Manning Foundation packages baffle some city councillors

The Manning Foundation denies it's trying to intimidate city council after recently delivering packages that contain its municipal reports and news clippings about its work to the recently-elected members.

The package includes many articles critical of Mayor Naheed Nenshi and his policies.

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Some members of council tossed the package out while some have parked it in their inboxes.

Coun. Brian Pincott says he's unsure about the message.

"We see all kinds of organizations, I guess, who want to say, 'Here's our point of view and we're watching you to make sure that you are going along with our point of view' — this sort of feels similar to that," he said.

David Seymour, who speaks for the Manning Foundation, says it's just trying to make its research — which is also on its website — accessible to everyone on city council.

"We can only offer the ideas," he said. "We have no way of making people accept them and nor would we want to, even if we did."