Article in “Big Kitty”
Calgary’s arts, music and culture magazine Big Kitty invited me to write a few words about why I’m running in this year’s municipal election. The text of the article is below, but be sure to grab a copy of the physical magazine which is available across the city now!
October 2025 issue of Big Kitty Magazine
“Why on earth would you want to do that?”
I’ve been hearing some version of this question ever since I announced in February that I’m running as an independent candidate for Ward 7 city councillor in Calgary’s October civic election.
For some people, the question comes from looking at a world on fire. I get it – our feeds are flooded with stories about climate change, conflict, and political chaos. It can feel overwhelming. But I’ve come to believe that when the world feels unmanageable, the best thing we can do is turn our attention closer to home. When we invest in making our communities stronger, they give us the hope we need to face the bigger challenges.
Others ask me this question out of care. They know politicians are too often treated as punching bags and punchlines, and they don’t want to see me go through that. But my lifetime in this city has shown me something else: there are far more Calgarians working to lift each other up than to tear anyone down. I’ve seen it in the volunteer crews at festivals, in neighbours helping newcomers find their footing, and at potluck tables in community halls. If I lean into the spirit of kindness, generosity, and collaboration that holds this city together, I know I can weather the outrage of a few.
At the heart of it, my reason for running is simple: Calgary is my forever city. I grew up here. I’m raising my three daughters here. My family and friends are here. This is the place that shaped me and gave me an incredible life, and I want to make sure the next generation has the same opportunities.
It wasn’t always obvious. As a teenager obsessed with music, I assumed I’d follow friends to Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver. I studied business at the University of Calgary, imagining I’d start a record label. But I didn’t exactly fit in with classmates in three-piece suits delivering marketing presentations. What changed everything was walking into the basement studios of CJSW 90.9 FM.
CJSW revealed Calgary’s hidden energy, where people from very different worlds come together to create something incredible. We’re a city where you can’t just sit on the sidelines. You pitch in, lend your talents, and help build something bigger.
That’s what makes Calgary unique. We’re not big enough to live in silos, so our artists, makers, and dreamers find each other in unexpected ways. Punk bands share stages with poets. Artists-in-residence collaborate with entrepreneurs to solve social challenges. Data scientists team up with non-profits to bring tech solutions to local issues. Graffiti artists transform sanctioned walls into public art. Collaboration, fuelled by entrepreneurial spirit, might just be Calgary’s most enduring art form.
And when you’re part of something here, you’re rarely just in the audience. Maybe you design the poster. Maybe you haul the gear. Maybe you take tickets at the door. That instinct to pitch in runs deep, and it’s taught me to lean in rather than sit back.
This way of operating has given me a chance to see and learn from many different people from various worlds in our city. While they might all be working for vastly different outcomes, there’s a common thread: a spirit of pushing boundaries and doing things differently to make this city better.
Sometimes we sell ourselves short, convincing ourselves Calgary isn’t progressive enough. But look closer. We were ahead of the curve with pedestrian-friendly streets like Stephen Avenue. We’ve had a fare-free transit zone downtown since the very first CTrain. This city has always planted the seeds of bold ideas. It’s time to celebrate them and nurture that spirit again.
Of course, we’re facing real challenges. Calgary once offered the best of both worlds: big-city culture, with strong hospitals, schools, and transit, while being affordable for musicians, teachers, and young families to put down roots. Over the past decade, we’ve lost that balance. Housing costs are climbing, families are struggling, and too many young and creative people wonder if they have to leave to build the future they deserve.
That’s what fuels my campaign: creating a city where future generations want to stay, because they see Calgary as their forever city too. A place where they can stumble into their own “city within the city,” the way I did at CJSW, and build an amazing life by getting invested and putting down deep roots.
I’m not running because it’s easy. I’m running because I’ve experienced Calgary at its absolute best, and I know this city is worth the work.