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a special information feature

(Left) Naheed Nenshi, mayor of Calgary (Right) Don Iveson, mayor of Edmonton

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary

What should come to mind when Canadians think of Calgary?

Community, diversity, vitality. The real strength comes from our sense of community. If you think back to the devastating floods in 2013, the enduring image is not of places under water or washed-out bridges – it's of people coming together to help neighbours and strangers recover from the tragedy.

What essential ingredients allow the city to grow with a strong social fabric? 

All the elements that inform an exciting urban vibe, like the arts, culture, sports, recreation, public spaces and public transit. In addition, we need to understand that it's not just up to politicians, businesses or non-profits – it's up to every single one of us to make this community better. Take the "three things for Calgary" for example, where every citizen should commit to do three things for the community every year, whether it's shoveling a neighbour's walk or lending expertise to a non-profit board.

What is Calgary's role in building on Alberta's success in the resource sector and diversifying the economy?

People across Canada are always surprised when I point out that the oil sands are a few hours' flight from here. So, if the actual resource is far away, why are those great head office jobs in downtown Calgary? Because it's a terrific place to live. I believe jobs don't attract people – people attract jobs. My job is to invest in making this a fabulous place so that the top graduating engineer or artist from Shanghai, Dubai or Mumbai or anywhere else thinks that Calgary is the place where she wants to pursue her career and invest in a wonderful community. Once you get that core critical mass of smart thoughtful people, the diversification will follow. It's not governments that create winners or losers, but they set the table for businesses to succeed. Calgary has the highest rate of tech startups per capita in Canada. We have an entrepreneurial culture where people support one another, whether you're looking for financing, mentorship or the ability to gain skills, you'll find it here.

What are the next milestones?

We've been ranked one of the cleanest and most livable cities in the world, the best place in Canada to raise a family, etc., but we are not resting on our laurels. We still need to make solid investments in public transit and alternative modes of transportation. We'll focus on making sure everyone has a safe, decent place to live and continue to make Calgary the best place to start and grow a business.

Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton

What should come to mind when Canadians think of Edmonton?

Edmonton is a pretty adventuresome city. Whether it's canoeing on the North Saskatchewan River, which is at the heart of the world's largest urban park, or internationally recognized farmers' markets and festivals, there is a lot going on.

What essential ingredients allow the city to grow with a strong social fabric?

Collaboration. In addition to large corporations, there is a long tradition of well-established small family-owned businesses that are great contributors to the community. It's a lovely blend of entrepreneurship and strong social bonds, with great philanthropy and volunteerism. What is Edmonton's role in building on Alberta's success in the resource sector and diversifying the economy?

Edmontonians have been embracing the imperatives to improve the performance of the resource economy. "Next year, we need to do what we do this year cheaper, cleaner, faster and safer," is how our head of economic development puts it. Increasing the efficiency in the industrial and resource extraction processes, especially in terms of energy, water, labour and materials, is an opportunity for innovation. The knowledge, techniques and products that come out of it have markets around the world and also present a great opportunity for Canada to show that we can improve our environmental footprint. By applying our thoughtful creativity, we can leverage today's resource economy to become tomorrow's knowledge economy. We see ourselves as problem-solvers when it comes to environmental challenges and are entrepreneurial about taking action.

What are the next milestones?

The city is coming into its own as one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. Right now, we have a big focus on our downtown. There are dozens of initiatives – from parks and cultural facilities, like our new downtown hockey rink and events centre, to the ambitious expansion of our light rail transit system – designed to bring more people and businesses downtown. The shift towards more walkable urban neighbourhoods is key for the city to grow in a responsible way. We also have a number of environmental initiatives, like our ongoing work with waste management. With our biofuel plant coming online, we'll soon be at 90 per cent diversion from landfill.

Edmonton is a very smart city that's been quiet for many years. We're leveraging the great K to grade 12 system, post-secondary institutions and businesses, and we're starting to make some noise.

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