Madeline King was awarded the Immigrant of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award in Calgary and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award in Alberta in 2022. An active Rotarian and former President of the Downtown Club, she is also the author of two memoirs: Expulsion (2020) and Caring for the Heart of Our City (2026). During her presentation, she spoke about her second memoir, which reflects on her time as a City Councillor (then Alderman) from 2001 to 2007.

Representing an inner-city ward during a period of rapid suburban expansion, Madeline was a strong advocate for ensuring the core was not overlooked as infrastructure and funding flowed outward. She worked to address aging infrastructure and protect green spaces, while also supporting the development of Calgary’s transportation network with a focus on traffic calming in established neighbourhoods. She played a key role in shaping the Beltline into a vibrant, mixed-use community and contributed to the revitalization of Central Memorial Park.

Madeline described herself as an activist councillor who, over time, built collaborative relationships with mayors and colleagues holding diverse perspectives. Her committee work exposed her to the wide scope of municipal governance—where decisions could range from local concerns like stray cats to approving multimillion-dollar capital projects in the same meeting.

Following a narrow electoral loss in 2017, she found inspiration and encouragement in an outpouring of support from colleagues, community associations, and municipal leaders from across the region.                                   

Link to video presentation