November Update

We have some very exciting projects underway in the Ward 3. Most notably, I toured the construction site of the Vivo expansion last week. Funding for Vivo’s $62 million expansion project is provided in part by the Government of Canada, Province of Alberta, City of Calgary, and Calgary Foundation. The expansion will add 135,000 square feet of recreation space to the facility. I know that many of you expressed frustration around lack of access to programming due to waitlists—this project will go a long way in improving the accessibility of recreation in Ward 3.

As a city, we are facing some significant challenges, but also opportunities including:

• Pandemic response and recovery
• Revitalizing our Downtown Core
• Building the Green Line

I look forward to working with my fellow Councillors on these important initiatives. In addition, I have put my name forward and been selected to serve on the following committees and boards:

• Infrastructure and Planning Committee
• Intergovernmental Affairs Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Calgary Municipal Land Corporation
• Inter-Municipal Committee -- Rocky View
• Calgary Public Library Board
• Foothills Athletic Park Redevelopment Advisory Committee

Two important motions that came before City Council this week are the Declaration of a Climate Emergency and Call to Action and the Reintroduction of Fluoride to the water treatment process.

On the climate front, I believe that we are overdue for serious action towards Net Zero in 2050, which is one of the many reasons I am supportive of the declaration. Too often, climate conversations centre exclusively around oil & gas, but municipalities have significant influence over transportation and buildings, which are the second and third largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). 

I have heard some concerns about what impacts the declaration may have on investor confidence and the private sector. It’s important to note that the scope of the declaration applies to the City of Calgary’s operations. Furthermore, our private sector counterparts are already doing very innovative work in this space. Although the path to net-zero won’t be easy, I see it as an opportunity for Calgary to continue to centre itself as the energy capital of Canada. We can take notes from other energy centres like Houston, TX & Austin, TX who have taken similar or more aggressive action towards net-zero. For more information on why I support the declaration, please see this op-ed I co-authored in the Calgary Herald.

On the question of reintroduction of Fluoride into the water system, I voted yes. It is my strong belief that we must act on the will of the public when we put a question to plebiscite. 59.62% of Ward 3 residents voted in favour of fluoride while 62% of Calgarians did overall. I'll also note that both that Canadian Dental Association and American Dental Association support fluoridation.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to my office at using this link.