Ward 6 Candidate CERT Questionnaire Responses and Podcast Forum
Learn about your candidates for Ward 6 in the City of Calgary
TUNE IN LIVE-LIVE on September 29 at 12 pm MST
The Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) has created a candidate questionnaire and podcast series dedicated to climate, the environment, and nature for the 2025 municipal election. 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 29 at 12 pm MST live stream, listen to your candidates for Ward 6 answer the Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) Candidate Questionnaire.
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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.
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Your Ward 6 Candidates’ Answers
Answers and video transcripts collected from Ward 6 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?
Joanne Birce
Where the City Should Lead
Energy-Efficient Infrastructure: Ensure all City-owned and supported facilities (e.g., recreation centres, water/wastewater plants, roads, bridges, pathways, transit, etc.) are built or retrofitted to be as energy efficient as possible.
Waste & Recycling: Landfill management, waste diversion, and recycling are core responsibilities. Residents rely on these services, yet costs have gone up while service quality has declined. I will explore how we can get better value for taxpayers by:
Encouraging waste reduction through education and incentives (e.g., rebates for composting and waste-saving practices).
Partnering with private recyclers and community groups to expand services without expanding City costs.
Transportation & Mobility: Keeping roads in good repair and transit safe, reliable, and affordable are also key responsibilities. I will support:
Prompt road repairs (e.g. potholes, repaving etc.).
Making sidewalks and stations barrier-free for seniors, families, and people with disabilities.
Projects like the 17 Ave/Sirocco pedestrian overpass and Blue Line extension to 85 St.
Improved traffic flow with synchronized lights, smart sensors, and reduced delays at C-Train crossings.
The use of permeable pavement, where possible, to reduce runoff and sewer overflows.
Business-Friendly City: Focus on making Calgary the most business-friendly administration in Canada. If the City creates the right environment, businesses, including clean economy employers, will invest and grow here. Calgary Economic Development already has a mandate to attract these jobs; let them lead.
Where the City Should Support
Voluntary Retrofits: Promote voluntary programs for residents and businesses to improve efficiency (e.g., insulation, energy-efficient windows, low-flow fixtures) through education campaigns and incentives. Utilize simple tools such as promotions during Environment Week or inserts in ENMAX or City property tax bills.
Innovation & Pilots: Partner with local companies to test and showcase new green technologies.
Risk Mitigation: Work with insurance companies and research institutes like the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) to share resources that help residents and businesses protect against various environmental risks.
Partnerships with Other Governments: Advocate for and promote provincial and federal retrofit programs, like the federal Greener Homes Loan (interest-free loans up to $40,000). Encourage the Province of Alberta to adopt a rebate program like CleanBC for homeowners.
Balanced Industry Solutions: Collaborate with industry on practical, common-sense approaches that balance environmental responsibility with economic realities.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
Where the City Should Lead
Natural infrastructure is both a cost-effective risk mitigation tool and a way to improve quality of life. The City should:
Continue to stabilize riverbanks with vegetation to reduce erosion.
Promote restoration of wetlands to help manage water and support biodiversity.
Incorporate green roofs and rain gardens where possible on City facilities to slow stormwater runoff.
Naturalize roadsides to reduce ongoing maintenance.
Expand tree planting on public lands to reduce urban heat and improve air quality.
Where the City Should Support
Residents, developers, and community groups can play an important role. The City should:
Encourage community gardens that provide food security and improve soil health.
Promote xeriscaping in private yards to conserve water.
Encourage tree planting by developers in new communities and encourage homeowners in established areas to do the same.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
Where the City Should Lead
Protect Parks & Green Spaces: Safeguard Calgary’s parks, pathways, and natural areas.
Integrate Ecology into Development: Link wetlands and wildlife migration routes where feasible through the utilization of overpasses and underpasses in new developments.
Smarter Infrastructure: Retrofit existing structures where feasible to reduce environmental impacts.
Water-Wise Landscaping: Use drought-resistant vegetation in parks to conserve water.
Pollinator Corridors: Plant native wildflowers along roadsides and in parks to support bees and butterflies.
Wildlife Management: Revisit the City’s approach to coyote management. Educate residents on ways to reduce wildlife interaction (e.g., minimizing garbage and pet food attractants).
Where the City Should Support
Partner with nonprofits, schools, and businesses to expand environmental stewardship programs, ensuring shared responsibility without the City carrying all the costs. Calgary Environmental Round Table can play a role here.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
Where the City Should Lead
Smart Land Use & Resilience: Land use is one of the City’s most powerful tools to reduce risk. Around the world, developments in floodplains, on slopes, or near industrial sites have put residents in harm’s way. Calgary must avoid repeating these mistakes. Council should ensure new developments mitigate risks rather than create them. For example, approving housing near the Bow or Elbow Rivers or on unstable slopes could leave taxpayers responsible for future damage long after developers are gone. Smart zoning and responsible approvals are essential.
Build Smart:
Encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use, and mixed-income developments that create vibrant, inclusive communities, including downtown conversions.
Support new housing that reflects community input and long-term sustainability, not blanket rezoning. Build more homes while protecting the unique character of existing neighbourhoods.
Faster Approvals & Partnerships: Streamline approvals and partner with nonprofits, faith groups, and developers to increase supply.
Advocate for Investment: Push for stronger provincial and federal commitments to housing.
Support Transit options: On-demand micro transit and ride-hailing links to main transit routes.
Where the City Should Support
The City should not be acting as a builder or developer. They should set the rules, approve and regulate, provide infrastructure, and protect the public interest. However, they should let the builders/developers design and build, deliver and supply the product, invest and innovate, meet standards set out by City bylaws, safety codes and environmental standards, and contribute to the community.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
ENMAX is a separate corporation. While it is City-owned and Council appoints members to the board, Council must stay in its lane. Not all Calgarians are ENMAX customers, and the City administration is not the expert on utility operations, nor can it afford to be. The right approach is to support and collaborate with utility providers, ensuring alignment with broader City goals, without overstepping or micromanaging.
Lead: The City should focus on its core responsibilities and avoid duplicating what utilities already do.
Influence / Advocate: Use the City’s role as shareholder and board participant to advocate for strong risk mitigation, customer service, and sustainability practices.
Defer: Leave execution to the experts. ENMAX and other providers already have detailed plans in place. The City does not need to allocate additional resources here.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
Where the City Should Lead
Infrastructure First: This past term, the major water feeder main break in 2024 highlighted what happens when essential infrastructure is neglected. Council cannot be all things to all people; it must focus on delivering critical services and avoid scope creep. Prioritize core responsibilities that directly affect public safety. Maintaining water treatment plants, feeder mains, distribution pipes, and both residential and commercial water should be a priority.
Flood Preparedness: Work with upstream and downstream partners to mitigate flood risks and ensure flood maps are regularly updated.
Water Efficiency in City Operations: Ensure all City-owned facilities are managing water responsibly and setting an example for residents and businesses. Measure progress.
Where the City Should Support
Educate homeowners and businesses on water conservation and flood mitigation (e.g., proper drainage, low-flow fixtures, rain barrels, efficient lawn watering, etc.).
Partner with communities and organizations to expand awareness programs without adding unnecessary City costs.
Inam Teja | 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?
Joanne Birce
Diverse Voices at the Table
Whether by design or not, business stakeholders were overlooked in your question. They are an important voice to engage in Calgary’s future. They have solutions and should be encouraged to partner. I will make sure they are at the table.
Use a variety of channels to gain input from a broad cross-section of Calgarians (e.g., online citizen engagement tools, town halls, surveys, workshops, and community association input).
Structured Engagement and Transparency
Too often, “engagement” is treated as checking a box. Council should set clear processes where citizen recommendations are gathered, documented, and publicly tracked, not lost in the shuffle.
When residents provide input, they deserve to see how it influenced the final decision. Council should publish “What We Heard / What We Did” reports to show where input shaped policy and explain openly when it could not.
Citizen recommendations should be assessed against the City’s core mandate, available resources, and long-term impact. This avoids scope creep while showing residents how their ideas are weighed fairly against other priorities.
Council should commit to reporting annually on how many citizen-driven recommendations were implemented, adapted, or declined and why.
The current Council’s Resilient Calgary Strategic Direction identified economic, social, and climate resilience. While this is a good start, a new Council must exercise greater discipline, sharper focus, and accountability for results.
Calgarians are being taxed and regulated to death. I will ensure Council sets a clear Strategic Direction that focuses on essentials, eliminates scope creep, and tracks results with real outcomes and KPIs. I believe it’s time to stop managing City Hall through ideology, and replace it with common-sense, practical solutions that work, and that Calgarians can afford.
The definition of community resilience is the ability to bounce back better from natural disasters, economic downturns, public health crises, and social challenges. Building a resilient community means addressing a wide range of factors in a systematic, comprehensive, and efficient manner, including:
Emergency management and preparedness
Infrastructure and housing systems
A strong, adaptable local economy
Natural and cultural resources
Health and social services
This process takes discipline. The City must know when to lead, and when to support.
For over 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving in leadership roles across business, government, and community service. Along the way, I’ve listened to families, seniors, small business owners, and young people who all want the same thing: a city that is safe, affordable, and full of opportunity.
I’m running for City Council because I believe Calgary’s best days are ahead. With proven leadership, a clear vision, and the courage to make tough decisions, I will work every day to build a city where every Calgarian feels secure, supported, and proud to call home.
My vision is simple: a safer, stronger, more affordable Calgary that delivers on the basics, plans for the future, and always puts people first.
1. Focus on Essentials – Core Services First
Back to basics: safer streets, better roads, stronger first responders.
Fix roads and improve transit with more reliable, accessible service.
Support police, fire, and emergency responders with the tools they need.
Make streets, public spaces, and businesses safer through smart design and partnerships.
Keep parking fair and affordable for families and businesses.
2. True Affordability – Responsible Spending
Cut waste, lower costs, and build a city that families can afford.
Cut red tape and find efficiencies at City Hall.
Lower taxes where possible while protecting core services.
Speed up approvals and partnerships to expand affordable housing.
Protect green spaces while promoting cost-saving, environmentally responsible solutions.
3. Economic Growth – Prosperity Planning
Jobs, investment, and opportunity for every Calgarian.
Streamline permits and approvals to help small businesses grow.
Encourage local procurement, partnerships, and private investment.
Revitalize vacant spaces into hubs for startups, culture, and housing.
Expand Calgary’s global reach through trade, logistics, and innovation.
4. Engage and Advocate – A Strong Voice for You
Your voice at City Hall. Listening, advocating, and delivering.
Champion balanced, sustainable growth guided by community input.
Expand seniors’ housing, health, and recreation options.
Support community centres, programs, and spaces that bring people together.
Celebrate Calgary’s diversity and strengthen civic pride.
Inam Teja | 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.