City passes bylaw for transformation advisory committee

Summary#

Council passed Bylaw 30M2026, the Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Bylaw, at third reading on July 28, 2026. It turns the existing Arts Commons Advisory Committee’s terms of reference into a bylaw, as City staff say is required under changes to the Municipal Government Act. The stated goal is to meet those legal requirements and update the committee’s name and mandate.

  • The existing committee is now named the Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee.
  • The committee’s mandate now includes Olympic Plaza Transformation.
  • The bylaw clarifies the term of non-Council committee members and updates wording to reflect current project governance practices.

What it means for you#

  • Committee members: The terms of non-Council members are clarified. The supplied materials do not state what those terms are.
  • Residents and project participants: The committee’s mandate includes Olympic Plaza Transformation. The materials do not explain what role the committee will have in that work.
  • City Council and staff: The committee is established by bylaw rather than by terms of reference. This is an administrative change; the report says it is not expected to affect City services.

Money#

City staff report no anticipated financial impact and no direct effect on current or future capital budgets.

  • The materials give no estimate of staffing or administrative costs.

What is unclear#

  • The full text of Bylaw 30M2026 and the summary of changes are not included in the supplied materials, so the committee’s full powers, duties and membership rules could not be verified.
  • The materials do not explain how adding Olympic Plaza Transformation changes the committee’s work or how it will interact with other project groups.
  • The bylaw’s start date is not stated in the supplied materials.

Case for#

  • City staff say the bylaw brings the committee into line with 2022 changes to the Municipal Government Act requiring Council committees to be established by bylaw.
  • City staff say updating the name to Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee reflects the organization’s 2024 name change and the project’s rebranding.
  • The bylaw clarifies non-Council members’ terms and updates the committee’s mandate and governance wording.

Case against#

  • The supplied report does not explain the practical effect of adding Olympic Plaza Transformation to the committee’s mandate.
  • The full bylaw is not included in the supplied materials, limiting what can be assessed about the committee’s powers and membership rules.
  • The report says public communication or engagement was not required for this administrative update. The materials do not include concerns raised about the changes.

Votes

Calgary City Council, item 9.4.9 (Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Proposed Bylaw, ACA2026-0480): That with respect to Report ACA2026-0480, the following be adopted: That Council give three readings to the Proposed Bylaw 30M2026 Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Bylaw.

For (100%)

Calgary City Council, item 9.4.9 (Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Proposed Bylaw, ACA2026-0480): That Bylaw 30M2026 be introduced and read a first time.

For (100%)

Calgary City Council, item 9.4.9 (Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Proposed Bylaw, ACA2026-0480): That Bylaw 30M2026 be read a second time.

For (100%)

Calgary City Council, item 9.4.9 (Werklund Centre Transformation Advisory Committee Proposed Bylaw, ACA2026-0480): That Bylaw 30M2026 be read a third time.

For (100%)