Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas
@JeromyYYC • 17,438 subscribers
Mayor of Calgary | Pathfinder, non-profit CEO, and community builder | Housing, jobs, safety, and trust | It’s time for a new path forward. 🍁
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A new Calgary Chamber report estimates Alberta separation could cost up to $62B a year, thousands of dollars per person, and put 175,000 jobs at risk. There's a reason the Bank of Montreal is no longer headquartered in Montreal. Political uncertainty has real economic consequences.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas74,374 Aufrufe • vor 7 Tagen
It's time to cut through the bullshit about the Cowboys tent. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. A few operators do not get to treat neighbours like garbage and damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us. By now you've seen the coordinated smear campaign from out-of-town politicians. They think you're stupid and want you to believe that we're somehow cancelling Stampede by asking the big tents to use the same rules in place at Coachella, Lollapooloza and all the other world class festivals. That's the first piece of bullshit. We're not talking about Stampede at all. We're talking about a few off-site tents that have been treating their neighbors like garbage. Here's the truth. In the last few years, the tents were given a special exemption way above and beyond what was in place up until about 2019. People living near these tents were told to call 311 and wait. Their windows shook and broke. Their shelves rattled. Music ran on weeknights until 2 or 3 a.m. They dealt with property damage, public disorder, and excessive intoxication outside their homes. Thousands of Calgarians raised their concerns. And just like when we repealed blanket rezoning, the city chose to listen to the people rather than answer to the money. The second piece of bullshit is that Calgary's rules suck compared to everywhere else. In fact, the changes are modest. There's no change on weekends. But on weeknights, concerts now need to wrap up by 1230am. Even with this change, it means that Calgary still allows outdoor music later than anywhere else in North America. The third piece of bullshit is that this was done last minute. This wasn't a last minute change. The big tents knew in February that their exemption was under review. Cowboys was told again in May. Their exemption depended on managing noise, safety, and impacts on nearby residents. They did not meet that standard. But what isn't bullshit is that as your mayor I'm fighting for you. I want you to know that a permit is not a licence to bully a neighbourhood. It is not a profit guarantee. I was elected to stand up for Calgarians, not to take orders from wealthy donors, lobbyists, or politicians protecting their friends. I am more than happy to seek compromise and work with operators who respect Calgarians. But I answer to the nurse on an early shift, the parent getting kids ready for school, and the worker who needs sleep. So no. We are not cancelling Stampede. We are protecting it. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. A few operators do not get to damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us. If you want to do business in Calgary, respect the people who live next door.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas285,244 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Country Thunder cannot blame City noise rules that it said, two days ago, would not affect their event. I was really disappointed to see Country Thunder throw the City and music fans under the bus today by falsely blaming our noise rules for cancelling their concert. They are plainly trying to take advantage of the noise and misinformation around this and bluntly hoping that you wouldn't look at the facts. Just two days ago, Country Thunder told CityNews that things were going well and that the City’s noise rules would not affect its event. This and other articles clearly state that the organizers say the changes won't impact their operations. Their own staff are quoted saying, “Our curfew for our festival has always been 11 p.m.” So blaming a midnight music cutoff for shutting down your concert that ends at 11 p.m. is absolutely bogus. Country Thunder was never part of the debate over whether the downtown tents should end at 2am or midnight. In fact, the City actually increased the allowable music volume for Country Thunder this year. Now, two days after saying things were going great, Country Thunder says sound limits made their event impossible. Those statements do not line up. Even their statements about construction are easily debunked, because our teams have been working really closely with them for months now. I am not going to speculate about why they made this decision to so grossly mislead the public. I'm not going to speculate on how the massive rain this weekend was going to impact their sales. And I'm not going to speculate on how the news of their headliner Kane Brown pulling out of concerts was going to impact sales. But it's crystal clear Country Thunder made a business decision that cannot blamed on the city noise rules. I'm really disappointed for ticket holders, workers, vendors, performers, local businesses, and every music fan who planned to attend. Calgary supports great events, live music, tourism, and jobs. But the facts matter. And organizers need to be honest with their customers and take responsibility for their decisions.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas115,004 Aufrufe • vor 28 Tagen
WE DID IT! This morning, Council voted for reasonable rules for off-site Stampede tents. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. It belongs to all of us. We want visitors, artists, workers, and businesses to have a great Stampede. This decision strikes the right balance. Calgary will have a vibrant festival scene while respecting the people who live nearby. On weeknights, concerts end at midnight, followed by wind-down music until 1 a.m. On weekends, music ends at 2 a.m. Calgary remains the most permissive major city in North America for outdoor music. We run later than Coachella, Lollapalooza, and other major festivals in North America. Thousands of Calgarians shared their views. Council listened. I also really appreciate the outreach from Cowboys management and commit to working with operators who respect Calgarians and their neighbours. Together, we will put on a safe, successful Stampede that brings people together. Stampede belongs to all of us. Let’s celebrate it with pride.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas93,985 Aufrufe • vor 29 Tagen
No one should have to choose between paying bills and getting the medication they need. Thanks to a new City partnership with Greenshield, eligible Calgarians can receive up to $1,000 in prescription drug coverage with no copays, deductibles or shipping costs. Learn more at
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas19,927 Aufrufe • vor 6 Tagen
Property tax bills are due today. Imagine if Ottawa forced Alberta to collect a big federal tax hike on provincial letterhead. That's how municipalities are treated with the Province's 57% property tax increase over four years. It's time to keep property taxes local, with clear accountability and transparency. Imagine if Justin Trudeau ordered Danielle Smith to collect a massive federal tax increase through Alberta's tax bill. She'd be furious. That’s exactly what’s happening today to Alberta’s cities, with today’s deadline to pay your property tax bill. Not many of you may know, but now upwards of half of your property taxes go to the provincial government, and not the town, city, or municipality you live in. The biggest increase on your property tax bill didn't come from City Hall. It came from the Provincial government. The Province imposed a 21 percent increase on your property tax bill, the largest property tax increase in Calgary's history. Over the past four years, it has increased the education property tax by 57 percent. By comparison, our Council held the municipal property tax increase to just 1.8 percent. That funds police, firefighters, roads, transit, parks, snow clearing, recreation centres, and the infrastructure that keeps Calgary moving. Because of the Province's education property tax equalization formula, Calgary homeowners are paying about twice the increase faced by Edmonton homeowners. Don't take my word for it. Here's how the Premier herself describes where a large share of your property tax goes. "If we're going to rail against equalization at the federal level, then we can't keep doing the same thing to our municipalities..." The Premier is right. If we're going to oppose equalization at the federal level, we shouldn't be doing the same thing to Alberta's municipalities. Property taxes are local taxes. They should stay local. The Province should fund provincial priorities through its other revenue sources, and municipalities should collect property taxes for local services. Thank you for supporting the City services that keep Calgary safe, moving, and growing.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas70,331 Aufrufe • vor 23 Tagen
If you're being paid to influence a major City decision, Calgarians deserve to know. Calgary has grown up as a city, and it's time our transparency rules caught up. That's why, with Councillors Atkinson, Clark, and Schmidt, we are bringing forward a motion to pursue a lobbyist registry.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas24,585 Aufrufe • vor 10 Tagen
Plot Twist: Stampede was the plan all along, no BS – just CS. RT Calgary Stampede
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas40,161 Aufrufe • vor 25 Tagen
We have a deal. Tonight, the City of Calgary and the big Stampede tent operators reached a win-win agreement that delivers even stronger late night noise protections for nearby residents. Before I explain what each side gained, let's talk about why this matters. Over the last few years, the tents received special exemptions far beyond what existed before 2019. Live music ran until almost 2 a.m. People reported shaking windows, rattling shelves, property damage, public disorder, and excessive intoxication outside their homes. So this year we introduced new rules that were still more permissive than anywhere else in North America. We moved weeknight live music to end at midnight, kept weekend hours the same, and reduced allowable bass and volume. The operators had concerns. They told me lower sound limits could affect performance quality and make it harder to attract artists. We also reviewed the hundreds of thousands of dollars they invested in new sound technology to better direct noise away from neighbours. Most importantly, they showed a real willingness to compromise and even give up financially. So here's the deal. The City agreed to restore pre-midnight sound levels to last year's limits while keeping bass lower than last year, because it’s all about that bass. Bass generated the most complaints. In return, the operators agreed that live music will end at midnight on weekends too. That means giving up some of their busiest and most profitable hours out of genuine respect for their neighbours. Compared to last year, bass is lower, live music ends every single night at midnight instead of 1:30 a.m., and weeknight activity wraps up by 1 a.m. instead of 2 a.m. So we let Calgary be a little noisier before midnight, back to what it was last year. The operators made big investments and gave up their latest night programming. Together, we found a fair compromise that lets Calgary celebrate while giving neighbours a much quieter night. Now let’s have an incredible Stampede. Support our local businesses, enjoy the music, welcome visitors from around the world, and show everyone why Calgary is the greatest festival city on Earth!
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas40,885 Aufrufe • vor 26 Tagen
The Province just imposed the biggest property tax increase in Calgary history, and it shows up on your City tax bill. Calgary's increase: 1.2%. Province's increase: 21% this year, nearly 60% in four years. And another big hike is coming next year. It's time for the provincial government to send their own tax bill.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas63,261 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Voting on whether to have a vote is a ridiculous lack of provincial leadership. Calgary is a globally connected city. Separation uncertainty is costing us jobs. We have real work to do: building homes, improving public safety, fixing infrastructure, growing our economy, and making life better.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas76,439 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
As the Mayors of Alberta’s largest cities, we are standing up against the referendum for a referendum and encouraging Albertans to vote this October. Leaving Canada would create uncertainty for Alberta’s economy, threaten jobs and investment, and put at risk the quality of life we’ve worked so hard to build. Our country is stronger together. The diversity of our people, communities, and regions is one of our greatest strengths. On October 19, stand up against the referendum for a referendum and vote for a strong Alberta in a strong Canada
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas53,317 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Today, I proclaimed Transgender Day of Remembrance in Calgary. We honour those we’ve lost, and we stand with resolve for a city where everyone can live safely and authentically. We will keep fighting for every person’s right to be who they are: openly, proudly, and without fear. #yyccc
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas241,861 Aufrufe • vor 8 Monaten
Crews are moving quickly on a critical water feeder main leak in east Calgary. I’m out here on 17 Avenue S.E., just west of Cushing Bridge. This is an important pipe. It helps move water from west to east across Calgary and supports reliable water service in east Calgary. The good news is the leak has been isolated. There are no disruptions to water service for homes or businesses, and we haven’t seen any environmental impacts. Crews are out here right now, assessing the pipe and figuring out exactly what needs to be done to repair it. We’re moving quickly because we need this feeder main back in service before the planned Bearspaw South Feeder Main shutdown this fall. You’re going to see some traffic impacts here on 17th Avenue. One eastbound lane is closed, and there will be some pathway detours. Please slow down, follow the signs and give our crews room to work. I wanted to come out here and show you exactly what’s happening. As we learn more, I’ll keep you updated.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas10,743 Aufrufe • vor 8 Tagen
Great to welcome Ryan Jespersen and Real Talk Ryan Jespersen to Calgary as they take their show on the road. It's critical that I use my voice as Mayor to fight against the economic damage the Alberta separation debate is causing. Given the economic damage Alberta separation would cause Calgary, staying silent is not an option. I believe municipalities should be allowed to tell residents what the evidence says. I'm calling on the Province to remove the restrictions so cities can commission and share independent, fact based research on the local impacts of separation. We are also seeing coordinated foreign interference and disinformation designed to fuel division. Calgary's future depends on stability, investment, and public confidence. We are ready to help get credible information into the hands of Calgarians. The Province should let us. 👀 FULL: 🎧 FULL:
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas18,404 Aufrufe • vor 16 Tagen
I’ve heard from Calgarians deeply concerned about the AISH and ADAP changes. For some, that means about $200 less each month for rent, groceries, or medication. Council has formally raised concerns with the province. Albertans with disabilities deserve stability, dignity, and opportunity.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas48,121 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Four years ago today, I found a message waiting for me deep in the wilderness on the Pacific Crest Trail. Complete strangers from Calgary had heard about my journey and left this Canadian flag behind for me to find. After months of walking and thousands of kilometres from home, I didn't expect something so small to affect me so deeply. In that moment, home didn't feel so far away. To everyone who followed along, sent messages, donated, encouraged me, or cheered me on from home, thank you. I'll always be grateful.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas13,188 Aufrufe • vor 15 Tagen
"If we're going to rail against equalization at the federal level, then we can't keep doing the same thing to our municipalities." Last night, Council approved our property tax bylaw, complying with the UCP government's order to issue their largest property tax hike in our city's history. Despite our Council team approving only a 1.2% tax increase for city services like police and fire, Calgarians will see an increase nearly ten times that. **You need to know that nearly half of your property tax bill goes to the province, in an equalization formula described here by the Premier.** The UCP has hiked property taxes by 57% in four years. Their latest 21% increase represents about $339 more per household. Chestermere and Airdrie will pay even more than that. By contrast, Edmonton homeowners will only pay $154 more. Our Council team cares about affordability. We will continue to push for responsible spending while investing in core services like safety and infrastructure. Let's work together for a fair deal for municipalities and deliver transparency for where property tax dollars actually go.
Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas60,673 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten