As part of our 2025 Calgary Municipal Election work, the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good invited candidates from each ward to meet with community members. Together, we asked questions that reflect the priorities of our members: good jobs, mental health, affordable housing, the environment, and truth and reconciliation.
On this page, you’ll find a summary of the responses from Ward 4 candidates. Click on each question below to view more details or scroll down to see all responses.
- Ward 4 - Who Engaged With CACG
- Ward 4 - Good Jobs
- Ward 4 - Mental Health
- Ward 4 Affordable Housing
- Ward 4 - Environment
- Ward 4 - Truth and Reconcilation
- Ward 4 - Let's Collaborate for the Common Good
Ward 4 - Who Engaged With CACG
Who are the candidates?
Who took the time to meet with our team of community members?
Who didn't meet with us but filled out a survey?
Who met with us?
Daniel James (DJ) Kelly (The Calgary Party)
Who completed our survey?
Jeremy Wong (Communities First Party) (in progress)
Which candidates would not connect with us?
Sheldon Yakiwchuk (Independent)
Ward 4 - Good Jobs
Will you work with us to develop a job strategy that limits contracting out of entry-level positions at the city and provides employment opportunities for youth and equity-seeking groups so that they can earn a fair living wage, develop workplace skills and gain job experience?
DJ Kelly
Yes
He will work to build economic development programs
He will work with us by building up entry-level tech jobs
He will work towards obtaining more stable funding to increase employment for young people
Ward 4 - Mental Health
Will you work with us to further develop and fund a community-based, preventative mental health strategy? What will you prioritize in developing this strategy?
DJ Kelly
Yes
- He will act to bring together the province and the city of Calgary mental health strategies to align them
- He will bring the province to the table because public safety is the city's responsibility.
- He will have the city involved in discussing city needs vs rural because the province can not keep its finger on the pulse of all communities.
- We need to know the priorities for both and how to work together.
- The city can be an "honest broker" because it has more multicultural issues than rural areas and mental health issues are difficult to discuss in some communities.
Ward 4 Affordable Housing
Will you work with us to address the affordable housing crisis and implement Calgary’s Housing Strategy? How will you work with us to expand and better coordinate rent supports for renters in crisis? How will you ensure that sufficient land is made available for affordable housing and is zoned appropriately before being released?
DJ Kelly
Yes
Rent Supports
-
- We need to take a holistic approach with subsidized and below-market-value affordable housing.
- We need to meet people where they are at. For example, turning shelters into apartments and providing a sliding scale for rent. At market value homes/apts. (affordable homes) are good to keep building to increase supply to decrease prices. 80% of the population can absorb housing costs, while 20% live from paycheck to paycheck.
- Calgary Housing Authority is designed to be not-for-profit for the unemployed and homeless people. We need to have affordable housing for the " invisible homeless" e.g. young people still living at home and older people just living with friends.
Sufficient Land
-
- He will bring people together to get things done by trying to build consensus about what we can do together to achieve the best return on investment.
Ward 4 - Environment
Will you work with us to implement the Calgary Climate Strategy and ensure that housing and infrastructure in our city are climate resilient and energy efficient? How will you achieve this?
DJ Kelly
He will advocate for sustainable infrastructure, both financially and environmentally, that will last for a long time, given the changing climate and increasing extreme weather. We will have to look at things project by project and with a view to a triple bottom line of people, the environment, and cost. We will constantly have to watch the need for repairs to avoid reworking. Sometimes, the most expensive option is better to build with because you don't have to replace infrastructure as often.
Ward 4 - Truth and Reconcilation
Will you work with the Indigenous led, Indigenous Gathering Place Board to advance the creation of an indigenous led, indigenous gathering place in Calgary? How will you work to advance this and overcome the current roadblocks that have delayed this project?
DJ Kelly
It is CRUCIAL to involve the indigenous community, and the city can not dictate to them. He has experience working with the U of C staff to involve all sides and to celebrate both cultures, especially with Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to recognize the trauma-inducing aspects of residential schools, stolen land, etc. We have to recognize that intergenerational trauma is hard to deal with for many people. We must include all sides in the discussion to reach a consensus. The gathering place has to be something that all Calgarians can live with in partnership and in consultation. It is better to do it and to do it over and to ensure safety and accessibility. We need to have fair entry for city services to cover everyone. Generally speaking, what is applicable to the most vulnerable will be applicable to everyone.
Ward 4 - Let's Collaborate for the Common Good
Will you meet with us within three months of being elected to identify how we will work together to address the issues identified?
DJ Kelly
Uncertain