1. Alfred Herman Duerr was born on January 29,1951 and is a former Canadian politician who served as the 34th mayor of Calgary, Alberta from 1989 to 2001, and a city alderman from 1983 to 1989.
13 Facts About Al Duerr
1. 2.
Al Duerr was born January 29,1951, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, the fourth of six children.
3.
Al Duerr graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in regional and urban development in 1973.
4.
Al Duerr holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Calgary.
5.
Al Duerr was first elected as an alderman for Ward 9 on Calgary City Council in 1983 and was re-elected in 1986.
6.
Incumbent Mayor Ralph Klein resigned in the months before the 1989 municipal election to pursue provincial office and Al Duerr contested and won the mayor's seat in the 1989 election.
7.
Al Duerr would go on to be re-elected as mayor three more times in 1992,1995, and 1998 before deciding not to contest the 2001 election, which was won by former Alderman Dave Bronconnier.
8.
In 1991, Al Duerr would proclaim gay pride week in Calgary; however, he would deny future proclamations due to public pressure.
9.
Al Duerr was given the nickname of "Mr Beige" by local media columnists, and in the 1998 election would be challenged by local political columnist Rick Bell, although Bell's candidacy was not a serious attempt to contest the mayor's office.
10.
In 1997 while serving as mayor, Al Duerr played the character of Mayor Wilkins in an episode of the television show Viper.
11.
Al Duerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Emergo Projects International, and serves on the board of directors for two other companies in Calgary.
12.
Al Duerr is a member of the Community and Partners Advisory Committee of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.
13.
In 2014, Al Duerr was appointed Chair of the independent Calgary Ward Boundary Commission to examine the boundaries of Calgary City Council wards in time for the 2017 Calgary municipal election.