Summary#

Calgary City Council passed Bylaw 34M2026, the Mall Programming Fund Management Committee Bylaw, at third reading on September 22, 2026. It turns the existing committee, created by a 2001 Council resolution, into a committee governed by a bylaw. City staff say the goal is to meet provincial law requirements and clarify how the committee operates.

• The committee continues to help plan and deliver events on the 300 West block of Stephen Avenue Mall, using annual interest earned on a development contribution from Bankers Hall.
• The bylaw is intended to set out the committee’s mandate, membership, responsibilities and operations. City staff say it clarifies matters such as quorum (the minimum number needed to conduct business), voting and application review.
• Council passed the bylaw 14 to 0. The bylaw text itself was not included in the supplied material, so its detailed rules cannot be confirmed here.

What it means for you#

• People attending events or using Stephen Avenue Mall: The committee’s programming is intended to continue on the 300 West block. The report says the bylaw does not change the committee’s operations.
• People or groups seeking programming support: The report refers to application review, but the bylaw’s specific application rules are not available here. It does not establish what applicants must submit or how decisions are made.
• City staff and committee members: The committee continues, with City staff continuing to support it. Staff say the bylaw clarifies governance and roles.
• General public: The decision does not create a new independent organization or a new fund; the existing committee and fund continue.

Money#

City staff report no anticipated financial impact and no change to existing operating funding.

• The fund uses annual interest earned on a development contribution from Bankers Hall to support programming on the 300 West block of Stephen Avenue Mall.
• City staff say their support for the committee will not change. The report gives no dollar amount for the fund, its annual interest, or event spending.

What is unclear#

• The bylaw’s full text was not supplied, so its exact rules for membership, responsibilities, voting, quorum and application review cannot be verified.
• The available material does not say how applications are assessed, what decisions can be appealed, or what reporting the committee must provide.
• City staff say committee operations will remain unchanged, but the report does not describe the committee’s current membership or detailed procedures.
• Staff say members were informed. No public engagement was undertaken.

Case for#

• City staff say a bylaw is needed for the committee to continue operating in line with changes to provincial law requiring Council committees to be established by bylaw.
• Staff say clearer rules for roles, quorum, voting and application review can improve understanding of how the committee works.
• The committee supports annual events and activities on a specific part of Stephen Avenue Mall; the bylaw is intended to let that work continue.

Case against#

• City staff identify a risk that people interested in the committee may not understand the change from a Council resolution to a bylaw, causing confusion about roles and responsibilities.
• The bylaw’s text is not available in the supplied material, so readers cannot assess the exact governance or application rules Council adopted.
• No public engagement was undertaken, though committee members were informed.