Ward 8 Candidate CERT Questionnaire Responses and 1-on-2 with Miguel Cortinez

Learn about your candidates for Ward 8 in the City of Calgary

Watch Stephanie Westlund of Solar Alberta co-host Ward 8 Candidate Miguel Cortinez 👇

The Calgary Environmental Roundtable (CERT) is a nonpartisan coalition focused on integrating environmental priorities into the municipal decision making, currently focused on the election. The initiative aims to connect residents with candidates, emphasizing the importance of water, nature, and climate in shaping Calgary’s future. The campaign encourages organizations to join, candidates to participate, and residents to engage with their representatives. Learn all about it here! The conversation, co-hosted by Stephanie Westlund of Solar Alberta, featured Ward 7 candidates, Miguel Cortinez, who emphasized the integration of energy and environment, the importance of planning in community development, and the role of technology and innovation in achieving sustainability goals. The conversation also highlighted the need for affordable housing, efficient transportation, and the strategic role of ENMAX in meeting clean electricity targets. The roundtable underscores the importance of collaboration among developers, planners, communities, and environmental groups to ensure a resilient and thriving Calgary.

Independent candidate, Nathaniel Schmidt, has committed to participating but was hit with a family emergency. Please check out Nathaniel’s thoughtful answers below. Also, check out upcoming Solar Alberta events, like the Solar Show in January, and their podcasts on YouTube.

Your Ward 8 Candidates’ 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?

Miguel Cortines

My Commitments to Advance Calgary’s Climate Strategy will include:

• Cut energy costs & poverty: Expand home energy retrofit rebate programs and ensure all new affordable housing meets high energy-efficiency standards.

• Green transit: Accelerate electrification of Calgary Transit, pilot hydrogen buses on key routes, and support full funding and completion of the Green Line as a backbone of sustainable mobility.

• Smarter communities: Advance zoning reforms that promote compact, mixed-use neighbourhoods so Calgarians can live closer to work, shops, and transit.

• Waste & circular economy: Expand composting and recycling to multi-family and commercial buildings, reducing landfill emissions.

• Natural infrastructure: Invest in tree planting, riverbank restoration, and natural flood protection to cool neighbourhoods and improve resilience to extreme weather.

Nathaniel Schmidt

Calgary’s Climate Strategy is about more than targets – it’s about improving daily life for Calgarians while making our city more resilient. Extreme weather is now a yearly reality, and our response has to be practical and long-term. I support using the Climate Strategy as our guide to shape decisions that keep Calgarians safe, save families money, and create new opportunities to create a healthier environment.

That means investing in infrastructure and services that also prepare us for extreme weather – like cooling and warming centres that double as community hubs, and stronger building standards that reduce damage from hail and flooding. It means limiting the sprawl that drains our budget and using those funds to instead push forward with climate-friendly city-building that encourages active transportation for healthier communities and healthier environment.

We must focus growth in established communities like Ward 8 where transit and services already exist while supporting home retrofits that make housing more efficient, reduce utility bills, and ease pressure on our power grid. These are pragmatic steps that deliver both climate action and direct benefits to Calgarians.

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?

Miguel Cortines

My Commitments to Protect Watersheds and Biodiversity in Calgary:

• Riparian setbacks: Strengthen rules to prevent development too close to rivers and creek valleys.

• Wetland conservation: Require protection of wetlands and natural corridors before approving new developments.

• Green infrastructure: Promote natural stormwater systems, permeable surfaces, and tree canopies in all new communities.

• Habitat restoration: Support redevelopment projects that restore habitats, use native landscaping, and create wildlife crossings.

• Partnerships: Work with conservation groups and Indigenous communities to integrate ecological knowledge into planning.

Nathaniel Schmidt

We cannot build Calgary’s future by ignoring the health of our rivers, wetlands, and natural areas. Protecting these ecosystems isn’t just good for wildlife – it’s essential for clean water, flood prevention, and human health.

I believe development should be limited in areas at high risk of flooding, erosion, or fire. Protecting the Bow and Elbow river valleys must start now, allowing only the most cautious and limited development in sensitive areas.

Changing policies to increase setbacks for development in wetlands, waterways, and natural areas creates a buffer that protects sensitive areas from disturbance. This approach can be made even stronger by integrating the “conservation reserve” tool from the Municipal Government Act into applicable development projects. We have not used this tool nearly enough, and rely primarily on “environmental reserve,” which is limited in its scope to land that is unsafe for building. Conservation reserve is much more broad, and allows us to protect land based on its ecological value. I believe setting attainable targets for this tool will result in the preservation of more land that protects nature and benefits our communities.

As Calgary grows, our planning decisions must recognize that healthy watersheds and natural systems are fundamental infrastructure. It’s time for us to protect and restore the valuable ecosystems Calgarians value.

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?

Miguel Cortines

Yes, I will commit to dedicating budget dollars to protect Calgary’s biodiversity and improve wildlife safety. If elected, I will support full enforcement of Calgary’s bird-friendly building standards and advocate for retrofitting high-risk buildings with window treatments and lighting modifications to reduce bird collisions. I will prioritize funding for safe wildlife corridors—such as crossings, culverts, and connected green spaces—that allow animals to move safely through our city. I will also champion investments in habitat restoration and tree planting programs that strengthen urban biodiversity, improve air quality, and make our neighbourhoods more resilient. These are practical, cost-effective measures that deliver measurable benefits for both people and wildlife, ensuring Calgary grows as a city that respects and protects its natural environment. I attended an event at Contemporary Calgary and they explain how are using technologies so the birds don’t crash in their windows.

Nathaniel Schmidt

Yes – I support dedicating resources to protect biodiversity and improve wildlife safety in our city. Calgary benefits when our built environment respects the natural environment we share.

That includes enforcing standards like bird-friendly building design, expanding naturalization projects on boulevards and parks, and prioritizing native plants and trees in City landscaping. It also means identifying and preserving wildlife corridors at the early stages of the planning process. Too often, biodiversity comes as an afterthought. I experienced this myself in my advocacy to protect Ricardo Ranch from development that encroached on healthy wetlands and a heron nesting site. By the time these concerns were raised, it was too late as the planning process had started many years prior to the approval of the new community. Increasing scrutiny on wildlife corridors and sensitive ecosystems at the beginning of the planning process ensures it comes to the attention of planners and the public at the early stages before it’s too late to make the best decisions.

These steps protect biodiversity, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and strengthen the natural systems that protect our city.

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?

Miguel Cortines

Affordable housing, fair rents, and reliable transit are critical for Calgarians to live with dignity, and they are also central to our climate and equity goals. If elected, I will take the following steps:

• Affordable Housing & Rent: I will partner with non-profit housing providers such as Partners for Affordable Housing to expand purpose-built affordable housing. I will push for programs that encourage landlords to maintain fair rents, and I will support retrofits for existing housing to cut energy costs, reducing both emissions and energy poverty.

• Inclusive Zoning & Development: I will advocate for repealing the blanket rezoning policy so we can find better, more collaborative mechanisms to build integrated communities. This means working with developers, city planners, and community members to deliver housing diversity that respects neighbourhood character while addressing affordability and sustainability.

• Accessible Transit: I will fight for reliable, frequent, and affordable transit by ensuring stable funding for Calgary Transit, supporting the full build-out of the Green Line, and expanding bus rapid transit (BRT) service to underserved areas. I will also push for transitioning our fleet to electric and hydrogen buses, lowering operating costs and emissions.

• Healthy, Equitable City: I will prioritize inclusive budgeting that invests in core services—housing, rents, and transit—so Calgarians of all incomes can thrive. These measures not only address affordability but also reduce emissions from buildings and transportation, making Calgary a more climate-resilient and equitable city.

Nathaniel Schmidt

Housing and transit are two of the biggest affordability challenges facing Calgarians. The average income needed to rent or buy in Calgary is beyond reach for many families, and our transit network is stretched thin. We need to make both housing and transit more accessible so that people can live and move with dignity.

I support continuing to implement Calgary’s Housing Strategy, which calls for more affordable housing options across the city, including partnerships with non-profits and private developers. In established communities, I believe in building “complete communities” where housing is close to services like recreation centres, parks, and schools. We must be strategic in finding the best opportunities, which is why I’ve identified Westbrook C-Train station as the starting point to show how we can build non-market and market housing close to transit and amenities while also creating an accessible public space for all the surrounding communities.

On transit, our focus should be on frequency where the need is greatest. The Primary Transit Network, with buses every 15 minutes or better, must be prioritized. Improving transit in Calgary also requires some creative solutions such as expanding the use of smaller shuttle buses within neighbourhoods close to transit hubs to shuttle people to and from major transit hubs. This opens up effective transit to more people by using existing resources more effectively.

We also need to get shovels in the ground on the Green Line to provide a reliable north-south connection and ensure the Beltline station strengthens rather than divides our communities.

When housing and transit are reliable and affordable, we not only reduce emissions – we create a healthier, more inclusive city.

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?

Miguel Cortines

ENMAX, as a city-owned utility, must play a central role in meeting Calgary’s 2035 clean electricity goals, and it must do so in a way that benefits all Calgarians. If elected, I will advocate for ENMAX to accelerate investment in renewable energy generation—particularly solar, wind, and battery storage—to decarbonize the grid while maintaining reliability.

ENMAX should expand programs that lower bills for everyone, including on-bill financing for home retrofits, rooftop solar incentives, and community solar projects so renters and low-income families can also access clean energy. I will push for annual public reporting on ENMAX’s climate progress to ensure accountability and transparency. Above all, I will ensure ENMAX delivers clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for every Calgarian—whether is a homeowner, renter, or business owner—because our transition to clean energy must be equitable and inclusive.

Nathaniel Schmidt | The Calgary Party

ENMAX is a powerful tool for Calgary. As a city-owned utility, it has a critical role to play in helping us reach our 2035 clean electricity goals while keeping power affordable for Calgarians.

I believe ENMAX should continue to lead on grid decarbonization and innovation while staying focused on affordability. That includes supporting programs that help Calgarians retrofit their homes with more efficient heating, cooling, and insulation – because lower utility bills are one of the best ways to address energy poverty. ENMAX can also act as a key partner in incentivizing the use of solar on existing homes and integrating it into new developments.

As councillor, I would support ENMAX operating with strong public accountability so that its priorities stay aligned with both our climate commitments and the day-to-day needs of Calgarians.

6️⃣How will you advance sustainable water use and watershed protection in Calgary’s growth and development decisions?

Miguel Cortines

My Commitments on Sustainable Water Use & Watershed Protection:

• Smart growth standards: Require new developments to use stormwater reuse, permeable surfaces, and water-efficient landscaping.

• Riparian & wetland protection: Enforce strong safeguards for rivers, creeks, and wetlands to protect water quality and ecosystems.

• Water conservation programs: Expand rebates and incentives for water-efficient fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and drought-resilient practices.

• Regional collaboration: Work with neighbouring municipalities and Indigenous communities to align watershed planning and ensure long-term water security.

Nathaniel Schmidt

Water is Calgary’s most precious resource, and protecting it means planning responsibly. That starts with limiting development in flood fringes and other high-risk areas, and ensuring that new growth doesn’t worsen Calgary’s long-term water scarcity.

I would support a stronger regional approach to development, limiting approvals of new communities far from the core – because every new subdivision requires costly infrastructure and increases water demands. Instead, we should prioritize reinvestment in established areas like Ward 8, where services already exist. Protecting river valleys, wetlands, and natural areas also ensures healthy watersheds, cleaner water, and reduced risk of major flooding events.

Calgary also loses a significant amount of water through our municipal water network, including leaky pipes and deteriorating infrastructure. Repairing this infrastructure would result in huge savings - both in water use and costs. This represents another consequence of an expanding city. By continuing to build new infrastructure further from our core services, we stretch our budget to the breaking point, leaving little money left over to fix what we’ve already built.

7️⃣How will you ensure recommendations from Calgarians including residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff are meaningfully considered in Council decisions?

Miguel Cortines

If elected, I will ensure Calgarians’ voices are at the center of Council decisions. I will push for engagement processes by creating spaces for residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff to shape decisions. This means holding regular town halls in Ward 8, establishing advisory panels with community representation, and requiring public reporting on how resident input influenced Council outcomes. I will also strengthen two-way communication—making City processes more transparent and accessible, and ensuring Calgarians know their voices are not only heard but acted upon. True engagement builds trust, and I am committed to making City Hall more accountable and responsive to Calgarians.

I believe in Calgary. We are living a great momentum and I am certain that together, City Council and organizations like yours, we can build the infrastructure needed to have a more vibrant, safe, prosperous, and cosmopolitan city that is an example of environmental responsibility.

Nathaniel Schmidt

Good decisions at City Hall depend on listening to Calgarians. That includes residents, community associations, environmental groups, frontline communities, and city staff. Too often, people feel like their voices are sought but not heard.

I believe in engagement that is meaningful and measurable. That means being transparent about how input shapes decisions, creating clear pathways for communities to raise concerns, and maintaining ongoing dialogue rather than one-off consultations. Councillors must have constructive relationships with administration, industry, and the public, and then be accountable for how those voices are reflected in policy. Building credibility with all communities and stakeholders results in better policy, because it creates trust and makes room for respectful disagreement, leading to consensus and better outcomes for everyone.

In my view, engagement should not just be a box to check – it should be a process that builds trust and produces results people can see in their communities.