Election 2025: Campaign Roundup - Day 22

Welcome to Day 22 of our Calgary 2025 Campaign Roundup!

With the 2025 municipal election underway, we'll be bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

As always, our work is entirely funded by donations from residents just like you, so if you appreciate the updates, please consider making a one-off donation or signing up as a supporter for just $10 a month - that's just 36 cents per email!

Campaign Roundup - Day 22:

• Happy Thanksgiving! We’re thankful for you - the readers who make our work possible. Your engagement, feedback, and encouragement help us keep pushing for common sense and accountability in our communities. We hope you enjoy a warm and restful holiday surrounded by family, friends, and plenty of good food.
  
  
• Mayoral candidates also shared their messages of thanks. Jeromy Farkas thanked his campaign team, volunteers, and supporters, while Jyoti Gondek and Jeff Davison took part in a walk to support the Calgary Food Bank.
  
  
• Municipal political parties are returning to Alberta for the first time in decades, but they have deep historical roots. From the 1910s to the 1950s, parties like the Dominion Labor Party and the Civic Government Association dominated Calgary’s City Council. Their influence faded mid-century as the Province took on more social policy responsibilities, Calgary adopted a ward system, and candidates began running on personal recognition rather than party affiliation. With new legislation passed in 2024 permitting civic parties again, Calgary voters will now see local political affiliations on their ballots for the first time in nearly 50 years.
  
  
• Blanket rezoning, which allows multi-unit housing in all Calgary neighbourhoods without individual rezoning approvals, has become one of the most divisive issues in the Mayoral race. Incumbent Jyoti Gondek and Calgary Party candidate Brian Thiessen support keeping and refining the policy, while independent candidates Jeff Davison and Jeromy Farkas, and Communities First candidate Sonya Sharp, all pledge to repeal it - though with different methods. Gondek argues rezoning increases housing choice and transparency, while Thiessen proposes capping units and streamlining approvals. In contrast, Sharp promises a full repeal with an “amnesty program” for those who wish to keep upzoning, Davison wants development of new communities instead of infill, and Farkas calls for growth near existing infrastructure rather than citywide densification.

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