Ward 9 Candidate Responses

We received responses from four candidates in this ward. The Calgary Climate Hub is a non-partisan organization, and posting these responses does not indicate an endorsement. Responses are presented in the order they were received and have not been edited. In cases where we received multiple responses from the same candidate, only the final responses were included.

General Questions

1. What are the top three issues you hope to make progress on during your time on Council?

Tim Lipp 1. Mass unemployment, 2. Climate Change 3. Governance transformation
Gian-Carlo Carra If re-elected, the Great Neighbourhoods transformation I’ve been pursuing at City Hall over the last 11 years will remain central to my work but it will be explicitly informed by the three issues I believe it is most important that we tackle at this critical moment in our history:
1. Antiracism & Justice: we must build a city that is a beacon of equity - a leader in the relentless pursuit of antiracism and truth and reconciliation. COVID-19 has deepened the inequity in our city, with people of colour, women, and our most vulnerable being the hardest hit. I will continue to work to ensure that our vibrant economic recovery provides opportunities for everyone in Ward 9 and across Calgary.
2. Climate Action & Sustainability: we must build a city that is at the forefront of climate action, that makes all of our decisions with resilience in mind so that we can build a thriving economy that will sustain us long into the future. From ensuring long-term upstream flood and drought protection to creating walkable, bikeable, active neighbourhoods - I am more committed than ever to a healthy city and a healthy planet.
3. Democracy and Dialogue: we must elect leaders who embody the ideals of democracy, open dialogue, and collaborative decision-making. We must steer our city back to thoughtful discussion, politics in full sentences. The trends of politics usurping the project of governance, and of negating the important role of government and of strong public services must be reversed if we are to rise.
After working under the slogan “Great Neighbourhoods make a great city,” for eleven years, this election I’m rallying under the banner: “Rise Together!”
Daymond Khan My team and I have door knocked across Ward 9, and these are the three top priorities we’ve heard:
1) Safe Communities – Working with the Calgary Police Service, social agencies and community partners to break cycles of addiction, homelessness and crime
Naomi Withers

Ensuring Calgary is a thriving and accessible city with well built communities that provide amenities
Bringing the voice of the Citizen back to City hall and making sure it has weight in decision making
Supporting small businesses to ensure we have a strong economic engine
Lori Masse

Top issues that I would like to make progress on are: 1) Mental Health and Addictions 2) Making Smart Spending Decisions 3) Citizen Representation

 

2. Women - especially low-wage, racialized and newcomers - have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. In your capacity as a public servant, how will you address these impacts and ensure that all women benefit equitably from the economic recovery? 

Tim Lipp

I will anchor my personal income to the average income of women in my riding ($30,665), and earn the difference back through effective engagement.

I currently run a system that empowers a woman entrepreneur in my neighbourhood, it was a prototype for the vision of what I'd like to enable at scale in Calgary.
Gian-Carlo Carra Beyond continuing the work of shifting the growth of Calgary towards a more equitable city of accessible, mixed-use, mixed-income neighbourhoods networked by sustainable infrastructure systems, and beyond working to ensure sufficient funding for such outcomes, my platform calls for advocacy and exploration of participation beyond traditional municipal responsibilities in the two most important societal moves we need to make to shatter the systemic barriers that currently hold women back. The first is the role of the City of Calgary in the Canadian rollout of affordable universal child care (understanding that the City of Calgary once actively participated in childcare services). The second is the role municipalities could and should play in the national conversation regarding the development of a universal income guarantee.
Daymond Khan We have seen how the pandemic has drastically decreased labor participation and household income along gendered lines affecting women disproportionately. Therefore, it is essential that any economic recovery plan emphasizes women’s economic recovery.
Naomi Withers As City Councillor I will work with our provincial government to ensure funding for training programs that support women entering back into the workforce, if their jobs had been affected by the pandemic. I will work with advocacy groups to ensure that needs are understood and utilize the tools available to the City to their fullest extent. I believe that shift to working from home has both helped and hurt women in the workforce and will work with groups to implement lessons learned which support the full participation of women in the workforce.
Lori Masse
 		I would like to engage with Social Services Agencies to collaborate to find out exactly how low-wage, racialized and newcomers can be assisted. I would also like to be an advocate on the issues raised with our Provincial and Federal Governements to ensure that we are moving towards more fair and equitable solutions facing this demographic.

 

3. Calgary has been dipping into emergency funds to pay for operations for the past several years. How would you approach taxation and the delivery of programs and services to Calgarians?

Tim Lipp Calgary has a unique governance model, due to the organized network of volunteer community associations that have a mandate to solve needs in their neighbourhood. I'd like to empower those associations (which have always been designed to reduce taxes), with 10x the support they have. Many CA's in Calgary are already using a system (Communo), that I support through mentorship.
Gian-Carlo Carra To quibble with the assertion of this question, Calgary has been dipping into budget surpluses to maintain level of service, while year-over-year grinding the cost of government downwards. In either event, that’s not sustainable. My ultimate goal is the revamp of our taxation system. Property value-based assessment creates perverse incentives that work against our fiscal, social, and environmental imperatives. An ideal municipal revenue collection system would blend an income-based tax with a property tax assessed on a cost of service basis. In the meantime, after years of cost-cutting, we’ve reached an inflection point where we need to invest in the city we must become. My platform contemplates five areas of generational investment in the form of dedicated funds (that I believe should be explicitly listed on City tax bills).
Daymond Khan According to what I have heard from Ward 9, the new council needs to demonstrate to Calgarians that we can provide a steady hand through our economic recovery. We must maintain services and avoid large increase in property taxes through this delicate time.
Naomi Withers I don't believe that raising taxes is the right answer nor is cutting programs and services. What we need to do is investigate the current budgets across the city and I will work to ensure that our hard earned tax dollars are invested appropriately. I believe that we can earn a return of investment of our tax dollars which will support fiscal responsibility.
Lori Masse
 		To be honest, I would look very hard at large capital projects that we have coming up. $200M downtown revitalization; $20M more electric busses; $45M on Repsol; $1M(?) on Speed Limit Signs; $608M(USD) on event centre; $5.5B Green Line. A forensic audit must be done so that each and every Calgarian can see where their tax dollars go, quite literally. I also believe that we cannot keep up with the spend & tax approach that we've seen in the last 12 years.

 

4. What is your plan for diversifying Calgary’s economy for a just transition away from oil and gas?

Tim Lipp The system mentioned above (Communo), was built by a couple young tech entrepreneurs who wanted to help their community. That's my personal career history. My plan is to support CA's in the process of identifying and solving needs in the neighbourhood, and upskill our workforce with the tools of meeting those needs. Local solutions cut the carbon footprint of our supply chain drastically, while increasing engagement in society as a whole.
Gian-Carlo Carra At the root of my platform - through the ongoing Great Neighbourhoods transformation & the establishment of five dedicated funds - is resilient city-building. Ensuring the delivery of physical, governance, & service delivery environments that will inclusively support Calgarians’ shift towards more sustainable livings and lifestyles is our single biggest challenge, opportunity, & imperative. In the shorter term, I support Calgary Economic Development’s seven-sector plan as the appropriate focus of our short term diversification goals.
Daymond Khan

According to the Calgarians, diversifying our economy and achieving new levels of prosperity is long overdue. We know that the path to previous prosperity is no longer viable, and we must continue growing and supporting other sectors. Diversifying our economy requires the cooperation of all stakeholders in the private and nonprofits sectors as well as different levels of government.

My first steps would be to engage stakeholders, build on our successes and create a roadmap going forward. Note this plan will include the energy sector, which has shown a willingness to adapt and pursue more efficient and sustainable energy sources.
Naomi Withers Calgary must focus on a talent pipeline that brings in citizens to support the diversification of the Calgary economy. An investment in Technology and Innovation, and Arts and Culture will bring about an alternate source of growth for the City as we work to transition away from fossil fuels.
Lori Masse
 		Great question. While I believe that the world has a great need to transition away from Oil & Gas, I would love to work with Council on ways that we can attract and keep talent in Calgary - maybe that is attracting new tech firms who specialize in the reduction of emissions. It is currently 2021 and we are in danger of owing close to $2B / year for our carbon emissions by 2030 if we don't do anything - and soon! I propose that when council works together to create solutions - we can move through this transition.

Climate Change and the Environment

Questions:

1. Will you commit to setting clear interim targets for Calgary and ENMAX to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 to help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees?

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

 

2. Will you work to reduce emissions from buildings to net-zero by (1) ensuring The City's Sustainable Building Policy has clear targets, is transparent, and requires third-party certification, and (2) by providing incentives for privately-owned new buildings and retrofits?

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

 

3. Will you support policies to ensure zero food waste not only from Calgary's restaurants, groceries, distributors, but also corporate events?

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

 

4. Will you strengthen the City's procurement policies to ensure goods and services are sustainably and ethically sourced? The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply states that sustainable procurement "considers the impact of environmental, economic and social factors along with price and quality."

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

 

5. Do you support focusing new development within established areas instead of continuing to approve new developments on the outskirts of Calgary?

Tim Lipp No
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		No

 

6. Will you support completion of the Green Line, including crossing the river to 16 Avenue N?

Tim Lipp No
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		 

 

7. Do you commit to providing equal access to low-cost, low-carbon transportation to all areas of the city, including transit, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure?

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers  
Lori Masse
 		Yes

Equity and Inclusion

1. Which of the following measures will you support to address poverty and social isolation in our city?

  1. Affordable housing
  2. Low-income transit pass
  3. Fair Entry recreation pass
  4. Increased access to childcare
  5. Increased financial support to community associations
  6. Enough for All Poverty Reduction Strategy
  7. Other
  1 2 3 4 5 6 Other
Tim Lipp Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes  
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes Yes Yes Yes   Yes The only caveat I offer towards supporting increased funding to Community Associations is that we need to pursue a generational evolution of these organizations with respect to inclusivity, mandate/scope of responsibility, governance structure and accountability, and interface with City Administration, in addition to increasing their capacities and support. My ideal next-generation community representation framework would move to multi-community governance areas (in conjunction with Local Area Planning) and would include area community and resident associations, business interests/organizations, & institutional actors including schools, faith communities, and other NFP service providers. These organizations would be well supported by city funding and resources (including staff). Through a secured Council Innovation Fund Grant, I am looking forward - if I’m successfully re-elected - in commencing piloting this new structure in the communities of Greater Forest Lawn after this work was postponed by the pandemic.
Daymond Khan Yes Yes Yes Yes   Yes  
Naomi Withers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes  
Lori Masse
 		Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes I also support using some of the land that the city owns to start to look at more attainable / affordable homes.

 

2. Do you support providing City services primarily through unionized City workers, or do you support contracting out City services to private companies?

  1. Maintain unionized City workers
  2. Contract out
  3. Other
  1 2 Other
Tim Lipp     A mix depending on the nature of the job. Unions are one tool of democracy I believe in, but they are not the only tool.
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes    
Daymond Khan     Maintaining staffing levels and exploring opportunities to contract out where appropriate
Naomi Withers     Public services are an integral part of our economy and must be procured balancing price and quality
Lori Masse
 		    I believe that there could easily be a balance approach to both - unionized City workers and contract employees where deem appropriate.

 

3. Would you support Fair Trade Calgary's initiative to make Calgary a globally-designated Fair Trade town? (Find out more at: http://www.fairtradecalgary.com/at-a-glance.html)

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

 

4. Do you support Universal Basic Income?

Tim Lipp Yes
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes
Daymond Khan Yes
Naomi Withers Yes
Lori Masse
 		Yes

Diversity & Reconciliation

1. What is your plan to address the increase in hate crimes and overt displays of racism in our city?

Tim Lipp Make empathy building with diverse neighbours a part of having needs met through the CA support system I mentioned earlier.
Gian-Carlo Carra The most important thing we need to do is to be unwavering and explicit in our identification and discussion of systemic racism, and of our pursuit of antiracist solutions. The City is committed and has invested money and resources towards these commitments - we need to firmly support these processes and then the achievement of the outcomes the work identifies. I frankly view the rise of overt racism as a performance indicator that the status quo is being challenged and is changing - those who would maintain our status quos are desperately seeking to assert and maintain their privileges. We must denounce these acts and expressions while contextualizing them as the teachable moments they are.
Daymond Khan

According to my neighbours and Calgarians across the city, their primary concern is growing the division, polarization and visible acts of racism. I will stand against this trend by first speaking against acts of hate and violence in Ward 9 and Calgary. Second, I will stand with cultural groups, community organizations and my neighbours in Ward 9 to come together and raise our voices against racism, hate and violence. I am confident that there is more that connects us than divides us.

I will promote inclusion by doing my part to steer public and political discourse away from personal attacks and toward debates about ideas and policies. As a result, my campaign and term on council will be focused on connecting communities and working with my colleagues at City Hall to prioritize meeting the needs of Calgarians.
Naomi Withers As a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, my family has been directly impacted by racism. As a City we must have a trauma informed response to the victims hate crimes and work to teach respect and acceptance in our communities starting with our youth, to prevent the spread of racism.
Lori Masse
 		I think that education, compassion, understanding, listening and empathy go a long way in reduction of crime. It has become increasingly disturbing watching our neighbors, friends and family being attacked in such vile ways. I plan to work with social agencies working with minorities to find solutions on how to we can curb hate crimes and increase diversity and safety. I also feel as though in order to understand thought patterns of people who perpetuate hate crimes, we have to understand where it comes from. I understand the systemic"ness" of it all, but we are seeing and increase of these crimes and in order for us to work on it, we need to understand clearly, and cater messaging to the perpetrators.

 

2. How will you support policies to ensure more Indigenous voices are included in making municipal decisions?

Tim Lipp I will withdraw my name from the ballot if local indigenous leaders ask me to. I will plan to be in office for only 4 years, with a key deliverable of my term to be a "manual" for an indigenous candidate to run the role. I won't speak at events that don't have a land acknowledgement. I will take spiritual direction from indigenous elders and give indigenous community activists a platform to make the changes they see necessary (Bear Clan Calgary is a great example).
Gian-Carlo Carra The foundation of any Canadian true commitment to antiracism is truth and reconciliation. Meaningful & formalized relationship building with Treaty 7’s signatory nations and with Calgary’s urban aboriginal populations is essential day to day work for Calgary City Council and the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board. In terms of major, tangible steps towards reconciliation, I support the delivery of the following three projects over the next term: 1) the full build out & resourcing of the City of Calgary’s Indigenous Relations Office; 2) securing funding & location & plans for an Indigenous Gathering Place; 3) in Ward 9, the funding & plan to memorialize St. Dunstan’s Residential School in a good way.
Daymond Khan

Across my professional career in the social services sector, I have seen first-hand how generational trauma, systemic racism and discrimination have worked against indigenous people in Canada. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to learn about indigenous history and culture to better understand the challenges they face.

I appreciate the work The City has undertaken as part of the White Goose Flying Report, and I see the core of our next steps being in self-determination. Whenever and wherever possible, we need to partner and empower indigenous-led organizations, businesses and services to help them meet the needs of their community. In City Council, I will use the knowledge I have been gifted to empower urban indigenous leaders and partner with local First Nation governments.
Naomi Withers I am running for City hall to bring Indigenous, and female voices to City hall. I will ensure that the White Goose Landing recommendations are implemented by the City of Calgary.
Lori Masse
 		I will 100% support policies to ensure more indigenous voice are heard. The White Goose Flying report is a great start, however we have to go further to ensure that their voices are represented.

 

3. What steps will you support to increase trust and reduce uses of force by police that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Calgary? (Please use "other" for additional ideas.)

  1. Enthocultural training for police
  2. Increase number of Aboriginal Liaison Officers
  3. Alternative response models (PACT and DOAP teams)
  4. Other
  1 2 3 Other
Tim Lipp Yes Yes Yes Other supports to solve this as directed by groups like the Bear Clan
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes Yes Yes My only caveat is to my support for the above is that I see the development of alternative service delivery models as the lion’s share of the solution & as we develop those models DOAP and PACT may evolve or be joined by other approaches.
Daymond Khan Yes Yes Yes  
Naomi Withers       Work with the police commission to track responses to emergency calls to ensure the decreased use of force when responding to racialized groups.
Lori Masse
 		Yes Yes Yes  

 

Mental Health & Addictions

1. Which of the following do you support to address mental health and addictions?

  1. Implement alternative emergency response models
  2. Implement trauma-informed care
  3. Supervised consumption sites
  4. Other
  1 2 3 Other
Tim Lipp Yes Yes Yes Politicians who are transparent about their own mental struggles
Gian-Carlo Carra Yes Yes Yes  
Daymond Khan Yes Yes Yes  
Naomi Withers Yes Yes Yes Supporting affordable housing across all quadrants
Lori Masse
 		Yes Yes Yes Ensure that proper resources are deployed for calls. I can say that the City approving drinking in parks does not go far supporting most mental health and addiction models. https://globalnews.ca/news/8143742/university-of-calgary-alberta-covid-19-alcohol-related-hospitalizations/

 

General Comments

Do you have any other comments you would like to share with us?

Tim Lipp I don't own a car and thus love public transit, but I'm not sure if the Green Line is a 21st century solution to public transit, I'm more a fan of enabling the sharing economy. The challenge with UBI is auditing it efficiently. My plan to support CA's in need's matching could be a global precedent in how to administer UBI efficiently, and incidentally, radically enable the circular economy. All those dreams become possible with the power of transparent local governance, whether or not I become city councilor, that's what I'll keep fighting for.
Gian-Carlo Carra In the responses above I’ve referred to five funds that I am committed to working with Council to establish. I believe these are essential to appropriately resource the significant shifts Calgary must invest in in order to achieve our best future. For the record, I will list them here:
1) Downtown Reinvention Fund;
2) MainStreets and TOD Fund;
3) Accessibility, Livable Streets, and A5 Network Fund;
4) Parks, Recreation, and Culture Fund;
5) Community Safety Investment Framework Fund
Daymond Khan On a more personal level, I have used my abilities and skills to help disadvantaged communities build resilience and heal. My career has included supporting those in need, whether with the Government of Alberta, the Calgary Homeless Foundation, or as a volunteer on a Canadian Mental Health Association distress line to assist those in crisis situations. Overall, we must ensure our economic recovery benefits all Calgarians.
Naomi Withers As City Councillor, I will work to listen and understand the needs of my communities to ensure they can be met by the City of Calgary. We must listen to community and work to create vibrant, thriving communities that hold a space for all members. Our role as City Council is to balance the social and economic impacts of decision making and to ensure that Calgary is a leading City which will attract a talent pipeline that can support our diversified economy. I look forward to having thoughtful conversations with my fellow councilors on how we support our vulnerable populations and build a resilient City that we are proud to call home.
Lori Masse
 		 

 

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