Al Duerr
{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Alfred Herman Duerr
| image = Al-Duerr-Szmurlo.jpg
| caption =
| office = 34th Mayor of Calgary
| term_start = October 23, 1989
| term_end = October 22, 2001
| predecessor = Donald Adam Hartman
| successor = Dave Bronconnier
| office1 = Calgary City Council Alderman
| term_start1 = October 24, 1983
| term_end1 = October 23, 1989
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|1|29}}
| birth_place = Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Kit Chan
| alma_mater = University of Saskatchewan, University of Calgary
| religion =
|}}
Alfred Herman Duerr (born January 29, 1951) 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.Duerr focuses on family: Emotional mayor ready for `unknown': [Final Edition] Heyman, David. Calgary Herald [Calgary, Alta] 30 May 2001: B1 / FRONT.
Early life and education
Duerr was born January 29, 1951, in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, the fourth of six children. He attended Humboldt Collegiate.{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Ron |date=September 30, 1997 |title=Hectic pace blamed for Duerr's scare |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-hectic-pace-blamed-for-du/142248718/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=A8 |access-date=February 27, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last1=Steinhart |first1=David |last2=Collins |first2=Ron |date=September 30, 1995 |title=Mr. Mayor: Man from Humboldt, Sask., always had political stars in his eyes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-mr-mayor-man-from-humbo/142249457/}} and {{cite news |title=Page A6 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-mr-mayor-man-from-humbo/142249602/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |pages=A1-A6 |access-date=February 27, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}
Duerr graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in regional and urban development in 1973. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Calgary.{{cite news |last1=Braid |first1=Don |last2=Wilton |first2=Suzanne |date=May 29, 2001 |title=Duerr won't run again, sources say |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-wont-run-again-so/142250092/}} and {{cite news |title=Duerr: Heated race to replace mayor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-heated-race-to-rep/142250272/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |pages=A1-A2 |access-date=February 27, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}
Political career
Duerr was first elected as an alderman for Ward 9 on Calgary City Council in 1983 and was re-elected in 1986.{{cite news |last=Donville |first=Christopher |date=April 12, 1988 |title=Duerr to bow out of civic politics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-to-bow-out-of-civic/144173220/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B3 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Incumbent Mayor Ralph Klein resigned in the months before the 1989 municipal election to pursue provincial office{{cite news |author= |date=March 22, 1989 |title=Klein quits as Calgary mayor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-klein-quits-as-calgary/144172613/ |work=Vancouver Sun |agency=Canadian Press |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=A17 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} and Duerr contested and won the mayor's seat in the 1989 election.{{cite news |last=Cooney |first=Roman |date=October 17, 1989 |title=Duerr tramples the rest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-tramples-the-rest/144172176/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=A1 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} 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.{{cite news |last=Heyman |first=David |date=October 15, 2001 |title=End of an era for Mayor Duerr |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-end-of-an-era-for-mayor-d/144171195/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B4 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last=Heyman |first=David |date=October 16, 2001 |title=Bronconnier wins tight four-way race |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-bronconnier-wins-tight-fo/144171334/}} and {{cite news |title=Race: Longstaff gracious |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-race-longstaff-gracious/144171457/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |pages=A1-A2 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}
Duerr's time as mayor coincided with significant spending cuts by the federal government and austerity policies by Ralph Klein's provincial government. Provincial austerity would result in a significant reduction in grant funding for municipalities which in turn resulted in lower capital spending and public construction projects in Calgary.{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Chris |title=We could use the steady Mr. Beige in these tumultuous times |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/nelson-we-could-use-the-steady-mr-beige-in-these-tumultuous-times/ |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=The Calgary Herald |date=September 16, 2019}}
In 1991, Duerr would proclaim gay pride week in Calgary; however, he would deny future proclamations due to public pressure.{{cite web |title=Pride and Pre-justice (a recap) |url=https://calgarygayhistory.ca/tag/al-duerr/ |website=Calgary Gay History Project |accessdate=23 March 2020 |date=August 25, 2016 |quote=1991 is also the year Mayor Al Duerr famously proclaims gay pride week in Calgary but then denies future proclamations due to public pressure.}}
During his four terms, Duerr was considered one of the most popular mayors in the city's history. His conciliatory, managerial style and likeable personality made him well respected.{{cite news |last=Braid |first=Don |date=September 15, 2010 |title=City's social bonds are fraying |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-citys-social-bonds-are-f/137938534/ |work=Calgary Herald |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B5 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} 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.
In 1997 while serving as mayor, Duerr played the character of Mayor Wilkins in an episode of the television show Viper.{{cite web |title=Al Duerr |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240275/ |website=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=23 March 2020}}
Later life
He is the Chief Executive Officer of Emergo Projects International, and serves on the board of directors for two other companies in Calgary.{{cite web |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=23374021&privcapId=22449774&previousCapId=22449774&previousTitle=Armstrong%20Hospitality%20Group%20Ltd. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007111640/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=23374021&privcapId=22449774&previousCapId=22449774&previousTitle=Armstrong%20Hospitality%20Group%20Ltd. |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |title=Executive Profile: Al H. Duerr |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek |accessdate=2010-10-30}} He is a member of the Community and Partners Advisory Committee of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.{{cite web|url=http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/about/cpa_members.php |title=Representatives of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta |publisher=Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta |accessdate=2010-10-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706210541/http://www.libin.ucalgary.ca/about/cpa_members.php |archivedate=2011-07-06 }}
In 2014, 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. The Commission recommended against increasing the number of councillors for the City and instead recommended creating satellite offices for larger constituencies and increasing the budget of the councillor's office.{{cite news |last1=Markusoff |first1=Jason |title=Former mayor argues against adding councillors |url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Former+mayor+argues+against+adding+councillors/10267756/story.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=The Calgary Herald |date=October 6, 2014}}
Personal life
Duerr is married to Kit Chan and has two children.{{cite web |last=Berenyi |first=Valerie |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=f3b12ed6-f90d-4240-bd35-91f828dfa0c6 |title=Carly Duerr prefers scientific approach |work=Calgary Herald |date=2009-03-06 |accessdate=2010-10-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616073502/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=f3b12ed6-f90d-4240-bd35-91f828dfa0c6 |archivedate=2012-06-16 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box|
before=Donald Adam Hartman|
title=Mayor of Calgary|
after=Dave Bronconnier|
years=1989–2001|
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Calgary Mayors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duerr, Al}}
Category:Canadian people of German descent
Category:People from Humboldt, Saskatchewan