CFTG Advocacy Updates
HAF Funding
Nov. 28, 2025 - This is a press release and briefing prepared by Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth that clarifies federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) funding is not legally conditional on maintaining blanket upzoning. It summarizes the HAF agreement, past assurances from City leadership, and evidence that Calgary has already exceeded its housing targets—providing context for why Council can proceed with repeal based on planning merits and democratic mandate rather than funding fears.
N.O.M. Submission
Dec.4, 2025 - This document explains the Notice of Motion to repeal blanket upzoning and outlines why public support is needed at this stage of the process. It provides clear background, key concerns, and guidance on how residents can submit comments to City Council in support of a more contextual, community-driven approach to housing growth.
Legal Opinion
Dec. 5, 2025 - This is a legal opinion that reviews the City of Calgary’s proposed process to repeal the Blanket Rezoning Bylaw and explains how a lawful, streamlined repeal can proceed under the Municipal Government Act. It clarifies why Council can move forward with restoring prior residential zoning, how public hearing and notice requirements apply, and why only approved (not pending) applications should be protected during the transition.
Letter to Council
Dec. 9, 2025 - This letter formally urges Mayor Farkas and Council to support the Notice of Motion to repeal blanket upzoning, grounding the request in both the 2024 public hearing record and the 2025 electoral mandate. It explains why supporting the motion is about restoring democratic trust and lawful, community-based planning—by initiating a fair repeal process and returning growth decisions to neighbourhood-specific, infrastructure-aware planning.
Our Response to Atkinson
Dec. 9, 2025 - Here is a summary of an exchange with Councillor Myke Atkinson’s office outlining why he does not currently support repealing citywide upzoning. It also sets out Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth’s response, explaining why restoring pre-blanket zoning first is seen as a necessary step to rebuild legitimacy, enable fairer growth distribution, and ensure future zoning changes are developed through community-specific planning and public hearings.
Year End Update 2025
Dec. 19, 2025 - We want to thank volunteers and supporters of Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth and highlight the key work in 2025, including advocacy to repeal blanket upzoning, legal action, public education during the municipal election, and efforts to clarify HAF funding. We also want to look ahead to 2026, inviting continued community involvement to support transparent, neighbourhood-focused planning in Calgary.
Water Infrastructure Failures
Jan. 13, 2026 - Recent failures of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main—and the findings of the City’s independent review—raise important questions about how Calgary assesses infrastructure readiness when approving increased density, particularly in established neighbourhoods with aging systems. While current capacity modelling may meet planning benchmarks, it can mask underlying fragility when redundancy is limited and assets are deteriorating. We call for a more risk-based, transparent approach to infrastructure evaluation to ensure growth proceeds safely, responsibly, and sustainably.
Accountability Letter
Jan. 18, 2026 - This letter argues that the repeated Bearspaw feeder main failures are not simply operational mishaps but evidence of a broader executive and governance breakdown within Calgary’s administration. Drawing on the findings of the Independent Review Panel, it contends that long-known risks were not effectively escalated, that Council was not given decision-ready information, and that the current leadership structure has failed to support meaningful oversight of critical infrastructure.
Explainer on Recent BUZ NOM
Feb. 5, 2026 - This document explains where Calgary City Council is in the process of potentially repealing the Blanket Upzoning (BUZ) bylaw, what decisions have already been made, and what remains undecided. It also outlines what the March 23, 2026 public hearing will cover and how Calgarians can participate to influence the final council vote.
Letter to Council to Repeal
Feb. 8, 2026 - Our letter to Council explains that repealing blanket upzoning does not dismantle Calgary’s Housing Strategy or stall housing and affordability progress. Blanket upzoning is only one tool within 98 tools of Home is Here, and most initiatives — including non-market housing, secondary suites, approvals reform, and targeted density — can proceed unchanged. It outlines how Council can repeal the bylaw while continuing to deliver housing through targeted, evidence-based approaches.
Contractual Analysis of CMHC’s Feb. 10th Statement
Feb. 12, 2026 - This memorandum reviews CMHC’s February 10, 2026 statement in light of the written Housing Accelerator Fund agreement and compares the public claims to the actual contractual text. It concludes that the agreement does not require permanent citywide blanket rezoning or four-units-as-of-right zoning, and that compliance must be assessed against the written milestones and housing supply targets set out in the executed contract.
Letter to Councillor Kelly
Feb. 17, 2026 - This letter responds to Councillor Kelly’s concerns regarding CMHC’s discretion under the Housing Accelerator Fund agreement in response to concerns about CMHC’s authority under the Housing Accelerator Fund agreement, explaining how discretionary “satisfaction” clauses are legally constrained by principles of good faith and reasonableness. It emphasizes that compliance must be assessed against the written milestones and housing targets in the agreement, and not against policy interpretations that go beyond the contract.
Letter to Councillor Wyness
Feb. 17, 2026 - This letter responds to Councillor Wyness’s public comments in Strasser’s article regarding the Housing Accelerator Fund agreement and requests clarification on any contractual basis for requiring blanket rezoning. It outlines CFTG’s view that the written agreement does not mandate citywide blanket rezoning and that housing targets can be achieved through targeted planning tools.
The Unassailable Case
Mar. 4, 2026 - This report analyzes Calgary’s blanket rezoning policy using 2024–2026 data and finds it has had limited impact on housing supply while failing to improve affordability. Instead, it highlights rising land costs, increased development delays, and community impacts, and proposes targeted, context-based planning solutions as more effective alternatives.
CFTG Written Submission to Council
Mar. 23, 2026 - Read the CFTG submission for Council’a agenda package which argues that Calgary’s blanket rezoning policy has not meaningfully improved affordability or supply, while creating unintended impacts on communities, infrastructure, and public trust. It recommends full repeal and a return to targeted, community-informed planning through Local Area Plans to support more predictable, context-sensitive growth.
What We Heard: Calgary’s Voice on Blanket Rezoning
Apr. 26, 2026 - We’ve created a concise summary of what Calgarians shared during the Bylaw 9P2026 hearing, highlighting concerns around trust, affordability, and planning transparency. The message was consistent: growth is supported, but it must be thoughtful, targeted, and shaped by meaningful public input.
Councillor Explainer and Grandfathering
Apr. 26 2026 - This briefing explains how grandfathering should be applied in the repeal of blanket rezoning, clarifying the legal distinction between approved developments and applications in progress.
It recommends a rights-based approach, protecting only approved permits, to avoid speculation, inconsistency, and a fragmented planning framework.
What We Heard: Quick Reference
Apr. 26, 2026 - Key themes, why they matter, and implications for Council. A clear snapshot of public input on growth and rezoning.