A significant shift in power unfolded at Calgary City Hall this week, as the newly elected council demonstrated unprecedented assertiveness towards the city's senior administration.
A Council Finds Its Voice
For perhaps the first time, the 14 councillors and Mayor collectively held the upper hand over the city's administrative officials. The dynamic, which often sees senior staff condescending to elected officials, was dramatically reversed during a special meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Key figures in the administration, notably City Manager David Duckworth and Chief Operating Officer Stuart Dalgleish, appeared before council in a defensive posture. The meeting extended into the evening for an in-camera session reviewing Duckworth's performance, with discussions even touching on the potential termination of his contract.
The Root of the Conflict: Withheld Information
The core of the conflict stems from the handling of the 2024 Bearspaw South feeder main disaster and a subsequent pipe burst on December 30, 2025. An independent expert report laid bare systemic failures, including a lack of pipe testing and repair, and a failure to build a redundant water line.
Most damningly, the administration failed to share a crucial interim report from the independent panel, which was delivered to them on October 15, 2025. This document, which outlined many of the problems later detailed in the final report, was kept secret from council. Councillors were left "flying blind" when the feeder main erupted again at the end of December, flooding the Trans-Canada Highway and stranding vehicles.
New Ward 1 Councillor Kim Tyers confronted Duckworth after the December eruption, demanding the final report, only to be refused on the grounds it was incomplete—with no mention of the already-received interim findings.
A New Era of Accountability
The administration's sudden and full-throated endorsement of every recommendation in the final report—including the formation of an independent water utility—rang hollow for many councillors. They noted that Duckworth and Dalgleish were in leadership roles throughout the period when the documented failures occurred.
The majority of new councillors, angered by the secrecy and the ongoing crises, made it clear they "won't be pushed around." This stance marks a stark departure from what some perceive as the more compliant council under former Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
This revolt signals a potential turning point for municipal governance in Calgary, where the elected officials are demanding transparency and accountability from the permanent bureaucracy, setting the stage for a more contentious and scrutinized relationship at City Hall.
