From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill and Austin Thompson

Calgary’s new mayor, Jeromy Farkas, has promised to scrap “blanket rezoning”—a policy enacted by the city in 2024 that allows homebuilders to construct duplexes, townhomes and fourplexes in most neighbourhoods without first seeking the blessing of city hall. In other words, amid an affordability crunch, Mayor Farkas plans to eliminate a policy that made homebuilding easier and cheaper—which risks reducing housing choices and increasing housing costs for Calgarian families.

Blanket rezoning was always contentious. Debate over the policy back in spring 2024 sparked the longest public hearing in Calgary’s history, with many Calgarians airing concerns about potential impacts on local infrastructure, parking availability and park space—all important issues.

Farkas argues that blanket rezoning amounts to “ignoring the community” and that Calgarians should not be forced to choose between a “City Hall that either stops building, or stops listening.” But in reality, it’s virtually impossible to promise more community input on housing decisions and build more homes faster.

If Farkas is serious about giving residents a “real say” in shaping their neighbourhood’s future, that means empowering them to alter—or even block—housing proposals that would otherwise be allowed under blanket rezoning. Greater public consultation tends to give an outsized voice to development opponents including individuals and groups that oppose higher density and social housing projects.

Alternatively, if the mayor and council reform the process to invite more public feedback, but still ultimately approve most higher-density projects (as was the case before blanket rezoning), the consultation process would be largely symbolic.

Either way, homebuilders would face longer costlier approval processes—and pass those costs on to Calgarian renters and homebuyers.

It’s not only the number of homes that matters, but also where they’re allowed to be built. Under blanket rezoning, builders can respond directly to the preferences of Calgarians. When buyers want duplexes in established neighbourhoods or renters want townhomes closer to work, homebuilders can respond without having to ask city hall for permission.

According to Mayor Farkas, higher-density housing should instead be concentrated near transit, schools and job centres, with the aim of “reducing pressure on established neighbourhoods.” At first glance, that may sound like a sensible compromise. But it rests on the flawed assumption that politicians and planners should decide where Calgarians are allowed to live, rather than letting Calgarians make those choices for themselves. With blanket rezoning, new homes are being built in areas in response to buyer and renter demand, rather than the dictates of city hall. The mayor also seems to suggest that city hall should thwart some redevelopment in established neighbourhoods, limiting housing options in places many Calgarians want to live.

The stakes are high. Calgary is not immune to Canada’s housing crisis, though it has so far weathered it better than most other major cities. That success partly reflects municipal policies—including blanket rezoning—that make homebuilding relatively quick and inexpensive.

A motion to repeal blanket rezoning is expected to be presented to Calgary’s municipal executive committee on Nov. 17. If it passes, which is likely, the policy will be put to a vote during a council meeting on Dec. 15. As the new mayor and council weigh changes to zoning rules, they should recognize the trade-offs. Empowering “the community” may sound appealing, but it may limit the housing choices available to families in those communities. Any reforms should preserve the best elements of blanket rezoning—its consistency, predictability and responsiveness to the housing preferences of Calgarians—and avoid erecting zoning barriers that have exacerbated the housing crisis in other cities.

Tegan Hill

Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute

Austin Thompson

Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute

MxM News

President Trump on Sunday urged House Republicans to vote to release any remaining government-held documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, making clear he believes it’s time to stop allowing Democrats and the media to weaponize the scandal as a political distraction. Posting from his Truth Social account, Trump said the party should “vote to release the files” because “there is nothing to hide,” and told supporters he wants Republicans “back on point” and focused on delivering economic growth, border security, and protecting girls’ and women’s sports from radical gender activists.

Trump emphasized that the Department of Justice has already made public a massive amount of material related to Epstein — “tens of thousands of pages” — and said Democrats are the ones who should be answering questions, naming former President Bill Clinton and Democrat mega-financier Reid Hoffman as figures whose Epstein ties should be scrutinized. Trump also indicated he would direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to examine connections involving Clinton, Hoffman, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

The president said Democrats are pushing the renewed focus on Epstein as a political weapon to cloud the GOP’s record and stall momentum heading into the next legislative fights. Trump pointed to the administration’s achievements — slashing inflation from record highs, lowering prices, delivering tax cuts, rebuilding the military, attracting historic levels of investment back into the United States, restoring border enforcement, deporting criminal illegal aliens, and defending women’s athletics against biological males — as proof that Republicans should not allow the left to drag the conversation into a political circus.

“Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive,” Trump wrote, adding that if Democrats had any meaningful evidence, they would have used it before “our landslide election victory.” He warned that some Republicans are being “used” by Democrats and insisted the party must stop falling into the “Epstein trap,” calling the scandal “a curse on the Democrats, not us.”

Trump’s comments come as a discharge petition to compel a House vote on releasing additional Epstein-related documents has reached the necessary signatures. Trump concluded his message by demanding Republicans stay focused on results, not theatrics, and rally behind the broader agenda to strengthen the country and “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”