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Born in Kenya to Indian parents, Alnoor Kassam later moved to London, England and earned his chartered accountant designation. After working as an auditor, he began a career as an entrepreneur.
Over the years, he has taken part in dozens of business ventures ranging from taxis in London; to matchsticks, credit cards and banks in Kenya; to hotels and executive suites in Canada.
 “I’ve lived in many great cities,” he says. “I live in Calgary because it’s the one I like best…it really is world class.”
Kassam has lived in North America since 1993, and in Calgary since 2005. He ran for mayor of Calgary in 2007, but was defeated by incumbent Dave Bronconnier.
With dinner do you prefer water or wine?
Water.
Favourite home-cooked meal?
My mother’s curry, which is mild. With rice, chipatis, an Indian lassi and masala chai.
When you have a little down time, what is your favourite thing to do?
I spend most of my down time meditating, reading spiritual books and listening to music. That’s when I want quiet time. When I want action, I ski, I rollerblade, I run, and I go fly-fishing on the Bow River.
Fondest memory of Calgary?
My first year in Calgary, I owned Hotel 5, and on my fiftieth birthday I woke up feeling alone. I had no family here in Calgary. I walked down from my office, and all around the hotel, the staff had set out 50 stuffed buzzards. You know, there’s the saying about the old buzzard.
I’d been here less than a year and my staff treated me like I was family. Then colleagues surprised me with a lunch and then also a dinner party. I felt like I had landed in heaven.
Are you a dog or a cat person?
I’m a dog person, and that’s why when I am mayor, I will change the licenses so there are licenses for the lifetime of a dog and also licenses for the lifetime of a cat. Right now, you have to renew licenses each year.
What album did you listen to last?
Well, my anthem is John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
First teenage job?
At age seven, I started selling marbles I had won in games, because I knew the trend would change and we’d move from marbles to something else. I worked at my parents’ gas station as a teenager.
Guilty pleasure movie?
Any of those chick flicks or romantic comedies with Renee Zellweger or Julia Roberts.
Favourite film of all time?
Ghandi.
Favourite actor/actress?
Julia Roberts, Sidney Poitier, Laurence Olivier.
Dream roadtrip/weekend getaway?
Spending a weekend with God.
Favourite Canadian band or artist?
Celine Dion. She’s a great entertainer and ambassador for Canada.
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Any challenges in the campaign?
It’s going as well as I expected. We have a good team in place.
I’d like today to be October 18. I’m a man with a mission and I’m in a hurry, so waiting is the difficult part. I wish we’d have the election and move on.
Any challenges you feel you may face as mayor?
The bureaucracy at City Hall does not take the attitude that they are there to serve Calgarians. Not all of them, but some of them, especially at the management level. My challenge will be to change that culture so Calgarians feel City Hall belongs to them.
We also still have a lot of improvements to make concerning crime, including having police on the streets like the English Bobbi.
We need to make Calgary a more alive city.
Calgary is a city of entrepreneurs and private sectors. Let the private sector do things that they are better at. We should stick to keeping the streets safe, planning…but planning quickly.
As mayor, how would you help create a more cohesive council?
I would get the alderman to be responsible for particular departments, from the budgeting process to conflict management. I’d give them responsibilities over and above what is happening in their ward. If they were given more responsibility, just like ministers are given portfolios, there would be more cohesion. It’s giving them responsibility.
Just like in a business, you could take aldermen on a workshop with an outside facilitator and coming up with a shared vision of what we want Calgary to be. We need to figure out the top three or five priorities and zero in and get them done.
What makes a city “vibrant?”
Sante Fe, New Mexico is a small town, but it has the most vibrant arts culture you can imagine. They have a street with a few hundred art galleries back to back. For me, that is a world-class facility. And people go to Sante Fe just to see art.
So for example, you could take Inglewood and make it more like Sante Fe.
What have they done in New York? We go there to eat. There are tons of great restaurants. You need to encourage the restaurants and make it easy for them to operate. And people will come from around the world to Calgary if we have more of these activities.
It’s about letting communities do what they want to do. If you want to get a license for a community festival, it is a nightmare from City Hall. We have to have our unique personality.
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Favourite sitcom to watch growing up?
Bonanza.
Favourite series now?
I don’t watch any sitcoms. I watch the news. I flip channels between BBC, CNN and CBC.
Last great book you read?
The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. I’m actually reading it for the second time right now.
What is your most treasured possession?
My soul.
If you could go back in time to meet one person, who would it be?
Jesus Christ, Buddha and Mohammed. They seem to have made a profound impact on the world by simple vision and leading through examples. Two thousand years later, they are still being revered. They’re still being cherished and I’m sure that the real human part of them and the archetype is different, but I’d still love to be at their feet listening to them.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Myself. Or Ben Kingsley.
What is your greatest artistic talent?
Problem solving in tough situations, being able to connect the dots, and being able to work with others and combine ideas.
What talent would you like to have?
I’ve always wanted to be able to play the harmonica. It’s small, convenient and makes a lot of noise. My father played it without ever having studied music. I actually took a few lessons.
The last time you sang?
I sang the day before yesterday, the song from Out of Africa, in the shower.
Do you have a motto in life?
Everything happens for a reason.
If you were a Star Trek or Star Wars character, who would you be?
Dr. Spock. I’ve got the funny nose, so I just have to get the funny ears.
If you had three shazams with a magic wand, what would you change in Calgary?
- The weather.
- The weather.
- The weather.
- Also, the culture: I’d create a culture where each Calgarian feels that they are a customer as well as a shareholder in the city. And each city employee would feel they are a shareholder giving a service to a customer.
- I’d make the whole operation transparent so that council meetings are open. There are too many in-camera meetings. It’s not necessary. I’d create transparency and accountability.
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