Guest Column from Jeromy Farkas, Calgary City Councilor and 2021 candidate for mayor.It could have happened to any of us..In the Fall of 2019, a devastating fire broke out in a northeast Calgary Dairy Queen. As John and Wendy Shim watched, they witnessed much more than a building go up in flames. .The Shims came to this country to achieve their dream of opportunity. They broke their backs working multiple jobs to give a better life to their two children. They put it all on the line to become franchisees, and over the course of nearly a decade, contributed to the community as small business owners..After the fire, they could have walked away. They could have accepted that sometimes bad things happen to good people. But to do so would not have been Calgarian..Instead, they knew they had to rebuild. They lived off credit, battled it out with insurance, and sought permission to reconstruct and update their building. What should have been a matter-of-course became a crash-course in how Calgary City Hall has lost touch with the people it is supposed to serve. .Their permit was rejected by City Hall bureaucrats on large part based on the local Councilor’s strong objection. Apparently, the opportunity to make this iconic Centre Street DQ into “something better,” was too good to ignore. Instead of what was there before, City Hall wanted condos..The Shims had a dream. But after judging their dream, City Hall judged it lacking..The City’s objection was based on the Shims using the opportunity to update their building, and not proposing a “like for like” design. After all, the original building was half a century old and they were going to need to be some changes. The same design from decades ago likely would not even meet modern building codes. City Hall’s demands to get rid of the drive-through were pure anti-car ideology..The family has appealed and is now in the hands of the Subdivision and Appeal Board, an arms-length body run by citizen members appointed by City Council. An army of City lawyers and planners will work – at taxpayers’ expense – to discredit the family and their argument. All to try to justify the unjustifiable. .The real responsibility for this situation lies with City Council and their ideological push for density at the expense of Calgarians. Instead of looking down at this family, they should remember that they have something to learn..Working in fast food restaurants is hard work. Most people who have ever worked in the service industry will tell you that it is something everyone should take a turn at. Not just to gain experience, but to gain perspective. .For me, this situation is personal. I got my start as a kid at my local Forest Lawn Dairy Queen. Although I was starting from scratch, someone out there took a chance on me. That is what small business owners do every day. And that’s what the Shims want to do again, if only City Hall would let them..The appeal board will render its decision in a few weeks’ time, but Calgarians cannot stand idly by. I have launched an online petition calling on City Council to allow the family to rebuild..What happened to Wendy and John Shim could have happened to any of us. When bad things happen to good people, it is our responsibility to make that situation right. That’s what it means to be Calgarian..Guest Column from Jeromy Farkas, Calgary City Councilor and 2021 candidate for mayor
Guest Column from Jeromy Farkas, Calgary City Councilor and 2021 candidate for mayor.It could have happened to any of us..In the Fall of 2019, a devastating fire broke out in a northeast Calgary Dairy Queen. As John and Wendy Shim watched, they witnessed much more than a building go up in flames. .The Shims came to this country to achieve their dream of opportunity. They broke their backs working multiple jobs to give a better life to their two children. They put it all on the line to become franchisees, and over the course of nearly a decade, contributed to the community as small business owners..After the fire, they could have walked away. They could have accepted that sometimes bad things happen to good people. But to do so would not have been Calgarian..Instead, they knew they had to rebuild. They lived off credit, battled it out with insurance, and sought permission to reconstruct and update their building. What should have been a matter-of-course became a crash-course in how Calgary City Hall has lost touch with the people it is supposed to serve. .Their permit was rejected by City Hall bureaucrats on large part based on the local Councilor’s strong objection. Apparently, the opportunity to make this iconic Centre Street DQ into “something better,” was too good to ignore. Instead of what was there before, City Hall wanted condos..The Shims had a dream. But after judging their dream, City Hall judged it lacking..The City’s objection was based on the Shims using the opportunity to update their building, and not proposing a “like for like” design. After all, the original building was half a century old and they were going to need to be some changes. The same design from decades ago likely would not even meet modern building codes. City Hall’s demands to get rid of the drive-through were pure anti-car ideology..The family has appealed and is now in the hands of the Subdivision and Appeal Board, an arms-length body run by citizen members appointed by City Council. An army of City lawyers and planners will work – at taxpayers’ expense – to discredit the family and their argument. All to try to justify the unjustifiable. .The real responsibility for this situation lies with City Council and their ideological push for density at the expense of Calgarians. Instead of looking down at this family, they should remember that they have something to learn..Working in fast food restaurants is hard work. Most people who have ever worked in the service industry will tell you that it is something everyone should take a turn at. Not just to gain experience, but to gain perspective. .For me, this situation is personal. I got my start as a kid at my local Forest Lawn Dairy Queen. Although I was starting from scratch, someone out there took a chance on me. That is what small business owners do every day. And that’s what the Shims want to do again, if only City Hall would let them..The appeal board will render its decision in a few weeks’ time, but Calgarians cannot stand idly by. I have launched an online petition calling on City Council to allow the family to rebuild..What happened to Wendy and John Shim could have happened to any of us. When bad things happen to good people, it is our responsibility to make that situation right. That’s what it means to be Calgarian..Guest Column from Jeromy Farkas, Calgary City Councilor and 2021 candidate for mayor
