Priorities
While municipal governance over the next four years will require decisions beyond those outlined in a campaign platform, I hope these priorities provide insight into my values and the actions I’ll take as a steward of Ward 7. These priorities will continue to evolve as I listen and learn from the community over the coming months.
Reinvest in Inner City Communities
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Preserve, maintain, and build new parks, arts centres, and recreational facilities to support the growing population of the inner city.
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Expand the urban tree canopy by rewilding under-utilized greenways, planting urban orchards, and requiring developers to include trees in new projects.
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Utilize vacant City buildings for youth-led programming and activation to build connection and develop the future leaders in our city.
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Empower residents to transform their neighbourhoods through co-designed public space improvements.
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Enhance safety through improved lighting and community policing strategies.
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Simplify the process for seasonal patios and other activations that help small businesses and provide community vibrancy.
Ward 7 contains some of the most tax productive areas of the city, and this is only growing as new development increases the density of our neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, inner city recreation facilities like the Downtown YMCA and Beltline Aquatic Centre have been shuttered, and the Inglewood Pool and Vecova are slated to close. We must stop subsidizing costly sprawl developments that divert funds to the city’s fringes and instead reinvest in infrastructure and amenities for Ward 7 communities.
Provide Safe Mobility for Everyone
In 2024, Calgary reported the highest number of traffic fatalities in the past decade. This is absolutely unacceptable and we need to stop just hoping things will get better. We must actively pursue changes to the ways we design our entire mobility network for all the ways people move around the city.
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Implement traffic calming measures in neighbourhoods, advance pedestrian crossing intervals at traffic signals, and better road design (not just signs).
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Pilot School Streets and Safe Routes to School programs to encourage children to walk or bike to school.
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Improve public transit by increasing reliability and frequency, and restoring 4-car train service.
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Extend fare-free transit for all kids 18 and under, making it easier for families and youth to move around the city without impacting traffic congestion.
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Complete connections of our pathway system to make getting around the city easier and safer for active transportation.
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Advocate for the Green Line to be built properly underground through downtown Calgary, and continue the line's construction to the Ward 7 communities north of the river.
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Form a mobility task force focused on making the experience of getting around the city better specifically for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Tackle Housing Affordability While Enhancing Our Communities
Calgary needs more housing and a wider set of housing options across the city to get back to being an affordable place to live. New housing should also benefit the current residents of a neighbourhood, not simply add density for density’s sake.
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Consult communities on neighbourhood-scale improvements like pedestrian crossings, dog parks, trees, and traffic calming, and use the tax uplift of increased density to pay for these improvements.
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Hold developers to higher standards of sidewalk snow removal, garbage cleanup, and on-site safety during the construction process.
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Reduce barriers for mixed-use developments that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces to provide the benefits of local services like daycares, coffee shops, and grocery stores into existing neighbourhoods.
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Explore vacant lot and unoccupied property taxes to disincentivize housing as a vehicle for speculative investment.
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Implement a landlord licensing program to improve rental housing standards, ensure safety through inspections, and hold property owners accountable. This will protect tenants and help ensure all Calgarians have access to safe, well-maintained homes.
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Enforce tree-planting requirements for developers in their new projects.
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Support a wider mix of housing options in our community including non-market housing and community land trusts to help stabilize housing affordability.
Bring Life Back to Calgary’s Downtown
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Make downtown a more liveable neighbourhood by providing basic amenities we take for granted in other communities like trees, parks, and recreation facilities.
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Task Calgary Arts Development and Calgary Economic Development with identifying roadblocks to remove and assisting artists, non-profits, and small businesses to increase street-level activations.
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Support local music and cultural festivals activating the downtown public realm by reducing costs and barriers related to permitting processes.
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Remove bylaw licensing issues that prevent entrepreneurs and small businesses from being able to help make Calgary’s downtown thrive.
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Encourage post secondary institutions to expand their offerings in the downtown by bringing targeted programs into currently vacant spaces.
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Simplify the process for seasonal patios and other activations that help small businesses and provide community vibrancy.
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Improve the pedestrian experience throughout downtown with wider sidewalks, better street furniture, and advance pedestrian crossing intervals at traffic signals.
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Expand and enhance riverfront access, particularly in Downtown West, to better serve local residents.
A strong and vibrant downtown is essential to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of all Calgarians. While some elements of the Downtown Strategy like the office-to-residential conversions and Olympic Plaza area improvements are underway, we need to prioritize a broader reimagination of downtown transformation to ensure it becomes a safe and vibrant place.
Reduce Poverty and Build a More Equitable City
Too many Calgarians are struggling to afford basic needs like housing, food, and transportation. We need to take meaningful action to reduce poverty and ensure everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Investing in people and communities today will build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Calgary for the future.
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Expand and strengthen the Fair Entry program to improve access to transit, recreation, and city services for low-income residents.
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Increase support for nonprofit and community-led initiatives that provide essential services like food security, mental health support, disability access, and employment training.
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Implement a Living Wage Policy for city procurement of contractors to ensure fair wages and reduce working poverty, and wider poverty reduction initiatives.
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Strengthen partnerships with provincial and federal governments to bring more funding for social housing and homelessness prevention programs to both build new units and maintain the existing affordable housing complexes.
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Ensure city planning prioritizes mixed-income housing and economic opportunities in every neighbourhood to prevent deepening economic divides.
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Support local entrepreneurs by reducing bureaucratic red tape and helping them navigate bylaw licensing issues, particularly for women, Indigenous peoples, and newcomers.
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Use vacant city buildings to create community hubs that offer wraparound services, including job placement, skills training, and financial literacy programs, to help residents break the cycle of poverty.
Strengthen environmental protections through urban sustainability
Climate change is already impacting Calgary with increased extreme weather, poor air quality, and rising energy costs. We need to take action now to future-proof our city, continue reducing emissions, and invest in sustainable infrastructure that makes life better and more affordable for everyone.
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Prioritize climate-resilient infrastructure, including flood and storm mitigation, drought-resistant landscaping, and increased tree canopy coverage.
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Introduce indoor maximum temperature standards for residential buildings, explore mandatory cooling measures in new developments, and support retrofits like heat pumps and improved ventilation in existing housing to keep people safe and healthy as our climate warms.
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Engage youth and marginalized communities in climate action planning to ensure equitable and inclusive solutions that address the needs of all residents.
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Incentivize green building standards for new developments that implement things like drain water heat recovery pipes to reduce environmental impact while improving affordability.
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Pursue community renewable energy projects like the Renfrew Solar Carport to make clean energy accessible to all Calgarians.
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Enhance waste reduction efforts by expanding composting, recycling, and circular economy initiatives to keep materials out of landfills.
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Implement energy efficiency retrofits for older city-owned buildings to lower costs and reduce emissions.
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Expand public transit and active transportation networks to reduce reliance on cars, including more frequent and reliable bus service, completing connections of the mobility network, and making streets more pedestrian-friendly.
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Promote urban agriculture by supporting low-cost improvements like community gardens and urban orchards to increase local food production and reduce carbon footprints.
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Protect and expand green spaces by rewilding under-utilized areas, planting urban forests, and ensuring new developments include green infrastructure and plant trees.
These Priorities Are Not Just Aspirations—They Are a Commitment to Action
Many of the policies, strategies and planning documents to make these priorities a reality are already in place, we just need to turn these plans into reality. With the right leadership, Calgary can be a city where every neighbourhood thrives, where opportunity is within reach for all, and where we build a future that is more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous for generations to come.
If you are with me, sign the vote pledge today.