Endorsement Committee: Chima Nkemdirim (Chair), Sarah Black, Tom Booth, Trevor McLeod, Naheed Nenshi, Janice OBriain, Doug Schweitzer and Jamie Woods. Note: due to declared conflicts of interest, the following Endorsement Committee members were absent for the following discussions: Ward 3 and 11: Naheed Nenshi; Ward 8: Doug Schweitzer; Ward 9: Chima Nkemdirim.

To skip directly to the endorsement for a particular ward, click on the links below.
Ward 1   |   Ward 2   |   Ward 3   |   Ward 4   |   Ward 5   |   Ward 6   |   Ward 7
Ward 8   |   Ward 9   |   Ward 10   |   Ward 11   |   Ward 12   |   Mayor  |  
Complete list of candidates and surveys received  |  
Click here to view the entire list of endorsements as a PDF  |  
Note: Wards 13 and 14 had acclamations, and therefore are not listed here.

About the endorsement process

The Better Calgary Campaign is non-partisan organization with members from across the political spectrum who are interested in improving the overall quality of civic government in Calgary.

The Endorsement Committee drafted and distributed a comprehensive survey to each candidate for Alderman and Mayor. The surveys were due on September 29, 2007. On October 2, 2007, the Endorsement Committee met and reviewed and discussed each survey. The endorsements were made by the Endorsement Committee on a consensus basis. As noted above, certain members of the Endorsement Committee declared a conflict in certain races and absented themselves from the discussion and decision making process for that race.

Ward One: We endorse Jennifer Banks.

The incumbent, Dale Hodges, has given us no reason to support him. On Council he has been obstructionist, and constantly a force against positive change. His answer to the question on Transit-Oriented Development, in particular, is telling: although he opposed the proposed development at the site of the Crowchild Inn he expresses no opinion (beyond "I have often expressed an opinion"). Mr. Hodges also claims that he cannot answer a question about the proposed development because there may be some land-use application about the site in question at some uncertain point in the future. This is disengenuous and only serves to duck the real issue.

One of his challengers, Normand Perrault, is running on an anti-tax platform, but does not seem to have much depth beyond this.

The major challenger, Jennifer Banks, is a 35-year old social worker. Ms. Banks is unseasoned, and her survey results displayed a lack of knowledge on some issues. Nonetheless, Ms. Banks seems dedicated to introducing positive change: we support her overall philosophy of sustainability and supportable growth and applaud her desire to reform curbside recycling plans, campaign financing, and to better encourage smart development. We hope the voters of Ward 1 send Hodges into early retirement.

Ward Two: We endorse Gord Lowe.

While Gord Lowe was the only candidate to return our survey in this ward, we endorse him without reservation. Mr. Lowe is passionate about policy ideas, which is always appreciated on this Council. We do have concerns with three of his issues: his general opposition to secondary suites in established neighborhoods, his outdated discussion of urban sprawl versus rural sprawl, and his stance on campaign finance reform: why not make the changes we can now, and then lobby the government for tax receipts?

Nonetheless, Mr. Lowe has been a strong alderman, working behind the scenes on issues not only for Ward 2, but also for the whole city, and Ward 2 electors would be well-served with him on board for another three years.

Other candidates, who did not return surveys: Terry Avramenko, Daniel Del Re

Ward Three: We endorse George Chahal

The incumbent, Helene Larocque, is the weakest alderman on the existing Council. The fact that Ms. Larocque did not respond to the survey is hardly surprising, given her reputation for not responding to constituent concerns.

While Jim Stevenson has done much for the city as a whole, and is a solid candidate, his survey responses and public statements reflect an old-fashioned way of doing things, not a city that needs to rethink how it works. George Chahal, on the other hand, stands head and shoulders over the competition in this ward, and, indeed, is one of the strongest candidates citywide.

Mr. Chahal's survey responses are a model of forward thinking, and we encourage Calgarians to read them to understand a vision of what we could be as a city. Yes, Mr. Chahal is a bit academic (he has a masters degree in urban planning), but his brand of bold thinking is exactly what the city needs. The voters of Ward 3 have an amazing chance in this election: by voting for Mr. Chahal, they could replace the weakest alderman with someone with great potential.

Ward 4: We endorse Bob Hawkesworth

Again the incumbent, Mr. Hawkesworth, was the only candidate to fill out the survey. We felt that Mr. Hawkesworth's responses were a little too much business-as-usual. Surely there are market-driven solutions to affordable housing that don't require government construction, for example. However, Mr. Hawkesworth has always been a strong advocate for social issues in the city, and has done remarkable work as the Chair of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, helping secure the recent provincial funding deal.

We also appreciate that Mr. Hawkesworth is one of the few alderman who consistently thinks about the future of the city as a whole, balancing this with the needs of Ward 4. We encourage the voters of that ward to return him.

Other candidates, who did not return surveys: Richard Evans, Alex Peterson

Ward 5: No endorsement

The incumbent, Ray Jones, Mr. Jones is a very long-serving alderman, and we are hard-pressed to think of any of his recent accomplishments. We don't know where Mr. Jones stands on most issues and he has no website to assist the voters. We do know Mr. Jones voted against curbside recycling and is generally not seen as a force for change.

However, the challenger, Mohamed El-Rafih, is not ready for the job. Mr. El-Rafih's survey responses do not reflect a deep knowledge of the issues and he really requires more seasoning. Ward 5, the traditional northeast, contains some of Calgary's most interesting communities and could be a real jewel of the city. The people of the northeast deserve much better representation, but they'll need to wait three years to get it.

Ward 6: No endorsement

The incumbent in this ward, Craig Burrows, did not return our survey. Nonetheless, Mr. Burrows has not been a strong alderman. His focus on his ward at the expense of all others has been the subject of some criticism. Mr. Burrows' troubling record on urban sprawl indicates he may support more density, but not in his ward. Lingering questions also remain about his judgment and use of city funds, exemplified by the now infamous $12,000 course he took at taxpayer expense despite the availability of much cheaper alternatives. Mr. Burrows' strong reputation as an advocate for the communities of Ward 6 notwithstanding, we cannot endorse him.

Sadly, the other candidates in the ward are simply not strong enough to earn our endorsement. James Istvanffy did not respond to our survey, and his website is full of empty platitudes. James Kohut did respond, and had some good ideas, including switching city vehicles to alternative fuels and better east-west transit lines, but other of his statements were over-the-top (such as banning all donations over $100) or difficult to follow (his statements on participatory democracy). Joe Connelly seems to have the most well-funded campaign, but his responses were vague at best and unsupportable at worst, including his sense that the city is doing a good job with transportation (despite it being his number one issue), that growth is being managed well, and that urban sprawl is not an issue.

The fifth candidate, Rosemary Berglund, will appear on the ballot, but has informed voters that she is not running and has withdrawn. Faced with Mr. Burrows' record, we find it a pity that the alternatives in Ward 6 are poor and, given what information we received, are unable to justify supporting any candidate

Ward 7: We endorse Druh Farrell

Jag Aithwal did not return our survey. Merle Terlesky did, but any candidate who writes that the only way to stop sprawl is to stop development simply does not understand the issues well enough to be an alderman. Barry Eldridge's responses failed to offer any concrete suggestions on several key areas, such as homelessness, urban poverty, crime and safety.

Ward 7 has an outstanding alderman in Druh Farrell. Ms. Farrell consistently fights for building a sustainable city and is a force for positive change. However, we were puzzled with Ms. Farrell's reluctance to support LRT expansion to Mount Royal College and Currie Barracks until the area densifies. Currie Barracks is slated to be the most dense neighbourhood in Calgary and Mount Royal College is a major transit trip generator.

Ward 8: We endorse John Mar

This was a difficult decision for the Better Calgary Campaign, as we expect it will be for the residents of Ward 8. In comparison to John Mar and Madeline King, Steve Chapman's answers tended to be vague, and we are not convinced that he would be able to rally support to his side. Lindsay Luhnau's responses were solid, but the candidate is as yet too unseasoned to be an effective alderman.

The two leading contenders, John Mar and Madeline King, both submitted outstanding survey responses. They showed a depth of knowledge and understanding of the issues and a sophisticated view on how to address them. As an incumbent, Ms. King has often landed on the side of positive change and we appreciate much of what she has done with the arts in the city as an example. However, Ms. King's record is mixed. Ms. King advocates inclusionary zoning and a move away from the property tax: why has she not been a leader in making this happen in her six years on Council? While Ms. King's voting record has, in general, aligned with smart growth principles, her record demonstrates she is difficult to pin down on the issues and has failed to convince us she has the courage of her convictions.

In Mr. Mar, we see someone who could be a leader for the city. If he stands by the principles he espouses and avoids NIMBYism (something of which both he and Ms. King were accused during the Sunalta halfway house debate), he has the potential to be an excellent alderman. Mr. Mar had a strong response to the survey questions and we were particularly impressed by his support for an "Alderman-at-large" and to the attention he pays to improving safety and addressing crime in the city. However, we found it difficult to reconcile Mr. Mar's plan to hire 400 new police officers with his reluctance to raise taxes.

Nonetheless, Mr. Mar's potential outweighs Ms. King's record. Voters in Ward 8 are fortunate to have the choice, but we advocate taking a gamble on the challenger.

Ward 9: We endorse Joe Ceci

While many of Al Koenig's, survey answers were good, he cannot earn our endorsement. His recent comments encouraging police officers to display "Support our troops" decals in defiance of a Calgary Police Commission decision to do the opposite is troubling. Regardless of one's support for the decals, there is a reason we have civilian control over the police in this society and encouraging subordination showed questionable judgment.

Further, the fact that Mr. Koenig has not taken leave from his job as the president of a public sector union during the campaign suggests he does not see the boundary between being an advocate and an elected official.

We endorse Joe Ceci because he has been a strong voice on Council, often taking unpopular stances and speaking up for those with suppressed voices. Mr. Ceci's survey responses showed a depth of understanding and compassion, particularly on affordable housing and urban poverty. Mr. Ceci deserves another term on Council.

Other candidates, who did not return surveys: Stan Waciak

Ward 10: No endorsement

Unlike in Wards 5 and 6 where we have no endorsement, the incumbent in this rdiing has not been a terrible alderman. Andre Chabot works very hard, is accessible, and researches issues extensively. However, Mr. Chabot did not return our survey, and has made poor decisions on several votes (such as curbside recycling); as such, we cannot endorse him.

Mr. Chabot's sole challenger, Nargis Dossa, deserves credit for running when it looked as though Chabot might be acclaimed. Ms. Dossa is a social worker who espouses a strong social justice philosophy. However, Ms. Dossa's survey responses were usually vague or failed to show a depth of understanding of the issues. Despite the credit Ms. Dossa deserves for running, we cannot support her.

Ward 11: We endorse Brian Pincott

Barry Erskine's late announcement that he would not run again prompted a number of candidates to make a late start in the race and to their detriment. Jim Rockwell did not return the survey, and his website is short of specifics. While Jim Murray has an impressive background, his candidacy lacks depth on many issues. Evonne Whelan's response was also light on details. Dave Matthews has been a leader in the discussion of positive change in the city, but also failed to match Mr. Pincott's coverage of the issues. .

Brian Pincott, on the other hand, had the courage to challenge an incumbent. Mr. Pincott is a strong advocate for smart growth and we hope he would continue to advocate such issues as an alderman. Mr. Pincott's survey responses suggest he would use both carrot and stick measures to increase density, introduce secondary suites, and push a broad array of environmental measures. Mr. Pincott has worked hard on numerous urban growth initiatives and built a broad base of knowledge and connections that suggest he could facilitate constructive and far reaching measures in this regard. If elected, he could be the city's leader on smart growth.

That said, the Better Calgary Campaign has some reservations about Mr. Pincott. He has a strident tone and often seems stubborn and even dogmatic. While he would appear to have a number of friends on council, we worry about his ability to facilitate consensus. Some of his proposals, such as the "living wage policy", also suggest he could keep a loose grip on the purse strings. Nevertheless, if Mr. Pincott is given the chance to work with some fiscally responsible aldermen, we believe his ideas on smart growth merit an endorsement.

Ward 12: We endorse Ric McIver.

The challenger in this ward, Nick Halfyard, should be commended for running. Had he not, Ric McIver would have been acclaimed for the second election in a row. However, Mr. Halfyard does not yet have the grasp of issues required for our endorsement.

We are nonetheless pleased to endorse Ric McIver. A strong fiscal conservative, he provides a voice of reason to a Council that sometimes forgets the value of money. We don't always agree with him -- his support for secondary suites in established communities is too conditional -- but his transit policy is exceptional, and he's consistently been one of the strongest advocates of campaign finance reform on Council. Mr. McIver has earned our endorsement.

Mayor: We endorse David Bronconnier, with reservations.

The best platform in this election does not belong to David Bronconnier . It belongs to Alnoor Kassam, by a mile. His vision for the city is congruent with our thinking and there is no question that, if achieved, it would result in a far better future. We endorse his platform and his survey results.

However, we cannot endorse Mr. Kassam. Lingering questions about his past have not been answered to our satisfaction. His adventure as a rent-increasing landlord during the election campaign made us question his judgment and tact, and we are also concerned the shortage of community service on his resume. However, anyone who is willing to put up $1 million or more of their own money to make positive change for a city he clearly loves and wants to make better deserves commendation. Mr. Kassan has certainly gotten his ideas out and every vote he receives will demonstrate that there is support in Calgary for the type of change he advocates. Should Mr. Kassam be unsuccessful in this race, we do hope that he finds other ways to be involved in the future of the community.

Dave Bronconnier, on the other hand, is a seasoned and scrappy politician. We have a lot of issues with Mr. Bronconnier, including his, at times, dictatorial tone. Instead of framing his recent proposal to spend $300 million on recreation facilities as a campaign promise, which it is, he called it an "announcement" as though it had the force of City Council behind it. His response to our survey came late and, rather than answer the questions, contained two pages of re-hashed campaign promises. Some specifics were strange: Mr. Bronconnier proposes giving homeowners $25,000 subsidies to build secondary suites, but also to keep such suites illegal in the vast majority of neighbourhoods.

However, the mayor has shown significant growth, progress, and intellectual flexibility over his six years. The same person who used to claim that there was no such thing as urban sprawl in Calgary now commissions studies like imagineCalgary, is a strong proponent of the arts, and has stewarded some significant environmental initiatives. We need to see much more action from Mr. Bronconnier in a third term, but we are hopeful that, supported by Council, Mr. Bronconnier will cement a legacy of positive leadership.

Of the remaining candidates, one stands out: Jeremy Zhao is fantastic. Mr. Zhao is using modern tools to get young people interested and to decrease voter apathy. Mr. Zhao also provided brilliant survey results reflecting a wisdom and depth of knowledge belied by his inexperience. We hope to see a lot more of Zhao in the future and hope he finds an outlet to play a prominent role in our city's growth.

There were some other highlights in the survey results: JJ Sunstrum's policies provide some cogent, down-to-earth solutions. Elizabeth Kaur Fielding also brings a common touch to her answers and some interesting ideas ignored by the more mainstream candidates. David Bertram wants to not only legalize secondary suites, but encourage them. Sandy Jenkins is sincere and practical on many issues, including the moratorium on enforcing current bylaws against secondary suites, though we question the costing of his proposals. We are less enamored with Al Foster's responses, but we applaud all of these candidates for having the courage to put their name out there and stand for something.

Other candidates, who did not return the survey: Harry Heck

Complete list of candidates and surveys received, by ward

Ward	Candidate Name	Status	Survey?
Mayoral:	David Bertram		Click here to read survey
	David Bronconnier	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Elizabeth Kaur Fielding		Click here to read survey
	Alan Foster		Click here to read survey
	Harry Heck
	Sandy Jenkins		Click here to read survey
	Alnoor Kassam		Click here to read survey
	Jonathan Sunstrum		Click here to read survey
	Jeremy Zhao		Click here to read survey
Ward 1:	Jennifer Banks		Click here to read survey
	Dale Hodges	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Norman Perrault		Click here to read survey
Ward 2:	Terry Avramenko
	Daniel Del Re
	Gord Lowe	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Biagio Magliocca
Ward 3:	George Chahal		Click here to read survey
	Helen Larocque	Incumbent
	Jim Stevenson		Click here to read survey
Ward 4:	Richard Evans
	Bob Hawkesworth	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Alex Peterson
Ward 5:	Mohamed El-Rafih		Click here to read survey
	Ray Jones	Incumbent
Ward 6:	Rosemary Berglund		Click here to read survey
	Craig Burrows	Incumbent
	Joe Connelly		Click here to read survey
	James Istvanffy
	James Kohut		Click here to read survey
Ward 7:	Jag Aithal
	Barry Eldridge		Click here to read survey
	Druh Farrell	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Merle Terleski		Click here to read survey
Ward 8:	Steve Chapman		Click here to read survey
	Madeleine King	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Lindsay Luhnau		Click here to read survey
	John Mar		Click here to read survey
Ward 9:	Joe Ceci	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
	Al Koenig		Click here to read survey
	Stan Waciak
Ward 10:	Andre Chabot	Incumbent
	Nargis Dossa		Click here to read survey
Ward 11:	Dave Matthews		Click here to read survey
	Jim Murray		Click here to read survey
	Brian Pincott		Click here to read survey
	Jim Rockwell
	Evonne Whelan		Click here to read survey
Ward 12:	Nick Halfyard		Click here to read survey
	Ric McIver	Incumbent	Click here to read survey
Ward 13:	Diane Colley-Urquhart	Incumbent
Ward 14:	Linda Fox-Mellway	Incumbent

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