Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth (CFTG), the volunteer group that took the City of Calgary to court over the approval of blanket upzoning, has endorsed its candidates for Calgary mayor, as well as all 14 wards of the city.
The group conducted a thorough and transparent vetting process of all candidates who oppose blanket upzoning, support neighbourhood preservation and will work to reinstate meaningful resident input in planning and development, said group spokesperson, Robert Lehodey, KC.
“This is the most consequential municipal election in decades,” said Lehodey. “Our review shows that the endorsed candidates understand Calgarians’ concerns and will lead the city toward thoughtful, balanced growth rather than one-size-fits-all upzoning.”
CFTG first reviewed the platforms of all candidates and all parties, spending hundreds of hours considering all candidates’ positions available on their websites, public statements, responses to a planning questionnaire, and follow-up discussions and questions in subsequent interviews, said Lehody.
“While our group holds clear positions on the various election issues such as repeal of blanket upzoning, the importance of meaningful community and individual input in development decisions, and the preservation of green space and the urban canopy, we endeavoured to approach all candidates equally and objectively,” he said.
“We sought to understand the full range of candidate perspectives on these key matters so that we could serve as another source that the public can use to make informed decisions at the ballot box.”
More than 80% of candidates responded to CFTG’s survey, with many also participating in interviews to clarify their positions on blanket upzoning, community planning, and the role of residents in development decisions, added Lisa Poole, a member of CFTG.
“Our process was open, thorough, and community-driven,” said Poole.
“This was not about partisanship, our recommendations cross party lines and include independent candidates. It was about listening to candidates, weighing their commitments, and identifying those most aligned with (our philosophy) who want to repeal blanket upzoning, preserve our neighbourhoods, and restore resident voices in planning.”
“The candidates that we have recommended scored well in alignment with these goals and demonstrated many of the beneficial attributes. We believe they will work to fulfil the necessary reforms.”
All mayoral candidates except Jyoti Gondek and Brian Thiessen completed its questionnaire, said group member Scott Rusty Miller.
“Mayor Gondek voted for blanket upzoning and continues to support it. Mr. Thiessen initially endorsed blanket upzoning but has since shifted his message, now saying he would leave it in place while referring it to the Housing Committee for review, the same committee that initially advanced blanket upzoning,” said Miller
“His changing stance raises concerns about clarity and consistency on this critical issue.
By contrast, Jeff Davison, Jeromy Farkas, and Sonya Sharp fully participated in our process. In both questionnaires and interviews, they acknowledged the need for cultural change at city hall.”
Miller added group members were not unanimous in its recommendations, emphasizing endorsed candidates are, in their view, the best positioned to address Calgarians’ concerns about blanket upzoning,
The CFTG endorsed candidates are:
Mayor: Jeromy Farkas
Ward 1: Cathy Jacobs (A Better Calgary party)
Ward 2: John Garden (A Better Calgary party)
Ward 3: Atul Chauhan (The Calgary Party)
Ward 4: Jeremy Wong (Communities First party)
Ward 5: Reet Mushiana (Independent)
Ward 6: John Pantazopoulos (Independent)
Ward 7: Terry Wong (Communities First party)
Ward 8: Gary Bobrovitz (Independent)
Ward 9: Marina Ortman (Independent)
Ward 10: Andre Chabot (Communities First party)
Ward 11: Rob Ward (Communities First party)
Ward 12: Shane Byciuk (Communities First party)
Ward 13: Dan McLean (Communities First party)
Ward 14: Landon Johnston (Independent)
