Ward 7 neighbourhoods are under development pressure and lagging in amenities

The City of Calgary’s 2023 Housing Needs Assessment was a wake up call on the housing crisis faced by the city. It found that nearly 1-in-5 Calgary households could not afford their housing, with the average rent jumping 40% between 2020 and 2023 and the average price of a single detached home jumping 37%.

Meanwhile, Ward 7 neighbourhoods continue to face intense redevelopment pressure and population growth without corresponding investment in infrastructure and amenities.

Ward 7 councillor Terry Wong’s record on housing has exacerbated development pressure on Ward 7 neighbourhoods and diverted the city funds needed for new amenities in Ward 7 towards the suburbs of the city. The following is a snapshot of some of Wong’s votes related to housing during the past four years.

Terry Wong voted against legalizing row homes and duplexes citywide

In May 2024, Terry Wong voted along his municipal political party lines against legalizing row homes and duplexes citywide. These forms of housing were already legal and already being built in most Ward 7 neighbourhoods. However, more than 60% of Calgary’s land was only zoned for single-detached homes. This limited housing options in Calgary suburbs and concentrated infill development of multi-unit housing types to the neighbourhoods where it was already legal, like in Ward 7. It also artificially drove up the cost of housing.

Wong’s Communities First municipal political party has pledged to repeal rezoning, if re-elected, but this will just revert things to the way they were where basically all densification is only taking place in inner city neighbourhoods instead of being shared fairly across the entire city.

Terry Wong voted against the Glenmore Landing transit-oriented development proposal

*(Image source:* *Riocan Glenmore Landing Outline Plan*)

When voting against citywide rezoning, Terry Wong stated that he believed in leveraging city-owned lands and developing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) sites to address Calgary’s housing needs.

In December 2024, Terry Wong again voted along his municipal political party lines against a proposed multi-tower mixed-use redevelopment of the sprawling Glenmore Landing stripmall in Ward 11. The TOD project leveraged city-owned lands, was located at a MAX Yellow rapid transit line station on a major arterial roadway with excellent river pathway connections. The project would have added over 1,100 much-needed residential units over the coming decades if it had been approved by Council.

Terry Wong voted against the Viscount Bennet site transit-oriented development proposal

*Rendering of approved massing for redeveloped former Viscount Bennet site. (Source:* *CPC2025-0098 Attachment 9*)

In April 2025, Terry Wong once again voted along his municipal political party lines against another Transit Oriented Development - this time in Ward 8. Located along the MAX Yellow Bus Rapid Transit line and Crowchild Trail, this project was approved by a majority of Council and will add 1,231 units of housing.

Terry Wong voted against building 50 affordable homes in Bowness

Rendering of proposed 50-unit affordable housing project on Bowness Road in Calgary’s Ward 1. (Image source: Trellis)

In December 2024, Terry Wong voted along his municipal political party lines against 50 new affordable homes proposed in the Ward 1 community of Bowness.

Terry Wong ignored widespread community opposition to 16-story tower in Ward 7 neighbourhood

*Terry Wong ignored community opposition to a proposed 16-story tower at this location in the Ward 7 neighbourhood of Kensington (Image source:* *Calgary Herald*).

Ignoring widespread Ward 7 community opposition, Terry Wong voted to approve a land use change and 11th hour amendments to the Riley Communities Local Area Plan (LAP) to allow development of a 16-story tower in Kensington. According to the reports, most of the public submissions stated a preference for a tower 10-storeys or less.

Terry Wong voted for sprawl in environmentally sensitive Ricardo RANCH wetland

*(Image source:* *Livewire Calgary, Nathaniel Schmidt*)

In May 2023, Terry Wong voted to pave over one of the last remaining intact wetlands on the Bow River to build new sprawl communities, despite public outcry. The area is unique for its biodiversity and is home to critically engaged bank swallows, great blue herons and bats.

Terry Wong voted with his party to prioritize more sprawl over ward 7 neighbourhoods

*Gravel road outside city limits at 210 Ave and Spruce Meadows Way SW used as justification by Communities First for annexing more land. (Source:* *Google Maps*)

This summer, Wong voted to revisit an annexation process for some lands on the SW edge of the city just two years after council voted to not pursue this previously. The main reason given for the annexation was the paving of a small bit of 210 Ave SW that currently resides in Foothills County.

Myke Atkinson is working for ward 7 to tackle housing affordability while enhancing our communities

Calgary needs more housing and a wider set of housing options across the city to get back to being an affordable place to live. Read more about Myke’s plans for better quality redevelopment and housing affordability in Calgary.

Terry Wong’s record on housing has hurt Ward 7 neighbourhoods