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?
Connie Hamilton: Regency Palace China Town. Best China Town in Country and a great drive through the city to get there.
Ian McAnerin: Peters Drive In if it’s casual, River Cafe if more formal. Both because they are iconic to Calgary.
Jun Lin: Ginger Beef, Country Hills location. Because its an all round good restaurant and Ginger Beef is one of Calgary’s most famous culinary creations.
Jyoti Gondek: My view on eating is that it is a necessary evil that takes time away from other things I have to get done. (Foodies everywhere are collectively groaning right now). With that disclaimer, I love Workshop because they do all the thinking for me and the food is always amazing.
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?
Connie Hamilton: I pick them up because it will be faster and cheaper. I know my way around this sprawling city. I was born here.
Ian McAnerin: I’d probably pick them up: that’s what friends do when there is no comprehensive LRT system available for the city yet.
Jun Lin: I wish I could recommend them to take the Green Line but city council voted to delay building it north yet again.
Jyoti Gondek: I would probably pick them up or assign the task to another dinner mate who either lives close by or is travelling from the same area. Realistically, my friends are smart enough to call a friend, take transit, call a cab or use Uber.
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?
Connie Hamilton: ‘Whoa’ baby this belongs to you now. They are my friends they get me.
Ian McAnerin: Order another appetizer for us non-double dippers to share.
Jun Lin: Appetizers are for sharing.
Jyoti Gondek: Trick question – the double dipper is likely me.
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?
Connie Hamilton: I tell him and anyone else as a councillor I will work to cut the red tape and you work on getting that suite to code. I’ll give you 90 days to get it done, then I report it.
Ian McAnerin: Encourage him to get up to code ASAP, so reporting isn’t an issue anymore. And fix the stupid secondary suite issue once and for all.
Jun Lin: This scenario points out the absurdity of our current approval process, which makes criminals out of people trying to provide affordable housing options in our city. We need to bring in a streamlined and fair approvals process that does not involve city council voting on each application.
Jyoti Gondek: No. Unless I called the dinner party specifically as an undercover operation to sniff out illegal suites and turn narc on my friends, I would advise the person to call me later so we can create a plan for her to go through the proper channels.
All responses have been edited for typos, but not for grammar and wording.