A vision for a safer and more connected Calgary

Mobility is about more than getting from point A to point B. It affects how we live our lives, and how safe our streets are for our kids, our parents, and our neighbours.

Whether we drive, take transit, walk our kids to school, or run errands, mobility determines our opportunities, safety, and quality of life. 

For many, though, the options for moving around our city aren’t working as well as they should.

Jeromy joined Sarah Crosbie on QR Calgary to discuss “Howdy, Neighbour," his vision for a prosperous and welcoming Calgary for all.

A vision for a welcoming, prosperous Calgary for all

A city that welcomes is a city that wins.

My father came to Canada as a refugee. My mother’s family came from prairie homesteaders. They met here in Calgary and, like so many others before and after them, built a life. As my granny used to say, being part of Calgary means being part of something bigger. And it made all of us bigger in return.

As a kid growing up in Dover, I was blessed to have the world outside my front door. Our neighbours came from every background you could imagine. That mix of languages, traditions, and dreams made us stronger, and it showed me our city at our best.

Stories like mine aren’t rare here—they’re what built this city.

A targeted vision for housing in Calgary

Calgarians are pulling their weight—working, parenting, and planning for the future. But City Hall is sending mixed signals, creating uncertainty instead of answers.

Will our rent go up… again? Will our kids be able to afford to live in the type of house they grew up in, or better? Can our aging parents stay close? What’s happening in our neighbourhood? Why does it feel like no one’s listening?

We need to restore certainty–for renters, homeowners, and everyone in between.

“When you don’t feel safe, nothing else matters.”

Jeromy joined Sarah Crosbie to discuss Built for Belonging, his vision for a safer Calgary.

As Jeromy explains, Calgary needs to strike the right balance between being tough on crime and even tougher on the causes of crime. Calgary can be a city where every tax dollar works harder, every person is seen, every family is supported, and every neighbourhood feels like home.

Click through to listen to his full interview.

I believe leadership begins with listening. That’s why I do my best to be present—in neighbourhoods, at community events, and in conversations that matter to Calgarians. It’s not about having all the answers either—it’s about showing up with humility, being ready to learn, and building trust through real connection.

Read on about how you can invite me to your next community event.

A vision for a safer Calgary

When you don’t feel safe, nothing else matters.

Not how close the nearest park is. Not how good your job is. If parents are afraid to let their kids walk to school, or commuters avoid the train, it means we’re failing at the most basic promise a city should make: to protect its people.

As Calgary prepares to grow by as many as a million people in the next decade, we face a choice:

To finally deal with the root causes and build a city that’s safer, more connected, and economically successful—or continue with band-aid solutions, reacting too late, paying more, and leaving too many behind.

A city that connects is a city that thrives.

As a kid in Dover, we had one small patch of green between some houses.

It’s where we played street hockey, met up after school, and learned how to be part of a neighbourhood. Even though it was modest, that park was where community happened.

A vision for a creative and competitive Calgary

In the next decade, Calgary will grow to 3 million people. This may be the biggest challenge and opportunity we’ll ever face—and we won’t meet the moment without our city’s creators, storytellers, and placemakers. Every kid, and every Calgarian, deserves access to the arts—not just as entertainment, but as a path to belonging, confidence, and economic opportunity.

As mayor, this is my vision for a Calgary that creates and competes, by building our entire creative ecosystem—from downtown to Dover, from studio spaces to stages.

Calgary just got a D+ for fiscal accountability. Only four cities in Canada scored worse.

That’s embarrassing for a city that prides itself on leadership and innovation.

Why did we score so low?

I grew up on East Calgary’s soccer fields, where everyone was welcome — all you needed was a ball and some open space. That sense of belonging shaped who I am, and it’s something I want to carry with me as your next mayor.

Recently, I met with the Calgary Minor Soccer Association to learn more about the challenges facing grassroots sports organizations in our city. With over 30,000 kids playing soccer each year — and participation up 76% over the last five years — our city is falling behind in providing the field space and facilities to keep up with demand.

CALGARY — Mayoral candidate, and former City Councillor, Jeromy Farkas is calling for accountability after newly released documents show Calgarians will not only pay more than $500 million upfront for the new arena, but will also be forced to pay again through a ticket tax designed to help cover the private owners' share of the project.

“I think safe streets for our kids are really important as an issue. And I think that right now we’ve been taking a bit of a polarized approach, either through focusing solely on the social side through harm reduction and prevention, or solely through just addressing the symptoms of crime and social disorder,” [said Jeromy}. “I think we need to walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.”

Published in The Gauntlet

The province’s 15% property tax hike, paired with poor City spending decisions, has driven an 8.9% property tax increase citywide – and our leaders failed to push back or negotiate a better deal.

The problem isn’t just the province making the city do more with less—it’s weak leadership that lacks the leverage to stand up for Calgarians. Here’s how we can do better.

CALGARY – Jeromy’s 2025 campaign brought in more donations in its first 10 days than the first four months of his 2021 campaign. Meanwhile, the mayor remains silent on donors since Jan. 1 – and a municipal political party is set to host a $350 pay-for-access event later this month.

We can’t wait. We need housing we can afford, jobs we can count on and safe streets for our kids. With Calgary at the centre of a strong and united Team Canada, we will be ready for what’s coming.

Published in the Calgary Herald

RYAN JESPERSEN: “[Jeromy Farkas] tells us how losing the last election changed him as a person (and a candidate), and how he'd navigate a contentious relationship between the province and Alberta's municipalities.”

Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen

CALGARY - Jeromy Farkas, former city councillor and current CEO, announced today that he is running to be mayor of Calgary. As the city continues to experience unprecedented growth, Jeromy is focused on building a city that works for everyone.

Having worked inside and out of government, as community volunteers and on the front lines serving Calgary’s most vulnerable, we know that only throwing money at problems won’t solve them. We need cost-effective investments that empower those already making an impact — while ensuring value for money spent.

Published in the Calgary Herald

CHRIS NELSON: “Only in defeat do we discover where real friendship lies. Sometimes, such a discovery is quite an eye-opener. Naheed Nenshi, the former mayor whom Farkas went toe-to-toe with so often during the pair’s years on council, was calling. Despite their history, Nenshi reached out to support the councillor, who’d often been his biggest pain in the derriere.”

Published in the Calgary Herald