Who met with us?

Myke Atkinson (Independent)

Heather McRae (The Calgary Party)

Terry Wong (Communities First Part - Incumbent)

Anthony Ascue (Independent)

David Barrett (Independent)

Greg Amoruso (Independent)

Who did not meet with us or complete our survey?

Anthony Ascue (A Better Calgary Party)

Greg Amoruso

Myke Atkinson

Yes

Myke sees youth unemployment as a particularly concerning problem. He believes that creating real jobs is necessary to provide youth with launching pads for the future. He also sees the city as playing a particularly important role in providing meaningful employment opportunities, which should also provide a living wage. He will advocate for jobs at the city level. He didn't specifically address the issue of contacting out by the city, which could have a detrimental effect on job creation. However, he did voice support for a living wage policy, which he would like to see extended to contractors.

Heather McRae

Uncertain

Terry Wong

Yes

Enable, if not direct, to administration to achieve council policy on living wage and equal opportunity access to city job opportunities; establish youth/equity seeking employment opportunities through internships and temporary funding programs which would facilitate greater youth/equity seeking applicants and to provide work experience. Additionally, to encourage industry partners to develop similar programs for youth/equity seeking applicants; establish a municipal sector convention where living wage is based on cost of living for municipality; direct administration to host conversations with collective bargaining units/labour groups regarding more open access to entry-level positions vs. favouring internal candidates and seniority bias.

Anthony Ascue: Uncertain - I believe that by implementing our four-year tax freeze we will greatly help business owners reduce excess expenses. This, along with incentives for energy saving and green initiatives will give business owners additional capital to hire more. We support meritocracy and encourage businesses to hire people they believe would be the best for their company. We need to do a top-down review of our hiring and procurement policies. We need to be in favor of in-house and local / small enterprises in our communities, rather than larger out of town companies. We need to do more to support and promote buying and hiring local. We don’t do enough.

David Barrett: Yes - 

- I pledge to limit the contracting out of entry-level positions. Public services are the backbone of a thriving city, and in Calgary, where we already have the lowest ratio of public servants to residents of any major city in the country.
- Increasing the hiring of students in the City. As well, work with employment center that helps benefit youth and equity seeking groups
- Our lean but highly efficient workforce proves that much of the "fat" has long been trimmed. Rather than cutting further, we should invest in Calgarians by expanding essential services, like piloting a City-operated residential sidewalk snow and ice clearing program in Ward 7, to improve accessibility, safety, and quality of life, especially for those who may otherwise have challenges clearing their sidewalks. Unlike private industry, which prioritizes profits, public servants deliver people-focused services that benefit everyone, whether it’s maintaining parks, ensuring clean water, or keeping transit affordable -all while providing good jobs for Calgarians. Strengthening these services isn’t just about spending; it’s about building a better, more equitable city where no resident is left behind.

Greg Amoruso: Yes - It is important to stop contracting out any jobs especially entry level positions. I will work with your organization on developing and maintaining a good job strategy. I will work with our government and Alberta government to fund and implement programs to access youth to entry positions as well as competitive living wages. Also there needs to be a program in place to ensure training and success with theses entry level positions.

Myke Atkinson

Yes

Myke recognised the importance of having productive programmes to deal with the parallel issues of mental health, homelessness, and poverty. In this context, he recognises the clear importance of institutions such as Alpha House. He expressed a need for well-trained and coordinated personnel to deal with mental health issues and avoid the multiple and simultaneous involvement of police, EMS and fire services, which now often happens. He focused primarily on the idea of seeing mental health support as something which should be incorporated into first response triaging under the purview of the city.

Heather McRae

Uncertain

Resources are needed from all three levels of government

Terry Wong

Yes

Focus on collaboration with federal and provincial government, local community groups and neighbourhood communities to establish an understanding of the need for proactive, preventive community-based mental health supports; not a one-size-fits-all approach; need to provide a culturally sensitive (i.e. religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, indigenous, etc.) approach and respect people for who they are and what they are capable of.

Anthony Ascue: Yes - One of our key responsibilities of being in city council is to keep our citizens safe. Mental health is a huge issue, and has been plaguing the entire world for a long time. We need to make sure we have the budget to help combat mental health issues. This is everything from PTSD, trauma, substance abuse, etc. This will not only help save lives, but it will also help with our homeless situation. We should have programs ready to handle the people who are in need, and we need to have social workers able to promote and encourage people in need to seek out and use our programs.

David Barrett: Yes - On support for community-based, culturally appropriate, preventative Mental Health supports, I would love to chat more with your team about this topic to better understand what needs the CACG is hoping for the city addresses. - Work with the University of Calgary and experts to seek their views to form an understanding and decisions on mental health strategy.

Greg Amoruso: Yes - When it comes to mental health I will fight for more education and awareness. I have spent the last 4 years making the city council aware of the seriousness and the crises of mental illness, especially on our streets, and nothing has been done, even though they made promises when they were running in their last election. I will keep my promise to make mental illness a top priority and have proper programs in place.

Myke Atkinson

Yes

Myke sees a need to incentivise the acquisition of housing solely as an investment. He suggested adopting measures, such as those taken in Canmore, to implementaddress a tax on empty residential buildings and vacant lots. He also suggested a need to develop an affordable housing fund. Appropriate zoning is essential, though sometimes problematic. He is supportive of the new zoning bylaw. I believe he mentioned the significance of moving to a permitted model, presumably in contrast to the discretionary model currently in place. He expressed enthusiasm for community-based housing developments, such as the Sunnyhill Co-op.

Heather McRae

Yes

Candidate was unable to elaborate on the rent question.

Heather feels City Council has the mandate and can make land available. She feels her party views many issues through the lens of housing.

Terry Wong

Yes

Work with province to establish rent subsidy programs that are more effective than rent control measures; look for opportunities/collaborations within the public and private sector for sources of subsidy funding.

Prioritize crisis/shelter housing for those living rough or in need of urgent. If it is not an emergency then prioritize transitional and supportive housing before providing market-based incentives. The City needs to identify uncommitted city lands for crisis/shelter, transitional, supportive then non-market affordable housing. Then ensure they align with community-defined locations per local area planning process.

Anthony Ascue: Uncertain -One of our key responsibilities of being in city council is to keep our citizens safe. Mental health is a huge issue, and has been plaguing the entire world for a long time. We need to make sure we have the budget to help combat mental health issues. This is everything from PTSD, trauma, substance abuse, etc. This will not only help save lives, but it will also help with our homeless situation. We should have programs ready to handle the people that are in need, and we need to have social workers able to promote and encourage people in need to seek out and use our programs.

Responsible planning and ethical building. I am against blanket rezoning because it doesn’t do either of those. We cannot give developers and the bureaucrats at City Hall Carte Blanche to building whatever they want, wherever they want. You don’t want to see a 3 story 5-plex towering over a single-story home, with all 5 units looking into the home’s backyard. That is neither responsible nor ethical. Calgary will continue to grow, and we have plenty of landmass to accommodate for that growth, without needing to over densify our communities.

David Barrett: Yes - On Affordable Housing, I intend to pass a landlord licensing system that ensures safe living conditions through incentives and enforcement. This was a commitment made in Calgary’s Home is Here strategy, but I have not seen any movement on this item. My office will work with administration to develop a robust licensing regime that results in high landlord participation and a reduction in poor landlord practices. I would pair this measure with a maximum heat bylaw, to ensure Calgary’s renters are kept safe and healthy during our hot and smoky summer months.

- On the building side, we need to eliminate development fees for non-profits, slash permit review times to 60 days max, and preemptively upzone some of our designated main streets, in accordance with our local area plans, to encourage the rapid growth of transit-oriented development. At the same time, we’ll turn surplus city land over to housing providers immediately, because no public parcel should sit empty while some Calgarians don't have a roof over their head. I’ll push to expand the Housing Capital Initiative, hire city staff with co-op housing expertise, and fast-track pre-approved building designs to cut red tape. We’ll incentivize purpose-built rentals with fee discounts and impose a vacancy tax on corporate speculators hoarding empty homes.

Greg Amoruso: Yes - This is another top priority as our city council all stated that
affordable housing will be made and nothing has been done instead they
give gave hundreds of millions of dollars to downtown commercial
buildings for conversations and this is unacceptable. I have also voiced
my opinion and disappointment with this to our council members and
received no response.

I will work with our council and find land that
will be zoned properly and timely to get affordable housing started with
minimal delays.

Myke Atkinson

Yes

Myke has been advocating for cutting down transit fares for decades. In this meeting for climate infrastructure he predominantly spoke about wanting significantly more bike lanes.

Heather McRae

Yes

Heather believes City Council should make many decisions through the lense of the Climate Strategy

Terry Wong

Yes

Maintain support for the symbolic declaration of the climate emergency. Establish and implement proven and achievable initiatives and less emphasis on prototype. Ensure there is a well-structured mandate and with clear focus and measurable outcomes.  He continues to support the climate advisory committee dedicated to environment and implementation of mandate.

Anthony Ascue: Uncertain - The environment and climate issues are important, but they are not Municipal issues. The Federal government is responsible for handling climate issue planning, like the Paris accords for example. At the local Municipal level, we focus on roads, infrastructure, keeping our streets safe, balancing our city’s budget, etc. The way we can help with climate change is by making sure we are efficient in waste management, from landfills to recycling and compost. And that we have incentives to companies that invest in green initiatives. Oil & gas companies have already begun investing in carbon capture. And our city, over the last four years has already invested in multiple green initiatives. It’s time for us to focus on what we were elected to over see, which is Municipal issues.

David Barrett: Yes - I proudly support the Climate Strategy. I’m a freshwater scientist and sessional instructor at the University of Calgary, and I worked as an agro-climate scientist for many years. I’m also teaching a course at UCalgary right now on climate change. Tackling climate change has been a through-line throughout my career, and that would not change if elected. I will ensure the Climate Strategy is funded, and I will build on it by supporting the expansion of transportation reliability and affordability, supporting complete neighbourhoods including small commercial opportunities like corner stores and grocers, and ensuring safe walking and wheeling routes. I will add that I believe the city and its climate strategy should explore using its capacity to create endowments that are self-sustaining to help modernize and decarbonize civic facilities, community associations, and more through small-scale renewable energy generation.

Greg Amoruso: Yes - Constantly working on climate change is what I myself have been working
on and will work with our city and builders to make more efficient
housing and infrastructure. This project that will be an ongoing task.

Myke Atkinson

Yes

Myke believes it is important for these initiatives be indigenous-led with the city supporting. He has extensive experience working with Indigenous groups while working for the Library. 

Heather McRae

Yes

Terry Wong

Yes

Terry continues to enable opportunity for open conversations amongst all Indigenous and non-Indigenous interested parties and individuals. He recognizes the plurality of Indigenous communities and voices and he is committed to working towards a shared outcome.

Anthony Ascue: Uncertain - These issues are outside of our Municipal wheelhouse, but I want to confirm that I do support our Indigenous citizens. Last year we have renamed Fort Calgary to The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland. The renaming also pays tribute to the site’s location, the confluence of the Bow & Elbow rivers, paying homage to the histories of both Indigenous and colonial periods. We will continue to work with our Indigenous citizens and support them where we can. I want all our citizens to be prosperous, to be healthy and safe, and to know that we are doing everything in our power to make your lives easier, and your streets cleaner. As mentioned earlier, this would not be a Municipal issue. Our current city council has overspent for the past four years and as a result, dozens of projects, services and investments are either under funded, paused indefinitely or scrapped all together. From poor planning to mismanagement, to overstepping our Municipal boundaries. We got ourselves in a mess. We need to clean up and we need to be responsible while doing it. We have to focus on the major issues (within our Municipal duties), and handle those first.

David Barrett: Yes - On enacting Truth and Reconciliation, I will champion the creation of a dedicated Indigenous Gathering Place, working with Indigenous leaders and leveraging the skills within the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. I’ll also ensure continued funding for Indigenous-led public art and placemaking initiatives, which enrich our shared urban landscape while honouring Indigenous histories. Wherever possible, I commit to leveraging existing relationships with City partners, such as The Confluence Historic Site, and grassroots organizations to further support reconciliation actions. Additionally, I’ll work with the province to boost Indigenous tourism by supporting Indigenous-owned creative businesses, fostering economic empowerment while showcasing Indigenous cultures. Additionally, these steps must be paired with concrete efforts to improve housing equity, including expanding affordable housing with culturally appropriate supports such as Elders-in-residence programs, Indigenous-staffed supportive housing complexes, and smudging-friendly accommodations.

I’ll push for Indigenous language and culture classes in City facilities like libraries and recreation centres, ensuring these vital teachings are available to all Calgarians. Improved connections, such as transit links, to nearby Indigenous communities, including Tsuut’ina and Siksika, will better connect families, workers, and cultural resources. Finally, I’ll advocate for transparent, annual reporting on reconciliation progress across all City business units, with reviews led by Indigenous partners, to ensure commitments translate into measurable change. Reconciliation isn’t a checkbox, it’s an ongoing responsibility and commitment.

Greg Amoruso: Yes - I to have heard the hollow promises that were make by our council
members and Mayor in regards to indigenes promises that were never kept.
Promises that were made will have to be kept and these projects will be
completed. Our Aboriginal culture is a huge part of Calgary and what
most of north America knows us as and relates us to. I can say I will
fight and make this happen.

Myke Atkinson: Yes

Heather McRae: Yes

Terry Wong: Yes

Anthony Ascue: Yes 

David Barrett: Yes

Greg Amoruso: Yes -