Sonya Sharp has been projected to win the race to replace Ward Sutherland as councillor of Ward 1 in northwest Calgary.
Sutherland withdrew his re-election bid in July.
Ward 1 is situated in the northwest quadrant of the city and includes communities such as Bowness and Rocky Ridge.
Here’s a quick look at the candidates running for council in Ward 1, in alphabetical order.
Tom Antonick
A banking and mortgage professional by trade, Antonick also has contributed to the community as a food bank volunteer and hockey coach.
Antonick wants to improve snow clearing, flood mitigation, moderate growth, and help small- and medium-sized business grow in the city.
Chris Blatch
A former Canadian Armed Forces infantry officer and University of Calgary graduate, Blatch’s professional experience also includes work with the Calgary Public Library and in private enterprise. He’s also been active with a community association and as a veterans’ advocate, including work on getting them free transit on Remembrance Day.
Blatch wants to improve housing, policing, the local economy while remaining fiscally responsible and transparent in decision-making.
John Filp
Filp’s professional experience includes positions in the oil and gas industry, and has political experience with the now-defunct Reform Party.
Filp wants to cut taxes for business, remove all COVID-19 restrictions (including the mask and vaccine passport bylaws), make transit free for seniors, allow for the use of deadly force against home intruders, improve safety, improve snow removal and have term limits on council.
Jacob McGregor
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A graduate of the University of Calgary’s political science program, McGregor has been an advocate for disabled Calgarians, contributing to the Calgary Ability Network, the city’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility and the Calgary Transit Access Eligibility Appeal Board.
McGregor wants to reconnect citizens with city hall processes, improve fiscal accountability, streamline processes, better fund city services and invest in suburban infrastructure.
Gaz Qamar
Qamar is a trained early childhood educator and owner of a chain of daycare centres in and around Calgary. She has also volunteered with a number of churches and childcare centres.
Qamar is part of the Take Back City Hall/Progressive Group of Independent Businesses slate of candidates.
Qamar wants to create term limits for city council, do an organizational review and audit of all city departments, cut taxes and reduce in-camera council meetings.
Shauna Sears
An owner of a retail business for more than a decade, Sears has also been a caregiver for a senior for nearly the same amount of time and is passionate about long term care.
Sears wants to improve senior care, fix roads, reduce poverty, improve road and pedestrian safety, and increase liveability through recreation and arts.
Sonya Sharp
Sharp has spent the past 20 years working in city administration, most recently as leader of the business and local economy team. Before that, she was a small business coordinator at the City of Calgary, part of 14 years at the planning and development department.
She says that experience has given her intimate knowledge of how the city operates and how to best enable business to operate in Calgary. She seeks to find further efficiencies in how the city operates while improving communication from city council to Calgarians.
Larry Tweedale
A graduate of the University of Calgary, Tweedale is a transit operator by trade.
Tweedale aims to increase affordable housing, invest in mental health, improve senior services, protect parks, address climate change with improved transit, and create vibrant communities.
Steve Webb
A business owner with 20 years experience in business, Webb is also a volunteer in his community on a school council and as a sports coach.
Webb seeks to improve responsible spending, make a plan to create jobs and improve the economy.
In total, 27 people are running for mayor and there are 100 candidates for city council. Eighteen people are running to become Calgary Catholic School Board trustees, while 38 people are running to become Calgary Board of Education trustees.
Election day is Monday, Oct. 18.
Results
Are you running in Ward 1? Email Adam Toy.
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