President Doug Webb welcomed a strong turnout of Rotarians and guests to the Glencoe Club for a luncheon featuring Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas. Madeleine King opened the meeting with an invocation centred on gratitude, appreciating the opportunity to gather safely, enjoy good conversation and continue Rotary’s tradition of service. She also shared a favourite Rotary tradition learned in Uganda: after a hard day of service, gathering together to quench your thirst is known as “swallowship.”
A special thank you to our front-of-house volunteers: Ann Haessel, Barb Young, Bridget Fox Luzny and Angeline Hayes at the sign-in table, and Dorothy Loucks, our Greeter/Sgt at Arms. We appreciate you being there to welcome our members and many guests.
Club business began with a special edition of Free Happy Bucks, with members sharing an anniversary, a birthday and some especially good Rotary news: the District received the Doug Logan District Growth Award, recognizing two years of growth.
The Club also paused to remember longtime Rotarians Tom Tait and John Boyd, whom Doug described as two of the kindest people he had known through Rotary and an important part of what makes the Club special. Club eulogies honouring their lives and service will be shared at the September 22 luncheon.
A special highlight was the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellowship to Shelley Zuck-Shorter, Vice-President at Tourism Calgary. George Brookman recognized Shelley’s extraordinary contribution to bringing the 2025 Rotary International Convention to Calgary and helping make it such a success. In accepting the honour, Shelley credited the many partners and Rotarians who helped “roll out the blue carpet” for the convention, which she noted generated approximately $100 million in economic impact for Calgary.
Coming Up at Rotary:
September 23 — Adopt A Village
More than a fundraiser, the evening will offer an opportunity to hear firsthand stories about the impact of the Adopt A Village program in Uganda and efforts to extend the model to communities in other countries. Dave Leslie, Barb Young, PDG Manon Mitchell and Michael Broadhurst (pictured below) each shared examples of how access to wells, beekeeping and other opportunities can help create sustainable sources of income.
September 24 — Valley View School BBQ
Volunteers are still needed for the BBQ at Valley View School, one of the Club’s Stay in School schools. Members were encouraged to pick a shift and lend a hand.
September 25 — Pizza & Wine
Fellowship continues with a pizza and wine pairing evening at Market Wines in University District. Members interested in attending can register through ClubRunner.
October 5 & 6 — GenWell
Members were encouraged to watch the COG for more information about upcoming GenWell activities (see info below).
Mayor Farkas on Calgary’s Growth
Introduced by Joe Fras, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas described his visit to the Club as something of a Rotary “homecoming.” A former U of C Rotaractor and current member of the Rotary Club of Heritage Park, he drew a natural connection between Rotary’s commitment to service and the responsibility of building strong communities.
Among the themes Mayor Farkas addressed was the challenge of preparing Calgary for continued growth. While acknowledging pressures including affordability, public safety, economic uncertainty and aging infrastructure, he expressed optimism about Calgary’s future, pointing to continued population growth, business investment and families choosing to build their lives here.
Infrastructure was a particular focus. The Mayor spoke about the need to plan not simply for the Calgary of today, but for a wider region approaching two million residents and eventually beyond. He cited an infrastructure deficit approaching $50 billion over the next decade, saying Calgary cannot continue to grow with infrastructure designed for a much smaller city.
He pointed to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main as an example of the urgency he wants Calgary to bring to major projects. According to the Mayor, work initially expected to take four years is being delivered in approximately 11 months, on time and on budget. He argued that Calgary must make difficult decisions, establish priorities and invest earlier rather than allowing necessary work to become more costly through delay.
At the same time, Mayor Farkas emphasized that infrastructure investment must be accompanied by financial discipline, particularly when families themselves are carefully watching their spending.
Perhaps the theme most closely aligned with Rotary was the Mayor’s emphasis on service and personal responsibility. Strong communities, he reflected, do not happen by accident. They are built by people who see a problem, take responsibility and are willing to roll up their sleeves to help solve it—a fitting message for a room full of Rotarians.
President Doug Webb ended the meeting with a lively presentation to George Brookman celebrating his many accomplishments and contributions to our club.
Next Meeting
Join us Tuesday, September 22 at the Palliser.
The Club will welcome Diane Francis for political and economic commentary and will share eulogies honouring the lives and service of Tom Tait and John Boyd.
