbridge-West provincial by-election. The NDP's Rob Miyashiro won this election. Nenshi did not run in that by-election. However, he is running in the upcoming Edmonton-Strathcona by-election. This election is happening because Rachel Notley resigned. On January 23, 2025, Nenshi was confirmed as the party's candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona. No other candidates challenged him.
Outside Politics
Nenshi appeared on the 2024 edition of Canada Reads. This is a book competition. He supported the illustrated novel Denison Avenue.
Awards and Recognition
Nenshi and two other Canadians won a Young Leader award from the World Economic Forum in 2011. This was for his new ideas in city planning.
In 2012, Nenshi received the President's Award from the Canadian Institute of Planners. This was for his ideas like transparency.
Maclean's magazine ranked Nenshi as the second most important person in Canada in 2013. He was only behind Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
On September 14, 2014, Nenshi was honored by Elder Pete Standing Alone of the Kainai First Nation. He was given the Blackfoot name, A'paistootsiipsii. This means "Camp Moving Leader" or "he who moves the camp and others follow." The name shows his leadership for the people of Calgary.
Nenshi won the World Mayor prize in 2014 from the City Mayors Foundation. He was the first Canadian mayor to win this award.
In 2017, Nenshi received the 'Honorary Peace Patron' award. This was from the Mosaic Institute for helping to strengthen Canada.
Images for kids
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Nenshi in 2015
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Nenshi speaking to supporters and media shortly after being projected to win
