What a resilient Calgary looks like for mayoral candidate Sarah Elder
By Eda Kamal, October 16 2025—
Calgary’s upcoming municipal election on Oct. 20th, 2025, has left 45 per cent of the city’s voters undecided on their ideal next mayor. Sarah Elder, a small business owner and worked under multiple positions for the Government of British Columbia, said she entered the race for this reason exactly.
“I’m running for mayor because you deserve better than choosing the least-worst option on Oct. 20th”, her website states.
Elder’s website also offers a dedicated section for Calgarians to share their ideas for Calgary’s future. She emphasized the importance of listening to a divided, disillusioned community in an interview with the Gauntlet.
“That’s something we’re all feeling…”, she said. “It is absolutely not the time to stop paying attention or to feel like you can’t make a difference… Young people have not only the capacity, but the willingness, as well as the understanding about the issues that we’re all facing. The world needs more of that right now.”
Elder described herself as “the best candidate to really actually engage with students”, citing her small business, Madame Premier.
Madame Premier is a gift shop and event space in southeast Calgary, offering an intersection between women’s fashion and politics. Elder also hosts a podcast, “The Briefing Note.”
“This lens gives me the unique vantage point of spending the most time understanding what younger Calgarians are really focused on… and meeting them where they are,” said Elder.
15 to 29 year-olds are the slowest-growing age demographic in the city, according to the official census from 2021. When asked about her plans for retaining students and recent postsecondary graduates, Elder spoke about why she believes young people are leaving Calgary.
“Last week, I heard from two [U of C] students, and what they are interested in is activities. They’re not interested in going to nightclubs, for example, but they are interested in spending time in [their] communities and doing things related to arts and culture. There aren’t enough things to do,” said Elder.
When asked about her visions for revitalizing Calgary’s transportation system, specifically the upcoming Green Line LRT, Elder shared concerns about how she was unsure whether her own young children would ever be able to get to the U of C or Mount Royal University by train.
“As someone who lives in the northwest, closer to the northeast, my frustration is that the Green Line isn’t extending north. Being a champion for the extension of that line, what we really need is for that rail corridor to be a world-class city,” she said.
Phase one of the Green Line will connect the southeast Shepard community to the downtown core, but the city’s current 30-year plan is to eventually extend the line from Seton in the southeast to 160 Avenue in the north.
Elder also emphasized that as mayor, she would recognize the importance of the city’s small businesses.
“There are so many things that have become added barriers to succeeding as a business… if big businesses are having problems, you need to imagine 100 times that at the street level for small businesses,” said Elder. “I would be spending a lot of my time meeting with small businesses to understand the challenges they’re going through, and using my platform to highlight them… and also to have a conversation about the importance of buying local.”
93.5 per cent of businesses in Calgary in 2024 were classified as small businesses, but this number is consistently shrinking.
When asked if she had one key message for students and young people in Calgary, many of whom are voting in a municipal election for the first time, Elder expressed her interest in lowering the local voting age to 16.
“There would be a ripple effect in terms of increasing how often people vote and arming students with the ability to have a say in the decisions that our city makes. Women throughout history have been disenfranchised in different ways — I want to enfranchise people,” said Elder.
Elder was told that she would be unable to participate in the mayoral debate at Werklund Centre on Oct. 8th, as she was not polling high enough.
While Elder’s campaign brings an energetic and community-driven vision to the mayoral race, her path to city leadership remains steep in a crowded field. Her focus on youth engagement, small business advocacy and local connectivity reflects a grounded understanding of Calgary’s social and economic pulse, though translating that enthusiasm into citywide momentum will be a challenge.
For students and young professionals, Elder’s accessibility and emphasis on civic participation suggest a leader who would listen closely and amplify underrepresented voices.
Whether Calgary’s broader electorate sees that same potential, however, will depend on how convincingly she can bridge the gap between grassroots optimism and the city’s complex realities of governance.
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 will cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor, as well as the councillor and school board trustee representing their ward. Advance voting runs from Oct. 6 to 11.
For information on where to vote and how to get involved, visit www.electionscalgary.ca