The leading candidates to replace Mayor Naheed Nenshi shared their vision for the future of real estate and housing in Calgary earlier this week at CREB^®'s Mayoral Forum.

You can always go downtown. At least that's what the song says.

Much has been written about the current woes of Calgary's Downtown Commercial Core. Office vacancies are approaching 30 per cent and many businesses and commuters are conspicuous in their absence from the area.

However, there are a significant number of Calgarians who have no intention of going anywhere, even after the workaday crowd goes home.

Beyond bricks and mortar, it's culture that speaks to the heart of the city. The annual Mayor's Lunch for Arts Champions is proof the arts community is not only alive, but thriving in Calgary.

This year's sold out lunch, held on March 22, once again brought together Calgary's business and art communities to recognize the important relationships that foster artistic achievement.

"We see leaders in our community create canvases for dreams to take shape," said Randy Ferguson, COO of Strategic Group, the Champion sponsor of the Mayor's Lunch. "That is what makes a great city. Not a good or a functional city, but a great city. One that people learn from, admire, and replicate."

Mayor Naheed Nenshi is in his third term in office after winning the municipal election in October. Recently he spoke with CREB®Now about issues facing the city and what he sees moving forward in 2018. Here is an edited version of that conversation.

A devastating hailstorm ripped through parts of Calgary on Saturday, shredding siding, breaking windows, pummeling vehicles and flooding streets.

Candidates spar at CREB® mayoral forum

Calgary's top three mayoral candidates discussed a variety of issues on Sept. 21 at CREB®'s Courageous Conversations, an exclusive forum focusing on housing-related issues critical to REALTORS® and the city.

Candidates Andre Chabot and Bill Smith joined incumbent Naheed Nenshi in CREB®'s W. Frank Johns Auditorium as the candidates took verbal jabs at each other over several issues.

The forum was hosted and moderated by CREB® CEO Alan Tennant.

Calgary's top three mayoral candidates discussed a variety of issues on Sept. 21 at CREB^®'s Courageous Conversations, an exclusive forum focusing on housing-related issues critical to REALTORS^® and the city.

CREB®Now looks back on 2016 with Calgary mayor

CREB®Now had the chance to sit down with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to get his birds-eye view on some of the city's most pressing issues over the past year, including who he believes is Calgary's hero for 2016. Here's what he had to say:

CREB®Now: There has been a lot of discussion regarding the cost of doing business in this city, both in the core and the suburban areas. What is the city doing to minimize their burden in the current economic climate?

Film centre represents just one example of efforts to transform local economy, say officials

Film production may be the world's glamour industry, but in Calgary it is shooting to become a new driver of Alberta's diversified economy.

Last week, the $28.2-million Calgary Film Centre opened in a Calgary southeast industrial park, about 20 minutes from downtown. The new facility includes three new sound stages spread across a total of 50,000 square feet and three multi-purpose workshop spaces offering an additional 15,000 square feet.

Calgary Economic Development president and CEO Mary Moran said the film and television industry is just one sector being focused on in attempt to diversify the local economy. CED predicts it could provide an annual $500-million injection into the economy in as little as five years, compared to its $175-million share today.