Calgarians have spoken and it’s not a whisper, it’s a roar. Jyoti Gondek is gone, and it’s hard to overstate the relief sweeping through every neighbourhood. For four years, this city languished under a mayor who preferred the spotlight of activism to the everyday struggles of regular folks. Gondek’s time in office was a parade of scandal, broken promises, and tone-deaf policies that shredded trust and unity, leaving Calgary bruised and bitter..FRANCIS: The deadly drug experiment BC refuses to end.Nobody should sugarcoat it. Right from the jump, Gondek told us what she was all about: grandstanding. Her first act as mayor was to declare a climate emergency, practically tripping over herself to grab national headlines. Meanwhile, what was actually happening in Calgary’s streets? .Crumbling infrastructure, sky-high mortgages, small businesses fighting to survive — the things politicians should care about were ignored.Her allergy to listening to regular people was glaring when she refused to attend a menorah lighting for Hanukkah, blaming the Israel-Hamas conflict. That excuse wasn’t leadership. It was cowardice. .GIESBRECHT: Richmond mayor warns property owners that the Cowichan case puts their titles at risk.She abandoned the Jewish community and snubbed basic Calgary decency. Residents across the spectrum called her out, showing just how badly she’d misread the city’s values.The hits kept coming. The blanket rezoning policy was an absolute circus. .Gondek rammed through plans to upend community neighbourhoods, making multi-unit housing the new normal, even in suburbs that didn’t want it. Public outcry boiled over to angry protests outside her front door. She branded regular citizens as backward for daring to question her vision. Disagreement wasn’t allowed. In Gondek’s Calgary, dissent was enemy territory. That’s not democracy, that's arrogance..MACPHERSON: Petition threatens independent school funding in Alberta.If you need proof of how deep the opposition ran, look at the historical recall petition against Gondek — the first time Calgary’s ever seen one. Thousands signed up to boot her from office. Even though the effort didn’t trigger a vote, the message was clear that Gondek’s regime wouldn’t be tolerated much longer. And then came the water main disaster in 2024. Whole neighbourhoods were scrambling for solutions, businesses were losing money, and families were frustrated. .Gondek’s response? Cryptic press conferences and confused instructions. She was in over her head, and Calgary paid the price. Previous mayors handled crises with poise, but Gondek just added to the panic.Behind closed doors, she splurged more than $112,000 on public relations firms, trying to repair her battered image with taxpayer money. .BARCLAY: The Conservative: Canada’s most openly oppressed minority.That’s right, while Calgarians struggled with basic needs, Gondek handed out cheques for consultants to polish her “brand.” Calls for an investigation flew from all corners, but her administration just shrugged off accountability..Even the arena deal didn’t escape controversy. What could have been a smart investment became another symbol of political favouritism. Instead of putting people first, Gondek carved out deals that lined corporate pockets — a slap in the face to small businesses and families desperate for honest leadership.No surprise that her approval ratings tanked. Gondek was booed at hockey games, jeered at festivals, and roasted on social media. .OLDCORN: Barber and Lich speak publicly about house arrest and new world of political dissent.If you think that was just a fringe group, think again. When voters of all backgrounds unite in disgust, it’s not an internet mob, it’s a city revolting against bad government.Most of her "hateful 8" councillors are following Gondek out the door to private life again. Gondek is the first sitting mayor to finish third in a re-election campaign, which shows Calgarians complete disgust with her time as mayor.Her downfall is more than electoral drama. It’s a lesson for every aspiring politician. You ignore regular people at your peril. .Calgary doesn’t want rulers. It wants neighbours who listen, serve, and lead with integrity.Gondek’s reign is finally over. Calgarians deserve to celebrate, but they shouldn’t forget the chaos she left behind. .THOMSON: Is this who we want to be?.Now comes the hard work of fixing a city battered by years of activist mismanagement — water pipes, roads, public trust. The kind of basics Gondek abandoned.The nightmare is done. Calgary is awake and it’s taking back control.
