'We are one big family': Rotary optimistic about future as thousands attend Calgary convention

Amir Said · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 24, 2025 3:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 24

The Rotary International Convention is backmost successful town, nearly 3 decades aft it was archetypal held successful Calgary in 1996.

More than 15,000 radical from crossed the globe are expected to attend from June 21 to 25. It's poised to beryllium the largest in-person Rotary gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic, but considering the 1996 Calgary convention's attendance of 24,963 Rotarians, this twelvemonth marks a important alteration successful delegates. 

WATCH | Global gathering of Rotarians:

Jeff Foss, rank chairperson for the Southern Alberta Rotary District, acknowledged that section Rotary groups person taken a deed successful rank numbers since the pandemic.

"We've seen a flimsy diminution successful the past 5 years, but we're present starting to spot the upswing," helium said.

"The happening that I deliberation a batch of the clubs dealt with was the after-effects of COVID, and the disconnectedness that we each had arsenic a assemblage during COVID."

He said a diminution successful rank had "a longer history" and was "exacerbated" by the pandemic, but with COVID lockdowns successful Rotary's rearview mirror, Foss is optimistic astir the future.

"Now that we are past that, we're starting to spot a spot of a renaissance," helium said.

The pandemic near radical "longing for that quality transportation again," and that's thing work clubs similar Rotary tin provide, helium said.

The diminution successful rank predates the pandemic, and with that successful mind, Rotary International rank maturation squad vice-chair Taylor Huie said the enactment is expanding its efforts to prosecute young leaders.

"Just similar respective different service-focused organizations, our rank has benignant of aged with our organization," said Huie. "So implicit the past [15 years oregon so], our squad has truly focused connected however we tin champion service and prosecute with the younger population."

Huie said Rotary International has seen an wide summation successful rank worldwide, but not successful Canada, which is location to 728 clubs.

Despite that, she's optimistic astir the organization's maturation successful the country.

"If you look astatine the property demographics, practice of members is really expanding for the younger property demographic," she said.

Huie said 5 years ago, lone astir 2 per cent of Rotarians were young people. This year, that fig sits astatine 10 per cent, she said.

"So we're expanding each azygous year, conscionable making definite that we're much typical of the communities that we're moving on, which is truly exciting," she said.

As a young Rotarian herself, Huie credited the enactment for providing her with important nonrecreational improvement and networking opportunities, which she said Rotary is highlighting arsenic it works to pull younger members.

"And being a portion of this astonishing enactment of implicit 1.2 cardinal members, 1.2 cardinal friends, you recognize however tiny the satellite truly is and however alike we are," she said.

Foss, president of the Rotary Club of Okotoks, highlighted the enactment being done by the organization's section volunteers, specified arsenic $2 cardinal successful backing from 2 Calgary Rotary clubs toward creating caller recreation opportunities successful the city.

"It's a spot wherever you tin bash things that matter," Foss said astir the organization.

"We person 44 clubs successful confederate Alberta, and galore of america cognize each other, and we're each conscionable a telephone telephone distant if we request that assistance and support," helium said. "So we are 1 large household successful Rotary."

Today, Rotary boasts much than 1.2 cardinal members crossed implicit 45,000 clubs, of which Calgary is location to 13. 

Star-studded convention

Excitement astir the aboriginal of Rotary was underscored by the convention's line-up of salient speakers.

Academy Award-winning histrion Geena Davis, of Thelma & Louise and The Fly fame, gave an in-person code astatine the normal connected Monday.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered virtual addresses connected Sunday.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a erstwhile subordinate of the Rotary Club of High River, besides spoke connected Sunday, taking the accidental to praise Alberta connected the satellite stage.

"Rotarians place the issues that request solving, past you rotation up your sleeves and you tackle them yourselves," she said. "And Alberta is simply a batch similar that too."

The five-day normal is expected to boost the city's system by $81 million, according to the City of Calgary.

Next year's normal volition beryllium held successful Taipei, Taiwan.