Recall petitioner passes halfway point in timeline to oust Gondek

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The Calgarian behind the bid to recall Mayor Jyoti Gondek said he’s faced some hurdles in the first 30 days, but vows to see through the petition campaign he says has captured more public interest than he anticipated.

Landon Johnston, the owner of an HVAC business, recently passed the halfway mark of his 60-day effort to obtain more than half a million signatures — a threshold required through provincial recall legislation — to oust Calgary’s mayor.

“A lot of people are on the fence about this, thinking it’s not going to change anything,” Johnston said. “But look at what one HVAC guy with no real skills other than fixing furnaces was able to do?

“I’m trying to tell people, this is your opportunity to make a change, to make your city better, your life better. In my opinion, getting the mayor gone is going to make it better for everybody, whether you agree with her social politics or not.”

Johnston filed his notice of petition to the city on Jan. 30. The city confirmed it was compliant with the provincial Recall Act the following week.

The small-business owner said his motivation for starting the petition was a growing frustration with Gondek, but also the performance of city council as a whole. When submitting the petition, he told media he felt the mayor had lost the confidence of Calgarians.

“This is about her lack of leadership and ability to unite this city,” he said.

“I don’t think this mayor is the right person for the job, regardless of what powers she has in the grand scheme of things.”

Threshold for recall high

To formally recall Gondek, Johnston would need signatures from at least 40 per cent of Calgary’s population — more than 514,000 people — by April 4. That’s more than 120,000 more signatures than the approximately 390,000 Calgarians who voted in the mayoral race during the 2021 municipal election.

The signatures must also be handwritten and notarized by a commissioner of oath — digital forms are not allowed — and only eligible Calgary voters can sign it.

Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt previously told Postmedia the petition “won’t pass, and won’t even come close to passing,” but will expose flaws in the province’s recall legislation.

In the five weeks since starting the campaign, Johnston said he has been busy promoting the petition, co-ordinating public events, mobilizing volunteers and collecting signatures himself.

Recent wintry weather has been a hindrance, Johnston added, with heavy snowfall cancelling an event behind city hall last Saturday. He said he hopes warmer temperatures in the coming days will spur more door-knocking and outdoor gatherings during the second half of the campaign.

While he can’t say for sure how many signatures have been collected, Johnston claims he personally has amassed at least 1,500. But he also said he’s signed up hundreds of volunteers who have been canvassing for signatures on his behalf.

His website — recallmayorgondek.com — highlights 27 locations where Calgarians can meet with commissioners to sign the petition. The website also promotes upcoming signing events, including rallies near Calgary’s municipal building.

“There are some super passionate volunteers out there who just keep bringing me thousands and thousands of petitions every time we collect them,” he said, noting there’s a crew of volunteers canvassing the Plus-15 network every day.

Meeting with the mayor

As unlikely as the campaign may be, Johnston said he did manage to briefly speak to Gondek during one of his stops at city hall, and has a 15-minute sit-down with the mayor scheduled for March 22.

He said he plans to ask her how many signatures it would take for her to resign.

“That’s all this is about — it’s a job performance review for the mayor and her position, regardless of what her power is among council members,” he said.

Gondek’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

In a previous statement, Gondek said she remains “steadfastly committed” to serving as Calgary’s mayor.

“In October 2021, Calgarians put their faith in me to be a mayor who could bring balance and stability to this city at a time when polarized ideologies stood to divide us,” the statement read.

“I remain steadfastly committed to the work of building a future that holds opportunity and prosperity for everyone who lives here.”