Ward 9 Candidate CERT Questionnaire Responses and Podcast Forum
Learn about your candidates for Ward 9 in the City of Calgary
WATCH Ward 9 Candidates: Harrison Clark, Marina Ortman, and Shirley Parungao Do 👇
This episode includes three candidates for Ward 9:
Harrison Clark owns a business in Inglewood and is running as an independent. He emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable investment in communities, protecting natural areas and watersheds, and engaging the community in the decision-making process.
Marina Ortman is a community advocate who has fought to protect public spaces like the Inglewood pool. She advocated for protecting watersheds and wildlife, building in trade-offs with developers to ensure they give back to the community, and increasing transparency and accountability in council decisions.
Shirley Parungao Do is the director of operations at a multi-sport services company. She highlighted the importance of affordable and accessible housing, transportation, and utilities, and committed to protecting the environment and involving the community in decision-making.
Overall, the guests emphasized the need for equitable, community-driven decision-making that prioritizes the environment, climate action, and improving quality of life for all Calgarians. They spoke about specific steps they would take to achieve these goals, such as investing in public transit, protecting natural areas, and ensuring affordable housing and services.
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 October 3 at 11 am MST conversation, listen to your candidates for Ward 9 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, For Our Kids Alberta, and Solar Alberta.
FOLLOW The Gravity Well on Substack, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Bluesky.
Your Ward 9 Candidates’ Answers
Answers and video transcripts collected from Ward 9 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?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
The first step is to determine where and how resources and money are being allocated and spent. Currently, there is a significant budget that has been allocated to address the climate emergency but no plan has been provided to elected officials. To make progress a clear plan needs to be created. I will endeavor to ensure that objectives are met and tracked.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
Reduce energy poverty & costs: I will work in close partnership with ENMAX to create better options for retrofitting older homes — from insulation upgrades to renewable energy add-ons like rooftop solar. We should also study best practices from other municipalities to learn what works and bring proven solutions here.
Clean economy jobs: Calgary can be a hub for clean economy jobs. We need to expand training programs for trades like retrofits, solar installation, and green infrastructure maintenance, while supporting clean-tech businesses that want to invest in our city.
Public health through natural infrastructure: Our tree canopy is only 8.65%, when experts recommend closer to 30%. Expanding canopy coverage will reduce urban heat, improve air quality, and provide better stormwater management — real benefits to residents.
Protect green space: We must stop selling off existing green spaces. They are essential community infrastructure and vital to resilience.Balanced development with trade-offs: Developers should not only be allowed to build but also required to give back — through parks, stormwater upgrades, or tree planting. Development should add resilience, not strip it away.
When elected, I will ensure City decisions on land use, infrastructure, and mobility consider both their climate and affordability impact. That’s what it means to get ‘back to basics’ in a climate-resilient way: protecting our environment while protecting household budgets.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
I support Calgary’s Climate Strategy because protecting our environment is protecting our future. I avoid using harmful campaign materials like styrofoam or excess paper, and I will bring this same commitment to Council by supporting actions that reduce waste, lower energy costs, and build a cleaner, healthier Calgary.
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?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
These are extremely important issues to me and I will make a priority of working with new developments and planners to incorporate effective strategies that could include grey water recycling, xenoscaping while prioritizing the protection of trees, native flora, water sources and natural habitat.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
Protecting our watersheds, river valleys, wetlands, and urban biodiversity must be at the core of responsible city planning. Once these ecosystems are damaged, they are nearly impossible to restore. My approach would focus on three concrete commitments:
No development at the expense of critical natural areas: I will oppose rezoning or redevelopment that threatens wetlands, riparian zones, or wildlife corridors. These areas are essential to flood mitigation, water quality, and biodiversity. For example, the land next to our Bird Sanctuary in Inglewood is about to set off for a redevelopment. When elected, I will work on getting that project scraped. The Bird Sanctuary should expend and assume that land.
Build trade-offs into development approvals: When negotiating with developers, I will ensure that if development is approved, it comes with strong environmental conditions — such as stormwater management upgrades, wetland restoration, or investments in urban biodiversity like tree planting and pollinator habitats.
Strengthen and enforce environmental impact standards: I will push for stricter environmental reviews in planning decisions and better monitoring to ensure compliance. Too often, approvals go through with minimal conditions, leaving residents to deal with flooding, erosion, or habitat loss later. For example, again in Inglewood, land attached to Pearse Estate Park is planned to be covered in concrete to provide more parking. Residents are highly upset as there is a habitat formed on that small parcel, and it will be lost if turned into concrete covered parking.
Calgary’s rivers, creeks, wetlands, and green spaces are not just natural features — they are essential infrastructure that protect us from flooding, improve air and water quality, and support healthy communities. Protecting them is part of getting back to basics in responsible urban planning.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
I will support development that respects our natural ecosystems by protecting watersheds, river valleys, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. My commitment is to push for stronger environmental reviews in land-use decisions and ensure new communities include green spaces, natural buffers, and sustainable designs that safeguard Calgary’s 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?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
I would be in favor and working with other levels of government if necessary to protect wildlife. As stated in the White Paper I would also work to explore or continue partnerships with with organizations such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Climate Innovation Fund, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities who might support investments into corporate and community climate projects and help leverage private investment.
I would also consider lending initiatives that could include financing programs such as the Clean Energy Improvement Program and credit enhancement programs (e.g., loan guarantees or loan loss reserves) that could facilitate public and private investments into the community.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
I will commit to dedicating budget dollars toward protecting Calgary’s biodiversity and improving wildlife safety in our urban environment. Biodiversity isn’t an ‘extra’; it is part of the essential infrastructure that keeps our city resilient, healthy, and livable.
Bird-friendly standards: I support enforcing bird-friendly building standards in new developments, especially near rivers, wetlands, and parks. Please see my response regarding bird sanctuary.
Retrofitting existing structures: I will push for targeted retrofit programs that help property owners adapt existing buildings — with cost-sharing options or incentives — to reduce risks to birds and wildlife. Because these upgrades cost money the City can offer incentives or cost-sharing — for example, a grant to help condo boards or businesses install bird-safe glass.
Wildlife corridors and safe crossings: I will advocate for funding and planning of safe wildlife corridors, especially where development pressures intersect with known migration routes or urban green spaces. These corridors reduce collisions and preserve urban biodiversity.
I believe biodiversity protection should be integrated into Calgary’s core planning, not treated as an afterthought. Protecting wildlife and natural systems means healthier communities and stronger ecosystems.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
Yes, I will commit budget dollars to protect Calgary’s biodiversity and improve wildlife safety. This includes supporting bird-friendly building standards, retrofitting existing structures, and ensuring safe wildlife corridors so that our urban environment can coexist with nature.
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?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
People who have worked with me know my passion in this area. I’m an approved practitioner of Just Communities. Poverty is toxic and if we can increase affordability I would be delighted if it falls within the municipal responsibility. If it is outside of this I would advocate for Ward 9 residents to other levels of government as per residents requests.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
Affordability is an ability to live, work, and access services without being pushed to the margins. Housing, rent, and transit are at the core of that. My commitments focus on practical, balanced steps that make Calgary more affordable while also building climate resilience.
Affordable housing: I will support more affordable rental inventory by streamlining approvals for non-profit and co-op housing providers, and by requiring developers to include affordable options in new projects. At the same time, we need retrofit programs to improve older housing stock so that residents aren’t paying higher utility bills because of outdated systems.
The City must also advocate with the Province for tenant protections, since affordability and housing security go hand-in-hand. But affordability and tenant protections are tied to Provincial law, and I will be a strong advocate to the Province on behalf of Ward 9 residents.
Accessible transit: Affordable transit is essential for both equity and climate. I will push to protect and expand frequent bus service in established communities, not just new train lines that serve the few. A reliable transit network reduces car dependence, cuts emissions, and ensures people can get to work and services with dignity.
Calgary must grow responsibly — which means development and budget decisions that reduce emissions while keeping life affordable. In inclusive city, housing, rent, and transit should be the foundation not be barriers.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
I will support policies that make housing, rent, and transit more affordable and accessible for Calgarians. This means pushing for more mixed-use and inclusive zoning, investing in reliable public transit, and encouraging energy-efficient housing that lowers utility costs. Everyone deserves the dignity of safe housing and affordable mobility while building a healthier, climate-resilient 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?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
While Enmax does have district energy, solar and wind power. It would certainly be advantageous for the corporation to continue working toward increasing climate friendly energy practices whenever possible and pivoting away from coal generated power.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
ENMAX, as a utility wholly owned by the City, must be a central partner in achieving Calgary’s 2035 clean electricity goals. This role goes beyond climate action — it directly impacts affordability and reliability for Calgarians.
ENMAX should accelerate grid decarbonization by investing in renewable generation and storage. Clear accountability targets from Council will ensure this transition stays on schedule.
ENMAX can play a bigger role in home retrofits. Many residents live in older housing stock with high energy costs. By expanding programs for insulation, efficient heating, rooftop solar, and battery storage — with cost-sharing options — we can cut household bills while reducing emissions.
ENMAX should commit to full public accountability. As a city-owned utility, it should publish regular, transparent reports on climate progress so residents can clearly track how close we are to 100% clean electricity.
Affordability must stay at the heart of this transition. No Calgarian should have to choose between heating their home and paying for groceries. ENMAX can and should be a partner in reducing energy poverty, building a clean, affordable energy future for all residents.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
ENMAX must lead the way in Calgary’s transition to 100% clean electricity by 2035. I see its role in expanding renewable energy projects, modernizing the grid, and ensuring affordable access to power for all Calgarians. As a city-owned utility, ENMAX should be fully accountable to the public while driving innovation toward a clean, reliable energy future.
6️⃣How will you advance sustainable water use and watershed protection in Calgary’s growth and development decisions?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
Water is a precious resource and necessary for all life forms. We require further research into state of the art approaches. Grey water recycling for example would lessen water wastage.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
Water is Calgary’s most valuable resource, and it must be central to every growth and development decision. Long-term water security and ecological resilience depend on how we grow and how we manage our watersheds.
I will ensure that no new community development is approved without a clear assessment of its water impacts. Growth must not worsen Calgary’s water scarcity. Developers should be required to integrate water efficiency measures such as low-flow fixtures, stormwater reuse, and water-wise landscaping into all new projects.
I will work to protect and restore our natural infrastructure. Rivers, creeks, wetlands, and green spaces provide flood protection, water filtration, and habitat for biodiversity. I will oppose development that threatens these areas and instead support expansion of our tree canopy and wetland restoration to increase resilience.
I will push for infrastructure upgrades in older neighbourhoods to reduce stormwater runoff and prevent untreated water from entering our rivers and creeks.
Water stewardship requires collaboration. I will work with regional partners, Indigenous communities, and the Province to strengthen water-sharing agreements.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
I will prioritize sustainable water use by ensuring all new developments include water-efficient designs and protections for our rivers, creeks, and wetlands. I will also work with regional partners to safeguard long-term water security and support stronger watershed management so Calgary can grow without worsening water scarcity.
7️⃣How will you ensure recommendations from Calgarians including residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff are meaningfully considered in Council decisions?
Alison Karim-McSwiney
In many ways, this is the primary reasons that I’m running. In my extensive work with Ward 9 communities over the last three decades I watched as all-too-often community leaders concerns were ignored. Impactful decisions were made without any meaningful community engagement. Anyone who has worked with me over the last three decades knows that I’m a team player. I listen, I engage with the community and then I work to collaboratively lead impactful change. The kind of leadership that brought the transit-friendly mainstreet design to 17th Avenue SE, that helped to create Journey to Freedom Park and community events like Global Fest and East Town Get Down. As an elected representative I promise to take the same approach. I will listen and work for community.
Ariana Kippers | 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.
Marina Ortman
Yes residents feel engagement with the City is a checkbox exercise — they share feedback, but it doesn’t meaningfully shape the final decision. Rebuilding trust means making engagement transparent, accessible, and respected at every stage.
I will push for clear reporting that shows how resident, frontline community, environmental group, and staff recommendations are reflected in Council decisions. If feedback is not adopted, the City must explain why.
I will work to strengthen engagement pathways so they are accessible to all. That means offering online and in-person options, providing translated and culturally appropriate formats, and lowering barriers for frontline communities who are often excluded from consultation.
I will hold myself accountable through open office hours, regular community updates, and follow-up with residents and groups who take the time to share their feedback.
Listening to Calgarians should not be a campaign promise — it should be the foundation of local government.
Shirley Brun Parungao Do
I will ensure recommendations from residents, frontline communities, environmental groups, and city staff are meaningfully considered by creating open, transparent consultation processes and making sure feedback is reflected in Council decisions. Listening to those most affected builds stronger policies and a more inclusive Calgary.