Want to read how council hopefuls in other wards responded to our dinner-themed scenarios? Click here.
You have a friend coming to Calgary who has never visited the city before. What restaurant would you take them to and why?
David Winkler: I would take my friend to The White Elephant in Vista Heights. Firstly, this restaurant is the best Thai food in Calgary. Secondly, the owners Nika and Eric are amazing hosts giving you that feeling that you are part of the family. The restaurant is a quaint surrounding with lovely decor, juxtaposed to a kind of seedy hotel, which lends itself to more of a hidden gem.
Gar Gar: Olive Garden. The best place many Calgarians have recommended when I came to Calgary
Hermann Muller: Atlas Pizza. It is my favourite pizza place
Issa Mosa: A host of restaurants within Ward 10.
Michelle Robinson: In my area of the city, a five minute drive can take them to anything in the world they are craving!
Najeeb Butt: Boston Pizza because it is a good environment and has a well rounded options for food.
Ray Jones: Villa Firenze. I enjoy their lasagna and cannelloni. Best Italian food in town!
Salimah Kassam: I would take them to the Tiffin Curry and Roti house. This restaurant is just one of the many amazing spots that showcase the best of the cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit found in the communities of Ward 10. I fully support the role of small and medium sized businesses in building and sustaining a strong local economy in our neighbourhoods. When Calgarians spend money at local businesses, more of the money stays in and circulates throughout the local economy. I’m committed to championing the excellent businesses and the cultural diversity in the northeast and the delicious food at Tiffin is a great place to start.
You are inviting several friends to join you for dinner. Two live on the outskirts of the city and their car is out of service. They must travel 20 km to reach the restaurant and they’ve asked you for advice about the best way to get there. What would you recommend and why?
David Winkler: I would recommend that they call a taxi to the restaurant. We have no transit to the outskirts, and the taxi is the fastest and most efficient way. There is a cost to living outside of the city and transportation is one of them. ?
Gar Gar: I will try to an hour early.
Hermann Muller: I would go and get them. That’s what friends do.
Issa Mosa: Travel by Deerfoot Trail and Memorial Drive NE.
Michelle Robinson: I would leave 40 mins early and get them. (Either that, or assuming we are talking Strathmore, ask my several friends if they want to eat at a train station in Strathmore because they have great food!)
Najeeb Butt: To take stoney trail because it is one of the most accessible routes in the city.
Ray Jones: Assuming they are coming from the East I would recommend using Stoney Trail. I have friends who live in Airdrie that travel down.
Salimah Kassam: I would recommend that they take the C-Train to Franklin station, and from there, walk seven minutes to get to the restaurant. Fortunately, this restaurant is easily accessible by transit users, drivers and pedestrians, and it’s not far from the bike pathway system. This is not the case for many of the commercial areas in Ward 10. Many lack adjacent sidewalks, and sufficient lighting and that is one of the issues I will work hard on council to improve. Residents deserve choice and safety in their transportation options, and local business owners deserve greater accessibility for their clients.
You arrive at the restaurant, and first course arrives. You notice one of your friends is double-dipping in the shared appetizer. How do you react?
David Winkler: It wouldn’t bother me in any way. I am not concerned about germs and focus more on bigger issues
Gar Gar: I would just ask the server for another.
Hermann Muller: I ask him if he is related to George Costanza.
Issa Mosa: We are at a Middle East Restaurant where food is shared along with the use of fingers and bread.
Michelle Robinson: I would just ask the server for another dip.
Najeeb Butt: I would tell him not to do that and request another course.
Ray Jones: Nope, that doesn’t bother me. I may have double dipped a time or two.
Salimah Kassam: That’s the great thing about curry – it’s meant to be shared!
The main course has arrived and the conversation has turned to politics, specifically secondary suites. Your good friend tells the table he has been fighting to convert his basement to a secondary suite but has been caught up in red tape at city hall. He then confesses he’s renting it out despite it being illegal. Will you report it? Why or why not?
David Winkler: I would not report it, but would encourage my friend to legalize the suite immediately. Focusing on legalizing secondary suites is part of my platform. I will be working with the Alberta Government to change the building codes to discontinue the need for two hot water tanks and two furnaces to bring the focus on safety and affordability for landlords and tenants. Just this simple move will cut the costs for the landlord in half, benefiting both the landlords and the tenants, creating safer and more affordable homes.
Gar Gar: As a councillor, I would absolutely report it. As a friend, I would help them understand the process and demonstrate why safety should be a priority. Secondary suites must be up to standards.
Hermann Muller: Yes, and I will tell my friend that I will report it while we are sitting at the dinner table.
Issa Mosa: I am responsible for policy of SS not the enforcement by law officials.
Michelle Robinson: As a councillor, I would be obligated to report it. As a friend, I would want to help them understand the process and make a safety plan to bring that secondary suite up to code.
Najeeb Butt: I will have to report it because it is a safety issue and it violates the city by laws.
Ray Jones: No because he is my friend and had confided in me and trusts me.
Salimah Kassam: I would start by asking a bunch of questions to understand the nature of the barriers he’s been facing. The ideal scenario would be to work with him to find the quickest path through the red tape to legalization. It can be incredibly disruptive for tenants to face an eviction notice, however, the rules and regulations are in place to keep them safe, and it serves neither my friend, nor his tenants to have an illegal suite. This scenario points again to the need for a standardized and streamlined administrative process for secondary suite approvals.
All responses have been edited for typos, but not for grammar and wording.