2021 Municipal Election breakdown: Ward 1

CALGARY – Made up of 10 communities from the north edge of Rocky Ridge to as far east as Varsity, ward one is a diverse ward, home to well-established neighbourhoods and upcoming developments.

According to census numbers, roughly three-quarters of residents commute to work by car. The construction of the west ring road has created even more traffic headaches, even though its overall goal is to reduce congestion.

While the ring road is a provincial file, the city is in charge of the design of street connections and is an advocate for concerned residents during construction.

RELATED: Municipal Election 2021: The future of the City of Calgary

While not every resident thinks about urban design during a municipal election, for this ward, it is incredibly important according to Francisco Alaniz Uribe, of the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture.

“Flooding is something that is very present, even though the major flood was a few years ago. It was very costly, and we don’t forget that. Going forward, flooding is continuing to be a challenge,” said Alaniz Uribe.

“What climatologists are saying is that we are going to have these extreme events of nature, where you have a lot of precipitation in a short amount of time. A lot of rain, and that’s what creates these flash floods and these problems.”

In 2013, the community of Bowness was devastated by the flood. But more recently, the proposal of a berm divided residents, and opposition was so strong that the administration advised the city to hold off on the barrier.

Many were pushing for the province to build additional capacity upstream on the Bow River.

Long-time councillor Ward Sutherland, who was pushing for a solution to potential flooding concerns, is not running for re-election, after sitting in the chair since 2013.