The importance of the Calgary municipal election on October 20 this year started ramping up almost as soon as the current city council took office in 2021, particularly because of a group on council known as the Hateful 8. They are Cllrs. Kourtney Penner, Courtney Walcott, Gian-Carlo Carra, Richard Pootmans, Reg Dhaliwal, Evan Spencer, Jennifer Mian and Jennifer Wyness, plus Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Make it the Hateful 8+1. The group earned the moniker for voting against the wishes of Calgarians on a regular basis. Events and decisions such as cancelling fireworks, ignoring menora lighting ceremonies, banning plastic straws and take-home bags at restaurants, cast shadows on the city’s decision-makers. And those were the tiny missteps. The big ones were: Declaring an $87 billion climate emergency; Large property tax increases; The infamous blanket upzoning bylaw; A catastrophic water main break and water rationing and, most recently, Council’s approval of the West Elbow Local Area Plan (WELAP.)At record-breaking public hearings in council chambers, a clear majority of Calgarians made it clear to council they wanted neither the blanket up-zoning bylaw nor WELAP. But the Hateful 8+1 eschewed democracy and approved both. .And then the documents, such as the DEI-drenched Calgary Plan, a 30-year look into the future of Calgary as a 15-minute city and the $6.25 billion GamePLAN. All of these things (and others) led a host of Calgarians to dream of unseating the Hateful 8+1 on election day, October 20, but that dream has been shattered. There are 15 seats on city council but, as of this writing, only four of the Hateful 8+1 will be running in the fall election. They are Mayor Gondek, as well as Cllrs. Penner, Dhaliwal and Wyness. Those leaving include Cllrs. Richard Pootsman (Ward 6, in office from 2010 to 2017 and reelected in 2021. Pootsman resigned in November, citing health issues); Courtney Walcott (Ward 8, elected in 2021); Evan Spencer (Ward 12, elected in 2021); Jennifer Mian (Ward 3, elected in 2021) Gian-Carlo Carra (Ward 9, elected in 2010). Also not running this year are Cllrs. Sean Chu and Peter Demong. Carra is the most recent to announce his departure, posting on Friday on social media: “I was elected during Mayor Nenshi’s era of ‘Politics in Full Sentences.’ Since then, I’ve witnessed the local manifestation of a global descent into the politics of anger, fear, and division.” .A good deal of that anger, fear and division came from Carra himself, but I digress. .Spencer and Mian have also commented about leaving, the former citing a growing trend of politicians being rewarded for grandstanding and attacking opponents, rather than collaboration. Mian echoed that, saying politics is taking precedence on council over delivering value. I have always admired those who choose to run for office, regardless of their political affiliations. It can be uplifting, but in most cases, in the end, it’s a thankless job, taking shots, deserved or not, from the public, especially as civic politicians. City councillors’ jobs are to fix potholes, keep fresh water flowing to our homes, balance the budget, keep taxes low, be transparent and listen to and act upon Calgarians’ concerns. The job is not to be ideologists. Nor is it to social engineer Calgarians or lecture them, as many of the Hateful 8+1 have done. Someone lecturing to a group is someone who thinks Calgarians don’t know what’s good for themselves. Pointing to the single-use bylaw, the blanket upzoning bylaw and WELAP (among other things) Calgarians feel they are being lectured to, that they’re seen but not heard. .It’s not about political leanings; there is plenty of room in the world for multiple political persuasions, but when 78% of Calgarians at a public hearing of council say they do not like, nor want, what is being proposed, it is council’s job, regardless of political affiliations or ideologies, to do as Calgarians tell them to do, or to offer a very precise explanation as to why not. The good news is, it is extremely difficult in a municipal election to unseat a sitting councillor, regardless of her or his record and the Hateful 8+1 is reduced to the Hateful 4, essentially ‘unseating’ five positions, plus two more, for new faces and fresh ideas to come to city council. The bad news is the turnout of electors on election day in Calgary is abysmally low and though that day is five months away, now is the time to get involved. The candidates are ramping up their campaigns and they want to hear from you. Get to know them and make a promise to yourself to vote this year. Have your friends and relatives make the same promise. And then get out and vote. Calgarians don't need any more fiascos like the blanket upzoning bylaw, the single use bylaw or major water main breaks. And they don’t need more ideologists, who dictate to them rather than serve them.
