Budget Leak, Snowbirds Final Flight & Mail‑in Ballot Surge — Calgary Thursday

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. Mayor calls leaked budget requests a ‘wishlist’ after confidential documents showed a 20.2% tax hit next year. Global News obtained preliminary budget papers presented to council on July 28 that said property taxes would need to rise 20.2% in 2027 to fund $510 million in extra operating spending; council told administration to narrow requests to fit a 15% tax increase next year and will review updated figures in a closed session on Sept. 22.

2. Elections Alberta moves mail-in deadline forward as applications surge to 290,000. Deputy chief electoral officer Dallas Stoesz said officials received about 65,000 more mail-ballot applications since Tuesday, bringing the total to 290,000 and prompting the application deadline to be moved up to Sept. 25 from Oct. 9 for the Oct. 19 referendum.

3. City presents alternate downtown routes for Calgary’s Green Line LRT. City hall published proposed alternate alignments for the downtown segment of the Green Line LRT project; council and administration will use those options in upcoming public engagement and decision timelines managed by the city.

4. ALERT seizes over $2 million in drugs and cash in Calgary raid on July 30. Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams reported seizures of more than $1 million in cash and about $1.2 million in suspected drugs from a Skyview home on July 30; two people were arrested and charged with trafficking, proceeds-of-crime possession and possession of a prohibited weapon.

🏈 Sports

1. Snowbirds to make final flight at 113th Grey Cup in Calgary on Nov. 15. The Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron will perform on Nov. 15 at McMahon Stadium as part of the Grey Cup celebration; the CT-114 Tutor jets are being retired after the 2026 season as the Snowbirds mark their 55th anniversary.

2. Prime Video schedules 27-game ‘Wednesday Night Hockey’; Flames appear four times. Amazon Prime’s 27-game package begins Sept. 30 and lists Calgary among teams with four appearances; the package streams regular-season games in English and French to Canadian subscribers under a 12-year sub-licensing deal with Rogers.

📰 Also Today

• One lamb shot and a second butchered near Wainwright, discovered between Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 on Highway 14.
• Front-line workers report support gap since Calgary’s supervised consumption site closed.
• The 10 most memorable wins in Eurovision history (listicle of 10 moments).
• Man injured in tour bus roll-over at Alberta’s Columbia Icefield.
• Poll: Winnipeg seen as Canada’s least safe major city by over half of 1,500 respondents.
• Sentencing expected for Crystal MacDonald, convicted in dog attack that killed 11-year-old Kache Grist.
• Court of Appeal overturns Alberta school board demand for trustee to apologise over meme.
• Woman seriously injured in pedestrian crash on Calgary’s 17th Ave.
• Vaccine-preventable illnesses flagged as Canadian kids head back to school.
• Alouettes can clinch CFL playoff berth with Friday win vs. B.C. Lions; Montreal 9-2.
• Alouettes aim to clinch playoff spot at home after 44-28 loss in Winnipeg.
• (Duplicate covered above) ALERT seized $2M in Calgary raid on July 30.