Project

Your Voice, Our Future

Understanding what matters most to Calgarians

9 September 2025

For over six months, Vibrant Communities Calgary spent time in communities across the city, listening to people’s experiences, challenges, and hopes for change. From the far north in Coventry Hills to the deep south in Legacy, we met people at libraries, community halls, and local events.

In total, we connected with over 5,000 Calgarians through a mix of outreach efforts, community gatherings, and community newsletters. From those we engaged, 1,017 people shared their insights through our survey and community conversations. Each interaction added valuable insight and reminded us of the importance of making space for community voices in shaping the future of our city.

What We Understand At A Glance

Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing concerns raised across communities. People describe how rising costs for housing, utilities, food, and transportation are making it difficult to maintain stable housing.
Education emerges as both a barrier and a powerful opportunity to advance equity, social mobility, and well-being. Education is consistently framed as a public good and a foundation of an equitable society. A robust public education system is seen as a long-term strategy to address systemic inequities.
Employment is a consistent and urgent concern, closely tied to economic security and poverty reduction. Participants highlight the gap between Alberta’s minimum wage of $15 per hour and Calgary’s living wage of $24.45 per hour, noting that even full-time work often fails to meet basic needs.
The cost of food is a major concern across conversations and survey responses. Participants share that it is becoming increasingly difficult to afford fresh, nutritious groceries, especially for families with children, and seniors on fixed incomes due to rising food costs.
Transportation emerges as a key issue, particularly for low income residents, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities. Participants stress the critical role of public transit for work, school, medical appointments, and social connections.

In the lead up to Calgary’s municipal election on October 20, 2025, Vibrant Communities Calgary listened directly to Calgarians about the challenges they’re facing and the changes they want to see. This work is a part of a larger effort to ensure that the voices of lived experience are front and centre in the decisions that shape our city. This report documents the voices of Calgarians, laying a foundation for meaningful policy discussions and systemic change. Key themes include housing, employment, food, mental and physical health, transportation, education, climate change, public spaces, and civic engagement.

This report is intended to help individuals, organizations, and policymakers better understand lived experiences. The hope is that these insights are used to guide action, foster collaboration, and advance a Calgary where there is enough for all.

What are the key concerns for Calgarians?

In asking, ‘Which social issues are important to you?’, the data identifies key social issues that are important to participants. Housing emerged as the most commonly identified concern, followed closely by education, employment, and food security. Other significant areas include transportation, physical and mental health, and income support, reflecting a broad range of challenges faced by the community. While justice and early learning and care were also noted, the highest response rates indicate a strong focus on basic needs like stable housing and access to food. In the ‘Other’ category, participants named other areas of importance, including urban planning, disability supports, language barriers, climate change/environmental issues, 2SLGBTQIA+ supports, racial equity, bike lanes, art and culture, newcomer supports, and animal protection.

Demographic Breakdown

In total, we heard from 1,017 individuals: 905 through surveys and 112 through in-person conversations. The in-person conversations did not include demographic information and are not included in the data set. The graphs below show the demographic information provided by respondents, including age, gender, household and ward.

Recommendations

The following policy recommendations outline key actions to drive effective and meaningful change in our city:

Your Voice, Our Future

Read the full, in-depth report that explores key themes from community conversations and surveys, highlighting the lived experiences, concerns, and priorities of Calgarians.

Read it here

Focus Areas