Candidate Information
Welcome to Creative Calgary’s candidate information for the Calgary 2021 General Election. Creative Calgary’s goal is to educate voters on the extent to which candidates in the municipal election share its view that fostering support and strong investment in the arts sector is critical in building a vibrant and prosperous city.
We thank you for taking the time to visit our site and encourage you to do your own research on each candidate to ensure that on October 18, you cast your vote for the candidate that best aligns with your own values and priorities. A full list of candidates can be found here, and we have linked to candidates' public websites below, where applicable.
Click the links below to review Mayoral and City Council candidates:
Research
In researching each candidate, Creative Calgary looked at three different factors::
1. Position on Public Investment in the Arts
Creative Calgary reached out to each candidate with our Case for the Arts about the power of the arts to build a great city, along with a survey that asked the following question:
Given what you know about the importance of the arts in building a competitive, prosperous city, please choose which of the following statements best aligns with your stance on the issue.
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I believe a thriving, prosperous city must have a vibrant arts scene in order to succeed. The municipal government should prioritize finding strategic ways to increase investment in the arts sector.
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I believe Calgary currently has many important civic priorities, including the arts. Current municipal investment in the arts is sufficient and should be maintained at its current level.
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I believe that the arts are a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have for Calgary. As Calgary recovers from low oil prices and the effects of the pandemic, cuts should be made to municipal arts funding.
2. Personal Arts Statement
In Creative Calgary’s candidate survey, we also gave candidates the opportunity to make a statement about the arts in their own words. Those who chose to do so have their statements included.
Creative Calgary has in no way altered candidates' statements, including making corrections to spelling, grammar or other typography errors.
3. Positive Arts Platforms
Creative Calgary volunteers reviewed the platforms that each candidate has made publicly available via an official website, and indicated those whose platforms include a positive mention of the arts (e.g., new arts funding, the arts’ important role in building a vibrant or prosperous city, etc.).
Please note that Creative Calgary specifically looked for the term “arts” or a mention of specific arts organizations, sectors or districts (e.g., Arts Commons, music industry, film industry, entertainment district, etc.), and made no assumptions that the candidates' use of words like “culture,” “recreation,” “downtown,” or “amenities” include the arts.
Candidate platforms were reviewed in mid-September, so please note that candidates may have released additional platforms since then that may not be reflected here.
Non-Endorsement Statement:
Creative Calgary is grateful to the individuals, foundations, corporations, and other entities whose generous support enables us to develop and expand our work with and on behalf of our community.
The individual opinions and financial contributions of Creative Calgary Steering Committee members, staff, volunteers and supporters do not reflect the views of Creative Calgary. Individuals are not permitted to use their affiliation with Creative Calgary when supporting or endorsing candidates.
Creative Calgary does not support, endorse or oppose any political candidates, financially or otherwise.