Cutting through the red tape: The Calgary Party’s pitch to voters
By Imran Ahmed, October 16 2025—
The Calgary Party emerged in the run-up to the 2025 municipal election as a self-described centrist alternative to existing options. Its platform pledges accountability, affordability and pragmatic action.
Brian Thiessen, the Calgary Party’s mayoral candidate, is a lawyer, former Calgary Police Commission chair and national law-firm partner. In Ward 7, which includes the University District and other student-heavy neighbourhoods, the party is represented by Heather McRae, a community advocate focused on housing, transit safety and revitalizing downtown.
For students, what is important is whether the party can deliver policies that help with access to housing, improve transit safety and accessibility and provide student employment opportunities.
Housing and affordability
One of the Calgary Party’s more detailed policy areas is housing. Their platform is built on the principle that housing should guide every municipal decision, aligning infrastructure, zoning and budgeting toward making more homes available for the city’s growing population. As part of this approach, they unveiled a Housing Toolkit, which they describe as a set of reforms designed to cut red tape and speed up approvals.
They propose a “3-3-3-1 framework” to reduce delay in permit times. They pledge to modernize licensing and permitting, and streamline development processes to expedite the approval of housing and infrastructure investment.
Thiessen outlined the details during a May 2025 luncheon hosted by the Calgary Residential Rental Association (CRRA).
“Three days for home renovations, including rental suite upgrades and accessibility improvements… three weeks for new single-family homes and townhouses that meet zoning requirements.. three months for midrise, for multifamily housing projects with zoning in place… and one year for high-rise or community-scale developments that require land use changes,” he said.
At the same event, Thiessen said the party envisions strategic density along key transit corridors like MacLeod Trail, the University District, the Rivers and the Crossroads Market. He argued that these areas could become “vibrant, mixed-use, high-density rental hubs, much like the success we’ve seen in East Village,” while pointing to Calgary’s suburbs, where more townhomes, laneway houses and low-rise apartments are already emerging as rentals.
To students, these proposals can offer some benefits if they succeed in creating a more predictable regulatory environment that encourages increased investment in housing. If the housing stock increases at a faster rate, students and the youth will benefit.
The party’s proposals focus heavily on increasing supply and speeding approvals, but they provide fewer details on how affordability would be addressed. Without clear measures, there is a risk that much of the new housing could be priced above what students can reasonably afford.
Transit and safety
For students, commuting is not just about making their schedules work but also about feeling safe while travelling.
The Calgary Party promises a mix of transit, road and safety reforms. On the infrastructure side, they pledge to “build a city that plans better, delivers faster and keeps communities moving.” At the CRRA luncheon, Thiessen pointed to projects like Glenmore Landing, which was rejected despite meeting city criteria for affordability, mixed use and rapid transit access. He argued that rejecting such projects drives away investment and prevents density along key transit corridors.
On safety, the party has introduced a Public Safety Toolkit. It includes traffic calming measures, enhanced crosswalks, colourful visibility upgrades and police community hubs near transit areas and the downtown west end to provide rapid response and community support.
The Toolkit also lists prohibited behaviours such as open drug use, panhandling near roadways, loitering in transit areas, unauthorized encampments, public urination, defecation and displaying or using weapons.
One of the more controversial measures would create “no overnight sleeping zones” within two to three blocks of Stephen Avenue, a move the party frames as restoring public space safety, but which critics warn of the risk of displacement.
For students, these proposals could mean safer walking routes and more reliable connections. What is less clear is whether the party will expand transit service, improve security along student-heavy routes or extend late-night operations.
Jobs and opportunities
The Calgary Party emphasizes that economic growth will come through municipal efficiency. Reduced red tape, licensing modernization and faster approvals are central to their plan. At the CRRA luncheon, Thiessen said, “we don’t need more red tape or symbolism, we need systems that work and policies that unlock development.”
For students, these reforms may create opportunities if they succeed in catalyzing growth. A stronger local economy could translate into more jobs and internships across sectors.
However, the party has not proposed policies aimed directly at youth employment, such as targeted programs or training support. The focus is on broader economic development, with the intention being that students will benefit downstream.
What it means for students
The Calgary Party offers a more moderate vision for the city. They aim to introduce an efficient regulatory regime, implement infrastructure reform and enhance safety. Its agenda is more explicit in certain areas compared to the other parties.
For students, there is a potential upside. If housing supply accelerates and safety improvements target walking and transit corridors near campus, the daily burden of commuting and rent could soften for young people. However, the timeframe is uncertain. Most student pressures, such as high rent, are in the present, which may not be alleviated immediately.
Without explicit measures targeted at affordability and youth employment, students may have to wait longer for the benefits to trickle down. Still, the Calgary Party’s early clarity on key policies gives voters a clearer sense of its priorities and potential impact.
To learn more about The Calgary Party, visit www.thecalgaryparty.ca.