Dale Hodges, Calgary's longest serving city council member, dies at 82

Dale Hodges, the longest serving member in the history of Calgary city council, died in hospice on Sunday at 82 years old following a lengthy illness. Hodges was first elected as alderman for Ward 1 in 1983, setting in motion a 30 year career that spanned 10 consecutive terms until health issues led to his retirement in 2013.

Hodges’ lengthy tenure as councillor saw the city host the 1988 Winter Olympics, complete the much anticipated northwest LRT line and expand several parks and recreation facilities. Known for his commitment to local green spaces, Hodges was invited back to council chambers in 2017 in a surprise move to .

Dale Hodges Park is located in his old ward, adjacent to Bowmont Park, and Hodges played a key role in transforming the land from a gravel pit into a well used park. “I didn’t think I would last 30 years, but as it turned out, I did,” Hodges said at the time. “My health wasn’t exactly good … If that hadn’t happened when it did, I might not have retired.” The politician was also, for a time, embroiled in a tiff with the Hells Angels.

In the early 2000s, the then president of the Hells Angels’ local chapter, Ken Szczerba, had plotted to blow up Hodges’ home after the councillor blocked plans for a new clubhouse for the motorcycle gang. Szczerba was jailed for a year after a trial that saw Hodges testify against the gang boss.

Hodges is survived by his wife of 52 years, Yvonne, as well as family and friends. A memorial service is set to be announced in the coming days. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Dale Hodges Graduate Scholarship in Political Science at . X:.