79 Facts About Naheed Nenshi

Naheed Kurban Nenshi was born on February 2,1972 and is a Canadian politician who has been the leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party since 2024.

In March 2024, Naheed Nenshi announced he would run for provincial NDP leader, winning the leadership election held in June.

Naheed Nenshi re-entered politics in March 2024, when he announced he would run for leader of the Alberta NDP.

Naheed Nenshi was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Calgary and Red Deer County.

Naheed Nenshi was educated at the University of Calgary, serving as President of the Students' Union and receiving a Bachelor of Commerce in 1993, and completed a Master of Public Policy from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1998.

Naheed Nenshi was a constant debate opponent of Toronto Sun journalist Ezra Levant; Levant later became a recurring critic of Naheed Nenshi's policies.

In 2002, Naheed Nenshi wrote about how cities can retain young professionals and use resources effectively in a publication entitled "Building Up: Making Canada's Cities Engines of Growth and Magnets of Development".

In 2006, Naheed Nenshi was the chief author for "ImagineCalgary's 100-year plan".

Naheed Nenshi first ventured into politics in 2004, running unsuccessfully for a seat on Calgary's city council.

Naheed Nenshi has co-founded two citizens' groups aimed at improving Calgary's civic government.

In 2009, Naheed Nenshi was invited to become a founding member of Civic Camp, an active citizenship forum that encourages and enables Calgarians to actively engage and collaborate ideas in civic affairs.

Naheed Nenshi co-founded city hall watch dog group "Better Calgary Campaign".

Naheed Nenshi was an instructor in non-profit management in the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University and wrote a regular municipal affairs column for the Calgary Herald.

Naheed Nenshi's growing popularity led to greater scrutiny of his views, including a public dispute with Calgary Police Service chief Rick Hanson over the cost of policing the city.

Naheed Nenshi polled the strongest amongst younger voters, believed to be the result of his social media campaign.

Naheed Nenshi's win was viewed as a breakthrough for the use of social media as an election tool, and when considered with his faith and background, made international headlines.

Naheed Nenshi's election is seen as major signal of the shift in Albertan politics and the demography of Calgary.

Naheed Nenshi engaged voters with a mutual two-way dialogue as "politics in full sentences".

Naheed Nenshi promised to instigate changes to improve the transparency of City Hall's municipal affairs as one of his 2010 campaign statements.

Naheed Nenshi wanted free market factors to take hold of the housing market and developers to contribute to funding infrastructure to far-reaching suburbs by paying levies.

Naheed Nenshi indicated his intention to run for a 3rd term on November 4,2016.

Naheed Nenshi won re-election, with a smaller margin than his victory 4 years prior.

Early in 2013, Naheed Nenshi's council suspended relations with the Calgary branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association.

Naheed Nenshi declared that the CHBA and the Urban Development Institute were representing the housing industry poorly after a controversial article was published by the UDI.

Naheed Nenshi suspended relations with the UDI soon after the article was published.

Naheed Nenshi felt that it was more expedient for the city to deal directly with the construction industry.

In 2014, Naheed Nenshi's council had decided on the fate of a city-owned 'Midfield Mobile Home Park'.

Naheed Nenshi has ordered a probe into what he described as distasteful and shadowy possible violations of electoral laws.

Wenzel stated that his comments in the video were taken out of context and manipulated by Naheed Nenshi to promote an agenda.

The Naheed Nenshi administration completed capital public works projects approved by his predecessor Dave Bronconnier, including the westerly extension of the C-Train line, Peace Bridge, and the construction of a traffic tunnel to the Calgary International Airport, which has been completed.

Naheed Nenshi ordered a corruption graft probe into the finances of city-owned utility company Enmax after an unknown senior employee revealed lavish spending by former Enmax CEO Gary Holden in 2010 in an email report.

Candidate Naheed Nenshi warned that Enmax was a city-run company and funds were taxpayers'.

In 2011, Naheed Nenshi performed the ground breaking ceremony for Enmax's Shepard Energy Centre, a natural gas power plant capable of generating 800MW, more than half the electrical needs of Calgary.

Naheed Nenshi's council approved of the project which was planned during Bronconnier's term.

Naheed Nenshi described the proposal as "win-win-win" should the band decide to ratify the agreement, construction won't commence for two years.

Naheed Nenshi abolished the $3 park-and-ride fees to encourage more commuters to use Calgary's Public Transit.

The Naheed Nenshi administration initiated many programs to improve civic administration and clarify transparency of city political affairs, organized around themes such as "transforming government" and "cutting red tape".

Naheed Nenshi sought the advice of Calgarians for further feedback and ideas of how to make city services easier to access in 2012 for its third phase of cutting red tape.

Naheed Nenshi expressed intrigue at the prospect of the city hosting a second Winter Olympics in 2026 as Toronto announced its withdrawal from the 2024 Summer Olympics bid.

Naheed Nenshi confirmed that he has met with a group of Calgarian citizens who were meeting to discuss proposing a bid.

Naheed Nenshi has adopted a wait and see policy after the group organizes a detailed plan to the public.

Naheed Nenshi vacationed in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics and discussed the prospects of Calgary hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics with IOC officials.

In 2013, Naheed Nenshi supported the proposed Keystone XL pipeline network.

Naheed Nenshi urged Calgarians to seek assistance for mental distress urged support for their neighbors mental and emotional well-being during the disaster recovery.

Naheed Nenshi's name was used as a verb for a parody of the British WWII morale slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On", as "Keep Calm and Nenshi On".

The likeness of Naheed Nenshi wearing Scuba gear, was designed by Calgarian artist "Mandy Stobo" on T-shirts, to raise relief funds for the Red Cross.

Naheed Nenshi co-launched book published by the Calgary Herald entitled The Flood of 2013: A Summer of Angry Rivers in southern Alberta, which archived the paper's coverage of the flood.

Naheed Nenshi tasked former City transportation director Gordon Stewart with overseeing the reconstruction efforts.

Naheed Nenshi, commissioned a panel of engineering and environmental experts as well the community to recommend measures to mitigate damage from future floods.

Naheed Nenshi's score was based on how many times he voted against motions of capital spending with a sample of 73 motions pertaining to city finance.

Naheed Nenshi has encountered frustrations as his council finds it difficult to budget yearly with unsecured sources of provincial and federal funding.

Dave Bronconnier faced similar challenges as Naheed Nenshi managing a growing city.

Naheed Nenshi is tasked with completion of Bronconnier's necessary projects such as extension of the C-train.

Naheed Nenshi's government is experiencing a 5-year deficit, and will go into debt as it continues infrastructural spending.

Naheed Nenshi stated that taxes remained the lowest in Canada when compared to other major Canadian municipalities.

Naheed Nenshi suggested that the best way to avoid or mitigate the increases was to implement a policy diversified sources of funding besides property taxes.

In 2011, Naheed Nenshi was grand marshal of Calgary Pride, the city's gay pride parade.

In 2013 Naheed Nenshi proclaimed a "Trans Day of Visibility" as an awareness day for the challenges transgender and transsexual Calgarians face.

Naheed Nenshi criticized Quebec's proposed 'Charter of Quebec Values' legislature as contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In 2014, Naheed Nenshi delivered a speech to the Calgary Economic Development speakers' series on diversity.

Naheed Nenshi explained that there was a lack of ethnic and gender diversity among senior city staff.

Naheed Nenshi presided over the 100th anniversaries of many important city institutions and traditions, including the Calgary Public Library, Calgary Stampede, Mount Royal University, and Calgary recreation.

Naheed Nenshi was a principal architect of the Residential School system.

In municipal accordance to the Federal and provincial gestures of reconciliation with First Nations communities, Naheed Nenshi presided with Native leaders in a drumming ceremony honouring the permanent raising of flag of Treaty 7 along the provincial, national, and municipal flags outside city hall.

Naheed Nenshi accused council members of engaging in drunken revelries and drinking while on duty or during city sponsored functions.

Naheed Nenshi further added that he had received numerous complaints of councillors getting "blotto" and abusing narcotics.

However, according to an interview with the Calgary Eye Opener of the CBC News, Councillor Ward Sutherland explained that the titular "wild party" that Farrell referenced in her accusations occurred during the Christmas of 2007, years before Naheed Nenshi's current sitting council.

Naheed Nenshi stated that her charges were an insult to his colleagues.

Councillors have claimed that Farrell and Naheed Nenshi's accusations were not based on evidence, and they demanded that Naheed Nenshi either offers an apology if he could not support his claims.

Naheed Nenshi, who was not a member of the party, needed a special dispensation in order to stand for the leadership.

Naheed Nenshi won the party leadership race on the first ballot with 62,746 votes on June 22,2024, replacing former Premier Rachel Notley and becoming the party's ninth leader.

Naheed Nenshi faced his first electoral test as leader in the 2024 Lethbridge-West provincial by-election, which was won by the NDP's Rob Miyashiro.

On January 23,2025, Naheed Nenshi was acclaimed as party's candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona, with no other party candidates stepping up to challenge him.

Naheed Nenshi appeared on the 2024 edition of Canada Reads, advocating for the illustrated novel Denison Avenue by Christina Wong and Daniel Innes.

Naheed Nenshi was awarded the President's Award of the Canadian Institute of Planners in 2012, for implementing progressive ideas such as transparency.

Naheed Nenshi was ranked second most important person in Canada, next to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, by Maclean's magazine 50 top Canadians list for 2013.

On September 14,2014, Naheed Nenshi was honoured by the Elder Pete Standing Alone of Kainai First Nation, Blood Tribe with the Blackfoot name, A'paistootsiipsii, meaning "Camp Moving Leader [Clan Leader]", or "he who moves the camp and others follow".

Naheed Nenshi was awarded the World Mayor prize in 2014 by the City Mayors Foundation.

In 2017, Naheed Nenshi was awarded the 'Honorary Peace Patron' by the Mosaic Institute for contributions to strengthening the fabric of Canada.