Help for businesses and COVID-weary residents top priorities for new Ward 5 councillor

New Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says supporting northeast businesses and providing economic help for residents are among his top priorities as he begins his first week at city hall.

Dhaliwal was sworn in at city hall on Monday, replacing George Chahal, who was elected as MP for Calgary-Skyview in this summer's federal election.

"It's exciting. We're back to work and it's exciting and I'm pumped up to serve the residents of Ward 5," said Dhaliwal.

It's been a tough slog for Ward 5 residents in recent years.

A devastating hailstorm in 2020 caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damage and became the fourth costliest natural disaster in Canada's history. Many are still recovering from it. 

Ward 5 residents have also been caught directly in the eye of the pandemic. The area has some of the highest rates of active COVID-19 cases in the province and some of the lowest vaccination rates, made worse by a long list of barriers to accessing vaccines, information and education.

"They've had a double whammy, they had the pandemic and the hailstorm. Businesses need help, residents need help. They all need council to come up with a plan to help them move forward," said Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal says Ward 5 is the most diverse ward in Calgary. He grew up there as an immigrant from India, arriving with his parents and brother at a young age. He says he's been shoulder-to-shoulder with residents all his life, giving him a deep understanding of the issues that are important to the community.

"Some of my friends, family, they went through some of the issues we've faced in Ward 5. Some of my friends are taxi drivers and saw the economic downturn in that industry. Some are truck drivers and they saw that, too. Knowing them and listening to them is important because it makes me their authentic voice on city council."

"The ward is unique. Most of the people are hard-working people who came here with 50 or 100 dollars in their pocket from different countries. They adopted this ward as their place to live, they've worked hard and contributed to the city."

Dhaliwal says he sees residents as investors in the city and that they expect a return on their investment.

"Sometimes they felt they were disconnected with council, they felt underserved, and sometimes they felt they were not given the services they deserved," he said.

Dhaliwal went from working in a convenience store as a teen attending Lester B. Pearson High School to a career in the oil and gas industry. He worked on big budget projects with a culture of working lean that he says is just as applicable to his new working life at city hall.

"Every dollar we spent we were expected to create the best value for our shareholders, and that's the approach I'm going to take here, that taxpayers deserve the best returns."

Dhaliwal says he's excited to be part of a diverse council, encompassing gender, race and age, including the first woman to become mayor in Jyoti Gondek.

"There's new blood, new fresh ideas, and they're eager to get going and collaborate. There's an opportunity to reset Calgary's future and do the great things we all want to do for the city," said Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal says in the short term he's busy learning the ropes and getting his feet wet.

He says he has plans and ideas he'll be working on right away, focusing on everything from truck drivers to front-line workers.