Calgary’s top stories of 2013

By Tamara Elliott Global News

Posted December 20, 2013 2:12 pm

Updated December 20, 2013 2:13 pm

2 min read

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A flooded Calgary Stampede stadium is seen from a aerial view. (The Canadian Press /Jonathan Hayward) .

2013 will forever be remembered as the year of the flood. In June, the raging waters tore through southern Alberta, destroying entire communities and causing billions of dollars worth of damage. But Calgarians were resilient, with complete strangers pulling together to put the city back together. Mayor Naheed Nenshi was front and centre during the relief efforts, making him a star across the country and helping him sweep to victory in the October election.

A major issue during the election campaign was who should be on the hook for the ever-expanding suburbs, with many pitting developers against the city. The issue came to light thanks to an exclusive video tape obtained by Global News, where a prominent developer was seen presenting a plan to other homebuilders to try and defeat council members who were perceived to be anti-development.

2013 also saw the end of an era in provincial politics, when former premier Ralph Klein passed away in March. ‘King Ralph’ was remembered for his storied political career, controversial sound bites and being a man of the people. That same week, hockey fans’ hearts were broken after longtime Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, after nearly two decades with the Flames.