Sonya Sharp
@SonyaSharpYYC • 5,507 subscribers
Former City of Calgary Mayoral Candidate & City Councillor. Entrepreneur. Dedicated to a safe, strong and sensible city. Leadership that delivers.
Videos
It is Election Day, Calgary! Today is your opportunity to make your voice heard and vote for real change in our city. Over the past four years, I’ve listened to Calgarians about what matters most to them. I will always listen to Calgarians and ensure your voice is heard at City Hall. As your Mayor, the Communities First team and I have a to-do list that is focused on delivering results that will benefit everyone in Calgary. The Communities First Team and I will: ✅ Hire 500 new police officers ✅ Repeal Blanket Rezoning ✅ Hold Senior City Administration accountable to taxpayers Together with your support and your vote, we can move Calgary forward. Find your polling station at #yycelection #yycmayor #yycvote
Sonya Sharp84,387 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Tomorrow is Election Day. I’m asking for your support and your vote. I’m proud to stand with the Communities First team, a group committed to safe communities, affordability, balanced growth, better transit, and leadership that listens. Together, we can build a Calgary that works for everyone. 🗳️ Vote October 20. Vote Sonya Sharp for Mayor and Communities First.
Sonya Sharp71,370 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Calgarians don’t feel safe on our streets. Crime and social disorder are up, and the status quo isn’t working. On Day One as Mayor, I’ll call a meeting with the Premier, the Government of Alberta, and Calgary’s Police Chief to: 1. Close the Sheldon Chumir consumption site. 2. Rethink how services are concentrated at the Drop-In Centre. It’s time for real leadership to make our communities safe and welcoming again. To learn more about my plan for increasing safety downtown, please visit:
Sonya Sharp53,762 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
The average Calgarian can’t afford to take a trip to Rome. Yet taxpayers were on the hook to pay for a trip for a director and two managers who work in Climate. Administration also had a $5,000 party after rezoning was approved – after Calgarians spent a week pleading with Council not to. And still some members of #yyccc think there’s no fat to be trimmed. What do you think?
Sonya Sharp62,730 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
I am committed to presenting solutions. It’s clear the Mayor and others are busy throwing temper tantrums because we’ve brought this forward. Leadership isn’t about pretending you’re perfect. It’s about listening, learning and putting Calgarians first. #yyc #yyccc
Sonya Sharp29,339 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
I have been clear and consistent about my stance on blanket rezoning. Repeal it. Full stop. As mayor, first order of business at the first meeting of new council is to repeal blanket rezoning. The Communities First team and I signed a “Repeal Guarantee” pledge committing to vote to eliminate blanket rezoning. I have told Calgarians that I will repeal blanket rezoning because it does not equal affordable housing. I will • Repeal blanket rezoning, • Reinstate what was there before and; • Reform the planning department. Calgarians can trust this stance and can know with confidence that I will not change my position once elected or at any point in this race.
Sonya Sharp24,252 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Today, Councillor Dan McLean and I announced that we’re exploring a pilot project to install turnstiles at select C-Train stations. Our transit system should be a place where everyone; students heading to school, seniors running errands, shift workers coming home late, and families, can travel without fear. Right now, Calgary is one of the only major city in Canada without turnstiles on its transit system. It’s time to ask whether this is part of the problem and whether fare gates could help restore safety and confidence for riders. I know turnstiles aren’t a magic fix, but Calgarians deserve to feel safe on transit. That’s why I’m calling for a feasibility study to examine costs, accessibility, and safety impacts. It’s time to put rider safety first and take real steps toward rebuilding trust in Calgary’s transit system.
Sonya Sharp24,342 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
The current “climate emergency” approach lacks transparency. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were diverted into programs that are outside of municipal jurisdiction and were not properly tracked and accounted for. Calling this an emergency is irresponsible. I do believe there is an “opportunity” for us to be leaders in climate action and implement plans that can be measured and that make sense for everyone. If elected Mayor, I will lead the council in eliminating expenditures tied to the climate emergency. Calgarians’ dollars should be redirected into services Calgarians actually expect and rely on every day.
Sonya Sharp21,258 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
The majority of Calgarians were not in favour of blanket rezoning. I voted against it in 2023 before it even became a policy. The Communities First team and I will repeal blanket rezoning on day one. I will ensure neighbourhood voices are brought back to council.
Sonya Sharp19,615 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
The Communities First Team and I signed a repeal guarantee that once we are elected, we will repeal blanket rezoning at our first official council meeting. Blanket rezoning is not the solution for building housing and does not equal affordable housing. Repealing this policy means that we can ensure that we can build smart and effective by keeping the character of the neighbourhoods in our city. As your Mayor, I will improve the development process by cutting the red tape and providing a solution for building infrastructure that benefits all Calgarians. Your voice matters in this election and I and the Communities First team will listen to you and be transparent on the developments in Calgary.
Sonya Sharp19,913 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
With yet another water main break on Bowness Road, Calgarians are again asking if we have the infrastructure to support density increases from blanket rezoning. I’ve raised concerns about this before, calling for a full infrastructure review before adding higher density, but the majority of #yyccc rejected that. Now, we’re starting to see the consequences. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about what's going to happen this summer as temperatures rise, when we see an even higher demand. Residents deserve a say in what happens in their communities. Blanket rezoning was pushed through too fast, and trust was broken. At the same time, it's important to remember that there are 98 actions in Calgary's housing strategy and blanket rezoning is just one of them. We would still be making progress in increasing our housing supply if blanket rezoning was never approved. Building trust with Calgarians starts with elected officials listening to communities. Not sidelining them.
Sonya Sharp27,338 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
It’s too bad some councillors and the mayor don’t seem to know what’s in their job description. And worse, they don’t want to find out. Today, the majority of #yyccc voted against a simple Notice of Motion that would have clarified who does what: municipal vs. provincial vs. federal responsibilities. It would have helped Council make better decisions, and helped Calgarians understand where their tax dollars go. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. Calgarians deserve leadership that stays in its lane, respects taxpayers, and actually gets the basics right. That’s what you’ll get in October by electing me as your mayor. Communities First pledges to re-introduce this motion at the first regular meeting of Council following the election.
Sonya Sharp19,213 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
We all deserve to feel safe in our city and too many Calgarians tell me they do not feel safe in Calgary. Hearing the story from the young girl who came to my office and told me she fears for her life walking to her car after work on Stephens Avenue, that should not happen. I am the only candidate who has put forward an actual plan focused on increasing safety. I am committed to hiring 500 new police officers and reinstating a 24-hour police station downtown. I have developed this plan through extensive conversations with the CPS and CPA.
Sonya Sharp13,507 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Homeowners face an average 5.5% tax increase next year—and for condo owners, it’s an even steeper 10.5%. I couldn’t support another increase in taxes. Instead of delivering real relief for families and businesses, the budget approved by the majority of #yyccc yesterday prioritizes bureaucracy over solutions. Alongside four of my colleagues, I brought forward several amendments to cut unnecessary spending—like reducing the $6.5M executive leadership budget and holding senior management accountable for extravagant travel expenses. Unfortunately, these were rejected. Calgarians deserve transparency. To fix this broken process, I proposed re-establishing the Finance and Budget Committee to ensure every dollar is accounted for and scrutinized. Again, the majority of this Council didn't want to roll up their sleeves and do this work. While I supported funding to keep the Inglewood Pool open, waiving patio fees for small businesses, and investing in critical services like public safety and infrastructure, Calgarians still want The City to do more with less while The City does less with more. I’ll continue fighting for responsible spending and transparent leadership. Calgarians deserve better. This isn’t over.
Sonya Sharp19,720 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Today, I brought forward an amendment to request a full report on discretionary expenses for directors and above - but, of course, it didn't pass. This wasn't about pointing fingers; it was about accountability. When trips to places like the Banff Springs Hotel or $4,000 stays at luxury conferences show up on the bill, Calgarians deserve to know why. It's about transparency - either defending these expenses or scrutinizing them. At a time when we're asking Calgarians to tighten their belts, we need to lead by example. Leadership means responsibility, not indulgence.
Sonya Sharp16,369 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
My Notice of Motion calling for an infrastructure review and pause on development permits in Bowness and Montgomery will thankfully be moving to Council at the end of this month for decision. Through this process, I’ve uncovered some extremely concerning history and behind-the-scenes dealings. Administration said we can’t pause development permits – yet we’ve done it before. In 2013, we dealt with a “Peak Toilet Crisis” in Northwest Calgary. A development freeze was put in place until a second sewer trunk could be built through Bowness. The infrastructure challenges we’re seeing now in Bowness are a continuation of issues flagged in reports like AC2015-0146. Phase 1 of upgrades in Bowness was completed in 2016. I have been asking for an update on Phase 2 – which was supposed to begin this year. In 2018, other members of Council said, “A lot of our main streets have wooden pipes that were put in 100 years ago. You start plugging big mixed-use buildings into that and the system doesn’t work.” And then proceeded to approve a budget from 2019-2022 that invested less money into capital maintenance on water infrastructure. Since 2018, senior members of Administration and #yyccc have been joking about failing infrastructure under the hashtag #Pipes2026. I’ll tell you what’s not funny – handing out bottled water to my constituents because they can’t drink the water coming from their taps.
Sonya Sharp11,671 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
I’m relieved that #yyccc made the right decision this morning by rejecting an irresponsible motion that could have jeopardized public safety. Some members of Council and the mayor have pushed an agenda to take $8 million out of the Calgary Police Service’s budget and shift it under City Administration through the Community Safety Investment Framework. This move would have undermined the oversight and effectiveness of critical funding meant to address crisis intervention and community safety. The police budget, as originally proposed, was already balanced and strategic. To attempt to strip oversight from the police and move funds elsewhere was not only short-sighted but reckless. I’m glad to see Council recognized the flaws in this motion and voted it down. I will not stand with those who fail to support our critical frontline services. I know they're going to try to spin the narrative differently. Just look at the voting records to know the truth. I’ll continue to advocate for fiscal responsibility and public safety, ensuring that essential services like the police are properly equipped to protect Calgarians.
Sonya Sharp10,454 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
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