Four city council members are the founding members of the newly formed municipal

Calgary's new municipal party  is formed with 4 city councillors as founding members.

(L-R)  Councillors Dan McLean,  André Chabot, Terry Wong, Sonya  Sharp and  former councillor John Mar, all members of the new  municipal party Communities  First. (YYC Community First)
(L-R) Councillors Dan McLean,  André Chabot, Terry Wong, Sonya  Sharp and  former councillor John Mar, all members of the new  municipal party Communities  First. (YYC Community First) John Mar, all members of the new municipal party Communities First. (Community First  YYC)
By Lauryn  Heintz
Published December 10, 2024  at 11:11  am.
Last updated December 10, 2024  at 12:30  pm.
A group of Calgary city  councilors have formed a new municipal political party, the  city's second.
Communities First says it is seeking to restore  trust in  Calgary's government. The group  consists of current  councilors André Chabot, Dan McLean, Sonya Sharp, Terry  Wong and former  councilor John  Mar.
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In an announcement made Tuesday, the party  said it expects to have a full  slate of candidates for all elected  positions in the city — 14  councilors and a  mayor.
"Calgarians are  tired of this council.  They are tired of all  this drama.  "We are tired of not being listened to and being lectured.  We are tired of a council that seems to want to focus on  everything but what matters to Calgarians," Sharp said in a statement. "We want to  give Calgarians the  opportunity to vote for  the people  they want to represent them  instead of an  ideology. .
Councillor Wong says  the council's functionality  has diminished due to  leadership.
"There has to be  cooperation, communication, cooperation," he said.  "We haven't had  this in three years. We've had polarization more than anything  else."
Councillor McLean says there's already a political party working together  in the municipality.
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"They were  orchestrated by a far-left political operative who  created another  left-wing party," he said.  "We're more  open about who we are, what we stand  for and  truly represent our constituents."
Communities First says it will register as a municipal party in the  upcoming election, but will run differently from other traditional provincial or federal parties,  emphasizing "true community representation  rather than strict  community discipline."
Despite  his membership in the group, Wong says he doesn't believe in  joint political  parties. "I believe  that as individuals we represent our constituents,"  she said. "However, with Bill 20, running as an independent doesn't necessarily serve  Calgarians.
"So we look to  the communities first to do that, it allows us to represent our constituents in the way that we need and want, and  it allows us to  work with each other and find common  ground."
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Sharp agrees, saying she doesn't believe Calgarians  would be  well served by a  left-wing or  right-wing party.
"There's no progressive way to fill a  well or a conservative way to fill a  well," she said. "Calgarians want you to fill that  hole."
I was a councilor Mar says he  doesn't like the idea and feels  like they were forced into  it.
Alberta's next municipal election  will be held in  October 2025.  This will be the first election in the province  to allow the formation of municipal political parties, thanks to the provisions of Bill  20.
President Jyoti Gondek has already  announced that she will run  again for  president, but as an  independent. 
Communities First  is joined by A Better Calgary (ABC), which describes itself as  centre-right.
As for the other mayoral candidates, former councillor and 2021 mayoral candidate Jeff Davison has also announced his  intention to run for the city's top job. He  finished third behind Gondek and current Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation  CEO Jeromy  Farkas in the 2021  race.
Farkas has not ruled out  running for  mayor again. He served one term  on council from 2017 to 2021  alongside Gondek and  Davison. Former Calgary Police Commission  chair Brian Thiessen has also said he will run for mayor in 2025.