As Calgary Party launches, Alberta's major cities brace for big change to local politics

The Calgary Party officially launched on Saturday, marking the beginning of a long road ahead introducing its candidates to voters around the city, amid a range of new party names on the ballot in this fall's municipal election.

Alongside Communities First and A Better Calgary Party, the Calgary Party will vie for the mayoral and councillor seats as part of a major shift in local politics that Alberta's two biggest cities are undergoing. 

This fall's election will be the first in Calgary and Edmonton to include official political parties.

The Calgary Party is a centrist party led by mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen. A lawyer and former chair of the Calgary Police Commission, Thiessen said the new party will run candidates in every ward who have agreed to develop policy and vote together on four key policy areas: public safety, housing, transit and critical infrastructure. Otherwise, he says the party won't whip votes on any other issues.

"I think it was a sea change day for municipal politics in Calgary," Thiessen said on his party's launch.

While he acknowledges political parties aren't a popular addition to local politics, Thiessen is optimistic about what his party can accomplish. He argued that if a party can get eight or more candidates elected, it will be able to follow through on election promises more effectively and efficiently by co-operating from day one, which he contrasted against Calgary's current council that is often criticized for its dysfunction.

"I've talked to councillors who say it takes up to two years for council to get to know one another and learn how to work together. This one never did. We'll be working together on day one," Thiessen said.

Calgary's political sea change

Municipal parties are being introduced after new provincial legislation was unveiled last year in Bill 20, that among other things allowed parties and slates to run in Alberta's two biggest cities for mayoral and councillor seats. School boards are excluded from the change.

Albertans have no idea what to expect from municipal party politics, said Duane Bratt, political science professor at Mount Royal University. He argues it will be difficult for voters to familiarize themselves with what these new parties offer and know what to expect from them.

"People know what the NDP stands for, the Liberals stand for, the Conservatives stand for. Instead, we're going to get a whole bunch of parties with the word 'Calgary' in there," Bratt said.

"[Federally], people have history and tradition to get a sense of where they stand. But A Better Calgary? The Calgary Party? What's the difference between those?"

The Communities First party presents itself as more of a known commodity for voters, with Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp running for mayor and incumbent councillors Andre Chabot, Dan McLean and Terry Wong seeking to retain their seats under the party banner.

Sharp said the party also won't be whipped, as its members may disagree, but they'll work to support each other's interests. Communities First has already pledged to work together to repeal blanket rezoning.

Sharp said she initially had reservations about the introduction of political parties, but the idea has grown on her because she thinks co-operation between eight candidates is needed to accomplish anything at city hall.

"We thought, why don't we build a unique caucus of like-minded individuals committed to individually representing our constituents," Sharp said.

She added that Calgary has never seen a more divided council than the one it currently has, and she doesn't believe the same division will be seen with political parties.

The third registered party is A Better Calgary, which launched last summer. Its organizers have said it intends to run on a platform of common sense and fiscal responsibility, and that it was formed out of frustration with decisions made by Calgary's current council. The party has not yet selected a mayoral candidate.

Along with Calgary's three registered parties, the Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton party and Edmonton First slate are set to run in Alberta's capital. City councillor Tim Cartmell is also expected to launch the Better Edmonton party.

While the practice is new in Alberta, other major Canadian cities like Vancouver and Montreal already have municipal political parties.

While most of the focus around political parties may lie in the mayor's race, Bratt is interested to see how the successful candidate's victory will influence the make-up of council around them.

"Where it could impact are councillors that are directly affiliated by party status with a mayoral candidate, and so we'll have to see if they've got coattails," Bratt said.

Most of the discussion around this shift in municipal politics has revolved around campaigns, but Bratt said not enough focus has been given to the way parties could shift how councils govern. He added that voters don't know whether to expect voting discipline once parties are in power, or whether city hall will see opposition party leaders.

Independent pushback

Some independents running in this fall's election are skeptical about the addition of parties. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is set to run as an independent when she seeks re-election, and she's called political parties "the kiss of death for local representation."

Former city councillors Jeff Davison and Jeromy Farkas are two other mayoral candidates who currently aren't running under party banners.

Farkas said he opposes a "takeover of city hall" by political parties. He added that the level of dysfunction and vitriol that can be seen between parties at various levels of government in Canada and the U.S. should be a warning for Albertans.

He added that instead of partisan politics, voters want to see council work across ideological divides to push good ideas forward.

"When you have an environment of party politics where an idea is judged based on the jersey colour rather than is it a good idea or is it what Calgarians need, I think we all suffer," Farkas said.

The 2025 municipal elections in Alberta are scheduled for Oct. 20.