Calgarians For Thoughtful Growth (CFTG), the advocacy group formed last year specifically to fight the City of Calgary’s blanket upzoning bylaw. has updated its activities after the Calgary election.
“We undertook a judicial review of the past council’s blanket upzoning bylaw and were unsuccessful, but we have appealed that decision to the Alberta Court of Appeal on the strength of legal advice from two law firms. That appeal process continues and is expected to be heard mid 2026.” said group spokesman, Robert Lehodey KC.
In the lead up to the election, CFTG surveyed all 70 candidates to get their positions on repealing the bylaw.
Lehodey said 51 candidates completed the questionnaire regarding planning matters in Calgary and, in particular, blanket upzoning and a number took time to meet with the group as a follow up to the questionnaire.
“We generated and communicated recommendations for mayor and councillors in each ward,” said Lehodey. “Six of our recommended candidates were elected and nine of the elected members of council either campaigned on reversing blanket upzoning or expressed concerns with it.”
CFTG’s update shows the following members of the new council are in favour of repealing blanket upzoning:
• Mayor – Jeromy Farkas (Independent): Pledged to repeal and replace it “with a community-informed, targeted strategy”
• Ward 1 – Kim Tyers (Communities First): Supports repeal and restoring community consultation.
• Ward 6 – John Pantazopoulos (Independent): Campaigned on repeal.
• Ward 9 – Harrison Clark (Independent): Opposes blanket upzoning
• Ward 10 – Andre Chabot (Communities First): Part of a slate pledging to repeal.
• Ward 11 – Rob Ward (Communities First): Part of a slate pledging to repeal.
• Ward 12 – Mike Jamieson (A Better Calgary): Committed to repeal.
• Ward 13 – Dan McLean (Communities First): Part of a slate pledging to repeal.
• Ward 14 – Landon Johnston (Independent): Campaigned on repealing the bylaw.
The bylaw passed by a vote of 9-to-6 last year, despite more than 70% of Calgarians who presented at a public hearing were against it, said Lehodey.
“This is a historic shift,” he said. “The election was in essence a plebiscite on blanket upzoning, delivering to the new council a clear mandate to act and repeal the bylaw.”
CFTG has compiled a list of recommendations for the new council regarding repealing the bylaw: the need to repeal blanket upzoning now, before it gets lost in the shuffle; the importance of transparent and accountable planning; the priorities of working with communities and preserving community character and green space; the requirement that city council, not administration, lead policy, and; the demand to refocus on core municipal services.
“City council must move decisively to repeal the bylaw and return to R-C1 and R-C2 zoning as the base residential zoning,” said Lehodey. “Council can start the work to transition to a better, consultative planning process designed with input from affected communities. This will be the foundation for sustainable development plans for decades to come.”
CFTG also recommends council take these immediate steps: Obtain a legal opinion on repeal mechanisms from independent legal counsel; place repeal of the blanket upzoning bylaw as a priority on the council agenda without delay; pause all upzoned RCG development applications until the council’s direction is clear.
“Because multiple legal pathways exist, it is essential that council obtain an independent legal opinion, separate from the city’s law department, which played a central role in designing and enabling the original upzoning bylaw,” said Lehodey. “An external, impartial opinion will ensure councillors receive a clear, unbiased understanding of their legislative options, as an essential aid to help them act in line with the strong mandate for repeal delivered by Calgarians in the recent election.”
Lehodey acknowledges additional legal opinions come with a cost.
“CFTG is actively exploring ways to fund and provide the independent legal review to assist council and provide them with an informed view separate from city administration and the city’s legal department, that have a vested interest in blanket upzoning,” he said. “Acting swiftly based on sound legal advice can prevent further harm to neighbourhood character, public trust, and the property values of more than 311,000 properties affected by the upzoning bylaw.”
Learn more at Calgarians For Thoughtful Growth.