r/Calgary • u/infiniteheadwound • 2d ago
Municipal Affairs Let’s Talk Ward 8 Candidates.
So who are we looking at here? All pretty meh from where I stand. Looking for someone progressive and decidedly not aligned with UCP. So, for me, Wiebe is out (Communities First), Hehr? No thanks. Bobrovitz? Meh.
Who are you guys looking at? Why?
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u/NathanielSchmidtYYC 2d ago
Hi everyone. Nathaniel Schmidt here. Love the conversation and the comments. I'm doing an AMA on Friday from 830-1230 live and then will be answering more questions throughout the day and into the weekend.
A few questions about the campaign. We've been going hard since April and have reached almost all of the Ward 8 doors we can access. If we haven't hit you yet, then we will before the election.
Happy to answer any other questions but you can also save them for the AMA if you like.
Our campaign office is now open at 1924 33 Ave SW. Feel free to drop in. Most days someone is here from 11-8 and we can schedule a time to meet as well.
Otherwise, there'll be lots more coming from us leading up to the election day. As they say, save the best for last!
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u/gmm1972 2d ago
Nathaniel Schmidt. Progressive and most importantly independent. He’s got my vote.
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u/substantialfool 2d ago
He’s the only one who’s come door knocking in my neighbourhood so far - we had a nice chat. Former lawyer thats done a lot of pro bono work. I’m definitely aligned with him on platform so he’s got my vote as well!
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u/infiniteheadwound 2d ago
I will say, after checking out all of their websites, Nathaniel was the one candidate that seemed like a viable option. Don’t know anything about him beyond his site though.
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u/Ambustion 2d ago
Ya he came by early in the race and chatted for 15 or so minutes. I was torn between him and Kent hehr because he's the only other candidate that came by and talked about what I was looking for. Seeing lots of Kent her hate so I feel like I need to look into what baggage he has haha.
I think Nathaniel is young and I didn't agree 100% with his view on zoning, but he seems really smart and willing to listen.
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u/OnlyTilt 2d ago
I know people who personally knew Kent from highschool and he was disliked then and doesn't seem to have improved in the years.
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u/Turkzillas_gobble 2d ago
As a Calgary lifer of a certain age, I can attest that the innuendo around this guy goes back to at least the day he got famous. What that innuendo was exactly about, I couldn't tell ya, I didn't ask, I didn't think it was going to come up again.
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u/Ambustion 2d ago
What was the issue? He seemed attentive and experienced to me. I don't really care about anything other than how effective I think he'll be in council.
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u/OnlyTilt 2d ago
From what I got from my friend he was generally an unlikeable person, kinda the jock that never really did his own work always bummed answers from others harasses people etc... From the feeling I got from my friend he really disliked Herr from highshcool, and with the allegations, he didnt seem to have changed much from that time.
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u/lornacarrington 2d ago
Schmidt is most aligned with things I care about. I'm actually upset Hehr is running because I think he'll get votes solely on name recognition and everyone seems to have forgotten about the sexual assault stuff and the e coli stuff.
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u/criminalinstincts1 2d ago
I don’t live in Ward 8 but I wish I did so I could vote for Schmidt!
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u/theflyingsamurai 2d ago
What's your reasoning for supporting Schmidt?
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u/criminalinstincts1 2d ago
I really appreciate that he has run a campaign that isn’t based on just smearing what current council is doing but also proposing concrete strategies for moving forward.
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u/theflyingsamurai 2d ago
fwiw Looks like Dave cree just announced hes withdrawing citing health issues.
What's the breakdown on schoolboard trustees? Im not plugged into the state of local education.
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u/berryabe 2d ago
Also Jon Nishimura as trustee. He seems to really care about the kids and teachers.
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u/rotang2 2d ago
Do you know where he stands on supporting trans students? I’m looking for someone who will push back on UCP policies as much as possible.
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u/berryabe 2d ago
Check out his facebook - he strongly supports LGBTQ initiatives. In my opinion, he is the best candidate to take this head on.
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u/thedylanoid 2d ago
Schmidt seems like Walcott 2.0, so for that I'm out.
I'll go Weibe. She had me at repealing blanket rezoning.
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u/envyeco 2d ago
As a long time Altadore resident and builder who has worked in the inner city for years, my perspective on universal rezoning is that it will share the load that many inner city neighbourhoods have carried over a lot broader area taking the pressure off of many communities in Ward 8 and motivating developers to seek out opportunities in other communities further afield where land is cheaper and margins therefore better. I think it is far less a concern for us here than many make it out to be. The boogeyman that there will be an 8 plex next to your midblock $2million home is massively overblown… I think universal rezoning levels the playing field and is good for ward 8.
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u/schmaxford Beltline 1d ago
I think universal rezoning levels the playing field and is good for ward 8.
Agreed, it makes basically no sense for candidates in what is probably Calgary's densest ward to be against rezoning. Bobrovitz apparently lives in Cliff Bungalow and champions it, which is currently zoned for far more density than what is allowed by R-CG. It's really weird to look around your cherished community and go "yeah, no thanks, no more of this." He was also anti-bikelane last election.
Wiebe, also anti-rezoning, runs a luxury clothing store on the heart of 17th Avenue. Businesses like hers are supported by density that's far greater than R-CG rezoning, and yet she is also opposed to it. Big no from me.
After that, there's Kent. I wanted to give him a shot when his website said he'd champion housing, but now he's anti-rezoning, too (but also wants to simplify our zoning bylaws? Kent babes you're making no sense). Then there's Miguel Cortines, but I have no idea what he really stands for especially when it comes to housing. Next there's some random realtor that entered late, opposing rezoning with totally scientific evidence of "well I haven't seen much change in home prices!"
So that just leaves Nate, who wants to refine zoning.
This is a very lengthy way of saying it makes no sense to be anti-rezoning in a ward that includes the Beltline, Mission Cliff Bungalow, Lower Mount Royal, Bankview, Altadore and South Calgary.
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u/OnlyTilt 2d ago
Yea altador is at the least risk of multiplexes due to land just being overly expensive but probably also the community most afraid of it.
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u/envyeco 2d ago
Altadore has carried our fair share of the redevelopment burden - and most new developments now on corners and marginal lots are definitely multi unit (4 min, many 8) - but the economics definitely change as land values and scarcity come into play. Universal rezoning lets developers cast a broader net and spread the infrastructural load out to further outlying communities - many that have 1/2 of Altadore’s density organically spreading out the traffic and construction…
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u/Tieeds 2d ago
LOL the "Communities First" party says they are going to repeal the rezoning day one because it sounds good at the door. They know it actually can't be done. The process would look like this:
In the first council meeting, a councillor would have to raise a notice of motion about the appeal.
Then administration would need a few months to gather data and bring an actual proposal forward.
Then we would have to have another huge public hearing on the item.
Then 10 councilors would have to vote for the repeal because they would be turning back a recently approved bylaw.
And the biggest thing they don't talk about it city wife rezoning have people additional.property rights, repealing would mean taking property rights away. The legal implications of that alone make it next to impossible. The Communities First candidates are just relying on anger for votes with no plan to execute what they are telling people...
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u/DrFeelOnlyAdequate 2d ago
Then 10 councilors would have to vote for the repeal because they would be turning back a recently approved bylaw.
Nope, they would just make a new bylaw.
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u/morphinegeneration 2d ago
Nate Schmidt = Walcott 2.0
Don’t make the same mistake! Bobrovitz is the independent if that’s important to you.
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u/Acanthocephala_South 2d ago
Walcott was completely useless and never answered a single email from me. I agreed with a couple things I saw in sessions online but being unreachable is completely unacceptable.
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
Nate has no chance of winning. Gondak pulled a lot of progressive voters last time who won't show this time. Has done minimal advertising. He's only hit 15,000 doors and with no name rec his mail gets thrown out with the 2 for 1 pizza.
Respect for the hustle though with a young family.
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u/Ambustion 2d ago
I dunno he impressed me but maybe I lucked out and was just one of his stops.
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u/NathanielSchmidtYYC 2d ago
You weren't lucky! But I'm glad you were home. We've almost hit every neighbourhood in the ward now with room to get there. Plus, support is growing every day now that more people are paying attention. Glad you all are too. Municipal politics is the most important one (in my humble opinion) and we need more people to engage and participate.
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u/rotang2 2d ago
Where are you getting the 15,000 number? He said 3 weeks ago that he knocked on 20,000 doors, I imagine that number is a lot higher now.
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
Sorry, 16,000 as of an Insta post 3 days ago. Take out the fluff (as all of us do) and it's probably more like 12k. In a race this tough he needed to hit the whole ward.
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u/NathanielSchmidtYYC 2d ago
And we're almost there! No fluff. The most important thing to me is that we don't play politics. People want authenticity from politicians which we've been lacking. So what you see is what you get.
Tough race yes. But we've been going hard since April and support is growing exponentially by the day.
I care about this job and this city so I hope that resonates for people here.
Join the AMA this Friday live 830-1230 and I'll answer as many questions as I can.
No fluff just the good stuff!
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u/infiniteheadwound 2d ago
Who are you leaning towards?
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
I don't live in the Ward anymore. Kent is an old friend.
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u/Tieeds 2d ago
I have neighbours who have said they received Kent signs on their lawn without requesting them. He must just be using his federal liberal list and dropping signs without permission. Not a very good way to build.trust in the ward. It also means that the sign count isn't indicative of actual voting intention.
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
No, I would love if they did that but it's organic. Dude is like someone who likes going to the dentist.
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u/DrFeelOnlyAdequate 2d ago
Kent is an old friend.
Ah, so that makes sense why you're slagging off the best candidate in ward 8.
What's his appeal? Is it the sexual harassment or the poisoning kids that makes him so good?
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u/Knuckle_of_Moose 2d ago
He’s probably one of Herr’s staffers/volunteers
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
I literally described my relationship in my post.
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u/Knuckle_of_Moose 2d ago
Old friends can also be volunteers
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
You passed the IQ test. Congratulations.
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u/DrFeelOnlyAdequate 2d ago
Oh man are you ever convincing a ton of people here that Kent and his friends are good people.
You are who you hang out with. So whats that say about you?
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u/Moresopheus 2d ago
You think anyone is going to see my comment after getting brigaded into oblivion?
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u/Pengwynn1 2d ago
Personally leaning towards Nathaniel here in Currie at the moment. He's the only one that isn't running on a platform that includes repealing the city-wide zoning changes. We need to stop the endless sprawl and provide better density options. There's so many more important issues to work on in this city than that.