By Imran Ahmed, October 16 2025—
Former Ward 3 councillor and Calgary’s first female mayor, Jyoti Gondek, is seeking re-election this fall. In an interview with the Gauntlet, she emphasized affordability, transit reliability and safety, economic diversification and community amenities as priorities for her second term.
Housing affordability has been a major focus of Gondek’s council. In 2023, her administration approved Home is Here, a housing strategy intended to increase supply through secondary suites, office-to-residential conversions and partnerships with non-profit organizations.
“Since we’ve approved our housing strategy, Home is Here, we’ve been able to provide more incentives for the construction of secondary suites. The other thing that we are incredibly intentional about is how we are converting office buildings to other uses. We’ve had a lot of success with downtown conversions from office to residential, and I think the focus now needs to be on residential for post-secondary,” said Gondek.
When asked about the role of developers and landlords in ensuring housing is affordable for students rather than simply priced at market levels, Gondek responded by using University District as an example of some success and failure.
“University District is a beautiful and complete community, but it’s out of reach for most students and faculty,” said Gondek. “We’ve revitalized an area that was underused, but we didn’t offer affordability. We need to be focused on students themselves instead of just housing. The way leases are structured is also a little bit problematic for students. Now, the city can’t directly control that, but we can work with landlords and rental agencies to explain how student needs are different. Your lived experiences need to dictate how we get housing right instead of building a bunch of housing and hoping that it works for you.”
Reflecting on progress since she became mayor in 2021, Gondek pointed to secondary-suite reforms and her amendment to include student housing in Home is Here.
“Back in those days, secondary suites were not permitted uses everywhere in the city. I was part of the council that made that happen. When we created Home is Here in 2023, there was an amendment that I brought forward to make sure that student housing was baked into the plan. This next term is about getting housing out of the ground and making sure that students have places to live instead of just policy,” she said.
When asked about improving reliability and safety on Calgary Transit, Gondek highlighted increased staffing and new safety measures.
“Safety was a major focus this term. We reinstated shields around operators, hired more transit officers and peace officers and added a text line and emergency buttons,” said Gondek.
On service and frequency, she stressed the importance of expansion.
“Students don’t have time for long commutes, especially when juggling classes and jobs. We need greater transit frequency, more BRT options and to bolster the C-train system. The Green Line is critical. It took 10 years, but shovels are finally in the ground. The downtown connection will be critical, and we must extend it to the north.”
Gondek commented on the funding challenges given Calgary transit’s operating losses.
“That’s the biggest problem — people say transit operates at a loss. Transit is an essential service. No city in the world funds transit entirely through fares. Strong transit is the kind of city I want to be proud of,” said Gondek.
When asked how her focus on a strong economy and tax base translates into opportunities for students, Gondek pointed to major projects and targeted investment.
“Having a strong tax base is the way you provide the services that people need. The Prairie Economic Gateway will be a rail-served supply chain and logistics centre, as well as manufacturing and industrial. We are anticipating 30,000 jobs with that project alone,” said Gondek.
Regarding how students can connect to new industries coming to Calgary, she highlighted the city’s diversification.
“We need to create jobs that students can access in the way they want, whether part-time or full-time for four months,” stressed Gondek. “The other thing we’ve done as a council is create the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. That was a $100 million investment initially, and we reinvested $60 million into it to fund organizations boosting the economy. For example, the Knowledge Society just got $250,000 to offer programs to youth and help them gain employment skills.”
When asked what her administration has done specifically for youth employment, Gondek clarified that targeted programs are needed.
“One negative is that the provincial STEP program lost its funding. We need similar directed programming within the city. A hiring fair focused on all faculties could create more employment opportunities. Employers, especially big ones, follow a process that doesn’t work for students right now.”
When asked for her message to students about why they should vote, Gondek emphasized their influence.
“Students have a big voice and are the foundation of the city’s future. You can shape the future. It’s important for students to vote — for mayor, councillors and school board trustees,” said Gondek.
She also acknowledged that engagement requires effort from politicians.
“We probably haven’t given students compelling enough reasons to vote, but the local government is the closest to you. When provincial cuts threaten post-secondary, we’ll be your allies to fight for a better experience,” said Gondek.
As a candidate, Gondek presents a platform grounded in pragmatism and continuity rather than disruption. Her experience as both councillor and mayor gives her credibility in navigating the city’s complex housing and transit challenges, though her record also invites scrutiny from students still waiting to see tangible results from policies like Home is Here.
Her emphasis on collaboration, diversification and student inclusion suggests a realistic and informed approach to city building — one rooted in governance rather than rhetoric.
Whether that translates into a more livable and affordable Calgary for students will depend on how effectively her administration can turn plans into outcomes during a second term.
To vote in Calgary’s municipal election, you must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Calgary on election day.
On Oct. 20, voters can cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor, as well as the councillor and school board trustee representing their ward.
For information on where to vote and how to get involved, visit www.electionscalgary.ca.
