Ward 14 Candidate CERT Questionnaire Responses
Learn about your candidates for Ward 14 in the City of Calgary
No Ward 14 Candidates Participated in the CERT Podcast forum.
The Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) created a candidate questionnaire and podcast series dedicated to climate, the environment, and nature for the 2025 municipal election. Learn all about it here!
Your Ward 14 Candidates’ Survey Answers
1️⃣Calgary’s Climate Strategy outlines 5-year goals to reduce energy poverty and utility costs, create clean economy jobs, improve public health, and build more equitable, climate-resilient communities. If elected, how will you work to achieve these outcomes for Calgarians?
Chima Akuchie
Calgary families are already feeling the impact of rising costs. My focus is on practical steps that balance affordability with environmental responsibility. I will support actions that reduce utility costs, expand clean energy where it makes economic sense, and protect taxpayers from unnecessary spending.
That means upgrading aging infrastructure like water pipes, improving energy efficiency in city buildings to cut costs long-term, and working with local businesses to grow clean economy jobs. On mobility, we should prioritize safe and reliable transit options while making sure existing roads are maintained for drivers.
I will not support measures that add more financial burden to residents without clear results. My commitment is measurable, cost-effective climate action that improves daily life for Calgarians while respecting taxpayers’ dollars.
Erin Averbukh
Calgary’s Climate Strategy must be practical, affordable, and results-driven. I’ll focus on efficient infrastructure and rapid transit, completing the Green Line to Seton and planning for future routes like an airport-to-core connection, to reduce congestion, emissions and costs. I’ll push for smarter energy management within City operations, upgrades that cut utility costs and sensible land use that uses existing infrastructure instead of blanket upzoning. Partnering with industry and the Province, we can advance clean energy solutions that create local jobs without burdening taxpayers. Calgary’s path to 2050 should be responsible, community-led and sensible - not political.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
We will ensure Calgary’s Climate Strategy moves from aspirational to actionable. That means better accountability on existing climate targets and ties back to KPIs in infrastructure, land use and transit decisions.
Link housing and infrastructure planning to ensure greater efficiency of use in new communities
Accelerate retrofits of City-owned buildings and work with the federal and provincial governments to fund this
Expand rapid transit and active mobility networks to cut emissions while giving Calgarians better, more affordable ways to move around.
Support clean economy job creation by tying procurement to local low-carbon industries.
2️⃣ How will you ensure that new community development and redevelopment in Calgary protects our watersheds, river and creek valleys, wetlands, and the wildlife and urban biodiversity that depend on these ecosystems?
Chima Akuchie
Protecting Calgary’s natural assets our rivers, wetlands, and biodiversity must be part of responsible growth. I support clear development rules that balance new housing needs with long-term environmental safeguards.
My focus will be on strict enforcement of setbacks along river and creek valleys, better stormwater management in new communities, and requiring developers to cover the costs of environmental mitigation not taxpayers. I will also push for stronger partnerships with community associations to monitor local impacts and hold the City accountable.
We can grow responsibly without sacrificing the watersheds and green spaces that make Calgary livable.
Erin Averbukh
Protecting Calgary’s rivers, creeks, wetlands and wildlife corridors must be part of how we plan our city, not an afterthought. I’ll support sensible, evidence-based land use that requires proper environmental review and ensures stormwater systems protect our watersheds. New growth should focus on already serviced areas before expanding outward. I’ll push for conservation buffers around places like Fish Creek Park and the Bow and Elbow rivers. We also need to take better care of what we already have by maintaining storm ponds, pathways and naturalized spaces. With practical planning and strong partnerships, Calgary can grow responsibly while protecting the natural beauty and balance that make our city one of the best places to live.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
We will make protection of rivers, wetlands, and natural corridors a non-negotiable part of Calgary’s growth. Our commitments include:
Strengthening watershed and riparian protection in development processes
Encouraging all redevelopment projects include stormwater management, tree cover, and habitat protection.
encourage development inside Calgary’s existing footprint to limit Calgary’s impact on the surrounding habitat and biodiversity.
3️⃣ Will you commit to dedicating budget dollars toward protecting Calgary’s biodiversity and improving wildlife safety in our urban environment, including through measures such as enforcing bird-friendly building standards, retrofitting existing structures, and supporting safe wildlife corridors?
Chima Akuchie
I support protecting Calgary’s biodiversity, but we must do it in a way that respects taxpayers and delivers real results. My commitment is to fund projects that directly improve safety and protect our green spaces without creating new layers of red tape.
That means prioritizing wildlife corridors where they intersect with major roads, using proven building standards for new developments that reduce risks to birds, and upgrading older infrastructure only when it is cost-effective and tied to measurable outcomes. Developers should also share responsibility for these costs—not just residents.
Calgary can protect its natural environment while still being mindful of how we spend public dollars.
Erin Averbukh
Calgary’s natural spaces are worth protecting, but we need to do it with fiscal discipline and common sense. I will support targeted, results-driven investments that protect biodiversity and improve wildlife safety without adding unnecessary costs or bureaucracy. That means maintaining existing wildlife corridors, focusing development in already serviced areas and applying bird-friendly standards where they make practical sense, such as high-risk glass structures near key habitats. I’ll also consider retrofitting public buildings only when there’s a clear cost-benefit and proven environmental value. Protecting Calgary’s biodiversity shouldn’t be about adding new layers of policy, but about managing what we have better, maintaining it responsibly and making decisions that balance environmental stewardship with fiscal responsibility. This approach keeps Calgary safe, sustainable and affordable, for both residents and the natural environment we share.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
We commit to investing in biodiversity and wildlife safety, through ensuring a portion of retrofit funds can go to meeting standards where appropriate. We will work to prioritize wildlife corridors in community design, with safe crossings and connected park systems.
4️⃣ What steps will you take to ensure housing, rent, and transit in Calgary are affordable and accessible so that more Calgarians can access services with dignity, and live and work in a healthy city?
Chima Akuchie
Affordable housing and reliable transit are important, but the city must approach them with balance and accountability.
For housing, I support streamlining approvals for builders in areas where infrastructure is ready, so homes can be built faster without overburdening taxpayers. I oppose blanket rezoning that ignores existing community needs, but I will work to expand affordable and seniors’ housing where it fits.
For rent, the city should partner with nonprofits and private builders to increase supply, while ensuring property taxes stay stable so costs aren’t simply passed on to renters.
On transit, my priority is safety and reliability. We need clean, secure stations and buses that people trust to use daily and on time. Investment should focus on routes with the highest ridership and ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely not on projects that don’t serve communities effectively.
Erin Averbukh
Affordability starts with smart planning and responsible budgeting. I’ll support housing growth in areas that already have infrastructure in place like schools, roads and transit, rather than blanket upzoning that strains city services, upsets residents and raises costs. My focus is on efficient, well-managed investment that keeps Calgary livable and affordable without unnecessary spending.
On transit, I’ll push to complete the Green Line to Seton and plan for future rapid routes that connect Calgarians to jobs, schools and services safely and efficiently. I’ll also work to improve transit safety, frequency and reliability, ensuring it’s a practical, safe and affordable choice for more residents.
I’ll back cost-effective energy retrofits and maintenance programs that lower utility bills and reduce emissions while keeping housing attainable. Calgary can grow responsibly by maintaining affordability, protecting the environment and delivering the efficient, well-run services residents expect and deserve. Being environmental stewards and fiscally responsible aren’t mutually exclusive, we can be both - but we need to be balanced and sensible.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
Housing and transit are climate policies as much as social policies. We will:
Ensure zoning decisions unlock more housing supply, especially near transit corridors.
Deliver a reliable, frequent transit system, expanding MAX Rapid Bus and getting the Green Line back on track.
5️⃣ENMAX is wholly owned by the City of Calgary. What role do you see for ENMAX in helping the city achieve its 2035 clean electricity goals?
Chima Akuchie
ENMAX should focus first on keeping power affordable and reliable for Calgarians. Families and businesses cannot shoulder higher bills while chasing targets.
That said, ENMAX can play a role by gradually increasing investment in renewables where it makes sense, modernizing the grid, and expanding partnerships with private industry. The transition should be paced, practical, and cost-conscious protecting ratepayers while moving toward cleaner energy.
I will hold ENMAX accountable as a city-owned utility to prioritize both affordability and responsible innovation.
Erin Averbukh
ENMAX should lead by example, not by ideology. As a City-owned utility, it plays a key role in Calgary’s clean electricity transition, but its first responsibility is to deliver reliable, affordable power to residents and businesses. I will support measured, data-driven investments in renewable generation and grid modernization that make financial and operational sense.
ENMAX can help the City meet its 2035 goals by improving energy efficiency, reducing system losses and supporting clean, local generation where it’s cost-effective. I’ll also ensure public accountability and transparency in how ENMAX funds and prioritizes projects, keeping rates stable while advancing innovation.
This transition must be managed responsibly by balancing environmental goals with economic realities. Calgarians deserve clean, dependable and affordable power, and ENMAX should continue to deliver exactly that: practical progress without unnecessary risk or added cost to ratepayers.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
ENMAX should be a cornerstone of Calgary’s clean energy transition. We will:
Push ENMAX to adopt a transparent 2035 decarbonization roadmap with clear milestones regarding supply and procurement of clean electricity
Ensure ENMAX supports low-income Calgarians through expanded energy efficiency programs and equitable rate structures.
Treat ENMAX not just as a revenue source, but as a public asset accountable for delivering affordable, clean power.
6️⃣How will you advance sustainable water use and watershed protection in Calgary’s growth and development decisions?
Chima Akuchie
Water security is a serious issue for Calgary, especially as our city grows. New developments must be tied to clear water capacity planning so we don’t worsen scarcity. I will support stricter reviews before approving large projects to make sure supply and infrastructure can handle them.
One overlooked issue is Calgary’s aging asbestos cement pipes. Many communities including Ward 14 still rely on them, and they are at risk of breaking down. The City must start testing and replacing these pipes to ensure safe, reliable water delivery.
Regionally, I will push for stronger partnerships with surrounding municipalities to manage watershed protection, including Bow and Elbow river systems. Calgary should lead by example in water stewardship, balancing growth with long-term security.
Erin Averbukh
Water security starts with responsible planning and disciplined growth management. I’ll support development that aligns with existing infrastructure and water capacity, not projects that overextend our systems or threaten watershed health. Every new community must demonstrate long-term sustainability, including efficient stormwater design, low-impact landscaping and water reuse where practical.
I’ll advocate for regional collaboration with surrounding municipalities and the Province to secure fair, transparent water-sharing agreements that protect Calgary’s long-term access and supply. I’ll also press for better maintenance and modernization of water infrastructure to prevent leaks, waste and costly emergency repairs.
Protecting our rivers, creeks and wetlands isn’t just environmental — it’s economic. Strong watershed management supports growth, reduces flood risk and safeguards Calgary’s future. My approach will always balance sound environmental stewardship with fiscal responsibility, ensuring our water resources are protected for generations to come.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
We know Calgary’s water system is already under strain. Last year’s Bearspaw South Feeder Main failure was a wake-up call — and with over 22% of our treated water lost to leakage (compared to less than 5% in Edmonton), the status quo is unsustainable
That’s why we are calling for the creation of a modern, publicly owned water utility — independent, accountable, and run by experts. This model, proven in cities like Edmonton (EPCOR) and even with ENMAX here in Calgary, would:
Protect long-term water security: Invest in preventative maintenance and monitor risks to avoid catastrophic failures.
Advance sustainable growth: Integrate water infrastructure planning with housing, transit, and community development to avoid overloading our rivers and aquifers.
Reduce hidden costs: Replace today’s site levies — a $12,000+ “hidden water tax” on each new home — with fair, utility-based financing that spreads costs across decades
Ensure transparency and accountability: Require the utility to publish clear performance benchmarks and capital plans, overseen by regulators and open to the public.
As Calgary adds more than 100,000 new residents each year, collaboration with regional partners will be critical. We will lead joint watershed protection, risk-mapping, and investment planning across the Bow and Elbow Rivers, ensuring Calgary’s growth never undermines our shared water resources.
7️⃣How will you ensure recommendations from Calgarians including residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff are meaningfully considered in Council decisions?
Chima Akuchie
Council decisions must reflect the voices of Calgarians, not just bureaucracy. I will ensure meaningful engagement by keeping communication direct and simple town halls, surveys, and clear reporting back to residents on how their input shaped decisions.
Frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff should be heard, but final choices must balance their recommendations with fiscal responsibility and the priorities of taxpayers.
I will push for accountability by requiring council and administration to publicly track how community feedback is considered in major decisions. That way, residents can see if their concerns were acted on or ignored.
Erin Averbukh
Meaningful engagement starts with listening before deciding and keeping residents informed at every step. I’ll ensure Calgarians, residents, frontline communities, environmental groups and City staff, are included early in decision-making, not after the fact.
I will implement a transparent, resident-driven voting platform where verified Ward 14 residents can directly influence my votes on Council matters affecting our Ward and Calgary as a whole. I’ll communicate using clear, accessible language, provide timely updates, and maintain a public voting record to ensure accountability.
I believe in a consistent approach: I won’t pretend to know everything, but I promise to listen, learn, and make sensible decisions rooted in facts and fairness. Communication from me will weigh the risks and the rewards so we make decisions that serve all of us, restoring trust, transparency and true representation in City Hall.
Ryan Stutt | The Calgary Party
We will rebuild trust in City Hall by ensuring engagement is real and transparent. That means:
Expanding proactive engagement with residents, frontline groups, and experts at the start of planning processes.
Requiring Council to publicly report on how community recommendations were incorporated (or why they weren’t).
Strengthening two-way communication with community associations and advisory panels so input shapes decisions, not just checkboxes.