Ward 2 Candidate CERT Questionnaire Responses and Podcast Forum
Learn about your candidates for Ward 2 in the City of Calgary
Watch the Ward 2 CERT FORUM with Jennifer Wyness and Trevor Cavanaugh 👇
The Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) Municipal Election 2025 campaign, led by the Gravity Well Podcast, was created by CERT, a nonpartisan coalition of environmental and climate organizations focused on elevating environmental priorities in the Calgary Municipal Election and beyond. This campaign aims to connect residents with candidates, emphasizing the importance of water, nature, and climate in municipal decision-making. The campaign includes candidate questionnaires, mayoral and ward podcast panels, and voter engagement tools to empower Calgarians to make informed choices. This episode features discussions with council candidates, such as Jennifer Wyness and Trevor Cavanaugh from Ward 2, who share their visions for a greener Calgary. Key topics include energy poverty, biodiversity protection, affordable housing, and sustainable water use. The campaign encourages community involvement and collaboration to build a resilient, healthy, and sustainable city. The podcast also highlights the importance of transparency, stakeholder engagement, and the role of ENMAX in achieving clean electricity goals. The initiative calls for active participation from residents to amplify environmental efforts and ensure diverse voices are heard in shaping Calgary’s future. Learn all about it here!
Take Action
Want to hear more from other candidates? SEND your mayoral and ward candidates an email requesting their participation in the CERT questionnaire and forum campaign.
WATCH the September 23 at 12 pm MST episode, listen to your candidates, Jennifer Wyness and Trevor Cavanaugh for Ward 2, answer the Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) Candidate Questionnaire.
SEND and SHARE the letter writing tool on your social media or via email with your network!
WATCH other Ward and Mayoral episodes!
JOIN the CERT organizations: Alberta Environmental Network, Calgary Urban Species Response Team, Calgary Climate Hub, Bird Friendly Calgary, The Climate Reality Project Canada, Calgary River Valleys, and For Our Kids Alberta.
FOLLOW The Gravity Well on Substack, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Bluesky.
Your Ward 2 Candidates’ Answers
Answers and video transcripts collected from Ward 2 candidates will be fully updated by end of day, October 12th.
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?
Trevor Cavanaugh
With my experience as an environmental advisor, I understand that climate resilience requires near-term, measurable action but also fiscal discipline. If elected, I will advocate for:
• Scalable retrofit programs that prioritize high-need households and deliver measurable utility savings, phased to align with budget cycles and supported by external funding.
• Workforce development in clean energy and low-carbon construction, targeting sectors with strong economic multipliers.
• Integrating climate risk assessments into infrastructure planning to reduce long-term costs and improve public health.
• Strengthening interdepartmental accountability by pushing for transparent metrics and annual reporting on Calgary’s five-year climate goals.
I will focus on high impact, cost-effective actions that deliver environmental and social benefits without compromising core services.
Jennifer Wyness
Purpose: We’re looking for your specific commitments to advance near-term climate actions in line with Calgary’s Climate Strategy: Pathways to 2050.
Within weeks of being elected as a rookie Councillor and being faced with the Climate Emergency Declaration vote, I recognized the lack of accountability measures in the plan and put forward an amendment to measure, monetize, and manage the activities, outcomes, and resources. Unfortunately, the complexity of climate projects has led to delays in the measurable outcomes we expect and lacks prioritizing accountability.
The Climate Emergency Declaration is a tool for The City and our business partners to gain a competitive advantage for resources and opportunities. It did not trigger provincial emergency funding, it is not a short-term project, nor did it mobilize resources and action in the same way that fires, floods, and other natural disasters are managed. It is a long-term strategy that needs to be gradually incorporated into our everyday business. I recognize it as a tool that has also been valuable for our business partners in the manufacturing, agriculture, and oil & gas sector who have benefitted in markets like Europe to be able to brand their companies and products to be based in a city that is mindful of climate issues. Opening markets to our industry by cooperating in their programs will support diversifying our customers away from the majority of goods being shipped to the USA.
Financially, it has benefited Calgarians to the tune of net positive $87M to date. The City was able to apply $200M in climate-resilience projects that were already underway as part of the matching contribution grant and was awarded $287M in funding. By turning this away or future opportunities, I would be neglecting my fiduciary duties to minimize costs while maximizing benefits.
I will continue to push for climate-friendly programs and to see better planned communities that help prevent over-land funding and promote drought resilient neighbourhoods. I’d like to see development that incorporates climate-friendly features like rain barrels in a single and multi-family buildings and landscape design.
Lastly, and likely most importantly, is to govern and make decisions that are within our municipal control and not overstep into the areas of other orders of government. This includes working to de-politicize this topic and focus discussions on what kind of a city we want to live in, what problems are we trying to solve, and what can we address at the local issues level, such as reducing consumption (spending), city-level biodiversity, stormwater management, and how to deal with the variability in our climate.
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?
Trevor Cavanaugh
Urban development must respect ecological thresholds but it must also be predictable and efficient. I will advocate for:
• Embedding watershed and habitat protection into planning frameworks early, where it prevents costly remediation and delays later.
• Applying ecological connectivity principles to preserve riparian corridors and wetlands without adding unnecessary red tape.
• Promoting nature based solutions that reduce runoff and enhance biodiversity while lowering long term infrastructure costs.
Environmental integrity and development efficiency are not mutually exclusive, they must be integrated from the start.
Jennifer Wyness
Purpose: We’re seeking specific commitments to environmental protection in urban planning and land-use decisions.
Over the last year, tree canopy and tree planting has come to Council a few times. In response, I have been pushing Administration to consider the diversity of Calgary’s micro-climates, and to consider more native tree and plant species to reduce the lifetime costs and see greater success in growing trees and plants to maturity.
I have strongly supported the micro-clover and clover pilot project and would like to see it expanded to see our city greenspaces and yards become more drought resilient.
Without clean and reliable water sources, our local ecosystems cannot thrive. I have serious concerns with how we manage development and the allowable uses on our water reservoirs. Last December, Council was asked to vote on a massive development around Glenmore Landing; I could not support these private interests over the public good. I will continue to find a balance between supporting development and business, while protecting our water assets.
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?
Trevor Cavanaugh
Yes,I am committed to advocating for targeted investments in biodiversity and wildlife safety that align with existing infrastructure priorities. This includes:
• Supporting bird-friendly design standards and retrofits, especially when bundled with scheduled maintenance or upgrades.
• Promoting safe wildlife corridors through strategic land use and low-cost interventions like signage and fencing.
• Leveraging community partnerships and external grants to extend impact without straining the municipal budget.
Biodiversity is a foundation of urban resilience, and I will work to protect it through fiscally responsible planning.
Jennifer Wyness
Purpose: We want to understand how candidates will support biodiversity and the success of urban wildlife through tangible municipal investments.
Improving wildlife safety can be achieved by considering the natural migration patterns of wildlife in greenfield spaces. Some developers are already looking at how they can design communities and place buildings to support movement. I would like to see this incorporated for all new communities.
I have had the opportunity to meet and tour the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society who is an amazing partner and asset in Ward 2. This organization is an excellent resource for citizens who come across injured animals and advocates in our schools and communities for wildlife safety in our city. I will continue to support their work and rely on them as a resource.
Over the last few years, I have been talking with Parks about how we can see more natural and easier-to-maintain roadways and boulevards. I’d like to pilot a rogue planter program where the City and citizens can plant natural species for pollinators. This will help push out invasive weeds and foxtail barley, and result in more diverse plants in our neighbourhoods.
I will continue conversations with Administration on the impacts of light pollution and directional light on standards to lower the impact on wildlife.
Through my newsletters, my office will continue to educate and raise awareness on how to be better neighbours to our wildlife friends and minimize human/wildlife interactions.
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?
Trevor Cavanaugh
Affordability and sustainability must be addressed together. I will advocate for:
• Strategic investment in Calgary Transit, focused on reliability and equitable access, phased to match available funding.
• Transit-oriented development that reduces emissions and long-term operating costs.
• Exploring rent stabilization tools and tenant protections that balance housing security with market viability.
I will prioritize solutions that reduce emissions and improve access without overextending the city’s budget.
Jennifer Wyness
Background: Like all cities, Calgary needs to reduce its emissions to do its part in addressing climate change to stay within the global carbon budget. In Calgary, building operation and transportation are the largest source of community emissions.
Purpose: We’re interested in your commitments to equitable urban planning and inclusive budgeting decisions. Access to affordable, safe housing and reliable, frequent public transit are essential for economic opportunity, pollution mitigation, and climate resilience. Council decisions on zoning, development, retrofit, and transit investment play a key role in reaching targets to safeguard a healthy environment, thus shaping how inclusive and affordable Calgary is for all residents.
I have been really challenged with how Council and The City has addressed housing and affordability. Year-over-year this last term, Council and Administration put through budget increases, higher spending, and higher taxes. This is why I have voted against the last three budgets. The numerous large-scale projects happening in our city have saturated our major-projects market and driven up inflation and costs to complete as companies compete for materials and labour.
The City and all levels of government have thrown a lot of money and strategies at the housing shortage issue. Over the next four years, we will need to be mindful to balance the policy levers and push back on initiatives that will either over-correct the market or are not effective.
I will continue to push for density where it makes sense and balance that by supporting work that unlocks greenfield development to improve and increase housing options. To improve density where it makes sense.
Council and The City need to be mindful of the municipality’s role and level of authority. Policy options like rent controls and landlord/tenant relationships and issues are best addressed by the provincial government.
Lastly, Calgary needs to be built for the way that families live and move around our city. I will continue to advocate for Administration to see the citizen perspective and focus more on building communities that enable spaces to play, gather, and connect.
Supported the blanket zoning vote; but my support came with a caveat. The density needed to be focused in the communities closer to downtown with better transit and amenities. As such, I got passed an amendment to increase parking minimums in newer communities (post 1960), such that it was not a complete free for all, and density was built where the amenities could support. Our new greenfield communities are already reliant on the amenities in the post 1960’s communities, and it would be unacceptable to over densify further away from the downtown core.
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?
Trevor Cavanaugh
ENMAX is a key lever in Calgary’s clean energy transition. I will advocate for:
• Strategic investments in distributed renewables and grid modernization, phased to avoid rate shocks and protect affordability.
• Public accountability mechanisms to ensure ENMAX’s capital planning aligns with the city’s 2035 clean electricity goals.
As someone who has worked with utilities and regulators, I understand the importance of aligning climate goals with financial prudence and operational feasibility.
Jennifer Wyness
Background: Calgary’s clean electricity goal is to transition to 100% renewable energy for corporate operations by 2035. As a city-owned utility, ENMAX can be a powerful tool in achieving these targets, particularly around grid decarbonization, public accountability, and energy access.
Purpose: We’re seeking your vision and proposed actions to support the alignment of ENMAX operations with Calgary’s climate commitments, and to ensure access to affordable energy for all Calgarians.
To be honest, I struggle that the goal set out is not realistic. To add to the confusion of where we should be, the federal government has recently walked back their targets. Our goals need to be achievable. We have been taking an all or none approach, and it is not working. Rather than unrealistic, grand goals, I would like to see sizable, realistic steps to move the needle.
Transitioning to 100% renewable energy for corporate operations by 2035 is not realistic. Just within my term, the viability of electrification, especially in the City’s vehicle and bus fleet has been challenged by the failing EV market. Our electrical grid is going to require significant upgrades to meet the needs of EV households, not to mention the inability to accommodate industrial and commercial conversions.
The other thing that Council needs to be mindful of is respecting the governance structures that are in place. Council needs to be mindful to encourage and guide the company towards greening the grid, while still being able to serve the energy demands of Calgarians while also considering how to keep utilities affordable for Calgarians. Sometimes these priorities are at odds with each other.
6️⃣How will you advance sustainable water use and watershed protection in Calgary’s growth and development decisions?
Trevor Cavanaugh
Water security is a long-term challenge that requires smart, scalable solutions. I will advocate for:
• Clear, cost-effective water efficiency standards in new developments, integrated early to avoid delays and added costs.
• Expansion of green stormwater infrastructure that reduces strain on watersheds and lowers maintenance expenses.
• Regional collaboration on water sharing agreements and conservation targets, leveraging shared infrastructure and governance.
My advisory experience has taught me that water stewardship is not just about supply, it is about land use, infrastructure, and intermunicipal cooperation.
Jennifer Wyness
Purpose: We want to understand how you will prioritize long-term water security and ecological resilience in Calgary’s planning and advocacy efforts. How will you ensure new developments in Calgary don’t worsen Calgary’s water scarcity? How will you collaborate with regional partners to ensure Calgary’s water security, and water stewardship?
I’ve mentioned previously my concerns over development around our water reservoirs. No other city allows the level of building and density that has been allowed and proposed around the Glenmore Reservoir. I believe we need to be more cautious about what we allow to be built around and the activities allowed on our reservoirs.
In regards to development and how we manage our bylaws, I want to see more holistic planning around community water drainage. Too often we see planning consider site-specific drainage, especially for in-fills which has caused serious issues for neighbours experiencing over-land flooding. Zero-lot lines are minimizing the amount of permeable surfaces and we are seeing more people paving over lawn areas, which is straining how water moves and drains from our homes. I would like to change how we plan and manage our water movement policies.
During the Bearspaw Feeder Main break last summer, the level of water loss that the City’s water system came to the forefront of how we manage our water infrastructure. Through my work on the Audit and Infrastructure & Planning Committees, I hope to continue to push for accelerated work to reduce our 22% water loss to an acceptable standard.
7️⃣How will you ensure recommendations from Calgarians including residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff are meaningfully considered in Council decisions?
Trevor Cavanaugh
Effective policy requires inclusive and efficient engagement. I will advocate for:
• Regular consultation forums with residents, environmental organizations, and city staff, designed to be focused and time-bound.
• Participatory budgeting and transparent decision-making processes that reflect community priorities.
• Accessible communication channels, including digital tools and multilingual outreach, to ensure broad participation without delaying decisions.
I have facilitated stakeholder consultations professionally, I know that meaningful engagement improves outcomes and builds trust when done well.
Jennifer Wyness
Purpose: We want to understand how you will ensure stakeholders will be meaningfully engaged and supported by effective communications pathways in internal and external communication and engagement processes.
As a City Councillor, I have held quarterly town halls where Calgarians have been able to openly share concerns and ask questions of me and City staff about the topics most concerning to them. In the interim, I will continue to host town halls and meetings with citizens as issues arise, like the two we have had in Nolan Hill in the past few weeks about landscape maintenance and foxtail barley issues.
Last summer, The City conducted consultations for The Calgary Plan. I pushed back that engaging citizens solely over the summer is not adequate, and that the Plan needed more time. Over the coming year, this important work will need significant feedback from Calgarians, and I will ensure that Ward 2 has the opportunities to be well-informed and be heard.
As we have done over the past four years, my team and I will continue to go back to the local community for important matters, such as the placement of cross-walks, speed bumps, playgrounds, and the opportunity for pilot projects – such as the small-truck snow clearing and drive-way ramp pilots. I will continue to be the conduit between community and Administration and look for needs and opportunities – such as successfully allowing bikes on buses, extending bus service in Ward 2, and Calgary Transit On Demand in our new communities.