Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s genesis story is well known by now, an outsider with a geeky love of municipal politics who rose to power with the promise of politics in full sentences and who captured the attention of national and international audiences. He was the first Muslim mayor of a big Canadian city, a kid from the city’s northeast with an academic pedigree, a very active Twitter account and a penchant for the colour purple. On Tuesday, however, the geeky outsider-turned-insider announced he would not run again after three turbulent terms. That 11-year span included massive flooding, a sharp economic downturn, a pandemic, sometimes acrimonious fights over what Calgary is and could be, but also systemic changes to budgeting, growth and communities. Nenshi said it was a decision he’s been struggling with for some time, and made the call to bow out only this past Thursday. “I think it’s the right decision for me and I hope it’s the right decision for Calgary.… I have sought advice from a lot of folks, but the hardest conversations and the most difficult conversations were with myself,” he said in an interview with CBC’s Scott Dippel on Tuesday. WATCH | Why Naheed Nenshi is not running again. “If we learned anything this year, it’s that there are many voices in our community … there are many voices that haven’t always felt heard, and it felt like the right time to make some room.” So what is his legacy? Calgary in a new light Jack Lucas, a University of Calgary associate professor in the political science department, says Nenshi helped to change how others perceive the city. Former prime minister Stephen Harper, centre, with former Alberta premier Alison Redford, left, and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, speak to the media with the flooded Bow river behind them on June 21, 2013.(Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) “It was national news when he was elected in 2010 and really kind of made people across Canada wake up and understand that Calgary was a big, urban, diverse, rapidly growing place with all of the characteristic features of any large urban metropolis,” he said. “And it was a more diverse and, I don’t know, urban place than people outside Calgary tended to picture. It has this sort of image that Nenshi maybe helped shake up a little bit.” Nenshi was a business prof at Mount Royal University and a former McKinsey & Company consultant with a master’s degree from Harvard, after all. But it’s not just all perception when it comes to Nenshi’s legacy. Emerging from a group called Civic Camp that was pushing for a more urban vision for the city, Nenshi was elected on a mandate to curb sprawl and breathe more life into communities. During his time in office, he managed to eliminate the so-called sprawl subsidy that forced the city to pay a hefty chunk for developers to build on the outer fringes of the city. Mayor Naheed Nenshi urged calm and patience throughout the pandemic that struck in 2020. (Mike Symington/CBC) He also helped push through the bus rapid transit network and the route ahead plan for transit that helped fund the as-yet-unbuilt Green Line LRT. He oversaw the construction and opening of the new central library, and chaperoned the expansion of the East Village and Rivers District on downtown’s eastern edge. Then there was the approval of food trucks and the addition of four big rec centres. The approval of secondary suites was moved out of the council chambers, where the hearings would sometimes logjam meetings for days. WATCH | What Naheed Nenshi hopes his legacy will be. Nenshi laughed when asked to narrow it down to just one accomplishment, but said he’s particularly proud of a less flashy achievement. “What I’ve done that doesn’t get a lot of press is the work we’ve done to make city hall work better,” he said, adding that the work isn’t done. “Cities are never done. We’re always changing, we’re always adapting, there will always be more dragons to slay.” Noel Keough, who co-founded Civic Camp, says Nenshi was able to push through some of the group’s vision, including more affordable housing, developer levies and more inclusive budgeting processes, but was also stymied by the nature of council politics. “So I would say, you know, he’s attempted to do many of those things. He’s had some success. But it’s limited by the kind of overall conservative nature of Calgary,” said Keough. ‘Social infrastructure’ Joe Ceci, the NDP’s municipal affairs critic and the former finance minister, served under two mayors when he was a Calgary councillor. He says Nenshi seemed to have some growing pains through the first years as he wrestled with just how a council works, but once he found his footing, he pushed hard for the city. “I always saw him as fair, you know, dragging, pushing, prepared when it came to meetings, he worked well with other mayors. Him and [Edmonton’s] Don Iveson were a pretty formidable duo of big city mayors to deal with,” said Ceci. Calgary Central Library’s new location opened in 2018 with the support of Mayor Naheed Nenshi. (Michael Grimm) Nenshi, along with Iveson, wrangled more power for Edmonton and Calgary by signing charters with the province under the NDP government. Ric McIver, the current minister of municipal affairs who ran against Nenshi for mayor in 2010, did not respond to a request for an interview. For Ceci, Nenshi stands out for his talent at communication, particularly during crises like the 2013 floods, when citizens were begging him to get some rest as he tirelessly kept the city updated and tried to boost spirits. Ceci also gives him credit for engaging more young people in civic politics, and for his efforts outside of brick-and-mortar priorities. “He certainly focused on a lot of social infrastructure in the city. Things like reconciliation were important for him and he showed great sensitivity towards that and anti-racism work, support for the LGBTQ+ community, support for affordable housing development in the city,” he said. Partisanship and perception Lucas says Nenshi remained focused on non-partisanship at the municipal level, but that the perception of him as a politician and partisan changed over the course of his time in office. “I really wish we had great survey data from 2010 because my guess is that if you had asked people in 2010 where Nenshi stands ideologically, their responses would have been very mixed,” he said. Nenshi was re-elected for his third-term as Calgary’s mayor in 2017. (CBC) “Then in 2017, where we do have good high quality survey data on this, and again in 2018, you see that Calgarians think of Mayor Nenshi these days as being firmly left of centre, and I think that’s been a trajectory that Mayor Nenshi has consistently tried to resist.” Lucas thinks a lot of that perception is due to opponents trying to define Nenshi for their own reasons. “It becomes difficult to resist that claim, especially if you’re not comfortable resisting it by saying, ‘No, I’m not a left winger, I’m a right winger,'” he said. On that front, Nenshi’s legacy is a mixed bag. There are the transit projects and the social infrastructure that Ceci notes, but there are also the budget cuts and zero-based budget reviews and red-tape reductions that many would associate with a more conservative politician. Under Nenshi’s leadership, the city has transformed the way it doles out cash, and the overall budget has been slashed by hundreds of millions. Of course, it hasn’t always been a smooth, or popular, ride. Challenges As much as Nenshi is known as a great communicator, he’s also been known to put his foot firmly in his mouth. He was caught on camera calling the CEO of Uber a “dick,” and has been widely criticized for acting like the smartest guy in the room. He was taken to court, accused of defamation by Calgary developer Cal Wenzel, and is currently facing another defamation suit by another Calgary businessman. The Wenzel case was settled out of court. Representatives from the three groups behind the Flames arena deal pose for a photo after it was approved by council. From left: Barry Munro, who handled negotiations for the city; Coun. Ward Sutherland; John Bean of CSEC; Mayor Naheed Nenshi; Ken King of CSEC; Stampede CEO Warren Connell; Coun. Jeff Davison; and Coun. Shane Keating.(Audrey Neveu/Radio-Canada) Nenshi has never shied away from a war of words. He fought with the Calgary Flames ownership in the lead up to an arena deal, he fought developers, he even fought some councillors. He’s been criticized for overseeing an increasingly fractious council that’s grappling with big issues. Nenshi’s time in office coincided with a hollowing out of the downtown core, brought on by a long-term decline in the price of oil that started in 2014. The city has struggled with a tax shortfall caused by the empty downtown towers, and recently voted to once again subsidize business taxes in order to reduce the impact of skyrocketing rates outside of the core. The Flames got their arena with $225 million in funding from the municipality just as the city was announcing cuts to transit service, and Nenshi watched as his dream of hosting the Olympics was voted down by Calgarians in a plebiscite in 2019. He will likely leave office before construction of the massive Green Line LRT line begins, due to delays brought on by a provincial government often at the receiving end of Nenshi’s verbal barbs. Nenshi said this job has been the greatest honour of his life and he hopes to stay involved in the city’s story. Stepping down isn’t a decision based on term limits. “I don’t believe that folks, you know, who say politics shouldn’t be a career, [they] don’t want professional politicians. Look, I want a professional electrician doing my wiring … I want a professional plumber. Why wouldn’t I want a politician who knows what they’re doing?” he said. “Right now, there’s a huge part of me saying, ‘What are you doing, you’re in your dream job, you’ve been able to have impact, you’ve been able to make change.'” But, he said, the decision is about more than just him. “It’s not just about me … there’s 1.3 million people here whose visions we have to listen to.” Legacy So was he successful? Lucas says he will leave it to others to judge Nenshi’s policy successes while reiterating the mayor’s accomplishments at changing perceptions of Calgary both within and outside of the city. Keough feels the same, suggesting some of the young and progressive candidates running for council seats in October’s election are there because Nenshi showed it’s possible to run, and win, even if you don’t fit the Alberta conservative stereotype. He wishes, however, that the mayor had done more to push the city away from its reliance on oil and gas and fought harder against ongoing suburban development on the city’s edges. For Ceci, he’s unequivocal. “No hesitation to say yes. I think early on he had some challenges in terms of understanding what the consensus building role of a mayor is about, and I think he definitely learned how to do that more often and better, as he got further into the work,” he said. “The things that council was able to achieve, when they were working together, is pretty remarkable.” Mayoral candidates and sitting councillors Jyoti Gondek and Jeromy Farkas thanked Nenshi for his years of public service following his announcement. “Mayor Nenshi has been a strong advocate for our city. He will be missed on council,” Gondek said. Nenshi said he’s been thinking back to words he said when first elected a decade ago. “‘Calgary is different than it was yesterday, today … and not because of me, because of you. Because of all of you Calgarians who have embodied a new vision for the city.’ And that’s what I remember today, as emotional as I’m getting … the city is going to get even better.” As for his own future — Nenshi turns 50 shortly after the next election — he isn’t sure what’s next. “I really have no idea. I’m going to do something that’s uncharacteristic for a big planner like me and open myself up to the universe.” WATCH | What Naheed Nenshi plans to do next. He also isn’t saying whether he plans to endorse any mayoral candidates, but he does have some advice for the next person to take up the role. “My advice is never forget that people have given you their dreams. It’s an incredible responsibility but its a responsibility you have to embody every minute of every day.”
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
