(CALGARY) A new municipal caucus, Communities First, seeks to restore confidence in Calgary City Hall.
The group, currently comprised of sitting Councillors Andre Chabot, Dan McLean, Sonya Sharp and Terry Wong and joined by former Councillor John Mar expect to field a full roster of like-minded Calgarians as candidates to contest the next municipal election on October 20, 2025.
“Calgarians are fed up with this Council. They’re tired of all the drama. They’re tired of not being listened to and being lectured. They’re tired of a Council that seems to want to focus on anything but what matters to Calgarians. We want to offer Calgarians the chance to vote for people who are interested in representing them rather than an ideology,” said Councillor Sharp.
“City Hall is not as functional as it used to be. Quite frankly, it’s because of leadership. There should be collaboration, communication, cooperation. In the last three years, we haven’t had that. We’ve had polarization more than anything else,” said Councillor Wong.
“Everyone knows there’s a political party that already exists at City Hall. There’s a majority that worked together to get elected and now vote together. They were masterminded by a far-left political operative who is now forming another far-left party. Let’s be more up-front with who we are, what we stand for, and actually represent our constituents,” said Councillor McLean.
“Communications with the public is severely lacking right now. City Hall’s engagement process is not about listening and responding to citizens’ concerns; it’s about telling them what we’re doing. That’s completely backwards,” said Councillor Chabot.
“So many things need to be fixed at City Hall,” said former Councillor Mar. “When I left, things were running pretty smoothly. Now, there’s a ton of infighting, nobody working together. City Administration feels like it’s a rudderless ship.”
Although Communities First intends to register as a municipal party in the next election, they will function very differently from traditional provincial or federal parties, focusing on genuine community representation over strict party discipline.
“We’re a ‘party’ by necessity rather than desire,” notes Councillor Chabot, “These are the rules the province has set down; this is where things are going, but we don’t have to behave like other parties do. For each of us, representing our constituents independently is the top priority, and it will always trump any party discipline.”
“Communities First – it says it right in the name. We’re responding to our communities first,” said Councillor McLean. “We’re not going to be beholden to any federal or provincial party. There’s no party whip telling us what to do. We’re going to vote with our conscience. We’re like-minded people that use common sense, working for their communities.”
“I’m not a believer in municipal political parties,” said Councillor Wong. “I believe that individually, we represent our constituents. However, with Bill 20, running as an independent doesn’t necessarily serve Calgarians. So, gravitating to Communities First is our way of getting there – it allows us to represent our constituents in the way that we need and want, and allows us to collaborate with each other and find common ground.”
“There is a party popping up on the far left; there’s a party on the far right. I don’t believe Calgary will be served well by either of them,” said Councillor Sharp. “There’s no progressive way to fill a pothole or a conservative way to fill a pothole. Calgarians just want you to fill that pothole.”
“I don’t love the idea of being in a party,” said former Councillor Mar. “But it almost feels like we have to do this. We don’t have a party structure – there’s no party whip. I’m going to stand up for my constituents, and I’m going to follow their directions. I have 100,000 or so bosses in my ward, and my job is to be responsive, listen to them, and do what they tell me to do.”
Shared values and views on policy priorities bring together the coalition and will guide their decisions at City Council. These priorities include:
Being responsible and accountable to citizens
- Council members are there to represent constituents, not rule over them. Engagement should prioritize listening over lecturing.
Running an efficient and effective city
- Keeping taxes and fees affordable through transparent budgeting and providing effective oversight of City Administration.
Getting back to basics
- Focus on municipal responsibilities and deliver services effectively and affordably. Engage with other orders of government for shared responsibilities, ensuring equitable cost-sharing.
Public safety as a fundamental Responsibility
- Investing in the protective services – Police, Fire, Bylaw and Peace Officers, with further investments in Transit safety and addressing social disorder.
Smart and respectful growth
- Encouraging higher densities through redevelopment that respects community character. New suburban developments must demonstrate financial viability transparently.
Intergovernmental relations
- Collaborating with other orders of government where we can and advocate for Calgary’s interests where we must, regardless of the party in power.
Communities First is also committed to independence from any provincial or federal parties. “Some of our members have been involved in federal or provincial political campaigns, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Communities First is committed to being independent. No one is interested in becoming the junior NDP or UCP municipal party,” said Councillor Wong.
“Communities First is exactly what the name says – it’s about our communities coming first. We’re not aligned with any federal or provincial party. All we are is a bunch of like-minded individuals that understand what we need to do in order to move Calgary forward,” said former Councillor Mar.
For more information about Communities First, please visit www.communitiesfirstyyc.com
MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Important note: Councillors are not permitted to provide comments on their involvement in the 2025 election on City property or using City devices as per the City of Calgary Code of Conduct. As such, we have provided interview clips available for the media to download and use here:
For all other media inquiries, please email media@communitiesfirstyyc.com.
